Peter Marks Minstrelsy Collection
name: label: Donor
content: Jessee, Mark
label: Creator
content: Marks, Peter, 1843-1883
topic: label: Topic
content: Music teachers
label: Topic
content: Harpists
label: Topic
content: Minstrel music
label: Topic
content: Theater
label: Topic
content: Minstrel shows
label: Topic
content: Music -- Performance
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated to the Archives Center in 2014, by Mark Jessee in honor of the Archie and Camille Jessee Family.
creator: label: Donor
content: Jessee, Mark
label: Creator
content: Marks, Peter, 1843-1883
setName: label: See more items in
content: Peter Marks Minstrelsy Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: Collection documents the musical career of Peter Marks as a harpist on the Midwestern minstrel circuit consisting primarily of sheet music, song books, theater programs, posters, newspaper articles, and personal papers.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Peter Matthew Marks was born February 21, 1843 to parents William Augustus Marks and Anne Mooney (Marks) in Ireland. He grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio learning to play piano, harp, and guitar. Marks performed with various minstrel troupes in and around Cincinnati, Ohio. During the war, he served as a member of the Ohio militia for one month before leaving to continue his music career. Peter Marks met and married Mary "Emma" McKitrick. He ultimately left the minstrel circuit and went on to become a professor at the Cincinnati College of Music. He died in 1883.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 4 Cubic feet (9 boxes and 7 oversize folders)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1800-1915; undated
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1328
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Songbooks
label: Type
content: Sheet music
label: Type
content: Theater programs
label: Type
content: Posters
label: Type
content: Articles
label: Type
content: Black-and-white photographs
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Advertisements
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into two series.

Series 1: Personal Papers, 1800s-1909; undated

Series 2: Professional Materials, 1849-1915; undated

Subseries 2.1, Playbills, Programs, Posters, and Advertisements, 1863-1879; undated

Subseries 2.2, Sheet Music, 1843-1901; undated

Subseries 2.3, Publications, 1849-1915; undated

Series 3, Addendum, 1860-1864
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: This collection was processed by Vanessa Broussard-Simmons, archivist, 2015.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Songbooks -- 19th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Sheet music -- 19th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Theater programs -- 19th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Posters -- 19th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Articles -- 19th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Black-and-white photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence -- 19th-20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Advertisements -- 19th century
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Collection contains personal and professional materials relating to musician Peter Marks dating primarily from the mid to late nineteenth century. These materials provide valuable insight into life before and after the Civil War mainly through correspondence and other primary sources documenting his domestic and music activities. In addition, the materials are a valuable resource for understanding how one musician was able to make a living teaching music and performing in classical music concerts, as well as, with minstrel troupes.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History

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