In recognition of American Archives Month, the Great American Songbook Foundation is offering rare public tours of its Songbook Library & Archives in October.
Normally closed to the public, the Songbook Library & Archives preserves more than 500,000 historical items from the foundational era of American popular music, including recordings, arrangements, images, memorabilia, personal papers, and other artifacts from the lives and careers of legendary performers, composers, lyricists, and other key figures. The facility in Carmel also includes a reference library and study space for researchers who come from around the world to study the materials.
Free behind-the-scenes group tours are scheduled on four occasions: 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 16 and Oct. 23. Space is limited to 20 visitors per tour. Tours may be scheduled at TheSongbook.org/ArchivesTour24, and more information is available by phone at (317) 844-2251 or by email at info@TheSongbook.org.
Tour highlights will include glamorous stage costumes worn by such performers as Ella Fitzgerald, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé; original scripts for classic Broadway shows like The Music Man; musical arrangements written for iconic artists including Sammy Davis Jr., Andy Williams, Rosemary Clooney, Natalie Cole, and Frank Sinatra, featuring hits like “Moon River” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”; and historical materials representing such prominent figures as Leonard Bernstein, Mamie Eisenhower, Ginger Rogers, Walt Disney, and Doris Day.
The archives staff also will be sharing special content this month through the Foundation’s social media accounts and website, TheSongbook.org. American Archives Month is celebrated annually in October to raise awareness about the value of archives and the importance of archivists. The National Archives and Records Administration and the Council of State Archivists support the Society of American Archivists in the observance.
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