Urban Schnurr Collection

Introduction
Biographical Sketch
Scope and Content
Box and File List

Introduction

This collection of posters, playbills, photographs, scrapbooks, programs, and other memorabilia of the theatre and performing arts was collected by Urban Schnurr, 1906-1972. Schnurr bequeathed the collection to the Dayton Opera Association, which gave it to the University of Dayton in March 1975.

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Biographical Sketch

Urban Schnurr was born in 1906. He graduated from University of Dayton Preparatory School in 1925. Schnurr was avidly interested in music and the opera, and he amassed a large collection of books and memorabilia pertaining to those interests. Schnurr was active in bringing performances to Dayton, and it is believed based on Schnurr's notes, that he may have seen more than 65 different operas in his lifetime and seen several of these more than once. For a time, Schnurr worked with the Charles McLean book store, which may have facilitated his collecting so many rare books. The bulk of Schnurr's book collection (nearly 1,000 books) was donated to the University of Dayton Library upon his death in May 1972. His opera materials went first to the Dayton Opera Association, which then donated it to the University of Dayton Archives in 1975.

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Scope and Content

The collection includes 38 boxes, 30 scrapbooks, and 50 books. It is divided by type and geographical location. The Urban Schnurr Collection is divided into five series:

Series I: Programs and Handbills
This series contains programs and handbills of various performances. It is divided into six sub-series, according to geographical location: Dayton, Cincinnati, Chicago, New York City, Other American Cities, and Outside the U.S.A. 26 Boxes.

Series II: Personal Papers of Urban Schnurr
This series contains the personal papers of Urban Schnurr, including personal and business correspondence, military papers, a list of performances seen, and movie reviews written by Schnurr. 3 Boxes.

Series III: Photographs and Miscellaneous
This series includes more than 500 photographs, mostly of performers; an alphabetized list of all identified photographs is included for details. Miscellaneous items include Victor Record catalogs, maps and guidebooks, pictures and postcards, ballet programs, and oversized materials. 9 Boxes.

Series IV: Books
This series includes 50 books, most of which focus on music or recording.

Series V: Scrapbooks
This series includes 30 scrapbooks, many of which have theatrical contents, dating from 1859 to 1946.

Some of the most notable items in the collection include the following:

• Victory Theatre programs, 1919-1930
• Dayton Art Institute programs
• NCR schoolhouse programs
• Dayton Symphony Association programs, 1915-1931
• Dayton Civic Music League, 1914-1931
• Memorial Hall programs, 1915-1972
• Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra yearbooks, 1915-1928
• Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra programs, 1928-1972
• Cincinnati Summer Opera programs, 1930-1969

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Box and File List

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Electronic finding aid created in Dec. 2006 by Lisa Pasquinelli, from existing collection box lists.