Collection Overview
The Leonard Bernstein Collection, ca. 1920-1989, contains more than 400,000 items documenting the life and career of one of 20th-century America's most important musical figures. This online collection makes available 85 photographs, 177 scripts from the Young People's Concerts, 74 scripts from the Thursday Evening Previews, and over 1,100 pieces of correspondence. The collection's complete Finding Aid is also available online.
Special Features
These online exhibits provide context and additional information about this collection.
- Leonard Bernstein Photo Gallery
- Professor Lenny by Joseph Horowitz
Historical Eras
These historical era(s) are best represented in the collection although they may not be all-encompassing.
- Emergence of Modern America, 1890-1930
- The Great Depression and World War II, 1929-1945
- Postwar United States, 1945-early 1970s
- Contemporary United States, 1968-present
Related Collections and Exhibits
These collections and exhibits contain thematically-related primary and secondary sources. Also browse the Collection Finder for more related material on the American Memory Web site.
- The Aaron Copland Collection, Ca. 1900-1990
- Federal Theatre Project, 1935-1939
- The Irving Fine Collection: Ca. 1914-1962
- The Dayton C. Miller Flute Collection
- William P. Gottlieb: Photographs from the Golden Age of Jazz
- Creative Americans: Portraints by Carl Van Vechten, 1932-1964
Other Resources
Recommended additional sources of information.
- Bibliography
- Finding Aid to the Collection
- Leonard Bernstein Chronology
- The Official Leonard Bernstein Site
Search Tips
Specific guidance for searching this collection.
To find items in this collection, search by Keyword or browse by Title Index, Name Index, or Subject Index. For help with search words, go to the Synonym List. For help with search strategies, see Finding Items in American Memory.
Last Updated: 06/12/2009