Catalog Record:
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein.
Gift; Herbert L. Kirk; 1995.
No further accruals are expected.
The Herbert L. Kirk Collection was processed by Stefan Patejak in 1999. Nancy Seeger revised the finding aid and coded it for EAD format in 2012.
One hundred audiotapes and a videotape containing concerts, documentaries, and interviews that Kirk made in the course of his research have been transferred to the Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division. Some of the audiotapes have been individually cataloged and are identified as part of the "H. L. Kirk Collection (Library of Congress)."
Materials from the Herbert L. Kirk Collection are governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.) and other applicable international copyright laws.
The Herbert L. Kirk Collection is open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Music Division prior to visiting in order to determine whether the desired materials will be available at that time.
Certain restrictions to use or copying of materials may apply.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [item, date, container number], Herbert L. Kirk Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Herbert L. Kirk was a writer, editor and publishing consultant when he first met Pablo Casals in 1960. In his own words, "my first reaction was veneration." They became close friends and in 1966 Casals invited Kirk to write his authorized biography. Kirk was given extensive access to Casals and his records. The book was finished in 1973 within hours of Casals' death. In his will, Kirk left his research material and other related items to the Library of Congress.
Herbert L. Kirk was born in Orlando, Florida, on July 26, 1926. He earned an A.B. degree from Wake Forest College, and attended graduate school at Columbia University and New York University. After serving in the U.S. Army, he made New York City his home and began pursuing a career in book publishing. He held various editorial and executive positions at Prentice-Hall, Ronald Press, Appleton-Century-Crofts, Macmillan, and Hill & Wang. He headed H. L. Kirk Associates, a small editorial consulting firm, and served as an advisory editor for McGraw-Hill.
Although Mr. Kirk never studied the cello, he was an accomplished amateur pianist and very knowledgeable about classical music. He came to know Casals well during the time that the cellist was associated with the Marlboro Festival in Vermont, where Kirk and his wife had a summer house in nearby Jacksonville. Kirk's biography of Casals,
Kirk died in New York City, on October 31, 1994.
Herbert L. Kirk is best known in the field of musicology as the author of
The Correspondence series includes correspondence between Kirk and Casals, letters to and from Pablo and Marta Casals, business correspondence to and from Kirk regarding his research for the book and other projects, and a selection of acknowledgments from persons who received presentation copies of the book. It also contains photocopies of letters from Casals to Sir Donald Tovey.
The Photographs series contains pictures, both candid and posed, of Pablo Casals that Kirk gathered in researching his book. It also inlcudes photographs of Casals' wife Marta, relatives, associates, houses, and awards. There are also pictures of Kirk and his family, some with Casals. Many photographs show Casals in performance, and with notable individuals. In addition, there is a complete set of illustrations that was used in the book. The Programs series contains an extensive set of programs documenting Casals' performances.
The Pablo Casals Papers series contains materials directly related to Pablo Casals, including legal and business papers, transcripts of interviews that Kirk had with Casals, Casals' music lessons, chronologies of Casals' career, photocopies of some of his musical compositions, and scripts. The collection includes numerous drafts and proofs of Kirk's book--both of the main text and of the front and back matter--which can be found in the
The Realia series contains souvenir medals from Casals festivals and a pipe that Casals gave to Kirk. The Scrapbook contains clippings related to Kirk's book on Casals, and the Posters series contains two posters.
The Kirk Business Papers series contains materials, including permissions, receipts, and promotional items, relating to Kirk's book and other activities.
The Herbert L. Kirk Collection is organized in fifteen series:
Includes correspondence between Kirk and Casals, letters to and from Pablo and Marta Casals, correspondence to and from Kirk regarding his research for the book and other projects, and a selection of acknowledgments from persons who received presentation copies of the book.
Includes copies of letters about Tovey and Casals, and one 1973 letter from an Edinburgh librarian concerning the Casals letters.
Includes additional related material.
Includes related material.
Producer-director of
Producer-director of
Producer-director of
Includes additional material.
Photographs of various sizes, in black and white, and color, including posed and candid shots, snapshots, and items from printed sources. Subjects include Casals, his wife and family, friends, and notable individuals. Includes slides and contact sheets.
Arranged by chapter.
Includes permissions, editorial materials, and photographer credits.
Covers a selection of performances by Casals, includes photocopies and a few originals.
Miscellaneous materials related to Pablo Casals, including legal and business papers, transcripts of interviews that Kirk had with Casals, Casals' music lessons, chronologies of Casals' career, photocopies of some of his musical compositions, and scripts.
Lessons made available to Kirk by Virgil Thomson.
Typewritten manuscripts and photocopies of drafts and galley proofs for Kirk's book,
Includes some typed fragments and handwritten pages.
Research material Kirk gathered in researching the Casals book.
Alphabetically arranged by name of person or subject.
Books about Pablo Casals that Kirk collected in the course of researching his book. Five of the books listed here were presented to Kirk and inscribed by their authors. These have been retained, along with Kirk’s annotated working copy of his own book, and are shelved with the collection. The remaining volumes have been placed in the general collections or, in the case of duplicates, disposed of. A complete list of these volumes is available in the Library of Congress Music Division collection file.
Inscribed by author.
Inscribed by author.
Inscribed by author.
Inscribed by author.
Annotated working copy.
Inscribed by author.
Selection of materials relating to Kirk's book and other activities.