Scope and arrangement
The papers of Nelle Richmond Eberhart include manuscripts and notebooks of her lyrics and libretti, as well as published scores by Charles Wakefield Cadman and other contemporaries of her day. The notebooks and lyrics include not only working ideas and drafts of her libretti but also her poetry. One of the notebooks is dedicated to a friend and contains, along with Eberhart's writings, poetry she obviously liked. Of special note are the watercolors by Norman Bel Geddes included in her libretto, The Land of Misty Waters. Though this work was never produced, it includes set designs for each scene and character renditions done by Bel Geddes.
The Nelle Richmond Eberhart papers are arranged in two series:
-
1894-1935
This series contains handwritten notebooks by Nelle Richmond Eberhart as well as manuscript and published libretti for some of the operas of Charles Wakefield Cadman. Included are Ramala, Shanewis, The Land of Misty Water and The Witch of Salem among others. Of special note are the set designs and character portraits by Norman Bel Geddes included in The Land of Misty Water libretto.
-
1904-1946
This series contains published scores by Charles Wakefield Cadman. Though most of the works include lyrics by Nelle Eberhart, there are some by other lyricists. The series includes orchestral, choral and solo arrangments and are primarily for Cadman's vocal works. Of special note is the complete score for the 2 act opera A Witch of Salem.