Scope and Contents
The collection consists of research and teaching materials, chiefly transcriptions, generated by Merritt during his long career. N.B. Scrapbooks and gradebooks of A.T. Merritt were sent to Harvard University Archives.
Dates
- circa 1932-1972
Language of Materials
The materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is unrestricted apart from University administrative records and student work, which are restricted as follows in accordance with University policy: University administrative records are restricted for a period of 50 years from the date of their creation and University records pertaining to individuals, including student and employee records, are closed for a minimum of 80 years from the date of their creation. Isham Memorial Library staff will review requests in accordance with these restrictions.
Extent
7 linear feet (Nine bound volumes, twelve flat document boxes, two upright document boxes.)Biographical / Historical
Arthur Tillman Merritt (1902-1998) was an American musicologist. He studied at the University of Missouri and at Harvard University. From 1932 he was Professor of Music at Harvard University, serving twice as chair of the Department of Music. From 1952 he was also Curator of the Isham Memorial LIbrary. He retired from that curatorship and from the Department in 1972.
Merritt's chief area of research was Renaissance music, particularly the 16th-century chanson. He edited the madrigals of Andrea Gabrieli and several volumes of motets originally published by Pierre Attaingnant, and co-edited the complete secular works of Josquin Desprez. (Source: Grove music online)
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into series by housing, then into sub-series by content.
Appraisal
This collection enhances the Isham Memorial Library's strong holdings in the working papers of music scholars with a connection to the Department of Music at Harvard University. Similar collections include the papers of Otto Gombosi and Michel Huglo.
- Title
- A. Tillman Merritt Papers, 1932-1972
- Status
- in_progress
- Author
- Encoded by Christina Linklater.
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- mus00046
Repository Details
Part of the Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library Repository
The Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library is the primary repository of musical materials at Harvard. The Music Library’s collecting mission is to serve music teaching and research programs in the Music Department and throughout the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. In addition, it supports the musical needs of the broader Harvard community as well as an international scholarly constituency. We collect books, musical scores, serial titles, sound recordings and video formats, microforms, and rare and archival materials that support research in a wide variety of musical disciplines including historical musicology, music theory, ethnomusicology, composition, and historically informed performance practice, as well as interdisciplinary areas related to music. The special collections include archival collections from the 19th, 20th and 21st century.
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