Dunham, Katherine. (1909 - 2006)
Signed Photograph with Typed Letter Signed
Signed photograph of the important dancer and choreographer, who has inscribed "To George/ Sincerely/ Katherine Dunham," together with TLS to percussionist George Gaber, 1 pp., January 27, 1945, on her own stationary, thanking him for his Christmas card. Photograph with light rippling to left edge, else fine. 8 x 10 inches (20.3 x 25 cm.). Letter in very fine condition, 5.5 x 8.5 inches (14 x 21.6 cm.).Although best known as founder and director of the dance company which bore her name and for her appearances in such films as Star Spangled Rhythm and Stormy Weather, Dunham was also a serious anthropologist of dance, partially completing a master's degree at the University of Chicago and winning research grants from the Rosenwald and Guggenheim foundations to study the dance forms of the Caribbean. Journey to Accompang was the result of living with the Maroon people for several months in the remote mountains of Haiti, in the hopes of witnessing a famous native African war dance.
From the collection of George Gaber (1916–2007), noted percussionist who performed with a number of professional ensembles, including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Baltimore Symphony and worked with Leonard Bernstein, Otto Klemperer, Igor Stravinsky, Henry Mancini, Duke Ellington and many others over the span of his career. From 1960 to 1986 taught percussion at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and was also an artist in residence at Carnegie Mellon University, an adjudicator for National Music Arts in Japan and the Canadian Music Competition, and a Hall of Fame recipient in Percussion Arts Society. (19004)
Signed Photograph Dance