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Marie Joy Curtiss Papers

An inventory of her papers at the Syracuse University Archives


Finding aid created by: Hadiya Lee
Date: 2024



Biography

Marie Joy Curtiss (1907-1999) was Professor Emerita of music education and music history in the School of Music at Syracuse University. Curtiss was a music teacher in public schools in Michigan for 38 years and received her Doctorate in Music from Michigan State University in 1964. She began working as an associate professor at Syracuse University in 1965 and retired in 1973 as the chair of Music Education at the School of Music. She specialized in South Asian art and culture, and her research resulted in extensive travels to India, Türkiye, Japan, Iran, and Thailand. In 1970, the United States Office of Education, Arts and Humanities Program sponsored Curtiss on a 15-week trip to India where she interacted with Indian dancers and musicians and collected hundreds of slides and interviews, in addition to recordings of Indian music.


Scope and Content Note

The Marie Joy Curtiss Papers is divided into three series:

The Course materials series includes Curtiss' music education slides along with the card catalog system she developed to go with them. The series also includes lecture notes and transparencies.

The Recordings series primarily consists of audio and audiovisual recordings of Indian music performances in India and at Syracuse University and recordings of European classical music performances. Notable performers include Ravi Shankar, Hasu Patel, Imrat Khan, Vanraj Bhatia, Arvind Parikh, and M.S. Subbulakshmi. Please note that original city and place names and recording titles have been retained as they appear on Curtiss' recordings. Modern, post-independence place names are included in brackets where applicable.

The Writings series mostly comprises manuscripts and published works related to Curtiss' research while a doctoral student at Michigan State University and a professor of music education and music history in the School of Music at Syracuse University. Also included are files of clippings, conference materials, and correspondence.


Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.

Access to audiovisual material requires advance notice to produce a use copy. Damaged lacquer discs are not accessible to researchers.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from the Syracuse University Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.


Related Material

There are files on Marie Joy Curtiss in the Syracuse University Clipping Files Collection and the Syracuse University Portrait Collection.


Selected Search Terms

Names

Bhatia, Vanraj.
Curtiss, Marie Joy.
Khan, Imrat.
Parikh, Arvind.
Patel, Hasu.
Shankar, Ravi.
Subbulakshmi, M. S., 1916-2004.
Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.

Subjects

Dance -- India.
Kathak (dance)
Music -- India.
Music -- Instruction and study.
College teachers.
Higher education.
Music educator.

Types of Material

16mm (photographic film size)
Audiocassettes.
Audiotapes.
Card catalogs.
Color slides.
Lacquer discs.
Manuscripts (documents)
Publications (documents)
Punched cards.
Sound recordings.
Super 8.
Transparencies.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Marie Joy Curtiss Papers,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Transfer from Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts in 2004 and from Syracuse University Libraries in 2011.

Processing Information

Materials were re-boxed and placed in acid-free folders. All color slides were placed in 2x2 photo pockets, materials were removed from binders and plastic coverings, and articles from periodicals were clipped.


Arrangement

The card catalogs in numerical order, recordings are arranged in numerical and alphabetical order according to Curtiss' original ordering system, and all other materials are arranged alphabetically.


Table of Contents

Course materials

Recordings

Writings


Inventory