Guide to the Frieda Peycke Papers, 1904-1982

(bulk 1935-1964)

John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148
Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Published in 2020

Collection Overview

Title:	Frieda Peycke Papers
Date range:	1904-1982
Creator:	Peycke, Frieda, 1884-1964
Extent:	6.5 linear feet
Abstract:	The Frieda Peycke Papers consist of personal correspondence (primarily with her pupil and friend, Frederick Gamble), printed commercially published sheet music and handwritten sheet music written by Frieda Peycke, recordings of Frieda Peycke performing some of her musical numbers, musical performance programs, promotional flyers, press clippings, articles authored by Frieda Peycke, photographs, and assorted biographical documents. Some of the material contains racist and offensive language.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Collection number:	Ms.2020.003

Scope & content

Series 1, Correspondence (1914-1964). Handwritten and typed letters from Frieda Peycke, primarily addressed towards her pupil and friend, Frederick Gamble over the date range from 1934 to 1964, but with some additional miscellaneous correspondence as well. The parenthetical numbers used for correspondence match with numbers written physically on the materials by Frederick Gamble. All correspondence is from Frieda Peycke to Frederick Gamble unless noted.

Series 2, Printed/Published Sheet Music by or related to Frieda Peycke (1908-1949). Commercially published sheet music that was authored by Frieda Peycke as the musical composer. This series includes individual pieces arranged predominantly in alphabetical order with collections containing multiple pieces arranged in chronological order.

Series 3, Handwritten Sheet Music by or related to Frieda Peycke (1907-1936). Handwritten sheet music manuscripts, with individual manuscripts arranged predominantly in alphabetical order and notebooks arranged in a pre-assigned numerical order. Religious and piano only are grouped separately. Additionally, there are some pieces by other authors that are dedicated to Frieda Peycke. The vast majority of these pieces are undated.

Series 4, Recorded Music by or related to Frieda Peycke (1948-1979). Audio recordings made by Frieda Peycke and recordings of her music performed by Frederick Gamble. Included are original vinyl master recordings and CD copies of these same recordings.

Series 5, Ephemera and Miscellaneous Material (1914-1982). This series consists of musical performance programs, flyers, press clippings, articles authored by Frieda Peycke, a book with chapters about Frieda Peycke, biographical documents, photographs, and other miscellaneous material.

Some of the material contains racist and offensive language.

Access Points

Subject Names

• Peycke, Frieda
• Gamble, Frederick, 1904-1986

Subject Topics

• Monologues (Music)
• Sacred monologues with music
• Recitations with music

Document Types

• Personal correspondence
• Compact discs
• Clippings
• Concert programs
• Sheet music
• Bound sheet music
• 78 rpm records
• 33 1/3 RPM record

Arrangement

Arranged in five series.

• Series 1. Correspondence
• Series 2. Printed/Published Sheet Music
• Series 3. Handwritten Sheet Music
• Series 4. Recorded Music
• Series 5. Ephemera and Miscellaneous Material

Biographical/Historical Note

Frieda Peycke (born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1884 and died in Los Angeles, California in 1964) was a pianist, composer, and performer who rose to prominence in the early 20th century as a diseuse. Peycke wrote and performed her own musical settings for popular poetry and prose of the time. A diseuse is defined as a female who performed monologues; however, she rejected the labels of both elocutionist and monolinguist and billed herself instead as a “Pianist, Composer, Interpreter” whose compositions were “Musically Illustrated Readings – Music that Speaks – Poems that Sing.” She toured across the United States as a solo performer doing her own material during much of the first half of the 20th century. During this same time, dozens of her compositions spent several decades in print for leading musical publishers. In her later years, she slowed her performance schedule and focused instead on instruction of her many students in piano, composition, and musical readings.

Peycke began training as a concert pianist at a young age and, after relocating to Los Angeles in her early twenties began composing her own musical material in earnest at the urging of her mentor, Fred C. Gamble. Her decade long friendship and mentorship of Fred C. Gamble’s son, Frederick Gamble, shaped much of this collection as nearly all the correspondence is addressed to him and the collection itself was acquired from him. Peycke typically began her compositions by finding contemporary popular poetry and prose written by others that appealed to her and then writing piano music that could accompany a reading of the material. Her vocal performances then struck a balance between singing and elocution that was her own unique style that she was able to popularize and spread to other performers of the time.

Peycke was also active in civic and religious matters throughout her time in Los Angeles. She was an advocate for and frequent performer at the Hollywood Bowl. She was a member of and former president of both the Hollywood Community Sing and The Dominant Club.

Peycke was married, in her middle age, to George Holman, a widower from Texas whose children were fully grown at the time of their nuptials. Holman died shortly after their marriage.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access for analog materials, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested. Advance notice is required to view media in this collection. Media in this collection have not been reformatted yet. Researchers may request access to copies by contacting the John Hay Library with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. Access to original physical digital media is restricted.
Use of the materials:	All researchers seeking to publish materials from the collections of the John Hay Library are requested to complete a Notice of Intent to Publish, prior to reproducing, quoting, or otherwise publishing any portion or extract from this collection. Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation:	Frieda Peycke Papers, Ms.2020.003, Brown University Library.
Contact information:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148 Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	Gift of sheet music and notebooks by Marguerite T. Schmidt in 1982; correspondence and ephemera donated by Frederick Gamble in October 1984.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Matt Kruglinski
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using the RIAMCO EAD spreadsheet, 04/28/2020
Descriptive rules:	Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Related material:

Publications citing this collection:KIMBER, M. W. (2017). The Elocutionists: Women, Music, and the Spoken Word. University of Illinois Press.

Inventory

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