Kirstein, Lincoln

American ballet director, writer, and dance historian, 1907-1995. Lincoln Kirstein was born in Rochester, NY, educated at Harvard (B.A. 1929, M.A. 1930). He married Fidelma Cadmus, sister of artist, Paul Cadmus, in 1941 and served in the U.S. Army 1943-45. He co-founded School of American Ballet with George Balanchine and Edward M.M. Warburg in 1934. Participated in the founding and/or direction of American Ballet in 1935, Ballet Caravan 1936-41, Ballet Society in 1946, and became general director of the succeeding company, New York City Ballet in 1948. Lincoln Kirstein career included work with visual artists and writers on various projects. His publications in dance include: Dance Index, 1942-48; books on Fokine, Nijinsky, New York City Ballet, a history of theatrical dance, and assistance to Romola Nijinsky in the biography of her husband, 1932-33. He retired from New York City Ballet and School of American Ballet in 1989. Kirstein was known as a sponsor (1959-60) of Japanese theater in the United States. He was the recipient of many distinguished awards.

From the guide to the Lincoln Kirstein papers, ca. 1913-1994, (The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.)

From the guide to the Lincoln Kirstein papers, ca. 1914-1991, (The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.)

American ballet promoter and author.

From the description of Typed letter signed : New York, to Stark Young, 1942 Mar. 24. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 270874957

American writer and company manager for the American Ballet and Ballet Caravan during the 1930s, The Ballet Society from 1946 to 1948, and the New York City Ballet since 1948.

From the description of Correspondence, 1951-1982, with Agnes de Mille. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 122455292

Lincoln Kirstein: writer, art historian; Richard S. Nutt: art historian. Dr. William Rimmer: noted 19th century painter, sculptor, and anatomy instructor.

From the description of Lincoln Kirstein and Richard Sherman Nutt research material on William Rimmer, 1849-1971. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 86132902

American writer and ballet company manager.

From the description of Correspondence, ca. 1948-1968, with Morton Baum and others. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 122485125

Lincoln Edward Kirstein (1907-1996) was born on May 4, 1907 in Rochester, New York and educated at Harvard College (A.B. 1929, A.M. 1930). In 1934, he co-founded the School of American Ballet with George Balanchine and Edward M.M. Warburg. He also participated in the founding and/or direction of the American Ballet Company in 1935, Ballet Caravan 1936-1941, and the Ballet Society in 1946, and he became general director of the succeeding company, New York City Ballet, in 1948. Kirstein married Fidelma Cadmus, sister of artist Paul Cadmus, in 1941 and served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1945. His career included work with visual artists and writers on various projects, and his dance-related publications include: Dance Index; books on Michel Fokine, Vaslav Nijinsky, and the New York City Ballet; a history of theatrical dance; and writing assistance to Romola Nijinsky on a biography of her husband. He retired from New York City Ballet and School of American Ballet in 1989. The recipient of many distinguished awards, Lincoln Kirstein died on January 5, 1996.

From the guide to the Letters to Lincoln Kirstein, 1947-1976, (The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.)

Lincoln Kirstein was an American writer, art connoisseur, and founder of the New York City Ballet and its director from 1946-1989. He served on the Advisory Committee of the Museum of Modern Art and had several books published by the Museum, reflecting his interest in all the arts. Mr. Kirstein donated to the Museum a collection of material on dance which formed the basis of the Dance Archives, founded in 1940.

From the description of Lincoln Kirstein correspondence and notes, 1940-1944. (Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)). WorldCat record id: 670397361

Epithet: patron of the arts

British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000758.0x000339

American ballet director, writer, and dance historian.

Founded (with George Balanchine and Edward M.M. Warburg) the School of American Ballet, 1934; co-founder and director of American Ballet, 1935; founder and director of Ballet Caravan, 1936-41; co-founder of Ballet Society, 1946; general director of New York City Ballet from 1948; sponsor of Japanese theater in the United States. Educated at Harvard and married Fidelma Cadmus, 1941.

From the description of Papers, ca. 1914-1991. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 86164324

American ballet director, writer, and dance historian.

Founded (with George Balanchine and Edward M.M. Warburg) the School of American Ballet, 1934; co-founder and director of American Ballet, 1935; founder and director of Ballet Caravan, 1936-41; co-founder of Ballet Society, 1946; general director of New York City Ballet from 1948; sponsor of Japanese theater in the United States. Educated at Harvard and married Fidelma Cadmus, 1941.

From the description of Papers, ca. 1913-1994. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 122682985

Historical note

Stravinsky's opera The Rake's Progress, set to the libretto by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, was inspired by William Hogarth's series of paintings. Stravinsky had wanted to write an English-language opera since arriving in the United States in 1939, and was inspired to do so by seeing the paintings at the Art Institute of Chicago on May 2, 1947. The opera premiered in Venice on September 11, 1951.

From the guide to the Igor Stravinsky correspondence on, The Rake's Progress, 1950-1951, (USC Libraries Special Collections)

Lincoln Edward Kirstein (1907-1996) was born on May 4, 1907 in Rochester, New York and educated at Harvard College (A.B. 1929, A.M. 1930). In 1934, he co-founded the School of American Ballet with George Balanchine and Edward M.M. Warburg. He also participated in the founding and/or direction of the American Ballet Company in 1935, Ballet Caravan 1936-1941, and the Ballet Society in 1946, and he became general director of the succeeding company, New York City Ballet, in 1948. Kirstein married Fidelma Cadmus, sister of artist Paul Cadmus, in 1941 and served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1945. His career included work with visual artists and writers on various projects, and his dance-related publications include: Dance Index; books on Michel Fokine, Vaslav Nijinsky, and the New York City Ballet; a history of theatrical dance; and writing assistance to Romola Nijinsky on a biography of her husband. He retired from New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet in 1989. The recipient of many distinguished awards, Lincoln Kirstein died on January 5, 1996.

Donald Richie was born in Lima, Ohio in 1924. In 1947, he moved to Tokyo, Japan, where he has since been based. Richie is a novelist, filmmaker, essayist and expert on Japanese film.

From the guide to the Letters from Lincoln Kirstein to Donald Ritchie, 1957-1964, (The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.)

Lincoln Edward Kirstein (1907-1996) was born on May 4, 1907 in Rochester, New York and educated at Harvard College (A.B. 1929, A.M. 1930). In 1934, he co-founded the School of American Ballet with George Balanchine and Edward M.M. Warburg. He also participated in the founding and/or direction of the American Ballet Company in 1935, Ballet Caravan 1936-1941, and the Ballet Society in 1946, and he became general director of the succeeding company, New York City Ballet, in 1948. Kirstein married Fidelma Cadmus, sister of artist Paul Cadmus, in 1941 and served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1945. His career included work with visual artists and writers on various projects, and his dance-related publications include: Dance Index; books on Michel Fokine, Vaslav Nijinsky, and the New York City Ballet; a history of theatrical dance; and writing assistance to Romola Nijinsky on a biography of her husband. He retired from New York City Ballet and School of American Ballet in 1989. The recipient of many distinguished awards, Lincoln Kirstein died on January 5, 1996.

Robert Harris Chapman (1919-2000) graduated from Princeton University in 1941. He returned to Princeton as an instructor in the Department of English in 1946, after serving in the U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant in naval intelligence in Europe and North Africa. In 1948, Chapman accepted a position in the Department of Dramatic Arts at the University of California, Berkeley, where he taught until 1950. That year, he accepted a position at Harvard University, where he taught English for almost four decades. Chapman was also named the first director of the Harvard's Loeb Drama Center in 1960, upon the recommendation of Harvard alumnus Lincoln Kirstein. He retired from Harvard in 1989 and moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Robert Harris Chapman died in 2000, at the age of 81.

Alexander Jensen Yow worked as a conservator at the Morgan Library in New York from the 1950s to the 1970s, and he established his own practice in semi-retirement after leaving his post at the Morgan. He was often referred to as "Jens" or "Jen" by his friends. The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection holds a photographic portrait of Yow by George Platt Lynes, ca. 1948. Biographical information about Yow is relatively scarce.

From the guide to the Lincoln Kirstein papers, 1951-1999, (The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.)