May Johnson Business Papers

Dates: 1911-1941, undated
Size: 1.25 linear feet in 2 boxes, including 41 photographs
Repository: Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington Library Center, Special Collections, 400 S. State St., Chicago, IL 60605
Collection Number: spe.joh
Immediate Source of Acquisition: The materials in this collection were a gift of the Nashville (Tenn.) Public Library’s Nashville Room in January, 1992.
Conditions Governing Access: Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use: Please consult staff to determine ability to reuse materials from collection.
Preferred Citation: When quoting material from this collection the preferred citation is: May Johnson Business Papers [Box #, Folder #], Special Collections, Chicago Public Library.
Finding Aid Author: Original author unknown. Processed, March 1992. Updated and ingested into ArchivesSpace by Johanna Russ, 2021.

Abstract

May Johnson was a performing arts agent. The collection primarily concerns the careers of violinist Zlatko Balokovic and soprano Eleonora DeCisneros, and includes information on the Chicago Grand Opera Company.

Historical/Biographical

May Johnson was an agent for performers involved with musical production, generally opera and concerts. Her career spanned at least three decades. She was working in Chicago in the early 1910s, apparently representing artists in conjunction with the Chicago Grand Opera Company (later known as the Chicago Opera Company). In 1917-1918, her office was at 50 West 67th Street, New York City. By the late 1930s she had returned to Chicago and had an office at Orchestra Hall.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of materials assembled by May Johnson in the course of her position as agent for various artists.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in two series:

  • Series 1: Documents, 1914-1941, undated
  • Series 2: Photographs, 1911-1938, undated

Related Collections

Vertical files in CPL’s Art and Music Department contain items concerning the career of Eleonora de Cisneros that May Johnson donated in 1941.

Collection Inventory

Series 1: Documents

Scope and Contents

The bulk of the collection concerns the careers of two artists represented by May Johnson: violinist Zlatko Balokovic (1895-1965) and soprano Eleonora de Cisneros (1874-1934). The Balokovic material includes carbon copies of many of Johnson’s sometimes exasperated letters to him, as well as correspondence with his wife, Joyce Borden Balokovic. Programs and fliers from de Cisneros’s work also appear. Manuscripts of the first two general managers of this Company are also present in this collection: J. Andreas Dippel (folder 1:31) and Cleofonte Campanini (folder 1:12).

Arrangement

Files are arranged alphabetically by represented artist’s last name. The artists included are Zlatko Balokovic (1895-1965) and his wife Joyce Borden Balokovic, Eleonora de Cisneros (1874-1934) and Rosa Raisa (1893-1963).

Box 1 Folder 1 Balokovic, Joyce Borden ‒ signed letter to May Johnson, Istanbul 1938 April 6
Box 1 Folder 2 Balokovic, Zlatko ‒ program undated
Box 1 Folder 3 Balokovic – Johnson, May, carbon of typed letter to Joyce Balokovic, Chicago 1937 May 6
Box 1 Folder 4 Balokovic – Johnson, May, carbon of typed letter to Joyce Balokovic, Chicago 1938 March 1
Box 1 Folder 5 Balokovic – Johnson, May, carbon of typed letter to Joyce Balokovic, Chicago 1940 February 3
Box 1 Folder 6 Balokovic – Johnson, May, carbon of typed letter to Joyce Balokovic, [Chicago] 1941 February 10
Box 1 Folder 7 Balokovic – Johnson, May, carbon of typed letter to Joyce Balokovic, [Chicago] 1941 May 2, 6
Box 1 Folder 8 Balokovic – Johnson, May, carbon of typed letter to Joyce Balokovic, [Chicago] 1941 August 13
Box 1 Folder 9 Balokovic – Johnson, May, carbon of typed letter to Joyce Balokovic, Chicago undated
Box 1 Folder 10 Balokovic – Johnson, May, 2 notes concerning Zlatko and Joyce Balokovic undated
Box 1 Folder 11 Balokovic – Bull, Storm, publicity flyer undated
Box 1 Folder 12 Balokovic – Campanini, Cleofonte (1860-1919), 2 clipped signatures 1914, undated
Box 1 Folder 13 Balokovic – Carpenter, John Alden (1876-1951), signed letter to May Johnson 1938 May 7
Box 1 Folder 14 Balokovic – Copley, Richard, typed, signed letter to May Johnson, New York 1937 April 13
Box 1 Folder 15 de Cisneros – Advertisements, flyers, news clippings (6 items) 1912-1922
Box 1 Folder 16 de Cisneros – signed letter to May Johnson 1925 November 8
Box 1 Folder 17 de Cisneros – J Flyer, “The Big Three” concert, Chicago undated
Box 1 Folder 18 de Cisneros – Italy America Celebration Day, program and flyer 1920 May
Box 1 Folder 19 de Cisneros – Johnson, May, carbon of typed, signed letter to Chicago Public Library 1941 October 20
Box 1 Folder 20 de Cisneros – McCormick, Edith Rockefeller (1872-1932), signed letter to Eleonora De Cisneros, Chicago 1912 February 18
Box 1 Folder 21 de Cisneros – Paderewska, Helene, signed letter to Eleonora De Cisneros undated
Box 1 Folder 22 de Cisneros – Photo album, (4 photos) presented by Charles F. Tummis (?) 1918 January 1
Box 1 Folder 23 de Cisneros – Program, lecture by Mme. Clemenceau-Jacquemaire 1919 December 2
Box 1 Folder 24 de Cisneros – Red Cross, certificate undated
Box 1 Folder 25 de Cisneros – Red Cross, cloth banner Circa 1918
Box 1 Folder 26 de Cisneros – Red Cross, “Out There” program, New York 1918 May 16
Box 1 Folder 27 de Cisneros – Red Cross, “Out There” program, Chicago 1918 May 24-25
Box 1 Folder 28 de Cisneros – Souvenir of James K. Hatchett’s “Shakespearing Performances…” [1922?]
Box 1 Folder 29 de Cisneros – Transcript of birth record 1918 June 10
Box 1 Folder 30 de Cisneros – “Twelve artistic photographic studies of Eleonora De Cisneros”  
Box 1 Folder 31 de Cisneros – Dippel, J. Andreas (1866-1932), typed, signed letter to May Johnson, New York 1914 April 6
Box 1 Folder 32 de Cisneros – Hofmann, Josef (1876-1957), programs 1937, undated
Box 1 Folder 33 de Cisneros – Johnson, May, blank stationery undated
Box 1 Folder 34 de Cisneros – Julliard, Frederic A. (died 1937), clipped signature undated
Box 1 Folder 35 de Cisneros – Miscellaneous, souvenir program, Parade of 27th Division 1919 March 25
Box 1 Folder 36 de Cisneros – Ormandy, Eugene and Steffy, Christmas card (unsigned) undated
Box 1 Folder 37 Raisa – Christmas card undated
Box 1 Folder 38 Raisa – Concert program (Chicago Park District) 1938 July 1
Box 1 Folder 39 Raisa – Contracts 1937
Box 1 Folder 40 Raisa – News clippings undated

Series 2: Photographs, 1911-1938, undated

Scope and Contents

This series includes publicity photographs. Also of note are a number of these photos from the first season of the Chicago Grand Opera Company, 1910-1914. The series also documents de Cisneros’s work on the musical Out There, produced as a fund-raiser for the American Red Cross in 1918.

Arrangement

Photographs are arranged alphabetically by subject’s last name.

Photograph 1.1 Arthur, Julia, inscribed “Julia Arthur Cheney” 1917
Photograph 1.2 Arthur, Julia, in costume for “Out There.” Inscribed to May Johnson 1918
Photograph 1.3 Balokovic, Zlatko, inscribed to May Johnson undated
Photograph 1.4 Balokovic, Zlatko, autographed undated
Photograph 1.5 Balokovic, Zlatko, with John Alden Carpenter and Frederick Stock, viewing score of Carpenter’s violin concerto which Balokovic premiered November 18, 1937 [1937]
Photograph 1.6 Balokovic, Zlatko, with John Alden Carpenter and Arthur Rodzinski, Cleveland Orchestra 1938
Photograph 1.7 Balokovic, Zlatko, with several others, Boston Symphony Concert [1938?]
Photograph 1.8 Balokovic, Zlatko, with John Alden Carpenter and Otto Klemperer undated
Photograph 1.9 Bassi, Amadeo (1876-1949), inscribed to May Johnson undated
Photograph 1.10 Bassi, Amadeo, inscribed to May Johnson undated
Photograph 1.11 Bispham, David Scull (1857-1921) undated
Photograph 1.12 Costa, Alfredo (born 1874), inscribed to May Johnson 1911
Photograph 1.13 Dalmores, Charles (1871-1939), as Faust, inscribed to May Johnson 1912
Photograph 1.14 Dalmores, Charles, in costume, inscribed to May Johnson undated
Photograph 1.15 Dalmores, Charles, inscribed to May Johnson undated
Photograph 1.16 Dalmores, Charles, inscribed to May Johnson undated
Photograph 1.17 De Cisneros, Eleonora, in costume, autographed undated
Photograph 1.18 De Cisneros, Eleonora undated
Photograph 1.19 De Cisneros, Eleonora, in costume undated
Photograph 1.20 De Cisneros, Eleonora, in costume undated
Photograph 1.21 De Cisneros, Eleonora, in costume undated
Photograph 1.22 De Cisneros, Eleonora, in costume undated
Photograph 1.23 De Cisneros, Eleonora, in costume undated
Photograph 1.24 De Cisneros, Eleonora, in costume as Carmen undated
Photograph 1.25 De Cisneros, Eleonora, in costume as Herodiade undated
Photograph 1.26 De Cisneros, Eleonora, in costume as Herodiade, autographed undated
Photograph 1.27 De Cisneros, Eleonora, in costume with American flag undated
Photograph 1.28 De Cisneros, Eleonora, in costume undated
Photograph 1.29 Giaconia, Giuseppina, inscribed to May Johnson undated
Photograph 1.30 Guardabassi, Mario, postcard, inscribed to May Johnson 1914
Photograph 1.31 Painter, Eleanor (1886-1947), in costume, inscribed to May Johnson undated
Photograph 1.32 Roebeling [?], Robert, inscribed to May Johnson 1914
Photograph 1.33 Scott, Henri (1876-1942), inscribed to May Johnson 1914
Photograph 1.34 Scott, Henri, in costume, inscribed to May Johnson 1914
Photograph 1.35 Sylva, Marguerite (1875-1957), inscribed to May Johnson undated
Photograph 1.36 White, Caroline (1886-1961), in costume 1914
Photograph 1.37 Zeppilli, Alice (born 1885), in costume, inscribed to May Johnson undated
Photograph 1.38 Illegible signature, in costume, inscribed to May Johnson 1911
Photograph 1.39 Illegible signature, inscribed to May Johnson 1914
Photograph 1.40 Illegible signature, inscribed to May Johnson 1914
Photograph 1.41 Unidentified undated
Print this page