| 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 |
