Identity elements
referentie code
Name and location of repository
Beschrijvingsniveau
Bestanddeel
Titel
Jay Gorney Collection
Datum(s)
- 1929 - 1991 (Vervaardig)
Omvang
10 linear feet; 15 boxes
Naam van de archiefvormer
Biografie
Jay Gorney (December 12, 1894 – June 14, 1990), was born Abraham Jacob Gornetzsky in Poland, to a Jewish family. After witnessing the Bialystok pogrom in 1906, his family fled to the United States, where they settled in Detroit, Michigan. Gorney took piano lessons and played in the school orchestra, bars and for silent films.
Gorney studied law and music theory at the University of Michigan, breaking only to serve in the navy during World War I. He practiced law briefly, before relocating to New York City with his first wife. He began his songwriting career on Tin Pan Alley, collaborating with Yip Harburg on numerous songs for Broadway musicals of the 1920s. The pair's most famous song, “Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?” was based on a Russian lullaby from Gorney’s childhood. The song debuted in the 1932 Shubert production of New Americana, becoming the anthem of the Great Depression. In the 1940s, he worked at Columbia Pictures as executive producer of musicals and is credited with jumpstarting Shirley Temple’s career.
Gorney was blacklisted for his liberal views during the Cold War.
Gorney's second marriage was to public relations consultant Sondra Karyl (Kattlove). Sondra published Gorney’s biography titled Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? in 2005. He had three children; one with his first wife and two with his second.
Content and structure elements
Bereik en inhoud
Personal papers of Jay Gorney, including correspondence and scripts, sheet music, arrangements, orchestrations, and recordings of Gorney's works.
Ordeningstelsel
The collection includes materials from the children of Jay Gorney that were received separately, within two weeks of each other. A2015-020 was kept in its original order in the boxes; A2015-023 arrived in a box, unorganized and unfoldered.
Items have been kept in their original order in the box. The finding aid has been arranged into two major series - Papers and Audiovisual. Papers is further broken down into Personal, Professional, Professional-Shows, and Music. Audiovisual is arranged by media type.
Conditions of access and use elements
Voorwaarden voor raadpleging
All material is open to the public without restriction. Copyright laws of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) govern the making of photocopies or other reproductions.
Physical access
Technical access
Voorwaarden voor reproductie
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the Great American Songbook Foundation. Music written prior to 1923 is in the public domain. For more information, please consult the staff of the Library & Archives.
Languages of the material
Scripts of the material
Taal en schrift aantekeningen
Toegangen
Uploaded finding aid
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Geschiedenis beheer
Directe bron van verwerving
Received from Daniel Gorney, Jay Gorney's son, on October 15, 2015. A second collection was received from Karen Lynn Gorney, daughter of Jay Gorney, on November 23, 2015.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Aanvullingen
Related materials elements
Bestaan en verblifplaats van originelen
Bestaan en verblijfplaats van kopieën
Related archival materials
Jay Gorney Scores, JPB 044-33, Music Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
Jay Gorney Papers, 1896-1993, held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
Related descriptions
Notes element
Specialized notes
- Citation: Jay Gorney Collection, The Great American Songbook Foundation.
- Processing information: Processed by Mike Cook. Inventory completed October 2017.
Alternative identifier(s)
Description control element
Regels of conventies
Sources used
Aantekeningen van de archivaris
Finding aid created by Mike Cook, October 2017. Completed by Elisabeth Hedges, October 2023.
AtoM description created by Ashlee James, January 2018.