Jay Gorney Collection

Identity elements

referentie code

US US.INSON Mss 063

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

(1896 - 1990)

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.

Trefwoorden

Onderwerp trefwoord

Geografische trefwoorden

Naam ontsluitingsterm

Voorwaarden voor raadpleging en gebruik

Related subjects

Related people and organizations

Related places