Performances + Events
NEC Archives and Special Collections
The New England Conservatory Archives was established in 2002 with the assistance of a generous grant from the National Historic Publications and Records Commission. Located within the Blumenthal Family Library, the NEC Archives seeks to document the history, activities, and considerable contributions of NEC to the musical life of Boston and beyond.
For information regarding Archives policies, please refer to the “Using the Archives” section below. For additional questions or to schedule an in-person visit to the Archives, please contact Maryalice Perrin-Mohr, archivist and records manager, at maryalice.perrin-mohr@necmusic.edu or 617-585-1252.
In order to comply with legal requirements, optimize storage space, support efficient operations, and contribute to the documentation of NEC’s historical record, all employees of NEC, both staff and faculty, are responsible for managing and maintaining the records they create and administer in compliance with the Records Retention Guidelines and Schedule. These guidelines and retention schedule apply to NEC records and information resources in all formats, including but not limited to paper records, electronic records, and information management system data.
NEC Archives and Special Collections
Collections Overview
As the keeper of the institutional memory of NEC, the Archives collects, preserves, arranges, describes, and makes accessible records of permanent value from the school’s founding in 1867 to the present. The Archival Collections include institutional records from NEC academic and administrative departments, faculty and alumni papers, as well as records of student organizations, ensembles, and community outreach programs.
The Archives retains copies of all conservatory publications, concert programs, and photograph collections, as well as an extensive collection of audio/video recordings of NEC performances. In addition, the Archives oversees an institutional records management program to assist departments in formulating appropriate records retention and disposition schedules that are in compliance with state and federal requirements and other regulations.
NEC’s Special Collections include rare books and treatises (1700-1900), rare published scores (1602- present), and music manuscripts (1700-present). Within these categories, the central focus is music manuscripts and first editions of the works of Boston-area composers active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including George W. Chadwick, Frederick Converse, Arthur Foote, Horatio Parker, and Amy Beach.
Other highlights of the Special Collections are the Elise Hall Collection of Saxophone Music, a Jordan Hall Scrapbook collection containing non-NEC programs primarily spanning the years 1903-1932, and audio/visual materials from the Voice of Firestone Hour radio and TV program.
The Archives have digitized select materials from its collections:
- Browse the institutional repository for yearbooks, NEC concert programs, catalogs, doctoral theses, and recent NEC publications.
- Digital reproductions of music manuscripts and published scores are available through the institutional repository. Note: Several manuscript reproductions are digitized copies of the microfilm versions of the manuscripts.
- Watch or listen to recordings of NEC ensemble performances, faculty recitals, Artist Diploma recitals, and special event concerts in the library’s classic catalog.
- View past online exhibits from the Archives.
NEC Archives and Special Collections
Using the Archives
The Archives is open to all members of the NEC community as well as outside researchers.
Materials are available for study and research purposes by appointment with the archivist and records manager from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m., Monday to Friday. The Archives is located on the second floor of the Blumenthal Family Library (which is the third floor of NEC’s Student Life and Performance Center (SLPC) at 255 St. Botolph St., Boston, MA.
Any correspondence by mail should be sent to the conservatory’s main address:
290 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
We ask that researchers not bring food or drink into the archives reading room. If taking notes, please use a pencil and not a pen. Digital photographs are permitted of items for which we own the rights or that are no longer under copyright; please check with the archivist. Use of some materials may be restricted by privacy considerations, stipulations of donors, or preservation concerns.
Reference questions are answered as quickly as possible, generally within one week.
Archives staff can fulfill scanning requests of items, subject to the following considerations:
- Copyright restrictions
- The physical condition of the item being requested
- The size of the request
- Staff member availability
Scanning requests should include the preferred file type and resolution. High-resolution scans may take longer to complete.
Requests to publish materials from the NEC Archives should be sent to the archivist and please include the title of the publication, the name of the publisher, and the expected date of publication. To request use for performance or recording, we would need to receive analogous information. Some inquiries may need to be reviewed by additional NEC departments. In some cases, we may not be able to grant permission if we are not the copyright holder.
The vast majority of the NEC Archives collections have been obtained through donations, and we are very grateful for these contributions! Unfortunately, we do not have unlimited space (either physical or digital) to accept every donation and therefore must restrict the materials we accept to those that align with our collecting scope. In most cases, this means there must be a connection to NEC.
Those interested in donating to the Archives should first contact the archivist. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis by the archivist and library director. If we are unable to accept a donation, we will do our best to direct you to a more suitable home for your materials.
