Marian Anderson Collection
Available for research through the Kislak Center, the Marian Anderson Collection includes Anderson's personal papers, including letters, music scores, programs, photographs, and sound recordings.
- Exhibit
“My Soul is Anchored in the Lord”: A Story of Marian Anderson and Florence Price
View a selection of correspondence between world-renowned contralto Marian Anderson and symphonic composer Florence Price, reproduced from Marian Anderson's personal archive.
Longtime collaborators and friends, world-renowned contralto Marian Anderson and symphonic composer Florence Price had the shared experience of developing their careers in music while facing racial and gender discrimination. View a selection of their correspondence reproduced from Marian Anderson's personal archive, which she donated to the Penn Libraries.
The exhibit was curated by Wenxin Tu, C'24, with the guidance of music librarian Liza Vick.
Plan Your Visit
On view January 15 to December 15, 2025. This display is free and open to the public. Find it in the Ormandy Music Gallery, located in the West Elevator Bay on the fourth floor of Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center (view floor plan). Visitors can see the display any time the library is open. Penn faculty, staff, and students must swipe their PennCard for access. Visitors from outside the Penn community must present a current, valid government or school-issued photo ID that contains an expiration date. Find more information to plan your visit.
Featured image: Photograph of Marian Anderson, ca. 1964. Marian Anderson Collection of Photographs, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Discovering Marian Anderson: Digital Portal
Explore more than 2,500 digitized items from the Marian Anderson Collection, including scrapbooks, diaries, photographs, and recordings, in our easily browsable portal.