Marian Anderson Museum Tour

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Friday, February 2, 2018
6abc celebrates Black History Month: The National Marian Anderson Museum
Rick Williams tours the South Philadelphia home turned museum of world-renowned vocalist Marian Anderson.

Rick Williams tours the South Philadelphia home turned museum of world-renowned vocalist Marian Anderson.

National Marian Anderson Museum

762 S. Martin St.

Philadelphia, Pa. 19146

215-779-4219

marianandersonhistoricalsociety.weebly.com

Open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Marian Anderson (1897 - 1993)

  • Marian Anderson was a world-renowned vocalist born and raised in Philadelphia.

  • She was considered one of the most gifted contraltos of the 20th century.

  • Anderson began singing at the Union Baptist Church in Philadelphia at the age of 6.

  • She was self-taught as she was denied entry to a Philadelphia school to study because of her race. Her church raised money to send her to Europe to study music.

  • Marian's performed in concerts and recitals and with major orchestras throughout Europe and America from 1925 through 1965.

  • Anderson broke racial barriers through her art. Denied the chance to perform in the Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall due to her race, Anderson--with the help of then-First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt-- staged a groundbreaking concert in 1939 to a crowd of 75,000 at the Lincoln Memorial.

  • She was the first African-American soloist to perform at New York's Metropolitan Opera in 1955.

  • In 1995, her South Philadelphia home became the National Marian Anderson Museum.

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