In this draft essay, Allen Tanner describes Pavel Tchelitchew's artistic style, comparing his style with neo-romanticism and surrealism....
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Selections from the Tanner Papers
Allen C. Tanner (1898-1987) was an Illinois-born pianist. At fifteen he was awarded a scholarship to study music in Chicago where he met Margaret Anderson, founder of the Little Review. Tanner then moved to New York City where he performed in musical salons and accompanied many musical greats of the era. In 1922, Tanner left for Berlin, where he met Russian artist Pavel Tchelitchew and the two men became lovers. In 1924 the pair moved to Paris to pursue their artistic careers, and became great friends with Gertrude Stein and Edith Sitwell. When Tanner and Tchelitchew ended their relationship in 1934, Tanner returned to the United States. In 1967 he released the album Allen Tanner Plays Bach, Debussy, Scriabin, Granados, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, and Steinert.
The collection contains correspondence, writings, programs and publicity, news clippings, financial documents, sheet music, sound recordings, photographs, and books. Some of that material has been digitized and is available below. For more information about Tanner and the entire collection, please see this post and the collection inventory.
Browse Selections from the Tanner Papers
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Location: MC 2013.3, B4, F44
Subject: Visual and Performing Arts
Format: Essays and Dissertations
Time Period:
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This newspaper clipping is about French opera singer Georgette LeBlanc.
Location: MC 2013.3, B5, F23
Subject: Visual and Performing Arts
Format: Newspapers and Magazines
Time Period:
View Item: 
"Au Chateau de la Muette" clipping from unknown newspaper
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In this draft, Allen Tanner describes in great detail his relationship with his partner of 12 years, Russian artist Pavel Tchelitchew. Tanner also...
Location: MC 2013.3, B4, F48
Subject: LGBT History, Personal and Family Life
Format: Essays and Dissertations
Time Period:
View Item: Life with Tchelitchew by Allen Tanner
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This news clipping describes a piano recital by Allen Tanner at the home of Signor Gianni Parente.
Location: MC 2013.3, B5, F23
Subject: Visual and Performing Arts
Format: Newspapers and Magazines
Time Period:
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In this draft essay, Allen Tanner writes about the women with whom Pavel Tchelitchew associated, including Hadley Hemingway, Russian ballerina...
Location: MC 2013.3, B4, F43
Subject: Personal and Family Life, Visual and Performing Arts
Format: Essays and Dissertations
Time Period:
View Item: "Women in Tschelitcheff’s Life: Reverences, Infatuations, Admirations," by Allen Tanner
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In this essay draft, Allen Tanner writes about growing up in a musical family in rural Illinois, and his disappointment regarding Edith Sitwell's...
Location: MC 2013.3, B4, F40
Subject: Personal and Family Life, Visual and Performing Arts
Format: Essays and Dissertations
Time Period:
View Item: "Some Reflections upon my Early Life" by Allen Tanner
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This news clipping describes a performance by Chicago pianist Wanda Paul of Polish composer Karol Szymanowski's symphony. Allen Tanner is listed...
Location: MC 2013.3, B5, F23
Subject: Visual and Performing Arts
Format: Newspapers and Magazines
Time Period:
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In this essay, pianist Allen Tanner recalls the end of his relationship with his partner of 12 years, Russian artist Pavel Tchelitchew. Tanner...
Location: MC 2013.3, B4, F47
Subject: LGBT History, Visual and Performing Arts
Format: Essays and Dissertations
Time Period:
View Item: Leaving Europe for the United States by Allen Tanner
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Allen Tanner recalls his impressions of gay life (camp) in Chicago during the 1910s including the origin of the use of the word "drag." Transcript...
Location: MC 2013.3, B4, F41
Subject: LGBT History
Format: Notes and Notebooks
Time Period:
View Item: Notes on Gay Life in Chicago during the 1910s by Allen Tanner
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In these notes, Allen Tanner writes about his feelings regarding the way Pavel Tchelitchew and Edith Sitwell are remembered in Parker Tyler's...
Location: MC 2013.3, B2, F6
Subject: LGBT History, Literary Pursuits, Personal and Family Life, Visual and Performing Arts
Format: Notes and Notebooks
Time Period:
View Item: Notes on Parker Tyler’s The Divine Comedy of Pavel Tchelitchew by Allen Tanner
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In this draft essay, Allen Tanner writes about Edith Sitwell's autobiography.
Location: MC 2013.3, B4, F36
Subject: Literary Pursuits
Format: Essays and Dissertations
Time Period:
View Item: "Edith Sitwell," by Allen Tanner
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In this draft essay, Allen Tanner writes about piano technique, specifically the Cortot piano method.
Location: MC 2013.3, B4, F34
Subject: Visual and Performing Arts
Format: Essays and Dissertations
Time Period:
View Item: Piano Technique by Allen Tanner
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In this draft essay, Allen Tanner writes about piano technique.
Location: MC 2013.3, B4, F32
Subject: Visual and Performing Arts
Format: Essays and Dissertations
Time Period:
View Item: "Regime for Naughty 'Dilletantes'" by Allen Tanner
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In this draft essay, Allen Tanner argues that Russian composer Alexander Scriabin's talents and contributions are overlooked by younger musicians...
Location: MC 2013.3, B4, F35
Subject: Visual and Performing Arts
Format: Essays and Dissertations
Time Period:
View Item: Alexander Scriabin by Allen Tanner
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In this letter to R. Kirk Askew, owner of the Durlacher Bros. art gallery, Allen Tanner discusses the sale of several Pavel Tchelitchew paintings...
Location: MC 2013.3, B1, F8
Subject: Personal and Family Life, Visual and Performing Arts
Format: Letters/Correspondence
Time Period:
View Item: Letter from Allen Tanner to Kirk Askew
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In this letter to R. Kirk Askew, owner of the Durlacher Bros. art gallery, Allen Tanner tells Askew that he wants Askew's wife Constance to have...
Location: MC 2013.3, B1, F8
Subject: Visual and Performing Arts
Format: Letters/Correspondence
Time Period:
View Item: Letter from Allen Tanner to Kirk Askew
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With this letter to his mother, Robert Tanner includes a photocopy of a newspaper article about his Uncle Allen Tanner's musical accomplishments....
Location: MC 2013.3, B1, F82
Subject: Personal and Family Life, Visual and Performing Arts
Format: Letters/Correspondence
Time Period:
View Item: Letter from Robert Tanner to Mother
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In these notes, Allen Tanner describes what he likes about Gertrude Stein's writing style.
Location: MC 2013.3, B2, F6
Subject: Literary Pursuits
Format: Notes and Notebooks
Time Period:
View Item: Notes on Gertrude Stein’s writing by Allen Tanner
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In this draft Allen Tanner describes his trip to Tunisia with Pavel Tchelitchew in 1926. Transcript included.
Location: MC 2013.3, B4, F45
Subject: Travel and Tourism
Format: Essays and Dissertations
Time Period:
View Item: Trip to Tunisia in 1926 by Allen Tanner
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In this draft letter, Allen Tanner writes to author Parker Tyler to assist Tyler in writing his book The Divine...
Location: MC 2013.3, B2, F6
Subject: LGBT History, Literary Pursuits, Personal and Family Life
Format: Letters/Correspondence
Time Period:
View Item: Letter from Allen Tanner to Parker Tyler
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In this draft letter, Allen Tanner writes to Margaret Anderson about their first meeting in Chicago. He also discusses her past relationships with...
Location: MC 2013.3, B1, F5
Subject: LGBT History, Literary Pursuits, Personal and Family Life
Format: Letters/Correspondence
Time Period:
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Pianist Allen Tanner wrote this score by hand.
Location: MC 2013.3, B5, F64
Subject: Visual and Performing Arts
Format: Music
Time Period:
View Item: Score by Allen Tanner
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In this draft essay, Allen Tanner writes about Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas.
Location: MC 2013.3, B4, F49
Subject: Literary Pursuits
Format: Essays and Dissertations
Time Period:
View Item: "Alice B. Toklas" by Allen Tanner
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This concert program is for one of the C. W. Best Artists' Series Russian Company's performances.
Location: MC 2013.3, B5, F6
Subject: Visual and Performing Arts
Format: Memorabilia and Ephemera
Time Period:
View Item: C. W. Best Artists’ Series Russian Company concert program
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Allen Tanner describes Margaret Anderson's reaction to being fingerprinted after her conviction for publishing obscene material in the Little...
Location: MC 2013.3, B4, F30
Subject: Literary Pursuits
Format: Essays and Dissertations
Time Period:
View Item: "Joyce Obscenity Trial" by Allen Tanner