Merle Armitage (1893 - March 15, 1975) was an American set designer, tour manager, theater producer, opera producer, art collector,[1] author, and book designer.

Merle Armitage
Born1893
Iowa, U.S.
DiedMarch 15, 1975
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)tour manager, set designer, opera producer, art collector, author, book designer
Children1

Biography

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Armitage was born in 1893 in Iowa.[2]

Armitage became a theater set designer in New York City.[2] He was the tour manager for the Scotti Grand Opera Company, the Russian Grand Opera Company,[3] and The Beggars Opera.[4] He co-founded the Los Angeles Grand Opera Association in 1924, and he was its manager until 1930.[4][3] He managed the Los Angeles Philharmonic Auditorium, from 1933 to 1939.[2] From 1933 to 1934 he was director of the Public Works of Art Project's Region 14, California south of Paso Robles.[5]

Armitage was the editorial and art director of Look magazine,[6] and he was the president of the American Institute of Graphic Arts in 1951.[2] He designed and authored many books, including Saints and Saint Makers, Operatic Masterpieces, Operations Santa Fe, and Burro Alley.[4] He authored two books about Igor Stravinsky and a book about George Gershwin, two men whose tours he managed.[3]

Armitage was married four times, and he had a daughter, Chama.[3] He died on March 15, 1975, in Yucca Valley, California, at age 82.[4][3][6]

Selected works

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  • Armitage, Merle (1958). George Gershwin: Man and Legend. New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearco. OCLC 642004144.

References

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  1. ^ "Obituaries : Lynton R. Kistler; Modern Artists' Lithographer". Los Angeles Times. 1993-11-16. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  2. ^ a b c d "Finding Aid for the Merle Armitage Collection 1919-1971". Online Archive of California. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Armitage Services Held; Art and Music Figure". The Los Angeles Times. March 20, 1975. p. 83. Retrieved July 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c d "Merle Armitage, author dies in Yucca Valley". The San Bernardino County Sun. March 17, 1975. p. 19. Retrieved July 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Public Works of Art Project. Report of the Assistant Director of the Treasury to Federal Emergency Relief Administrator, December 8, 1933 – June 30, 1934. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. 1934. pp. 3–4.
  6. ^ a b "Author Dies At 82". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. March 17, 1975. p. 14. Retrieved July 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.