University of Wyoming
Nathaniel Finston (1890-1979) was a conductor and musician. He conducted orchestras accompanying silent pictures in New York as concert master under Walter Damrosch and at Balaban and Katz in Chicago. He set up the film industry's first sound-music department for Paramount and worked as musical director there from 1928-1935. During the remainder of the 1940s and later, he collaborated on numerous independent pictures and travelogues.
The Nathaniel Finston papers include correspondence and files containing personnel lists for symphony orchestras (1938-1939), notes, announcements, memoranda from Paramount and MGM, memberships, subscriptions, press releases, and other information pertaining to his career. There are files concerning the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Executive Board-Board of Governors (1941-1945), including reports, rules, minutes, invitations, ballots, lists, programs, correspondence, and other material. His collection also contains biographical information, publicity and interviews, newspaper and magazine articles concerning his career, other advertisements, and related information. Also included in the collection are music cue sheets, music scores and sheet music files including files for "Big Wheel" (1949), "Alone With You," "Strange Holiday," "Abilene Town," "Breakfast in Hollywood," and others. The collection also contains exhibit fi les for Paramount, with correspondence, financial statements, and negatives of Nathaniel Finston conducting his orchestra.
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.
The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
There are no known other archival collections created by Nathaniel Finston at the date of processing.
Partial finding aid available in repository.
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
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