Letters from Margaret Barr to Janet McNary

MLMSS 11656

fonds

11 June 1973-13 February 1987

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Photographs, Ephemera

1001693

0.16 metres of textual material (1 box), includes photographs - manuscript, typescript

Margaret Barr (1904-1991) was a choreographer and teacher of dance-drama. Born in Mumbai, India, she and her sister Betty grew up in the United States of America and England, and took part in drama and dance while completing their schooling.

Barr and her sister opened a dance studio in 1925 and both travelled to New York in 1927, where Barr's interest in modern dance formed. Barr choreographed her first two works at Martha Graham's studio, 'Earth Mother' and 'Hebridean Suite'.

Barr worked in England and New Zealand before opening a studio in Sydney and forming the 'Sydney Dance-Drama Group' in 1951, which was renamed 'Margaret Barr Dance-Drama Group' in 1968. She created a major new work each year, often collaborating with Australian composers. Her works fall into three broad themes: environment, conflict and reconciliation between Aboriginal and European settlers, and feminism.

Barr became the inaugural movement tutor at the National Institute for Dramatic Art in 1959, which she held for seventeen years.

Janet McNary was the mother of Hannah McNary Whitehead, who was a performer in Barr's company from 1959-1963.

References:
Lester, Garry. 2014. "Barr, Margaret (1904-1991)." Australian Dictionary of Biography. Accessed 12 October 2022. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/barr-margaret-14855
Library correspondence file

By descent from Janet McNary to her daughter Hannah McNary Whitehead

FOLDER 1
23 handwritten letters from Margaret Barr to Janet McNary, 11 June 1973-11 December 1983
Barr discusses her personal life including a trip to India, work and plans for her next programmes, including, 'Margaret Mead', 'Murals on a cave wall', 'A day in the life of Mahatma Gandhi' (includes photographs), 'The hurdlers', 'Pratie eaters' (includes photographs), and 'Celebration of the desert'.

FOLDER 2
5 handwritten letters from Margaret Barr to Janet McNary, 18 January 1985-13 February 1987
1 typed letter from Michael Straight to Margaret Barr, 24 January 1985
Barr discusses her works including 'Kath Kollwitz' (includes photographs), 'Cuba', her trip to Guatamala (includes photographs), and her relationship with Michael Straight.

FOLDER 3
Clipping relating to Barr's three part modern ballet, 'Processions', PIX magazine, 22 October 1960
Poster for University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney Dance-Drama Group and The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) work, 'Our son, our daughter', 1960
Poster, programme, related clippings and 5 black and white photographs for UNSW Sydney Dance-Drama Group and NIDA work, 'Mexico!' and 'Snowy', 1962
Poster, programme, related clippings and 13 black and white photographs for UNSW Sydney Dance-Drama Group and NIDA work, 'The rites of spring', 1962
Poster, programmes and related clippings for UNSW Sydney Dance-Drama Group and NIDA work, 'Ballad of the drover's wife', 1964
Promotional flyer, programme and related clipping for Margaret Barr Dance-Drama Group's work on Katharine Mansfield 1888-1923 with accompanying dance drama script, 1978
Programme for UNSW Sydney Dance-Drama Group in association with NIDA benefit concert for The Aboriginal-Australian Fellowship, undated.

Copyright restrictions may apply:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder