Concert reviewers repeatedly mentioned Marian Anderson’s elegant bearing, both in her singing and in her appearance. The Austrian photographer Lotte Meitner-Graf accentuated Anderson’s height, elegance, and modesty. She even retouched areas of the long shimmering gown, further perfecting its appearance, and, of course, that of Anderson.
In the early 1930s, Anderson had already established herself as a sought-after performer throughout Europe, but the rise of the Nazis began affecting her bookings. The 1935 Salzburg Festival in Austria was one such instance. The festival had been a goal of Anderson’s, given the involvement of the renowned conductors Bruno Walter and Arturo Toscanini. Anderson, however, was not allowed to perform in an official capacity. Although racism was palpable in the reviews, where she was described as having “far too long bathed in the sun of Africa,” the concert itself was well received.
Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania Libraries