- The Museum in the Streets -

— Danbury, Connecticut —

Marian Anderson was orn in Philadelphia on February 27, 1897. Although her early musical training was sporadic, a scholarship enabled her to study abroad under distinguished teachers.
When Arturo Tosacnini heard her perform at the Salzburg festival in 1935, the maestro was so impressed that he said to her: "A voice like yours is heard only once in a hundred years."
After gaining international prominence, she returned to America. When she lost the opportunity to perform in Constitution Hall in 1939, Eleanor Roosevelt, the First Lady of the United States, arranged for Marian Anderson to sing at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Over 75,000 people were in attendance.
In 1955 Marian Anderson was the first African American to sing at the Metropolitan Opera House. Shortly before her career ended a decade later, she sang at the presidential inaugration of John F. Kennedy.
As a black American who overcame adversity to achieve renown, Marian Anderson embodied the civil rights movement. However, this aspect of her life should not overshadow her stature as a performer. Musical experts, noting the uniqueness of her vocal qualities, have acclaimed her to be one of the greatest contraltos of the twentieth century. [Mermelstein, David. "Two Marian Andersons, Both of Them Real." New York Times, 23 Feb. 1997.]
For over fifty years, Marian Anderson lived with her hsband on their property called "Marianna Farm." After her death, her music studio was moved to the property of the Danbury Museum on Main Street.

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