YEHUDI & HEPHZIBAH MENUHIN original snapshot as teens - Central Park Reservoir

Description

We offer an vintage original c. 1933/1934 snapshot photograph of the teen age Menuhins at the time of their first recordings and concerts together.  This photograph comes from the archive of Dorothy Crowthers, Mehuhin's theory teacher at the School of Musical Arts (Juilliard) in New York City, family friend and the editor of their school magazine "The Baton".
The verso has the stamped number 69 and is otherwise blank.
We have protected this original image
Yehudi (1916 -1999) was born in New York City, while Hephzibah (1920 - 1981) was born in San Francisco.  His teacher Louis Persinger accompanied him for his New York Debut on January 17, 1926 at the Manhattan Opera House.  It was then decided the nine year old boy would spend nearly a year in New York at The School of Musical Arts learning he components of music he missed as he was home schooled except for his violin lessons.  His theory teacher was Dorothy Crowthers to whom this photograph is dedicated.  He must have liked her very much as they posed for photographs together in Central Park which are available in the Getty Archive. She wrote about the young Yehudi in the magazine she edited called “The Baton” in 1926 and Hephzibah was mentioned in the article as playing in Central Park.
Hephzibah, would study in San Francisco with Judith Blockley from the age of four and then with the Leschetiszky pupil Lev Schorr.  She made her public recital debut in San Francisco in 1928.  She was then sent to study with Marcel Ciampi at the Paris Conservatoire and Rudolf Serkin who was living in Basel at that point.  The Menuhin parents initially forbade her having a solo concert career like her brother, though she was allowed to accompany him.  They made their first joint recording of the Mozart violin sonata in A, k. 526 in 1933 which won the Grand Prix du Disque that year.  They then began to concertize in public the following year when he was eighteen and she was fourteen.  She would later go on to have a successful solo career in Europe and the United States, though after her marriage, she cut down her recitals to mostly with her brother and concentrated on painting.
Dorothy Crowthers (1895-1965) was a graduate of the School of Music Arts, receiving diplomas in 1917 and 1918.  She spent 28 years at the School teaching music theory, running the office part of the administration of the school and taught a wide number of important musicians including Menuhin.  Well known in music circles in New York City, she published the school music journal called “The Baton” from 1922-1932.  Sadly, her 96 year old mother who lived with her on Central Park South was so upset about her daughters death of a sudden heart attack whilst she slept at age 70 that she too had a heart attack and passed away the following day.
A sensation original one-of-a-kind photograph of the brother and sister at the start of their joint public performances to one of his favorite teachers and a family friend!
Harmonie Autographs and Music, Inc.
Music Antiquarian and Appraiser
New York, New York
All items guaranteed authentic