Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1950-1958 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
19 discs (37 sides)
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Ruby Mercer was an American-born Canadian soprano, writer, and broadcaster. She made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1936 and toured North America as an opera, operetta, and musical comedy performer for several years, before becoming the producer and host of WNYC's radio program Mr. and Mrs. Opera (1949-1958) and Mutual Broadcasting System's The Ruby Mercer Show (1954-1958).
Following her marriage to Geza Por in 1958, they moved to Toronto, where she founded Opera Canada in 1960 and remained its editor until 1990. In 1968, she co-founded the Canadian Children's Opera Chorus with Lloyd Bradshaw. As a radio broadcaster, she hosted Opera Time and its successor Opera in Stereo on CBC radio (1962-1979, 1979-1984).
Mercer also wrote various books, including a biography of Edward Johnson The Tenor of his Time (Toronto, 1976) and The Quilicos: Louis, Gino and Lina (Oakville, 1990).
Mercer was named a member of the Order of Canada in 1995 and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Toronto in the same year. She passed away on January 26, 1999 in Toronto, Ontario.
Repository
Archival history
Joseph So retrieved the materials at a rummage sale at the Tanenbaum Opera Centre, Canadian Opera Company, following the death of Ruby Mercer in 1999. So met Mercer as a fan in the 1980s and they frequently attended performances together. At Mercer's encouragement, So began to write about opera, starting the articles and interviews for Mercer's magazine Opera Canada.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Donated by Joseph So (A2023-13).
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Collection consists predominantly of recordings of interviews that Ruby Mercer conducted in her role as host and producer of the WNYC radio program Mr. and Mrs. Opera with co-host Ted Haig. Some of the recordings were dubbed from other radio stations in the American Mutual Broadcasting System (MBS), including KPOJ radio in Portland, Oregon and KCAP radio in Helena, Montana.
Collection also includes a Columbia Masterworks release of Ruby Mercer's interviews with Metropolitan Opera stars, and an autographed recording of Bruno Walter, which was part of Mercer's personal collection.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Items are listed by side and arranged in chronological order.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Digital transcriptions of the recordings in this collection are available by request. Please contact the Music Library for more information or to request recordings.
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
The Ruby Mercer fonds is held at Library and Archives Canada (LAC). Also see the Ruby Mercer collection at the University of Guelph, McLaughlin Library, Archival & Special Collections (CA F68).