Marr-McGee Family Papers: Early Entrepreneur Files

By Amber L. Moore, Project Archivist, Amistad Research Center

"Working for Freedom: Documenting Civil Rights Organizations" is a collaborative project between Emory University's Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library, The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History, The Amistad Research Center at Tulane University, and The Robert W. Woodruff Library of Atlanta University Center to uncover and make available previously hidden collections documenting the Civil Rights Movement in Atlanta and New Orleans. The project is administered by the Council on Library and Information Resources with funds from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Each organization regularly contributes blog posts about their progress.

The Warren Marr Management files and the House of Marr, Inc. files of the Marr-McGee Family Papers document the early entrepreneurial endeavors of Warren Q. Marr II.  Both companies were established by Marr and represented his interests in the creative arts and printing.

In 1942, Marr created his own management company, Warren Marr Management, which promoted budding authors and classical musicians.  These files include a brief write-up about Marr, the establishment of his company, correspondence, contracts and paraphernalia relating to Marr’s many clients. 

During 1947-1948, Marr presented “five concerts in artistic good taste” at Times and Town Halls in New York which featured five of his clients: Coreania Hayman, soprano; Ozan Marsh, pianist; William Veasey, baritone; Patricia Benkman, pianist; and Kathryn Ward; soprano. 

Below is a promotional flyer for the 1947-1948 concert series.

Marr was also the proprietor of the House of Marr, Inc., which specialized in “art” printing and greeting cards.  These files (1950-1962) include correspondence, invoices, legal documents and minutes.  However, the bulk of the materials include printing samples, such as Christmas and other greeting cards, pamphlets, programs and stationary.

Below are some samples of Christmas cards produced by House of Marr, Inc.

The Marr-McGee Family Papers are currently being processed as part of the Amistad Research Center’s Hidden Collections project. The papers largely document the lives and careers of Warren Marr, II, his wife Carmel, his sister Grace Marr Nugent, and related families.