All for Opera

Alifelong passion can be sparked in the most unexpected way. In his freshman year at The University of Texas at Austin, Girvice (pronounced grr-viss) Archer was at his parents' Kerrville home for the weekend when he randomly turned the channel to the 1962 Miss America Pageant - a broadcast that changed his life.

"Miss Hawaii, Patricia Lei Anderson, sang 'Un bel dì, vedremo' from 'Madame Butterfly' and I was overwhelmed by the beauty of it," Girvice recalls. Miss Hawaii finished 4th-runner-up in the pageant, but she had already won a new fan for opera. "When I got back to Austin, I went to the University Co-op and bought a Maria Callas LP of Puccini arias," says Girvice. "That was my first opera record and I played it until I knew the music and text of each aria. Callas became my beacon."

Ultimately Girvice's collection of opera-related memorabilia went far beyond recordings. It eventually grew to more than 20,000 items, encompassing the history of photography from daguerreotype to modern images, including pre-photographic lithographs and engravings. Thanks to his generous gift to the Harry Ransom Center, the collection is now available for viewing and research by students and scholars, giving them access to a treasure trove of opera history.

Dr. Eric Colleary, the Ransom Center's curator of performing arts, welcomes the inclusion of Girvice's collection and sings the praises of this unique and remarkable gift.

"Dr. Archer carefully crafted his collection over several decades," says Eric. "There are images represented in the collection that don't exist anywhere else - celebrity singers and the now-forgotten alike. It will be an invaluable resource for the study of opera and performance for generations to come."