WELCOME TO THE AMP ARCHIVES
The AMP Archives include a diverse array of materials pertaining to the metaphysical history of American music. The AMP specializes in 19th century and early 20th century history, spanning numerous artists and metaphysical traditions. Spiritualism, new thought philosophy, the Theosophical Society, and Baha'í faith perspectives are prominently represented. The archives hold rare letters, periodicals and books, vinyl recordings, photographs, philosophical charts, promotional materials, and more. Below you can explore the 2025 archival exhibition ("I Hear Strange Music" at NYU) as well as various AMP Collections and thematic archives.
"I Hear Strange Music" presents a curated selection from the American Museum of Paramusicology (AMP), a unique physical archive dedicated to the metaphysical and paranormal threads running through American music history. To explore this exhibition through images and video, please click on the image or go here.
AMP COLLECTIONS
The AMP houses several major collections, including the Chaw Mank Collection, the largest archive of the psychic country producer and fan-club pioneer; the Dane Rudhyar Collection, with materials from the Karen Bolander Estate documenting the influential artist, composer, astrologer, and author; the Rev. Sherman Hester Papers / UHSC Collection, an Ohio church archive from an early Black Spiritual Church denomination; the W.W. Harmon Collection, featuring rare illustrations and personal papers of the theosopher, optometrist, and illustrator; the “Doc” Tommy Scott Collection, drawn from the estate of the country singer and last practitioner of the Medicine Show tradition; and the Israelite House of David Collection, which preserves rare musical materials from that community.
In addition to these primary single-source collections, the AMP holds multi-source collections and significant materials related to Radie Britain, Hermon di Giovanno, Irma Glen, Mary Hallock-Greenewalt, Mary Lou Williams, the Hutchinson Family Singers, Vincent Lopez, Carlyle Petersilea, May Wright Sewall, and others.
ARCHIVAL THEMES
