Manuscript Group 1674, Guide to the Domin Family Papersca. 1920-1992

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Descriptive Summary
Biographical Note:
Scope and Content Note
Access Points
Administrative Information

Container List

Domin family items


Guide to the Domin Family Papers
ca. 1920-1992
MG 1674

The New Jersey Historical Society
52 Park Place
Newark, New Jersey 07102
Contact: NJHS Library
Phone: (973) 596-8500 x249
Email: library@jerseyhistory.org
URL: https://www.jerseyhistory.org
© 2006 All rights reserved.
The New Jersey Historical Society, Publisher
Processed by Evan Panayi.

Finding aid encoded by Julia Telonidis. August 2006. Production of the EAD 2002 version of this finding aid was made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.Finding aid written in English.


Descriptive Summary

Creator: Domin family.
Title: Domin Family Papers
Dates ca. 1920-1992
Abstract: This collection contains items pertaining to the Domin Family of Jersey City and Palisades Park, N.J. that mostly reflects the schooling and careers of accomplished musicians, Arthur and Viola Domin.
Quantity: .7 linear feet (3 boxes and oversize folder)
Collection Number: MG 1674

Biographical Note:

The materials in this collection are from the Domin Family, who was a family of German immigrants who settled in Jersey City, New Jersey. The family was made up of August and Gustina Domin, their son Arthur and daughter-in-law Viola Lang. August and Gustina were Poles who who became naturalized U.S. citizens in 1947, when they were in their 60s. They lived in Jersey City. August was born in 1878 in Bakschisken, Poland. Gustina was born in 1886 and came to the U.S. in 1903 by way of Hamburg, Germany. They were married in 1906 and had 2 children, Ida (born 1907 and Arthur, born 1912) in Jersey City. August died in December 1952.

Arthur graduated from William L. Dickinson High School in Jersey City, in 1929. He was a member of the high school glee club and was very involved with music. He became an accomplished baritone singer and musician. He was also involved with a Masonic Lodge, located in Jersey City for over 60 years. He worked for a time at United Merchants and Manufacturers and Meinhard Commercial Corporation. He officially retired in 1975. He married Viola Elsa Lang in 1948 and they lived in Palisades Park, N.J. They had no children.

Viola Lang Domin was an accomplished organist and music teacher who was involved with various area churches including the first Reformed Church in Tarrytown, N.Y., St. Paul’s Church, Bronx, N.Y., and St. John’s Church in Jersey City, N.J., She was a member of the faculty of the Guilmant Organ School in New York, the first organ school in the United States, where she also graduated. She was also a member of various Organist guilds and societies and co-authored the book “Harmony of the Keyboard.”

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Scope and Content Note

This collection contains various materials from the Domin Family. There are various items regarding August and Gustina Domin, including a land deed, citizenship information, August’s funeral information, and photographs. However, most of the items pertain to Arthur Domin and his wife Viola Lang Domin and their music careers. There are Arthur’s yearbooks from William. L. Dickinson High School, Glee Club documents, a composition book, Masonic Lodge information, bank books, business cards, and handwritten notes. There are Viola’s Guilmant Organ School brochures and catalogs, musical notations, programs from many of the church recitals that she performed at, newspaper clippings, diplomas, religious items, greeting cards, and many portrait and other photographs, and some oversized photographs.

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Access Points

The entries below represent persons, organizations, topics, forms, and occupations documented in this collection.

Subject Names:

Domin, Arthur, b. 1912.
Domin, August, 1878-1952.
Domin, Gustina, b. 1886.
Domin, Viola Lang.

Subject Organizations:

First Presbyterian Church in the City of New York.
First Reformed Church of Tarrytown (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.)
Guilmant Organ School (New York, N.Y.)
Pius X School of Liturgical Music.
University Heights Presbyterian Church (New York, N.Y.)
William L. Dickinson High School (Jersey City, N.J.)

Subject Topics:

Baritones (Singers).
Citizenship–United States.
Freemasonry.
High school students–New Jersey.
Immigrants–United States.
Lodges.
Music teachers.
Musicians.
Organists–New Jersey.
Recitals (Music).
Social security.
Subject Places:
Jersey City (N.J.)
New York (N.Y.)
Palisades Park (N.J.)
Tarrytown (N.Y.)

Document Types:

Brochures.
Certificates.
Citizenship papers.
Clippings
Diplomas.
Letters (Correspondence)
Notes.
Photographs.
Programs.
School yearbooks.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as: Manuscript Group 1674, Domin Family Collection, The New Jersey Historical Society.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Joan Rotondi, 1998.

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Container List

Domin family items
Box Folder Title Date
1 1 August and Gustina Domin papers 1923-1953
1 2 Arthur Domin compostion book with handwritten notes and drafts of correspondence and school report cards from William L. Dickinson High School, Jersey City 1920s-ca. 1950s
1 3 Arthur Domin– “The Gnome” William L. Dickinson High School, Jersey City yearbook 1929
1 4 Arthur Domin– “The Gnome” William L. Dickinson High School, Jersey City yearbook 1929 Jan.
1 5 Arthur Domin– Masonic Lodge membership materials ca. 1920s-1993
1 6 Viola Lang Domin– Guilmant Organ School brochures/catalogs 1952-1964
1 7 Viola Lang Domin– organ recital programs for various churches First Presbyterian Church, St. John’s Episcopal Church, University Heights Presbyterian Church, First Reformed Church, Temple of Religion at the New York World’s Fair, 1939; also correspondence regarding organ recitals. 1939-1961
1 8 Viola Lang Domin– newspaper clipings ca. 1930s-1940s.
1 9 Viola Lang Domin– certificates 1925-1973
1 10 Viola Lang Domin– miscellaneous religious and music related material ca. 1930s-1940s.
Box Folder Title Date
2 1 Arthur and Viola Domin– miscellaneous personal documents (correspondence, notes, business cards, etc.) ca. 1925-1967
2 2 Arthur and Viola Domin– greeting cards including retirement card for Arthur given to him by co-workers ca. 1950s-1970s
2 3 Miscellaneous– appliance manuals for television, air conditioner and Bush-Quayle poster ca. 1950s-1992
2 4 Family photographs, large, mostly professionally done portraits ca. 1950s-1992
2 5 Small color and black and white photographs ca. 1920s-ca. 1960s
2 6 Wide angle photographs, some taken in Canada ca. 1920s-ca. 1960s
2 7 Various small sized photographs ca. 1920s-ca. 1960s
Folder Title Date
OS   Oversize photographs and Viola Lang certificate ca. 1920s-ca. 1950s

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