The International Guitar Research Archive (IGRA) is a specialized research collection housed in the University Library at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). It is one of the most comprehensive archives dedicated to the guitar and related plucked string instruments in the United States. The archive supports scholarly research and performance in classical, jazz, and folk guitar traditions by providing access to rare scores, personal papers, historic instruments, and recordings.
The origins of the IGRA trace back to the extensive private collection of Vahdah Olcott-Bickford, an award-winning classical guitarist and influential teacher who helped found the American Guitar Society in 1923. [1] Known as the "grand lady of the guitar," Olcott-Bickford amassed a vast trove of guitar music, correspondence, journals, and instruments during her lifetime. [2]
After her death in 1980, her widower Robert Revere sought to preserve her legacy, and the collection was eventually donated to CSUN in 1987. The move followed years of legal and logistical challenges, including damage to Olcott-Bickford’s Hollywood Hills home in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake and theft of some rare items while in storage. [1]
CSUN music professor Ron Purcell, a former student of Olcott-Bickford and a leading figure in guitar education, played a pivotal role in founding and developing the archive. [3] Under his direction, IGRA expanded its holdings through additional contributions and grants, notably from the Augustine Foundation. [4]
IGRA houses over 15,000 pieces of guitar music, thousands of letters, journals, photographs, and rare instruments. [1] The collection includes works and personal materials from legendary guitarists such as:
Among the many items in the archive are 19th- and 20th-century sheet music, handwritten scores, sound recordings, and guitars dating as far back as 1790 [2] [6] . In addition, IGRA holds the institutional archives of the Guitar Foundation of America. [7] and the American Guitar Society.
The IGRA has been featured in several public exhibitions at CSUN’s University Library. Notable exhibits include:
The archive also sponsors events such as master classes, including one in 1999 with renowned classical guitarist Christopher Parkening. [9]
CSUN's guitar program, led by Ron Purcell until his passing in 2011, became a model in the California State University system and internationally recognized, in part due to IGRA. The university hosted the Guitar Foundation of America International Convention in 1995, attracting artists and educators from across the world and further solidifying IGRA’s role in global guitar scholarship. [10]
In 2008, the Augustine Foundation awarded the archive a $30,000 grant to conserve and catalog its vast holdings, ensuring long-term access for researchers. An earlier grant helped digitize parts of the collection, enhancing its availability to global scholars. [4] [11]
Since 2013, the IGRA archive and the Ronald and Beth Purcell Endowment have supported an annual student fellowship at the CSUN University Library in Special Collections and Archives. [12] [13]
Following Ron Purcell’s death in 2011, a memorial concert was held at CSUN to honor his contributions to guitar education and the archive. [3] His vision and leadership were instrumental in shaping IGRA into one of the premier repositories of guitar history in the world. [14]