Merle Armitage (1893 - March 15, 1975) was an American set designer, tour manager, theater producer, opera producer, art collector, author, and book designer.

Biography

Armitage was born in 1893 in Iowa. Armitage became a theater set designer in New York City. He was the tour manager for the Scotti Grand Opera Company, the Russian Grand Opera Company, and The Beggars Opera. He co-founded the Los Angeles Grand Opera Association in 1924, and he was its manager until 1930. He managed the Los Angeles Philharmonic Auditorium, from 1933 to 1939. From 1933 to 1934 he was director of the

Public Works of Art Project The Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) was a New Deal work-relief program that employed professional artists to create sculptures, paintings, crafts and design for public buildings and parks during the Great Depression in the United States. The ...

's Region 14, California south of

Paso Robles Paso Robles ( ), officially El Paso de Robles (Spanish for The Pass of Oaks), is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Salinas River about north of San Luis Obispo, the city is known for its hot springs, ...

. Armitage was the editorial and art director of '' Look'' magazine, and he was the president of the

American Institute of Graphic Arts The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) is a professional organization for design. Its members practice all forms of communication design, including graphic design, typography, interaction design, user experience, branding and identity. The ...

in 1951. He designed and authored many books, including ''Saints and Saint Makers'', ''Operatic Masterpieces'', ''Operations Santa Fe'', and ''Burro Alley''. He authored two books about

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and a book about

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned jazz, popular music, popular and classical music. Among his best-known works are the songs "Swan ...

, two men whose tours he managed. Armitage was married four times, and he had a daughter, Chama. He died on March 15, 1975, in

Yucca Valley, California Yucca Valley is an List of municipalities in California, incorporated town in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 21,738 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Yucca Valley lies north of Palm Springs, ...

, at age 82.

Selected works

References

1893 births 1975 deaths People from Iowa People from Yucca Valley, California American scenic designers American opera managers American theatre managers and producers American impresarios 20th-century theatre managers {{California-stub