ABSTRACT
This article offers a case study in using archival authority records in Social Networks and Archival Context (SNAC) to gain new and useful insights into the unique characteristics of a collection, particularly as collections offer tangible evidence of the social networks of their creators. The ways in which the social networks of different corporate bodies, persons, and families differ when systematically expressed may be generalized to some extent based on profession or field. The networks themselves situate a collection's subjects in the context of a wider community, opening avenues for further inquiry. Insights from these networks have implications for reconsidering historical narratives in art and music and for interrogating the status quo regarding commonly accepted canons of works and creators in light of new contextual information.
In this study, the collection of Berthe and Adolfo Odnoposoff, together with their authority records and those of three relatives in SNAC, sheds light on the dynamics of a community of highly skilled musicians brought together by successive waves of geopolitical upheaval. Musical works arising from that community, particularly those written for the Odnoposoffs, show potential as a counterbalance to well-worn canons of commonly performed pieces, providing opportunities for performance as well as analysis and original research. Having demonstrated their benefits, the article concludes with recommendations for encouraging the wider use of archival authority records, including those prescribed by Part II of Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS).
