Guide to the Papers of Tamara Finch
MS 9733
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Created: 2006
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Finch (Tchinarova), Tamara
- Title
- Papers of Tamara Finch
- Date Range
- 1911 - 2004
- Collection Number
- MS 9733
- Extent
- 2.1 metres (8 ms boxes + 2 large folio boxes + 1 sound/av carrier)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- Special Collections (Manuscripts)
- Abstract
- Featuring personal items, photographs, programs, cast lists, brochures, pamphlets, flyers and newspaper clippings primarily relating to Finch's dancing career.
Introduction
Scope and Contents
The collection contains magazine programs, souvenir programs, cast lists, brochures, pamphlets, flyers and newspaper clippings primarily relating to ballet performances. There are also personal items, photographs and scrapbooks documenting the career of Tamara Finch, together with photographs of Finch's husband Peter Finch.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is available for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
Preferred Citation
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Tamara Finch, National Library of Australia, MS 9733, [series and file/item number]'.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated to the National Library by Tamara Finch. An initial instalment was received in November 2000, followed by two smaller instalments in December 2001, and a further instalment in January 2005.
Existence and Location of Copies
Selected photographs from Series 5 have been digitised, and are available online through this finding aid and via the Library's catalogue (http://nla.gov.au/catalogue).
Related Materials
Papers of Peter Finch are held at MS 7003. An interview with Tamara Finch is held in the Oral History Collection at ORAL TRC 3120.
Arrangement
The order of the collection has been devised by Library staff.
Biographical Note
Tamara Tchinarova was born in 1919 to Russian parents in a Russian province that became part of Romania. She moved to Paris at the age of six and began her dance training there with emigré ballerinas from the Imperial Russian Ballet.
Tchinarova danced professionally in Europe with the touring Ballets Russes companies that emerged in the 1930s after the death of the entrepreneur Serge Diaghilev. She first came to Australia in 1936 on tour with the Monte Carlo Russian Ballet and returned in 1938 with the Covent Garden Russian Ballet. In Australia during those first two tours by the Russian Ballet she made a strong impression as Action in Leonide Massine's first symphonic ballet Les Présages. She was also admired for her portrayal of Thamar the Georgian Queen in Michel Fokine's dramatic ballet Thamar, and was also praised for her dancing in demi-character roles in ballets such as Le Beau Danube.
In 1939 at the conclusion of the Covent Garden Russian Ballet tour, along with a number of her colleagues, Tchinarova elected to stay in Australia. She made an especially important contribution in the 1940s to newly developing Australian companies, which included the Kirsova Ballet, the Polish-Australian Ballet and the Borovansky Ballet. During her time with the Kirsova Ballet she created a number of roles, including that of Satana in Kirsova's three act ballet Faust, which premiered in November 1941. She was a principal dancer with the Borovansky Ballet in the mid 1940s and worked with Borovansky to restage ballets from the Ballets Russes repertoire. In Australia she met and married actor Peter Finch and worked with him on a number of films before leaving Australia to make her home in London in 1949.
Since retiring from dancing Finch has acted as interpreter for many English-speaking dance companies, including the Australian Ballet, during tours to Russia, and for Russian companies touring in the West. She was also employed by the Foreign Office to interpret for trade fairs held in the Soviet Union. She has also pursued a career as a dance writer and has been published in a range of dance magazines, notably The Dancing Times.
Biographical Reference(s)
Roebuck, G. 'Tamara Tchinarova and the Ballets Russes', Dance expression, August 2000, pp.26-27.
Roebuck, G. 'Tamara Tchinarova', Dance expression, September 2000, p.37.
Profile of the Ballets Russes in Australasia, 1936-1940, in the Australian Performing Arts (PROMPT) Collection, National Library of Australia
Item Descriptions
Series 1. Personal items, 1945-1988
Comprising personal items relating to Finch, including correspondence, invitations and legal papers. Correspondents include Peter Hawker, Ian McRae and Michael G. Nagy.
Series 2. Programs, 1911-1991
Containing a variety of programs relating to dance and opera performances primarily in Europe and the United Kingdom. There are magazine programs, souvenir programs and cast lists, as well as advertising ephemera, such as brochures, pamphlets and flyers.
The Original Ballet Russe, together with Marquis de Cuevas' Grand Ballet de Monte Carlo, 1947, 1949, 1952 (File 6)
Series 3. Scrapbooks and clippings, 1935-2000
Comprising scrapbooks and loose newspaper and magazine clippings capturing the career highlights of Finch and her contemporaries.
Series 4. Printed material, 1945-2000
Comprising ballet periodicals, books and miscellaneous printed material.
Dance expression (UK), August-September, 2000 (File 1)
Featuring an article on Finch by Gavin Roebuck.
Tamara Finch and Hector Cameron, The little king : the book of twenty nights and one night, Angus and Robertson, 1958 (File 2)
Includes a book review.
The Dancing times (UK), 1986-1993 (File 5)
Incomplete set. A number of these issues contain articles written by Finch.
Series 5. Photographs, 1931-2000
Featuring photographs of Finch in dance costume as a child and dancing for the Ballets Russes Australian tours, the Monte Carlo Russian Ballet, Kirsova Ballet, the Polish-Australian Ballet and the Borovansky Ballet. The series includes photographs relating to Finch's career as an interpreter and photographs of Australian Ballet dancers and productions (especially on the company's 1988 overseas tour). There are also a number of photographs of Peter Finch, some taken on movie sets, together with photographs of Aboriginal people in Arnhem Land during an expedition by Peter Finch and George Heath, ca. 1944.
Selected photographs from this series have been digitised, and are available online through this finding aid and via the Library's catalogue (http://nla.gov.au/catalogue).
Publicity portrait (head and shoulders) of Tamara Tchinarova Finch aged 15/16 years, c.1935 (Item 4)
Portrait (full length) of Tamara Tchinarova Finch in The Good-Humoured Ladies, Ballets Russes, c.1935 (Item 6)
Date indicated by location of photographic studio.
Tamara Tchinarova Finch as a gypsy in Petrouchka, Ballets Russes, c.1935 (Item 8)
Photograph may predate Ballets Russes Australian tours.
Portrait (full length) of Tamara Tchinarova Finch as Action in Les Présages, Ballets Russes Australian tours [1], c.1937 (Item 9)
Date indicated by location of photographic studio.
Portrait (full length) of Tamara Tchinarova Finch as Action in Les Présages, Ballets Russes Australian tours [2], c.1937 (Item 10)
Date indicated by location of photographic studio.
Portrait (full length) of Tamara Tchinarova Finch as Action in Les Présages, Ballets Russes Australian tours [3], c.1937 (Item 11)
Date indicated by location of photographic studio.
Portrait (head and torso) of Tamara Tchinarova Finch in Cotillon, The Monte Carlo Russian Ballet, c.1937 (Item 12)
Dated on assumption that photograph dates from Australian tour.
Hélène Kirsova in The Firebird, The Monte Carlo Russian Ballet, c.1937 (Item 13)
Dated on assumption that photograph dates from Australian tour.
Portrait (head and shoulders) of Tamara Tchinarova Finch as a nursemaid in Petrouchka, Ballets Russes Australian tours, c.1937 (Item 14)
Annotated verso: 'Tchinarova age 15'. However, an identical photograph in MS 9803 is stamped 'Hollywood Studios' indicating a later date.
Nina Raievska, Leon Woizikovsky and Tamara Tchinarova Finch in Prince Igor, The Monte Carlo Russian Ballet, c.1938 (Item 16)
Date indicated by location of photographic studio and implication (verso) that photograph may have been taken after the Australian tour.
atiana Riabouchinska in the Prelude of Les Sylphides, The Covent Garden Russian Ballet, c.1938 (Item 17)
Annotated verso: 'Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo'. However, Riabouchinska toured with Covent Garden Russian Ballet, suggesting a date of 1938/1939, although photograph may predate her Australian tour.
Vera Nelidova and Tamara Tchinarova Finch in The Good-Humoured Ladies, The Covent Garden Russian Ballet, c.1938 (Item 18)
Annotated verso: 'Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo'. However, Nelidova toured with Covent Garden Russian Ballet, suggesting a date of 1938/1939, although photograph may predate Australian tour.
Artists of The Covent Garden Russian Ballet, including Sono Osato, Paul Petroff, Anna Volkova and Raissa Kousnetzova, rehearsing Choreartium, c.1938 (Item 20)
Annotated verso 'Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo 1935/36'. However, these dancers performed with Covent Garden Russian Ballet, suggesting a date of 1938/1939.
Tamara Tchinarova Finch and Henry Legerton as Satana and Young Faust in Faust, The Kirsova Ballet, c.1941 (Item 22)
Tamara Tchinarova Finch, Raissa Kousnetzova and Irina Milova in Les Sylphides, The Polish-Australian Ballet, c.1943 (Item 23)
Portrait (full length) of Tamara Tchinarova Finch as the Street Dancer in Le Beau Danube, Borovansky Ballet, c.1945 (Item 28)
Portrait (head and shoulders) of Tamara Tchinarova Finch in Capriccio Italien, Borovansky Ballet, c.1946 (Item 29)
Portrait (full length) of Tamara Tchinarova Finch in Capriccio Italien, Borovansky Ballet, c.1946 (Item 30)
Tamara Tchinarova Finch interpreting for Galina Ulanova with Dame Ninette de Valois and Michael Broderick, Festival Hall, 1986 (Item 42)
The Australian Ballet production of Sleeping Beauty at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 1988 (Item 45)
Paul de Masson and Lisa Pavane in Suite en blanc, The Australian Ballet at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 1988 (Item 47)
Steven Heathcote and Christine Walsh in costume as Romeo and Juliet, with Noel Smith and artists of The Australian Ballet, after the first night of Romeo and Juliet at the Kirov Theatre, Leningrad, 1988 (Item 51)
Greg Horsman and Lisa Pavane rehearsing Romeo and Juliet during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 52)
David Ashmole and Anna de Cardi in costume as Romeo and Juliet after a performance during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 53)
Two artists of The Australian Ballet in costume as jesters from Romeo and Juliet during the 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 54)
Artists of The Australian Ballet after a performance of Romeo and Juliet during the 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 55)
Artists of The Australian Ballet with Noel Smith after a performance of Romeo and Juliet during the 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 56)
Steven Heathcote and artists of The Australian Ballet in Romeo and Juliet during the 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 57)
Unidentified artist of The Australian Ballet in costume as a jester from Romeo and Juliet during the 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 58)
Artists and staff of The Australian Ballet on stage set for Romeo and Juliet during the 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 59)
Edna Edgley and Steven Heathcote in costume for the Australian Ballet production of Romeo and Juliet, with Maina Gielgud during the 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 60)
Curtain call for The Australian Ballet production of Graduation Ball during the 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 61)
Fiona Tonkin, Colin Peasley and artists in costume for the Australian Ballet production of Graduation Ball at the Odessa Opera House, 1988 (Item 63)
Artists of The Australian Ballet on stage in costume for Graduation Ball during the 1988 tour [1] (see also 177), 1988 (Item 64)
Fiona Tonkin and artists of The Australian Ballet in costume for Graduation Ball during the 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 65)
Curtain call for the Australian Ballet performance of Graduation Ball during the 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 66)
Artists and staff of The Australian Ballet in the Soviet Union waiting for transport during the 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 67)
Tamara Tchinarova Finch and colleague in the gardens of the Summer Palace, Leningrad, 1988 (Item 69)
The gardens of the Summer Palace, Leningrad, during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour [1], 1988 (Item 70)
The gardens of the Summer Palace, Leningrad, during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour [2], 1988 (Item 71)
The gardens of the Summer Palace, Leningrad, during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour [3], 1988 (Item 72)
The Museum of the Vaganova Academy, Leningrad, displaying photograph of Olga Preobajenska, 1988 (Item 73)
Christine Walsh and Steven Heathcote at the Museum of the Vaganova Academy, Leningrad, 1988 (Item 74)
The Museum of the Vaganova Academy, Leningrad, during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour [1], 1988 (Item 75)
The Museum of the Vaganova Academy, Leningrad, during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour [2], 1988 (Item 76)
Garry Norman and Tamara Tchinarova Finch at the Museum of the Vaganova Academy, Leningrad, 1988 (Item 77)
Tamara Tchinarova Finch and Mary Duchesne in the Museum of the Vaganova Academy, Leningrad, 1988 (Item 78)
Unidentified woman in front of Ballet Russe posters at the Vaganova Academy, Leningrad, 1988 (Item 79)
Christine Walsh and unidentified woman in front of the mirror outside the dressing rooms in the Kirov Theatre, Leningrad, 1988 (Item 81)
Maina Gielgud, Colin Peasley and unidentified man on the stage of the Kirov Theatre, Leningrad, 1988 (Item 87)
Tamara Tchinarova Finch and unidentified dancer on the stage of the Kirov Theatre, Leningrad, 1988 (Item 88)
Tamara Tchinarova Finch, William Akers, and colleagues on the stage of the Kirov Theatre, Leningrad, 1988 (Item 89)
Maina Gielgud on stage set of Romeo and Juliet during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 93)
David McAllister, William Akers, unidentified artist, Maina Gielgud and Steven Heathcote during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 94)
Tamara Tchinarova Finch with a Russian signals operator during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 96)
Picnic in Odessa Park to celebrate the birthday of Tamara Tchinarova Finch during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 99)
Tamara Tchinarova Finch, William Akers and colleagues during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 100)
Street scene with unidentified plaque on a house in the Soviet Union during the Australian Ballet tour, 1988 (Item 106)
Christine Walsh, David Ashmole and artist in a studio during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 109)
Tamara Tchinarova Finch and Elizabeth Toohey with Sir Robert Southey and inidentified woman during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 114)
Mary Duchesne, William Akers and unidentified man during Australian Ballet 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 117)
Tamara Tchinarova Finch on the steps of a theatre during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 120)
David Ashmole and Lisa Pavane rehearsing Suite en Blanc during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour [1], 1988 (Item 121)
David Ashmole and Lisa Pavane rehearsing Suite en Blanc during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour [2], 1988 (Item 122)
Artists of The Australian Ballet rehearsing Suite en Blanc during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 123)
Artists of The Australian Ballet rehearsing Suite en Blanc with Colin Peasley during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 124)
Two artists of The Australian Ballet in costume for Suite en Blanc on the steps of a theatre during the 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 125)
Christine Walsh and David Ashmole with Pamela May on the opening night of Sleeping Beauty at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 1988 (Item 126)
David McAllister and Elizabeth Toohey with Dame Ninette de Valois on the opening night of Sleeping Beauty at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 1988 (Item 127)
Artists of The Australian Ballet with Noel Smith and Dame Ninette de Valois on the opening night of Sleeping Beauty at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 1988 (Item 128)
David McAllister and Elizabeth Toohey in costume as the Blue Birds and Sian Stokes as Carabosse, with Ulrike Lytton (injured) and Dame Ninette de Valois on the opening night of Sleeping Beauty at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 1988 (Item 129)
Two artists of The Australian Ballet in costumes for Sleeping Beauty, posing outdoors during The Australian Ballet 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 130)
Tamara Tchinarova Finch interpreting for Princess Margaret at a gala in aid of Armenian earthquake victims, 1989 (Item 132)
Tamara Tchinarova Finch interpreting at a gala in aid of Armenian earthquake victims, with Lord Sainsbury and Jeremy Isaacs, 1989 (Item 133)
Irek Mukhamedov and Boris Akimov with Tamara Tchinarova Finch at her home in London, c.1990 (Item 134)
Dame Alicia Markova giving the Nijinska Centenary lecture at Covent Garden, with John Drummond and Tamara Tchinarova Finch, 1991 (Item 135)
Tamara Tchinarova Finch interpreting for Trevor Nunn and Elena Prokina at Covent Garden, 1995 (Item 137)
Tamara Tchinarova Finch and Irina Baronova at a Ballets Russes Reunion, New Orleans, 2000 (Item 139)
Irina Baronova and Tatiana Riabouchinska during the making of a documentary film at a Ballets Russes reunion, Los Angeles, 2000 (Item 140)
Tamara Tchinarova Finch and Irina Baronova during the making of a documentary film at a Ballets Russes reunion, Los Angeles, 2000 (Item 141)
Australian Aboriginal people in Arnhem Land during expedition by Peter Finch and George Heath [1], c.1944 (Item 142)
Australian Aboriginal people in Arnhem Land during expedition by Peter Finch and George Heath [2], c.1944 (Item 143)
Australian Aboriginal people in Arnhem Land during expedition by Peter Finch and George Heath [3], c.1944 (Item 144)
Australian Aboriginal people in Arnhem Land during expedition by Peter Finch and George Heath [4a], c.1944 (Item 145 (a))
Australian Aboriginal people in Arnhem Land during expedition by Peter Finch and George Heath [4b], c.1944 (Item 145 (b))
Peter Finch with Tamara Tchinarova Finch during the filming of Eureka Stockade, Singleton, 1947 (Item 148)
Peter Finch talking to Max Berman on the set of The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men, 1952 (Item 156)
Studio portrait of Tamara Tchinarova Finch in costume for Choreartium, Ballets Russes, c.1935 (Item 159)
Annotated verso: 'Choreartium 1935/6 (should not have had red nail polish on)'.
Tamara Tchinarova Finch with Alicia Markova and Galina Ulanova, after interpreting a lecture by Ulanova, 1986 (Item 169)
Anthony Dowell and Tamara Tchinarova Finch (as interpreter) on stage at the Kirov Theatre Leningrad after the final performance of the Royal Ballet tour of the Soviet Union, 1987 (Item 170)
Annotated verso with detail by Tchinarova Finch.
Tamara Tchinarova Finch acting as interpreter for Yuri Gregorovich on stage at Covent Garden, London, c.1988 (Item 171)
Tamara Tchinarova Finch, William Akers and colleagues in the gardens of the Summer Palace, Leningrad, during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 172)
Maina Gielgud during the Australian Ballet 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 173)
Annotated verso with detail by Tchinarova Finch.
Tamara Tchinarova Finch with colleagues and artists of the Australian Ballet at the Odessa Opera House during the 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 174)
Artists of the Australian Ballet on stage in costume for Graduation Ball, with Tamara Tchinarova Finch, on the last night at the Odessa Opera House during the 1988 tour, 1988 (Item 175)
Artists of The Australian Ballet on stage in costume for Graduation Ball during the 1988 tour [2] (see also Item 64), 1988 (Item 177)
Lisa Pavane and Greg Horsman in Maina Gielgud's production of Sleeping Beauty, The Australian Ballet, 1990 (Item 179)
Christmas card from the Australian Ballet.
Tamara Tchinarova Finch, Irina Baronova and Igor Belsky at the Vaganova Academy, St Petersburg, 1992 (Item 180)
Tamara Tchinarova Finch, Irina Baronova and Marina Vivien (curator of the Vaganova Museum) at the Vaganova Academy, St Petersbury [1], 1993 (Item 181)
Series 6. Correspondence, 1955-2004
Including letters from Finch to Michelle Potter, and letters to Finch from Edouard Borovansky, Bill Constable, Arnold Haskell, Maina Gielgud, Hector MacQuarrie, Ian McRae, Noel M. Pelly, Lady Potter, Lady Tait and Joan Trunoff.
One folder.
Series 7. Writings and research
Manuscripts and typescripts of writings by Finch, including 'History of dance, ballet', 'Portrait of Elizabeth Toohey and David McAllister', 'The Australian Ballet tours Soviet Russia' and others; together with an article not written by Finch, entitled 'The lucky country'
One folder.
Container List
| Series | File | Box |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1-2 | 1 |
| 2 | 1-6 | 1 |
| 2 | 7-10 | 2 |
| 2 | 11-12 | 3 |
| 2 | 13 | 4 |
| 2 | 14 | Folio Box 1 |
| 2 | 15 | 8 |
| 3 | 1-2 | 5 |
| 3 | 3-7 | Folio Box 1 |
| 3 | 8 | 8 |
| 4 | 1-4 | 5 |
| 4 | 5 | 6 |
| 4 | 6-7 | 7 |
| 4 | 8 | Folio Box 1 |
| 4 | 9 | 8 |
| 5 | 1-184 | Folio Box 2 |
| 6 | 1 | 8 |
| 7 | 1 | 8 |
| 8 | 1 | 8 |