The Jenny Lind Collection

In celebration of Jenny Lind’s bicentennial, Stanford Libraries is pleased to make available to the public the manuscript scores and letters contained in the Jenny Lind Collection, one of the largest extant collections of primary source materials once belonging to Lind. Swedish soprano Jenny Lind (1820-1887) was one of the 19th century’s most celebrated persons, following a successful operatic career with a remarkable (and remarkably-hyped) American tour sponsored by the great showman, Phineas T. Barnum. Lind was a child star on the Stockholm stage, singing, dancing, and acting in productions beginning at the age of 10. Her operatic career spanned from 1838 until her retirement in 1849. During those years she counted among her friends, admirers, (and a few rumored paramours?) Hans Christian Andersen, Felix Mendelssohn, Frédéric Chopin, and Robert and Clara Schumann. Queen Victoria, her contemporary, became both an ardent fan and close friend.