Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Norman, Jessye, 1945–2019, American soprano, b. Augusta, Ga., studied Howard Univ. (B.A., 1967), Univ. of Michigan, and Peabody Conservatory. Making her early reputation in Europe, Norman won first ...

(Encyclopedia) Hancock, John, 1737–93, political leader in the American Revolution, signer of the Declaration of Independence, b. Braintree, Mass. From an uncle he inherited Boston's leading mercantile firm, and n...

(Encyclopedia) Wartburg värtˈbo͝ork [key], castle near Eisenach, in the state of Thuringia, central Germany. Built c.1070, later enlarged, and renovated in the 18th cent., it was the seat of the medieval landgrav...

(Encyclopedia) Sellars, Peter, 1957–, American director, b. Pittsburgh, grad. Harvard (1981). A highly innovative director, he began his career with the Boston Shakespeare Co. (1983–84) and Washington's American...

(Encyclopedia) Bruckner, Anton änˈtōn bro͝okˈnər [key], 1824–96, Austrian composer. He was appointed organist at the Linz cathedral in 1856 before becoming court organist in Vienna in 1868, where he later ta...

(Encyclopedia) Glasgow, Ellen glăsˈgō [key], 1873–1945, American novelist, b. Richmond, Va. In revolt against the romantic treatment of Southern life, Glasgow presented in fiction a social history of Virginia s...

(Encyclopedia) Lowry, L. S. (Laurence Stephen Lowry), 1887–1976, English painter and printmaker, b. Manchester, studied Municipal College of Art (later Manchester Metropolitan Univ.). He is especially known for re...

(Encyclopedia) motif mōtēfˈ [key], in literature, term that denotes the recurrent presence of certain character types, objects, settings, or situations in diverse genres and periods of folklore and literature. Ex...

(Encyclopedia) Burton, Richard, 1925–84, British actor, b. Pontrhydfen, Wales; his original name was Richard Jenkins. A dark, introspective actor with a splendid speaking voice, Burton specialized in portraying co...

(Encyclopedia) National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), independent agency of the U.S. government created under the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (Wagner Act), and amended by the acts of 1947 (Taft-Hartley Labo...