# Merle Armitage

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**Merle Armitage** (1893 - March 15, 1975) was an American set designer, tour manager, theater producer, opera producer, art collector,[1] author, and book designer.

## Biography

Armitage was born in 1893 in Iowa.[2]

Armitage became a theater set designer in New York City.[2] He was the tour manager for the Scotti Grand Opera Company, the Russian Grand Opera Company,[3] and The Beggars Opera.[4] He co-founded the Los Angeles Grand Opera Association in 1924, and he was its manager until 1930.[4][3] He managed the Los Angeles Philharmonic Auditorium, from 1933 to 1939.[2] From 1933 to 1934 he was director of the [Public Works of Art Project](/source/Public_Works_of_Art_Project)'s Region 14, California south of [Paso Robles](/source/Paso_Robles,_California).[5]

Armitage was the editorial and art director of *[Look](/source/Look_(American_magazine))* magazine,[6] and he was the president of the [American Institute of Graphic Arts](/source/American_Institute_of_Graphic_Arts) in 1951.[2] He designed and authored many books, including *Saints and Saint Makers*, *Operatic Masterpieces*, *Operations Santa Fe*, and *Burro Alley*.[4] He authored two books about [Igor Stravinsky](/source/Igor_Stravinsky) and a book about [George Gershwin](/source/George_Gershwin), two men whose tours he managed.[3]

Armitage was married four times, and he had a daughter, Chama.[3] He died on March 15, 1975, in [Yucca Valley, California](/source/Yucca_Valley,_California), at age 82.[4][3][6]

## Selected works

- Armitage, Merle (1958). *George Gershwin: Man and Legend*. New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearco. [OCLC 642004144](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/642004144)

## References

1. ["Obituaries : Lynton R. Kistler; Modern Artists' Lithographer"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-11-16-me-57293-story.html). *Los Angeles Times*. 1993-11-16. Retrieved 2021-08-19.

1. ["Finding Aid for the Merle Armitage Collection 1919-1971"](https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt5s2036b1/admin/). *Online Archive of California*. Retrieved July 3, 2020.

1. ["Armitage Services Held; Art and Music Figure"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/386261823/?terms=%22Merle%2BArmitage%22). *The Los Angeles Times*. March 20, 1975. p. 83. Retrieved July 3, 2020. – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)

1. ["Merle Armitage, author dies in Yucca Valley"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/56204775/?terms=%22Merle%2BArmitage%22). *The San Bernardino County Sun*. March 17, 1975. p. 19. Retrieved July 3, 2020. – via Newspapers.com.

1. [*Public Works of Art Project. Report of the Assistant Director of the Treasury to Federal Emergency Relief Administrator, December 8, 1933 – June 30, 1934*](https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015010432469&view=1up&seq=17&skin=2021). Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. 1934. pp. 3–4.

1. ["Author Dies At 82"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/633194891/?terms=%22Merle%2BArmitage%22). *Fort Worth Star-Telegram*. March 17, 1975. p. 14. Retrieved July 3, 2020. – via Newspapers.com.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Merle Armitage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merle_Armitage) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merle_Armitage?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.