Abstract
An Anthology of Early Plays, 1858-1938 (Hamalian and Hatch 1991).2 A copy of the short score of Tom Tom, archived at the Schomburg Center for Black Culture in New York City, had been the only known source for the work in the United States; it is archived in the papers of Jules Bledsoe, who sang the lead role at the premiere.3 This score is nearly identical to Graham's, but Graham's contains emendations in her own handwriting, as well as drafts for an overture and extra numbers for the third act. Primary sources for the opera notwithstanding, Shirley Graham's political activism also contributed to the fate of both Tom Tom and her career in the arts.