We use cookies to improve your experience, some are essential for the operation of this site.
About the cookies we use
Accept
Search
Help
Quick Search
Quick Search
Search
Search
Home
Advanced Search
Browse All Images
Images By Category
Images By Place
Online Exhibitions
Search History
Selections (0)
Related Links
Local Studies
Online Library Resources
Help
About The Collections
Help With Searching
Ordering Images
Terms & Conditions
Contact Us
My Account
Log In
TaggedItemsMenu1
Untag All Items
Treasure 79: Cosmo Mitchell Collection
You searched for:
More Like: 'Some memories of my 21 years of radio in...
Hide Highlights
0
of
0
highlighted terms
Prev
Next
No highlightable terms
Item
of 13
Treasure 79: Cosmo Mitchell Collection
Historic Documents
David Oswald
This item is active and ready to use
Select
Comment
Purchase
Magnify
Historic Documents
Record Number
290
Title
Treasure 79: Cosmo Mitchell Collection
Description
Adam "Cosmo" Mitchell was born at Kennethmont in 1860. Raised on a croft, little is known of his early childhood but by the age of 21, he had become a dancing master teaching in several areas near his home. By the end of 1881, Mitchell had brought his dance classes to Aberdeen. Using rooms in the Music Hall for instruction, he taught children and adults in increasingly popular classes. His professional associations with local schools, as well as local, regional and international societies, also helped strengthen his professional reputation and furthered his integrity as an authority on dancing and, by 1895-6, he was creating his own dances. Mitchell joined the newly-formed Imperial Society of Dance Teachers in 1904. By the following year, he had been elected as vice-president and continued to be re-elected in that post for many years. In 1915, Mitchell published A Guide to Ballroom Dancing. In 1919, Mitchell's wife died. A key part of his business life, the loss of his wife led to the immediate cessation of his teaching in schools. By 1924, he had retired from teaching altogether. Mitchell died in 1932 and bequeathed his entire professional library of dance textbooks, notebooks and ephemera to Aberdeen City Libraries. Our Treasure showcases some of the items from this collection. Patricia Ballantyne produced a thesis on the development of Scottish dance, utilising much of the Cosmo Mitchell collection. Her thesis Regulation and Reaction is available to view in the Information Centre. It is largely due to her research that we are able to explore the life of this little-known local celebrity. Find out about the marketing ploys adopted by Mitchell, and the origins of his middle name, in the Treasures from our Collections interactive exhibition on the touchscreens in Central, Airyhall, Tillydrone and Mastrick libraries.
Adam "Cosmo" Mitchell was born at Kennethmont in 1860. Raised on a croft, little is known of his early childhood but by the age of 21, he had become a dancing master teaching in several areas near his home.
By the end of 1881, Mitchell had brought his dance classes to Aberdeen. Using rooms in the Music Hall for instruction, he taught children and adults in increasingly popular classes.
His professional associations with local schools, as well as local, regional and international societies, also helped strengthen his professional reputation and furthered his integrity as an authority on dancing and, by 1895-6, he was creating his own dances.
Mitchell joined the newly-formed Imperial Society of Dance Teachers in 1904. By the following year, he had been elected as vice-president and continued to be re-elected in that post for many years.
In 1915, Mitchell published A Guide to Ballroom Dancing. In 1919, Mitchell's wife died. A key part of his business life, the loss of his wife led to the immediate cessation of his teaching in schools. By 1924, he had retired from teaching altogether. Mitchell died in 1932 and bequeathed his entire professional library of dance textbooks, notebooks and ephemera to Aberdeen City Libraries.
Our Treasure showcases some of the items from this collection. Patricia Ballantyne produced a thesis on the development of Scottish dance, utilising much of the Cosmo Mitchell collection. Her thesis Regulation and Reaction is available to view in the Information Centre. It is largely due to her research that we are able to explore the life of this little-known local celebrity.
Find out about the marketing ploys adopted by Mitchell, and the origins of his middle name, in the Treasures from our Collections interactive exhibition on the touchscreens in Central, Airyhall, Tillydrone and Mastrick libraries.
Document Type
Miscellaneous
Document Reference
Keyword
Dancing
Collection
Aberdeen Local Studies
Aberdeen Local Studies
Magnifier?
Yes
No
Yes
Public Access
Yes
No
Yes
For Sale?
Yes
No
Yes
Subjects
Subjects
>
Recreation
remove
Assign Subject
Remove All Subjects
Other Items Like This