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The collection consists largely of letters to Gunst from other Russian emigre musicians, including Nikolaĭ Cherepnin, Aleksandr Glazunov, Aleksandr Grechaninov, Nikolaĭ Medtner, and Sergeĭ Rakhmaninov. Other items include a photograph of Aleksandr Skri︠a︡bin's funeral procession, performance programs, and printed material relating to the Russian conservatory in Paris.

The collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, clippings, books and periodicals. There are two letters from Aleksandr Glazunov and one each from Aleksandr Grechaninov and Nikolaĭ Metner. The manuscripts deal with both cultural affairs and the Russian Revolution. Among the cultural topics are essays on music, Isadora Duncan, Maksim Gorḱiĭ and literary affairs. There are articles about general aspects of the Revolution and about such individuals as Lenin, Stalin, Chicherin, Dzerzhinskiĭ and Kamenev. Many of the articles are memoiristic in nature, particularly those about life in Moscow and in the provinces during the Revolution, Dzerzhinskiĭ and Kamenev. There are clippings of articles written by Sabaneev and a number of books and periodicals either written by Sabaneev or containing articles by him.

The papers consist of correspondence, manuscripts, documents, original art works, bibliographic notes and material on exhibitions. There are letters from Aleksandr Benois, Mikhail Chekhov, Fedor Komissarzhevskiĭ, Georgiĭ Lukomskiĭ, Nikolaĭ Medtner, Vladimir Nabokov and Aleksandra Tolstai︠a︡, and one letter each from Ivan Bunin, Mikhail Fokin, Tyrone Guthrie, Sok Hurok and Serge Kusevit︠s︡kiĭ. The manuscripts include essays by Dobuzhinskiĭ on such topics as the Mir Iskusstva group, Pushkin's illustrations, Aleksandr Blok, Kuzḿa Petrov-Vodkin and Josʹe-Maria Sert. There are original art works (pen and ink, goache, etc.) relating to his artistic and theatrical productions. Also included are photographs of Russian scenes, apparently from before World War I.

A collection of 268 Russian and early Soviet music scores published from 1904 to 1938. Numerous composers and lyricists (primarily Russian but also European and American) are represented. Most scores were published in Moscow or Leningrad. Other imprints include Rostov-na-Donu, Kiev, Kharʹkov, and Tiflis. Most scores are popular music, jazz or dance music. The covers were designed by many different artists. The collection includes musical settings of poems by Esenin, Lebedev-Kumach and Mayakovsky among others.