Papers. Series VII. Formats, 1889-1983.

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Papers. Series VII. Formats, 1889-1983.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/122625102

The materials in this series were separate from other collection materials due to their formats which necessitated alternative storage. Extensive cross references appear in the collection inventory in order to link these items intellectually with the materials described in the preceding series. The art work includes drawings, a painting, and a self-sculpture by Miss Swanson. Works by talented acquaintances, fans, friends, and relatives complete this subseries. A number of these are portraits, cartoons, or caricatures of Miss Swanson. Some of the art is directly related to Swanson's career, such as a series of drawings done by John Decker for the film What a Widow! Other artists include Lewis L. Bredin, James Montgomery Flagg, William Rose, Charles Swanson, Jonathan Swanson, and Michael A. Werboff. Among the audio recordings are cassettes, discs, reels, and wire reels, both commercially and non-commercially produced. Included are recordings of autobiographical musings, songs from her films, radio and television appearances, interviews, theater rehearsals, and commercials, as well as items reflecting her interests in health and nutrition, music, politics, psychic phenomena, and religion. The bound volumes contain mostly personal financial documentation, though ledgers for several of her business concerns are also present. Numerous newspaper and magazine clippings, both loose and in scrapbook form, present Swanson's life and career as seen through the eyes of the press, ca. 1917-1983. While most of Miss Swanson's personal film collection was acquired by George Eastman House in 1967, this archive does contain a few motion picture prints and career compilation clips, and some tapes of appearances on television, as well as several home movies. The music subseries consists of miscellaneous sheet music, though some original music manuscripts are included. Most original music which is career-related is found in Series II., Career. Composers and lyricists represented include Edmund Goulding, Francis Gromon, Elsie Janis, Franz Lehar, Dorothy Parker, Vincent Youmans, and Josiah Zuro. Thousands of photographs are located throughout the collection. This subseries includes only those formats which required variant housing, such as photograph albums, negatives, slides, slide viewer, etc. Only a few original posters from Swanson's films (Beyond the Rocks, Her Gilded Cage, and Fine Manners) are among the small selection of posters in this collection. Other posters document theater or personal appearances, or miscellaneous events. One unusual poster includes the famous Edward Steichen veil portrait of Miss Swanson as part of its psychedelic art work to promote a rock concert at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco, 1967. A small group of objects completes this series. Included are promotional items, props (including a jewelled fan used in What a Widow!), some wardrobe items (most notably Norma Desmond's sunglasses and a chiffon leopard print overskirt from Sunset Boulevard), and a few personal artifacts.

147 boxes (61 linear feet).

Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 6794515

Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center

Related Entities

There are 15 Entities related to this resource.

Flagg, James Montgomery, 1877-1960

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6vm4dsk (person)

James Montgomery Flagg (b. June 18, 1877, Pelham Manor, N.Y.-d. May 27, 1960, New York City), American artist and illustrator, worked in media ranging from fine art painting to cartooning. He is best remembered for political posters, such as the Uncle Sam recruitment poster. From the description of Flagg, James Montgomery, 1877-1960 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10568600 American artist and illustrator. From the description of Sketch ...

Janis, Elsie

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w632066m (person)

Elsie Janis (1889-1956) was a performer in musical comedy, vaudeville, and motion pictures, and also a composer and screenwriter. Born Elsie Bierbower in Columbus, Ohio, March 16, 1889, Elsie Janis made her stage debut at the age of eight in THE CHARITY BALL, and quickly rose to popularity in vaudeville as "Little Elsie." She made her Broadway debut in THE VANDERBILT CUP in 1906, and also appeared in THE HOYDEN (1907), THE FAIR CO-ED (1909), THE SLIM PRINCESS (1910) and THE LADY OF THE SLIPPER (...

Zuro, Josiah

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65m70p6 (person)

Swanson, Gloria

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65t3s8w (person)

Actress. From the description of Reminiscences of Gloria Swanson : oral history, 1958. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 122620278 American actress, motion-picture producer, and author. From the description of Papers. Series II. Career, ca. 1914-1983. (Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center (HRC); University of Texas at Austin). WorldCat record id: 122419032 From the description of Papers. Series VI. After Death, 1983-19...

Gromon, Francis, 1890-1971

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6931mt7 (person)

Rose, William Ganson, 1878-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6g73f20 (person)

Cleveland, Ohio author, historian, lecturer, advertising executive, and civic promoter. In 1915, Rose formed Wm. G. Rose, Inc., his own advertising and public-relations firm. He managed numerous fairs and expositions, including the first Cleveland Electrical Exposition (1914), the Gordon Bennett International Balloon Race and Aerial Carnival (1930), the Great Lakes Exposition (1936-37), and the Cleveland Sesquicentennial (1946). In 1916-17, Rose chaired the group which promoted and ultimately se...

Swanson, Jonathan T.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w69891vd (person)

Parker, Dorothy, 1893-1967

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w657194p (person)

Author; interviewee married Alan Campbell. From the description of Reminiscences of Dorothy Rothschild Parker : oral history, 1959. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 86158240 Dorothy Parker was born in West End, New Jersey, in an upper-middle-class family of mixed heritage. Estranged from her parents due to her dislike of her strict, devout stepmother, she read voraciously and wrote verse. Seeking a career in literature, she worked for Vogue,...

Bredin, Lewis L.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6r50jtr (person)

Lehár, Franz, 1870-1948

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6639s13 (person)

Austrian composer of operettas, including "The Merry Widow." Born in Hungary. From the description of Franz Lehar calling card [manuscript], 1914 Jun 3. (University of Virginia). WorldCat record id: 301965214 Austrian composer and conductor of Hungarian origin. From the description of Autograph note on his visiting card, dated : [Vienna, n.d.], to an unidentified recipient, [n.d.]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 270873500 From the description of Autograp...

Goulding, Edmund, 1891-1959

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6000vdj (person)

Youmans, Vincent, 1898-1946

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w66t1fkb (person)

Swanson, Charles.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w66q2qqs (person)

Decker, John R., 1968-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6qz2859 (person)

Werboff, Michael A., 1896-1996

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6rv1gk2 (person)