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Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Series Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
The John B. Rogers Producing Company was established in 1903 as a supplier of costumes, sets, lights, and scripts for amateur theater. Its main office remained in Fostoria, Ohio until 1977, when the company moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of material for a musical production, titled "Minstrel Mimics" (dated 1934), by the John B. Rogers producing company.
Included are the musical score, libretto, publicity notices, instructions for packing scenery and props, a notice of "Changes for Directors," a "Talent Sheet" and "Chorus Sheets." Dates noted on some of these items cover the period 1/15/29 to 7/1/34.
In addition to the original score and libretto ("The Hunts' Club Minstrel" and "Isle of Never Known") are a number of published songs that are incorporated in the two-part production.
Biographical / Historical:
The John B. Rogers Producing Company was established in 1903, with its main office in Fostoria, Ohio and billed itself as the "World's Largest Directors of Amateur Theatricals."
The company "supplied its client towns with costumes, sets, lights and a pageant script consisting of local historical episodes (based on the company's general formula) and standard spectacular symbolic interludes ."
In 1977 the company moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where it continued to produce "historical spectacles" into the 1980's.
Source
Glassberg, David. "American Civic Pageantry and the Image of the Community, 1900-1930." Ph. D. dissertation, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 1981: 240.
Provenance:
Collection donated by The Rogers Company, May 17, 1980.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Community Life Search this
Extent:
4 Copies
Container:
Box 1, Folder 1
Type:
Archival materials
Copies
Scope and Contents:
Reference Material: a. "Check-up Sheets" - (costumes, props, make-up, packing instructions); b. "Changes for Directors" - (3 copies); c. "Write-ups" for publicity; d. "Talent Sheet" - (how to select Principals and Groups) - (5 copies); e. Minstrel Mimics Chorus Sheet - (6 copies) (lyrics to ten songs)
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
John B. Rogers Producing Company Collection, 1929-1934, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Community Life Search this
Container:
Box 1, Folder 2
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents:
Includes: The Golf Song; Those Longing for You Blues; At the Chicken Chaser's Ball; Knock, Knock, Knock; The World is Waiting for the Sunrise; Hello Aloha! How are You; Where the Bamboo Babies Grow; Sailing Along to Hawaii; Song of Hawaii; Hawaiian Sunset; Sun-Kist Hawaii; and Honolulu-Home Sweet Home;
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
John B. Rogers Producing Company Collection, 1929-1934, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Community Life Search this
Container:
Box 1, Folder 3
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents:
Includes: Orchestration; Hawaiin Medley - "Isle of Never Known"; Opening Chorus - "Knock, Knock, Knock" and "The World is Waiting for the Sunrise"; First part Finale; It's a Pop-Pop-Popular Song; The Golf Song; Where the Bamboo Babies Grow;and I Want to be a Bride.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
John B. Rogers Producing Company Collection, 1929-1934, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Community Life Search this
Container:
Map-folder 1
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
John B. Rogers Producing Company Collection, 1929-1934, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
