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Army Barracks Theatre Drop from the Palace Burlesque Theater

Physical Description:
canvas (overall material)
paint (overall material)
metal (gromets material)
burlap (backing material)
Measurements:
overall: 262 in x 308 in; 665.48 cm x 782.32 cm
Object Name:
Drop, Theater
Used:
United States: New York, Buffalo
General subject association:
Theater  Search this
Credit Line:
Dewey Michaels
ID Number:
1981.0041.03
Accession number:
1981.0041
Catalog number:
1981.0041.03
See more items in:
Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a4-ba63-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_663663

Pirate Ship Theatre Drop from the Palace Burlesque Theater

Physical Description:
canvas (overall material)
paint (overall material)
Measurements:
overall: 282 in x 282 in; 716.28 cm x 716.28 cm
Object Name:
Drop, Theater
Used:
United States: New York, Buffalo
General subject association:
Theater  Search this
Credit Line:
Dewey Michaels
ID Number:
1981.0041.02
Accession number:
1981.0041
Catalog number:
1981.0041.02
See more items in:
Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a4-ba64-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_663664

Theater Drop from the Palace Burlesque Theater

Physical Description:
canvas (overall material)
paint (overall material)
metal (gromets material)
burlap (backing material)
Measurements:
overall: 263 in x 302 in; 668.02 cm x 767.08 cm
Object Name:
Drop, Theater
Used:
United States: New York, Buffalo
General subject association:
Theater  Search this
Credit Line:
Dewey Michaels
ID Number:
1981.0041.04
Accession number:
1981.0041
Catalog number:
1981.0041.04
See more items in:
Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a4-ba65-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_663665

Baseball Diamond Theatre Drop used at Palace Burlesque Theater

Physical Description:
canvas (overall material)
paint (overall material)
metal (gromets material)
burlap (backing material)
silk (cord material)
Measurements:
overall: 232 in x 264 in; 589.28 cm x 670.56 cm
Object Name:
Drop, Theater
Used:
United States: New York, Buffalo
Date made:
1932
General subject association:
Theater  Search this
Credit Line:
Dewey Michaels
ID Number:
1981.0041.05
Accession number:
1981.0041
Catalog number:
1981.0041.05
See more items in:
Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a4-ba66-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_663666

Henry A. "Buddy" Graf and George Cahill Vaudeville and Burlesque Collections

Donor:
Cahill, George N. , b. 1959  Search this
Actor:
Graf, Carol A, 1945-2013  Search this
Graf, Henry "Buddy", 1929-2000  Search this
Extent:
32.2 Cubic feet (98 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1844-2000
bulk 1921-2000, undated
Summary:
Collection consists of vaudeville and burlesque materials including original scripts for comedic bits, blackouts, scenes, skits and sketches, joke files, promotional materials, photographs, business records, and press clippings dating from the 19th century to the late 20th century.
Scope and Contents:
Collection provides a comprehensive overview of vaudeville and burlesque performance material rather than documenting individual acts or performers. The materials were collected by Henry "Buddy" Arnold Graf Jr. and primarily include original scripts for comedic skits and sketches not only written by Graf but by other performers and writers.

The collection documents the career of Henry "Buddy" Graf, an actor, producer, director, and business manager. Graf wrote a sizeable amount of his own material but also pulled from the collected scripts of other vaudeville and burlesque comics. Graf and his company performed mostly in Florida and the mid-west and had a long term performing relationship with Bearcreek Farms in Indiana. Graf's material is a window into the non-professional world of theater (non-union) in the late 20th century.

The scripts in this collection collected by Graf and George Cahill were created and performed by early vaudeville and burlesque actors, writers, and booking agents including Gus Flaig, Billy Foster, Leo Stevens, and Izzy Hirst, and others. The scripts date from 1844 with the bulk of scripts being written and performed from the 1910s through the 1940s. The material was performed in venues across the United States.

Graf also collected a sizeable amount of scripts by vaudeville actor and booking agent Jess Mack dating from the 1940s-1980s. Many of the scripts were written on whatever material was available, such as hotel stationery, scraps of paper, or in notebooks, documenting the creative and constantly changing nature of the life of a travelling vaudevillian and changes in performance from venue to venue, year to year.

Each foldered script may include plot synopses, written dialogue, cues for movement, alternate versions, lists of props, copies of song sheets, and musical scores. Many are bound in hand-stitched volumes. The format of the volumes varies because they were the personal copies of different actors and agents. Some volumes are indexed by title while others are indexed by topic.

Additional material includes joke files, promotional materials, photographs, and press clippings. The collection is arranged into thirty-two series; each series is keyed to the collector of the scripts and materials in that series. These collectors may have also been the writers, actors, or producers of the scripts in their series.

"This is a collection of approximately twenty-four (24) cubic feet of vaudeville materials. About 90% of it consists of original scripts for a wide variety of comedic skits and sketches. Additional material includes joke files, promotional materials, photographs, and press clippings. The scripts were created by early (1910s-1940s) vaudeville actors and booking agents such as Gus Flaig, Billy Foster, Leo Stevens, and Izzy Hirst; additional scripts were added by vaudeville actor and booking agent Jess Mack (1940s-1980s). Like more "respectable" plays -- and despite their relatively short length -- vaudeville skits and sketches had titles, like "The Presentation Scene," which were very familiar to performers and theatergoers alike. Most of the scripts in this collection have been bound into hand-made volumes. These are rare, ephemeral items, reflecting the creative and constantly-changing nature of the performances – many scripts were written on whatever material was available, such as hotel stationery, and some volumes are hand-stitched together. Each script includes all of its elements -- plot synopses, written dialogue, cues for movement, alternate versions, lists of props, copies of song sheets and musical scores, and so on. The format of the volumes varies because these were the personal copies of a number of different actors and agents. Some volumes are indexed by title, for example, and some are indexed by topic, such as "animals," "flirtation," "golf," and so on. Non-script material includes joke books, "A Complete List of Scenes and Black-outs," and an unknown amount of photos, clippings, and promotional materials.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged into thirty-two series:

Series 1: Henry "Buddy" Graf, 1844-2000, undated

Series 2: Arliss, Jules, undated

Series 3: Berry, Bert, undated

Series 4: Binder, F.F. (Fred "Falls"), undated

Series 5: Bronson, Milt, undated

Series 6: Brown, Ernie (Toby), undated

Series 7: Burke, Herbie, undated

Series 8: Clas, Irvin V., undated

Series 9: Clexx, Harry (Henry Thomas), undated

Series 10: Cook, Johnny (John S.) and Bohn, Charles ("Peanuts"), 1936-07

Series 11: Dew, I., undated

Series 12: Flaig, Gus and Beall, Howard, undated

Series 13: Flaig, Gus, 1921-1954, undated

Series 14: Foster, Billy, 1929, undated

Series 15: Hagen, Billy, undated

Series 16: Hayes, Jack, undated

Series 17: Hill, G.B., undated

Series 18: Hill, Joe, undated

Series 19: Hirst, Isadore, 1927-1928, undated

Series 20: Kane, Johnny, undated

Series 21: Kaplan, Eddie, undated

Series 22: Leason, Jess, undated

Series 23: Lewis, Freddie, undated

Series 24: Mack, Jess, 1937-1969, undated

Series 25: Plant, Vic, 1921-1925, undated

Series 26: Romig, Jack, undated

Series 27: Sherman, Robert, undated

Series 28: Stanley, Joe B., undated

Series 29: Taylor, Bob, undated

Series 30: Van, Earl, undated

Series 31: Wilton, Joe, 1920, undated

Series 32: Unattributed, 1945-1952, undated
Biographical / Historical:
Henry Arnold "Buddy" Graf was born 1929 August 30 in Chicago, Illinois at the Norwegian-American Hospital to Henry A. Graf and Evelyn Warner. His father was an electrician at the time of Graf's birth but Graf claimed he grew up in the theatre. As a child in vaudeville he played with the children of some of the vaudeville families such as Donald O'Connor and Sammy David, Jr. He received formal schooling up to the tenth grade.

Graf served in the United States Air Force from January 1949 to October 1952. He was stationed at Sheppard AFB, Texas and then later at Chanute AFB, Illinois. He served as a "Basic Airman" with a mechanic and engineering specialty, and recived a Good Conduct Medal. The most significant assignment during his enlistment was with the 9th Periodic Maintenance Squadron. He was discharged at Travis AFB, California in 1952.

In later life he became a comic, writer, and producer, his style being primarily burlesque with a touch of vaudeville.

Graf met his wife, Carol, in St. Louis, Missouri. A program biography from the 1980s states, "Buddy started his career in show business when he was seven years old. His father put his name on the callboard and he was in business running errands for the acts that appeared at the Stratford Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. Buddy's father was the stage manager, Bob Hope was the Master of Ceremonies. His playmates were Donald O'Conner and Sammy David, Jr. They became friends while they and their families were playing at the Stratford. As time went on Buddy gained experience from the management side of show business as well as the technical and artistic side, the latter as a scene comic. Buddy soon became involved with the rebirth of vaudeville with his own creation, "Giggles Galore". The show ran for five years and did over 2000 performances. He was with Will B. Able's 'Baggy Pants and Company', and performed with 'The Best of Burlesque'. In 1990, he completed a six year run at the Goodtimes Theatre at Bearcreek Farms in Indiana, where he starred in 22 new productions and over 2500 performances. Buddy's wife Carol is the buisness manager for Monkey Biz Productions, and she is the technical director for the show. Buddy and Carol invite you to let your hair down, forget your problems, and let's have some fun the old fashioned way . . . with 'Monkey Business'.

Graf suffered a heart attack on stage but survived after being fitted with a pacemaker, leading him to dub himself the "Bionic Comic." Graf died on 2000 August 20 and was buried in Valhalla Cemetery, St. Louis County, Missouri. Carol died 2013 May 20 and is buried beside her husband in Valhalla. Their shared gravemarker reads, "And in my final moment, may I hear You whisper: 'When you made My people smile, you made Me smile.'"
Related Materials:
Materials at the Archives Center, National Museum of American History

George E. "Mello" and Neva Satterlee McNally Vaudeville Collection, NMAH.AC.0760

Boudini Brothers Vaudeville Collection, NMAH.AC.1426

Falcon Trio Vaudeville Collection, NMAH.AC.0160

Billings-Merriam Family Vaudeville Scrapbooks, NMAH.AC.0079

Ed Hayes and His Banjo Girls Records, NMAH.AC.1333

Thomas Currier Vaudeville Collection, NMAH.AC.1120

W. Oscar Sullivan Papers, NMAH.AC.0072

Sam DeVincent Collection of Illustrated American Sheet Music, Series 4, NMAH.AC.0300

Groucho Marx Collection, NMAH.AC.0260

Donald J. Stubblebine Collection of Theater and Motion Picture Music and Ephemera, NMAH.AC.1211

Bobby Short Papers, NMAH.AC.0946

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: James Madison, NMAH.AC.0060

Duncan P. Schiedt Photograph Collection, NMAH.AC.1323

Enoch Steen Collection, NMAH.AC.0206

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Theater, NMAH.AC.0060

Harpo Marx Papers, NMAH.AC.1290

St. Felix Sisters' Scrapbook, NMAH.AC.0294

Materials at Other Repositories

University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Special Collections and Archives, Gaming Studies, collection focusing primarily on gambling and casinos and includes material related to entertainment and vaudeville

University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections, American Vaudeville Museum Collection

University of California, Santa Barbara Library, Milt Larsen Variety Theater Collection

University of Pittsburgh, Hillman Library, Curtis Theatre Collection includes about hundred skits and bits from comics, including Billy Foster, some of whose scripts are in the Graf collection.
Provenance:
The collection was donated by George N. Cahill to the Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution in 2019.
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.
Topic:
Burlesque (Theater)  Search this
Vaudeville  Search this
Citation:
Henry "Buddy" Graf and George Cahill Vaudeville and Burlesque Collections, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1484
See more items in:
Henry A. "Buddy" Graf and George Cahill Vaudeville and Burlesque Collections
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8e1c8cfb3-3fac-4f6d-a987-71562c7a0b66
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1484

Lili St. Cyr Papers

Creator:
St. Cyr, Lili,, 1917-1999  Search this
Former owner:
Tombers, Mathew  Search this
Extent:
3 Cubic feet (10 boxes, 1 map folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Audiocassettes
Audiotapes
Black-and-white photographs
Business records
Clippings
Color photographs
Correspondence
Financial records
Greeting cards
Legal records
Magazines (periodicals)
Manuscripts
Date:
1917-1999
Summary:
The collection measures about 3 cubic feet, dates from 1917 to 1999, and documents the life and career of the prominent burlesque stripteaser Lili St. Cyr. Found within the papers are personal financial documents; photographs of her family; her personal passport holder; publicity shots of Dardy Orlando and herself; correspondence with family and friends; business contracts; newspaper clippings and magazine articles, featuring and advertising her work; and biographical materials, including notes, drafts, contracts, photographs, a couple audio reels, a recorded interview with St. Cyr on 18 audio cassette tapes, and two biographies. The papers reflect Lili St. Cyr's personality as a performer and as a person.
Content Description:
The papers document the personal and professional life of the burlesque dancer Lili St. Cyr. They include collection includes photographs, publicity materials, correspondence, greeting cards, manuscript versions of a biography of St. Cyr co-authored by St. Cyr and Mathew Tombers, open reel audiotapes, audiocassettes of oral history interviews with St. Cyr, clippings, magazines, two biographies, financial records, legal records, business records, and her personal passport holder.
Arrangement:
Materials are arranged in chronological order. Artifacts are housed in boxes 6 and 7. Audio cassette tapes are housed in box 9.

The collection is arranged into 4 series:

Series 1: Publicity, 1941-1999

Series 2: Personal Papers, 1917-1980

Subseries 2.1: Financial RecordsPapers, 1954-1979

Subseries 2.2: Correspondence, 1956-1978

Subseries 2.3: Photographs of Family, 1917-1967

Subseries 2.4: Miscellaneous Materials, 1980

Series 3: Professional, 1963-1970

Series 4: Biographical Materials, 1968-2015
Biographical / Historical:
Lili St. Cyr was a prominent burlesque stripteaser of the 1940s and 1950s, deemed the most famous woman in Montreal during that period and billed as the "Anatomic Bomb" while performing at Ciro's Nightclub in Hollywood, in 1947. Accused of indecent, immoral, and offensive performances, St. Cyr was arrested several times throughout her career, most famously in 1951, during her act at Ciro's. The arrest made front pages of newspapers, and her case went to trial. She performed her act in the courtroom for the jury, and the charges were dropped, marking "a real victory for the profession."

St. Cyr was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1917. Her birth certificate read "Marie Klarquist." Lili was named after the woman she believed to be her mother (although actually her grandmother), Mariah Marie Curry Klarquist (aka "Maud"). Lili's biological parents were Maud's daughter Idella and a Dutchman who left shortly after Marie's birth, Edward Van Schaack. Upon realization of her true family tree, Marie Klarquist changed her last name to Van Schaack (occasionally respelt as "Van Schaak," "Van Chaack," or "Van Schaacht"), and she periodically added the first name "Willis," Lili St. Cyr also started referring to her biological grandmother as "Alice" and her biological mother as "Adelaide" or "Mom."

By the time Lili St. Cyr learned the truth about her family, her mother Idella had already remarried twice. In 1919, Idella married Louis Sherman Cornett, Jr., and together they had Betta Lee (or Bettie Lue, aka "Betty") and Louis "Jack" Cornett. In 1923, Idella married John Alfred "Ian" Blackadder, and they raised Idella Ruth Blackadder and Rosemary Blackadder. Both Blackadder daughters had successful careers in burlesque, going by the stage names Barbara Moffett (Idella) and Dardy Orlando (Rosemary). Barbara married the American toy maker and businessman Louis Marx in 1982, changing her name back to Idella, and they had five children--the eldest named Spencer. Dardy married the adopted son of the eldest Minsky's Burlesque brother Harold Minsky, and together they raised Danny and Ava.

St. Cyr never had children, but she did marry six times, and had numerous affairs throughout (particularly with a man named Jimmy Orlando in Montreal). She first married the racer Cordy Milne in 1937. Her second marriage was to Richard Hubert in 1941. She then married the actor Paul Valentine (aka "Val Valentinoff") in 1946, followed by her marriage to restauranteur Armando Orsini in 1950. She then married actor Ted Jordan in 1955 and special effects man Joseph Albert Zomar in 1959. Every marriage ended in divorce, the last having ended in 1964. It was around this time she met Donald Andrew Markick, a man seventeen years her junior who had served as a paratrooper toward the end of the Korean War. He dreamed of becoming a magician, so she took him under her wing, renaming him "Lorenzo Holmes." His family refused to call him by that name, and they disapproved of his relationship with Lili St. Cyr. Thus, he was kicked out of his house, and he moved in with Lili. He was with her for nearly thirty years. They never married, but she often introduced him as her husband, calling herself "Mrs. (Lili or Marie) Holmes."

By the 1970s, St. Cyr had retired, and she had opened her own lingerie line "The Undie World of Lili St. Cyr," selling garments similar to what she wore onstage. In her later years she was determined to keep herself hidden away with Lorenzo and her cats--Tiny, Bootsie, Tiger, Baby Bear, Little Two Shoes, Max, Big Boss, and Lee-Enze. In 1978, Lili, going by the name Marie Garrelick (the last name of her one-time neighbor, with whom she was staying), applied to rent an apartment from Mathew Tombers. After getting to know her, Tombers began helping Lili write her autobiography.

Lili St. Cyr died at the age of 80, on January 29, 1999, in Los Angeles, California.
Provenance:
Collection donated in 2017 by Mathew Tombers.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use. Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs and negatives.
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.
Topic:
Burlesque (Theater)  Search this
Striptease  Search this
Stripteasers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Audiocassettes
Audiotapes -- Open reel
Black-and-white photographs
Business records
Clippings
Color photographs
Correspondence
Financial records
Greeting cards
Legal records
Magazines (periodicals)
Manuscripts
Citation:
Lili St. Cyr Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1451
See more items in:
Lili St. Cyr Papers
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep84a7c14eb-6180-4098-a5a5-849bd3a37218
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1451
Online Media:

Cook Labs records

Creator:
Cook Labs  Search this
Cook, Emory, 1913-2002  Search this
Names:
Cook Labs  Search this
Extent:
6.3 Cubic feet (Phonograph albums)
63.5 Cubic feet (Open-reel tapes)
8.75 Cubic feet (Business records)
78.55 Cubic feet
Culture:
Afro-Caribbean cults  Search this
10th Naval District Steel Band  Search this
Almerico, Tony, 1905-  Search this
American Indians  Search this
Audio Engineering Society  Search this
Ast, Anita  Search this
Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750  Search this
Beethoven, Ludwig van, 1770-1827  Search this
Big Shell Band  Search this
Boston Chorale  Search this
Brahms, Johannes, 1833-1897  Search this
Brokenshire, Norman, 1898-1965  Search this
Brundage, Al (Alfred)  Search this
Brute Force Band  Search this
Camp, Red  Search this
Carroll, Jimmy  Search this
Crowley, Daniel J., 1921-  Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Audiotapes
Photographic prints
Business records
Artifacts
Contracts
Phonograph records
Correspondence
Christmas music
Place:
Cuba
West Indies -- Lesser Antilles
Caribbean Area
Antigua
Barbuda
Amazon River Region
Benítez (Venezuela)
Baja California (Mexico : Peninsula)
Brazil
Connecticut
Cuba
Haiti
Date:
1908-2002, bulk 1948-1965
Summary:
The Cook Labs records, which date from 1939-2002, document the activities of audio engineer Emory Cook and his label Cook Labs. The contents include business records, materials relating to recording artists, photographs, and production materials, as well as phonograph records, master recordings and unpublished recordings produced by or associated with the Cook Labs label. The collection also contains two interviews conducted with Emory Cook in 1990: one by Jeff Place and one by Anthony Seeger and Nicholas Spitzer. There are several physical objects relating to Cook Labs including a bag of powdered vinyl, a binaural playing arm, and a condenser microphone.
Scope and Contents note:
There are two primary components of the Cook Labs records: the records, master tapes and other audio recordings, and the related paper files.

The Cook Labs records contains about 150 of the 200 released Cook recordings, and 739 master tapes. In addition, there are 330 unpublished tapes.

The the paper files include acquisition materials; business correspondence; recording reports; various production notes on records produced; news articles both about and by Emory Cook and Cook Labs; copyright, licensing, and trademark materials; photographs, correspondence, contracts, and other materials relating to recording artists; production materials for each Cook Labs release; and other miscellany. Many contracts are signed by both Cook Labs and the artist. Correspondence is primarily between business associates.

Two interviews were done with Emory Cook in 1990: one by Jeff Place and one by Anthony Seeger and Nicholas Spitzer; both interviews are included in the Cook Labs records.

There are several physical objects relating to Cook Labs including a bag of powdered vinyl, a binaural playing arm, and a condenser microphone.
Arrangement note:
Many of the items in this list have been assigned an accession number, and like materials have been grouped together to create seven series:

Series 1: Business Papers, 1939-1990

Series 2: Recording Artists, 1949-1981, bulk 1950-1959

Series 3: Photographs, undated, 1957

Series 4: Production files, 1948-1995, bulk 1952-1963

Series 5: Objects, undated, 1908-1964

Series 6: Audio Interviews, 1990

Series 7: Audio Recordings
Biographical/Historical note:
Emory Cook (1913-2002) is widely regarded as a highly influencial audio engineer. Born and raised in Albany, New York, he joined the Army Air Corps in 1932. After his discharge in 1934 he obtained his degree from Cornell University and began working for Western Electric in the Audio Engineering Force. During World War II, while still at Western Electric, Cook supervised the creation of a fire-controlled radar "Trainer," for which he received a Commendation from the Service.

In the late 1940's, convinced he could do better than what was on the market, Cook began experimenting with making his own audio equipment. Cook Laboratories was started in 1945 when he developed a new cutting head to be used in record production. Future development of equipment brought about the discovery that he could record frequencies as high as 20,000 hertz, more than any other recording company at the time. He cut a record of piano and organ music to demonstrate this discovery, and took it to the 1949 Audio Fair in New York. When he demonstrated the record with the hopes to sell the recording equipment, he found that people were much more interested in buying the record itself. Shortly after, Sounds of Our Times, later called Cook Records, was born.

Cook Records collected many different sounds and was mostly aimed at the devoted high-fidelity listener. Cook believed that hearing was a sense often overlooked by people, and he wanted listeners of his albums to be able to hear things they might otherwise miss. In a New Yorker profile by Daniel Lang in 1956, Cook claimed that hearing was "always being kicked aside in favor of sight… There's a time and a place for everything, and that includes sound." In order to encourage listening, he put out many albums full of everyday sounds, such as Voice of the Sea, an album of noises of the ocean and Eye of the Storm, recorded during a thunderstorm. One of the most successful albums was Rail Dynamics, an album of steam trains pulling in and out of a station.

Cook Records also produced traditional music albums from its plant in Stamford, Connecticut. The label produced everything from organ music to folk, flamenco guitar, calypso and steel band. Cook had little interest in name musicians and instead searched high and low for anything he thought might be an interesting contribution to his label. He even invited listeners to send in their favorite sounds, some of which he eventually recorded.

Cook had such a large interest in Calypso music that he set up a second pressing plant in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. There he pressed calypso and steel band music for both a Trinidadian and American audience, and most albums sold well in both countries.

In addition to the wide range of music Cook recorded, he was also an inventor. It was Cook who first came up with the idea of pressing records with powdered, rather than solid, vinyl, a technique he dubbed "microfusion." This technique not only saved money, but cut out many of the traditional crackles and pops associated with records.

He also developed the binaural system of recording and playing records, which he thought was superior to the more commonly used stereo method. Binaural was more precise than stereo, and it required placing two microphones six inches apart, approximately the space between two ears, during the recording. It was then played back with a special two-needle playing arm. Binaural recordings were thought by Cook to best duplicate the original sound.

Emory Cook died at the age of 89 in 2002 after a long hospitalization.
Shared Stewardship of Collections:
The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage acknowledges and respects the right of artists, performers, Folklife Festival participants, community-based scholars, and knowledge-keepers to collaboratively steward representations of themselves and their intangible cultural heritage in media produced, curated, and distributed by the Center. Making this collection accessible to the public is an ongoing process grounded in the Center's commitment to connecting living people and cultures to the materials this collection represents. To view the Center's full shared stewardship policy, which defines our protocols for addressing collections-related inquiries and concerns, please visit https://doi.org/10.25573/data.21771155.
COOK RECORDINGS - NUMERICAL LISTING:
001 20,000 Cycle Demo (1949) COOK00001

002 Night Rain and Surf COOK00002

003 Specimen Heart Beats COOK00003

004 Katydids, Frogs and Forrest Birds

E101 Grenada Stories and Songs (1957-58) COOK00101

E102 Amazon Sound: Yacu River Tribes (Rituals and Rites) (1954) COOK00102

E103 Music of St. Lucia (1953) COOK00103

E104 Rada (1958) COOK00104

E105 JOSE RAMON FORTUNE AND OLGA MAYNARD Nancy Stories (1956) COOK00105

106 Afro-West Indian Cultural Practices (1957-58) COOK00106

107 ESCOLA DE SAMBA DE BRAZIL The Boli, The Cocolute, and Brazil (1957-58) COOK00107

901 Steelband Jump Up Boys Town, Tropical Harmony, Silvertone COOK00901

904 THE ESSO STEEL BAND Esso Steelband of Bermuda (1958) COOK0904

906 LORD MELODY Lord Melody Sings Calypso (1958-59) COOK00906

911 TOM CHARLES AND HIS SYNCOPATER ORCHESTRA Fete for So! (1959) COOK00911

914 LORD MELODY Again! Lord Melody Sings Calypso (1957-58) COOK00914

916 Calypso Cross Section Young Killer, The Mighty Bomber, Small Island Pride, The Mighty Wrangler (1957-58) COOK00916

920 THE MIGHTY SPARROW King Sparrow's Calypso Carnival (1959) COOK00920

927 LORD MELODY Calypso through the Looking Glass (1959) COOK00927

928 CLARENCE CURVAN His Drums, His Orchestra COOK00928

930 Belly to Belly Clarence Curvan, Johnny Gomez, Tom Charles, Fitz Vaughn Bryan (1960-61) COOK00930

931 LORD MELODY Lord Melody, 1962 COOK0931

1000 TITUS MOODY DDDs of Binaural (1952) COOK01000

1011 The Christmas Music Box (1950) COOK01011

1012 Music Boxes of Long Ago (1950) COOK01012

1013 CHARLIE MAGNANTE Accordion Pops Concert (1954-55) COOK01013

1014 CHARLIE MAGNANTE AND LaVERGNE SMITH His and Hers (1954-55) COOK01014

1020 SAM ESKIN Sam Eskin's Songs of All Time COOK01020

1021 GROUPE MI-O Un Ti Bo (1958) COOK01021

1022 LAVINIA WILLIAMS' GROUPE FOLKLORIQUE Haiti Confidential (1958) COOK01022

1023 The Ramayana (Hindu Ceremony) (1961) COOK01023

1024 GUSTAVO ZEPOLI Concert Guitar (1954) COOK01024

1025 SEAN McGONIGAL AND ST. COLUMCILLE'S UNITED GAELIC PIPE BAND Kilts on Parade (1950) COOK01025

1026 ANITA AST AND THE VIENNA KONZERTSCHRAMMEREIN Inside Vienna (1952) COOK01026

1027 CARLOS MONTOYA AND THE JOSE GRECO TROUPE Fiesta Flamenca (1952) COOK01027

1028 CARLOS MONTOYA Montoya (1952) COOK01028

1030 EDWARD VITO The Harp (1951) COOK01030

1031 EDWARD AND JOSEPH VITO Dual Harp (1951) COOK01031

1032 RUTH WELCOME AND DICK MARTA Zither and Cimbalom (1951) COOK01032

1035 Barrelhouse Piano (1950) COOK01035

1036 FRANK GLAZER Liszt's Paganini Variations (1952) COOK01036

1037 GRETA AND JOSEF DICHLER Two Famous European Pianos (1952) COOK01037

1038 SAMUEL SORIN Piano: The Romantic Fabric (1953) COOK01038

1039 LEONID HAMBRO A Perspective of Beethoven (1953) COOK01039

1040 Steel Band Clash Brute Force Steel Band, Big Shell Band, and Hell Gate Band (1955)

1041 JIMMY CARROLL PERCUSSION EMSEMBLE WITH RED CAMP Speed the Parting Guest (1953) and The Hot Tempered Clavichord (1957) COOK01041

1042 BRUTE FORCE STEEL BAND Brute Force Steel Band of Antigua with Big Shell Band (1955) COOK01042

1043 Three Rituals (1955) COOK01043

1044 The Compleat In Fidelytie: Sounds Natural and Unnatural (1956) COOK01044

1045 Drums of Trinidad (1956) COOK01045

1046 Champion Steel Bands of Trinidad The Highlanders, Southern All Stars, The Katzenjammers, others (1957) COOK01046

1047 THE KATZENJAMMERS The Enchanted Steelband (1957) COOK01047

1048 BRUTE FORCE STEEL BAND Music to Awaken the Ballroom Beast (1957) COOK01048

1049 BRUTE FORCE STEEL BAND Beauty and the Brute Force (1957) COOK01049

1050 MICHAEL CHESHIRE The Pipe Organ, volume 1 (1952) COOK01050

1051 MICHAEL CHESHIRE The Pipe Organ, volume 2 (1952) COOK01051

1052 REGINALD FOORT Percussion and Pedal, volume 3 (1952) COOK01052

1053 REGINALD FOORT Reginald Foort at the Mosque, volume 4 (1952) COOK01053

1054 REGINALD FOORT Organ in Symphony Hall, volume 1 (1954) COOK01054

1055 REGINALD FOORT Organ in Symphony Hall, volume 2 (1954) COOK01055

1056 ALFONSO VEGA NUÑEZ Morelia Cathedral Organ (1954) COOK01056

1057 REGINALD FOORT Foort Pops (1956) COOK01057

1058 REGINALD FOORT Waltz and Ballet: The Mosque Organ (1956) COOK01058

1059 REGINALD FOORT Intermission at the Mosque (1956) COOK01059

1060 NEW ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY OF BOSTON Brahms First Symphony (1954) COOK01060

1061 FESTIVAL CASALS ORCHESTRA Hector Campos Parsi (1958) COOK01061

1062 NEW ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY OF BOSTON Stravinsky, Villa Lobos, and Bach (1955) COOK01062

1063 NEW ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY OF BOSTON Debussy (1955) COOK01063

1064 NEW ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY OF BOSTON Masterpieces of the Dance (1955) COOK01064

1065 NEW ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY OF BOSTON Mozart Symphony No. 40 (1955) COOK01065

1066 NEW ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY OF BOSTON Masterpieces of the Theater (1955) COOK01066

1067 NEW ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY OF BOSTON Beethoven Symphony No. 5 (1955) COOK01067

1068 NEW ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY OF BOSTON New Orchestral Society of Boston (1966) COOK01068

1069 NEW ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY OF BOSTON Haydn Symphony No. 100: Military (1966) COOK01069

1070 Rail Dynamics: Steam Locomotives and Train Sounds (1950-54) COOK01070

1071 Burlesque Uncensored (1954) COOK01071

1072 Jump-up Carnival: Calypso Tent (1956) COOK01072

1073 Holy Week: Malaga (Spain) (1961) COOK01073

1074 Benevolent Society for the Preservation of Ancient Rhymes and Limerix Limerick Party COOK01074

1075 Voices of the Sky: Propellers and Jets (1957) COOK01075

1077 Voice of the Storm (1957-58) COOK01077

1078 A Double Barrel Blast: High Cost of Dying and Computer Conversations (1962) COOK01078

1079 Tour of High Fidelity (1965) COOK01079

1080 TRIO LEONES Trio Leones of Cabrito (1954) COOK01080

1081 LaVERGNE SMITH LaVergne Smith (01014B plus) (1954) COOK01081

1082 Le Jazz Primitif from Trinidad Rupert Clemendore and John Buddy Williams (1961) COOK01082

1083 Jawbone of an Ass: Musica de Cuba (1955) COOK01083

1084 SID DAVILLA AND FREDDIE KOHLMAN'S BAND WITH RED CAMP Blowout at Mardi Gras (1955) COOK01084

1085 TONY ALMERICO'S PARISIAN ROOM BAND Clambake on Bourbon Street (1954-55) COOK01085

1086 WILLIE RODRIGUEZ The Drums of Rodriguez (1953) COOK01086

1087 RED CAMP Camp Inventions: Jazz Piano and Zither Music (1955) COOK01087

1088 RED CAMP Red Camp Horizontal (1954) COOK01088

1089 RED CAMP Red Camp Upright (1954) COOK01089

1090 ARTHUR BILLINGS HUNT Arthur Billings Hunt Sings Hymns (1950) COOK01090

1091 ARTHUR BILLINGS HUNT Hunt Sings Old Favorites (1950) COOK01091

1092 HUFSTADER SINGERS Hufstader Singers (1953) COOK01092

1094 REGINALD FOORT AND THE BOSTON CHORALE The Seven Last Words of Christ (1954) COOK01094

1095 ST. JOHN'S RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHOIR Russian Christmas (Spring Valley, New York) (1961) COOK01095

1096 ST. JOHN'S RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHOIR Russian Easter Midnight Service (Spring Valley, New York) (1961) COOK01096

1097 ST. JOHN'S RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHOIR St. John's Russian Orthodox Choir (1961) COOK01097

1101 THE INVADERS FROM ST. CROIX Steel Band in San Juan (1964) COOK01101

1102 10TH NAVAL DISTRICT STEEL BAND New Paths for Steel Band (1965) COOK01102

1120 BENITEZ-VALENCIA TRIO Ecuador (1958) COOK01120

1121 Island in the Moonlight Trio Los Rubies, Grupo Paquito Lopez Cruz, Las Hermanas Colón, Martita Cuadrado (1958) COOK01121

1122 Hellish Calypso King Fighter, The Mighty Bomber, others (1962) COOK01122

1123 Calypso Atrocities King Fighter, The Mighty Bomber, others COOK01123

1124 HAYWIRE MAC McCook LabsINTOCK Haywire Mac (1951) COOK01124

1125 LORD MYRTLE, CECIL MITCHEL, AND JAMES CONVERY Calypso Jamaica (1960) COOK01125

1126 THE MIGHTY SPARROW Sparrow in Hi-Fi (1963) COOK01126

1127 STEVE CAMACHO Folk and Other Songs (1962) COOK01127

1131 BRUCE PRINCE-JOSEPH The Pedal Harpsichord (1953) COOK01131

1132 SHINCHI YUIZE The Japanese Koto (1955) COOK01132

1133 RED CAMP The New Clavichord (1957) COOK01133

1134 LUIS BONFA Guitar in Brazil (1959) COOK01134

1140 Steelband Promenade Brute Force Steel Band, The Merrymakers, Southern All Stars (1958) COOK01140

1150 BILL FLOYD The King of Organs (1957) COOK01150

1151 REGINALD FOORT The Theatre Organ, volume 2 COOK01151

1152 REGINALD FOORT The Theatre Organ, volume 3 COOK01152

1154 REGINALD FOORT The Theatre Organ, volume 5 COOK01154

1155 REGINALD FOORT The Theatre Organ, volume 6 COOK01155

1156 REGINALD FOORT The Baroque Organ, volume 1 COOK01156

1157 REGINALD FOORT The Baroque Organ, volume 2 COOK01157

1169 NEW ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY OF BOSTON Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet, Serenade for Strings (1962) COOK01169

1180 Dance Calypso Johnny Gomez Band, Small Island Pride, Dictator, others (1956) COOK01180

1181 LIZZIE MILES Lizzie Miles Buglin' Sam DeKemel and the Parisian All Stars (1954-55) COOK01181

1182 LIZZIE MILES Moans and Blues Red Camp and Tony Almerico's All Stars (1956) COOK01182

1183 LIZZIE MILES Hot Songs My Mother Taught Me Red Camp, Tony Almerico's All Stars, Albert French (1956) COOK01183

1184 LIZZIE MILES Torchy Lullabies My Mother Sang Me Red Camp and Tony Almerico's All Stars (1956) COOK01184

1185 Calypso Kings and Pink Gin: Trinidad Carnival Tent Lord Melody, The Might Sparrow, others (1957) COOK01185

1186 ENSEMBLE AUX CALEBASSES Meringue (1958) COOK01186

1187 A Night at the Tropicoro Juan Luis, Oswaldo Seda, and Lito Peña Band (1959) COOK01187

1188 Dirty Jazz from Down South: Trinidadian Instrumentals (1958) COOK01188

1189 Calypso Exposed Lord Melody, Brute Force Steel Band, King Sparrow, The Mighty Cypher, and Skipper (1961) COOK01189

1280 Caribbean Limbo Music Rupert Clemendore Orchestra, Cyril Diaz Orchestra, others COOK01280

1281 Songs from the Garden of Love Jefferson-Jones' Orchestra COOK01281

1282 Italian Moom Jefferson-Jones' Orchestra COOK01282

2004 Tour of Stereo (1958) COOK02004

2066 NEW ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY OF BOSTON Masterpieces of the Dance, volume 3 COOK02066

2070 Aboard a Fast Express / Jet Dynamics COOK02070

4057 REGINALD FOORT The Theater Organ COOK04057

4069 NEW ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY OF BOSTON Hayden Military Symphony COOK04069

5001 American Storytellers, Volume 1 Harry Wass, Master Marriner's Association (1952) COOK05001

5002 K.C. DOUGLAS K.C. Douglas (1952) COOK05002

5003 Caribeana: Hidden Music from the Caribbean (1949) COOK05003

5004 TIRORO Tiroro: Haitian Drummer (1948) COOK05004

5005 RED CAMP Camp Has a Ball (1954) COOK05005

5006 AL BRUNDAGE Square Dance (1951) COOK05006

5007 Mexican Marimba Band (1954) COOK05007

5008 American Storytellers, Volume 2 John Hawley Cook (1954) COOK05008

5009 American Storytellers, Volume 3 Captain Charles A. Chace, Matthew Richards (1954) COOK05009

5010 Calliope, Carousel, and Hand Organ (1953) COOK05010

5011 Voice of the Sea (1954) COOK05011

5012 Earthquake (1953) COOK05012

5013 Ionosphere (1955) COOK05013

5014 Mariachi Music of Mexico (1954) COOK05014

5015 Mexican Firecrackers (1951) COOK05015

5016 Calypso Lore and Legend (1956) COOK05016

5017 Bamboo-tamboo, Bongo, and Belair (1956) COOK05017

5018 East Indian Drums of Tunapuna, Trinidad (1956) COOK05018

5019 ALONZO CRUZ Blind Troubadour of Oaxaca (1956) COOK05019

5020 Epilogue to the String Band Tradition (1956) COOK05020

5022 ABCs of Hi Fi COOK05022

5025 BUCKMINSTER FULLER Buckminster Fuller Speaks His Mind COOK05025

5050 NORMAN BROKENSHIRE Radio Moscow and the Western Hemisphere COOK05050

5051 FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT The Four Inaugural Addresses COOK05051

6061 BUCKMINSTER FULLER The Clock Is Stopping COOK06061

8374 BUCKMINSTER FULLER Dymaxion Ditties: Buckminster Fuller Sings COOK08374

10001 Sound Effects, volume 1 COOK10001

10002 Sound Effects, volume 2 COOK10002

10003 Sound Effects, volume 3 COOK10003

10120 Music Boxes, Carousels, and Hand Organs (01012 and 05010) (1950-53) COOK10120

10248 The Voice of Mexico Gustavo Zepoli, Trio Leones (01024 and 01080) (1954) COOK10248

10251 SEAN McGONIGAL AND ST. COLUMCILLE'S UNITED GAELIC PIPE BAND Kilts on Parade (01025 plus solos) (1950-53) COOK10251

10271 CARLOS MONTOYA AND THE JOSE GRECO TROUPE Fiesta Flamenca (selections from 01027 and 01028) (1952) COOK10271

10289 CARLOS MONTOYA Montoya (selections from 01028 plus) (1952) COOK10289

10301 EDWARD AND JOSEPH VITO The Harp (selections from 01030 and 01031 plus) (1951-54) COOK10301

10326 Cafe Continental Ruth Welcome, Dick Marta, and Anita Ast (selections from 01026 and 01032) (1951-52) COOK10326

10350 Nickelodion and Calliope (selections from 01035 and 05010) (1950-53) COOK10350

10500 REGINALD FOORT The Theater Organ COOK10500

10501 MICHAEL CHESHIRE Pipe Organ in the Mosque (selections from 01050 and 01051) (1952) COOK10501

10523 REGINALD FOORT Percussion and Pedal (selections from 01052 and 01053) (1952) COOK10523

10545 REGINALD FOORT The Organ at Symphony Hall (01054 plus) (1954) COOK10545

10579 REGINALD FOORT Foort Pops (selections from 01057 and 01058) (1956) COOK10579

10646 NEW ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY OF BOSTON Tempo Vivace: Symphonic Masterpieces of Dance & Theater (selections from 01064 and 01066) (1955-56) COOK010646

10657 NEW ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY OF BOSTON Two Classical Symphonies: Mozart Symphony No. 40, Beethoven Symphony No. 5 (01065 and 01067) (1955) COOK10657

10659 NEW ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY OF BOSTON Two Classical Symphonies: Mozart Symphony No. 40, Haydn Symphony No. 100 (01065 and 01069) (1955-56) COOK10659

10683 NEW ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY OF BOSTON Modern Orchestral Textures (01068 and 01063) (1955) COOK10683

10850 RUPERT Cook LabsEMENDORE BAND Le Jazz Trinidad COOK10850

10867 Before and After Willie Rodriguez (selections from 01086 and 05007) (1953-54) COOK010867

10889 RED CAMP Horizontal & Upright & Downright & Dunright (01088 and 01089) (1954) COOK10889

10890 The Castiliane Johnny Gomez Band, John Buddy Williams Band, Girl Pat Steel Band, And Grand Curacaye String Orchestra (1956) COOK10890

11312 BRUCE PRINCE-JOSEPH AND HUFSTADER SINGERS The Forgotten Pedal Harpsichord and Hufstader Singers (01131 and 01092) (1953) COOK11312

11815 TONY ALMERICO'S PARISIAN ROOM BAND AND LIZZIE MILES Clambake on Bourbon Street (1954-55) COOK11815

50130 Tour of Cook Labs COOK50130

70889 RED CAMP Popular Piano and Combo COOK70889

80134 LUIZ BONFA Waterfall: Guitar COOK80134

80417 MARIMBA ORCHESTRA Waterfall: Children's Music COOK80417

80680 NEW ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY OF BOSTON Waterfall: Symphonic COOK80680

XX1 Audio Follies Sampler COOK00XX1

XX2 Calypso Jazz Sampler COOK00XX2

Series 10 Cook Series 10 COOK_Series10

Series 30 Cook Series 30 COOK_Series30

Series 60 Cook Series 60 COOK_Series60

Series 70 Cook Series 70 COOK_Series70

Series 80 Cook Series 80 COOK_Series80

Series 90 Cook Series 90 COOK_Series90

Series 100 Cook Series 100 COOK_Series100

Series 300 Cook Series 300 COOK_Series300

Series 301 Cook Series 301 COOK_Series301

Series 302 Cook Series 302 COOK_Series302

Series 303 Cook Series 303 COOK_Series303
Provenance:
The Smithsonian Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections acquired the Cook Labs Records in 1990, when Emory and Martha Cook donated their company records to the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Anthony Seeger, then Director of Smithsonian Folkways Records, received a call from Mr. Cook in the summer of 1989 offering to donate the Cook label to the Smithsonian. Dr. Seeger visited him in August of that year to view the contents of the collection, and the Smithsonian received custody of the collection in May 1990. In return for the donation from Mr. Cook, the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage agreed to keep the record titles available and to store the papers in the archives.
Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Topic:
Popular music -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Wit and humor  Search this
Calypso (Music)  Search this
Folk music -- Caribbean Area  Search this
Folk music  Search this
Sounds  Search this
Music -- 18th century  Search this
Folk music -- United States  Search this
Jazz -- Louisiana -- New Orleans  Search this
Jazz  Search this
Accordion music  Search this
Airplane sounds  Search this
Animal sounds  Search this
Audio equipment industry  Search this
Blues (Music)  Search this
Bonfá, Luiz  Search this
Calypso (Music)  Search this
Burlesque (Theater)  Search this
Calliope music  Search this
Calypso (Music)--Trinidad and Tobago  Search this
Campos Parsi, Héctor, 1922-  Search this
Catholicism  Search this
Christianity  Search this
Christmas  Search this
Cimbalom and zither music  Search this
Clavichord  Search this
Clemendore, Rupert  Search this
Drum  Search this
Genre/Form:
Audiotapes
Photographic prints
Business records
Artifacts
Contracts
Phonograph records
Correspondence
Christmas music
Citation:
Cook Labs records, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
CFCH.COOK
See more items in:
Cook Labs records
Archival Repository:
Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/bk50980aef1-30c4-4f77-9de4-97337007b9f0
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-cfch-cook
Online Media:

Burlesque show : authentic burlesque nostalgia

Collection Creator:
Asch, Moses  Search this
Distler, Marian, 1919-1964  Search this
Folkways Records  Search this
Extent:
1 Phonograph record (analog, 33 1/3 rpm, 12 in.)
Type:
Archival materials
Phonograph records
Date:
195x
Local Numbers:
FW-ASCH-LP-0330

Jubilee.12
Publication, Distribution, Etc. (Imprint):
Jubilee 195x
General:
produced by Kermit Schafer.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. No duplication allowed listening and viewing for research purposes only.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Topic:
Spoken word  Search this
Theater  Search this
Burlesque (Theater)  Search this
Collection Citation:
Moses and Frances Asch Collection, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
CFCH.ASCH, Item FW-ASCH-LP-0330
See more items in:
Moses and Frances Asch Collection
Moses and Frances Asch Collection / Series 9: Audio Recordings / LP
Archival Repository:
Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/bk5e7f27cb4-10b5-49e0-9ff2-dde21e1f521f
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-cfch-asch-ref16206

W.C. Fields from Burlesque and Vaudeville to Broadway Becoming a Comedian

Author:
Wertheim, Arthur Frank 1935-  Search this
Physical description:
1 online resource (293 pages)
Type:
Biography
Biographies
Place:
United States
New York (State)
New York
États-Unis
Date:
2014
Topic:
Comedians  Search this
Entertainers  Search this
Burlesque (Theater)  Search this
Vaudeville  Search this
Theater  Search this
Comiques  Search this
Artistes du spectacle  Search this
Burlesque (Théâtre)  Search this
PERFORMING ARTS--Reference  Search this
Call number:
PN2287.F45 W48 2015 (Internet)
Restrictions & Rights:
1-user
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1162475

Dewey Michaels Burlesque Collection

Photographer:
Garbo (Chicago)  Search this
Laverne, Gene (Buffalo, NY)  Search this
Kriegsmann, James J.  Search this
Maurice (Chicago)  Search this
Seymour, Mamie (New York)  Search this
Bruno (Bernard? of Hollywood New York City)  Search this
Bakchy, Boris (New York)  Search this
Collector:
National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Community Life  Search this
Michaels, Dewey, 1898- (theater owner, director, producer)  Search this
Names:
Palace Burlesque Theatre (Buffalo, N.Y.)  Search this
Extent:
0.33 Cubic feet (2 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Clippings
Photographs
Place:
Buffalo (N.Y.) -- photographs -- 1920-1970
Date:
late 1920's-1967
Scope and Contents:
Newspaper clippings; advertising brochures; and photoprints of performers at the Palace Theatre (including studio publicity portraits). The majority of the items are silver gelatin photoprints. Some photographers are listed below as index terms. Subjects of photographs include strippers and comedians; photographs of women include portraits as well as full-length figures, nude or in costume.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into one series. Arranged alphabetically by subjects' names within categories.
Biographical / Historical:
George Dewey Michaels (1898-1982) was owner, director, general manager and producer of the Palace Burlesque Theater in Buffalo, New York until it closed on September 29, 1977, when Michaels was 79 years old. Michaels started in the business when he was 19 years old. Through the years, he featured Abbott and Costello, Phil Silvers, Jerry Lewis, Red Buttons, and Sammy Davis, Jr. who was then a dancer with the Will Master Trio which included his father and uncle. The Palace Burlesque was part of a 40-city circuit. Michaels was married in 1920 to Phyllis Boasberg. She died in 1969, leaving two sons and one daughter. On December 4, 1980, Michaels donated a backdrop, used in the theatre, to the Smithsonian. The backdrop had a musical theme with a clarinetist and notes rendered in extravagant art nouveau. Michaels was then 83 years old. Other backdrops were distributed to other theatres and collectors. They were 60-100 years old, painted in Diamond Dye, and worth about $1,000 apiece.
Related Materials:
Theatrical backdrops and director's chair located in the Division of Home and Community Life (now Division of Cultural and Community Life).
Provenance:
Collection donated by Mr. Dewey Michaels, January 31, 1981.
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.
Topic:
Glamour photography -- 1920-1970  Search this
Striptease -- 1920-1970  Search this
Stripteasers -- 1920-1970  Search this
Nudity in the performing arts  Search this
Theatrical producers and directors -- 1920-1970  Search this
Comedians -- 1920-1970  Search this
Entertainers -- 1920-1970  Search this
Musicians -- 20th century  Search this
Burlesque shows -- 1920-1970  Search this
Burlesque (Theater) -- 1920-1970  Search this
Entertainment -- Photographs -- 1920-1970  Search this
Genre/Form:
Clippings -- 20th century
Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 19th-20th century
Citation:
Dewey Michaels Burlesque Collection, circa 1920s-1967, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0065
See more items in:
Dewey Michaels Burlesque Collection
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep896ac7af6-87c2-4acc-9b9c-9fc959e4fa84
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0065
Online Media:

Hirst, Isadore

Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1927-1928, undated
Scope and Contents:
These scripts were either written, performed, or produced in Isadore Hirst's theaters. Materials are arranged alphabetically by title.
Biographical / Historical:
Isadore Hirst was born September 5, 1897. He was the owner and manager of three burlesque theaters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Bijou, the Trocadero (his flagship theater), and the Walnut Street Theater. He was also manager of the I. Hirst Circuit which was a chain of thirty-five burlesque houses in the East and Midwest. (A circuit or wheel was an association of theater owners all using on a rotating basis the same schedule of shows.) "(Issy or Izzy) Hirst was already turning out burlesque shows on the Columbia by 1923, one half of the Howard and Hirst producing team. After his initial purchase of the Trocadero and the Gayety Theaters in Philadelphia, he began the more formal organization, the Independent Burlesque Circuit, incorporated as the Independent Burlesque Association (or I.B.A.), but mostly referred to as the Hirst Circuit by performers and producers. . . .. Hirst died in 1948 but the circuit survived for another half a decade, under the direction of his widow [Betty Palmer] through the mid-1950s." Hirst died December 28, 1948.

(Source is PHD dissertation by Elisabeth Wellman (Ohio State University) which has a timeline of American burlesque circuits.)
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:
Henry "Buddy" Graf and George Cahill Vaudeville and Burlesque Collections, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1484, Series 19
See more items in:
Henry A. "Buddy" Graf and George Cahill Vaudeville and Burlesque Collections
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8e673466c-2640-43dc-a29e-3da76762cd94
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-1484-ref1354

Kaplan, Eddie

Type:
Archival materials
Date:
undated
Scope and Contents:
These scripts were either written by or performed by Eddie Kaplin. Materials are arranged alphabetically by title.
Biographical / Historical:
Eddie Kaplin (original birth name Abram Kaplan/Kaplen) was born 4 November 1905 in New York City, New York. Kaplin was a comedian, active during the 1930s and stage director at George Jaffe's burlesque theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The United States Census of 1930 shows him at age 25 living in Brooklyn with named spelled Kaplen, working as a dancer at a theater. His father's name was Jacob (spelled Kaplan in the 1920 census). Kaplin died in 1995.
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:
Henry "Buddy" Graf and George Cahill Vaudeville and Burlesque Collections, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.1484, Series 21
See more items in:
Henry A. "Buddy" Graf and George Cahill Vaudeville and Burlesque Collections
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep88266c882-3d0c-4059-95f2-0034f2bf9c38
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-1484-ref1488

Burlesque Uncensored

Recorder:
Cook, Emory, 1913-2002  Search this
Performer:
Voe, Marie  Search this
Waggin, Patti  Search this
Collection Creator:
Cook Labs  Search this
Cook, Emory, 1913-2002  Search this
Extent:
1 Phonograph record (analog, 33 1/3 rpm, 12 in.)
Culture:
Americans  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Phonograph records
Date:
1954
Track Information:
101. Lobby Talker.

102. Chorus Line.

103. Strip Tease / Marie Voe.

104. Sketch: Old Judge Montfort Rides Again.

105. Chorus Line.

106. Strip Tease / Patti Waggin.

201. Music for Strip Tease.

202. Sketch: Aunt Martha's New Maid.

203. Music for Strip Tease.

204. Sketch: Woman Hater's Club.

205. ,Til Tomorrow Same Time.
Local Numbers:
Cook.1071
Publication, Distribution, Etc. (Imprint):
Norwalk, CT, Cook 1954
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Recording location: New Jersey
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Topic:
Burlesque (Theater)  Search this
Genre/Form:
Phonograph records
Collection Citation:
Cook Labs records, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
CFCH.COOK, Item Cook.1071
See more items in:
Cook Labs records
Cook Labs records / Series 7: Audio Recordings / Commercial Recordings / LPs
Archival Repository:
Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/bk505014466-6371-4ce5-bec2-7b00f9c6b2db
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-cfch-cook-ref2560

Burlesque Uncensored

Artist:
Waggin, Patti  Search this
Collection Creator:
Cook Labs  Search this
Cook, Emory, 1913-2002  Search this
Extent:
1 Phonograph record (analog, 45 rpm, 7 in.)
Culture:
Americans  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Phonograph records
Local Numbers:
CO-COOK-45-0001-7

Cook.10711
Publication, Distribution, Etc. (Imprint):
Stamford, CT Cook
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. No duplication allowed listening and viewing for research purposes only.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Topic:
Burlesque (Theater)  Search this
Collection Citation:
Cook Labs records, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
CFCH.COOK, Item CO-COOK-45-0001-7
See more items in:
Cook Labs records
Cook Labs records / Series 7: Audio Recordings / Commercial Recordings / LPs
Archival Repository:
Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/bk50bd815ee-9cea-44fa-b881-a10fa1b4a37e
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-cfch-cook-ref2743

Playbill for Eubie!

Published by:
Playbill, American, founded 1884  Search this
Used by:
Ambassador Theatre, American, founded 1928  Search this
Subject of:
Eubie Blake, American, 1887 - 1983  Search this
Noble Sissle, American, 1889 - 1975  Search this
Ethel Beatty  Search this
Terry Burrell  Search this
Leslie Dockery  Search this
Lynnie Godfrey, American  Search this
Gregory Hines, American, 1946 - 2003  Search this
Maurice Hines, American, born 1943  Search this
Mel Johnson Jr., American  Search this
Lonnie McNeil, American  Search this
Janet Powell  Search this
Marion Ramsey, American, born 1947  Search this
Alaina Reed Hall, American, 1946 - 2009  Search this
Jeffery V. Thompson, American, born 1952  Search this
Medium:
ink on paper
Dimensions:
H x W: 9 1/4 x 5 7/8 in. (23.5 x 14.9 cm)
Type:
theater programs
Place used:
New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
Date:
1978
Topic:
African American  Search this
Actors  Search this
Broadway Theatre  Search this
Jazz (Music)  Search this
Musical Theatre  Search this
Ragtime (Music)  Search this
Credit Line:
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Kayla Deigh Owens
Object number:
2011.45.26.1
Restrictions & Rights:
Playbill used by permission. All rights reserved, Playbill Inc
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
See more items in:
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification:
Memorabilia and Ephemera
Data Source:
National Museum of African American History and Culture
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5abee0079-002b-4c71-a182-653b7d54af61
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmaahc_2011.45.26.1
1 Page(s) matching your search term, top most relevant are shown: View entire project in transcription center
  • View Playbill for Eubie! digital asset number 1
Online Media:

Horrible prettiness : burlesque and American culture / Robert C. Allen

Author:
Allen, Robert Clyde 1950-  Search this
Physical description:
xvi, 350 p. ; ill. (some col.) ; 25 cm
Type:
Books
Place:
United States
Date:
1991
C1991
19th century
20th century
Topic:
Burlesque (Theater)--History  Search this
Popular culture  Search this
Call number:
PN1948.U6A45 1991X
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_413879

St. Felix Sisters' Scrapbook

Collector:
St. Felix Sisters  Search this
Warshaw, Isadore, 1900-1969  Search this
Names:
D'Oyly Carte (theater company)  Search this
E.E. Rice's Opera Comique Company  Search this
Tony Pastor's Vaudeville Theater  Search this
Garfield, James A. (James Abram), 1831-1881  Search this
St. Felix, Charlotte  Search this
St. Felix, Clementina  Search this
St. Felix, Henrietta  Search this
St. Felix, Leonore  Search this
Extent:
0.15 Cubic feet (1 box)
Container:
Box 1
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Programs
Theater programs
Clippings
Scrapbooks
Date:
1880-1904
Scope and Contents:
This scrapbook contains newspaper reviews & theatre programs in which the St. Felix Sisters are named, and which covers the period from April, 1880 to November, 1898.

The scrapbook also contains a newspaper article on the death of President Garfield, and article about Greenwood Cemetery where many "stage artists" were buried in the public lots, and an engraving titled "Puck and the Fairies" (Midsummer Night's Dream).
Biographical / Historical:
The three Felix sisters, Henrietta, Clementina and Charlotte, performed in theatre companies, such as Tony Pastor's Vaudeville Theatre, and the D'Oyly Carte and E.E. Rice's Opera Comique Company. A fourth sister, Leonora, died in 1880. Their act consisted of original song and dance sketches which were described as "refined and elegant." They had a great variety of costumes of "richness of fabric and elegance of design."

On their annual tours with the vaudeville companies they performed in cities across the United States and in Montreal, Canada. Between 1887 and 1888 they toured Europe, playing for seven months in London; then in Paris, Vienna, Hanover, Dresden, Berlin and Rotterdam.
Provenance:
Transferred from the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
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.
Topic:
Women entertainers -- 1880-1910  Search this
Entertainers -- 1880-1910  Search this
Entertainment  Search this
Vaudeville -- 1880-1910  Search this
Burlesque (Theater) -- 1880-1910  Search this
Theater -- 1880-1910  Search this
Genre/Form:
Programs
Theater programs -- 1880-1910
Clippings -- 1880-1910
Scrapbooks -- 1880-1910
Citation:
St. Felix Sisters' Scrapbook, 1880-1904, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Identifier:
NMAH.AC.0294
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8a93e747e-6473-4c44-9bc6-1cc805ee8c48
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0294

A pictorial history of burlesque

Author:
Sobel, Bernard  Search this
Physical description:
194 p. illus., ports. 26 cm
Type:
Books
Place:
United States
Date:
1956
[1956]
Topic:
Burlesque (Theater)  Search this
Theater--History  Search this
Call number:
PN1947.S6X 1956
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_357116

Burlesque, (painting)

Title:
Burlesque Theater, (painting)
Painter:
Benton, Thomas Hart 1889-1975  Search this
Medium:
Tempera with oil glazes on canvas mounted on pressboard
Type:
Paintings
Owner/Location:
Los Angeles County Museum of Art 5905 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles California 90036 Accession Number: M.80.104
Date:
Ca. 1930
Topic:
Architecture interior--Civic--Theater  Search this
Performing Arts--Theater--Performer  Search this
Figure group  Search this
Figure female--Nude  Search this
Control number:
IAP 02960263
Data Source:
Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_ari_352740

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