Scope and Content Note
The Burl Ives Collection spans the years 1919-1965, with the majority of the materials dating from 1948-1965. The collection primarily relates to Ives's career in radio and television, and on the concert stage. It is divided into four series: Biographical Materials, Subject File, Photographs, and Scrapbooks. The collection includes articles, correspondence, press releases, promotional and publicity materials, photographs, clippings, scripts, financial and earnings information, and programs. The original order as determined by Ives and his wife and business manager, Helen Ives, is preserved in the organization of the collection. Many of the descriptions as they appeared on the original folders are retained in the finding aid.
The Biographical Materials series contains published and unpublished articles by and about Burl Ives. There are magazine and newspaper pieces on Ives, his art, and his personal interests and activities. In addition to biographical and personal topics, there are articles that discuss Ives's views on folk music and singing. The series also contains news and press releases.
The Subject File series was maintained by Ives and has been kept in its original order. This file contains materials relating to his recording projects, radio shows, television appearances, foreign tours, and public appearances. Included among these materials are production records, such as scripts and rehearsal schedules, and business papers, such as contracts, royalty statements, and earnings records. There are press clippings for most programs, and even some fan mail. Of particular interest are materials on the Historical America in Song project, a series of recordings of American folk songs selected and performed by Ives, originally released in 1950 by Encyclopaedia Britannica for use in schools. Items include a history of the project, correspondence, publicity materials, and a photograph of Ives receiving an achievement award for the project. The series also includes correspondence and a complete set of scripts for the Burl Ives Sings radio show, and a nearly-complete set of scripts for the Burl Ives Show radio program. There are production materials relating to several television programs in which Ives appeared, including The Bell Telephone Hour, The Hollywood Palace, and Holiday USA, from 1959. In addition, there are correspondence, photographs, clippings, and publicity and production materials for Ives's tours of England, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii. Rounding out the series are correspondence, scripts, advertising spots, and other materials relating to Ives's appearances for charities, foundations and benefits.
The Photographs series contains hundreds of photographs, for the most part unbound from their original binders, that feature formal, candid, and publicity images of Ives, and his family, friends, and colleagues. This series also includes photographs of Ives's childhood and teen years. The Scrapbooks series contains mostly clippings relating to Ives's England, Ireland and Scotland tours; and to some of his television appearances. This series might also include photographs, programs and other miscellaneous materials. With the exception of one scrapbook that was kept intact, the original scrapbooks were taken apart.
Robert Saladini, music specialist and Greg Pierce, Junior Fellow, June, 1993