Scope and Content Note
The Grace McCrea Papers Relating to Denishawn contains materials largely documenting performing arts activities of members of the Denishawn company and its founders, Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn. Programs, photographs, promotional materials, clippings, and related performance ephemera document the period from about 1913 to the late 1960s. The strength of the collection is in the years from 1916 through the 1920s, the period when sisters Grace and Betty McCrea were artists within the company and in performances spearheaded by other artists or groups.
In addition to photos highlighting the careers of the McCreas, Shawn, St. Denis, other company dancers, and composer-conductor Louis Horst, the collection includes images of vaudevillians and speciality act performers such as Evan-Burrows Fontaine, the Manilla Brothers, and Leon and Frank Weaver (who performed as Abner and Cicero). Programs of Denishawn are plentiful, and a small number of other performances, such as the Royal Ballet of Cambodia, also are represented.
Highlights of the collection include clippings about Ruth St. Denis from popular magazines such as Harper's Bazaar, Vogue and Vanity Fair from about 1915 to the early 1920s. Four issues of the Denishawn Magazine are also a part of the Printed Materials series. Additionally the papers contain publicity materials for assorted performances and other projects, including pamphlets advertising and documenting the respective artists and their Denishawn school. The Printed Materials series includes two books: the limited edition two-volume art book titled Ruth St. Denis: Pioneer & Prophet.