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Ralstin/Murphy collection relating to Vera-Ellen and the Hessler Dance Studio, 1929-2010

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BOX 3-4 Scrapbooks, 1934-1953, undated
Two scrapbooks: one for the years the children studied dance at the Hessler Dance Studio and one predominantly celebrating Vera-Ellen's career. The Hessler scrapbook of the mid-1930s focuses on classes and recitals as well as souvenirs and newspaper clippings related to performing arts events in the Cincinnati area. The Hessler studio items include recital records and class schedules, invoices and receipts for classes taken, newspaper features and calendars. The second scrapbook includes print coverage and published photos of Vera-Ellen (local and national), beginning in the 1940s through the 1950s. Reference copies of both scrapbook contents were created as the fragility of the paper precludes handling by patrons.
Arranged chronologically.
BOX-FOLDER 3/1 Scrapbook, 1934-1936
1 scrapbook of approximately 89 items
Assortment of clippings about Hessler Dance Studio, its students, or Cincinnati-area performances, programs, ticket stubs, invitations, handwritten notes about class schedules, and other materials related to the Hessler Studio or the Ralstin twins
Please consult the set of Reference photocopies, as this scrapbook is too fragile to be handled
Items originally in this scrapbook that arrived unglued or separated are housed in the folders of the Hessler Damce Studio Papers series
BOX-FOLDER 4/1 Scrapbook, 1939-1953, undated
1 scrapbook of approximately 259 items
Magazine and newspaper articles, photographs, and notices of Vera-Ellen, many undated or without identifying publication information
Please consult the set of Reference photocopies, as this scrapbook is too fragile to be handled
Items originally in this scrapbook that arrived unglued or separated are housed in the folders of the Vera-Ellen Papers series
BOX-FOLDER 3/2-3 Reference copies for Hessler and Vera-Ellen scrapbooks
420 photocopies
Copies of each page, with items on the page numbered, along with a separate photocopy of each item on the page
BOX 1-3 Vera-Ellen Papers, 1935-1981
Correspondence (letters, holiday cards, and postcards) between the Ralstin family and Vera-Ellen and her mother; photographs (including photographs during Ralstin-Murphy visits to Vera-Ellen in California; magazine and newspaper clippings (including coverage of Vera-Ellen's visit to Norwood, Ohio), among other items that became separated from or were kept separate from the scrapbooks.
Arranged by format: Articles and clippings, correspondence, photographs, and miscellaneous autographed items.
BOX 1, 3 Articles and Clippings, 1938, 1949-1953
BOX-FOLDER 1/1-2 Magazine issues, 1938, 1949
2 issues
BOX-FOLDER 1/3-15, 3/4-6 Articles, 1949-1953, and undated
17 articles
Features on and photos of Vera-Ellen published in Movies, Movies Stars Parade, News Weekly, and Movie Life magazines as well as some in unidentified publications. Includes one photo published in Buckeye Action and articles in Cincinnati publications.
BOX 1 Correspondence, 1936-1981
BOX-FOLDER 1/16-20 Letters, 1936, 1945-1952, 1959, 1974, 1981
36 items
BOX-FOLDER 1/21-22 Holiday cards, 1945-1960
27 items
Most are Christmas cards; some have notes
BOX-FOLDER 1/23 Postcards, 1936-1937, 1946-1953
8 cards
BOX 1 Photographs, 1935, 1944-1948, undated
BOX-FOLDER 1/24-31 Studio photographs, undated
7 black-and-white prints; 1 photocopy
Headshots or mid-shots; some autographed or inscribed to the Ralstins
BOX-FOLDER 1/32 Professional photographs, undated
14 black-and-white small-size prints
Some staged poses; many in small groups
BOX-FOLDER 1/33 Postcard photographs, 1944, 1948
2 items
Commemorative Hollywood postcard photographs, in which Vera-Ellen appears
BOX-FOLDER 1/34-36 Personal photographs, 1935, 1944, and undated
5 black-and-white photographs
BOX 1, 2 Autographed items, 1945, 1952, undated
BOX-FOLDER 1/37 Autograph book, undated
1 item
BOX-FOLDER 2/1 Roy Rogers rodeo program, 1945
1 item
Cover autographed by Vera-Ellen
BOX-FOLDER 2/2 Event program, 1952
1 photocopy
Autographed by alumnae of the Hessler Studio
BOX 2 Hessler Dance Studio Papers, 1929-2010, and undated
Most materials are printed items, such as advertisements of the Hessler Dance Studio or recital programs. One piece of music is marked for accompaniment of an unidentified performance. Some of the programs and clippings reference Vera-Ellen, artists employed by the dance studio, or other studio classmates who became famous. A number of items are handwritten, such as drafts of the program order, receipts for class fees, and such. Important amongst the items are handwritten notes of dance routines. Most items are undated.
Arranged by format, and by date therein.
BOX-FOLDER 2/3-8 Programs, 1934-1939
9 programs; 1 handwritten draft
Recital programs of Hessler Dance Studio and guests
BOX-FOLDER 2/9-15 Promotional materials, 1929-1937, undated
17 items
Class schedules, correspondence, advertising artwork, invitations, business cards and ticket stubs
BOX-FOLDER 2/16-21 Performance notes and records, undated
14 items
Recital dance routines (Spanish dance, soft shoe, toe / pointe dance, carbon copy of rhythm tap routine attributed to Jack Manning), adapted lyrics of popular songs, piano piece titled Patriotic Medleymarked with cues
BOX-FOLDER 2/22-24 Photographs, 2010, undated
3 items
Recital photograph marked with arrows
Published photograph of four children performers
Former Hessler student Doris Day name inscribed in cement; date on verso likely for a later reprint
BOX-FOLDER 2/25 Clippings, 1936, 2009, undated
5 items
Assortment of newspaper clippings on Hessler associates (teacher, students)
BOX 2 Miscellany
Items not directly related to Vera-Ellen or the Hessler Dance Studio, such as the ancillary materials prepared by Library of Congress archivist Clark Evans and biographical data on the Ralstin and Rohe families compiled from online databases.
Arranged by format.
BOX-FOLDER 2/26 Descriptive inventories and narratives, 2010
3 items
Descriptive inventories of loose items in the collection, an essay titled "The Girls of Hesslers," and a narrative biography of Vera-Ellen, prepared by Library of Congress archivist Clark Evans
BOX-FOLDER 2/27 Family data
Printouts of census and other data regarding the subjects and collectors of this collection

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