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Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Guide to the Shirley Leonard Papers
Summary
- Collection ID:
- NMAH.AC.0919
- Creators:
-
Jones, Shirley May, 1922-2004Connick, Kathleen D.Leonard, Shirley, 1922-2004
- Dates:
-
1931-1998bulk 1938-1957
- Languages:
-
Collection is inEnglish. Some clippings and a newspaper inSpanish.
- Physical Description:
-
4 Cubic feet16 boxes
- Repository:
Papers documenting the life and career of Shirley May Jones, stage name Shirley Leonard, an exotic dancer from Cincinnati, Ohio. The papers, photographs, and clippings document her childhood, early life, and professional career.
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
Papers documenting the life and career of exotic dancer Shirley May Jones, stage name Shirley Leonard, of Cincinnati, Ohio. Leonard performed primarily throughout the Midwest but also worked in Florida, California, and Louisiana. The collection includes family, performance, venue, and publicity photographs, photographs of other entertainers (some inscribed), correspondence, clippings, a childhood scrapbook, sheet music, recorded music, printed materials, home movies, and financial and business records such as contracts and wage slips.
Arrangement
Arrangement
The papers are divided into five series.
Series 1: Personal Papers
Series 2: Business, Financial, and Legal Records
Series 3: Performance Materials
Series 4: Photographs
Series 5: Audiovisual Materials
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
Exotic dancer, active during the 1940s and 1950s.
Administration
Author
C. Jeremy Barney, intern; supervised by Franklin A. Robinson, Jr., archives technician.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased by the National Museum of American History from Cowan's Historic Americana Auction in 2005. Addendum donated to the Archives Center in 2006 by Kathleen D. Connick, a relative of Shirley May Jones.
Processing Information
Processed by C. Jeremy Barney, intern, July-August, 2007; supervised by Franklin A. Robinson, Jr., archives technician.
Separated Materials
The Division of Culture and the Arts (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) holds artifacts related to this collection including some of Jones' costumes and accessories.
Using the Collection
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use.
Physical Access: Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with gloves. Researchers must use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis, as resources allow. Researchers must use photocopies of scrapbooks due to the fragility of the originals, unless special access is approved.
Technical Access: Viewing film and listening to audio disc recordings is only possible by special arrangement, please inquire.
Preferred Citation
The Shirley Leonard Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Conditions Governing Use
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.
Keywords
| Keyword Terms | Keyword Types | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Burlesque shows -- 1920-1970 | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Burlesque (Theater) -- 1920-1970 | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Striptease -- 1920-1970 | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Motion pictures (visual works) | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Audiotapes | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Photographs -- 20th century | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Correspondence -- 20th century | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Scrapbooks -- 20th century | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Stripteasers -- 1920-1970 | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Sheet music | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
archivescenter@si.edu
