Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Claude and Mae Phillipson papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Claude and Mae Phillipson papers
- Date
- 1912-1922, undated (inclusive)
- Creator
- Phillipson, Claude A., 1888-1960
- Extent
- 0.19 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Entertainment events
- Illinois
- Letters.
- Performing arts.
- Posters.
- Programs.
- Scripts.
- Songs -- Texts
- Theater.
- Vaudeville
- Vaudeville -- Songs.
- Vaudeville -- United States -- History.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged alphabetically by subject. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0471: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Claude and Mae Phillipson papers, 1912-1922, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Claude Albert Phillipson (1888-1960) was born in Lutesville, Missouri to Albert Phillipson and Jessie Phelps. In 1922, he married his first wife, Mary B. Woods, whom he divorced within a year. In 1924, Phillipson married Myrtle Mae Wilson (1905-1971). Together Claude and Mae had two sons, Joseph (1925-2003) and Jack (1932-2017). Claude worked as an entertainer and was heavily involved in vaudeville theatre. He had his own act called "The Phillipsons". Claude, Mae, and other associated acts traveled across the country, performing in Wisconsin, Washington, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, and California; before settling in Indiana.
- American Letters collector Wade Hall (1934-2015) was a native of Union Springs, Alabama. Starting in 1962, he lived in Louisville, where he taught English and chaired the English and Humanities/Arts programs at Kentucky Southern College and Bellarmine University. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida. He held degrees from Troy State University (B.S.), the University of Alabama (M.A.), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.). He served for two years in the U.S. Army in the mid-fifties. Dr. Hall was the author of books, monographs, articles, plays, and reviews relating to Kentucky, Alabama, and Southern history and literature. His most recent books include A Visit with Harlan Hubbard; High Upon a Hill: A History of Bellarmine College; A Song in Native Pastures: Randy Atcher's Life in Country Music; and Waters of Life from Conecuh Ridge.
- Scope and Content
- The Claude and Mae Phillipson papers (dated 1912-1922, undated; 0.19 cubic feet; 6 folders) comprise letters, a scrapbook, posters, programs, skit scripts, songs, and photographs that document the efforts of a travelling vaudeville performer in the early twentieth century. The letters in the collection are mainly from theatre and entertainment managers contracting performances from the Phillipsons and negotiating prices for specific skits, song, and characters. The scrapbook includes contracts, correspondence, and notes concerning the various performances done by The Phillipsons over a five-year period. The poster and programs are from the different theatres that the Phillipsons performed at promoting and describing the shows. The skit scripts and songs book includes a variety of different song lyrics and skits that were used by the Phillipsons and other vaudeville performers. The photographs include family pictures, headshots of Claude, and photographs of an unknown vaudeville troupe.
- The Claude and Mae Phillipson papers are part of the Wade Hall Collection of American Letters, which includes correspondence and diaries from all over North America covering the time period of the Civil to Korean Wars. The materials were collected by Wade Hall and document everyday men and women.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
