Jessica Dragonette papers, 1919-1982
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Dragonette, Jessica, 1900-1980.
- Title
- Jessica Dragonette papers
- Dates
- 1919-1982 (inclusive)19191982
- Quantity
- 34.84 cubic feet (39 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 03358
- Summary
- Jessica Dragonette was a singer and actress, performing in radio broadcasting for 22 consecutive years. Collection contains correspondence, clippings, photographs, oral history transcript, manuscripts, music scores, scrapbooks, audio recordings, homes movies, art, and artifacts regarding Dragonette's career and pesonal life.
- Repository
-
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY
82071
Telephone: 3077663756
ahcref@uwyo.edu - Access Restrictions
-
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.
- Additional Reference Guides
-
Additional Information
Partial finding aid available in repository.
- Languages
- English
Historical Note
Jessica Dragonette was a singer and actress, performing in radio broadcasting for 22 consecutive years. She began her career in 1924 with a role in Max Reinhardt's production of "The Miracle", followed by "The Student Prince" and "The Grand Street Follies". In 1926 she began her radio career with WEAF, which became NBC, singing the role of Vivian in one hour operettas in "The Coca Cola Girl" series. This was followed by "The Philco Hour", 1927-1930, and then the Cities Service Concert series, 1930-1937. After less than a year with "The Palmolive Beauty Box" Dragonette went on concert tours through the 1940s. Her sporadic radio performances of this period include: "The Ford Sunday Evening Show" and CBS "Saturday Night Serenade". She wrote two books: "Faith is a Song" (1952), her autobiography, and "Your Voice and You" (1967).
Content Description
The collection contains correspondence (much of it photocopies), 1939-1979, with letters from Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Fulton Sheen, Leonard Bernstein, among others. Professional files, 1927-1975, contain some business correspondence as well as clippings, 1919-1979, and cover Dragonette's radio career with NBC and CBS as well as concert tours, including a 1941 visit to Wyoming, and lecture tour. A "photographic archive", as well as 600 phonograph recordings of the singer's live radio broadcasts, 1933-1945, which were never released commercially, are also included. There is a transcript of a 1980 oral history done with Dragonette by Columbia University. Lectures, manuscripts for books and articles, written by Jessica and by her sister and business manager, Nadia Loftus, are included. Other materials include: musical scores ; scrapbooks, 1927-1979; double track tapes of 1937 Palmolive broadcasts; scripts; home movies; art work; and artifacts related to the career of Jessica Dragonette.
Nadia Dragonette Loftus was preparing a biography of Adolfo Muller-Ury, 1864-1947, a portraitist. Research materials and a typed, partially finished manuscript are included.
Use of the Collection
Restrictions on Use
Copyright InformationThe researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
Restrictions on Use
Statement on Potentially Harmful Language and Images Found in CollectionsThe American Heritage Center aspires to approach all areas of our work in ways that are respectful to those who create, use, and are represented in our collections. For a variety of reasons, however, users may encounter offensive or harmful language or images in some of our finding aids, catalogs, and collection materials.
Note that the AHC does not censor or alter contents of the collections as they provide context and evidence of a time, people, place, or event. Therefore, we encourage users to bring questions and concerns about descriptions in our finding aids to our attention via email or anonymous web-form. For more information, read our full statement.
Preferred Citation
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Administrative Information
Preservation Note
System Requirements1937 performances for Dragonette Palmolive Broadcasts -- reel-to-reel audio tapes.
Home movies, 1930s-1940s -- film -- 16 mm.
Related Materials
There are no known other archival collections created by Jessica Dragonette at the date of processing.
Acquisition Information
This material was received from Jessica Dragonette from 1970-1971, Nadea Dragonette Loftus from 1971-1978, Nicholas Turner from 1986-1987, and Mary W. Bower in May 2024.
Processing Note
Detailed Description of the Collection
-
Inventories
The American Heritage Center is in the process of converting its older container lists to a more accessible format. This link is to an older versions of a container list for boxes 1-39.
-
Container: Box
-
Description: Link to Container List, 2024-05-04 (PDF)Container: Box 39
-
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Radio personalities -- United States.
- Radio programs -- United States.
- Sopranos (Singers) -- United States -- 20th century.
- Women in radio broadcasting -- United States.
Personal Names
- Muller-Ury, Adolfo, 1862-1947.
Corporate Names
- Columbia Broadcasting System, inc.
- National Broadcasting Company, inc.
Form or Genre Terms
- Phonograph records.
- Photographs.
- Scores.
- Scrapbooks.
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Dragonette, Jessica -- Faith is a song.
- Dragonette, Jessica -- You and your voice.
