Finding aid of the Charles Pierce Photographs, Papers,
Costumes, and Memorabilia
Michael C. Oliveira, Bill Kaiser, and Arthur Eades
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90007
Phone: (213) 741-0094
Fax: (213) 741-0220
Email: askone@onearchives.org
URL: http://www.onearchives.org
© 2008
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives. All rights reserved.
Finding aid of the Charles Pierce Photographs, Papers,
Costumes, and Memorabilia
Collection number: Coll2008-019
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives
Los Angeles,
California
- Processed by:
- Michael C. Oliveira, Bill Kaiser, and Arthur Eades
- Date Completed:
- October 23, 2008
- Encoded by:
- Michael C. Oliveira
© 2008 ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives. All rights reserved.
Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant
from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Charles Pierce Photographs, Papers, Costumes, and
Memorabilia
Dates: circa
1850-2000.
Bulk Dates: 1970-1990.
Collection number: Coll2008-019
Creator:
Pierce, Charles,
1926-1999
Collection Size: 7 records boxes + 9 archive
cartons + 2 archive half-cartons + 8 oversize boxes + 8
shelves + 2 map case drawers. 54 linear feet.
Repository:
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives.
Los Angeles, California 90007
Abstract: Photographs, clippings, programs,
correspondence, lyrics, music, costumes with accessories, audio and video
recordings, and souvenirs from the life and performances of Charles Pierce (1926-1999),
impressionist and comedian, one of the foremost American female impersonators
of the second half of the 20th century. The bulk of materials date from
1970-1990.
Languages: Languages represented in
the collection: English
Access
The collection is open to researchers. There are no access
restrictions.
Publication Rights
Researchers wishing to publish materials must obtain permission in
writing from ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives as the physical owner.
Researchers must also obtain clearance from the holder(s) of any copyrights in
the materials. Note that ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives can grant
copyright clearance only for those materials for which we hold the copyright.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain copyright clearance for
all other materials directly from the copyright holder(s).
Preferred Citation
Box #, folder #, Charles Pierce Photographs, Papers, Costumes, and
Memorabilia, Coll2008-019, ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles,
California.
Acquisition Information
Circumstances of acquisition unknown.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Michael C. Oliveira, Bill Kaiser, and Arthur Eades,
2007-2008.
Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant from the
National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Biography
Charles Pierce, impressionist and comedian, was one of the
foremost American female impersonators in the second half of the 20th century.
Born in Watertown, New York, on July 14, 1926, he started his acting career at the Pasadena
Playhouse in the early 1950s. During this period, he was inspired by several
nightclub acts in Los Angeles to develop his own act. His first professional
performance was at Café La Vie in Altadena, California, in 1954. Because of laws
against cross-dressing, Pierce performed in a tuxedo with accessories such as a
boa, hats, and pocketbooks. It was not until ten years after he began his
career that Pierce donned full female costumes, reflecting changes in
legislation that had made such acts legal. Pierce had lengthy and celebrated
engagements at various venues including the Plush Room in San Francisco's York
Hotel in the early 1980s, and engagements at San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel's
Venetian Room and New York's Top of the Gate and The Ballroom. His portrayals
included Tallulah Bankhead, Carol Channing, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis,
Katharine Hepburn, Gloria Swanson, and Mae West. He appeared on numerous
television shows (not always in drag), including
Fame,
Laverne and Shirley,
Designing Women,
Starsky & Hutch, and
Love, American Style. His films include
Rabbit Test (1978),
Torch Song Trilogy (1988), and
Nerds of a Feather (1990). He also issued
several recordings, including Live at Bimbo's (circa 1972) on the Blue Thumb
label, and a video, Charles Pierce at The Ballroom (1988). He died in North
Hollywood, California, on May 31, 1999, at the age of 72.
Sócrates Silva
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection consists of primarily personal photographs taken of
Pierce by friends and family, some assembled into albums. The photographs span
his life from infancy through his retirement, with the bulk of the photographs
documenting the period between 1970-1990. Other records include personal and
professional correspondence arranged by decade primarily from his mother and
his friends. The Pasadena Playhouse school records, 1946-1948, include his
report cards and correspondence from the Playhouse along with performance
playbills, school bulletins, and yearbooks. Transitional and later performance
documents are included in the Performance Materials series that consists of
scripts, lyrics, music and clippings of and about his performances. The
clippings contain advertisements, reviews, articles, interviews, and research
materials for and about his shows. The bulk of the Personal Series consists of
family genealogical information along with remembrances and obituaries of
Pierce. The series also includes a transcript of an oral history recorded in
1989 and a photocopy of a redacted personal address book. The final series,
Artifacts consists of a sample of costumes and accessories such as hats and
costume jewelry and Moppets and Moppets costumes from Pierce's
performances. The series also contains a sample of trophies awarded to Pierce,
other miscellaneous artifacts, and audio, video, and computer media of his
performances and back-up copies of images from a Charles Pierce tribute
site.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this
collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Clippings--1940-1990
Costumes and clothes
Female impersonators--United States
Gay actors--United States
Humorous music
Pierce, Charles,
1926-1999
Separated Materials
In 1998 and 1999, Pierce gave some of his papers to the Billy Rose
Theatre Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, where
they now constitute the Charles Pierce Papers, *T-Mss 1998-008.
Collection Contents
Series 1:
Photographs
circa
1950-1995
Physical Description: 8 archive cartons + archive half-carton + 1 oversize
box + 1 map case drawer. 8.9 linear
feet.
Series Scope and Content
The bulk of the Photographs series are personal photographs taken by
friends and family, spanning Pierce's life from early childhood, his years as a
performer, to his retirement. The series also include performance publicity
stills taken from his many performances from early stage roles through his
well-known performances as a female impressionist. The performance photographs
document his roles at the Pasadena Playhouse, his female impressionist shows,
and his appearances on the stage, screen, and television. The photographs also
document his friendships with other celebrities and his travels across the
United States and abroad. The subseries are not entirely inclusive with some
performance photographs included in the last three subseries Celebrity,
Personal, and Photograph Albums. Each of the subseries contains folders of
photographs transferred from small albums to archival photograph pages.
Subseries 1.1:
Impressionist Photographs
1970-1995
Physical Description: 13 folders.
Subseries Scope and Content
The subseries includes photographs of Pierce in character or "in
drag" as various actresses, organized alphabetically by the actresses' names.
The photographs document much of his career from the early 1960s through the
late 1980s.
Box 1 : 1
As Tallulah Bankhead
circa 1987
Box 1 : 2
As Lucille Ball
circa 1980
Box 1 : 3
As Carol Channing
circa 1980
Box 1 : 4
As Joan Collins
1985-1989
Box 1 : 5
As Joan Crawford
circa 1987
Box 1 : 6-7 ; 25 :
1(Oversize)
Box 1 : 8
As Deanna Durbin
circa 1975
Box 1 : 9
As Katherine Hepburn
1979-1987
Box 1 : 10 ; 25 : 1
(Oversize)
As Jeannette MacDonald
1964-1977
Box 1 : 11
As Gloria Swanson,
The Turban Ladies
1963-circa
1975
Subseries 1.2:
Performance Photographs
1947-circa
1990
Physical Description: 36 folders + 3 oversize items.
Subseries Scope and Content
The subseries consists predominately of Pierce's performances as a
female impressionist at venues across the country. The photographs also
document his early stage work with Rio Dante; he and Dante developed and
performed skits utilizing "Les Moppettes." Les Moppettes were puppets that
allowed the expressive face of the performer to be seen seemingly attached to a
puppet body. The body of the puppet allowed for more exaggerated and comical
movements.
Box 1 : 13
Pasadena Playhouse photographs
1947-1949
Box 2 : 1
Performances
circa
1950-1977
Box 2 : 2-3
Character Impressionist (In drag)
circa 1950-circa
1985
Box 2 : 4-5 ; 3 :
1
Character Skits
circa 1950-circa
1990
Physical Description: 3 folders.
Box 3 : 3
The Diary Of Anne Frankenstein,
Onyx Room, Miami Beach
1959-1961
Box 3 : 4-8 ; 4 :
1-2
Impressionist (In Drag)
circa 1960-circa
1990
Physical Description: 7 folders.
Box 9 : 1-2
Les Moppettes/The Living Dolls
1963-1969
Physical Description: 2 folders.
Box 4 : 3
The Gilded Cage, San Francisco
circa 1965
Box 4 : 4
Pierce and Rio Dante
circa 1955-circa
1965
Box 4 : 5
Rio Dante
circa
1955-1967
Box 4 : 6
Los Angeles Music Center
1972
Box 25 : 57 (Oversize)
Pierce and performers dressed as sailors
circa 1975
Physical Description: Photograph stuck to glass.
Map case 25 : 57
(Oversize)
Pierce images as a female impressionist
circa 1978-circa
1987
Box 4 : 8
Fairmont Hotel
circa 1980
Box 9 : 3
Studio One and Atlanta
1981-1983
Box 4 : 11
Backstage Freddy's, Bea Arthur in San Francisco; Studio
One, Dottie's
circa 1983
Box 4 : 12
Mayfair Theater, Santa Monica; Rue McClanahan, George
Chakris, K. Curtis, D. Lamous; Freddy's, V. Grey, J. Harris, L. Frey, C.N.R.,
V. O'Brien, U. Hagen
1984
Box 4 : 14
Studio One, Ballroom, Fairmont, Manhattan Theater
Benefit at New York Hilton
1986-1987
Box 4 : 15
Bob Hope Cultural Center, Palm Desert
July Fourth weekend,
1988
Box 4 : 16
Studio One; Fairmont Hotel with Vincent Price, Coral,
C.N.R., David Ogden Stiers, Gary Graver, Lars Hansen, Joan E. Wayland, Barbara
Bladen
1988
Box 4 : 17
The Ballroom, New York City; Lucy;
Designing Women party at Beverly
Garland Hotel
1988
Box 4 : 18
The Ballroom, New York City
1989-1990
Box 5 : 1
The Ballroom, New York City; Van Johnson, Dorothy
Loudon, Margaret Whiting, Betty Garret, George Sardi, Jack Wrangler, Linda
Hopkins
1989-1990
Box 5 : 2
The Ballroom, New York City
1990
Box 5 : 3
The Ballroom, New York City
1990
Box 5 : 4
Plush Room; Les, Bea at Patio Cafe, M. Biagi Rehearsal
Peter Minton, Jean Martin, Gene Nelson, Boris the Harpist
1990
Box 25 : 60 (Oversize)
Framed photograph of Pierce performing
circa 1990
Physical Description: Photograph stuck to glass.
Subseries 1.3:
Stage, Screen, and Television Appearances
circa
1970-1988
Physical Description: 13 folders.
Subseries Scope and Content
The subseries consists of personal and publicity photographs of
Pierce’s appearances, on the stage, in motion pictures, and in television
shows. The personal photographs include those taken off-set, at cast parties,
and of the television broadcasts.
Box 5 : 5
Talk show appearances
circa 1970
Box 5 : 6
Applause cast
photographs
1974
Box 5 : 7
Chico And The Man
appearance
1976
Box 5 : 8
Rabbit Test publicity
stills
1978
Box 5 : 9
Laverne And Shirley
appearance
1980
Box 5 : 11
Fame on the set at MGM;
Music of Your Life; Baby Jane,
Blanche, at Bill Bernardo's
1983
Box 5 : 12
Designing Women
appearance
1987
Box 5 : 13
Nerds of a Feather Encino, Santa
Monica
1988
Box 5 : 14
Torch Song Trilogy cast and Pierce
as "Bertha Venation"
1988
Subseries 1.4:
Celebrity
circa
1950-1995
Physical Description: 5 folders + 1 oversize item.
Subseries Scope and Content
Pierce attracted a diverse audience, including many celebrities.
The subseries contains photographs of Pierce usually in costume with other
celebrities, along with autographed celebrity photographs to Pierce. The
folders are arranged chronologically; however the individual photographs have
not been arranged.
Box 6 :
1-2
Autographed to Pierce
circa
1950-1995
Physical Description: 2 folders.
Box 6 : 3-6 ; 7 : 1-2
With Celebrities
1959-1994
Physical Description: 5 folders.
Box 7 : 3
Michael Feinstein, Betty White, Estelle Getty,
Rose-Marie, Joan Collins, Johnny Ray, Big Jimmy, Kobus, Brochu,
Designing Women, etc.
circa 1985
Box 7 : 4
With Celebrities
circa 1985
Box 7 : 5
With Joan Elgers
circa 1985
Box 25 : 58
With Van Johnson
circa 1990
Physical Description: Photograph stuck to glass.
Subseries 1.5:
Personal Photographs
1926-1995
Physical Description: 17 folders + 3 oversize items.
Subseries Scope and Content
The bulk of these photographs are personal photographs with family
and friends; the series also includes performance and celebrity photographs.
Folders marked small album contain the photographs of a single small flipbook
photograph album. This series contains the earliest of photograph albums of
Pierce as a child.
Box 7 : 6-9 ; 8 : 1
Out of costume
1926-1996
Physical Description: 5 folders.
Box 8 : 2-3
With friends
circa 1955-circa
1990
Physical Description: 2 folders.
Box 25 : 50
(Oversize)
Framed photograph collage
circa 1960- circa
1985
Physical Description: Mounted on foam core.
Box 8 : 4
"Let's Have Another Drink" Book
1982-1983
Box 8 : 5
Bea Arthur, Conrad Bain Christmas; Rudy-Tom at Christmas
at Dixie's;
Nerds of a Feather
1982-1989
Box 8 : 6
30th Anniversary party at Don Kobus's
1984
Box 8 : 7
Dom DeLuise brunch; Joan Collins Roast, Las Vegas;
Freddy's: Hildegarde and Henny Youngman; Mayfair Music Hall Photos; Freddy's
glamour photos
1984
Box 8 : 8
The Woods, Alliance for Gay and
Lesbian Artists (AGLA), etc.
1984
Box 8 : 9
Michael Brooks, etc.
1984-1985
Box 8 : 10
Donald Rawley party; Skip E. Lowe Show with Jay;
Dixie-Hal New Years Eve party
1991
Box 8 : 11
Charles Nelson Reilly party; Bea Arthur in San
Francisco; Masterpiece Theater 406 Franklin Street
1991
Box 8 : 12
Angela, Bea, Larry, Peter
1991
Box 25 : 59
Pierce and his mother at the Tower of London
1991
Physical Description: Photograph stuck to glass.
Box 8 : 13
Vincent Price, Bea Arthur, Efrem Zimbalist,
Jr.
1992
Box 9 : 4
Pierce at home and in a woodland setting
circa 1995
Map case 7 : 2 (Oversize)
Pierce in a woodland setting
circa 1995
Physical Description: Mounted on foam core.
Subseries 1.6:
Photograph Albums
1940-1998
Physical Description: 25 albums.
Subseries Scope and Content
The series consists of variety of photograph albums in size and
composition. Overall the albums are the most comprehensive of the subseries
containing some of the earliest to some of the last pictures of Pierce. Several
of the albums include information on the events, people, and places
photographed.
Box 10 :
1
Pierce and his mother
circa
1940-1980
Box 13 : 2
Pasadena Playhouse friends and performances
1946-1947
Box 13 : 4
Friends and performances
1955-1960
Box 12 : 3
Pasadena Playhouse performances, friends, and
family
1955-1974
Box 13 : 5
Mostly performances
1956-1971
Box 12 : 7
Friends and performances
1962-1972
Box 12 : 8
Mother, friends and performances
1965-1982
Box 11 : 9
Mostly performances
1967-1969
Box 12 : 1
Mostly performances
1969-1971
Box 10 : 11
Parties with friends and performances
circa 1980
Box 10 : 13
Friends traveling (Atlanta?) and
performances
1989
Box 10 : 14
Friends and Pasadena Playhouse reunion
circa 1990
Box 10 : 15
Return to Pasadena Playhouse(?)
1990
Box 11 : 16
Cemeteries, holidays with friends,
performances
1990-1992
Box 11 : 17
London, friends and family, performances
1991-1992
Box 11 : 19
Parties with friends and performances
1992-1994
Box 13 : 2
Friends and performances
1993
Box 11 : 21
Friends, travel, cemeteries, family, and some
performances
1994-1995
Box 13 : 24
Friends and holidays
1997-1998
Series 2:
Correspondence
1940-1949,
1960-1999
Physical Description: 13 folders.
Series Scope and Content
The series includes correspondence and telegrams to Pierce,
organized by decade, from family and friends. The series also includes examples
from a line of campy greeting cards that utilized posed photographs of Pierce
in costume.
Box 14 : 1-5
Correspondence
1940-1949,
1960-1999
Physical Description: 5 folders.
Box 14 : 6-7
Correspondence
No Date
Physical Description: 2 folders.
Box 14 : 8-11
Telegrams
1948-1990
Physical Description: 4 folders.
Series 3:
Pasadena Playhouse
circa
1943-1953
Physical Description: 8 folders.
Series Scope and Content
The series, arranged chronologically, documents Pierce’s years at
the Pasadena Playhouse, 1946-1953. The series includes a text on speaking, the
Theater School’s prospectus, his school records, playbills from performances,
Pasadena Playhouse Bulletin (the school
yearbook), costume sketches for the play Engaged, photocopies of photographs
with identification and theatrical programs from later Pierce appearances at
the Playhouse.
Box 14 : 13
The Busy Speaker's Pocket Practice
Book
circa 1943
Box 14 : 14
School of Theater bulletin
circa 1945
Box 14 : 15
Pierce's Pasadena Playhouse school records
1946-1948
Box 14 : 16
Pasadena Playhouse playbills
1947-1948
Box 14 : 17
Pasadena Playhouse Bulletin (school
yearbook)
1947-1948
Box 18 : 1 (Oversize)
Engaged, costume sketches by Bob
Soule
1948
Box 14 : 18 ; 18 : 7
(Oversize)
Photocopies of photographs with identification
circa 1949
Physical Description: 2 folders.
Box 14 : 19
Playhouse programs
1952-1953
Series 4:
Performance Materials
circa
1955-1999
Physical Description: 35 folders.
Series Scope and Content
The series consists of Pierce's various show materials from research
materials to the ledgers he used to track receipts and expenses. The first
folders contain various early skit scripts, circa 1955 along with music and
lyrics from later performances, circa 1980. The bulk of the series includes
research materials and related ephemera such as tickets, flyers, posters, and
programs, along with clippings of advertising, interviews, research materials,
and reviews that span his professional career. The last files in this series
contain ledgers Pierce utilized to document his performance receipt and
expenses, 1976-1990.
Box 14 : 23
Blood, Bats, and Bankhead
(script)
circa 1955
Box 14 : 24
Camera on Wine Glass
(script)
circa 1955
Box 14 : 25
The Diary of Anne Frankenstein
(script)
circa 1955
Box 14 : 26
The Jitters (script)
circa 1955
Box 14 : 27
The Killing of Sister Butch
(script)
circa 1955
Box 14 : 28
The Night the Gay Boys Robbed the Costume
Shop
(script)
circa 1955
Box 14 : 29
Sacrifice of Blood
(script)
circa 1955
Box 14 : 3
Sadie Thompson (script)
(revised)
circa 1955
Box 14 : 31
This is Bette Davis' Screen Test for ...
Staircase
(script)
circa 1955
Box 14 : 32
Two Old Ladies (script)
circa 1955
Box 14 : 33
Night club material typescript
circa 1955
Box 14 : 34
Miscellaneous show scripts
1988-1994
Box 14 : 35
Research materials
1926-1997
Box 14 : 20
Les Moppettes flyers
circa 1960-circa
1975
Box 14 : 21
Pierce show programs
1971-1992
Box 18 : 9
(Oversize)
Pierce show posters
circa 1978-circa
1987
Map case 8 : 1
(Oversize)
Pierce show posters
circa 1978-circa
1987
Map case 7 : 2 (Oversize)
Pierce show posters
circa 1990
Physical Description: Mounted on foam core
Box 18 : 8 (Ovesize)
Aid for AIDS posters
circa 1987
Box 14 : 22 ; 18 : 2
(Oversize)
Box 15 : 1
Biography from agent, Budd Haas Enterprises
circa 1984
Box 15 : 2-8 ; 18 : 3-5
(Oversize)
Clippings
1940-1999
Physical Description: 10 folders.
Map case 7 : 2 (Oversize)
Reviews
1990
Physical Description: Enlarged clippings mounted on foam core.
Box 15 : 9-11
Ledgers
1976-1990
Physical Description: 3 folders.
Series 5:
Personal
1850-2000
Physical Description: 9 folders + 1 scrapbook.
Series Scope and Content
The series contains Pierce family genealogical information
including, pages from a family bible, family trees, clippings, and
miscellaneous notes. The Personal series also includes a 30th anniversary party
sign-in book, a transcript of an oral history recorded in 1989, and the
accompanying correspondence, Pierce's redacted address book, Playbills from
theater performances he collected and a fan's (Michael's) scrapbook. Loose
photographs found in the front of the scrapbook were placed in separate folder.
The last three files consist of Pierce's published obituaries and remembrances
and memorial record books, books signed by those in attendance at Pierce's
memorial service.
Box 15 : 13 ; 18 : 6
(Oversize)
Genealogical information
circa
1850-1995
Box 19 : 1
(Oversize)
"Michael's scrapbook"
circa
1972-1982
Box 9 :
5
"Michael's scrapbook" photographs
circa
1972-1982
Box 15 : 14
30th anniversary sign-in book
1984
Box 15 : 15
Oral history transcript (Southern Methodist
University)
1989-1990
Box 15 : 16
Address book (redacted photocopy)
circa 1990
Scope and Content Note
Apparently redacted by Pierce's executor.
Box 15 : 17, Box : Item 26 : 45
Playbills
1949-1975
Physical Description: 1 folders, 1 unfoldered item.
Box 15 : 18-19
Obituaries and remembrances
1999-2000
Physical Description: 2 folders.
Box 15 : 20
Memorial record books
1999
Physical Description: 2 books.
Series 6:
Artifacts
circa
1950-1999
Physical Description: 33 linear feet.
Series Scope and Content
The Artifacts Series includes a sample of costumes and accessories
such as hats and costume jewelry and moppets and moppet costumes from Pierce's
performances. The series also contains a sample of trophies awarded to Pierce,
other miscellaneous artifacts, and machine-readable media of his performances
and back-up images for a Charles Pierce tribute site.
Subseries 6.1:
Costumes and Accessories
circa 1980
Physical Description: 16 linear feet.
Subseries Scope and Content
The subseries consists of a sample of the costumes, jewelry, and
the accompanying accessories for Pierce's impressions of famous actresses and
other female characters. The costumes include a fake fur, a dress, and jewelry
from his impression of Bette Davis, a replica of Katherine Hepburn's costume in
her role as Eleanor of Aquitaine from
The Lion in Winter, and accessories
from his impression of Jeanette MacDonald. The series also includes a variety
of hats and costume jewelry from other characters Pierce portrayed.
As Bette Davis
circa 1980
Item 47
Black fake fur coat with two rhinestone
brooches
circa 1980
Item 48
Black taffetta dress with attached rhinestone brooch
and belt buckle
circa 1980
Box 23 : 22-23
Rhinestone brooches of the letters, "B" and
"D"
circa 1980
Item 46
As Katharine Hepburn
circa 1980
Scope and Content Note
Dress and costume jewelry, as Eleanor of Aquitaine in
The Lion in Winter.
As Jeanette MacDonald. Accessories
circa 1980
Item 38
Sunhat
circa 1980
Scope and Content Note
Sunhat adorned with sequins, cloth veil, artificial rose.
Item 39
White satin parasol
circa 1980
Scope and Content Note
White satin parasol adorned with blue applique leaves and pink
ribbons and trimmed with lace and pink sequins.
As Other Actresses
circa 1980
Box 21 : 34 ; 22 : 37
Turbans
circa 1980
Scope and Content Note
Two turbans: (1) purple with sequins and a fuchsia feather;
(2) silver colored with rhinestone accents and flat sequins.
Other Shoes, Hats, and Accessories
circa 1980
Box 20 : 35
Pill Box Hat
circa 1980
Scope and Content Note
Silver colored pillbox hat with "Ted Hook's OnStage Busboy"
patch.
Box 20 : 36
Baseball Cap
circa 1980
Scope and Content Note
Gold colored baseball cap, with gold color sequins.
Box 23 : 20
Costume jewelry pearl bracelet
circa 1980
Scope and Content Note
Costume jewelry pearl strands on an elastic bracelet.
Box 23 : 21
Satin cowgirl sequined cuffs
circa 1980
Scope and Content Note
Satin cream colored cowgirl cuffs with white, red, and
silver sequins and rhinestone fringe.
Box 23 : 24-25
Costume earrings
circa 1980
Scope and Content Note
Two pairs of handmade craft-store earrings: (1) silver
glitter glued on plastic bells, and (2) silver sequins mounted on Styrofoam
balls.
Box 23 : 45
Pumps
circa 1980
Scope and Content Note
Silver colored high-heeled pumps, size 65.
Box 24 : 40
Signed draw-string costume bag
circa 1980
Scope and Content Note
Green cloth costume bag signed "Charles Pierce".
Subseries 6.2:
Moppets
circa 1980
Physical Description: 12 linear feet.
Subseries Scope and Content
The Moppets Subseries consists of the puppets, their attached
accessories and several costumes. The Moppets were puppets that allowed the
expressive face of the performer to be seen seemingly attached to a puppet
body. The body of the puppet allowed for more exaggerated and comical
movements. The Moppets include a Bette Davis puppet with a black dress and a
red satin "Christmas" dress and a Mae West puppet with a sequined dress, each
with a drawstring storage bag. The subseries also includes an additional green,
orange, and pink sequined dress trimmed with larger white sequins.
Item 41
Bette Davis Moppet
circa
1980
Scope and Content Note
The Bette Davis moppet includes the doll its attached costume
jewelry, the doll's hand holding a cigarette, a black dress with small silver
color dots, the red satin "Christmas dress," and a cloth draw-string storage
bag.
Item 42
Mae West Moppet
circa
1980
Scope and Content Note
The Mae West moppet includes the doll its attached costume
jewelry and hand holding a fan, a sequined dress with an attached silver color
lined cape and feather trim, and a cloth draw-string storage bag.
Item 43
Character Moppet Dress
circa
1980
Scope and Content Note
An orange, pink, and green sequined moppette dress slit to the
mid-thigh, trimmed with larger white sequins and lined with red cloth.
Subseries 6.3:
Trophies and Awards
1971-1990
Physical Description: 1 records box.
Subseries Scope and Content
A sample of the trophies awarded to Pierce including a "Lulu"
Entertainment trophy. The Lulu's were given at an awards show sponsored by the
Blue Angel West, a bar in Studio City, California; the award may have been
named for Lew Schirtzinger, Awards Chairman. The subseries also includes a
trophy from a greeting card company that produced a line of Pierce greeting
cards, a Gay and Lesbian Adolescent Social Services (GLASS), Los Angeles
trophy, and a trophy from Atlanta's Performing Arts Academy.
Box 17 : 2
"Lulu" Entertainment trophy
1971
Item 1
Atlanta's Academy for Performing Arts, Phyllis Killer
11th Annual Oscar Award, "Special Recognition Live Performance",
trophy
1979
Box 17 : 3
"Most Successful New Card Series" trophy
1987
Box 17 : 4
Gay and Lesbian Adolescent Social Services (GLASS)
Award
1990
Subseries 6.4:
Miscellaneous Artifacts
1971-circa
1990
Physical Description: 1 archive carton, 2 oversizd boxes, 2 oversizd
items in a map case drawer
Subseries Scope and Content
The subseries includes laminated photographs of Pierce with Bea
Arthur, Lucille Ball, Carol Channing, Dixie Carter, Hayden Rorke, and Heather
Tom along with photograph buttons of Pierce as a variety of characters. The
subseries also contains a number of souvenirs such as collectable pins, scene
clapboard, and plaque from the Walk of Fame along with a number of additional
miscellaneous items.
Box 16 : 1-2
Mounted laminated photographs with stands
circa 1990
Physical Description: 2 folders containing 7 mounted images and plastic
stands
Scope and Content Note
Bea Arthur, Lucille Ball, Carol Channing, Dixie Carter, Hayden
Rorke, Heather Tom, and an unidentified woman individually posing with
Pierce.
Box 16 : 3
Miscellaneous button, jewelry, and pins
1971-1988
Scope and Content Note
Souvenir pins from Pasadena Playhouse, Gay Men's Chorus of Los
Angeles, and Warner Brothers along with a gold stick pin, a silver color metal
expansion/stretch band bracelet with inscription "Success-Bimbow's June
16th-20th 1971" and on back "Love Mother & Dad" with color picture of his
mother inside, and other miscellaneous items.
Box 16 : 4
Photograph buttons
circa 1980
Scope and Content Note
Photograph buttons of Pierce as Tallulah Bankhead, Bette Davis,
Jeanette MacDonald, Mae West, and unidentified other actresses/characters along
with photograph buttons of Pierce at Universal Studios and Pierce with Bea
Arthur.
Box 16 : 5-6 ; 17 (Oversize) ; 24
(Oversize)
Souvenirs
1971-1988
Scope and Content Note
Souvenirs include a clapboard slate, a door nameplate "Male
Actress," Walk of Fame souvenir, blue plastic vanity license plate, wall switch
plate with an early image of Bette Davis, a white shirt with an image of Bette
Davis, a pair of director chair bookends, and a yellow artificial flower.
Map case 8 : 1(OS)
Framed cartoon
circa 1980
Scope and Content Note
Framed
New Yorker magazine cartoon with the
text, "Some men have all the luck. He looks exactly like Marlene Dietrich."
Map case 8 : 1 (Oversize)
Unframed Oil Painting of Jeannette MacDonald on a
swing
circa 1980
Subseries 6.4:
Audio, Video, and Computer Media
circa
1960-1999
Physical Description: 1 archive half-carton.
Subseries Scope and Content
This subseries consists of a variety of audio, video, and computer
media including VHS videotape cassettes of
Schizo,
The Charles Pierce Show, and
Holiday Vision, Pierce's performance
with the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles. The subseries also contains compact
audiotape cassettes labeled Pierce's ad-libs and soundtracks. The computer
media includes two zip disks and two CD-ROM backups of the images from a
tribute website for Charles Pierce.
Box 26 : 64
Schizo
circa 1960
Physical Description: 1 VHS videotape cassette copy of 16mm
print.
Box 26 : 65
The Charles Pierce Show (Uncensored)
featuring Legendary Ladies of the Silver Screen
1982
Physical Description: 1 VHS videotape cassette.
Box 26 : 66-68
"Charles Pierce Ad-Libs San Francisco"
soundtrack
circa 1985
Physical Description: 1 compact audiotape cassette.
Box 26 : 67
"Charles Pierce Ad-Libs Forest Lawn"
circa 1985
Physical Description: 1 compact audiotape cassette.
Box 26 : 68
Brookside Cemetery Soundtrack
circa 1985
Physical Description: 1 compact audiotape cassette.
Box 26 : 69
Holiday Visions Charles Pierce and
Bea Arthur with the Gay Men's Chorus Los Angeles
1993
Physical Description: 1 VHS videotape cassette, recorded by Kim
Paulsen.
Box 26 : 70a-70b
"The Charles Pierce Web Site" CD-ROMs
1999
Physical Description: 2 CD-ROM of images from a Charles Pierce tribute
website.
Box 26 : 70c-70d
"The Charles Pierce Web Site" Zip disks
1999
Physical Description: 2 Zip disks of images from a Charles Pierce
tribute website.
