Clarence McGehee collection on Ruth St. Denis, circa 1908-1937

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Summary

Creators:
McGehee, Clarence
Abstract:
The collection is comprised of correspondence, typescripts, manuscripts, newspaper clippings, programs and ephemera collected by Ruth St. Denis' publicist, Clarence McGehee. Most materials, including a scrapbook of newspaper clippings, pertain to Ruth St. Denis and the Denishawn Dancers. Other materials pertain to contemporaries of Ruth St. Denis in the dance world, including Ted Shawn, members of Ballet Russe, Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, Norma Gould and Trudi Schoop. Also in the collection are clippings of an anonymous author's newspaper column; McGehee may be the author. Items date from circa 1908 to 1937.
Extent:
4.7 Linear Feet (5 boxes) and 4.7 linear feet
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

Clarence McGehee Collection on Ruth St. Denis. MS-P 25. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California. Date accessed.

For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection is comprised of correspondence, typescripts, manuscripts, newspaper clippings, programs and ephemera collected by Ruth St. Denis' publicist, Clarence McGehee. Most materials, including a scrapbook of newspaper clippings, pertain to Ruth St. Denis and the Denishawn Dancers. Other materials pertain to contemporaries of Ruth St. Denis in the dance world, including Ted Shawn, members of Ballet Russe, Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, Norma Gould and Trudi Schoop. Also in the collection are clippings of an anonymous author's newspaper column; McGehee may be the author. Items date from circa 1908 to 1937.

The collection is organized in three series. Series 1 is comprised of correspondence received by Clarence McGehee and Ruth St. Denis. Series 2 contains writings by unknown authors and an essay purportedly written by Ruth St. Denis. Series 3, the largest series, consists of printed items, including a scrapbook of clippings on Ruth St. Denis, loose newspaper and magazine clippings, programs, playbills and flyers.

Series 3 is arranged in five subject subseries. The first three subseries overlap in subject; the materials illustrate the careers of Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn and document activities of their school, Denishawn, and the Denishawn Dancers. Subseries 3.4 represents other major dancers, choreographers and companies of the era; the materials also include information on relevant topics of world dance, including Native American and Latin American dance. McGehee's collection contains numerous playbills from dance performances held in Los Angeles area theatres. Most performances were by nationally or internationally renowned companies such as Ballet Theatre and Ballet Russe. The final subseries contains materials unrelated to dance, including articles and business cards collected by McGehee.

Biographical / historical:

Clarence McGehee was a writer and publicist for Ruth St. Denis in the first decade of the twentieth century. He collected materials primarily by and about Ruth St. Denis and also gathered information on many of her dance contemporaries. McGehee was a resident of Redondo Beach, California.

In 1911, several papers announced McGehee's engagement to Ruth St. Denis, but they never married.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Valerie Ormont in 1996.
Processing information:

Processed by Laura Clark Brown in 1997.

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Property rights reside with the University of California. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.

Preferred citation:

Clarence McGehee Collection on Ruth St. Denis. MS-P 25. Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California. Date accessed.

For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.

Location of this collection:
Special Collections and Archives
The UCI Libraries, P.O. Box 19557
Irvine, CA 92623-9557, US
Contact:
(949) 824-3947
spcoll@uci.libanswers.com
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