Scope and Contents
Photographs and postcards depicting walkathon or dance marathon venues, contestants,
employees, and spectators, as well as images of Vernon Balfour and various possible
acquaintances and associates. Contains portraits of couples married during a walkathon
and couples or individuals who competed. Events depicted in the collection include the
1935 Vernon Balfour Walk-A-Thon in Compton, California; an unidentified derby in
Alameda; promotion for a walkathon at the Egyptian Ballroom in Ocean Park Pier,
California; and a walkathon in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Competitors featured in the collection include Porky and Bella Jacobs, "Smiling Ducky"
Naccarato, Marjorie Knowles, and Scotty Reed. Other individuals named or possibly
identified in the collection include Walter Gross and Gladys Sutton; Henry Bartels; and
Eddie Anderson; Ham; Wonderley; Johnnie MsSwain; Includes a number of photographs of
Vernon Balfour and associates. A number of photographs have inscriptions to Vernon
Balfour or members of the Balfour family written on them from various individuals,
including Bud Anderson; [Curley] Linder; Billy Mack; Bill [Cowney]; [Paul] Heusel; Star
Herrick; and Garnet Carter.
