| Description |
2.5 linear feet (2 boxes ) |
| Summary |
The Lillian E. Bradley papers consist of three folders of photographs, mainly of Lillian Bradley. A single scrapbook, which documents her charity work during World War I and later in life, contains concert programs and thank you letters for her humanitarian efforts. A folder of programs and correspondence also includes the musical parts for her published song, Without You Dear, I'm So Lonely (1912). Bradley's wedding invitation and funeral card are included among the documents, but there is little else of a personal nature in the collection. |
| Biography |
Lillian E. Bradley (1880-1961) was a soprano on the popular musical stage, who later also acted as a theatrical agent and impresario, well-known for giving and arranging performances for charity. Born Lillian Elizabeth Rustmann, she married John James Bradley, the son of wealthy contractor, William Bradley in 1904. The marriage proved to be an unhappy one and ended in a well-publicized divorce case. Choosing to support herself and her young daughter (also called Lillian), Bradley began to sing professionally in local venues after leaving her husband. By the time her divorce was finalized in 1912, Bradley was giving concerts at hotels and resorts and had published a popular song, Without You Dear, I'm So Lonely. During World War I, she toured extensively, but also organized the Bradley Volunteer Entertainers, which solicited donations to support performers who went to military hospitals and training camps around the United States. In the 1930s, she presented variety programming under the auspices of the Lillian Bradley Entertainment Bureau. In 1940, Bradley celebrated her twentieth year in show business, with a lavish Gay Nineties Ball at the Hotel Warwick in New York City. This event was a benefit for the Stagecrafters Dinner Club, and the patrons included Milton Berle, Irving Berlin, Al Jolson, Mary Pickford, and Ed Sullivan. Throughout the 1940s and early 1950s she continued to entertain in hospitals and homes for the aged, arranging programs that featured a varied bill of singers, child performers, and magicians. Her own performances on these occasions traded on 1890s nostalgia; she became known for Lillian Russell impersonations. |
| Indexes |
Collection guide available in repository and on internet. |
| Subject |
Bradley, Lillian E.
|
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Benefit performances -- New York (State) -- New York.
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Impresarios -- United States.
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Sopranos (Singers) -- United States.
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Women singers -- United States.
|
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World War, 1914-1918 -- Civilian relief.
|
| Genre/Form |
Clippings.
|
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Correspondence.
|
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Memorial cards.
|
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Photographs.
|
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Programs.
|
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Scrapbooks.
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Scores.
|
| Occupation |
Impresarios. |
|
Sopranos (Singers) |
| Added Author |
Russell, Lillian, 1861-1922.
|
|
American Music Collection.
|
| Call No. |
JPB 06-24
|
| Research Call Number |
JPB 06-24
|
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