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Inventory of the Krassner School of Theatre Arts Records, 1906-1997
Machine-readable finding aid encoded by Alison Hinderliter, 2007. ©2007. |
Descriptive Summary of the Collection |
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Creator |
Krassner School of Theatre Arts |
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Title |
Krassner School of Theatre Arts Records |
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Dates |
1906-1997 |
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Extent |
3 cubic ft. (5 boxes) |
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Abstract |
Documents, photographs and artifacts reflecting the history of the dance and theater schools founded and run by the Chicago Krassner sisters, both in Illinois and California, from 1924 to 1978. Includes letters, announcements, clippings, cue cards, instruction sheets and scripts, programs, miscellaneous memorabilia and a large collection of photographs. Also, a history of the Krassner schools by the son of Blossom Krassner, Paul J. Hartman, and artifacts consisting of a videocassette, two maracas and a tambourine. |
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Language |
Materials are in English. |
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Repository |
Newberry Library, Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections |
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Collection Call Number |
Dance MS Krassner |
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Collection Stack Location |
3a 48 11 |
Krassner School of Theatre Arts Records, Midwest Manuscript Collection, The Newberry Library, Chicago.
Gift, Daisy Krassner Balcher and William W. Hartman, 1993; Paul J. Hartman, 1997, 2008.
Virginia Hay Smith, 2007.
The Krassner School of Theatre Arts Records are open for research in the Special Collections Reading Room; 5 folders at a time maximum (Priority II).
The Krassner School of Theatre Arts Records are the physical property of the Newberry Library. Copyright may belong to the authors or their legal heirs or assigns. For permission to publish or reproduce any materials from this collection, contact the Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections.
Chicago dance and dramatic arts school.
The Krassner School of Theatre Arts, founded on Chicago’s West Side, was family-owned and operated for over fifty years. The Krassner family emigrated from Russia to Chicago early in the twentieth century where the five youngest daughters – the “teaching Krassners” Annette, twins Lila and Rayna, Daisy and Blossom – were born.
Annette was encouraged by her mother to begin teaching piano shortly after high school, and her programs for early musical recitals trace the rapid expansion of the family school during the Depression. By 1932, Annette’s younger sisters were full-time teachers of music and dramatic arts, and in 1948 two sisters opened a Krassner school in Hollywood.
The Krassner Schools offered all forms of dance and body movement, modeling, dramatic techniques, elocution, use of dialects, piano, guitar, and singing. Regular programs were staged, both in the Chicago area and in Hollywood, and some of the best pupils, including vocalist Gloria Hart, went on to appear in musical comedy, night clubs, radio, television and movies.
Blossom Krassner Hartman, who became the remaining Krassner teacher, ran her Krassner School in Skokie, Illinois, until 1978. She died in 1993.
Papers relating to the Krassner dance and theater arts schools, including announcements, clippings, cue cards, instruction sheets, copies of scripts, programs, a few letters, and assorted miscellaneous memorabilia. Nearly half the collection consists of photographs, mostly of student productions and many undated, which show the development and flourishing of the schools both in Illinois and California. Included are informal shots of the Krassners themselves and many of their students, as well as studio photographs of various performers and shows. Also, a copy of a work by Paul J. Hartman entitled “The Krassners and a History of the Krassner Schools,” complete with photocopies of many of the photographs to serve as illustrations, a videocassette, and several artifacts.
Arranged by type of material.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Newberry Library's public catalog. Researchers desiring additional materials on a particular topic should search the catalog using these headings.
Container List |
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| Box | Folder | Contents | |||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Krassner family: Memorabilia, 1928-1984 and undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Krassner, Blossom: Announcements, programs, publicity, 1976-1977 and undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Krassner, Blossom: Bicentennial Show, 1976 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Krassner, Blossom: Clippings, 1974-1978 | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Krassner, Blossom: Correspondence, 1962-1984 and undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Krassner, Blossom: Devonshire PTA, 1964 and undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Krassner, Blossom: Kilmer PTA, 1952-1957 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Schools, Illinois: Announcements and brochures, 1934-1974 and undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Schools, Illinois: Articles, 1940 | |||||||||
| 1 | 10 | Schools, Illinois: Clippings, 1934-1979 and undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 11 | Schools, Illinois: Correspondence, 1928-1932 | |||||||||
| 1 | 12 | Schools, Illinois: Instruction sheets, 1958 and undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 13 | Schools, Illinois: Programs, 1924-1970 | |||||||||
| 1 | 14 | Schools, Illinois: Scripts, undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 15 | Schools, Illinois: Vaudeville, 1928-1938 | |||||||||
| 1 | 16 | Schools, California: Announcements, brochures, publicity, 1958-1981 and undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 17 | Schools, California: Clippings, 1949-1964 and undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 18 | Schools, California and Illinois: Special students, 1944-1953 and undated | |||||||||
| 1 | 19-22 | Hartman, Paul J.: The Krassners and the History of the Krassner Schools", 1997 (with 2008 update) | |||||||||
| 2 | 23 | Photographs: Krassner family, ca. 1906-1990 and undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 24 | Photographs: Krassner, Blossom, ca. 1910-1990 | |||||||||
| 2 | 25-32 | Photographs: Students and theater productions, 1933-1968 and undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 33 | Photographs: Hollywood professional work, undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 34 | Photographs: Professional student Gloria Hart, undated | |||||||||
| 2 | 35 | Photographs: Professional students, undated | |||||||||
| 3 | 36-39 | Cue cards | |||||||||
| 3 | 40 | Audiocassette: Music is My Life, by Blossom Krassner Hartman (Live Performance), Jun. 25, 1983 | |||||||||
| 3 | 40 | Audiocassette: Say it With Music, by Blossom Krassner Hartman (Rehearsal), October 1981 | |||||||||
| 3 | 41 | Videocassette: Ring Them Bells, undated | |||||||||
| 4 | Artifacts: Two maracas | ||||||||||
| 5 | Artifacts: Tambourine | ||||||||||