Shea, Helen

Scope and Contents

This series contains information about Shea's life and family history. Included is a short biography entitled "Miss Shea, the South End Follies Girl", by Dick Card, and an approximate timeline of her life. There are also some handwritten notes on Shea's relatives and church certificates belonging to her mother. This series also includes a photocopy of Shea's death certificate from the Town Clerk's Office in Brookline, MA, and an ad for the auction of her estate in March of 1983.

Scope and Contents

This small series consists of clippings from newspapers and magazines. Most of them feature photographs of Shea dressed up in costume or modeling clothing. Also included is a feature from "PIC" magazine about Sally Rand, one of the performers who infringed upon Shea's copyright of Leda and the Swan.

Scope and Contents This series contains Shea's correspondence, the bulk of which pertains to the copyright process for her original works. This includes letters to and from the US Copyright Office regarding the eligibility and status of her copyright applications. Also included are handwritten Certificates of Copyright Registration for all three of her works, as well as a letter instructing Janice Andre to cease performing Leda and the Swan. The series also contains some correspondence between Shea and various...

Scope and Contents This series contains costumes and related materials from Shea's performances. Due to a mold infestation, the costumes were photographed and removed from the collection, and the photographs were printed on acid-free paper along with any identifying information. Most of the materials seem to be parts of costumes, rather than whole outfits, and the series includes loose materials intended for costumes and scenery, such as tulle sheets. The head of the swan prop from the Leda and the Swan dance...

Scope and Contents This collection contains materials related to the life of Helen Shea. The collection includes photographs, costumes, programs, original works, correspondence, and other materials from her career as a dancer. The material dates from approximately 1920 to 1999, with the majority produced during the span of her dancing career, from about 1920 to 1942. The bulk of the material is made up of photographs, original writings, and correspondence regarding Shea's best-known performance piece, Leda and...

Scope and Contents

This series contains materials in the collection that do not seem to be related or fit in with the rest of the materials. Included are two OPA Ration Red Tokens from World War II, and several light gel and fabric sample booklets. The series also includes an undated Volunteer Co-Operative Bank mortgage valuation certificate for the property at 147 West Newton St. in Boston. This was not the address of Shea's home, and lists the owner as a Sarah E. Shine.

Scope and Contents

This series contains sheet music and songbooks, many of which are handwritten. When identifiable, the sheet music has been arranged by title, but many of them are unlabeled working copies. The handwritten sheet music is often marked by stage notes and edits for the dance pieces. The series also contains published songbooks for various titles, including "the Champagne Waltz" and "Sophisticated Lady".

Scope and Contents

This series contains copies of original writings by Shea, including hand and typewritten copies of Leda and the Swan, and Psyche at Nature's Mirror. There are a few pages of notes written on scrap paper with ideas for the works, as well as copies that have been edited.

Scope and Contents This series consists of photographs of Helen Shea and other performers. The majority of the photographs feature Helen Shea in costume for various performances, and some were taken on-stage with other cast members. There is a large group of promotional shots taken for her performances of Leda and the Swan; many are duplicates which have been hand-edited in some way. The duplicate photographs have been separated, unless they have been hand-colored or otherwise edited. Most of the photographs...

Scope and Contents

This small series contains programs and announcements regarding Shea's dances. Included is a cardboard placard announcing the performance of Leda and the Swan and an advertisement for a performance at Club Avalon's, both of which list the copyright number for the dance. All of the items are undated.