Frank and Ventura Alonzo Collection MSS.0202
Descriptive Summary | ||
| Creator | Alonzo, Frank | |
| Creator | Alonzo, Ventura | |
| Title: | Frank and Ventura Alonzo Collection | |
| Dates: | 1920's-1970's | |
| Identification: | MSS.0202 | |
| Quantity: | 2.0 Linear feet, 1 box | |
| Language: | Materials are in English. | |
| Repository: | Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library | |
Biographical Note
Frank and Ventura Alonzo (husband and wife) were longtime residents of Houston and Magnolia Park, and were big band musicians from the 1930's until they retired in the late 1960's. Originally fron San Antonio, Texas, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas respectively, they met in Houston and married in 1931. Discovering a mutual love of music, they began their first band in the late 1930's and played for local gatherings in Magnolia Park. Frank played guitar and Ventura played the accordian. Their orchestra developed into "Alonzo y Sus Rancheros" during the 1940's with Frank as the leader and Ventura as lead vocalist. From the 1940's through the 1960's the band was popular in Houston as well as in many other areas of Texas where they travelled to perform. They specialized in música ranchera, a form of music from Texas roughly equivalent to a Mexican American country western sound. Over these three decades few Mexican American dance bands enjoyed the popularity and acclaim of "Alonzo y Sus Rancheros".
Scope and Contents
The collection is mainly composed of photographs with a folder of biographical data compiled by their granddaughter Linda Alonzo Saenz and Thomas H. Kreneck, and a handbill announcement and page from a Woodmen of the World publication. Some of the photos deal with their sons, Frank Jr. and Alonzo Alonzo, and various community activities in which the family participated. There is also an oral history with Frank and Ventura Alonzo in the oral history collection under number OH 344.1.
Arrangement | ||
| The visuals are roughly in chronological order by subjects. Each visual has its own identification sheet. | ||
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
None.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish or reproduce materials from the Frank and Ventura Alonzo Collection must be obtained from the Houston Metropolitan Research Center or the appropriate copyright holder.
Index Terms | ||
| Alonzo y Sus Rancheros (Musical group) | ||
| Alonzo, Frank | ||
| Alonzo, Ventura | ||
| Mexican American musicians--Texas--Houston | ||
| Mexican Americans--Texas--Houston | ||
| Musicans--Texas--Houston | ||
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Frank and Ventura Alonzo Collection. Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library.
Acquisition Information
Donated by Frank and Ventura Alonzo.
Processing Information
Processed by Linda A. Saenz and Thomas H. Kreneck.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Biographical Information | |||||||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Biographical and Family History re Frank and Ventura Alonzo, 1920's-1970's | |||||||||||