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Southern Methodist University

Davis-Xander-Baker collection

A Guide to the Collection


Overview

Creator: Clark M. Davis
Title: Davis-Xander-Baker collection
Inclusive Dates: 1881-1965
Abstract: The Davis-Xander-Baker Collection consists of materials from Clark M. Davis, Mrs. Tacie L. Davis, Carl Xander and Jack Baker relating to theater and film, primarily in Washington D.C. The collection includes artwork, clippings, correspondence, documents, ephemera, manuscripts, musical score, programs, publicity, published works, scripts and photographs.
Extent: 5 boxes (1.045 linear feet)
Language: Material is in English
Repository Jerry Bywaters Special Collections, Hamon Arts Library, Southern Methodist University DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University

Biographical (People) / Historical (Organization) Note

The collection includes materials from Clark M. Davis and his wife, Mrs. Tacie L. Davis, his uncle, Carl Xander, and his cousin, Jack Baker. Davis donated the material to the McCord Theatre Museum (predecessor to the McCord/Renshaw Collection on the Performing Arts) in 1967.

Clark M. Davis worked with Lichtman theaters in Washington D.C. primarily as a film buyer but also with film exhibition, production and distribution for 32 years. Davis also assisted in organizing entertainment for several presidential inaugural celebrations. His wife, Mrs. Tacie L. Davis, was very active in the Washington D.C. Variety Club and also operated the Servicemen’s Ticket Hut in Washington for three years during World War II.

Carl Xander was an avid theater goer and first-nighter, primarily in Washington D.C. and New York City. Programs demonstrating this theater habit date from 1900.

Jack Baker worked with MGM as a dance instructor and choreographer during the 1950s and 1960s. He was involved in films such as Paint Your Wagon,The Caddy,A Star is Born, as well as television shows such as The Lucy Show.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Davis-Xander-Baker collection includes a wide variety of materials including artwork, clippings, correspondence, documents, ephemera, manuscripts, musical scores, programs, publicity, published works, scripts and photographs.

 

Arrangement of the Collection

The collection is organized into 12 series:
Series 1: Artwork, undated
Series 2: Clippings, 1937-1967
Series 3: Correspondence, 1943-1957
Series 4: Documents, 1941-1951
Series 5: Ephemera, 1881-1952
Series 6: Manuscripts, circa 1930s
Series 7: Musical Scores, 1937
Series 8: Programs, 1900-1967
Series 9: Publicity, circa 1930s
Series 10: Published Works, 1931-1965
Series 11: Scripts, 1966-1967
Series 12: Photographs, circa 1930-1950

Restrictions

Access to Collection:

Collection is open for research use. Appointment with curatorial staff at Hamon Library is required.

Publication Rights:

Permission to publish materials must be obtained from the curatorial staff at Hamon Library.

Copyright Statement:

It is the responsibility of the user to obtain copyright authorization.

Access Terms

This collection is indexed under the following terms in the Southern Methodist University Libraries' online catalog. Researchers desiring related materials may search the catalog using these terms.
Davis, Clark M.
Theater -- Washington (D.C.) -- 20th century.
Washington (D.C.) -- Social life and customs -- 20th century.
Washington (D.C.) -- Intellectual life -- 20th century.
Programs -- 20th century.
Letters -- 20th century.
Photographs.
Davis, Tacie L.
Xander, Carl.
Baker, Jack.

Related Material

This is one of the collections in the McCord/Renshaw collection on the performing arts. Related materials are located in the Bywaters Special Collections of the Hamon Arts Library of Southern Methodist University.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Davis-Xander-Baker collection, McCord/Renshaw Collection on the Performing Arts, Jerry Bywaters Special Collections, Hamon Arts Library, Southern Methodist University.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Clark M. Davis, 1967.

Processing Information

The Davis-Xander-Baker Collection was received in little discernible order. During its processing, the collection was divided into separate files for artwork, clippings, correspondence, documents, ephemera, manuscripts, musical scores, programs, publicity, published works, scripts and photographs. Folded documents were flattened, and the papers were arranged alphabetically/chronologically by subject and medium, placed in acid-free folders, and stored in acid-free boxes.

Processed by

Emily George Grubbs, 2012.

Finding aid written by

Emily George Grubbs, 2012.

Encoded by

Ada Negraru, 2012.

Detailed Description of the Collection

 

Series 1:
Artwork, undated

The artwork consists of one drawing of Clark M. Davis.
Box Folder
1 01 Artwork


 

Series 2:
Clippings, 1937-1967

The clippings contain articles about the Washington D.C. Variety Club, Jack Baker and articles concerning entertainment, primarily from the Washington Post.
Box Folder
1 02 Clippings


 

Series 3:
Correspondence, 1943-1957

The correspondence contains letters from the War Hospitality Committee to invitations to the 1949 and 1957 inaugurations, as well as a letter from Vice-President Richard Nixon thanking Clark Davis for escorting Marian Anderson to President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1957 inauguration.
Box Folder
1 03 Correspondence


 

Series 4:
Documents, 1941-1951

Documents include material on American Theatre Wing War Services, Inc., 1965 Inaugural Registration, the War Hospitality Committee and What Price Negro Business written by Clark M. Davis. Items of particular note include the official envelopes and cards given to the following Academy Award Winners in 1951:
  • Supporting Actor: Karl Malden in A Streetcar Named Desire
  • Actress: Vivian Leigh in A Streetcar Named Desire (Greer Garson accepted the award for Miss Leigh)
  • Story and Screenplay: Alan Jay Lerner for An American in Paris (Nancy Olson accepted the Award)
  • Actor: Humphrey Bogart in The African Queen
Box Folder
1 04 Documents-Academy Award Envelopes and Cards
05 Documents-Certificates


 

Series 5:
Ephemera, 1881-1952

Ephemera of particular note include admission cards to the National Museum in 1881, the Inaugural Reception in 1881, the White House 1952 and 1946 as well as dance cards to 1903 The Merrymakers,1908 Navy Yard Apprentices, 1909 Inaugural Ball and the 1904 U.S.S. Mayflower Ball.
Box Folder
1 06 Ephemera
07 Ephemera-Admission cards
08 Ephemera-Dance cards
09 Ephemera-Variety Club


 

Series 6:
Manuscripts, circa 1930s

Manuscripts of particular note include an itinerary for Thomas I. Luckett and Miss R. Tacie Luckett (Mrs. Clark Davis) for trip to Paris in 1930 by Bartlett, Dixon and Cie S.A.
Box Folder
1 10 Manuscripts


 

Series 7:
Musical Score, 1937

The musical score consists of I Love You by Alexander Bartnovsky which is autographed to Mr. and Mrs. Clark Davis by Bartnovsky.
Box Folder
1 11 Musical Score


 

Series 8:
Programs, 1900-1967

The folders are primarily organized by locations, with exceptions for programs without a clear location identified. The New York and Washington D.C. programs, most likely collected by Carl Xander, include opening night performances of local and touring opera and theater productions. The Variety Club material collected by Mrs. Tacie Davis, contain primarily Washington D.C. materials such as the Annual Dinner Dance dating from 1934 to 1962. Programs of particular note include the 1937-1945 President’s Birthday Bash which raised funds for National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis founded by Franklin D. Roosevelt (known today as March of Dimes) and the presidential inaugurations of 1905, 1949, 1953, and 1957. Clark M. Davis helped organize the entertainment for both the inaugural celebrations of 1949, 1953 and 1957 and the President’s Birthday Bash.
Box Folder
1 12 Programs-Academy Awards
13 Programs-California
14 Programs-Film
15 Programs-Ice Capades
16 Programs-Inaugurations
17 Programs-Maryland
18 Programs-Missouri
19 Programs-New Jersey
Box Folder
2 01 Programs-New York (A-B)
02 Programs-New York (C-G)
03 Programs-New York (H-L)
04 Programs-New York (M)
05 Programs-New York (M-P)
06 Programs-New York (Q-Z)
07 Programs-Pennsylvania
08 Programs-The President’s Birthday Bash
09 Programs-The President’s Birthday Bash
10 Programs –Souvenirs
Box Folder
3 01 Programs-Souvenirs
02 Programs-Washington D.C.
03 Programs-Washington D.C. - Carter Barron
Box Folder
Amphitheatre 04 Programs-Washington D.C. - National Theatre
05 Programs-Washington D.C. - Poli’s Theatre
06 Programs-Washington D.C. - Shubert Belasco
Box Folder
Theater 07 Programs-Washington D.C. - Shubert Garrick Theater
08 Programs-Washington D.C. - Organization
09 Programs-Variety Club
10 Programs-Variety Club-Business Meeting
11 Programs-Variety Club-Convention
12 Programs-Variety Club-Convention
13 Programs-Variety Club-Convention
Box Folder
4 01 Programs-Variety Club-Dinner Dance
02 Programs-Variety Club-Dinner Dance
03 Programs-Variety Club-Dinner Dance
04 Programs-Variety Club-Dinner Dance
05 Programs-Variety Club-Dinner Dance


 

Series 9:
Publicity, circa 1930s

The publicity contains publicity materials for “Anything Goes”, Copacabana; Carnival; and “Zanzibarabian Nights”
Box Folder
4 06 Publicity


 

Series 10:
Published Works, 1931-1965

The published works include publications such as Crossroads to War and the Road Back- United Nations Service Center, The Playgoer: A Magazine for the Theatre, and yearbooks of the Variety Club of Washington D.C.
Box Folder
4 07 Published Works-Booklet
08 Published Works-Newsletter
09 Published Works-Periodicals
10 Published Works-The Variety Club-Yearbooks


 

Series 11:
Scripts, 1966-1967

The scripts contain two working scripts from The Lucy Show. The first draft of “Main Street U.S.A.” dated October 3, 1966 and the final draft of “Lucy, the Starmaker” dated May 15, 1967.
Box Folder
4 11 Scripts


 

Series 12:
Photographs, circa 1930-1950

Photographs consist of autographed headshots, film productions, the Variety Club, and photographs from an event (most likely USO) which include Angela Lansbury, Alan Ladd, Roy Rogers, Geraldine Fitzgerald, James Cagney, Jack Dempsey, Gene Autry, Cesar Romero, Mickey Rooney, Rosalind Russell, and others.
Box Folder
P/S 1 01 Photographs-Groups
02 Photographs-Groups-Autographed
03 Photographs-Events
04 Photographs-Events
05 Photographs-Events
06 Photographs-Events-Sheila and Jack Baker Wedding
07 Photographs-Events-Variety Club Convention
08 Photographs-Family
09 Photographs-Film Productions
10 Photographs-Film Productions