A Guide to the Ice Capades Collection, 1940-1993

Biographical Note

Ice Capades is a traveling theatrical ice skating show that held its first show in Hershey, Pennsylvania in 1940, organized by the Arena Managers Association at the prompting of John Harris, a hockey team owner. Harris initially gained interest in ice shows when he booked Sonja Henie for a half-time show during a hockey game and raised attendance. He hired skating stars, developed acts, formed a production team, and started Ice Capades. John Harris served as president and producer untin retiring in 1964. George W. Eby became president in 1963 when the company was sold to Metromedia, followed by the leadership of Richard Palmer in 1980. Ice Capades presented shows internationally in London, Mexico, Russia, Australia, and Japan. The Ice Capades expanded their scope with the opening of the Ice Capades Chalet division in 1966, which developed a copyrighted curriculum of ice skating instructions for training future world and Olympic competitors.

Scope and Contents

Programs, photographs, and a book document the Ice Capades from 1962 to 1993. The text Ice Capades: Years of Entertainment includes history of the company along with pictures of memorabilia. Photograph transparencies include color images of couple figure skaters. A four-foot autographed photo of Dorothy Hamill is included. In 2007 the Center also acquired photocopies of Peter A. Tyrrell, Sr.'s publicity scrapbooks dating to 1940-41.

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Unrestricted access

Related Material

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Ice Capades Collection, 1940-1993, Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.

Detailed Description of the Papers