Mary Dawson Papers
Scope and Contents Note
The papers of a stage and vaudeville star. Included are letters, newspaper clippings, photographs, postcards, and memorabilia concerning her family and her stage career. Included is a collection of love letters sent to her from 1911 to 1954; the majority are from the period 1911-1913. Included are letters or carbon copies of letters between Dee Fearon and Fifi (Mary Dawson) from 1974. Included is a collection of newspaper clippings about her daughter Dolores Dawson. Included also is a collection of newspaper clippings about the death in 1941 of Joe Penner, a comedian, and a signed letter from Barbara Walters.
Dates
- 1911-1982
Creator
- Dawson, Mary, 1890-1982 (Person)
Access Restrictions
No restrictions on access.
Use Restrictions
Information on literary rights available in the repository.
Biograhpical Note
Mary E. Dawson (nee Elizabeth Buzby) was born in 1890 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died in 1982 in Florida. She was the daughter of a Philadelphia policeman. She performed some of her first dancing routines in Old Town, Maine, in 1905. She became known in the entertainment world as Mademoiselle Fifi. She was born and raised in Philadelphia, but spent many years touring the world. During the 1920's she was a headliner at the Minsky burlesque houses in New York. Her daughter Dolores Dawson Salazar was a dancer and actress and owner along with her husband Mickey Salazar of the Pink Pussycat Lounge in North Palm Beach, Florida.
Extent
3 Folders
1 folio folder
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The papers of a stage and vaudeville star. Included are letters, newspaper clippings, photographs, postcards, and memorabilia concerning her family and her stage career.
Organization and Arrangement
Large newspaper clippings are located in folio folder.
Custodial History
Mary Dawson sent her letters and memorabilia to Dee Fearon who was an editor for Elderberry Times, a weekly newspaper in Old Town, Maine published in 1974.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Deposited by Dee Fearon in 1974.
General
No finding aid - see Special Collections librarian for assistance.
- Burlesque (Theater) -- United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Clippings Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Correspondence Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Dawson, Dolores
- Fearon, Dee
- Letters (Correspondence) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Love letters Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Love letters Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Penner, Joe, 1904-1941
- Photocopies Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Photographs Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Picture postcards Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Postcard albums Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Postcards Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Vaudeville -- United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Walters, Barbara, 1929-
- Title
- Guide to the Mary Dawson Papers
- Status
- No Additional Box Or Folder List For This Small Collection
- Date
- 2012
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English.
Repository Details
Part of the Raymond H. Fogler Library Special Collections Repository
5729 Raymond H. Fogler Library
University of Maine
Orono ME 04469-5729 United States
207-581-1686
