- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"simple", "value"=>".63 linear feet (2 boxes)"}
- unitid
-
{"value"=>"*T Mss 1953-002", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"21336", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Nila Mack papers"}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Billy Rose Theatre Division."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>Nila Mack Papers, *T-Mss 1953-002, Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Mack, Nila, 1891-1953", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Nila Mack was born in Arkansas City, Kansas on October 24, 1891. She was an only child. Her mother was a dancer and ran her own dancing school. Her father was an engineer who died tragically in a train wreck. Upon her father's death, she attended Ferry Hall in Lake Forest, Illinois. After graduating, she went to Boston and took courses in French, dance, and voice training. She was also a pianist and played in her mother's dancing school.</p> <p>Nila Mack's early career began in vaudeville and as a leading lady in a traveling repertory company. She married her leading man, <span class=\"persname\">Roy Briant</span>. When Briant joined Paramount Pictures as a writer, Mack became a member of Nazimova's company. She was in the film titled <span class=\"title\">War Brides</span> and also wrote scenarios for screen shorts. She also acted on Broadway and appeared in the plays <span class=\"title\">Fair and Warmer</span> and <span class=\"title\">A Doll's House</span>. Her husband, Roy Briant, died in 1927 after 13 years of marriage. She was also an actress in the radio program <span class=\"title\">CBS Radio Guild of the Air</span>.</p> <p>Nila Mack, returned to Kansas to nurse her ill mother and at that time became the program director of a local station. This was the beginning of her career in radio programming. In 1930, CBS asked her to return and take over the children's program <span class=\"title\">The Adventures of Helen and Mary</span> later renamed <span class=\"title\">Let's Pretend</span> which she produced for the next 23 years. The show featured dramatizations of classic fairy tales. It was one of the most successful children's shows in radio broadcasting history. Nila Mack received fan mail from youngsters and mothers, some of which was read during the show. From her shows she discovered young talents who became performers, producers, directors, and writers. Nila Mack also produced other radio programs such as <span class=\"title\">Let Freedom Ring</span>, <span class=\"title\">Treasures Next Door</span>, <span class=\"title\">Sunday Morning at Aunt Susan's</span>, <span class=\"title\">Funny Things</span>, and <span class=\"title\">March of Games</span>. Nila also wrote children's stories for magazines and wrote the book <span class=\"title\">Animal Allies</span> and a storybook of <span class=\"title\">Let's Pretend</span>.</p> <p>Nila Mack died of a heart ailment in her New York apartment on January 20, 1953. She won numerous awards for <span class=\"title\">Let's Pretend</span> as well as individual awards for her accomplishments. During her 23 years in radio she was known as \"Fairy Godmother of Radio\".</p>"}
- custodhist
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Nila Mack Papers were donated by Elaine Ivans in 1953.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Nila Mack Papers consist of correspondence, personal papers, photographs, clippings, and scrapbooks. The clippings and the scrapbook provide a complete overview of her life and career and span 1910 to her death.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Nila Mack papers are arranged in five series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21336#c296971'>Series I: Correspondence</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1915-1953</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>12 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains correspondence from family, relatives, friends, and colleagues. It documents her career in radio broadcasting and her personal relations with family and friends.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21336#c296984'>Series II: Personal Papers</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1914-1953</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>9 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains press releases, programs, calling cards signed by various friends and colleagues, and poetry. It also includes a tribute by <span class=\"persname\">Howard Lindsay</span> on the occasion of Nila Mack's death, radio scripts for the <span class=\"corpname\">National Advisory Council on Radio in Education</span> and <span class=\"title\">The Adventures of Helen and Mary</span>, lists of scripts for radio programming, and a handwritten play entitled <span class=\"title\">Western Farmer and Hero Tramp</span> dated 1914.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21336#c296991'>Series III: Photographs</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1916-1948</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>2 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains miscellaneous photographs of <span class=\"persname\">Nila Mack</span>, her husband <span class=\"persname\">Roy Briant</span>, relatives, friends, and colleagues. Also included are photographic stills of the motion picture <span class=\"title\">War Brides</span>.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21336#c296994'>Series IV: Scrapbooks</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1932-1948</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>2 scrapbooks</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains two scrapbooks that document the career of Nila Mack between 1932-1948. The scrapbooks were photocopied for conservation purposes.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21336#c296997'>Series V: Clippings</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1910-1953</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>6 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains clippings about the life and career of <span class=\"persname\">Nila Mack</span>. The clippings were photocopied for conservation purposes.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p> <ul> <li>Series I: Correspondence</li> <li>Series II: Personal Papers</li> <li>Series III: Photographs</li> <li>Series IV: Scrapbooks</li> <li>Series V: Clippings</li></ul></p>", "supress_display"=>true}
- separatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<ul> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Aley, Albert</span> (3)</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Anderson, Arthur</span> (2), 1 autographed</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Backus, Georgia</span> (1)</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Block, Vivian</span> (1)</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Blume, Ethel</span> (2), 1 autographed</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Colton, Kingsley</span> (2)</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Erskine, Marilyn</span> (1)</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Grimes, Jackie</span> (1)</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Homier, Skip</span> (1)</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Jordan, Jack</span> (1) autographed</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Kelk, Jackie</span> (2)</li> <li> <span class=\"title\">Let's Pretend</span> (9)</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Levy, Estelle</span> (5), 3 autographed</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">McCallion, Jimmy</span> (2) autographed</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Mack, Nila</span> (14)</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Mauch, Bobby</span> (2) autographed</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">O'Day, Michael</span> (1)</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Stickney, Dorothy</span> (1)</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Stone, Tony</span> (1)</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Tetley, Walter</span> (3), 1 autographed</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Tyler, Betty Jane</span> (1)</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Wick, Ted</span> (1) autographed</li> <li> <span class=\"persname\">Wolfe, Miriam</span> (3), 1 autographed</li></ul>"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Ramon Cabrera.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p>In 1995, the collection was recatalogued and reorganized and all clippings were photocopied for preservation purposes.</p>"}
- accessrestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>Photocopying prohibited.</p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>For permission to publish, contact the Curator, Billy Rose Theatre Division.</p>"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1910-1953", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1910/1953"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1910
- date_inclusive_end
-
1953
- acqinfo
-
{"accession_number"=>"THe Mss 1953-002"}
{"date"=>"1953", "source"=>"Elaine Ivans", "method"=>"Gift", "extent"=>".63 o", "value"=>"Gift, Elaine Ivans, 1953"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"The Nila Mack papers contain correspondence, personal papers and ephemera, photographs, clippings and scrapbooks. The clippings and scrapbooks provide a complete overview of her life and career and span the years 1910 until her death in 1953."}
- keydate
-
1910
- date_start
-
1910
- date_end
-
1953