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Creator
Lee, Fran, 1910-2010
Call number
MssCol 1717
Physical description
10.5 linear feet (18 boxes, 1 oversized folder); 50 vhs tapes
Preferred Citation

Fran Lee papers, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library.

Repository
Manuscripts and Archives Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.Restrictions apply

Fran Lee (née Frances Lederman, 1910-2010) was an actress, model, consumer advocate, and television personality who appeared on early television programs as "Mrs. Fix-It." The collection dates from 1925 to 1994 and contains correspondence, professional files, video tapes, and films.

Biographical/historical information

Fran Lee was an actress and consumer activist who for many years was known as "Mrs. Fix-it."

Fran Lee (née Frances Lederman) was born in New York City in 1910. In 1929, she married Samuel Weiss and became an actress, often using the stage name Karen Stewart. In the 1940s, Lee took the name by which she is now known and appeared on television as "Mrs. Fix-it," providing household advice and handicraft ideas. She became a consumer advocate on both television and radio. In 1948 and 1949, she and her son Gene toured with the Medea touring company across the United States.

Fran Lee continued to make appearances on television for nearly fifty years. She had her own program entitled Mrs. Fix-it, and appeared on other programs as the "Tidy Dee Lady," "Mrs. Consumer," and "Granny Franny." Each of these personae offered advice on how to improve conditions in the home. She appeared regularly on The Frances Langford - Don Ameche Show, The Skitch Henderson Show, and The New Yorker Show. She made guest appearances on The Ernie Kovacs Show, The Steve Allen Show, The Tonight Show, and The Mike Douglas Show. Fran Lee was also seen in a series of commercials for various products in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1970s, she appeared on a variety of New York City television channels, including WNEW, Channel Five, and WPIX Channel Eleven News, as their consumer editor.

Fran Lee continued to be a vocal spokesperson on consumer issues into the 1990s. She was one of several people responsible for the enactment of New York City's "pooper scooper" law, dealing with the disposal of dog waste on the city streets. She was the founder of Menonomous, a support group for women in menopause.

Fran Lee died in 2010.

Scope and arrangement

The Fran Lee papers date from 1925 to 1994 and document her career as an actress and consumer advocate. The collection contains correspondence, professional files, and video tapes and films of her appearances on television.

The films and video tapes make up the bulk of the collection. They document Fran Lee's career from the 1940s to the 1970s and include her appearances on early television programs, such as The Skitch Henderson Show, Who Do You Trust? (with Johnny Carson), The Steve Allen Show, and The Frances Langford - Don Ameche Show. There are also recordings of commercials in which she appeared, regular consumer news segments she hosted for WPIX and WNEW in New York City, and segments from The Ladies Day Movie with Fran Lee.

Professional files contain photographs, articles, contracts, press releases, and printed material pertaining to Fran Lee's career as a consumer advocate, model, and actress.

The Fran Lee papers are arranged in three series:

  • 1. Correspondence
    1948-1958
    3 linear feet

    This series consists of correspondence received and sent by Fran Lee. Included are letters from Fran Lee's time with the touring company of Medea, as well as letters from viewers of her program, Mrs. Fix-It. Professional correspondence documents her acting, modeling, and consumer advocacy.

  • 2. Moving Images
    1949-1976

    This series consists of Fran Lee's television appearances in her role as a consumer advocate. They document her career and also highlight some of the celebrities she worked with.

    The films and video tapes were all transferred to VHS viewer access copies.

  • Series III: Professional Files

    Professional files contain photographs, articles, contracts, press releases, and printed material pertaining to Fran Lee's career as a consumer advocate, model, and actress. Photographs consist of headshots, production stills from Lee's appearances on talk shows, publicity photographs, and snapshots of her craft projects. Other files generally contain a scattering of articles, printed material, and advertisements featuring Lee. The file pertaining to dog issues contains a small amount of correspondence in addition to brochures, articles, and statistical and medical information that Lee acquired for her research.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Gift of Fran Lee, 1984 and 2007.

Processing information

Compiled by JSD,January 1993. Additional materials were processed and integrated into the collection by Robyn Hjermstad, 2015.

Using the collection

Location

Manuscripts and Archives Division
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018-2788
Brooke Russell Astor Reading Room, Third Floor, Room 328

Access restrictions

Original tapes cannot be played, but VHS service copies are available for viewing.