Scope and arrangement
The Dorothy Kilgallen Papers and Scrapbooks consist of personal papers, photographs and scrapbooks documenting her versatile career as newswoman, actress, TV personality, radio hostess, wife and mother from 1930 to her death in 1965. The collection is a wealth of photographs and clippings but has virtually no correspondence. It reveals Ms. Kilgallen as a celebrity, even personal family photographs have the flavor of posed publicity settings. The collection gives no glimpse of Dorothy Kilgallen's private life.
The Dorothy Kilgallen papers and scrapbooks are arranged in five series:
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1936-1945.1 linear feet
This series includes some correspondence and personal mementos from the early years of Ms. Kilgallen's career. Included is a souvenir passenger list from the Hindenburg [1936], and an invitation to funeral services for Jean Harlow [1937].
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1936-1965.3 linear feet
This series contains loose photographs of Ms. Kilgallen's family and celebrity acquaintances. Included in the celebrity photographs are politicians, movie stars, baseball players, singers and the evangelist, Billy Graham.
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1930-19652.6 linear feet
This series consists of photograph albums arranged by Dorothy Kilgallen. The albums are mostly thematic in content, with separate album for photographs of Dorothy and Dick, Jill, Dickie and Kerry Kollmar, her children and albums of publicity photographs of Ms. Kilgallen in all facets of her career.
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1936-19653 linear feet
This series consists of bound volumes of clippings documenting the career of Dorothy Kilgallen. The clippings and articles are written not by Ms. Kilgallen, but about her; and range from short gossip column references to full-length articles.
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1940-19442 linear feet
This series consists of one bound volume of clippings on the stage career of Richard Kollmar.