Ricki Covette Burlesque Collection
name: label: Creator
content: Covette, Ricki
label: Donor
content: Jewell, Irene
topic: label: Topic
content: Burlesque (Theater) -- 1920-1970
label: Topic
content: Burlesque shows -- 1920-1970
label: Topic
content: Postcards -- 20th century
label: Topic
content: Striptease -- 1920-1970
label: Topic
content: Stripteasers -- 1920-1970
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated to the Archives Center in 2014 by Irene Jewell (stage name Ricki Covette).
creator: label: Creator
content: Covette, Ricki
label: Donor
content: Jewell, Irene
setName: label: See more items in
content: Ricki Covette Burlesque Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: Scrapbooks and posters documenting the burlesque career of Irene Jewell (stage name Ricki Covette), who at 6'8" was billed as "The World's Tallest Exotic Dancer."
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Born in 1925 in rural Alberta, Canada, Irene Jewell aspired to become a singer and dancer.  Moving to the United States in the 1950s, Jewell began a thirty-year career in show business, including theater, small parts in television and film, but especially burlesque, under her stage name "Ricki Covette."  Billed as "The World's Tallest Exotic Dancer" at 6'8" and the "Glamazon," Covette's career spanned the peak of burlesque's popularity; her career highlights included headlining at clubs, including an 82-week stint at the ShoBar in New Orleans, Louisiana, and a solo act world tour in Japan, the United Kingdom, and the Americans.  Besides her burlesque career, Covette also had parts in theater, including playing the role of Gymnasia in the 1963-1964 tour of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and appearing in the 1966 film The Swinger. After she left show business, she started a successful second career as a real estate broker in the Los Angeles area and travelled with her husband, cinematographer Stuart Jewell, shooting footage of nature and culture.  In 2010 she appeared in Leslie Zemeckis's documentary, Behind the Burly! Covette died in February 2016.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 2 Cubic feet (6 boxes, 2 map folders)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1940–2002
label: Date
content: bulk 1950s–1970s
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1335
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Advertisements
label: Type
content: Brochures
label: Type
content: Certificates
label: Type
content: Clippings
label: Type
content: Decals
label: Type
content: Letters (correspondence)
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
label: Type
content: Theater programs
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: Collection is arranged into two series.

Series 1: Scrapbooks

Series 2: Posters
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection is processed.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Advertisements -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Brochures -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Certificates -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Clippings -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Decals
label: Genre/Form
content: Letters (correspondence) -- 20th century.
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 1950-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Theater programs -- 1950-2000
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: This collection consists of eight scrapbooks and five posters documenting the burlesque career of Irene Jewell (stage name Ricki Covette), who at 6'8" was billed as "The World's Tallest Exotic Dancer."  The albums contain clippings; letters; certificates; photographs, including photographs of her act; ephemera, such as postcards, travel brochures, postcards, and decals, from her travels; advertisements; and theater programs.