Virgil Whyte "All-Girl" Band Collection
name: label: Collector
content: Kovan, Florice Whyte
label: Author
content: Whyte, Virgil (bandleader)
label: Names
content: United Service Organizations (U.S.)
label: Names
content: Virgil Whyte's "All-Girl" Band
place: label: Place
content: Racine (Wis.) -- 1940-1950
topic: label: Occupation
content: Tap dancers -- 1940-1950
label: Topic
content: Travel photography -- 1940-1950 -- U.S.
label: Topic
content: Barracks -- 1940-1950
label: Topic
content: Railroad passenger cars
label: Topic
content: Horseback riding -- 1940-1950
label: Topic
content: Singers -- 1940-1950
label: Topic
content: Comedians -- 1940-1950
label: Topic
content: Jazz musicians -- 1940-1950
label: Topic
content: Band music -- 1940-1950
label: Topic
content: World War, 1939-1945 -- Musicians
label: Topic
content: Horses -- 1940-1950
label: Topic
content: Women musicians -- 1930-1950
label: Topic
content: Beaches -- 1940-1950
label: Topic
content: Swimming pools -- 1940-1950
label: Topic
content: Swimming -- 1940-1950
label: Topic
content: Jazz -- 1940-1950
label: Topic
content: Portraits -- Women
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Collection donated by Florice Kovan, 1993.
creator: label: Collector
content: Kovan, Florice Whyte
label: Author
content: Whyte, Virgil (bandleader)
setName: label: See more items in
content: Virgil Whyte "All-Girl" Band Collection
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Founded 1942 in Racine, Wis., by Virgil Whyte, his "all-girl" band was composed of young Racine women. Whyte was instructor, manager, and the initial leader on drums; later his sister Alice took over as drummer. After initial success in Racine and elsewhere in Wisconsin, the band began to accept engagements in other parts of the country, eventually touring the U.S. The band's success drew other acts and performers, including Jill Fontaine and the Wilford Mae Trio, Sam Hearn (known as "Schlepperman"), the Woodson Sisters, and Paul La Verre and Bro. They did U.S.O. tours, entertaining servicemen.

The principal donor, a free-lance researcher and writer, is the daughter of Virgil Whyte.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 3 Cubic feet (11 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1942-1948, 1991-1993
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: Two donors, Doris Nilo and Betty Hansen, transferred their personal scrapbooks to Florice Kovan in 1993. Ms. Kovan then donated the videotapes and audiotape made by her and conveyed the scrapbooks on behalf of the other donors, to the Archives Center. In 1994 Mrs. Jacoby sent her postcards to Ms. Kovan, who delivered them to the museum on Mrs. Jacoby's behalf.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0503
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Postage stamps
label: Type
content: Videotapes
label: Type
content: Audiotapes
label: Type
content: Postcards
label: Type
content: Soap
label: Type
content: Labels
label: Type
content: Letterheads
label: Type
content: Announcements
label: Type
content: Clippings
label: Type
content: Photomechanical prints
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Packages
label: Type
content: Diaries
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is divided into seven series.

Series 1: Unmounted snapshots

Series 2: Scrapbooks

Series 3: Alice Smaus Jacoby's postcards

Series 4: Packaged soap samples

Series 5: Audiovisual Materials

Series 6: Framed Portrait Photoprints

Series 7: Oversized Photoprints

The scrapbook pages are arranged in original order, apparently partly chronological, but series 1 snapshots are in topical order.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Postage stamps
label: Genre/Form
content: Videotapes
label: Genre/Form
content: Audiotapes
label: Genre/Form
content: Postcards
label: Genre/Form
content: Soap -- Packaged
label: Genre/Form
content: Labels
label: Genre/Form
content: Letterheads
label: Genre/Form
content: Announcements
label: Genre/Form
content: Clippings
label: Genre/Form
content: Photomechanical prints
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin -- 1940-1950
label: Genre/Form
content: Packages
label: Genre/Form
content: Diaries
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Includes 7 VHS videotapes and 1 audio tape produced by Florice Whyte Kovan, containing interviews and recollections by some band members. Studio portraits and snapshot photographs in 3 scrapbooks, which also contain display advertisements and newspaper clippings from about the band, 1940s. Snapshots include documentation of the band's travels and leisure activities while on the road, including swimming, horseback riding, etc. Packaged hotel soap bars collected by Betty Hansen during the bands' touring documents their itinerary, as do picture postcards written by Alice Smaus Jacoby.