Mille Gade Corson Collection
name: label: Creator
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Community Life
label: Creator
content: Stoyanoff, Esther
label: Creator
content: Corson, Mille Gade , 1898- (swimmer)
label: Names
content: Danish American Athletic Club.
label: Names
content: Red Cross
place: label: Place
content: Denmark -- Emigration and immigration -- 1920-1930
topic: label: Topic
content: Vaudeville
label: Topic
content: Sports -- 1920-1930
label: Topic
content: English Channel -- 1920-1930
label: Topic
content: Swimming -- 1920-1930
label: Topic
content: Swimmers -- 1920-1930
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Collection donated by Esther Stoyanoff, October 25, 1981.
creator: label: Creator
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Community Life
label: Creator
content: Stoyanoff, Esther
label: Creator
content: Corson, Mille Gade , 1898- (swimmer)
setName: label: See more items in
content: Mille Gade Corson Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: Collection document the life of Mille Gade Corson, a noted swimmer.
bioghist: label: Biographical/Historical note
content: Mille Gade was born in Denmark into the Gade family of noted musicians. At 16 she was awarded the Royal Life Saving Medal (only five in the world at that time) by the king. She also received recognition and a cash award from the Carnegie Foundation for her life-saving feats. She emigrated to the United States in 1919. In 1921 she became the second woman to swim around Manhattan Island and in the same year swam frm Albany to New York City. On Sept. 21, 1921 she married Clemington Corson. Her first English Channel attempt was in August 1923, when she was forced to abondon the effort within two miles of the French coast. On Aug. 27 and 28, 1926, she swam the English Channel (France to England) in 15-3/4 hours, the first mother and only the second woman to conquer the Channel.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 0.5 Cubic feet (2 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1920-1930.
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: Mrs. Corson gave this material to her friend, Esther Stoyanoff, who donated it to the Division of Community Life (now Division of Cultural and Community Life)  in 1981. The collection subsequently was transferred to the Archives Center in 1983.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0063
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Albums
label: Type
content: Clippings
label: Type
content: Certificates
label: Type
content: Programs
label: Type
content: Sheet music
label: Type
content: Playbills
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
label: Type
content: Photographs
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: Arranged into two series

Series 1: Photographs, undated

Series 2: Scrapbooks, circa 1926
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by NMAH Staff, undated
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Albums -- 1920-1930
label: Genre/Form
content: Clippings -- 1920-1930
label: Genre/Form
content: Certificates -- 1920-1930
label: Genre/Form
content: Programs -- 1920-1930
label: Genre/Form
content: Sheet music -- 1920-1930
label: Genre/Form
content: Playbills
label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 1900-1950
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents note
content: Three scrapbooks and two albums containing photographs of Corson; news clippings about the swim; a Certificate of Life Membership in the Danish American Athletic Club; a certificate from the American Red Cross; sheet music; a tribute to her which contains a picture of her and her children; programs with images of her; advertisements; and a Navy chart showing her route and time. Vaudeville appearances, product endorsements, and civic honors are depicted in photographs and playbills.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Archival Materials
content: Artifacts from this accession located in Community Life collections (now Division of Cultural and Community Life).