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Papers of the Trousdale Theatrical Troupes Access and Restrictions: This collection is open for research. Digital Surrogates: Except where indicated, this document describes but does not reproduce the actual text, images and objects which make up this collection. Materials are available only in the Special Collections Department. Copyright: Please read The University of Iowa Libraries' statement on Property Rights, Copyright Law, and Permissions to Use Unpublished Materials. Use of Collections: The University of Iowa Libraries supports access to the materials, published and unpublished, in its collections. Nonetheless, access to some items may be restricted by their fragile condition or by contractual agreement with donors, and it may not be possible at all times to provide appropriate machinery for reading, viewing or accessing non-paper-based materials. Please read our Use of Manuscripts Statement. Acquisition and Processing Information: These papers were donated to the University of Iowa Libraries by Truly Trousdale Latchaw on September 3, 1976. Guide created in June 2009. Photographs: Box 1 |
Scope and Contents
The Papers of the Trousdale Theatrical Troupes include photographs, newspaper clippings, playbills and itineraries concerning vaudeville performances. Also included is an Actors’ Equity Association booklet, which explains the benefits of membership and provides a sample contract form, circa 1919. The association was affiliated with the American Federation of Labor.
Material related to Truly Trousdale Latchaw includes photographs, a photocopy of her University of Minnesota M. A. thesis, and a video cassette of her performance of "Daughter of the Theater," in September 1981. This particular performance was at Golden Age Home in Minneapolis, Minnesota. However, Latchaw also performed "Daughter of the Theater" in 37 towns during 1982, including the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa. Box one contains a draft of Truly's book, Trousdale Brothers Tonight! which was published by J. R. Latchaw in 1993.
Biographical Note
Truly Trousdale Latchaw was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1914 to Winn Trousdale and Roxa Gaylord Trousdale. In 1935 she received her B. A. from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. She received her M. A. degree from the University of Minnesota in 1948. She worked as an educator in theatre.
Latchaw’s father and three uncles were from Estherville, Iowa. Merle Mortimer was the oldest brother, followed in descending age by Earle Eugene, Winn Walton, and Boyd Buckmaster. The four men established the vaudeville act, The Trousdale Brothers in 1896 and also performed in opera houses and tents as The Trousdale Family Swiss Bell and Concert Company. In addition to bells, they played several musical instruments, including a glassophone, which is a glass xylophone. The brothers sang solo as well as quartet numbers. Boyd performed female impersonations in plays, and the older brothers performed as Irish characters or in blackface. The wives and friends of the Trousdale men performed with them. Trained dogs, ponies, and goats were part of the act. They traveled throughout the Midwest. According to Truly Trousdale Latchaw, they performed in 26 states and 232 towns, as well as Canada, from 1896 to 1915. Live performances by handbell players lost popularity with the advent of radio entertainment. However, Boyd continued performances until 1930 with the Boyd B. Trousdale Players, initially based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After five years, the company moved to North Carolina, then back to Iowa, on to Montana, Wyoming, and finally returned to Iowa – Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, and eventually Sioux City.
Related Materials
Andrews, Clarence A. “ The Trouping Trousdales.” The Iowan, vol. 30: no. 4 (Summer 1982) pp. 23-27.
Latchaw, Truly Trousdale. The just shall live by faith, a play in six scenes, based on the life of Martin Luther. Minneapolis, T. S. Denison & Company [c1952] Iowa Authors Collection.
Latchaw, Truly Trousdale. “Trousdale Brothers’ Theatrical Companies from 1896-1915.” Master’s thesis, University of Minnesota, 1948.
Latchaw, Truly Trousdale. Audio-visual guidance materials; an annotated bibliography and directory of Minnesota sources. St. Paul, State Department of Education, 1970.
Truly Trousdale Latchaw collection (PA 38), Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries, Minneapolis.
Truly Trousdale Latchaw KUOM interview tapes (PA 39), Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries, Minneapolis.
Box Contents List
Not yet compiled