How to find ancestors that performed in show business?

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Permalink Reply by Susan Dzialo on August 23, 2019 at 4:21pm

What a bunch of dead beats....
It doesn’t do any good to introduce yourself every body ignores you for days on end......
Not even a hello and welcome...☹️

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Permalink Reply by Gena Philibert Ortega on August 23, 2019 at 5:24pm

You don't mention where Mildred lived but the first place you should look, if you haven't already is  newspapers. Several online digitized newspaper websites should be checked including Newspapers.com and GenealogyBank. Conduct multiple searches including using her name and the company she danced for. Also, did she have a professional name that she used? Search for that name as well.

The types of records you are looking for are most likely housed in an archive collection. You can search archival collections using the catalog ArchiveGrid (https://researchworks.oclc.org/archivegrid/). You're less likely to find something using her name in an archive collection catalog (unless she was famous or donated items to a repository). This is where a search using the dance company she belonged to would be important.

For your Chicago research, The Newberry Library has a large genealogy collection in Chicago. You may want to consider consulting them for ideas. (https://www.newberry.org/genealogy-and-local-history)

I wish you luck. This research promises to be interesting. One last thing. Please don't resort to name calling. When you post to a message board it typically does not result in a quick answer for all kinds of reasons. Crowdsourcing a problem is a great idea but it's important to remember that it's best done on several forums and that questions may take time to answer because the right people with the answer you need, have to see it. 

Take care,

Gena Philibert-Ortega

Director, Genealogy Services

The National Institute for Genealogical Studies

GenealogyWise

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Permalink Reply by Ann Ciero on November 1, 2019 at 9:59pm

Hey Susan,

I am also interested in early 1900's show business.  I have a few family members that worked German stock theatre and a few that worked behind the curtains.  Broadway, Ziegfeld Follies, B&B Circus, not sure where else.  I have found a patent that my electrician ancestor helped to invent (theatre floor lights) and also theatre bills with his name in them.  Electrician, Set designer, seamstresses.  My great grandparents even used to have Jimmy Durante at their home for meals quite frequently.  Very neat stories.  Only 1 photograph tho.  My mother was a child in the 1930's and the family used to bring her home things when shows closed.  She got real looking dolls that were used as babies in the shows, all sorts of things but unfortunately the family moved all over NYC and got rid of everything.  Need some time to searching this info again.  Talk to you soon...Ann

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Permalink Reply by Kate Steere on August 24, 2020 at 6:17pm

I have done a bit of research in the newspaper archives I have access to, and I'm not finding any evidence of her dancing, is it possible she danced under another name? I found her on the 1930 census living with her sister Teresa's family in Illinois, her occupation seemed to have something to do with furniture?

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