Guide to the Mildred Davenport Dance Programs and Dance School Materials
MS.P.029
Processed by Adrian Turner; machine-readable finding aid created by Adrian
Turner
Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine
Libraries
(cc) 2001
The UCI Libraries
P.O. Box 19557
University of California, Irvine
Irvine 92623-9557
spcoll@uci.edu
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine
Libraries
Title: Mildred Davenport dance programs and dance school materials
Creator:
Davenport, Mildred
Identifier/Call Number: MS.P.029
Physical Description:
0.3 Linear Feet
(1 box and 1 oversize folder)
Date (inclusive): 1914-1942
Abstract: This collection comprises dance
programs, dance school materials, photographs, and ephemera documenting the early career of
the Boston-based African-American dancer, dance instructor, and civic official Mildred
Davenport. The bulk of this collection consists of dance programs and dance school
materials. The collection also contains 29 photographs of Davenport, her students in various
performances, and friends or individual students. Dance programs from 1925 to 1942 feature
her solo performances and group performances with her students. The collection includes a
complete run of programs for Bronze Rhapsody, an annual performance series choreographed,
staged, and directed by Davenport. Her personal copy of a typescript of stage directions for
a 1934 performance is included with these programs. Her dance schools, Davenport School of
the Dance and Silver Box Studio, are documented in course brochures and applications.
Biographical and academic materials include a 1939 newspaper article on
Davenport.
Language of Material:
English .
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Property rights reside with the University of California. Literary rights are retained by
the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or to publish,
please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.
Preferred Citation
Mildred Davenport Dance Programs and Dance School Materials. MS-P29. Special Collections
and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California. Date accessed.
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information
about sources consulted in this collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder
descriptions, and box/folder locations.
Acquisition Information
Acquired, 1998.
Processing History
Processed by Adrian Turner, 2001.
Historical Background
No Subnote Content
Biography
Mildred Ellen Davenport was a noted civic official and military officer with an extensive
career as a dancer and dance instructor in Boston in the 1930s and 1940s. She was born in
Boston on November 12, 1900. She began her dance studies at C.C. Perkins Grade School and
Prince School as a teenager, and graduated from Boston Girls' High School in 1918. In the
1920s she studied at the Sargent School for Physical Culture and at Harvard, and opened her
first dance school, the Davenport School of Dance. Over the next ten years she studied under
Ted Shawn and taught dance in Boston. She was also progressively more involved in road show
performances such as Hot Chocolates. From 1930 to 1935 she performed in a number of
African-American musical productions on Broadway, including Fast and Furious, Flying Colors,
and Black Birds. In 1932 she established her second dance school, the Silver Box Studio, in
the South End of Boston. She became the first African American woman to perform with the
Arthur Fiedler Pops unit of the Boston Symphony Orchestra at this time.
During World War II, Davenport enlisted in the Army as a captain. She produced musical
shows for military bases and later served as a special service officer, library officer, and
advisor in the Office of Racial Affairs. In 1950, she served as an executive board member
for the N.A.A.C.P. office in Boston. From 1947 to 1968 she worked for the Massachusetts
Commission Against Discrimination, founded in 1944 to enforce fair employment practices.
Davenport died in Boston in 1990.
Chronology
Missing Title
| 1900 |
Born in Boston. |
| Ca. 1914 |
Student at C.C. Perkins Grade School and Prince School. |
| 1918 |
Graduates from Boston Girls' High School. |
| Ca. 1920s |
Establishes Davenport School of Dance in Boston. |
| 1921 |
Student at Sargent School for Physical Culture. |
| 1921-1922 |
Physical training instructor at Tuskegee Institute, Alabama. |
| 1923 |
Student at Harvard Summer School. |
| 1925-ca. 1930 |
Staff member with the Department of Public Welfare, Boston. |
| Ca. 1930-1935 |
Performs on Broadway. |
| 1932 |
Establishes Silver Box Studio in Boston. |
| 1946-1947 |
U.S. Army, civilian defense instructor. |
| 1947 |
U.S. Army Office of Racial Affairs, assistant special serviceofficer, library
officer, and advisor.
|
| 1950 |
Executive board member of N.A.A.C.P., Boston. Member ofWomen's Service Club and
League of Women for Community Service, Boston.
|
| 1947-1968 |
Staff member with the Massachusetts Commission AgainstDiscrimination. |
| 1973 |
Receives Sojourner Truth Award of the National Association ofNegro Business and
Professional Women's Clubs, Boston and Vicinity Club.
|
| 1990 |
Dies in Boston. |
Collection Scope and Content Summary
This collection comprises dance programs, dance school materials, photographs, and ephemera
documenting the early career of the Boston-based African-American dancer, dance instructor,
and civic official Mildred Davenport. The bulk of this collection consists of dance programs
and dance school materials. The collection also contains 29 photographs of Davenport, her
students in various performances, and friends or individual students. Dance programs from
1925 to 1942 feature her solo performances and group performances with her students. The
collection includes a complete run of programs for Bronze Rhapsody, an annual performance
series choreographed, staged, and directed by Davenport. Her personal copy of a typescript
of stage directions for a 1934 performance is included with these programs. Her dance
schools, Davenport School of the Dance and Silver Box Studio, are documented in course
brochures and applications. Biographical and academic materials include a 1939 newspaper
article on Davenport.
The collection is arranged topically. Materials are arranged chronologically within each
topical grouping whenever possible.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Modern dance -- United States -- History -- Sources
Dance, Black -- History -- Sources
African American dancers.
Dance schools -- Massachusetts -- Boston
Dance teachers.
Photographic prints
Dance -- Archives
Dance cards
Dancers.
Posters
Davenport, Mildred -- Archives
box 1, folder 1
Biographical and academic materials
box FB-021, folder 1
Boston Girls' High School, commencement program
1918
box 1, folder 1
George Peabody College for Teachers, School of the Dance, schedule of courses
offered by Ted Shawn
1938
box 1, folder 1
"Boston teacher called evangelist of the dance," newspaper
clipping
1939
box 1, folder 4
The Feast of Apollo, Brattle Hall, Massachusetts
1925
box 1, folder 4
Mildred Davenport and her pupils, Brattle Hall, Massachusetts
1928
box 1, folder 4
Recital of dance poems and songs, Allied Art Studio, Boston
1928
box 1, folder 4
Mildred Davenport and Sepia Beauties in revue, Challengers Club,
Boston
1933
box 1, folder 2
Typescript of stage directions, with holograph note "Miss Davenport
(personal)" on first leaf
1934
box FB-021, folder 1
Hand-colored poster (partial)
1942
box 1, folder 4
Classic, John Hancock Hall, Boston
1938
box 1, folder 4
Shadowland Ball Room performances, Boston, undated
Physical Description: 2
items.
General Physical Description note: no content
box 1, folder 5
Davenport School of the Dance application, undated
box 1, folder 5
Course brochures and applications, undated.
Physical Description: 3
items.
General Physical Description note: no content
box 1, folder 5
Event invitation and greeting card, and undated.
1939
Physical Description: 2
items.
General Physical Description note: no content
box FB-021, folder 1
Prince School class,
1914
box 1, folder 6
Teenage performances, undated.
Physical Description: 5
items.
General Physical Description note: no content
box 1, folder 7
Portraits, undated
Physical Description: 3
items.
General Physical Description note: no content
box 1, folder 8
Piggilly wiggily,
ca. 1942
box 1, folder 8-10
Unidentified, undated.
Physical Description: 15
items.
General Physical Description note: no content
box 1, folder 11
Purcell, Barbara,
ca. 1942
box 1, folder 11
Stokes, Bernice,
ca. 1942
box 1, folder 11
Roberts, Francine,
ca. 1942
