Joan and Patricia Miller collection, 1933-2012

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Summary

Creators:
Miller, Joan (Joan Martha), 1938-2012 and Miller, Patricia (Patricia Fay), 1938-2012
Abstract:
Contains baby books, diaries, publicity photos, and a personal account of Joan and Patricia Miller who sang and performed on stage and on radio and television in the 1940s and 1950s. Also contains personal documents of their parents.
Extent:
2 manuscripts boxes (.4 cubic foot)
Language:
Collection materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Joan and Patricia Miller collection (SFH 683), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.

Background

Scope and content:

Contains baby books, diaries, publicity photos, and a personal account of Joan and Patricia Miller who sang and performed on stage and on radio and television in the 1940s and 1950s. Also contains personal documents of their parents.

Biographical / historical:

Joan and Patricia Miller were twins who gained fame singing in San Francisco in the 1940s. Joan was born eight minutes before her sister, in Portland, OR in 1938 to Elmon G. and Fay Lang Miller. The family moved to San Francisco in 1940 where Elmon was a dairy salesman and eventually a member of the Bohemian Club. The family lived for a time in San Leandro, where the young girls began taking dancing lessons. Fay taught them to sing. Joan and Patricia had their first performance at the Scottish Rite Temple in Oakland in 1943, days after their fifth birthdays. The following year they moved back to San Francisco and would attend Lawton and Jefferson schools.

The initial performance led to shows at Army and Navy camps in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their grandmother made their costumes. They learned to harmonize, and began singing lessons at the age of six. In a 1948 biographical statement, Joan and Patricia credited their mother for guiding them. Besides providing entertainment on various stages, they also appeared on local radio and television shows in the 1950s.

In 1976, Joan and Patricia bought a home in South Lake Tahoe, CA. Joan was a senior accounting clerk for the Lake Tahoe Unified School District from 1979 to 1984. Patricia worked in the El Dorado County's social services office during that same time. They seemed to live to themselves, and died in their home at 73. Both were found dead during a welfare check in Febuary of 2012.

Acquisition information:
Received from Martha Campbell, second cousin to Joan and Patricia Miller, on Dec. 16, 2021.
Processing information:

Processed by Tami J. Suzuki in 2021.

Arrangement:

Organized into two series: 1. Joan and Patricia Miller and 2. Elmon and Fay Miller. Within series, organized chronologically.

Physical location:
Open for research. The collection is offsite and advance notice is required for retrieval. Material must be requested at least 4 business days in advance of visit.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research and available for use during San Francisco History Center hours. Photographs are available during Photo Desk hours. This collection must be requested at least 4 business days in advance of visit.

Terms of access:

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the City Archivist. Any use beyond scholarly research will be forwarded to Martha Campbell for review. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the San Francisco Public Library as the owner of the physical items.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Joan and Patricia Miller collection (SFH 683), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.

Location of this collection:
San Francisco Public Library
100 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102, US
Contact:
(415) 557-4567
sfhistory@sfpl.org
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