Thelma Becker papers, 1970-1995

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Summary

Creators:
Becker, Thelma Jane (1913-2004)
Extent:
1.08 Linear Feet 2 boxes
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Box/folder no. or item name], Thelma Becker papers, Collection no. 7162, Regional History Collection, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California

Background

Scope and content:

The Thelma Becker papers consist of photographs, correspondence, press releases, newspaper articles, personal cards, and other material belonging to the Los Angeles businesswoman and resident of the Biltmore Hotel, Thelma Jane Becker (1913-2004). Becker moved to Los Angeles from New York in 1940 to establish retail partners in western states for Barbizon, a company that manufactured fabrics and sold dress slips. As soon as she arrived, Becker took up residence in the landmark Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles and continued living there for approximately 55 years. In 1940, the Biltmore was Los Angeles' preeminent hotel and, for Becker, it was conveniently close to buyers in the Garment District to the south. Hotel life made sense for Becker as a way to keep modest quarters and have them looked after in her absence, and she was one of a few full-time residents in the 1950s. Her early years at the hotel coincided with many notable events and activities held at the Biltmore, including the Academy Awards in 1940-1941, popular afternoon tea dances in the 1940s, the campaign headquarters of John F. Kennedy in 1960, and the stay of the Beatles in 1964. In the 1970s, when The Biltmore fell on hard times with the rest of downtown, Becker's long-term living arrangements at the hotel attracted media attention. Becker's papers include photographs of Becker with different guests and employees, correspondence, press releases, newspaper articles, and personal cards created during Becker's last 25 years at the hotel. Most of the material in the collection is organized into albums and binders with labels relating to the Biltmore Hotel Public Relations Department.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from a private seller via Ebay on March 6, 2024. The Ebay seller purchased the material from the Thelma Becker estate.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection stored off-site. Advance notice required for access.

Terms of access:

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Department of Special Collections at specol@usc.edu. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

Preferred citation:

[Box/folder no. or item name], Thelma Becker papers, Collection no. 7162, Regional History Collection, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern California

Location of this collection:
Special Collections
Doheny Memorial Library, Room 209
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0182, US
Contact:
(213) 740-5900
specol@usc.edu
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