Ben (Lisa) papers

Writings and music Series 1.

Scope and Contents

This series, 1936-2007, comprises Lisa Ben's short stories, poems, song lyrics, sheet music, and other manuscripts, including a photocopy of Vice Versa. This series also includes correspondence and related material documenting her participation in science fiction fan groups and folk music societies. Papers include correspondence with science fiction enthusiast Forrest J. Ackermann; folk song parodies with gay and lesbian themes; and several notebooks with song ideas and personal notes.

Arrangement

This series is arranged alphabetically.

Box 1, Folder 1

American Cowboy Songs 1936

Box 1, Folder 2

Application for Registration of a Claim of Copyright (blank) 1957

Box 1, Folder 3

Folk music societies documents and clippings 1966-1975

Box 1, Folder 4

"It's Purring-Time at Edythe's Heyde-away" undated

Box 1, Folder 5

The Lit: Literary Magazine of Palo Alto High School 1936-1938

Box 1, Folder 6

Notebook (untitled) 1952

Box 1, Folder 7

Notebook (untitled) 1952-1973

Box 1, Folder 8-9

Notebook (untitled), music and lyrics 1965-1975

Box 1, Folder 10

Notebook (untitled) 2005-2007

Box 1, Folder 11

Notebook (untitled) undated

Box 1, Folder 12

Notebook (untitled), lyrics undated

Box 1, Folder 13

Notebook, "Crowd Pleasers" lyrics and notes undated

Box 1, Folder 14

Notebook, "Let's Sing" undated

Box 1, Folder 15

Notes 1950-1990

Box 1, Folder 16

Poems 1950-2000

Science fiction and fantasy

Box 1, Folder 20

Ackerman, Forrest (4E), clippings 2000-2008

Box 1, Folder 21

Ackerman, Forrest (4E), correspondence and clippings 1960-2004

Box 1, Folder 22

Correspondence 1936-1947

Box 1, Folder 23

Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine 1973

Box 1, Folder 24

Membership cards 1940-1950

Box 1, Folder 26

Phantom: A Magazine of Weird Tales 1958

Box 1, Folder 25

Science fiction fan groups, minutes and drawings 1941-1945

Box 1, Folder 27

Windhaven Fanzine 1978

Box 1, Folder 28

"Witchcraft, Black Magic, and the Occult Arts" 1936

Box 1, Folder 29-30

Writings as Tigrina 1937-1955

Box 1, Folder 17

"Secret Garden" short story 1970-1979

Box 1, Folder 18

Sheet music without lyrics undated

Box 1, Folder 19

Short stories and other writings 1960-1975

Box 1, Folder 31-32

Songs A-Y circa 1950-2000

Box 2, Folder 1-2

Song compilations and set lists undated

Box 14, Folder 6

Song lyrics undated

Box 2, Folder 3

Songs by others 1940-1970

Box 2, Folder 4

Songwriter contracts and agreements 1950-1966

Box 2, Folder 5

"A Tribute to Hometown Buffet" 2005-2007

Box 2, Folder 6

Vice Versa ("Potomoc Books") 1947-1948

Correspondence Series 2.

Scope and Contents

This series, 1943-2009, comprises letters between Ben and her family members, friends, co-workers, and others including gay and lesbian activists and historians who wrote articles about Ben in gay and lesbian history publications.

Arrangement

This series is arranged alphabetically.

Box 2, Folder 7

Brandt, Kate 1988-1993

Box 2, Folder 8

Brandt, Kate, and Paula Lichtenberg 1990-2001

Box 2, Folder 9

Cain, Paul 1995-2002

Box 2, Folder 10

Chapman, Barbara (Amore, Crazy About Cats) 1990

Box 2, Folder 11

"Doraine" 1968-2000

Box 2, Folder 12

Doyle, J.D. 2002-2003

Box 2, Folder 13

Eyde, Camilla 1968

Box 2, Folder 14

Frankovich 1979

Box 2, Folder 15

"Fred" 1955-1956

Box 2, Folder 16

Garber, Eric 1989-1996

Box 2, Folder 17

Gershick, Zsa Zsa (Joshua) 1995-1997

Box 2, Folder 18

Giard, Robert 1991-1996

Box 2, Folder 19

Golove, Degania 1995

Box 2, Folder 20

Grant Family 1961-1973

Box 2, Folder 21

Grant, Donabel's "Dear Little True Stories" (and correspondence) 1974-1980

Box 2, Folder 22

Grier, Barbara; Naiad Press 1977-1978

Box 2, Folder 23

Hammer, Barbara 1999-2000

Box 2, Folder 24

Hollister, Sanna 1961-1970

Box 2, Folder 25

International Gay and Lesbian Archives 1997

Box 2, Folder 26-33

Kidd, Kay 1992-2005

Box 3, Folder 1

Loraine, Astrid 1968-1975

Box 3, Folder 2

Neuzil, Tom 2003-2005

Box 3, Folder 3

Latta, Helen ("Caprice") 1988-1993

Box 3, Folder 4

MacCulloch, Bunny 1986

Box 3, Folder 5

Marcus, Eric 1989-1993

Box 3, Folder 6

Marinell, Larry 1997-2000

Box 3, Folder 7

Martin, Del, and Phyllis Lyon; Daughters of Bilitis 1965-2002

Box 3, Folder 8

Music, Lorenzo, and Henrietta 1976

Box 3, Folder 9

Sherwood Family 1990-2002

Box 3, Folder 10

Streitmatter, Rodger 1993-1997

Box 3, Folder 11

Thompson, Don 1944

Box 3, Folder 12

Wallace, Donna 1975

Box 3, Folder 13

Waller, John 1989-1993

Box 3, Folder 14

Williams, Ruth 1977-1981

Box 3, Folder 15

"Win" 1952-1964

Box 3, Folder 16-18

General 1943-2009

Box 3, Folder 19

General undated

Box 12

Postcards undated

Physical Description: 5 postcards.

Personal papers Series 3.

Scope and Contents

This series, 1936-2009, comprises clippings, newsletters, employment records, financial records, Hollywood trade magazines, school records, travel-related papers, and other material documenting Ben's daily life and personal interests. Papers document Ben's participation in gay and lesbian organizations; her education and training in music; her employment history in Hollywood studios; and her passion for adopting cats.

Arrangement

Clippings about Lisa Ben are at the beginning of this series. The remaining files are arranged alphabetically with one miscellaneous file at the end.

Box 3, Folder 30

Articles about Lisa Ben in LGBT publications 1976-1990

Box 3, Folder 31

Leland Moss article manuscript 1977

Box 5, Folder 21

Clippings with Edythe Eyde (Lisa Ben) 1946-1993

Box 5, Folder 25

Address books and contacts circa 1945-1955

Box 3, Folder 32

Automobile records 1950-1975

Box 3, Folder 33

Bendix, Fred 1939-1967

Box 3, Folder 34

Burbank notification regarding cats 1973

Box 4, Folder 1-4

Cat People News 1992-2004

Box 4, Folder 5

Cat-related documents 1964-1984

Box 4, Folder 6-7

Clippings, cats 1950-1996

Box 4, Folder 8

Clippings, gay and lesbian 1970-2001

Box 4, Folder 9

Clippings, music 1952-2009

Box 4, Folder 10

Clippings, miscellaneous 1945-2007

Box 4, Folder 11

Daily planners 1944-1952

Box 4, Folder 12

Drawings undated

Box 4, Folder 13

Employment records 1950

Box 4, Folder 14

Employment records, Universal Pictures 1964-1966

Box 4, Folder 15

Financial records 1939-2006

Box 4, Folder 16

Financial records, income taxes 1945-1946

Box 4, Folder 17

Hollywood trade magazines 1963-1970

Box 4, Folder 18

Humor, jokes and cartoons 1960-2000

Box 4, Folder 19

Humor, jokes and cartoons 1961-2002

Box 4, Folder 20

Identification and business cards undated

Box 4, Folder 21

Idyllwild Arts Foundation 1963

Box 4, Folder 22

Letterhead and address labels undated

Box 4, Folder 23

Magazines 1964-1969

Box 5, Folder 1

Maps undated

Box 5, Folder 2

Medical records 1949-1978

Box 11

Music clippings scrapbook 1936-1972

Scope and Contents

Includes clippings and correspondence related to musicians, symphonies and other performers.

Box 14, Folder 4

Newspapers 1962, 1964

Box 5, Folder 3

ONE Incorporated Midwinter Institute program 1972

Box 5, Folder 4

Open City 1968

Box 5, Folder 5

Pet Pride 1979-1992

Box 5, Folder 6

Photograph information and notes 1954-1988

Box 5, Folder 7

Postcards and greeting cards (blank) undated

Box 5, Folder 8

Recipes undated

Box 5, Folder 9

Retirement homes information 1975-1979

Box 5, Folder 10

Sandoz, (Helen?), poems undated

Box 5, Folder 12

School, Los Altos Elementary School Reunion 1984

Box 5, Folder 11

School, Palo Alto High School Reunion 1988

Box 5, Folder 13

Society for the Study of Sexuality award plaque 1998

Box 5, Folder 14

Theater, opera and orchestra event programs 1963-1964

Box 5, Folder 15

Travel [binder] 1984

Box 5, Folder 16

Travel 1970-1979

Box 5, Folder 17

Videocassette lists 1986-1994

Box 5, Folder 18

West Coast Old Lesbian Conference packet 1987-1993

Box 5, Folder 19

Will and testament 1974

Box 5, Folder 20

Women for Women 1974-1975

Box 5, Folder 22

Miscellaneous 1944

Miscellaneous circa 1950-1990

Separated Materials

This folder has been separated from the collection due to mold damage.

Scope and Contents

Included are a letter from Kate Brandt (1990), handwritten notes, lyrics and sheet music.

Family papers Series 4.

Scope and Contents

This series, 1914-1993, comprises correspondence, genealogy research, family history documents, funeral records, and other papers from Lisa Ben's family. The bulk of the materials are related to Lisa Ben's father, Oscar Eugene Eyde, who died in 1968.

Arrangement

Genealogy research and family history documents are at the beginning of this series, followed by papers related to Ben's parents, Oscar Eugene Eyde and Olive Colegrove. One document from Camilla Dorthea Eyde is at the end.

Box 3, Folder 20

Genealogy research, correspondence 1984

Box 3, Folder 21

Genealogy, family history 1991-1993

Box 3, Folder 22

Eyde, Oscar and Olive 1914-1949

Box 3, Folder 23

Eyde, Oscar E. papers 1920-1968

Box 3, Folder 24-25

Oscar E. Eyde correspondence with Edythe 1952-1968

Box 14, Folder 5

Oscar Eugene Eyde masons certificate 1954

Box 3, Folder 27

Oscar E. Eyde medical care and funeral 1961-1969

Box 3, Folder 28

Oscar E. Eyde; Ethel Stephenson correspondence 1968-1970

Box 3, Folder 26

Olive E. Colegrove's bible (materials found loose) 1956-1965

Box 3, Folder 29

Eyde, Camilla Dorthea, will 1990

Photographs Series 5.

Scope and Contents

The bulk of this series, 1905-2003, comprises photographic prints, slides and negatives of Lisa Ben and her family dating back to 1905.

Arrangement

Portraits of Lisa Ben are at the beginning of this series, followed by photographs of Ben arranged in chronological order. The remaining miscellaneous photographs are arranged alphabetically.

Box 6

Edythe Eyde and family portraits 1921-1968

Box 10, Folder 1

Edythe Eyde portraits 1938-1968

Box 13

Edythe Eyde portraits circa 1940-1949

Physical Description: 6 glass plate negatives.

Box 6

Universal Studios publicity photographs with Edythe Eyde November 28, 1966

Box 7

Edythe Eyde and others circa 1921-1959

Box 8

Edythe Eyde and others circa 1950-1975

Box 9

Edythe Eyde and others circa 1975-2003

Box 14, Folder 2

Lisa Ben photograph circa 1990-2000

Box 10, Folder 5

Les Baux-en-Provence undated

Box 10, Folder 6

Buildings at Universal Studios undated

Box 14, Folder 3

Cat and lion photograph undated

Box 10, Folder 7-8

Cats and other pets circa 1950-1995

Box 10, Folder 2-3

Family photographs 1914-1993

Box 10, Folder 4

Family portraits 1905-circa 1950

Box 5, Folder 26

Family portraits undated

Box 10, Folder 9

Publicity stills circa 1950-1965

Sound recordings Series 6.

Scope and Contents

This series, circa 1940-2008, includes folk songs and an advertising jingle for Hometown Buffet recorded by Lisa Ben, as well as a CD copy of songs performed by Beverly Shaw, a male impersonator who performed in lesbian bars in Los Angeles during the 1940s-1950s.

Arrangement

Recordings by Lisa Ben are at the beginning of this series and arranged alphabetically.

Box 13

Edythe Eyde January 6, 1942

Physical Description: 1 phonograph record (78)

Box 13

(1) "Hometown Buffet"; (2) "Old Country Buffet"; (3) "Hometown Buffet (Save a Place for Me)" May 29, 2008

Physical Description: 1 compact disc.

Box 13

"If Only You Won't Smile at Me," music and lyrics by Edythe Eyde undated

Physical Description: 1 open reel audiotape (1/4 in.)

Box 13

"If You're But a Dream," Edythe Eyde April 8, 1952

Physical Description: 1 phonograph record

Box 13

[Untitled] undated

Physical Description: 1 phonograph record (78)

Box 13

[Untitled] undated

Physical Description: 5 phonograph record

Box 13

Billy Holliday, "Strange Fruit" undated

Physical Description: 1 phonograph record

Box 13

Dean Moore and the Big Action Sound, "Alone and Blue"; "It Just Takes One" undated

Physical Description: 1 phonograph record (45)

Box 13

Miss Beverly Shaw presents Songs Tailored to Your Taste undated

Physical Description: 1 compact disc.

Musical instruments and realia Series 7.

Scope and Contents

This series comprises Lisa Ben's guitar, violin, and mandolin, as well as a variety of keychains, knickknacks, buttons and other realia.

Arrangement

This series is arranged alphabetically.

Item 16

Guitar and leopard-print case undated

Box 15, Item 1

Mandolin and case undated

Box 15, Item 2

Violin and case with monogram undated

Box 12

Best in Children's Books 1960

Physical Description: 1 book.

Box 16

Books inscribed to Lisa Ben 1976-1997

Scope and Contents

Included are the following books:

Ackerman, Forrest J. Forrest J. Ackerman's World of Science Fiction. Los Angeles: General Pub. Group, 1997. Print.

Brandt, Kate A. Happy Endings: Lesbian Writers Talk about Their Lives and Work. Tallahassee, FL: Naiad, 1993. Print.

Katz, Jonathan. Gay American History: Lesbians and Gay Men in the U.S.A. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1976. Print.

Martin, Del, and Phyllis Lyon. Lesbian/woman. Volcano, CA: Volcano, 1991. Print.

Box 12

Cigar box with miscellaneous toy games and other objects undated

Box 12

Holy Bible, Olive E. Colegrove 1905

Physical Description: 1 book.

Box 12

Horoscope Birthday Book 1945

Physical Description: 1 book.

Box 12

Leopard drawing undated

Physical Description: square drawing

Box 12

Leopard print bag undated

Physical Description: 1 bag.

Box 14, Folder 1

Painting, L. Ridge undated

Box 12

Peep show pin-up girl keychain viewers undated

Physical Description: 18 keychain viewers.

Box 12

Sonoma County Shrine Club Aahmes Temple, Oscar E. Eyde undated

Box 12

West Coast Celebration, Impowerment[sic] for Old Lesbians pen April 24-26, 1987

Box 12

West Coast Conference and Celebration, Old Lesbian button April 1987