Guide to the Photograph Collection on Ruth St. Denis MS.P.070
Processed by Cyndi Shein; machine-readable finding aid created by Cyndi Shein, 2008;
updated by Zoe MacLeod, 2021
Special Collections and Archives, University of California, Irvine
Libraries
(cc) 2021
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: Photograph collection on Ruth St. Denis
Identifier/Call Number: MS.P.070
Physical Description:
0.3 Linear Feet
(1 box and 1 oversized folder)
Date (inclusive): 1893-1949
Abstract: The collection comprises over 100
photographic prints of Ruth St. Denis, who influenced the development of American modern
dance. The photographs feature St. Denis posing alone in costume, with fellow dancers,
traveling, and at leisure with her husband and partner, Ted Shawn. Several of the
photographs are autographed by St. Denis and some have annotations on the
reverse.
Language of Material:
English .
The collection is open for research.
Property rights reside with the University of California. Copyrights are retained by the
creators of the records and their heirs. Some of these materials are in the public domain.
For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Head of Special Collections
and Archives.
Photograph Collection on Ruth St. Denis. MS-P070. 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.
Acquired, 2007.
Processed by Cyndi Shein, 2008.
Ruth St. Denis was an innovative dancer, choreographer, and instructor who pioneered early
forms of modern dance. Born Ruth Dennis in Newark, New Jersey in 1877, she performed in
musical comedies and vaudeville shows during her youth. She adopted the stage name "Ruth St.
Denis" in 1906 when she achieved success as a dance soloist in New York City. She approached
dance as a philosophical and spiritual experience rather than as entertainment, and
incorporated Eastern and Western cultural and religious themes into her work. In 1914 she
married her dance partner, Ted Shawn, and in 1915 they founded Denishawn, a dance school and
company in Los Angeles. Denishawn was one of the first significant schools of dance in the
United States, molding young dancers such as Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey. The
non-ballet movements developed at Denishawn became known as "modern dance." St. Denis also
founded the Society of Spiritual Arts, the dance department at Adelphi University, and the
School of Natya. She was often called the "first lady of American dance." She died in Los
Angeles in 1968.
Collection Scope and Content Summary
The collection comprises over 100 photographic prints of Ruth St. Denis, primarily
featuring St. Denis posing in costume alone or with fellow dancers. Many photographs include
her husband and partner, Ted Shawn. Some of the dances portrayed include
The Cobra,
The Yogi,
The Peacock, and
The Nautch. The
collection includes cabinet cards, professionally produced black-and-white prints, and
personal snap shots of St. Denis traveling and at leisure. Several of the photographs are
autographed by St. Denis and some have annotations on the reverse. The collection also
includes a handwritten index, compiled by a previous owner, providing a brief description of
the subject of each print. Not all photographs are numbered and not all items listed in the
index are represented in the collection.
The photographs in this collection are numbered on the reverse and arranged in rough
numerical order.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Choreographers.
Dancers.
Photographic prints -- 20th century.
Photographic prints -- 19th century.
Modern dance -- Photographs.
Dancers -- United States -- Photographs.
St. Denis, Ruth, 1880-1968 --
Photographs
Shawn, Ted
St. Denis, Ruth, 1880-1968 --
Archives
box 1, folder 1
Index of photographic prints created by a previous collector undated
box 1, folder 2-7
Photographic prints 1893-1949, undated
box FB-030, folder 6
Oversized photographic prints 1948, undated