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Ted Weems collection
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Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6206
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Ted Weems was an American bandleader and musician, best known for his band the Ted Weems Orchestra. Born Wilfred Theodore Weems on September 26, 1901, in Pitcairn, PA, Weems was one of three sons. He was educated at Lincoln School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; West Philadelphia High School, graduating in 1916; and at the University of Pennsylvania, where he completed a course in engineering. A trombonist and violinist, Weems organized his first band, the "All American Band," in 1922 with his brother Arthur, who played the trumpet. The band was very successful, performing at hotels and restaurants in Philadelphia and throughout the United States.
Following his graduation, Weems began working professionally, touring for the MCA Corporation and recording for Victor Records. In 1923 or 1924, Weems and Eleanor C. Logan (1903-1974) married and they were the parents of a son, Ted. Weems and his orchestra moved to Chicago in 1929 and from that base, toured, gaining special popularity in the Midwest.
Their most popular hits included: "Somebody Stole My Gal," in 1924; "Piccolo Pete," in 1929; "Heartaches" in 1933; and "The Man from the South." In addition, he co-wrote "The Martins and the Coys," "Jig Time," "The One-Man Band," "Three Shif'less Skonks," and "Oh, Monah." The Ted Weems Orchestra had regular radio appearances on hit programs such as the Jack Benny Show, Fibber McGee and Molly, and Beat the Band. Notable singers (and whistlers) included Perry Como, Parker Gibbs, Joe Haymes, Red Ingle, Art Jarrett, Marilyn Maxwell (who went on to become a Hollywood star), and Elmo Tanner.
In 1942, Weems and many of his bandmates enlisted in the Merchant Marines and served during the remainder of World War II. In that capacity, as lieutenant junior grade, he directed the Merchant Marine Band. He was stationed in San Mateo, California.
Following the War, the Orchestra reformed and enjoyed national success, particularly with their song, "Heartaches." Other hits of the time included "I Wonder Who's Kissing her Now," "Peg O' My Heart," and "Mickey." He and his Orchestra continued to tour until 1953, when he began working as a disc jockey in Memphis. He died on May 6, 1963, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the age of 61. His son, Ted Jr., revived the band and performed on occasion during the 1960s and 1970s.
This collection documents the professional musical career of Ted Weems with scores, sheet music, and song sheets; photographs and images; scrapbooks; and recordings. There is limited family and personal material; and in general, this collection shows Weems's public person rather than the private man.
This collection is organized in eight series: 1. Song indexes, sheet music, master scores and part scores; II. Photographs and images; III. Correspondence; IV. Family material; V. Scrapbooks; VI. Recordings; VII. Awards, memorabilia, and ephemera; and VIII. Reference material. The bulk of the collection is contained within the first and the sixth series; but the fifth series, Scrapbooks is the most visually comprehensive of the collection.
The first series, Song indexes, sheet music, master scores, and part scores consists of the music that the Ted Weems Orchestra performed. For the most part, researchers will find sheet music, master scores (scores containing the parts of all performers in a single document), or parts scores (scores where each instrumental part is its own document). This music was clearly used—edges are tattered and the documents are folded in inexplicable ways, cut into pieces, and taped. Because the condition was indicative of the use of the material, processors did not unfold or remove tape from the documents. It seems, but is not certain, that some of this music may have been performed under the leadership of Ted Weems, Jr., rather than Ted Weems, Sr. Music is arranged alphabetically; however there a few compilations (located at the end of the series) that may contain songs that are also listed alphabetically. Titles of songs have been listed as they appear on the physical documents, therefore it is possible that same song is listed with a slightly different title in both this group of materials and the recordings.
Series II. Photographs and images are a rich resource documenting the public face of Ted Weems and the Ted Weems Orchestra. The bulk of the photographs are portraits and publicity photographs of Weems, the Orchestra, and musicians who worked with Weems and the Orchestra. There are a few candid photographs and a few family photographs, especially of Eleanor Weems who was Miss Florida in the [early 1920s]. Weems's service in the Merchant Marines during World War II is documented. Researchers interested in images of Weems should also consult the scrapbooks in Series V.
Series III. Correspondence has a very small amount of correspondence, largely relating to the Ted Weems Orchestra. Of particular note are the letters from and about Marvel Maxwell, a performer whose career began with the Ted Weems Orchestra. She later changed her name to Marilyn Maxwell, and the correspondence includes information about her contracts and her career; in addition to a personal letter addressed to Weems. There are a few personal letters (one containing photographs relating to a friend's World War II service, probably in the USO), but the bulk of the series is strictly professional. For additional correspondence, researchers should consult the scrapbooks in Series V.
The Family material in Series IV. is limited, containing a few Christmas cards; Weems's wedding program/booklet; letters of sympathy written to Eleanor Weems upon the death of her husband, Ted; a portrait of an ancestor; and writing by Weems's father, William.
Series VI. Scrapbooks is perhaps the most comprehensive portion of this collection, containing newspaper clippings, photographs, performance announcements, event programs, advertisements, and correspondence, carefully pasted into roughly chronological volumes. These volumes provide a glimpse into the busy lifestyle and the colorful world of a bandleader during the 1920s through the 1950s. There are two main sets of scrapbooks that overlap. Scrapbooks in boxes 10 to 15 contain a diverse set of formats pasted into the volumes; while scrapbooks in boxes 17 to 21 appear to be more focused on newspaper clippings. The scrapbooks in box 16 date after Weems's death and document the musical career of Weems's son, Ted Weems, Jr. As is the case with almost all scrapbooks of this era, the condition is extremely fragile with acidic material being glued to acidic paper in overstuffed volumes. Researchers should use these volumes with extreme care and should be prepared to ask for assistance from reading room staff.
Series VI. Recordings includes 7 inch, 8 inch, 9 inch, 10 inch, 12 inch, 16 inch and 17 inch long playing records as well as a small number of reel to reel films. These recordings, for the most part, are of Weems's performances—either as albums or on the radio, but there are a number of home recorded records and non-commercial recordings, demo records, and master records. Within each type (albums, demo records, masters, non-commercial/family recordings, radio broadcasts, collected records, and reel to reel film), records are organized either chronologically or alphabetically and as much information as was contained on the record is included in the description. Very few records contained album art (when it is present, it is noted in the description) and therefore, there are many records with very limited information. Titles of songs have been listed as they appear on the physical records, therefore it is possible that same song is listed with a slightly different title or spelling in both this group of materials and the song indexes, sheet music, master scores, and parts scores.
Original recordings are restricted and researchers must request use copies in order to listen to any of these recordings; however, many of the songs represented on the commercial albums are easily accessible.
Series VII. Awards, memorabilia, and ephemera includes promotion, press, and publicity from Weems's career. In addition to newspaper and magazine clippings, event ephemera, business cards, and press packets, researchers will find Weems's paper awards, the "Heartaches" gold record, a plaque relating to his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and his mounted baton. This series, perhaps most heavily, overlaps with the material located in the scrapbooks (particularly those in boxes 10 to 15) and researchers interested in programs, clippings, and event ephemera should consult the scrapbooks in Series V.
The final series, Reference material contains published works relating to the music industry, big bands, and the collecting and pricing of vintage records. While many of these published works mention Weems and the Ted Weems Orchestra, they are generally not focused on Weems. There are some photocopied articles and excerpts that do relate directly to Weems which were probably collected by the donors of this collection. This series is arranged alphabetically by author of the work.
Gift of Alan C. Love and Ted Weems, Jr., 2019.
- Publisher
- University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
- Finding Aid Author
- Cory Austin Knudson and Holly Mengel
- Finding Aid Date
- 2020 October 19
- Access Restrictions
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The bulk of this collection is open for research use; however, all original recordings (Series VI) are restricted. Researchers interested in viewing restricted material in this collection should email the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books, and Manuscripts (kislak@pobox.upenn.edu) to consult with a curator.
Access to Machine-Readable Materials
Access to original audio/visual materials and computer files is restricted. The Kislak Center will provide access to the information on these materials from duplicate master files. If the original does not already have a copy, it will be sent to an outside vendor for copying. Patrons are financially responsible for the cost. The turnaround time from request to delivery of digital items is about two weeks for up to five items and three to seven weeks for more than five items. Please contact Reprographic Services (reprogr@upenn.edu) for cost estimates and ordering. Once digital items are received, researchers will have access to the files on a dedicated computer in the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center. Researchers should be aware of specifics of copyright law and act accordingly.
- Use Restrictions
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Copyright restrictions may exist. For most library holdings, the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania do not hold copyright. It is the responsibility of the requester to seek permission from the holder of the copyright to reproduce material from the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts.