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Original caption: “Hot Singer, Lena Horne, Has Audience Jumping With Her Singing at Hollywood Victory Committee Show” Ft. Huachuca, AZ, 9/6/1942, NARA ID 266694436.

Broadway First: Theater Named for LENA HORNE! First NYC theater named for a Black woman honors legend By Miriam Kleiman, Public Affairs

Civil Rights activist, singer, actress, and dancer Lena Horne (1917–2010) broke racial barriers and achieved many “firsts” including being the first Black performer hired to sing with a major white band, play the Copacabana nightclub, and sign a Hollywood contract. This week she (posthumously) achieved another milestone when Broadway’s Atkinson Theatre was renamed The Lena Horne Theatre. She features prominently in our records: supporting the troops in World War II, meeting with presidents, and marching on Washington.

Video: Lena Horne Christens the USS George Washington Carver, Richmond, CA, 5/17/1943, NARA ID 77813.

Original caption: "Lena Horne conserves fuel (gas)." WWII, NARA ID 535820.

Lena Horne at the March on Washington 8/28/1963, NARA ID 542057.

Lena Horne with JFK 11/20/1963, JFK Library image.

Lena Horne with IKE 3/19/55, image online.

Lena Horne with President Truman at his Inaugural Gala where she sang "Stormy Weather" 1/19/1949. Truman Library 64-1-31. NARA ID 200002.

More online:

Black History special topics page - NARA’s related online resources

1966 Interview - hear Horne discuss her life and career, civil rights, Billie Holiday and Joe Lewis. Preserved by Pacifica Radio Archives with National Historical Publications and Records Commission support.

Celebrating Black History Month: Hidden Gems, AOTUS blog

Statement by President Obama on the Passing of Lena Horne, Obama Library

Here's another letter written by Sarah Hall Benham Boardman to her sister-in-law Cornelia. This one is dated October 18, 1857 from New York where it seems Sarah came to visit, do some shopping, and attend a religious conference. What must have been an improvement over earlier trips is that she was planning to return home via train.

She tells Cornelia that Mary's hat arrived, and said "It is nicely made, the only objection is, I fear it fleeces to much to suit her but it is in the fashion, that is going to be worn, no doubt, this winter." Some things never change- it doesn't matter if you like it, just if it's in fashion!

Exhibit research for a show on the Ohio Western Reserve brings me back to the Boardman papers. I'm working to describe the correspondence of members of the family who managed land interests in Ohio, Henry Mason Boardman and his wife, Sarah Hall Benham Boardman.

This letter, written by Sarah to her sister-in-law Cornelia Boardman, concerns their son Elijah George Boardman who was apparently engaging in some less than acceptable behavior back in Connecticut where he was a student at Yale College in 1848. She writes, "What you say with regards to his conduct shocks me. I had never supposed but what that was good, he certainly stood fair at College Point- and I thought he was a conscientious good boy and there was not much danger of his being led astray." She goes on to encourage Cornelia to persuade him to join the temperance society, and later notes, "This letter my dear sister is intended for yours eyes alone, I venture to say some things to you that I would to no one else"

"Unidentified butterfly or moth caterpillar in the Virgin Islands," U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NARA ID 166693082.

WE REMEMBER ERIC CARLE

By Miriam Kleiman, Public Affairs

In memory of children's book author Eric Carle, who died Sunday at age 91, we share an eclectic mix of caterpillar-related records from our holdings, including quotes from Founding Fathers Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin!

"Close view of Monarch butterfly larvae on Common Milkweed leaf," Fish and Wildlife Service, NARA ID 166712292.

Founding Fathers on very hungry caterpillars

All from FOUNDERS ONLINE, National Archives' National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

John Adams on very hungry caterpillars:

Having met naturalist Pierre Lyonnet, John Adams wrote to wife Abigail of his fascination with caterpillars:

Have you an Inclination to read and inspect Cutts of the Anatomy of Caterpillars—their Nerves, Blood, Juices, Bones, Hair, Senses, Intellects &c. &c.—Their moral Sense, their Laws, Government, Manners and Customs. I dont know whether he [Lyonnet] teaches the manner of destroying them, and Saving the Apple tree. I doubt not the Book is worth studying. All Nature is so.—But I have too much to do, to Study Men, and their mischievous Designs upon Apple Trees and other Things... (letter from John to Abigail, July 25, 1782).

Thomas Jefferson on very hungry caterpillars:

a caterpillar is devouring the crops of latter wheat Southwestwardly of us, and as far as this river. I have not heard of it further N. Eastwardly. it eats off the whole foliage, it also attacks the corn & tobacco, & indeed the weeds of various kinds. (letter from Jefferson to Madison, May 30 1806).

Ben Franklin on very hungry caterpillars:

We hear from several Parts of the Country, that infinite Multitudes of black Worms or Caterpillars coming out of the Earth, threaten Destruction to the late promising Crops of Corn and Grass; large Fields being in a Day or two cut down and devoured by them, and the Ground laid bare. (from Franklin's Gazette, May 27, 1742).

Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar, Fish and Wildlife Service, NARA ID 166698244.

"Reception in Observance of 40th Anniversary of NHPC [now the NHPRC] and 250th Anniversary of the Birth of Henry Laurens," 2/25/1974

Series: Historic Photograph File of National Archives Events and Personnel, 1935 - 1975. Record Group 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789 - ca. 2007.

In this missive to her sister Caroline, Cornelia describes a visit to Eliza Schroeder Albert in Baltimore, MD. Eliza is the sister of Caroline’s husband, John Frederick Schroeder. She writes, “The girls are very well, & very happy_ & it is a great pleasure to Eliza to have them here_ poor thing, she has little pleasure, it is indeed a severe bondage, constant confinement_ Mr. Albert says very little, never goes in the parlor, & she has to stay in the breakfast room and read to him_ Never goes out except in the morning when he is out, & we are in the parlor. In the eve, she cannot be with us_ It is a great mistake on her part to indulge him so but she will not I fear alter it now, he gets vexed so easily_ & blames her for every thing_ even if she does not make up the fire, when he is laying down in the breakfast room, he was vexed that she stayed in the parlor a few moments after he said the fire went down, & he got cold_ A man with $80,000 a year, expects his wife to make fires, if he had me in her place he would soon learn the difference. Do not show this to Mr. S. or tell him, as perhaps Eliza would not like it.” 

Another mysterious letter from Cornelia to her sister Caroline. This particular snippet reads, “ Mr. Rogers, the rich man who married Harriet Ruggles, cut his throat the other day, & so ended a drunkard's life. Suppose he has left her a rich widow_ which I should like better than being a drunkards wife_ "

After some investigation, I found that Oliver Ruggles, a cousin of Elijah Boardman, lived in NY and Philadelphia. He had three children, one of whom was named Harriet. She married William E. Rogers and had three children, one of whom had the same name as her husband. Her son William married the daughter of Hamilton Fish, so while I can find information about him, I haven’t found anything about the father other than that they lived in Pennsylvania and that he was a lawyer. 

The listed birthdate for the son is April 1846, so it’s possible that his father died prior to his birth, as the letter is dated December 20, 1845. 

In this letter to her sister Caroline, Cornelia Boardman describes how William (possibly their brother) instructs dealing with ear discharge. It’s unclear whose ear discharge, but possibly their mother’s as she was known to have ear trouble. The treatment given was dependent upon the consistency of the discharge!