Anna Eleanor Wallace was born in Providence, Rhode Island on August 5, 1886. Her parents, John and Margaret J. Hawkins Wallace, were both born in Ulster County, Ireland. Anna had an older sister, Margaret Josephine (1884-1975). Anna was a lifelong resident of Providence, Rhode Island. She attended the Branch Avenue Grammar School and Hope Street High School (now Hope High School). She began her professional training as a dancer, dance instructor, and elocutionist while she was still in high school. In 1903 she was the first graduate of Miss Lottie M. Largan Forbes' dance school in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. She attended many schools of oratory and dance, among them the Samuel B. Kelley School of Oratory (later named the Elizabeth Flower Willis School of Elocution) in Boston; the Chalif Russian Normal School of Dancing and the Vestoff-Serova Russian School of Dancing in New York, New York.; and the Harvard Summer School of Physical Training in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
By the time she graduated from high school in 1906, Miss Wallace had produced her own publicity flyer and was appearing as a elocutionist in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. She had established her own school by 1907, where she taught dancing, dramatics, physical training and elocution. In addition to giving private lessons to students of all ages, she directed plays and pageants in local Catholic schools and churches and appeared in fund-raising events for organizations such as the Roger Williams Eye and Ear Infirmary and the Knights of Columbus.
Miss Wallace retired from teaching about 1955. She was not married. She passed away on September 12, 1982 at the age of 96.
There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Anna Eleanor Wallace papers, Ms. 90.17, Brown University Library.
The Anna Eleanor Wallace papers contain some of her personal belongings such a diary and birthday book, material regarding her education, and material used in her career as a performer and teacher of dance, dramatics, elocution and physical education. Most of the material consists of recitation pieces, instructions for dances, and photographs. All the newspaper clippings in the papers have been photocopied with the exception of those that are pasted into photograph albums. The material in the papers is dated between 1874 and 1982, with most dated between 1902 and 1936.
The papers have been organized into the following series:
Series 1. Personal papers consists mostly of material related to Miss Wallace's elementary and secondary education and catalogs from the schools she attended to study dance, eloction and physical training. This series also includes some of Miss Wallace's personal belongings, such as her diary, birthday book and reading glasses; her Rhode Island Teacher's certificate, a copy of her obituary from
Series 2. Teaching and performance materials contains dance books, which are written instructions for various dances; copybooks of recitations, games and calesthenics; and sets of recitations used by Miss Wallace in her classes. This series also includes the roster of her students from 1906 to 1949, certificates of accomplishment for her students, programs of her students' recitals, and publicity material such as cards and flyers advertising her classes.
Most of the copybooks containing recitations are not numbered. They are identified by the title of the recitation that appears first. Miss Wallace compiled an "Elocution Index" which contains an alphabetical list of dances as well as the titles of recitations that she had arranged into four sets. Her original arrangement of this material has been retained. Titles beginning with "A" or "An" are filed under "A" and titles beginning with "The" are filed under "T". Many of the recitations appear in more than one set.
The material in Series 2 is dated between 1904 and 1949.
Series 3. Photographs contains loose photographs as well as eight photograph albums. While most of the photographs are not dated, those that are were taken between 1908 and 1958. Most of the identified loose photographs are of Anna Wallace and her sister Margaret. The albums contain newspaper clippings as well as photographs. Most of the newspaper clippings are about Miss Wallace's programs and students' recitals or about people who were probably known to her. Many of the photographs are of Miss Wallace and her friends on various trips in the United States and abroad. Very few of the people in the albums are identified, and only a few of the newspaper clippings are dated.
The names of the people in the photographs of the Branch Avenue Grammar School commencement and the Wallace school recital are written on the back of the photograph.
The Anna Eleanor Wallace papers were given to the Brown University Library on July 18, 1988 by Veronica E. Owen, agent of the Anna Wallace estate, and William J. Sullivan, Jr., executor of the Anna Wallace estate.
No further materials are anticipate for this collection.
The following titles, originally in Anna Wallace's library, have been separated from the collection: