Category Archives: Hollywood history

Marilyn Monroe – “True Spirit and Soul”

Posted on August 5, 2016 by ahcadmin

“Jean took the best pictures of me I’ve ever had,” said Marilyn Monroe at one of Gloria Vanderbilt’s celebrity-studded party in the 1950s. Everyone turned to look at the photographer in question, Jean Howard. Former Ziegfeld girl and MGM contract … Continue reading →

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Jacques Kapralik and the Art of Film Promotion

Posted on April 25, 2014 by stowam

The American Heritage Center is fortunate to hold the papers and artwork of Jacques Kapralik. Kapralik was a commercial artist and caricaturist whose art was used in the promotion of motion pictures throughout Hollywood’s Golden Era of the 1930s-1950s. Born … Continue reading →

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From Spurs to Screen: Wyoming Boy Makes It Big In Hollywood

Posted on January 24, 2014 by ahcadmin

Sometimes those “film cowboys” featured in Westerns in the 1920s-1950s were actually real cowboys. One such authentic cowboy-turned-Hollywood star is Wally Wales (also known as Hal Taliaferro). Wally Wales was born Floyd Taliaferro Alderson in 1895 in Sheridan, Wyoming.  His … Continue reading →

Posted in Hollywood history, motion picture history, newly processed collections, popular culture, Western Films | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tim McCoy, Western Star

Posted on November 15, 2012 by ahcadmin

Thanks to a continuing grant from the NHPRC, the American Heritage Center has recently processed the Tim McCoy papers and a new, online inventory is available for this collection. Tim McCoy was a mid-20th century Hollywood Western movie actor, military officer, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography and profiles, Hollywood history, newly processed collections, popular culture, Western history | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

A Red Carpet Collection

Posted on March 1, 2012 by ahcadmin

Those of you who watch the Oscars  might have found yourselves wondering what it is like to hold the most coveted award in Hollywood. Well readers, question no longer! The AHC is pleased to count, among the many informative and … Continue reading →

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The Art of Silent Film: Al Christie’s Contribution to Early Hollywood

Posted on December 8, 2011 by ahcadmin

Long before modern blockbusters filled theater screens with explosive sound and color, silent films captivated audiences through pure visual storytelling. This lost art form, which flourished from 1894-1929, experienced a revival when The Artist won major awards in 2011 for … Continue reading →

Posted in Hollywood history, motion picture history, popular culture, resources | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments