Mystery Entertainment Autographs c. 1949 - Help needed on a couple dozen

[ATP]

Hi Everyone,
I've got a small stack of signed album pages here that came out of three albums circa 1949. Almost all of them were music or entertainment related, and they appear to have been acquired likely in the New York area. There were some bigger names like Louis Armstrong, Bob Hope, Spike Jones, and many of their band members, but also some obscure performers that appeared on shows, Dancers, Jugglers, Comedians, etc. There are also some opera, ballet, classical and composers. These are the ones I am struggling with identifying, if anyone is up for a mid week mystery I will take any help I can get. Thanks for looking.

********************UPDATE************************ *************

Here are the ones that the sharp eyes here have been able to identify and I have since removed, to make it easier to focus on the unidentified ones. I am going to leave the names up in case one sparks an idea on another

Earle Hummel (violinist for Vaughn Monro Orchestra
Dick Hayman (harmonica for Vaughn Monro Orchestra)

Alexandra Danilova, a ballet dancer.

Margaret Truman, author and first daughter.

Ida Kitchell - concert dancer and comedienne

Clayton Krehbiel - tenor,
Robert Shaw Choral and Shirlee Emmons - classical soprano


Stephen Kovacs
Audrey Kooper
Sylvia Dickler
Hans Heidemann
(They toured together as a 4 piece piano team)

Robert Shaw (conductor)

Clayton Krehbiel
Shirlee Emmons
Bob Farr
Tom Pyle
(all singers with the Robert Shaw Chorale)

Nathalie Krassovska

Morfydd Arvon-Davies

"The Beachcombers" was a quartet composed of Jerry Graff, Al Gross, Bill Shephard and his wife, the former Natalie Alesna.

Johnny Long

Leon Danielian

Victor Brenes

Alpheus Koons

Marie-Jeanne

Frances Greer

Gudmundur Jonsson

[ATP]

Second group of scans

[Majestic]

First one is Earle Hummel (violinist for Vaughn Monro Orchestra)
Second one is Dick Hayman (harmonica for Vaughn Monro Orchestra)

[dgo71]

Next to last is Alexandra Danilova, a ballet dancer.

[Michael B]

The first blue page is Margaret Truman, author and first daughter.

Nine pages down is Ida Kitchell - concert dancer and comedienne

Eleven pages down top two: Clayton Krehbiel - tenor, Robert Shaw Choral and Shirlee Emmons - classical soprano

Last page: Alpheus Koon - dancer American Ballet Theatre, artistic director Tampa Civic Ballet.

[Majestic]

Page 7 from top
Stephen Kovacs
Audrey Kooper
Sylvia Dickler
Hans Heidemann
(They toured together as a 4 piece piano team)

Page 11 from top
Robert Shaw (conductor)

Page 12 from top
Clayton Krehbiel
Shirlee Emmons
Bob Farr
Tom Pyle
(all singers with the Robert Shaw Chorale)

[ATP]

Wow you guys, thank you. That's a ton of them identified so far

[Michael B]

Jeff, just a suggestion. If you can easily delete the images of the identified pages it makes it easier to focus on the others.

[ATP]

Originally Posted by Michael B

Jeff, just a suggestion. If you can easily delete the images of the identified pages it makes it easier to focus on the others.

Good idea Michael, thanks. I have deleted the images of the newly identified autographs but left a list of the names.

[Steve D]

The third one from the end, looks like it's probably Nathalie Krassovska.

She was a Russian prima-ballerina. Born in 1918, she died in 2005.


Steve

[Steve D]

I would guess that the first one in your second post, is Morfydd Arvon-Davies. She was a Welsh-born pianist.

Interestingly, both Arvon-Davies, and Nathalie Krassovska lived in Dallas, TX. Krassovska is buried there.

Steve

[Steve D]

"The Beachcombers" was a quartet composed of Jerry Graff, Al Gross, Bill Shephard and his wife, the former Natalie Alesna.

I found a newspaper excerpt, where they were performing in Williamsburg, VA in February, 1948.

The one below The Beachcombers, is probably Johnny Long. He had his own orchestra, and in fact, is identified as performing with The Beachcombers at the listing above.

Steve

[ATP]

Wonderful! I just figured one out as well I believe, Leon Danielian.

[Steve D]

The last one in your first post, could be Victor Brenes. He was a semi-classic tenor, who toured with Xavier Cugat.
Steve

[Steve D]

Originally Posted by ATP

Wonderful! I just figured one out as well I believe, Leon Danielian.

Danielian and Krassovska were both with the Ballet-Russe of Monte Carlo.

I kept looking for "Danulian" and coming up dry. Never thought to change the u to an ie.


Steve

[Michael B]

The third and sixth signatures in the second post are the same person. The second time they just signed their first name - Chini?

Also add Alpheus Koons to the list of identified pages.

[ATP]

Think I got another, Marie-Jeanne. I will update the photos with which ones remain tomorrow. Thanks again for everyones help.

[chalupacollects]

First one is Frances Greer, American opera singer (soprano) Sang at the Met and Philadelphia Opera and Carnegie Hall.. 1917 - 2005.

[ATP]

Thanks, I got one more as well, Gudmundur Jonsson (Icelandic Singer)

[Steve D]

The second-to-the-last one could be the William Sumner who was a musical director on Broadway in the 1940s and 1950s.


Steve

[Michael B]

The first signature on the second page is Serge Jaroff. Trained as a singer in Russia. He was an officer in the Cossack Army during the Russian Revolution. After being driven out of Russia by the Red Army he formed a singing group in Turkey (Ottoman Empire) called the Don Cossack Choir Serge Jaroff. Toured the world in the 1930's, 40's and 50's dressed as Cossacks.

[Steve D]

Originally Posted by Michael B

The first signature on the second page is Serge Jaroff. Trained as a singer in Russia. He was an officer in the Cossack Army during the Russian Revolution. After being driven out of Russia by the Red Army he formed a singing group in Turkey (Ottoman Empire) called the Don Cossack Choir Serge Jaroff. Toured the world in the 1930's, 40's and 50's dressed as Cossacks.

With the above in mind, the next one below it could be Konstantin Jurkevic, who was a member of the Don Cossack Chorus Serge Jaroff.


Steve