• Donald C. & Elizabeth
M. Dickinson Research Center
• Archive & Finding Aids
Introduction
Biography
Scope
& Content Note
Subject Terms
Processing
Information
Ownership
& Literary Rights
Restrictions
on Access
Preferred
Citation
Container
List
Series
1: Advertising Cards
Series
2: Arcade Cards
Series
3: Dixie Ice Cream Lids, Milkcaps
Series
4: Ephemera
Series
5: Lobby Cards
Series
6: Magazines
Series
7: Photographs
Series
8: Postcards
Series
9: Subject Files
Appendix:
Advertising Card, Dixie Lids &
Milkcap Names
Appendix:
Arcade Card Names
Appendix:
Ephemera Names
Appendix:
Lobby Card Names
Appendix:
Photograph Names
Appendix:
Postcard Names
Images
1
Images
2
Images
3
GUIDE to the
JOHN ZERANSKY WESTERN FILM EPHEMERA COLLECTION, circa 1910-circa 1960
JOHN ZERANSKY. Collection, circa 1910-circa 1960.
13.8 cubic feet (1 document box, 3 flat boxes, 32 photo binder
boxes).
Location: 0111-0118.
Introduction:
The collection consists of more than 4,000 items related to silent
and western movie actors and actresses. Arcade cards, postcards, lobby
cards, advertising cards (trading cards), Dixie Cup lids, milk lids, and
ephemera, ca. 1910-ca.1960s. Rodeo photographs reproduced as arcade cards
are also included in the postcard series. Examples of notable movie actors
represented in the collection are Art Acord, William Boyd (Hopalong Cassidy,)
Johnny “Mack” Brown, Yakima Canutt, Harry Carey, Fred Church,
Ray “Crash” Corrigan, William Desmond, “Wild Bill”
Elliott (Red Ryder), Dustin & William Farnum, Hoot Gibson, Monte Hale,
William S. Hart, Jack Holt, Jack Hoxie, Buck Jones, Allan “Rocky”
Lane, Bob Livingston, Tim McCoy, Leo Maloney, Ken Maynard, Tom Mix, Pete
Morrison, George O’Brien, Jack Perrin, Tex Ritter, Roy Rogers, Buddy
Roosevelt, Tom Santschi, Charles Starrett (The Durango Kid,) Bob Steele,
Roy Stewart, Fred Thomson, Tom Tyler, Wally Wales, John Wayne, Ted Wells,
and actresses Dale Evans, Ruth Roland, Eileen Sedgwick, and Lois Wilson.
Biography:
John Zeransky was an avid collector and lover of silent western
movies. As a young man, he collected lobby cards and arcade cards from
his local Braddock, Pennsylvania movie theater. He continue buying and
trading cards during his 49 year employment at Westinghouse. Among his
favorite collecting subjects were Art Acord and Tom Mix who gained national
prominence in early western film.
Scope and Content:
Advertising
Cards (ca. 1910s – 1958, n.d.; 2002.203.8.0001-.0481)
series contains silent movie actor and actress cigarette cards from Germany,
England and the United States, ca. 1910-1937. In addition to the collection
of cigarette cards, the series contains trade cards from Koester's Honey
and Tosty Bread, ca. 1910s, Neilson’s Chocolate, 1923, American
Carmel Company, 1921 and Topps, 1958. The Advertising Card Appendix contains
the names of all actors and actresses represented in the series.
Arcade
Cards (ca. 1920s – ca. 1960s; 2002.203.2.0001-.2276)
series depicts western film stars from the beginning of silent films to
the 1960s. Beginning alphabetically with Art Accord, one of the first
silent western film actors, the collection spans the genre’s history
including re-issued contemporary cards. The Appendix for arcade cards
contains the names of all movie actors and actresses found within the
series.
Dixie Ice Cream Cup Lids & Milkcaps
(ca. 1930s; 2002.203.3.0001-.0016) series contains a limited number of
movie actors and actresses. The Advertising Cards Appendix contains the
complete listing for the series.
Ephemera
(n.d.; 2002.203.6.0001-.0489) consists of photographic copies or newspaper
clippings of western movie actors pasted on card stock. These cards were
created by John Zeransky.
Lobby Cards
(1912-1935, n.d.; 2002.203.7.0001-.0072) from such notable western films
as Border Brigades (1935), Custer’s Last Fight (1912), The Show
Down (1921), Two-Gun Terror (1916), and Tumbleweeds (1925) are represented
within the collection. A variety of other films starring western film
actors William Desmond, Dustin and William Farnum, Hoot Gibson, Buck Jones,
Ken Maynard, and Tom Mix. A complete list is found in the Lobby Card Appendix.
Magazines
(1915-1993) found within the collection are listed under Subject Terms.
Photographs
(n.d.; 2002.203.4.0001-.0863) includes publicity photographs of western
movie stars and film stills form the body of the series. Movie actors
and actresses, animals, and movies represented within the series are listed
on the Photograph Index Term appendix.
Postcards
(n.d.; 2002.203.5.0001-.0538) series of western film stars in a variety
of styles and color with numerous “playing card” postcards,
ca. 1910s-1930s. Men, Movie, Multiple portrait, Unknown, and Women are
the cataloged sub series’. The Postcard Index Terms appendix lists
the actors, actresses, animals and movies depicted within the series.
Subject Files
(1912-1994, n.d.) maintained by John Zeransky includes inventories,
clippings and correspondence.
Subject Terms:
Personal Names:
See Appendix:
Advertising Cards
Dixie Cup Lids & Milk Caps
Arcade Cards
Ephemera
Lobby Cards
Photographs
Postcards
Magazines:
Favorite of Filmland Westerns
Hollywood Cowboy Heroes
John Wayne & The Great Cowboy Heroes
Liberty, Then & Now
Life
Movie Thrills
Movie Spotlight
Movie Western
Real West TV & Movie Western
Reel Life
TV Movie Western
TV Western Roundup
Universal Weekly
Western Stars
Wildest Westerns
Who’s Who in Western Star
Subject Headings:
Advertising postcards
Advertising--cigarettes
Advertising--Motion pictures--United States
Advertising--Tobacco industry
Advertising cards
Arcade cards
Celebrities
Cigarette cards
Country musicians--United States
Cowboy--Collectibles--United States
Motion picture actors and actresses--United States
Motion picture industry
Motion pictures--United States--History
Postcards
Silent films
Television actors and actresses
Television programs
Western films--United States
Western television programs--United States
Processing
Note:
Pam Bell and Joan Lyons of the National Cowboy & Western
Heritage Museum processed the collection in 2003. Zeransky’s original
scrapbooks and notebooks contained arcade cards, postcards, photographs,
lobby cards, clippings and ephemera of western film actors. The collection
was organized, re-housed and cataloged into individual series by material
type. One original scrapbook with adhered clippings is preserved in flat
file #2, drawer 4. The remaining original containers were destroyed once
all materials had been removed. The in-house database contains details
of all series items except magazines and subject files.
Advertising cards were organized by alpha or numerical sequence within
company, and series. Cigarette advertising cards follow commercial advertising
cards. Individual advertising cards are listed as “unknown”
if the card was unmarked and the card issuer could not be verified.
Arcade cards are arranged alphabetically within sub series’ Men,
Indians, Women, Multiples, Unidentified, Miniature, Movies, Animals, and
Rodeo. Card dating on the in-house database reflects the decade of possible
card issuance and actor’s period of film notoriety. Re-issued arcade
cards are housed with the original cards but were processed at the conclusion
of the originals. Ephemera follows the same alphabetical arrangement as
the other series’ with Men and Women listed separately. Number 2002.203.6.0041
does not exist. Lobby cards are alphabetically arranged by actor and movie.
Portrait photographs are sorted alphabetically in ascending size within
Men and Women sub series. Movie Stills are cataloged following portrait
photographs. Postcards are organized within corresponding sub series:
Men, Women, Movie Still, Multiple Portraits and Unidentified.
Ownership
and Literary Rights:
The John Zeransky Western Film
Ephemera Collection is the property of the Donald C. & Elizabeth M.
Dickinson Research Center, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
Literary right, including copyright, belongs to the National Cowboy &
Western Heritage Museum, with the exception of copyrighted artwork images
and published literary works, which are the property of the respective
copyright holders. It is the responsibility of the researcher, and his/her
publisher, to obtain publishing permission from individuals pictured,
relevant copyright holders, and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage
Museum.
Restrictions on Access:
The collection is open for research. It is advisable for researchers
to discuss their proposed research with staff prior to visiting the Center.
Preferred Citation:
John Zeransky Western Film Ephemera Collection, Box ##, Folder
##, Dickinson Research Center, National Cowboy & Western Heritage
Museum, Oklahoma City, OK.
