Bill Case and Ann Walker Theater Collection

Identity elements

Reference code

US TxSaT SC.032

Level of description

Collection

Title

Bill Case and Ann Walker Theater Collection

Date(s)

  • 1938-1980 (Creation)

Extent

1 box, 0.5 linear feet.

Name of creator

(1905-2000)

Biographical history

Bill Case was born March 1, 1905, in Mississippi; he moved to San Antonio with his family as a child. Case was a talented musician, and played piano, accordion, and saxophone. During the 1930s he played piano at nightclubs around the country, including in Detroit, Chicago, and Los Angeles. During World War II Case served as a radio operator in the United States Merchant Marines. In 1949 he returned to San Antonio, and opened Bill Case Sound, a store for radio and stereo equipment which he ran until 1989. Case was an avid supporter of the San Antonio Symphony and the Opera Guild. Case never married, but had a long-term relationship with Ann Walker. He died of a stroke in January, 2000.

Name of creator

(1906-1991)

Biographical history

Ann Walker was born in Missouri on October 10, 1906, the youngest of seven children. Her parents died when she was a child, and she was raised by her elder sister. Walker lived in St. Louis, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, working primarily as an administrative assistant. She was briefly married, but divorced. Walker moved to Mexico City, where she was secretary for the American ambassador. She moved to San Antonio and opened a travel agency, Travel Advisors. Walker served as president of the San Antonio chapter of the American Society of Travel Agents. Walker was an active supporter of the San Antonio Opera Guild, and organized trips for members of the organization. In her later years, Walker had a long-term relationship with Bill Case, though they never married. She died of cancer on February 24, 1991.

Content and structure elements

Scope and content

Collection of playbills and theater programs collected by Bill Case and Ann Walker of San Antonio. A majority of the collection comes from productions staged in New York City; some items represent productions in San Antonio, Chicago, and London.

System of arrangement

Series 1 consists of Playbills for Broadway productions; these are arranged chronologically. Series 2 consists of programs for theatrical productions; these are arranged alphabetically by title.

Conditions of access and use elements

Conditions governing access

This collection is open and available to the public for research in the Special Collections & Archives reading room. The materials are non-circulating.

Physical access

Technical access

Conditions governing reproduction

The materials in this collection may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code). The materials are available for personal, educational, and scholarly use. It is the responsibility of the researcher to locate and obtain permission from the copyright owner or his or her heirs for any other use, such as reproduction and publication.

Languages of the material

  • English

Scripts of the material

    Language and script notes

    Finding aids

    Acquisition and appraisal elements

    Custodial history

    Immediate source of acquisition

    Donated to Coates Library by Bill Case in 1999.

    Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information

    Accruals

    Related materials elements

    Existence and location of originals

    Existence and location of copies

    Related archival materials

    Related descriptions

    Notes element

    Specialized notes

    • Citation: Bill Case and Ann Walker Theater Collection. Coates Library Special Collections & Archives, Trinity University (San Antonio, Texas).

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Description control element

    Rules or conventions

    DACS.

    Sources used

    Archivist's note

    Processed by Colleen Hoelscher, October 2021.

    Access points

    Subject access points

    Place access points

    Name access points

    Genre access points

    Accession area