Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
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
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
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.