Nancye Bridges - papers, 1906-1998

MLMSS 6727/Boxes 1-4
MLMSS 6727/Box 5X-8X
GR 267-GR 268

fonds

1906-1998

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Clippings, Photographs, Nonmusical Sound Recordings

401957

1.48 metres of textual material (4 boxes, 4 outsize boxes and sound recordings) includes photographs - manuscript, typescript, and printed

Nancye Margaret Bridges, variety artist, concert entrepreneur and author was born in Wanganui, New Zealand on 12 December 1922, daughter of Gordon Francis Bridges and his wife Mary. She was educated at St Mary's Convent, Wanganui and at the NSW Conservatorium of Music, where she attained the level of Licentiate of the Trinity College of London, in violin. Nancye Bridges' career as an entertainer began in New Zealand as a member of the Bridges Trio, with Nancye playing violin, her sister Babe, harp, and brother Clifford, piano. The Trio also performed a unique act where all three played the maribma (a 2.5m xylophone). While still teenagers, the Trio began broadcasting recitals of popular music from radio station 2YA, Wellington. The family moved to Australia in the late 1930s following the death of father, Gordon. With the assistance of entrepreneur Sir Benjamin Fuller, the Trio entered the Australian variety and broadcasting scene, playing on the Tivoli and other circuits for twelve years. They broadcast for the Australian Broadcasting Commission and Nancye had her own light music show, 'The After Dinner Show', on radio 4QG, Brisbane. Clifford enlisted in the RAAF during World War II and did not return to the Trio. He was replaced by Rosemary Raiella. Nancye and Babe toured the variety theatres of and broadcast in Britain for four years from 1951, also touring Germany and the Netherlands. They returned to Australia in 1957 and continued playing the Tivoli Circuit in addition to giving club and television performances. Nancye began her entrepreneurial activities in the 1970s. She staged the first performances of ballet and opera in NSW clubs, and organised and produced the Festival of the People, for the Sydney Waratah Festival in 1971 and 1972. The Bridges sisters ceased performing on the club and variety circuit in 1975, when Nancy began organising Old Fashioned Shows at the Sydney Opera House and in Brisbane, Canberra and provincial centres, using such veteran performers as Queenie Paul, Buster Noble and Jenny Howard. In 1975 Nancye founded Concertcare. Funded by the Community Arts Board of the Australia Council, Concertcare staged concerts for the sick, elderly and disadvantaged in hospitals, nursing homes and shelters, until 1987. Special guests such as Queenie Ashton and Smoky Dawson were engaged, as well as regular professional artists. Bridges wrote two books with journalist Frank Crook: Curtain Call (1980), about Australia' variety and musical stars from the 1920s to the 1960s and Wonderful Wireless (1983), reminiscences of the stars of Australia's live radio. The story of the Sydney Showboats was a work in progress at the time of her death. Bridges received two awards in 1986: the Order of Australia Medal, General Division, for services to the community, and the 1986 Archbishop of Sydney Citation for an outstanding contribution to quality entertainment furthering Christian ideals in the media. Nancye Bridges died in Sydney on 15 November 1998.

1934-1995; Correspondence regarding professional engagements and the conferring of and congratulations on receiving the Medal of the Order of Australia and the Archbishop of Sydney Citation (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/1)
1940-1994; Newscuttings and photographs (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/1)
1936-1951; Diaries for the years 1936 and 1946-1951 (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/1)
Undated; edited photocopy of the manuscript of, Wonderful Wireless (1983) (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/1)
Undated; File: 'Writings' containing draft letters to editors of newspapers, fragments, jottings and short articles (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/1)
Undated; two notebooks containing both original and copies of poems and prose, some original work under the pen name 'N.M. Quinlan' (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/1)
1968-1991; File: 'Concertcare for Sick & Elderly I'. Promotional material, newscuttings and correspondence with the Australia Council, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Queensland Performing Arts Trust, National Film and Sound Archives, Anthony Steel & Associates and Evie Hayes (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/2)
1985-1991; File: 'Sydney Town Hall Shows', correspondence with Council of the City of Sydney and the Police Community Relations Bureau, newscuttings and promotional material (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/2)
1978-1983; File: 'Production Papers. Shows in Town Hall, Bowral, Queensland', correspondence with the Sydney Opera House Trust, Australia Council, Queensland Arts Council and the National Film and Sound Archive, newscuttings and promotional material (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/2)
1992-1996; File: 'Big Hotel Shows' containing administrative arrangements for concert morning teas held at the Regent, Manly Pacific, Sheraton on the Park and ANA Hotels (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/3)
1980s; File: 'Melba Memories' containing arrangements for a Dame Nellie Melba tribute show (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/3)
1950-1991; File: 'Opera House Show' containing arrangements for the Exhibition of Australian Theatre (1971), other exhibitions and miscellaneous material. Also includes many newscuttings from the 1950s on various performances. (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/3)
Undated; File: 'The Clubs' containing research material for a proposed book and photographic exhibition on performers who have contributed to the growth of clubs in Australia (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/3)
1986-1987; File: 'Showboats. Artists Names' containing research notes for a publication on the Sydney Harbour Showboats between 1938 to the mid 1950s (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/3)
?-1994; File: 'Showboats Contacts' containing research notes, newscuttings, correspondence and photographs (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/3)
1987-1997; File: 'Showboats Research/Writing' containing research notes, newscuttings, correspondence, photographs and report on grant expenditure (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/3)
Undated; File: 'Show-Boat. Photo Research' containing photographs and notes (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/3)
1989-1998; File: 'IASA. Interviews 1987 N.F.& S.A.' containing contract with the National Film and Sound Archive to conduct interviews with individuals whose careers cover radio, television, musical comedy and theatre. Includes lists of interviewees, correspondence and research notes. (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/3)
1955-1989; File: 'Curtain Call (book)' containing correspondence, research notes, photographs, artwork and newscuttings (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/4)
1941-1996; File: 'Showbiz File. Publicity' containing newscuttings, programs and theatre magazines (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/4)
1933-1987; File of programs and photographs for performances in which Nancye Bridges participated (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/4)
1906-1975; File: 'Town Hall Programs' containing programs, playbills and photographs (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/4)
1909-1977; File: 'Bridges International' containing programs, playbills and publicity material (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/4)
1935-1998; File: 'Bridges Press Clippings' containing newscuttings and related material (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/4)
1991; `Golden Days of Radio. Australia's Heritage in Stamps' by Mimi Colligan (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/4)

1930s-1980s; Sound recordings. Includes interviews by Nancye Bridges, for `Curtain Call' and `Wonderful Wireless', with Jenny Howard, Bobby Le Brun, Ronnie Shand, Hilda Statler, Peter Burgess, Peggy Toppano, Bessie Dunn, Lloyd Martin, Frank Cleary, Desmond Show, Syd Piddington, John Hunter, Perc Campbell, Queenie Paul, Queenie Ashton, Colin Croft, Harry Griffiths, Babs McKinnon, Hal Lashwood, Evie Hayes, Malcolm Elliott, Abe Romaine, Dick Fair, Hal Saunders, Dorothy Foster, Geoff Mac, Hal Saunders, W.K. Cole, Irene Wren, Stevie Doo, Captain Kramer, Eddie Williams, Kevin O'Gorman, Tony Sheldon, Ethel Lang and others. (Call No.: MLOH 325/1-56)

Undated; Photographs of Australian show business performers and personalities gathered both during her career and in the course of research for her books. Also includes personal photographs of Concertcare and Old Time shows during the 1970s and 1980s (Call No.: MLMSS 6727/5X-8X)

undated; gramophone record, unidentified 78 RPM (Call No.: GR 267)
1930s?; gramophone record, 78 RPM of Nancye and Babe Bridges performing E Pari Ra, Canoe Song, War Song, and Maori Farewell (Call No.: GR 268)