Dances and Recreation Files, 1881-[ongoing]
type: FindingAid
type: Document
conforms to: General International Standard for Archival Description
publisher: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA
encoded as: Dances and Recreation Files, 1881-[ongoing]
topic: Dances and Recreation Files
subject: Dances and Recreation Files
has part: Biographical History for: Dances and Recreation Files
topic: Card Parties 1887-1917
subject: Card Parties 1887-1917
topic: Dance Cards/Invitations 1884-1889
subject: Dance Cards/Invitations 1884-1889
topic: Dances, General Photographs 1979-1982, n.d.
subject: Dances, General Photographs 1979-1982, n.d.
topic: Dress Parties 1882, n.d.
subject: Dress Parties 1882, n.d.
topic: Faculty Teas 1894-1916
subject: Faculty Teas 1894-1916
topic: "German" 1882-1889
subject: "German" 1882-1889
topic: Group Dances 1894-1938
subject: Group Dances 1894-1938
topic: House Dances 1894-1979
subject: House Dances 1894-1979
topic: House Dances Photographs n.d.
subject: House Dances Photographs n.d.
topic: Mixers 1960-1964
subject: Mixers 1960-1964
topic: Parties 1986-87, 1990
subject: Parties 1986-87, 1990
topic: Picnics n.d.
subject: Picnics n.d.
topic: Receptions-House Receptions 1938-1940
subject: Receptions-House Receptions 1938-1940
topic: Receptions-Senior Receptions 1881-1954
subject: Receptions-Senior Receptions 1881-1954
topic: Spreads and Dinner Parties 1882-1900
subject: Spreads and Dinner Parties 1882-1900
topic: Square Dances 1936
subject: Square Dances 1936
topic: Student Teas 1887-1987
subject: Student Teas 1887-1987
topic: "Superdance USA" 1981
subject: "Superdance USA" 1981
topic: Supper Dance 1928-1946
subject: Supper Dance 1928-1946

General International Standard for Archival Description
type: Standard

Smith College Archives Northampton, MA
type: Repository
type: Organization
type: Agent
country code: US
maintenance agency code: manosca
is publisher of: Dances and Recreation Files, 1881-[ongoing]
administers: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA
provides access to: Dances and Recreation Files
provides access to: Card Parties 1887-1917
provides access to: Dance Cards/Invitations 1884-1889
provides access to: Dances, General Photographs 1979-1982, n.d.
provides access to: Dress Parties 1882, n.d.
provides access to: Faculty Teas 1894-1916
provides access to: "German" 1882-1889
provides access to: Group Dances 1894-1938
provides access to: House Dances 1894-1979
provides access to: House Dances Photographs n.d.
provides access to: Mixers 1960-1964
provides access to: Parties 1986-87, 1990
provides access to: Picnics n.d.
provides access to: Receptions-House Receptions 1938-1940
provides access to: Receptions-Senior Receptions 1881-1954
provides access to: Spreads and Dinner Parties 1882-1900
provides access to: Square Dances 1936
provides access to: Student Teas 1887-1987
provides access to: "Superdance USA" 1981
provides access to: Supper Dance 1928-1946

Smith College Archives Northampton, MA
type: SpatialThing
is administered by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

Dances and Recreation Files, 1881-[ongoing]
type: EAD
type: Document
description: Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Laura Cutter. 2003-06-10
created: 2003-06-10
conforms to: Encoded Archival Description
conforms to: Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
encoding of: Dances and Recreation Files, 1881-[ongoing]

Encoded Archival Description
type: Standard

Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
type: Standard

Dances and Recreation Files
type: ArchivalResource
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA
level: recordgrp
identifier: RG 80
date: 1881-[ongoing]
date created accumulated string: 1881-[ongoing]
extent: 1 box
extent: (.5 linear ft.)
language: eng
origination: Smith College.
has biographical history: Biographical History for: Dances and Recreation Files
scopecontent: Scope and Contents of the Collection Information found in the files is incomplete and contains mostly photographs, dance cards and invitations. Photographs can sometimes tell their own story such as with the "Superdance USA" of 1981, with its succession of 4 photographs. However, many photographs are vague and do not communicate who, when, where or why. Present day dances and recreations are unaccounted for. Information about the Supper Dance can be derived from the many press releases about the event.
associated with: Ballroom dancing--Massachusetts--Northampton.
associated with: Afternoon teas--Massachusetts--Northampton.
associated with: Recreation--Massachusetts--Northampton.
associated with: Women college students--Massachusetts--Northampton--Social life and customs.
associated with: Smith College--History--Sources.
associated with: Smith College--Students--Social life and customs.
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Card Parties 1887-1917
aggregates: Card Parties 1887-1917
has part: Dance Cards/Invitations 1884-1889
aggregates: Dance Cards/Invitations 1884-1889
has part: Dances, General Photographs 1979-1982, n.d.
aggregates: Dances, General Photographs 1979-1982, n.d.
has part: Dress Parties 1882, n.d.
aggregates: Dress Parties 1882, n.d.
has part: Faculty Teas 1894-1916
aggregates: Faculty Teas 1894-1916
has part: "German" 1882-1889
aggregates: "German" 1882-1889
has part: Group Dances 1894-1938
aggregates: Group Dances 1894-1938
has part: House Dances 1894-1979
aggregates: House Dances 1894-1979
has part: House Dances Photographs n.d.
aggregates: House Dances Photographs n.d.
has part: Mixers 1960-1964
aggregates: Mixers 1960-1964
has part: Parties 1986-87, 1990
aggregates: Parties 1986-87, 1990
has part: Picnics n.d.
aggregates: Picnics n.d.
has part: Receptions-House Receptions 1938-1940
aggregates: Receptions-House Receptions 1938-1940
has part: Receptions-Senior Receptions 1881-1954
aggregates: Receptions-Senior Receptions 1881-1954
has part: Spreads and Dinner Parties 1882-1900
aggregates: Spreads and Dinner Parties 1882-1900
has part: Square Dances 1936
aggregates: Square Dances 1936
has part: Student Teas 1887-1987
aggregates: Student Teas 1887-1987
has part: "Superdance USA" 1981
aggregates: "Superdance USA" 1981
has part: Supper Dance 1928-1946
aggregates: Supper Dance 1928-1946

recordgrp
type: Level
type: Concept

1 box
type: Extent
archbox: 1
label: (.5 linear ft.)

Smith College.
type: Agent
is origination of: Dances and Recreation Files

Biographical History for: Dances and Recreation Files
type: BiographicalHistory
type: Document
type: DocumentPart
body: Historical Note The tradition of dances and recreation at Smith is longstanding. From social gatherings, teas, and parties in the 1880s and 1890s, to the hosting of "Supper Dance" Weekend from the 1920s through the 1940s, to the present day traditions of Friday Teas, Winter Weekend, Spring Weekend and Rugby Prom, Smith has seen its fair share of parties. While much of the information regarding the gatherings cannot be found in the folders, many of the photographs tell their own stories. There is a plethora of information about the Supper Dance. Preceded by 'walk arounds" in the 1880s, when the Glee Club was founded in 1888, it hosted a yearly spring concert, which gradually evolved into Spring Dance and Supper Dance. Organized by a student committee, the dance was open to the entire college, with each house hosting its own dance and hired bands. Because Smith women are "unusually smart as well as unusually attractive, and . . . their hospitality is rightly famous" according to an article for LIFE magazine, the Supper dance was unusually popular and especially well anticipated by male guests. As their hosts, Smithies paid for their weekend and were allowed to cut in on couples and choose their dance partners. The weekend consisted of Friday classes, dancing lasting the greater part of Saturday with a break for dinner, and Sunday activities. The dance was so famous as to attract photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt of LIFE magazine to take pictures for an article about the Supper Dance in 1937. The Supper Dance continued until the 1940s, probably when wartime took its toll.
topic: Smith College.
subject: Smith College.
is biographical history for: Dances and Recreation Files
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files, 1881-[ongoing]

Ballroom dancing--Massachusetts--Northampton.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh

lcsh
type: ConceptScheme

Afternoon teas--Massachusetts--Northampton.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh

Recreation--Massachusetts--Northampton.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh

Women college students--Massachusetts--Northampton--Social life and customs.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh

Smith College--History--Sources.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh
focus: smithcollege--history--sources

Smith College--Students--Social life and customs.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh
focus: smithcollege--students--sociallifeandcustoms

Card Parties 1887-1917
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

Dance Cards/Invitations 1884-1889
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

Dances, General Photographs 1979-1982, n.d.
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

Dress Parties 1882, n.d.
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

Faculty Teas 1894-1916
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

"German" 1882-1889
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

Group Dances 1894-1938
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

House Dances 1894-1979
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

House Dances Photographs n.d.
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

Mixers 1960-1964
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

Parties 1986-87, 1990
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

Picnics n.d.
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

Receptions-House Receptions 1938-1940
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

Receptions-Senior Receptions 1881-1954
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

Spreads and Dinner Parties 1882-1900
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

Square Dances 1936
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

Student Teas 1887-1987
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

"Superdance USA" 1981
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA

Supper Dance 1928-1946
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Dances and Recreation Files
is aggregated by: Dances and Recreation Files
access provided by: Smith College Archives Northampton, MA