Fern Welk
File — Box: 1, Folder: F-Fe66
Scope and Contents
From the Collection:
The Lawrence Welk Photograph Collection is a dynamic and expanding collection. Thus far it encompasses photographs of Lawrence Welk, his family and the Lawrence Welk band members and performers. It includes photographs on two Welk related sites: Escondido, California; and Strasburg, N.D. The collection also contains photographs of events attended by Lawrence Welk as well as awards, honors and tributes to or for Lawrence Welk. The photographs are in both black and white and color. They are of varying sizes and formats. All images have come from private donors; no photographs were part of the initial Welk Family donation.
Because it is a dynamic collection, in order to better facilitate the researcher, the present series are somewhat general and may change with the future growth of the collection. Efforts have been made, however, to organize the collection with this in mind. Thus, series and subseries are provided but no attempt has been made to itemize individual photographs.
The Awards, Honors and Tributes Series includes several general images of Welk being honored by various groups. The NDSU Honorary Doctorate documents his attendance at NDSU in May 1965 when he received an honorary doctorate degree during commencement.
Under the Welk Orchestra and Performers Series, the Group subseries includes dancing partners and photographs of band members taken with Lawrence Welk. The files are organized alphabetically by name of the performer. Many of the snapshots pertaining to Norma Zimmer have been taken from the Norma Zimmer newsletter and include portraits of Norma Zimmer by herself as well as with family and friends.
The Escondido, California Series contains images from the Lawrence Welk Country Club Village. All are either color postcards or snapshots of the village.
The Events Series includes images from the Midwestern Governors Conference held in Bismarck, N.D. in 1972 which Lawrence and Fern Welk attended. There is also a series of snapshots documenting the formal announcement of the donation of the Welk Collection to North Dakota State University in June 1992. The event was held at the NDSU Library.
The Welk Family Series includes images of Fern Welk, the Welk family, Lawrence Welk’s parents and sibling in the Ludwig Welk file.
In the Orchestra and Band Performances Series, the Performances and tours subseries includes advertisements. There are also snapshots of performances by the Welk orchestra at Bismarck, N.D. and at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, S.D.
The Strasburg, N.D. Series contains scenes of the Welk homestead, a sign in the town advertising it as the home of Welk, and snapshots of the dedication of the Welk homestead near Strasburg, N.D. in June 1992.
In the Lawrence Welk Stills and Portraits Series, the Groups subseries does not include persons who are members of his “musical (band) family.” These are in the Band Members Series under the Group subseries. Nor do they include Lawrence Welk with any of his family members (see the Family Series). Lawrence Welk is in some of the photos in the Escondido, California Series.
The Topical Series includes a small number of prints taken from the early Welk scrapbooks of the 1940s and early 1950s due to the poor condition of the original scrapbooks. They document primarily images from his pre-television career.
Dates
- 1903-1992
Access
The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Institute.
Extent
From the Collection: ? Photographic Prints
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Repository Details
Part of the Institute for Regional Studies Repository
Contact:
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu