Finding Aid
William Cole fonds. 1894-2005; predominant 1954-1999. 1.11 m of textual records graphic material, sound recordings and moving images.
Series 1
Correspondence. 1954-1999. 16 cm of textual records. Title based on content of series.
Box 1
F.1 Application letters: to Banff Centre, Blyth Festival, New Bastion Theatre, 1989-90, with rejection replies. Also in the file is Coles professional biography as well as letter to Canadian Actors Equity and the Ontario Ministry of Culture and Recreation, 1978.
F.2 Canadian Broadcasting Corp., 1960-1972; includes contracts
F.3 Charlottetown Festival, Confederation Memorial Building Trust, 1966-1971; includes contracts
F.4 Conestoga College of Applied Arts and Technology, 1968-69
F.5 Dominion Drama Festival, 1966-67; includes programmes and news clippings
F.6 Donald Harron, 2 postcards, n.d.
F.7 Kingsgate Studios, 1958
F.8 Kitchener, City of: 1954, 1986; includes certificate of appreciation.
F.9 Kitchener Convention Arts Centre Committee, 1973-76; includes minutes, news clippings, and third party letters
F.10 Kitchener-Waterloo Record, 1968; includes news clipping containing an article by Cole, K-W Stars Play Lead Roles in Johnny Belinda
F.11 Kligman Enterprise Ltd., 1969-73
Mavor Moore Productions:
F.12 Spring Thaw, 1961
F.13 Spring Thaw, 1962; includes contracts, sheet music
F.14 Spring Thaw, 1963; includes contract
F.15 Spring Thaw, 1964; includes touring schedules
F.16 MacLaren Advertising, 1963-65 re General Motor shows
F.17 Ontario Mission of the Deaf, 1968
F.18 Orangeville District High School, 1967-71; includes music, programmes, skits, speech
F.19 Rada Records (John Rodney), 1976, 1981; includes contracts
F.20 Theatre New Brunswick, 1992; includes programme
F.21 Charles Anthony Tony Thomas, 1974-76
F.22 Trican Theatre Management Ltd., 1968
F.23 Waterloo County Board of Education, 1987, two draft letters
F.24 B-G
F.25 H-R
F.26 S-Y
F.27 FanMail, 1956-71
F.28 First Names
Family:
F.29 Trevor Cole (as a child) to his father; one card from Bill
F.30 Trevor Cole (as an adult) to his father, 1983-1999, n.d.; includes an invitation to Trevors wedding to Krista Foss, 1999, and a story by Trevor, Larger Concerns.
F.31 Valerie Cole
F.32 Hilda Cole, telegram to Bill, and letter, both 1965
F.33 Elaine Cole and Helen, telegram, 1965; Uncle Milt, letter, 1957; two letters from Gran Philp, 195-.
F.34 Eleanor Bouchier, card and letter, 1997-98
Series 2
Performance. 1954-2005; 1960-1980 predominant. 56 cm of textual records and graphic material. Title based on content of series. The series contains theatre, radio and television scripts marked up by Cole to aid his performances as well as some plays which he directed. There are also programmes, reviews, and photographs.
Box 2
Theatre
F.1 Christopher Gore, Mary, [1967], mimeograph
F.2 Marian Grudeff and Raymond Jessel, Life Can Be Like Wow: a Musical Farce, May 1969, mimeograph
F.3 Donald Harron, Private Turveys War: a Musical Comedy, mimeograph
F.4 Donald Harron, Final Pre-Production Draft of The Adventures of Private Turvey, a New Musical Comedy, mimeograph
F.5 Donald Harron, The Broke Jug, Stratford Festival, mimeograph. Note: This was a touring production only, 1958
F.6 Tom Jones and HarveySchmidt, I Do! I Do!, 1966, mimeograph
F.7 Mavor Moore, Johnny Belinda: a Musical, May 1968, mimeograph; also photocopies of a few typescript pages
F.8 Mavor Moore, Johnny Belinda: a Musical, May 1969, mimeograph
F.9 Pp. 85-89 of Johnny Belinda, mimeograph found loose
F.10 Mavor Moore, The Ottawa Man: a Comedy, typescript not marked up by Cole; also 2 mimeograph pages, one dated 15 June 1966.
F.11 Mavor Moore, The Ottawa Man: a Comedy, mimeograph, copyright 1958.
Box 3
Theatre
F.1 Mavor Moore, Sunshine Town: A Muscial, May 1968, mimeograph
F.2 Alden Nowlan and Walter Learning, Frankenstein, June 1974, mimeograph
F.3 Douglas Seale, Lady Audleys Secret, mimeograph
F.4-5 Hal Shaper, The New Musical of Jane Eyre, revised final draft, February 1970 (corrected to 15 July 1970), mimeographs, London, U.K.; also sheet music.
F.6 Hal Shaper, Jane Eyre: A New Musical Play, 1971 Charlottetown Festival, as presented at the 1970 Charlottetown Festival, 1971
F.7 Jane Eyre, published musical score, autographed to Bill, with best wishes, Jim
F.8 Bernard Slade, Same Time Next Year, published by Samuel French, Inc., 1975 also ts. carbon, 1 page; photocopy of ts. of the play, marked up in pen and pencil.
F.9 Dale Wasserman, Man of LaMancha, photocopy marked up with a marker.
Christie, Brown and Co. Ltd.
F.10 Christie Show, 1970 at Inn on the Park Toronto, mimeograph; also sheet music
F.11 Christie Show, 1973 at the Chateau Champlain, Montreal, mimeograph; also sheet music and programme
Television and Radio:
F.12 Beaux n Belles for Parade, January 30, 1964, produced and directed by Len Casey, mimeograph
F.13 Old Moores Almanac, CBC Tuesday Night, Toronto Tonational Radio, 3 January 1967, mimeograph script by Mavor Moore
Box 4
Programmes:
F.1 Charlottetown Festival, 1966-1971; also festival leaflets
F.2 Kitchener-Waterloo, 1954-1999, various venues; see also F.12
F.3 National Arts Centre, Ottawa, 1969, 1971
F.4 OKeefe Centre, Toronto, 1971
F.5 Royal Alexander Theatre, 1956-1969; see also Spring Thaw
F.6 Spring Thaw, 1961-64
F.7 Spring Thaw, 1965
F.8 Shaw Festival, 1978
F.9 St. Denis Theatre, Montreal, Dec. 1956, plays performed by the Canadian Players, Stratford
F.10 Stratford Festival, 1958-59, n.d.
F.11 Theatre New Brunswick
F.12 Twin City Operatic Society. Note: Cole both acted and directed.
F.13 Other venues: 1952-1979, n.d.
Published reviews (news clippings):
F.14 Charlottetown, 1966
F.15 Charlottetown, 1969
F.16 Charlottetown, 1970
F.17 Charlottetown, 1971
F.18 Spring Thaw, 1961
F.19 Spring Thaw, 1962
F.20 Spring Thaw, 1963
F.21 Spring Thaw, 1964
F.22 Spring Thaw, 1965
F.23 Stratford Festival, 1957, 1959
F.24 Stratford Festival touring productions, 1956, 1958
F.25 Fantasticks, 1970-72, 1974-75
F.26 The Adventures of Private Turvey
F.27 Blue Champagne, 1980
F.28 Frankenstein, 1975
F.29 I Do I Do, 1982
F.30 Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, 1973, 1977
F.31 Jane Eyre, July-Aug. 1970, May-June 1971
F.32 Johnny Belinda, 1968-69, 1977
F.33 Shindigs, 1976
F.34 Sunshine Town, 1968
F.35 She Loves Me, 1965
F.36 Various Productions, 1953-1978
F.37 Various Productions, n.d.
Other
F.38 Costume designs at the Charlottetown Festival, July 1969, news clipping
F.39 Canadian Players tour itinerary, 1957, mimeograph
F.40 The Stage in Canada, 5, no. 1 (Aug. 1969)
F.41 Reference Data on The Straford Shakesperean Festival, 1956
F.42 On Stage with Theatre New Brunswick, 1987
F.43 Press release, Johnny Belinda Comes to CBC Television, 1977; in illustrated folder
Box 5
F.1 Stage directions for thee plays directed by Cole in Preston, Ont. in 2002
F.2 Neil Simon, The Dinner Party, marked up script by Cole who directed the play for a dinner theatre in 2005.
Photographs and Images:
F.2 Blue Champagne cast: 5 b&w in performance taken by Paquet/Dummett Assoc. Inc.; one of the cast in front of the theatre
F.3 The Fantasticks: 7 col.
F.4 Jayne Eyre, 1 b&w
F.5 Johnny Belinda, 11 b&w, 1 col.
F.6 Spring Thaw tour bus, 1965 (2 b&w); 1 b&w captioned on verso Leon Major, director; Bill Cole, singer; Mavor Moore, producer, [19]62
F.7 Twelfth Night, 1957, 1 b&w, 1 postcard
F.8 Turvey, 1 b&w
F.9 Other: Edinburgh Festival, 3 b&w; Twin City Operatic Society, 1962, 1 col.; Stratford Festival postcards, 1955
F.10 Other: unidentified roles, possible interview, 12 b&w, 4 col.
F.11 Various roles, not identified
F.12 Opening of the Mutual Life auditorium, Kitchener, 2 b&w taken by Roy Purkis; 2 taken by Fernie Zuber at what appears to be the same event; one b&w dated 1953
F.13 Being interviewed on C.K.C.O. TV, 1 b&w
F.14 Cole, actor, singer, director, printed images in four roles. See also an oversize collage of Bill, some of the images in various roles. Location: Map Cabinet: 29.
F.15 B&w portraits, presumably used for publicity, various ages from young to middle-aged. 1 b&w by Mel. Riepert; 1 b&w by Ashley-Crippen; 4 b&w, photographer not identified; 2 b&w with beard, photographer not identified; 2 b& w with copyright stamp; 1 b&w taken by Robert C. Ragsdale with note return to Spring Thaw, 1962; 6 b&w taken by Marcel Ray, pasted in or loose in folder.
F.16 Contact sheets
F.17 Collage photograph of Canadian TV personalities taken by Robert C. Ragsdale; they are not identified but one is Gordie Tapp. They appear in front of Cole and an unidentified woman.
F.18 Kitchener-Waterloo Philharmonic Choir, 1922-1972, 1 b&w
Note: Personal photographs are found in series 3.
Series 3
Photographs, biographical materials, and other documents. [193-]-2005. 8 cm of textual records and graphic material. Title based on content of series.
Photographs (b&w)
F.19 Childhood
F.20 1950s
F.21 1960s
F.22 1970s to 00s
F.23-4 Found loose by the archivist and placed in envelopes, 1930s-1984; includes Bill, his mother Elaine, wife Hilda. There is one envelope of photographs of Bill and Hildas wedding, 15 Aug. 1957. Additional photographs of Elaine are in Box 7.
F.24a Colour snapshots of Bill in character for a role.
F.25 Valerie Cole (Bills daughter), col. & b&w. Note: Photographs of Valerie can also be found in the Trevor Cole fonds.
F.26 Address books
F.27 Biographical information, including music awards and diplomas
F.28 Resumes
F.29 Clippings about Bill Cole; includes interviews and his obituary, 1952-2005.
Series 4
Writing. 1974-2000. 12.5 cm of textual records. Title based on content of series. Note: Most of this material is undated; some of it was probably written before 1974.
Box 6
F.1 Beef It Up! A Programme Proposal for a television show, ts. and ms.
F.2 Untitled shooting script re the police
Oktoberjest, written and directed by Cole, 1974:
F.3-6 Drafts, sheet music, programmes, news clippings
Advertising copy:
F.7 Image Corp. clients (Norwich-Eaton Canada, Chicopee Mfg. Ltd), 1982-83
F.8 Gord Anderson Pontiac Buick, partly written on Waxworks paper
Speeches:
F.9 Notes for speech at Victoria School, Kitchener
F.10 Notes for speech about June Callwood, June 2000
Other:
F.11 Notes to Save Just in Case
F.13-4 Manuscript notes
F.15-7 Bill Cole Random Writing; placed into three files by the archivist because of size
F.18 [On Valeries birth, 18Dec. 1967]; written for her 30th birthday
F.19 Two published letters to the editor on censorship, 1983-84
F.20 Handwritten musical scores.
Series 5
Family members. 1894-1992. 12.5 cm of textual records and graphic material. Title based on content of series. Note: Bills great-uncles, the Philp brothers have their own fonds, as does his son Trevor.
Box 7
Family history: Mary Elizabeth Leadley married William Philp. Two of their sons, Herbert and William Philp served in World War I. Their daughter, Helen Isabel Philp married William Hesssenaur. Their daughter Helen Elaine (known as Elaine) married Raymond Cole. Their son William (Bill) married Hilda Neeb. They had two children, Trevor and Valerie.
F.1 Mary Elizabeth Philp: Memorial record of her funeral in 1954; signed declaration, 1943, about the birth of her daughter in 1891; a b&w photograph of a female Philp in uniform with other military women, Moncton, N.B., n.d. but ca. World War II.
F.2 William Philp: Letter to him, 8 January 1914, written on the verso of a printed page containing an image of Philo as well as testimonial letters praising Philps musicianship. The Autobiography of a Piano: Being the History of the first Piano Made by Mason & Rich at Toronto, Canada, 1877 (1928). William Philp bought this piano. He is described as being a noted bandmaster in Guelph, Ont. Anton Rubinstein, The Tower of Babel: Sacred Opera in One Act, Ditson & Co. Philp has written his name on the cover. News clipping noting Philps illness. Two photographs of William Philp mounted on card taken by C.M. Hayes in Detroit.
F.3 William Philp: W.S. Gilbert and Arthurs Sullivan, H.M.S. Pinafore, Oliver Ditson Co. Inside this book Philp has pasted a telegram to him from Wm. Thorn and a letter from the Oliver Ditson Co., both dated 1894. Also pasted into the book are news clippings. Stage directions are typed and pasted in as well as written in.
F.4 Hessenaur family: (a) William F. Hessenaur: obituary and other news clippings; photograph taken by E. Denton, Kitchener, Ont., mounted on card. (b) Ross Wilfred Hessenaur: obituary news clippings (c) Kathryn Hessenaur (Elaines sister), later Mrs. William Joyce: obituary news clipping, also 2 photographs possibly of her based on her obituary, letter to her father from the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, 1952 (d) photographs found in plastic bag labeled Hessenaur.
F.5 Helen Hessenaur (nee Helen Isabel Philp; wife of William F. Hessenaur): birth certificate; funeral directors statement of death; cemetery stone and plot documents; obituary; funeral programme. Also a memoir described as Nan Telling about Her Life, manuscript (10 pp.) and typescript (4 pp.). Photograph of William and Helen Hessenaur with their daughter Elaine; captioned on verso: Nan, Gramp, Mom.
F.6 J.R. (Jack) Shepherd, two letters; one is an airgraph, 5 August 1943, addressed to Mrs. Hessenaur. Jack was stationed with the R.A.F. India Company. The other is addressed to Mrs. Hessenaur and her daughters Elaine and Kay (Kathryn). It is postmarked 31 March 1945. Jack was stationed with the R.A.F. S.E.A.A.F. (South East Asia). It has an Indian stamp.
F.7 William C. Cole (father of Raymond Cole): Obituary notice describing him as one of Bowmanvilles esteemed citizens, funeral notice, 11 April 1945
Raymond Cole (Bills father):
F.8 Raymond Cole served in World War II as a bombardier. He enlisted on 8 Sept. 1939 with the 29th Field Battery, R.C.A. and later served in Italy, France, Belgium and Holland. Before enlisting he was an insurance salesman with Hessenaur and Shantz. News clipping, 5-Year Vet Says Holland Ruined; two letters, one from his father, 6 Dec. 1939 and another from Cecil and Diana Cole, 10 Jan. 1940; black notebook with handwritten notes on ballistics; his will, 14 Dec. 1939; estate account, 31 Jan. 1967; WWII veteran card, 1962; reunion news bulletin, Nov. 1965.
F.9 B&w photographs; three portrait photographs, one in military uniform, the others in civilian clothes. Snapshots and postcards (a) taken in Holland, Belgium, and England (the Princess Elizabeth Hospital, burned and being rebuilt (b) taken in Canada, 1942-43, n.d. various family members including his wife Elaine. See also F.14-15. There is one photograph of Raymond and Elaine with an unidentified older man.
F.10 Bowmanville: A Retrospect. 1958. Raymond Coles name is stamped on the title page.
Elaine Cole (Bills mother):
F.11 Documents: birth certificates (1 Jan. 1912, issued in 1945 and 1976); marriage certificate, 19 June 1933; funeral documents, 1992
F.12 News clippings about Elaine, 1975, 1992, n.d.
F.13 Ts., beginning How did I enter television?, 2 pp.
F.14 Photographs, mainly taken by Roy Purkis for CKCO-TV, Kitchener. Elaine is pictured alone and with guests including Pat Boone (Sept. 1971), Jimmy Willis and Gus Ambrose (Nov. 1957), Colonel Sanders (n.d.)
F.15 Photographs, b&w, of Elaine taken in Bermuda by the Bermuda News Bureau, 1962
F.16 Leaflet for European Guided Tour with Elaine, 1965; also Moulin Rouge, Paris, programme
F.17 Awards: photograph of Elaine receiving the Kitchener-Waterloo Citizen of the Year Award, 1973; Award of Merit certificate, Ontario Marine and Rescue Patrol No. 4, Oct. 1964; 80th Birthday wishes and thanks for her service to the community from the Mayor and Kitchener City Council, 1992. Also two certificates from the provincial and federal governments.
F.18 Elaine: photographs and portraits, includes baby photograph
F.19 Other: Theme for the Elaine Cole Show composed by your dear friend Pat Ludwig, sheet music; letter from Rosemary Singleton
F.20 Cecil H. Dudley (married to Reta Ruth Cole), obituary, 1963
F.21-2 Portraits of unidentified people, presumably family members, taken in Detroit, Guelph, Berlin (now Kitchener), and Charlottesville, Virginia, early 20th century.
F.23 Portrait of people on stage, captioned on verso, Tycoon Company, Waterloo, 1907
F.24 Two newspapers from 1912
F.25 Wedding programme and certificate for William Cole and Hilda Neeb.
Series 6
Audio-Visual materials. 1961-1985 10 sound recordings. -- 5 moving images. Title based on content of series.
Box 8
Films:
Elaine Cole:
Reel 1 Stevens interview
Reel 2 Feb. 28, 1961, Amita Malik
Reel 3 Kate Aitken Herd
Reel 4 Elaine Cole at Doon Arts
Reel 5 Bill Cole on the Elaine Cole show
Box 9
Audio:
Reels (4):
Two audio reels found loose and placed in envelope by archivist
Audio reel in Scotch magnetic tape box, Take off #2 Bill Cole
Audio reel in Stoney Productions Ltd. box, Bill Cole, 7 ½ stereo 2 track
Audio cassettes (6):
Three Radio Shack audio cassettes: One is labeled First side, Mom to Helen and Christmas Wishes [19]85; there is no label on the other two.
French Kinsmen
Voices and Commercial Voices, Bill Cole
Waxwork Productions: Anderson Pontiac-Buick, Feb. 29/84
Series 7
Published materials. 1950-1995. 6 cm of textual records. Title based on content of series.
Box 10
Handel, Solomon (London: Novello & Co. Ltd., 1951). Written on cover: Bill Cole
Verdi, La Traviata (New York: G. Schrirmer, Inc.). Written on cover: Bill Cole/53
Charles Busch, You Should Be So Lucky (London and Toronto: Samuel French, 1995). Written on cover: Bill Cole
Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (New York: Music Theatre International, 1968). Written on cover: Bill Cole.
Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, The Fantasticks (New York; Music Theatre Inc., 1960)
High-School Year books
Kitchener-Waterloo Grumbler, 1950-51 and 1952. Bill was a member of the Glee Club
