These scrapbooks were originally designated Series 5 of an extensive Blum collection of clippings, stills, and candid photographs which largely has been integrated into other general holdings of the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research. The scrapbooks were microfilmed in 1983 and the originals discarded. Still photographs and autographs were removed from the scrapbooks and also integrated into WCFTR's general holdings.
The scrapbooks are organized into two main sections, followed by several other small groups. Section 1 consists of Volumes 1-144 and concerns individual productions. It is organized chronologically but listed by production title. The title is followed on the list by the name of the author and name of the theater where the performance was held. Although the majority of the collection pertains to the legitimate theater, documentation of revues and vaudeville productions is also included. Most of the performances occurred in New York, but productions in Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, and occasionally other cities are also represented.
The earliest of the scrapbooks were compiled by someone other than Daniel Blum; volumes 5 and 8, for example, are inscribed “property of C. E. Hungerford.” However, most of the volumes illustrate plays Blum actually saw, and often include his comments on the production and acting. It is clear from the annotations that many volumes from the early 1900's were compiled by Blum as a young boy. Volume 74 illustrates Daniel Blum's production of Bambina, which ran briefly in Los Angeles and San Francisco in 1930.
Section 2 consists of Volumes 145-440 and primarily concerns individual actors and actresses and theater and film personalities and is organized alphabetically by last name (except for Mr. and Mrs. Edward Kimball occurring out-of-order at the end of this sequence). Most of the individuals represented were most popular during the 1920's through the 1940's although there are a few pre-World War I figures included as well. Following these A-Z volumes are four volumes containing Autograms, stars' responses to a few short questions posed by Blum; thirteen volumes of reviews, clippings, and photos from motion pictures, 1930-1932; nine volumes concerning generally “actors and actresses of the 1920's and 1930's” and specifically Harry Harmon, Joan Bennett, Barbara Bennett, Constance Bennett, Joel McCrea, Clark Gable, Ramon Novarro, and others; ten volumes of theater reviews, 1890-1946, generally arranged chronologically; and eight volumes concerning athletes and sports figures, arranged alphabetically by name.
The call number Micro 961 applies to the entire collection. The master negatives of Reel 6, 30, and 36 were water damaged and copy negatives made; these copy negatives are filed as Micro 1077.
