Repository: | Western Reserve Historical Society |
Creator: | Mayfield-Murray Hill District Council DBA Little Italy Historical Museum |
Title: | Little Italy Historical Museum Records and Photographs |
Dates: | 1888-2006 |
Extent: | 8.81 linear feet (15 containers and 1 oversize folder) |
Abstract: | The Little Italy Historical Museum, sometimes referred to as the Little Italy Heritage Museum, was operated by members of the Mayfield-Murray Hill District Council in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1983 until 2007. The collection consists of both business records related to the museum and manuscripts and photographs collected by the museum. The collected manuscripts and photographs comprise the majority of the materials. The collection includes agreements, albums, awards, books, certificates, correspondence, 8mm films, flyers, forms, invoices, lists, magazine clippings, magazines, memoirs, memoranda, minutes, negatives, newsletters, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, photographs, posters, proclamations, programs, publications, receipts, reports, resolutions, scrapbooks, sheet music, and VHS tapes. |
MS Number | MS 5353 |
Location: | closed stacks |
Language: | The records are in English and Italian |
The Little Italy Historical Museum, also called the Little Italy Heritage Museum, operated first at 12020 Mayfield Road and then at 12026 Mayfield Road in Little Italy, Cleveland, Ohio, from 1983-2007. For most of its history, it was open six days each week during normal business hours. Extended hours and days would occur during special events, such as the Art Walk and Feast of the Assumption. On average, the museum received 650 visitors each month.
The Little Italy Historical Museum was founded by the Mayfield-Murray Hill District Council. The museum started in the council offices when members and visitors casually placed photographs of the Little Italy neighborhood and people on the walls. In 1983, the council formed a Cultural Committee that planned and established an official museum. Verna Ruolo Schuster and Anthony Gambatese were the first volunteer curators. Lauretta Nardolillo and Eva Maesta served as volunteer curators from the late 1990s until the museum's closing in 2007. All of the curators were born and raised and lived as adults in Little Italy.
The museum collected books, photographs, documents, sheet music, posters, certificates, business receipts, letters, and artifacts and textiles. The materials represented primarily the lives, businesses, and organizations of the people of the Little Italy neighborhood. However, the museum also collected items that represented other Italian neighborhoods, the city of Cleveland, Ohio, and Italy. While the curators did solicit some items for the collection, many were simply dropped off at the offices. A prize of the collection was a Sicilian Cart painted with illustrations of Christopher Columbus's voyage to and discovery of America. The Mayfield-Murray Hill District Council won the cart at auction in the 1980s and used it in many Feast of the Assumption processions.
Besides caring for the collections, the curators provided a number of other services. They scheduled and gave tours to school groups, provided information to students conducting research about the neighborhood, and served as neighborhood ambassadors. Since there was no charge for admission to the museum's exhibits, the curators also helped with soliciting donations and raising funds through the sale of souvenirs, music CDs and tapes, and reproductions of photographs from the collections.
In April of 1998, the Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) of Cleveland, Ohio, sent a letter to the officers of the Mayfield-Murray Hill District Council and curator Lauretta Nardolillo expressing a desire to acquire and continue the preservation of the museum collections should it ever close. On May 6, 1998, the officers and curator met to discuss the proposal. They unanimously passed a resolution signed by all present that upon the museums closing, all collections of the Little Italy Historical Museum would be transferred to the Western Reserve Historical Society. The collections became a part of the WRHS Italian American Collection in 2007.
The Little Italy Historical Museum Records and Photographs, 1888 -2006 and undated, consist of both business records related to the museum and manuscripts and photographs collected by the museum. The collected manuscripts and photographs comprise the majority of the materials. The collection includes agreements, albums, awards, books, certificates, correspondence, 8mm films, flyers, forms, invoices, lists, magazine clippings, magazines, memoirs, memoranda, minutes, negatives, newsletters, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, photographs, posters, proclamations, programs, publications, receipts, reports, resolutions, scrapbooks, sheet music, and VHS tapes.
This collection primarily documents the history of the Little Italy neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, its people, businesses, and organizations. It contains information that would be helpful to those studying ethnic neighborhoods, Italian American history, and neighborhood museums.
Researchers interested in the various aspects of the Little Italy neighborhood and its development will find much useful information, particularly on the businesses, the clubs and organizations, the Catholic and Protestant churches, and the parochial, public, and private elementary schools.
Those studying the landscape history of the area and its changes over time would also find this collection of interest, specifically the materials under the subject heading of Buildings. Photographs may be found throughout the collection that show changes in the built environment but are categorized under another subject, for example, Celebrations. Seen in the background of a number of Feast of the Assumption processions are the neighborhood business and residences.
The large variety of material on the Feast of the Assumption would be useful to researchers interested in religious festivals in general and this celebration specifically.
Researchers studying the public art in the neighborhood, including the Christopher Columbus Statue and the Good Neighbor Mural, will benefit from looking at the materials under the subject heading of Art. Those studying the art of stone carving will find information under the subject headings of Businesses and People.
Many components of the collection would be beneficial for genealogical researchers, primarily the records and photographs under the subject heading of People. These folders contain biographical information on both individuals and families, including obituaries, birth/death certificates, naturalization papers, and diplomas as well as photographs. The scrapbook of Mary Regalbuto Jones contains information that provides a snapshot of life for a child growing up in Little Italy in the 1940s. Lists of names can also be found under the subject headings of Schools, Churches, and Clubs and Organizations.
There are portions of the collection which do not pertain to Little Italy and instead focus on the city of Cleveland and the country of Italy in general. The materials in these sections are basic in nature and provide a foundation for understanding the Little Italy neighborhood within larger historical, cultural, and geographic contexts. The material pertaining to Italy includes several maps and some illustrations of regional costumes. Information about aspects of the city of Cleveland can be found throughout the collection. These materials are more useful for allowing a researcher to understand the collecting interests of the museum itself. Other information about the Little Italy Historical Museum can be found under the subject heading of Museums.
The researcher should be aware that any folder in this collection could contain manuscript and/or photographic material.
None.
Related MaterialThe researcher should also consult MS 5080 Alexander L. "Sonny" DeMaioribus Papers; MS 5315 Carabelli Company Records and Photographs; MS 3536 Fiore D'Isidoro Papers; MS 3401 Alta House Records; MS 4086 Alta House Records, Series II; MS 4630 Bertha Blue Family Papers; PG 475 Bertha Blue Family Photographs; MS 5184 Jane Lee Darr Papers; and the
Separated MaterialAll artifacts have been transferred to the Western Reserve Historical Society History Museum.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 5353 Little Italy Historical Museum Records and Photographs, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
Gift of the Mayfield-Murray Hill District Council DBA Little Italy Historical Museum in 2007.
Processed by Giuseppe Cugliari, Pamela Dorazio Dean, Lindsey Fischer, and Connie Sancetta in 2010-2015.
Little Italy Historical Museum Records, 1900-2003
Series I: Alphabetical Subject Files 1888-2006 undated |
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Box | Folder | ||||||||||
1 | 1 | Art, Christopher Columbus Statue 1911-1988 | |||||||||
1 | 2 | Art, Galleries 1978-2005 undated | |||||||||
1 | 3 | Art, Good Neighbor Mural, Little Italy Cleveland 2000-2001 undated | |||||||||
1 | 4 | Art, Pylons, Hope Memorial Bridge 1983-2005 undated | |||||||||
1 | 5 | Art, Sicilian Carretto (Cart) 1983-2006 undated | |||||||||
1 | 6 | Art, World War II, Sketch 1944 | |||||||||
1 | 7 | Athletics, Boxers undated | |||||||||
1 | 8 | Athletics, Teams 1904-1952 undated | |||||||||
1 | 9 | Buildings, Armenti House, Little Italy Cleveland 1999 | |||||||||
1 | 10 | Buildings, Barricelli House, Little Italy Cleveland 1984 undated | |||||||||
1 | 11 | Buildings, Cozad House, Cleveland 1985-2004 | |||||||||
1 | 12 | Buildings, Edgehill Townhomes, Little Italy Cleveland 1997-2004 undated | |||||||||
1 | 13 | Buildings, Lomento House, Little Italy Cleveland 1990 | |||||||||
1 | 14 | Buildings, Schiavoni House, Little Italy Cleveland 1985 | |||||||||
1 | 15 | Buildings, Villa Carabelli, Little Italy Cleveland 2000-2002 | |||||||||
1 | 16 | Businesses, Brotherhood Loan Co. undated | |||||||||
1 | 17 | Businesses, Carabelli Co. 1888-1909 | |||||||||
1 | 18 | Businesses, Christine's Vintage Shoppe 2003 | |||||||||
1 | 19 | Businesses, Corbo's Bakery undated | |||||||||
1 | 20 | Businesses, Crimi Coal Co. 1928 | |||||||||
1 | 21 | Businesses, D'Agostino's Pool Room 1913-1963 undated | |||||||||
1 | 22 | Businesses, Financial 1923-1942 undated | |||||||||
1 | 23 | Businesses, Grocery Stores 1920-1948 undated | |||||||||
1 | 24 | Businesses, Guarino's Restaurant 1958-1987 | |||||||||
1 | 25 | Businesses, Hardware Stores 1927-1980 | |||||||||
1 | 26 | Businesses, La Fontana undated | |||||||||
1 | 27 | Businesses, Lists and Guides 1917-2005 | |||||||||
1 | 28-29 | Businesses, Mayfield Theatre 1940 undated | |||||||||
1 | 30 | Businesses, Milano & Sons undated | |||||||||
1 | 31 | Businesses, Patrizia's 2000 | |||||||||
1 | 32 | Businesses, Presti's 1996-1999 undated | |||||||||
1 | 33 | Businesses, Restaurants 1906-1998 undated | |||||||||
1 | 34 | Businesses, Shoe Stores 1934-1981 undated | |||||||||
1 | 35 | Businesses, Sidari's undated | |||||||||
1 | 36 | Businesses, Vitantonio Mfg./Villaware Co. 1999-2006 undated | |||||||||
1 | 37 | Businesses, Wood Trader undated | |||||||||
1 | 38 | Celebrations, Art Walk, Little Italy Cleveland 1989-2004 | |||||||||
1 | 39 | Celebrations, Carnivale and Christmas 1945-1989 undated | |||||||||
1 | 40 | Celebrations, Columbus Day 1910-2003 undated | |||||||||
1 | 41 | Celebrations, Corpus Christi 1906-2003 undated | |||||||||
1 | 42-46 | Celebrations, Feast of the Assumption 1902-2005 undated | |||||||||
1 | 47 | Celebrations, Shrove Tuesday 1959-2004 | |||||||||
1 | 48 | Celebrations, Wine Making in Little Italy 1912 | |||||||||
1 | 49 | Celebrations, World War I Parade, 1919 | |||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||
2 | 1-5 | Churches, Holy Rosary Church 1892-1996 undated | |||||||||
2 | 6 | Churches, Lakeview Church 1895 | |||||||||
2 | 7 | Churches, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church-West 1996 | |||||||||
2 | 8 | Churches, St. John Beckwith Church 1906-1995 undated | |||||||||
2 | 9 | Cities, Cleveland, Ohio undated | |||||||||
2 | 10 | Cities, Miscellaneous undated | |||||||||
2 | 11-17 | Clubs and Organizations, Alta House 1900-2005 undated | |||||||||
2 | 18 | Clubs and Organizations, Catholic Diocese of Cleveland 1990-2001 undated | |||||||||
2 | 19 | Clubs and Organizations, Citizens' Bureau undated | |||||||||
2 | 20 | Clubs and Organizations, Coro Italiano 1991 undated | |||||||||
2 | 21 | Clubs and Organizations, Ex-Servicemen's Club undated | |||||||||
2 | 22 | Clubs and Organizations, Fidelis Club 1935 | |||||||||
2 | 23 | Clubs and Organizations, Freedom Civic Association 1988 | |||||||||
2 | 24 | Clubs and Organizations, Holy Rosary Dad's Club 1961 | |||||||||
2 | 25 | Clubs and Organizations, Holy Rosary Girl's CYO 1940 | |||||||||
2 | 26 | Clubs and Organizations, Holy Rosary Parent-Teacher Unit 1956-1962 undated | |||||||||
2 | 27 | Clubs and Organizations, I Gagliardi Italiani 1999 | |||||||||
2 | 28 | Clubs and Organizations, International Air Cadet Exchange undated | |||||||||
2 | 29-31 | Clubs and Organizations, Italian American Brotherhood Club 1934-1982 undated | |||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||
3 | 1-3 | Clubs and Organizations, Italian American Brotherhood Club 1934-1982 undated | |||||||||
3 | 4 | Clubs and Organizations, Italian American Cultural Foundation 1980 undated | |||||||||
3 | 5 | Clubs and Organizations, Italian Band of Cleveland 1995 | |||||||||
3 | 6 | Clubs and Organizations, Italian Cultural Garden Association 2005 undated | |||||||||
3 | 7 | Clubs and Organizations, Italian War Veterans 1940 | |||||||||
3 | 8-9 | Clubs and Organizations, Italian Women's Club 1927-1990 undated | |||||||||
3 | 10 | Clubs and Organizations, Little Italy Cultural Association 1988 | |||||||||
3 | 11 | Clubs and Organizations, Little Italy Redevelopment Corporation 1969-2004 undated | |||||||||
3 | 12 | Clubs and Organizations, Little Italy Retirees 1982-2000 undated | |||||||||
3 | 13-15 | Clubs and Organizations, Mayfield-Murray Hill District Council 1979-2004 undated | |||||||||
3 | 16-17 | Clubs and Organizations, Mother's Guild of Holy Rosary School 1954-1966 undated | |||||||||
3 | 18 | Clubs and Organizations, Murray Hill Parent-Teachers Association 1947-1966 | |||||||||
3 | 19 | Clubs and Organizations, National Italian American Foundation 1995 | |||||||||
3 | 20 | Clubs and Organizations, Northern Ohio Italian American Foundation 2003 | |||||||||
3 | 21 | Clubs and Organizations, Oakwood Club 1905-1955 | |||||||||
3 | 22 | Clubs and Organizations, Order Sons of Italy in America 1915-1987 undated | |||||||||
3 | 23 | Clubs and Organizations, The Phanter Club 1935 | |||||||||
3 | 24 | Clubs and Organizations, Richmond Country Club 1928-1953 | |||||||||
3 | 25 | Clubs and Organizations, Ripalimosani Social Union 1936 | |||||||||
3 | 26 | Clubs and Organizations, Society of Bersaglieri undated | |||||||||
3 | 27 | Clubs and Organizations, St. Anthony Society undated | |||||||||
3 | 28 | Clubs and Organizations, St. Johns Citizen's Club 1935-1937 | |||||||||
3 | 29 | Clubs and Organizations, St. Theresa Sodality 1934 | |||||||||
3 | 30 | Clubs and Organizations, Scorpion Club 1946 | |||||||||
3 | 31 | Clubs and Organizations, United Area Citizens Agency 1984-1989 | |||||||||
3 | 32 | Clubs and Organizations, Veterans of Foreign Wars Marino-Piscopo Post 5799 1946-1985 | |||||||||
3 | 33-34 | Italy 1957-1989 undated | |||||||||
3 | 35 | Lakeview Cemetery 1991 undated | |||||||||
3 | 36 | Literature, Essays undated | |||||||||
3 | 37 | Literature, Poetry 1971-1995 undated | |||||||||
3 | 38 | Military 1917-2002 | |||||||||
3 | 39 | Museums, Little Italy Historical Museum 1995-2003 undated | |||||||||
3 | 40 | Museums, Western Reserve Historical Society 2004-2006 | |||||||||
3 | 41 | Neighborhoods, Cleveland Ethnic Neighborhoods 1983-2000 | |||||||||
3 | 42-46 | Neighborhoods, Little Italy, Cleveland, Ohio 1892-2004 undated | |||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||
4 | 1 | Neighborhoods, Little Italy, Cleveland, Ohio 1892-2004 undated | |||||||||
4 | 2 | Neighborhoods, Millionaires Row 1991 | |||||||||
4 | 3 | Negatives undated | |||||||||
4 | 4 | Parks, Brush Park 1991 undated | |||||||||
4 | 5 | Parks, Cleveland Memorial Plaza 1990 | |||||||||
4 | 6 | Parks, Euclid Beach Park undated | |||||||||
4 | 7 | Parks, Luna Park undated | |||||||||
4 | 8 | People, Alfred Antonucci 1983 undated | |||||||||
4 | 9 | People, Joseph Babcock 1926-1930 undated | |||||||||
4 | 10 | People, Dr. Giovanni Barricelli 1923-2005 undated | |||||||||
4 | 11 | People, Bertha Blue 1991-2005 undated | |||||||||
4 | 12 | People, Joseph Carabelli 1911-1998 undated | |||||||||
4 | 13 | People, Certificates (Birth, Marriage, Death) 1880-1933 undated | |||||||||
4 | 14 | People, Joseph Ceruti 1966 undated | |||||||||
4 | 15 | People, Salvatore Ciricillo 1915-1916 undated | |||||||||
4 | 16 | People, Ora Coltman undated | |||||||||
4 | 17 | People, Billy Consolo undated | |||||||||
4 | 18 | People, Alexander L. "Sonny" DeMaioribus 1995 undated | |||||||||
4 | 19 | People, Louis DePaolo 1957-1967 undated | |||||||||
4 | 20 | People, Dottore-Codespoti Family 1939-1998 undated | |||||||||
4 | 20 | People, Dominick Farinacci 2001 undated | |||||||||
4 | 21 | People, Johnny Farr undated | |||||||||
4 | 22 | People, Billy Farrell (Fiorelli) 1948-1950 undated | |||||||||
4 | 23 | People, Benjamin Franklin undated | |||||||||
4 | 24 | People, Bob Hope 1949 undated | |||||||||
4 | 25 | People, Mary Regalbuto Jones 1997-2004 | |||||||||
4 | 26 | People, Jim King 1947-2002 undated | |||||||||
4 | 27 | People, Lists undated | |||||||||
4 | 28-36 | People, Miscellaneous 1937-2005 undated | |||||||||
4 | 37 | People, Musicians 1912-1940 undated | |||||||||
4 | 38 | People, Pietro and Frank Oddo 1984 undated | |||||||||
4 | 39 | People, Pope John Paul II 2005 undated | |||||||||
4 | 40 | People, Bishop Anthony Pilla 2000 | |||||||||
4 | 41 | People, Populations Statistics 2002 undated | |||||||||
4 | 42 | People, Domenic "Ramey" Ramacciatti undated | |||||||||
4 | 43 | People, Charles Vinci 1958 undated | |||||||||
4 | 44 | Schools, Case Western Reserve University 2002 undated | |||||||||
4 | 45-47 | Schools, Holy Rosary School 1954-1993 undated | |||||||||
Box | Folder | ||||||||||
5 | 1 | Schools, Holy Rosary School 1954-1993 undated | |||||||||
5 | 2 | Schools, Lake View Elementary School 1998 | |||||||||
5 | 3-5 | Schools, Murray Hill School 1900-1986 undated | |||||||||
5 | 6 | Schools, Montessori at Holy Rosary 1994-2007 undated | |||||||||
5 | 7 | Scrapbook 494, contains photographs of Alta House, Alta House Camp, Carnivale, Feast of the Assumption, Charles Presti, Youth Day at Holy Rosary School 1925-1998 undated | |||||||||
5 | 8 | Scrapbook, "Scrapbook 491," photographs of Alta House Carnevale 1947-1993 | |||||||||
5 | 9-10 | Scrapbook, untitled, photographs of Alta House, Alta House Camp, Columbus Day, Feast of the Assumption, Little Italy Historical Museum, Little Italy Neighborhood, Mayfield-Murray Hill District Council, Italian Day at Sea World, Little Italy Art Walk, Miscellaneous People, Murray Hill School, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary Post 5799 1920-1998 undated | |||||||||
5 | 11-13 | Scrapbook, "Scrapbook 490," photographs of Alta House, Amateur Sports Teams, Christopher Columbus Statue in Little Italy, Columbus Day Parade, Feast of the Assumption, Holy Rosary Church, Little Italy Historical Museum, Little Italy Neighborhood, Little Italy Retirees, Mayfield Theatre, Murray Hill School, Miscellaneous People, St. John's Beckwith Church, St. Teresa Sodality Society, Sons of Italy, Tony Brush Park, Villa Carabelli Townhomes, Vitantonio Home Restoration; also contains scrapbook of Jim King and Dottore Family; photographs of people including Billly Farrell, Silvestro Fatica, Herman Peters, Yolanda Tirabasso, Marino Family, and Little Italy World War II Army Inductees; also contains documents and letters 1916-2004 undated | |||||||||
5 | 14 | Scrapbook, "Scrapbook 493," photographs of Feast of the Assumption 1993-1996 | |||||||||
5 | 15 | Weddings, Barreca-Sasavera Family, Delcalzo-Orlando Family, Delsanter-Boylan Family, Fenizza-Cichella Family, Ferrante-Sabatta Family, Recordina-Codespotie Family, Surace-Barragate Family 1919-1995 |
Series II: Chiacchieroni newsletter 1972-2005 |
|||||||||||
Box | |||||||||||
5 | Chiacchieroni 1980-1993 | ||||||||||
Box | Volume | ||||||||||
6 | 1 | Volume I 1972-1979 | |||||||||
6 | 2 | Volume II 1980-1989 | |||||||||
6 | 3 | Volume III 1990-1999 | |||||||||
6 | 4 | Volume IV 2000-2005 |
Series III: Books 1913-1992 |
|||||||||||
Box | Volume | ||||||||||
7 | 1 | Dor-Ner, Zvi. Columbus and the Age of Discovery. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc. 1991 | |||||||||
7 | 2 | Smith, Tom W. A Profile of Italian Americans: 1972-1991. University of Chicago, National Opinion Research Center March 1992 | |||||||||
7 | 3 | Sorelle, Rupert P. The New Rational Typewriting. New York: The Gregg Publishing Company 1926 | |||||||||
7 | 4 | Stedman, Rev. Joseph F. My Sunday Missal. Brooklyn: Confraternity of the Precious Blood 1940 | |||||||||
7 | 5 | Van de Putte, Rev. Walter, ed. St. Pius X Daily Missal for Catholic Schools. New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co. 1956 | |||||||||
7 | 6-7 | The Central High School Annual, Cleveland, Ohio 1913-1914 |
Series IV: Oversize Material 1930-2004 undated |
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Box | |||||||||||
8 | Businesses, Celebrations, Schools 1972 undated | ||||||||||
Box | |||||||||||
9 | Celebrations, Churches, Clubs and Organizations, People 1926-2004 undated | ||||||||||
Box | |||||||||||
10 | Celebrations, Clubs and Organizations, Neighborhoods, Schools 1930-1972 undated | ||||||||||
Box | |||||||||||
11 | Clubs and Organizations, People, Italy 1941 undated | ||||||||||
Box | |||||||||||
12 | Italy, prints of ceiling and statuary of Sistine Chapel undated | ||||||||||
Box | |||||||||||
13 | People, Scrapbook of Mary Grace Regalbuto Jones 1934-2002 | ||||||||||
Box | |||||||||||
14 | People, Salvatore Ciricillo undated | ||||||||||
Folder | |||||||||||
1 | Oversize Folder 1: Celebrations, Feast of the Assumption and Roman Empire Foundation and Italian War Veterans; Maps, Sicily 1929-1937 |
Series V: Audio-Visual Material 1997 undated |
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Box | Reel | ||||||||||
15 | 1 | VHS cassette tape, Feast of the Assumption 1997 | |||||||||
15 | 2 | 16mm film, Anthony Milano undated |