The Chicago School for Playground Workers founded in 1909 by Neva Leona Boyd (1876-1963) was a pioneering institution that trained teachers in the use of recreation including games, music, crafts and other playful activities as a means of stimulating intellectual, and social development in children and adults. The educational unit underwent several transformations, but continuously stressed the need for recreation in socializing individuals, especially children. The school operated as the Recreation Department of the Chicago School of Civics and Philanthropy from 1914 to 1920. Classes were held at Hull-House and Jane Addams sat on the Board of Directors. The newly dubbed Recreation Training School of Chicago under Boyd remained independent when the rest of the School of Civics and Philanthropy was absorbed into the University of Chicago. The educational unit was ultimately absorbed by Northwestern University in 1927, but retained Boyd as its director until 1941.
The Dora Nelson Collection contains musical scores, dance and recreation guides related to the careers of Neva Boyd and others who worked at the Recreation Training School of Chicago at Hull-House. Articles and published material regarding Neva Boyd are also included.
Dora Emelie Nelson donated these items to the University of Illinois at Chicago.
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Dora Nelson collection
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| Box | Folder |
| 1 | 1 | Whittaker, W. Gillies. The Oxford Graduated Round Book. London. Oxford University Press,
n.d. |
| 2 | Sets 14, 16, 17, 18, and 20 of Schirmer's American Folk-Song Series. Published in New York by G. Schirmer, Inc.,
1934-1938 |
| 3 | Botsford, Florence Hudson. The Universal Folk Songster for Home, School, and Community. New York: G. Schirmer, Inc.,
n.d. |
| 4 | Williams, Laura. Arabic Music. Reprinted from The Open Court,
April, 1934 |
| 5 | Smith, Wilson, and Woods, eds. Songs We Sing. 2nd ed. Chicago: Hall & McCreary Company,
c1940-1941 |
| 6 | Dunning, Sara L. G. Schirmer's Series of Choruses in Unison. New York: G. Schirmer, Inc.,
1936 |
| 7 | Ten Folk Songs and Ballads for School, Home and Camp. Boston: E.C. Schirmer Music Co.,
1931 |
| 8 | Folk-Songs, Ballads and Songs of Great Composers for Informal Singing in School, Home, Club and Camp. Selected by Augustus D. Zanzig under the auspices of the National Recreation Association. Boston: E.C. Schirmer Music Co., n.d. 3 different editions held in folder with song copyright dates ranging from
1921 to 1936 |
| 9 | Botsford, Florence Hudson. Botsford Collection of Folk-Songs: with English Versions by American Poets. Introduction by Carl Engel. Vol. 1: The Americas, Asia and Africa. New York: G. Schirmer, Inc.,
1930 |
| 10 | Botsford, Florence Hudson. Botsford Collection of Folk-Songs: with English Versions by American Poets. Introduction by Carl Engel. Vol. 2: Northern Europe. New York: G. Schirmer, Inc.,
1930 |
| 11 | Botsford, Florence Hudson. Botsford Collection of Folk-Songs: with English Versions by American Poets. Vol. 3: Southern Europe. New York: G. Schirmer, Inc.,
1933 |
| 12 | Scharfenberg, William. Felix Mendelssohn - Bartholdy: Complete Works for the Pianoforte in 5 Volumes. Vol. I: Songs Without Words. New York: G. Schirmer,
1893 |
| 13 | Assorted printed guides for games and social activities,
1925-1938 |
| Box | Folder |
| 2 | 14 | Assorted printed guides, playbooks, and recreation manuals,
ca. 1932-1942 |
| 15 | Printed guides for outdoor games, mental games, "quiet" games, and crafts,
1955-1964 |
| 16 | War Camp Community Service. Games and Dance Figures. Chicago,
n.d. [ca. 1940?] |
| 17 | Levin, Ida. Kentucky Square Dances. Louisville: Recreation Council,
1928 |
| 18 | Skean, Marion H. Circle Left! Folk-play of the Kentucky Mountains,
1939 |
| 19 | Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ford. Good Morning: Music, Calls, and Directions for Old-time Dancing as Revived by Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ford. 3rd ed. Dearborn, Mich.: Henry Ford,
1941 |
| 20 | Several editions of Folk Games of Denmark and Sweden,
1915-1932 |
| 21 | Brown, Florence Warren and Neva L. Boyd. Old English and American Games for School and Playground. Chicago: H.T. FitzSimmons Company,
1915 Original and reprint
n.d. |
| 22 | Spacek, Anna and Neva L. Boyd. Folk Dances of Bohemia and Moravia for School, Playground and Social Center. Chicago: H. T. Fitzsimmons Company,
c. 19322 different editions with no additional dating information. |
| 22 | Brown, Florence Warren and Neva L. Boyd. Old English and American Games for School and Playground. Chicago: H.T. FitzSimmons Company,
c. 1932 |
| 23 | 3 different editions of Folk Games and Gymnastic Play for Kindergarten, Primary & Playground,
1914-1932 |
| 24 | 3 different editions of Old Square Dances of America published by the Recreation Training School of Chicago at Hull-House,
ca. 1925 |
| 25 | Bovbjerg, Viggo. Swedish Schottische. Chicago: Recreation Training School of Chicago (Hull-House),
n.d. |
| Box | Folder |
| 3 | 26 | Multiple collections of Danish Folk Dances,
ca. 1917 |
| 27 | Boyd, Neva L. Descriptions of English and American Country Dances; Music and Description of European Games and Dances. Chicago: Neva L. Boyd,
1919 (3 copies) |
| 28 | Boyd, Neva L. Lithuanian, Polish and Russian Folk Dances with Descriptions. Chicago: Recreation Training School of Chicago,
n.d. |
| 29 | Italian Quadrille: Music and Description. Chicago: Recreation Training School of Chicago,
n.d. |
| 30 | Beseda, Czechoslovakian National Dance. Chicago: Recreation Training School of Chicago,
n.d. |
| 31 | Burchenal, Elizabeth. Folk-Dances from Old Homelands. New York: G. Schirmer, Inc.,
1922 |
| 32 | Tarantella (Napoletana) and Quatriglia. Piano edition. New York: O. di Bella,
n.d. |
| 33 | Sharp, Cecil J. Music and Notation of My Lady Cullen from Country Dance Tunes, Set IV and Country Dance Book, Part II. London: Novello & Co., Ltd.,
1911 |
| 34 | Schubert, Camille. The Original Lancer's Quadrille. New and enlarged edition. New York: Hamilton S. Gordon,
n.d. |
| 35 | Scrapbook with musical scores pasted within,
n.d. |
| 36 | Assorted musical scores and Books 2 and 3 of The Scottish Country Dance Book,
n.d. |
| 37 | Sharp, Cecil J. Country Dance Tunes, Set I. London: Novello & Co., Ltd.,
1923 |
| 38 | Gott, George C. Old Familiar Dances with Figures. Chicago: H.T. Fitzsimmons Company,
n.d. |
| 39 | Seminar Transcription by Neva Boyd (reconstruction of talks at self-organized class of Northwestern University Group Work Associates during the Winter of 1940 and 1941), articles about Neva Boyd,
1940-1976 |
