December 12, 2013, Filed Under: Books + Manuscripts, Film, Research + TeachingFellows Find: Gloria Swanson biographer discovers rich material in Ransom Center’s archive “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille,” says Norma Desmond in the famous end scene of Sunset Boulevard. Gloria Swanson, the actress who portrayed Desmond, is ready, as well. Bowdoin Professor Tricia Welsch received fellowships, which were funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Endowment, to conduct research in the… read more
December 10, 2013, Filed Under: Books + Manuscripts, Film, Research + TeachingBiographer Stephen Michael Shearer uses Gloria Swanson collection to paint a more in-depth portrait of the star in new biography Although best known for her role as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard (1950), Gloria Swanson was a legendary actress even before then. She starred in countless silent films, working with celebrities Cecil DeMille and Charlie Chaplin. Vivacious and enigmatic, Swanson was known for her extravagant clothing, spending, and love life.… read more
November 20, 2013, Filed Under: Exhibitions + EventsRansom Center partners with Texas Exes on World War I-themed anniversary tour 2014 will mark the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, a watershed event that claimed millions of lives and changed the course of the twentieth century. The Ransom Center’s exhibit The World at War, 1914–1918 will illuminate the lived experience of the world’s first global war,… read more
