Bloomers Records UPS 509

Summary Information

Prepared by

Timothy Horning

Preparation date

December 2018

Date

1982-1895, 2016, undated

Extent

0.25 Cubic feet

Provenance

The Bloomers Records were donated to the University Archives and Records Center by Nicole Grindle in 2018 (accession number 2018:45).

Arrangement

The Bloomers Records are arranged alphabetically.

Historical Note

Bloomers are the University of Pennsylvania’s first all-female performing arts group. Though there is a long tradition of student performing arts groups at the university with the University of Pennsylvania Glee Club (founded in 1862) and the Mask and Wig Club (founded in 1889) these excluded women from joining. Frustration at not being able to join these storied clubs led in 1978 to a group of women students creating their own informal all-female performing arts group called Bloomers, taking their name from Amelia Jenks Bloomer and her eponymous radical (at the time) fashion trend of loose pants fastened at the ankle worn under a skirt. In October 1978 the group recieved official recognition and funding by the Student Activities Council. The first Bloomers show,
Fruit of the Bloomers, was performed on March 23 and 24, 1979 and the group continues to perform two original shows a year in addition to special performances at various other University events throughout the year.

For more information see: https://www.bloomerscomedy.org/

Inventory