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Collection Number: 04598

Collection Title: Frances Bavier Papers, 1890s-1990

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.


expand/collapse Expand/collapse Collection Overview

Size 4.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 3,000 items)
Abstract Frances Bavier was an actress chiefly remembered for her portrayal of Aunt Bee on the The Andy Griffith Show, which ran from 1960 to 1968 and for which she won an Emmy. Bavier retired in 1970 and, in 1972, moved to Siler City, N.C., where she lived a somewhat reclusive life. She died on 6 December 1989. The collection is chiefly fan mail, 1970s-1990, addressed to Frances Bavier at Siler City, N.C. Also included are a few acting contracts, address books, clippings, publicity and personal photographs, and other materials mostly relating to her acting career.
Creator Bavier, Frances.
Curatorial Unit University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
Language English
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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Information For Users

Restrictions to Access
No restrictions. Open for research.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Frances Bavier Papers #4598, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Acquisitions Information
Transferred from the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television in December 1991 and June 2022 (Acc. 20220608.1).
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.
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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Processing Information

Processed by: Roslyn Holdzkom and Staff, 1991, 2005

Encoded by: Roslyn Holdzkom, August 2005

Updated by: Dawne Howard Lucas, June 2022

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subject Headings

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Biographical Information

Frances Bavier was born in New York City. There is disagreement on whether she was born in 1902 or 1905. She had planned to be a teacher, but was influenced by a friend to try her hand at theater instead. Upon graduating from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1925, she acted in the stage farce The Poor Nut. She later played the grandmother in the original Broadway production of On Borrowed Time. During World War II, she traveled with the USO to entertain the troops in the Pacific. Her last appearance on Broadway was in Point of No Return (1951) with Henry Fonda. Arriving in Hollywood in 1950, she appeared in such films as The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) and The Stooge (1952). On the small screen, she found regular work in sitcoms including It's a Great Life (1956) and The Eve Arden Show (1957). She is most often remembered for her role as Aunt Bee on the The Andy Griffith Show, which ran from 1960 to 1968 and for which she won an Emmy. She remained with the show after Griffith left and the show was renamed Mayberry RFD.

Bavier retired in 1970 and, in 1972, moved to Siler City, N.C., where she lived a somewhat reclusive life. She died on 6 December 1989.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Scope and Content

The collection is chiefly fan mail, 1970s-1990, addressed to actress Frances Bavier, most often remembered for her role as Aunt Bee on the The Andy Griffith Show on television. The letters are address to Bavier in Siler City, N.C., where she retired in 1970. Also included are a few acting contracts, address books, clippings, publicity and personal photographs, and other materials mostly relating to her acting career.

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Contents list

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Papers, 1890s-1990 and undated.

About 3,000 items.

Folder 1

Correspondence, 1967-1969

Folder 2

Correspondence, 1970-1972

Folder 3-5

Folder 3

Folder 4

Folder 5

Correspondence, 1973

Folder 6-8

Folder 6

Folder 7

Folder 8

Correspondence, 1974

Folder 9-10

Folder 9

Folder 10

Correspondence, 1975

Folder 11-12

Folder 11

Folder 12

Correspondence, 1976

Folder 13

Correspondence, 1977

Folder 14-15

Folder 14

Folder 15

Correspondence, 1978

Folder 16

Correspondence, 1979

Folder 17-18

Folder 17

Folder 18

Correspondence, 1980

Folder 19-22

Folder 19

Folder 20

Folder 21

Folder 22

Correspondence, 1981

Folder 23-25

Folder 23

Folder 24

Folder 25

Correspondence, 1982

Folder 26-27

Folder 26

Folder 27

Correspondence, 1983

Folder 28-31

Folder 28

Folder 29

Folder 30

Folder 31

Correspondence, 1984

Folder 32-38

Folder 32

Folder 33

Folder 34

Folder 35

Folder 36

Folder 37

Folder 38

Correspondence, 1985

Folder 39-47

Folder 39

Folder 40

Folder 41

Folder 42

Folder 43

Folder 44

Folder 45

Folder 46

Folder 47

Correspondence, 1986

Folder 48-50

Folder 48

Folder 49

Folder 50

Correspondence, 1987

Folder 51-56

Folder 51

Folder 52

Folder 53

Folder 54

Folder 55

Folder 56

Correspondence, 1988

Folder 57-58

Folder 57

Folder 58

Correspondence, 1989

Folder 59

Correspondence, 1990

Folder 60-67

Folder 60

Folder 61

Folder 62

Folder 63

Folder 64

Folder 65

Folder 66

Folder 67

Correspondence, undated

Folder 68-76

Folder 68

Folder 69

Folder 70

Folder 71

Folder 72

Folder 73

Folder 74

Folder 75

Folder 76

Greeting cards

Folder 77-79

Folder 77

Folder 78

Folder 79

Clippings

Folder 80

Contracts

Folder 81-82

Folder 81

Folder 82

Address books

Folder 83

Miscellaneous

Folder 84

The Actors' Fund membership certificate, 1976

Accession 20220608.1

Image Folder P-4598/1-2

P-4598/1

P-4598/2

Professional and personal photographs of Frances Bavier alone and with others

Photograph Album 1-2

Photoalbum 1

Photoalbum 2

Chiefly professional photographs of Frances Bavier

Photograph Album 3

Chiefly personal and extended family photographs, 1890s-1920s

Accession 20220608.1

Contains 20 pages and loose images. Images have been removed from the album and placed in enclosures.

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