Three Pieces of Souvenir Ephemera for Ray R. Myers " The Armless Musician

No Imprint: For The Author, n.d. [1935 -1948]. Three pieces of promotional ephemera, produced for Ray Myers during the 1940's and later. Comprising: Pamphlet, 23cm x 15cm. Original grey card wraps, titled in black to front wrap. Clean and sharp with a small closed tear to the upper of the fore-edge, not interfering with text. Signed in pencil by Myers to a "Welcome" page at the front, underneath an image of the musician and his wife. Also present is a 2pp. loosely inserted song sheet.

[with] A folded green card envelope, 16cm x 10cm. Titled in dark blue to front panel: "Souvenir Folder of Ray R. Myers 'The Armless Musician.'" Lightly sunned (truncated) to edges, slight touches of wear and spotting to card, very good. Containing 9 black and white photographs of Ray Myers, arranged in a concertina format that folds out into a panorama of images of Mr. Myers performing mundane every day tasks without the benefit of arms. The general theme of his promotional material was to depict him driving, shooting, lighting a cigarette etc.

[with] A folded brown card enevelope, 14.5cm x 10cm. Clean and sharp, inscribed by Ray R. Myers to the front panel: "Best Wishes, Ray R. Myers." Titled in black to rear closure flap; "Souvenir of Ray R. Myers." Containing 9 black and white phtographs of an older Mr. Myers, now in his 50's, playing guitar, composing with a keyboard, riding a small tractor, playing with his dog etc.

Ray R. Myers was a celebrity steel guitarist and variety musician, born without arms, in Lancaster PA in 1911. Quickly showing musical aptitude, he was sent to a local community school after his parents maintained they wanted him to have as "normal" an upbringing as possible. Despite living in relative poverty, they rejected offers from large circuses and carnivals to take Roy in, and did their best to ensure he could make up his own mind as to what career he wished to pursue. Eventually, after the death of hs father relatively young, Roy did take up Ripley's "Believe it or Not Oddities" offer to perform and became somewhat of a musical celebrity and radio star, and by the 1950's he had a daily show on WPDX in West Virginia. [63910]. (Inventory #: 63910)