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battc1977.xml
A Guide to the Christopher Battalino Papers at the Connecticut Historical Society
Compiled by Ruth Blair
EAD conversion sponsored by The Connecticut Historical Society
Connecticut Historical Society,
March 2000
1 Elizabeth Street Hartford, CT 06105
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| Creator: | |
Christopher Battalino
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| Title: | |
Christopher Battalino Papers.
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| Date: | |
1929 - 1985
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| Abstract: | |
Collection consists of correspondence, including fan mail and Christmas cards, of featherweight boxing champion of the world and of papers of his wife, Lillian Rotondo Battalino.
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2 boxes; 25 folders; 0.8 linear feet
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| Location: | |
Manuscript stacks
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Collection consists largely of correspondence, including letters from George Grosch, his former handler, members of boxers associations, fans and sports writers and ephemera including programs and menus for testimonial banquets and books used by his wife, Lillian, on the care of infants.
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Materials are organized into 3 series based on arrangement by the donor. |
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Correspondence
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Ephemera
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Papers of Lillian Rotondo Battalino
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Correspondence is arranged alphabetically.
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Christopher "Bat" Battalino was born in Hartford in 1908, the son of Carminuccio and Emilia Battaglini. His father came from Italy in 1891. Christopher quit Brown School after the fifth grade to work in a tobacco factory. He got his boxing start in amateur bouts and went all the way to the national amateur featherweight championship before he turned pro in 1927. He won the world professional championship as a featherweight from Frenchman Andre Routis in September 1929 at the Velodrome in East Hartford.
He married Lillian Rotondo of Hartford in April 1929. At the wedding reception he received a Connecticut Humane Society medal from Major Batterson as a tribute to his bravery in saving a three year old child from the waters of the Park River a few weeks before.
"Bat" won 58 of 88 professional fights, his only knockout defeat coming at the hands of Billy Petrolle in New York in 1932. He retired from the ring in 1940. He died at Hartford Hospital on July 25, 1977 leaving a wife and two daughters.
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| Title: | |
Series 1: Correspondence
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| Date: | |
1929-1985
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2 boxes
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| Location: | |
BATTC/1977 -- I--II
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| Abstract: | |
Series consists of letters written to and by Christopher Battalino.
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Folder I.A
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Archives Control File.
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Folder I.1
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Correspondence with George Grosch, his former handler.
1929-1979
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Folder I.2
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Correspondence with Anthony Topagno.
1929-1933
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Folder I.3
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Correspondence with members of the Veteran Boxers Association Ring 49.
1971-1972
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Folder I.4
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Correspondence (newsletters) from the International Veteran Boxers Association Ring 11.
1972-1976
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Folder I.5
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Correspondence with the Young Italian-American Association, including copies of their constitution and by-laws.
1949-1963
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Folder I.6
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Correspondence, A-L, including letters from Walter Batterson, mayor of Hartford, Thomas Donohue, Connecticut state athletic commissioner, Josephine Drago, his teacher at Brown School and ray Lord of the Police Athletic League of Norwich, Conn.
1929-1977
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Folder I.7
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Correspondence, M-Z, including letters from Mansfield Training School thanking him for the interest he showed in working with students at the Special Olympics in 1969, from William Mortensen, mayor of Hartford, appointing him to the reception committee for Joe Louis's visit to Hartford in 1944, from F.W. Riggs inviting him to Elmer Major's retirement party, and from the Winsted Evening citizen inviting him and Kid Kaplan to a testimonial dinner fro wrestler Salvo "Toto" Lovetere.
1933-1975
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Folder I.8
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Fan Mail
1929-1934
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Folder I.9
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Fan Mail
1935-1949
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Folder I.10
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Fan Mail
1950-1959
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Folder I.11
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Fan Mail
1960-1965
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Folder II.6
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Christmas Cards, A-L, includiing cards from Mr. and Mrs. Walter Batterson showing the Hartford, Conn., skyline in 1930, Ed Hurley, Hartford boxing promoter, Mrs. and Mrs. Louis Kaplan, former world's featherweight champion, Albert Keane, sports editor of the Hartford Courant, Art McGinley, sprts editor of the Hartford, times, Nelle and C.J. Michaels, jewelers, and Ted Winis of the Hartford Times.
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Folder II.1
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Fan Mail
1966
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Folder II.2
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Fan Mail
1967-1969
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Folder II.3
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Fan Mail
1970-1973
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Folder II.4
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Fan Mail
1974-1975
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Folder II.5
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Fan Mail
1976-1985
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Folder II.6
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Christmas Cards, A-L, includiing cards from Mr. and Mrs. Walter Batterson showing the Hartford, Conn., skyline in 1930, Ed Hurley, Hartford boxing promoter, Mrs. and Mrs. Louis Kaplan, former world's featherweight champion, Albert Keane, sports editor of the Hartford Courant.
1929-1936
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Folder II.7
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Christmas Cards, M-Z, including cards from Art McGinley, sports editor of the Hartford Times, Nelle and C.J. Michaels, Jewelers, and Ted Winis of the Hartford Times.
1929-1936
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| Title: | |
Series 2: Ephemera
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1929-1978
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5 folders
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BATTC/1977 -- II.8-10
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Series consists of ephemera, including programs and menus for testimonial banquets and award dinners; driving and fishing licenses.
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Folder II.8
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Memorabilia of the Battalino-Chocolate Fight
1930
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Folder II.9
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Programs for Testimonial Banquets and Award Dinners
1954-1978
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Folder II.10
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Licenses and Membership Cards
1930-1969
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Folder II.11
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Other Ephemera
undated
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Folder II.12
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Battalino Wedding Memorabilia
1929
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| Title: | |
Series 3: Papers of Lillian Rotondo Battalino
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| Date: | |
1930-1933
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1 folder
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BATTC/1977 -- II.13
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| Abstract: | |
Series consists of announcement and congratulatory cards on the birth of their daughter, Christine Marie, and printed material on the feeding and dressing of infants.
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Access Restrictions
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There are no restrictions on access to the collection.
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Use Restrictions
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Use of the material requires compliance with the Connecticut Historical Society's Library Regulations.
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Preferred Citation
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"Item, Collection Title(Collection Code -- box #. Folder #), at the Connecticut Historical Society".
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Processing Details
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EAD instance compiled by Ruth Blair in March 2000, based on a donor's arrangement. EAD finding aid was created in XML using NoteTab Pro. Transformation to HTML was effected through application of XSL (WD19981216) using James Clark's processor, XT.
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Accruals
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The collection is open.
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Copyright © 1999 Connecticut Historical Society
http://www.chs.org/
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