William and Anna (also known as Anne) Clark, the "Clark Dancers," were proprietors of several dance studios, including the Cinderella Ballroom on Cherokee Street, and Prof. W.T. Clark's Dancing Academy at 3806 Olive among other addresses. They also had a presence in East St. Louis. Anna would teach many people to dance who would go on to lead famous lives, such as Betty Grable, Adele Inge, Virginia Gibson, and many others. According to many newspaper articles, Anna ended up teaching a large group of the first Missouri Rockets, a dancing troupe started in St. Louis that later became the Rockettes.

Anna's sister, Matilda Schonhoff, was a chiropractor. Anna's brothers, William and Charles, worked on the Panama Canal. Their mother, Matilda Schildner, moved to Gatun, Panama with her sons and would live there for almost 22 years. Charles The Clark family had a home in south St. Louis county, off of Cliff Cave Road, overlooking the Mississippi River. They also maintained an apartment at 5206 S. Compton to be able to attend church more conveniently (they attended "I am" Temple on Skinker). The sisters Anna and Matilda evidently lived together after they were widowed and died within a few months of each other while in their 90s. Donor, whose father had been the Schildener - Clark family caretaker, obtained this collection at their estate sale and made an artist book in their memory.