The beginning of her Hollywood career, that is. I came across this brief mention of a then 22-year-old Lucille Ball in a Pittsburgh newspaper in 1934. Could this possibly be her first professional mention in a newspaper?

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uP8MAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MWkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5287,5149443&dq=lucille-ball&hl=en

Here she is at age 24 getting her picture in The Miami Daily News in 1936:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SD0uAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nNcFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6138,1318601&dq=lucille-ball&hl=en

Lucy contributes a quick beauty tip in 1937:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=83YxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DiIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6096,2315669&dq=lucille-ball&hl=en

Lucy gets acknowledged as a "future film star" in 1937:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=83YxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DiIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6096,2315669&dq=lucille-ball&hl=en

Lucy is on a "highway to success" in 1937, thanks to the film Stage Door:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MMMiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gbYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=882,4625341&dq=lucille-ball&hl=en

Lucille Ball is a hit in The Affairs of Annabel in 1938:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=biEbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=I0wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5333,3009904&dq=lucille-ball&hl=en

Here's an early review of a Lucille Ball film (The Affairs of Annabel) from 1938:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NkEyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rK8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=6534,3355122&dq=lucille-ball&hl=en

Lucille Ball gets the "star" label in 1938:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cCEbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=I0wEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4938,3917260&dq=lucille-ball&hl=en

The last time I was in Jamestown, the museum has a local newspaper article from June or July 1933 talking about Lucy going to Hollywood. That article was also available online at one time from through the local library's website, but I have not been able to locate that for some time. If I find it again I'll post a link here.

** Additional Info **

I just did a quick Google news search, and there is an article from July 17, 1933 in the Los Angeles newspaper talking about the newGoldwyn Girls, including Lucille Ball. However, since it was a "pay per view" article I could not access it. It looks like that may be the oldest article available, atleast on Google news.

The last time I was in Jamestown, the museum has a local newspaper article from June or July 1933 talking about Lucy going to Hollywood. That article was also available online at one time from through the local library's website, but I have not been able to locate that for some time. If I find it again I'll post a link here.

** Additional Info **

I just did a quick Google news search, and there is an article from July 17, 1933 in the Los Angeles newspaper talking about the newGoldwyn Girls, including Lucille Ball. However, since it was a "pay per view" article I could not access it. It looks like that may be the oldest article available, atleast on Google news.

Oh wow, cool. Not yet 22 and getting some press, modest as it was.

I have in my collection a magazine from 1935 or 1936, Radio Digest or something along those lines, with Lucy on the cover. I think it may have been her first magazine cover, I have never seen one older than that appear anywhere. (I think it was for when she was on Phil Baker's radio show, around that time.)

^^^ I would love to see your Lucille Ball collection. It sounds extravagant. lol.