Howard, Bronson, 1842-1908
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 1989-008
3 linear feet (8 boxes)
The Bronson Howard Papers consist primarily of correspondence, but also include financial and legal documents. Bronson Howard corresponded with a wide circle of family, friends and professional associates. The family correspondence documents Mr....
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The Bronson Howard Papers consist primarily of correspondence, but also include financial and legal documents. Bronson Howard corresponded with a wide circle of family, friends and professional associates. The family correspondence documents Mr. Howard's personal life, family business and social interactions. Correspondence with associates, including actors, managers and writers, gives information about Mr. Howard's activities and theater of the period. A number of letters discuss the Civil War.
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Ford, Paul Leicester, 1865-1902
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 1043
Paul Leicester Ford (1865-1902) was a historian, novelist and playwright. The bulk of the collection consists of general and family correspondence and manuscripts and typescripts of Ford's writings.
Goetz, Ruth
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 1166
.5 linear feet (2 boxes)
Ruth Goodman Goetz (1912- ) and Augustus Goetz (1889-1957) collaborated on writing plays for the theatre and movies. Her father, Philip Goodman (1885-1940), was a producer of Broadway plays and musicals. Collection consists of correspondence,...
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Ruth Goodman Goetz (1912- ) and Augustus Goetz (1889-1957) collaborated on writing plays for the theatre and movies. Her father, Philip Goodman (1885-1940), was a producer of Broadway plays and musicals. Collection consists of correspondence, literary manuscripts and miscellaneous materials concerning the work of Ruth and Augustus Goetz. Includes papers relating to Ruth Goetz's father and mother, Philip Goodman and Lily Cartun Goodman; correspondence, 1932-1942, with Henry L. Mencken; and manuscripts of The Hidden River by Ruth and Augustus Goetz, Here's Looking at Them by Philip Goodman, and According to the Text in Shylock by Jules E. Goodman.
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Burnside, R.H., 1870-1952
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 436
52 linear feet (120 boxes)
Collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, financial papers, production records, photographs, and printed matter. Correspondence consists of requests for work or placement in a particular show, either at the New York Hippodrome or another of...
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Collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, financial papers, production records, photographs, and printed matter. Correspondence consists of requests for work or placement in a particular show, either at the New York Hippodrome or another of the theaters with which Burnside was affiliated, as well as correspondence referring to the logistics of productions, publicity and financial arrangements, club memberships, and professional organizations such as ASCAP. Other correspondence refers to his endeavors in the film industry, as a director with Paramount in New York City, 1923-1925, and in Hollywood, 1935-1938. Correspondence also concerns the Philadelphia Sesquicentennial Celebration of 1926. Financial papers consist of theater accounts, box office and royalty statements, and securities and insurance records. Production notes include cast lists, property lists, program outlines, stage directions, reports, scripts, synopses, and light plots. Publicity photographs are accompanied by letters seeking auditions or parts in Burnside productions. Printed matter includes sheet music, promotional materials, newsclippings of reviews, and articles referring to Burnside, performers, shows, and productions he staged.
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Boniface family
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 332
Papers of the Boniface and Jones families. The collection, ca. 1828-1902, consists primarily of manuscripts of plays, most of which were written by Joseph Stevens Jones. Also includes prompt books, account books, diaries, and other family writings.
Boucicault family
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 346
.4 linear feet (1 box)
Dion Boucicault (1820-1890) was one of the most popular playwrights of his day. Although born in Ireland, he spent many years in the U.S. (from 1853 to 1869 and from 1870 to 1890). He also was a well-known actor and theatrical manager and a key...
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Dion Boucicault (1820-1890) was one of the most popular playwrights of his day. Although born in Ireland, he spent many years in the U.S. (from 1853 to 1869 and from 1870 to 1890). He also was a well-known actor and theatrical manager and a key figure in the fight for passage of a copyright law. Agnes Boucicault (1883-1916), his wife, was an actress who played in the U.S. and England. Their son Aubrey Boucicault (1869-1913) was an actor. Collection consists of correspondence of members of the Boucicault family, some family papers, manuscript copy of Dion Boucicault's play Led Astray, and notes and fragments of his writngs.
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Ford, Harriet, 1868-1949
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 1041
.8 linear feet (3 boxes)
Harriet Ford (1868-1949) was an American playwright in New York City. Collection consists of letters to Ford from people prominent in the theatre and in literature, letters by Ford to others, autographs, poems, Christmas cards, a play entitled...
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Harriet Ford (1868-1949) was an American playwright in New York City. Collection consists of letters to Ford from people prominent in the theatre and in literature, letters by Ford to others, autographs, poems, Christmas cards, a play entitled "Cupid and Psyche," and clippings. Correspondents include Winthrop Ames, David Belasco, Mary Johnston, Elisabeth Marbury, Sinclair Lewis, Chauncey Olcott, Otis Skinner, Laurette Taylor, and Walker Whiteside.
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Mitchell, Langdon Elwyn, 1862-1935
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 2022
5.25 linear feet (6 boxes)
Langdon Elwyn Mitchell (1862-1935), American poet and playwright, used the pseudonym John Philip Varley. His best-known plays were Becky Sharp (1899) and The New York Idea (1906). He taught playwriting at the University of Pennsylvania from 1928...
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Langdon Elwyn Mitchell (1862-1935), American poet and playwright, used the pseudonym John Philip Varley. His best-known plays were Becky Sharp (1899) and The New York Idea (1906). He taught playwriting at the University of Pennsylvania from 1928 to 1930. His father was S. Weir Mitchell, neurologist and author. Collection consists primarily of manuscripts and typescripts of poems written by Mitchell from 1884 to 1915. Also, manuscript notes for his writings and some personal correspondence, 1888-1933.
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Mitchell, Langdon Elwyn, 1862-1935
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 1975-003
12.4 linear feet (29 boxes, 1 volume)
Langdon Elwyn Mitchell (1862-1935) was an American playwright, poet and professor of playwriting. The Langdon Mitchell papers consist of drafts of Mitchell's plays, journals and diaries and notes and texts for his lectures.
Kippen, Manart, 1892-1947
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 1653
1 box
Manart Kippen was an American actor. Collection consists of papers of Manart Kippen and, in part, letters and papers of author Minna C. Smith, including two letters from Edward Everett Hale. Kippen papers include correspondence, 1915-1947,...
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Manart Kippen was an American actor. Collection consists of papers of Manart Kippen and, in part, letters and papers of author Minna C. Smith, including two letters from Edward Everett Hale. Kippen papers include correspondence, 1915-1947, consisting of letters from actors and actresses, playwrights, theatrical producers and agents; and miscellaneous documents. Correspondents include Julia Marlowe, George Arliss, Alfred Lunt, and Davis Belasco, among others.
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Mansfield, Richard, 1857-1907
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 1941-001
24 letters (52 leaves, in 1 portfolio)
Richard Mansfield, actor, was born in Berlin in 1854. He began his career on the London stage but by 1882 he had migrated to the United States and was appearing in the New York theater. Mansfield was instrumental in introducing the works of George...
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Richard Mansfield, actor, was born in Berlin in 1854. He began his career on the London stage but by 1882 he had migrated to the United States and was appearing in the New York theater. Mansfield was instrumental in introducing the works of George Bernard Shaw to the American stage. In his last theatrical performance he played the title role of PEER GYNT in the first English language production of that play. Transcribed letters, carbon copies, from George Bernard Shaw to Richard Mansfield and/or his wife, Beatrice Cameron, concerning Mr. Shaw's plays.
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Morehouse, Ward, 1898-1966
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 1971-001
Ward Morehouse, journalist and playwright. The papers include correspondence, interviews, writings articles and ephemera documenting his career in the theater world.
De Mille, William C. (William Churchill), 1878-1955
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 748
1.15 linear feet (3 boxes, 1 v.)
William Churchill De Mille (1878-1955) was an American playwright, producer and director. He wrote a number of stage plays and produced them with David Belasco from 1902 to 1914 before becoming one of the pioneers of the motion picture industry....
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William Churchill De Mille (1878-1955) was an American playwright, producer and director. He wrote a number of stage plays and produced them with David Belasco from 1902 to 1914 before becoming one of the pioneers of the motion picture industry. He founded the drama department at the University of Southern California and taught there until 1953. Collection consists of manuscripts and typescripts of De Mille's writings. Writings include play scripts, scenarios, lectures, reminiscences of his career in the motion picture industry, and typescript of children's fairy tale he co-authored.
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Fitch, Clyde, 1865-1909
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 1014
.3 linear feet (1 box)
Clyde Fitch (1865-1909) was an American playwright. Collection consists of Fitch's letters, written mostly from New York City to DeWitt Miller, relating to personal matters, and to literary and dramatic work. Also, manuscript of Fitch's play "The...
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Clyde Fitch (1865-1909) was an American playwright. Collection consists of Fitch's letters, written mostly from New York City to DeWitt Miller, relating to personal matters, and to literary and dramatic work. Also, manuscript of Fitch's play "The Girl and the Judge" with program from a performance of the play at the Lyceum Theatre, 1901.
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Grant, Ethel Watts Mumford, 1878-1940
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 2080
Collection contains Mumford's writings, legal papers, correspondence, art work, and printed matter. Writings consist primarily of manuscripts of her plays with some short stories, poems, musical lyrics, and clippings of a literary column she wrote...
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Collection contains Mumford's writings, legal papers, correspondence, art work, and printed matter. Writings consist primarily of manuscripts of her plays with some short stories, poems, musical lyrics, and clippings of a literary column she wrote for the New York Evening World during 1913-1914. Also, contracts and royalty agreements, 1904-1934; letters, 1900-1924, concerning the sale of her works; clippings of reviews; and sketches and a watercolor.
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Harrigan, Edward, 1845-1911
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 1327
Collection consists of manuscripts, script materials and other items pertaining to Harrigan's plays. Manuscripts include holograph and typescript versions (some with manuscript revisions), carbons and fragments of plays. Also, programs, costume...
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Collection consists of manuscripts, script materials and other items pertaining to Harrigan's plays. Manuscripts include holograph and typescript versions (some with manuscript revisions), carbons and fragments of plays. Also, programs, costume lists, stage designs, and printed songs.
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Carstarphen, Frank E. (Frank Ellice), 1871-1952
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 482
.5 linear feet (1 box)
Frank Ellice Carstarphen (1871-1952), a lawyer who specialized in criminal law, held public office in Colorado and New York and actively campaigned for the Democratic Party. He also wrote stage adaptations of novels. Collection consists of...
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Frank Ellice Carstarphen (1871-1952), a lawyer who specialized in criminal law, held public office in Colorado and New York and actively campaigned for the Democratic Party. He also wrote stage adaptations of novels. Collection consists of correspondence, typescripts, family and personal papers, photographs, and printed matter. Legal and political correspondence, 1903-1948, includes letters concerning Carstarphen's various positions. Theater correspondence, 1930-1951, contains letters about plays that he and his wife, Anita Carstarphen, adapted from novels. Family correspondence, 1897-1932, consists primarily of letters of Carstarphen to his family with some letters written by other family members. Also, photographs, biographical sketches, personal papers, and newsclippings.
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Kester, Paul, 1870-1933
Manuscripts and Archives Division | MssCol 1641
43 linear feet (42 boxes)
Paul Kester (1870-1933) was an American dramatist and author. He wrote popular novels and also plays which were produced on Broadway with well-known American and British actors. His older brother, Vaughan Kester (1869-1911) was a journalist and...
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Paul Kester (1870-1933) was an American dramatist and author. He wrote popular novels and also plays which were produced on Broadway with well-known American and British actors. His older brother, Vaughan Kester (1869-1911) was a journalist and novelist who wrote short stories and assisted Paul with his plays. Harriet Watkins Kester was their mother and Jessie Jennings Kester was married to Vaughan Kester. Collection consists of correspondence, literary manuscripts and personal papers of Paul Kester and his brother Vaughan covering their work as dramatists and their correspondence with people in the performing arts. Harriet Watkins Kester's and Jessie Jennings Kester's personal papers are included in the collection. The bulk of Paul Kester's papers is correspondence with actors, actresses, playwrights, producers, publishers, and script writers. His personal letters, 1888-1924, are mainly to his mother, brother and sister-in-law and many of the letters refer to his daily activities as a playwright. Writings contain his working notes and drafts of some of his plays and novels. Miscellaneous papers include photographs of the Kester family and small collections of other individuals' papers. Vaughan Kester's papers contain incoming letters from colleagues; outgoing letters, 1891-1907, to his mother and to Paul Wilstach; writings; and miscellaneous papers. Papers of Harriet Watkins Kester consist of correspondence, 1874-1926, with her sons Paul and Vaughan about their careers and with her daughter-in-law Jessie; and writings, diaries and other materials. Jessie Jennings Kester's correspondence, 1899-1914, is with friends, her brother-in-law and mother-in-law, and with various members of the Kester and Watkins families. Also includes scrapbooks with press notices of Paul Kester's novels and plays.
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Stahl, Irwin
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 1990-017
10.71 linear feet (16 boxes, 6 volumes, 1 oversized folder)
Irwin Stahl was a theatrical director, playwright, actor, and educator. The Irwin Stahl theater files date from 1893 to 1988 and contain scripts, sheet music, programs, clippings, sketches, notes, photographs, and scrapbooks.
Dransfield, Jane, 1875-1957
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 2012-032
7.63 linear feet (19 boxes)
Jane Dransfield (1875-1957) was a playwright, poet, and lecturer on theater. The Jane Dransfield papers (1892-1957) document the creation, publication, production, and reception of her work, especially her plays. The papers also document her work...
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Jane Dransfield (1875-1957) was a playwright, poet, and lecturer on theater. The Jane Dransfield papers (1892-1957) document the creation, publication, production, and reception of her work, especially her plays. The papers also document her work as a lecturer, her study of drama, and her professional relationships. The collection holds correspondence, clippings, programs, promotional materials, scripts, poetry, articles, drafts, and notes.
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Locke, Robinson, 1856-1920
Billy Rose Theatre Division | NAFR+
107.94 linear feet (518 volumes, 574 other items)
The Robinson Locke collection consists of scrapbooks and portfolios containing clippings, programs, photographs, prints, letters and other ephemera documenting American theater history.
Hoffman, Aaron, 1880-1924
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 2007-023
13.86 linear feet (33 boxes)
Aaron Hoffman (1880-1924) was a playwright, best known as a writer for vaudeville. The Aaron Hoffman papers (1900s-1926) contain scripts, synopses, notes, and background material for Hoffman's plays, vaudeville acts, and films. The papers also...
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Aaron Hoffman (1880-1924) was a playwright, best known as a writer for vaudeville. The Aaron Hoffman papers (1900s-1926) contain scripts, synopses, notes, and background material for Hoffman's plays, vaudeville acts, and films. The papers also hold a small number of scripts written by other authors.
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Paulding, Frederick, 1859-1937
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 2014-187
.42 linear feet (1 box)
Frederick Paulding was an American actor, writer, and lecturer who spoke on theater and literature. His papers (1882-1929) contain his writings, including his scripts, drama reviews, lectures, and notes; excerpts of scripts and poetry he used in...
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Frederick Paulding was an American actor, writer, and lecturer who spoke on theater and literature. His papers (1882-1929) contain his writings, including his scripts, drama reviews, lectures, and notes; excerpts of scripts and poetry he used in recitals; and copies of articles and publicity materials about his work as a lecturer. Paulding's scripts are handwritten drafts, and mostly date to the 1880s. Some script fragments are present
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Rendle, Henry A.
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 2006-026
.21 linear feet (1 box)
Henry A. Rendle (d. 1873) was a playwright. The Henry A. Rendle papers primarily consist of materials on his play, Chesney Wold, adapted from Bleak House. The papers include a letter from the actor Fanny Janauschek to Rendle, dated 1873, in which...
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Henry A. Rendle (d. 1873) was a playwright. The Henry A. Rendle papers primarily consist of materials on his play, Chesney Wold, adapted from Bleak House. The papers include a letter from the actor Fanny Janauschek to Rendle, dated 1873, in which she discusses her travels and playing in Chesney Wold; and letters from Janauschek's husband, Frederick J. Pillot, to Henry Rendle's wife, Mary Rendle, offering condolences on the death of her husband and notifying her of royalty payments for Chesney Wold. There are also clippings about the play. The collection contains copyright records for other plays by Rendle: Little Amy (1871), If (1872), and Fame (1872), and a copy of the deed for Henry Rendle's burial plot. A photograph, dating to about the 1860s, depicts a member of the family who was an actor.
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Vollmer, Lula
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 1977-005
18.48 linear feet (44 boxes)
Lula Vollmer (d. 1955) was an American folk dramatist. The collection dates from 1847 to 1972 and documents her writing career through dramatic and literary manuscripts, correspondence, contracts, and other materials relating to the publication...
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Lula Vollmer (d. 1955) was an American folk dramatist. The collection dates from 1847 to 1972 and documents her writing career through dramatic and literary manuscripts, correspondence, contracts, and other materials relating to the publication and production of her work.
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Erskine, Chester, 1905-1986
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 1994-025
2.3 linear feet (6 boxes)
Chester Erskine (1905-1986) was a director, writer, and producer for theater, film, and television. He was active from the late 1920s through the 1980s. In his early career, he wrote under the pseudonym Paul Leslie. The Chester Erskine papers...
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Chester Erskine (1905-1986) was a director, writer, and producer for theater, film, and television. He was active from the late 1920s through the 1980s. In his early career, he wrote under the pseudonym Paul Leslie. The Chester Erskine papers (1870-1991, bulk 1930-1987) consist largely of scripts, outlines, and film treatments written by Erskine. Not all scripts were produced; some are annotated. Programs, clippings, contracts, and other materials are present for some productions. Productions represented in the collection include
Double Murder,
Satyr (a script for the original 1930 play and a later screenplay),
The Seven Who Resisted, and
The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn. A photocopy of an annotated script for
Harlem (1929) is present. The collection also contains biographical material and articles about Erskine; his notes and poetry; letters to Erskine; and photographs of him and show business colleagues, including two small photographs of Spencer Tracy. One cabinet card, depicting Edwin Booth and dating to about 1870, is also present. Letters date from 1952 to 1991 and discuss Erskine's scripts as well as personal subjects. Correspondents include Robert Whitehead, Garson Kanin, Robert Parrish and his wife Kathie, Arlene Francis, Irwin Shaw, and Vivien Leigh. Some letters are addressed to Erskine's wife, Sally Erskine.
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Finizio, Victor L.
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 2001-004
1.34 linear feet (4 boxes)
Clare Beecher Kummer (1873-1958) was a playwright and songwriter. She was most active between 1907 and 1944, when her plays and musicals were produced on the vaudeville circuits and on Broadway. The Victor Finizio research materials on Clare...
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Clare Beecher Kummer (1873-1958) was a playwright and songwriter. She was most active between 1907 and 1944, when her plays and musicals were produced on the vaudeville circuits and on Broadway. The Victor Finizio research materials on Clare Kummer (1890s-1965) contain photographs, scripts, articles, and research notes that Finizio compiled while researching his 1965 dissertation, Clare Kummer: An Analysis of Her Plays and Musicals. The collection contains photocopies of Kummer's scripts, many of which are unpublished, and some of which have Kummer's annotations and corrections. Scripts include Ladies Change, Noah's Ark, The Opera Ball, Spring Thaw, Up in McCloud's, and The Yogi Man. The collection also contains production photographs, primarily dating to the 1920s, including photographs of Chinese Love, The Choir Rehearsal, The Robbery, and Rollo's Wild Oat. An original set design, probably for Amourette, is also present. There are photographs and a drawing of Kummer, as well as photographs of unidentified friends and family. Research notes date from 1963 to 1965 and include information about a private collection of Clare Kummer materials.
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Smith, V.D.
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 1985-010
1.9 linear feet (2 boxes, 1 volume)
The V.D. Smith collection of Charles L. Young materials contains scripts, photographs, a scrapbook, and ephemera documenting the life and career of writer and businessman Charles L. Young.
Crothers, Rachel, 1878-1958
Billy Rose Theatre Division | *T-Mss 2016-002
1.09 linear feet (3 boxes)
Rachel Crothers (1878-1958) was a playwright, theater director, and co-founder of the Stage Women's War Relief and the American Theatre Wing. These papers were assembled by the executor of her estate, Anne Sheffield, and consist of programs and...
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Rachel Crothers (1878-1958) was a playwright, theater director, and co-founder of the Stage Women's War Relief and the American Theatre Wing. These papers were assembled by the executor of her estate, Anne Sheffield, and consist of programs and photographs of Crothers' productions; photographs of her colleagues and friends; three play scripts; photographs and others papers related to Crothers' war relief work; and other personal and professional mementos. A typescript titled "The Box in the Attic" contains Crother's account of some of her formative experiences as a dramatist. Among the photographs are candid behind-the-scenes images from a short film,
Nice and Easy, with Charlie Chaplin and Eulalia and Frederick Neilson; the collection also contains photographs inscribed to the Neilsons.
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