Collections in Billy Rose Theatre Division

The A'Becket Family Diaries and Prompt Books include handwritten memoirs and daily notations regarding the life and career of Thomas A'Becket, Sr. from 1844 to 1890. The diaries show the extent of A'Becket's theatrical activities. The diaries of his son, Thomas A'Becket, Jr. are primarily music related. These diaries span the years 1862 to 1880. The scripts and prompt books are sometimes annotated and sometimes unmarked and belonged to Thomas A'Becket, Sr. They span his career and some give information on the theater and year of the production. The collection appears to be a useful research source for detailing the life of a stock actor, writer and musician of the 19th century. A'Becket includes information on his work schedule and his travel schedule in the circuit theaters. Information as well, regarding his family, friends and acquaintances can be found in the diaries. less

Squire Bancroft (1841-1926), English actor-manager, played hundreds of roles in a theatrical career which spanned over fifty years, and brought him into contact with most of the leading English theatrical figures of his day. Born May 14, 1861, of well-to-do means, Squire Bancroft was educated privately in England and France. He made his stage debut in 1861 at the Theatre Royal, Birmingham, toured the provinces, then made his London debut in 1865 at the Prince of Wales Theatre as Jack Crawley in A WINNING HAZARD, under the management of H. J. Byron and prominent actress Marie Wilton (1839-1921). He married Miss Wilton in 1867, and joined her in theatrical management. Over the next eighteen years, in addition to his management duties, Squire Bancroft played many leading roles in contemporary plays as well as works by Shakespeare and Sheridan. He retired from management in 1885, but continued acting until 1918; he also wrote three books, one in collaboration with his wife. Sir Squire Bancroft died on April 19, 1926, at the age of 84. Squire Bancroft's letter book consists of autograph documents (notes and brief letters) and clipped autographs, written by prominent 19th century theatrical figures, including William C. Macready, Charlotte Cushman, Lester Wallack, Junius Brutus Booth, Tommaso Salvini, Laura Keane, Sir Henry Irving, Ellen Terry, and others. Some notes are addressed to Marie Bancroft. less

Publisher and editor of art books, Herbert Bittner was born in Breslau, Germany. He moved to the United States in 1934. Bittner owned a publishing house specializing in fine art, and authored and edited several books on art and leading artists. He died in New York in 1960. Drawings of stage design in pencil, ink, or watercolor on paper, mounted on board, drawn by European designers of the late 18th and 19th century, such as Joseph Platzer, Lorenzo Sacchetti, and anonymous designers from the Austrian and Northern Italian Schools. less

The Chamberlain and Lyman Brown Papers are 351 linear feet and contain business and personal correspondence, scrapbooks, autographs, legal and financial papers, scripts, photographs, clipping files, and production materials documenting their work as theatrical agents, managers, and producers. The papers provide a history of the entertainment industry from the end of the 19th century through the middle of the 20th century. A number of family and personal papers are also included. less

The Ilka Chase Papers consist of correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, scripts, scrapbooks and other material related to the career of Ilka Chase. There is also considerable material related to the career of her mother, Edna Woolman Chase, and to "Vogue" magazine. There is a large amount of personal correspondence, especially between Ilka Chase and her mother. The collection also contains the entire run of scripts from a radio program hosted by Ilka Chase from January 1951 to October 1951 and a complete run of articles for a syndicated newspaper column from 1955 to 1964. The photograph collection contains photos of Ilka Chase both in her professional career and private life, Edna Woolman Chase, and other celebrities, including Mr. and Mrs. Eugene O'Neill. less

: Katharine Cornell was an American actress and producer. Guthrie McClintic was an American director and producer. They both worked the New York theater from 1915-1960. This collection includes correspondence, personal files, scripts, production materials, programs, photographs, scrapbooks and oversized items. less

The Covent Garden Theatre was founded by John Rich in London, England in 1732. In 1847 it became the Royal Italian Opera and in 1891, the Royal Opera House. Collection consists of eight printed broadsides dated from November 23, 1828 to December 15, 1828 concerning the aftermath of a fatal accident involving gas illumination in which two employees of the theatre died. The theatre was closed while the "gasometers" were removed and the public was assured that only "wax" and the "purest oil" would be used for lighting. Includes copies of certificates of safety and programs for the re-opening show starring Edmund Kean. less

The Paul Cranefield Papers, 1824-2002 [bulk years 1951-2002], document medical doctor and theater enthusiast Paul Cranefield’s interest and contribution to New York City’s theatrical world, and in particular the Off-Off Broadway movement. The collection consists of administrative files created by the La Mama Experimental Theatre Club and the Circle Repertory Theatre, in which Cranefield served as a board member for several years. They include correspondence, meeting minutes, notes and agendas, legal and financial records, grant applications, leaflets and brochures, production inventories, and Cranefield’s writings on subjects related to theater and collecting. There are also scripts, photographs, clippings, and a considerable number of programs and posters from productions created by La Mama and Circle Repertory Theatre, as well as from productions of the 1800s, collected by Cranefield. less

Compiled by Dr. Saram R. Ellison during the late 19th- and early 20th-centuries, this collection of scrapbooks documents the founding and early years of the Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.), numerous magicians, and various subjects of magic and the related arts. less

Philburn (Phil) Friedman (1921-1988) was an American stage manager. Friedman managed numerous Broadway and West Coast theater productions, many of them musicals, including Kismet (1953), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961), Pippin (1972), Chicago (1975), and Dancin' (1978). He worked with director, writer, and choreographer Bob Fosse for nearly 15 years, and played the part of the stage manager in Fosse's 1979 autobiographical film, All That Jazz. He also worked extensively with directors Cy Feuer and Abe Burrows. The Phil Friedman papers (1805-1979) document Friedman's general interest in theater and to some extent, his work as a stage manager. The collection holds programs, telegrams, photographs, biographical material, and scrapbooks containing images of stage actors from the early 1900s. less

The Helen Hayes papers span the years 1817–1963 and consist of correspondence, the majority from friends and colleagues; speeches and writings, including drafts and handwritten index cards of speeches; clippings from her earliest days in theater and covering her work in film, television, and radio; programs for theatrical productions and awards ceremonies; awards and ephemera including her honorary degrees, appointments to committees, and citations for her charitable work; designs including costume designs for theatrical productions and artwork created by friends and colleagues; photographs, including family photographs, candid shots and professional portraits from childhood, production stills and publicity from theater, film, and radio, and portraits by famous photographers; and scrapbooks, some dedicated to particular theatrical productions and others that cover all aspects of her career and life. less

The George Cochrane Hazelton Papers consist of diaries, correspondence, ledgers, promptbooks, scripts, photographs, clippings and programs from 1848-1941, documenting Hazelton's private and professional life. After his death, his wife, as executor, maintained the business correspondence and records until 1941. The collection provides detailed and extensive research materials about theater and daily life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. less

George Heister was involved in the theater in America throughout much of the 19 century, and worked with many of its prominent figures. Consists of six letters written to George Heister by several professionals of the theatrical world, including producer/playwright Augustin Daly, playwright Charles Fechter, E. F. Keach of the Boston Museum, and actor Junius Brutus Booth, Jr. Also includes an invitation to the American Dramatic Fund Association dated 1866, and an expression of appreciation from the Providence Theatre Building Committee dated 1838. less

Opened on April 9, 1705 in the Haymarket as the Queen's Theatre in honor of Queen Anne, the theater went through various name changes (King's Theatre) with the changing of monarchs. Rather large for drama, it became the first English opera house. In the 1830-1850 period, it was famous as the Italian Opera House for its productions of opera with international stars and for its association with romantic ballet. With the accession of Queen Victoria, it was called Her Majesty's Theatre. Jenny Lind made her English debut here on May 4, 1847. The theater was closed in 1890 and demolished in 1891, though a new theater was built on the site. Printed programs for operas and ballets presented during the 1847 season at Her Majesty's Theatre and bound together into a single volume. less

Mrs. Harry Lee (née Fay Elma Waterman, 1862-1916) was a theatre enthusiast. These scrapbooks contain theatre ephemera from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Lee assembled these scrapbooks while traveling with her husband Harry A. Lee (1845-1919) a stage actor and manager. The scrapbooks hold broadsides, newspaper clippings, playbills, photographs, some letters, and ticket stubs. less

The Emeline Roche Collection (1815-1988) consists of the Emeline Roche Papers (1815-1988) and the Jane Cowl Papers (1884-1949). The collection came in two installments: first after 1950 from Emeline Roche, the rest after her death from her executor and friend, Henry Grady. less

Bernard Sobel (1887-1964) was an American author and theatrical press agent. His papers include drafts, notes, research materials, and other unidentified papers relating to Sobel's writing; correspondence; photographs; notebooks; a diary; and other personal items. less