- unitid
-
{"value"=>"*T-Mss 2011-108", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"23878", "type"=>"local_mss"}
{"value"=>"b21149685", "type"=>"local_b"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1905-2006", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1905/2006"}
{"value"=>"1940s-2006", "type"=>"bulk", "normal"=>"1940/2006"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Al Hirschfeld papers"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"49.12 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear feet"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"108 boxes, 3 volumes, 1 oversized folder", "unit"=>"containers"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"10.5 mb (7 computer files)"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- repository
-
{"id"=>"THE", "value"=>"Billy Rose Theatre Division"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003) was an American caricaturist known for his distinctive black and white line drawings. The Al Hirschfeld papers (1905-2006) hold thousands of photographs documenting twentieth-century theater, film, and television; they were in Hirschfeld's possession for reference purposes. While these photographs comprise the majority of the collection, the collection documents other aspects of his career and personal life predominately through correspondence and photographs."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>Al Hirschfeld papers, *T-Mss 2011-108. Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library.</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Hirschfeld, Al", "type"=>"persname", "role"=>"creator"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003), an American caricaturist known for his distinctive depiction of theatre and celebrity figures, was born in St. Louis and at age twelve moved with his family to New York. He studied art at the Art Students League in New York and in Paris and soon began working as an art director at Selznick Pictures. Hirschfeld drew a caricature while at a theater performance in 1926 and, at the suggestion of a friend, submitted it to the <span class=\"title\">New York Herald Tribune</span>, where it was published on the Sunday drama page. The following year the <span class=\"title\">New York Times</span> commissioned Hirschfeld to provide a two-column drawing of Scottish actor Harry Lauder. This image was published on January 29, 1928 and his art appeared regularly in the <span class=\"title\">New York Times</span> drama section for the next seventy years. Through his unmistakable artistic style, Hirschfeld brought Broadway and theatrical characters to a broader audience.</p> <p>Over time, Hirschfeld also rendered famous figures, including elected officials, musicians, and film and television stars; provided artwork and writing for a variety of other projects; and published books containing his drawings, including <span class=\"title\">Show Business is No Business, The Speakeasies of 1932</span> (the first edition appeared as <span class=\"title\">Manhattan Oases</span>), <span class=\"title\">Hirschfeld's Harlem</span>, <span class=\"title\">The Lively Years</span>, and <span class=\"title\">Hirschfeld by Hirschfeld</span>. The United States Postal Service commissioned Hirschfeld to design stamps depicting celebrities twice in the 1990s.</p> <p>Hirschfeld was the recipient of many awards including two Tony Awards (1974 and 1985), and was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame and the Academy of Arts and Letters. The New York City Landmarks Commission named Hirschfeld a Living Landmark in 1996. Shortly after his death, the Martin Beck Theater was renamed the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Hirschfeld's iconic line drawings are held in over a dozen permanent museum collections and by his eponymous foundation.</p> <p>He married his second wife, actress Dolly Haas, in 1943, with whom he had one daughter, Nina. Hirschfeld interwove the name of his only child, Nina, into each of his drawings, which provided his fans with a unique diversion as they tried to locate the concealed tribute; perplexed fans would often write to Hirschfeld to give away the Ninas' placements. Following Haas's death in 1994, Hirschfeld married theatre historian Louise Kerz. Hirschfeld died in New York on January 20, 2003, just a few months before his one hundredth birthday.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Al Hirschfeld papers date from 1905 to 2006 (bulk dates: 1940s-2006) and offer an abundance of photographs documenting twentieth-century theatre. The photographs include head shots of lead actresses and actors and thousands of still images of over 800 performances; occasionally rehearsals are depicted. Hirschfeld received these photographs in advance of his attendance at the productions. The bulk of the photographs are from the 1960s through the 1990s and are 8\" x 10\" black and white prints. Many of these reference photographs are credited to Martha Swope, Vandamm Studio, Friedman-Abeles, and Eileen Darby.</p> <p>Smaller groupings of photographs depict public figures, musicians, and other celebrities; specific films and television programs; and miscellaneous subjects such as animals and ice skating. The photographs have been arranged by title of the production, film or program; or name of the person with boxes of unidentified productions appearing at the end of each list.</p> <p>The remainder of the collection is primarily correspondence pertaining to professional matters (book projects, exhibitions, events, and rights requests); letters exchanged with friends and contemporaries (such as Jerry Stiller, Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, and Milton Caniff); and fan mail (including drawings from children).</p> <p>A small portion of the Al Hirschfeld papers documents Hirschfeld's second wife, actress Dolly Haas, to whom he was married from 1943 until her death in 1994. Included are box office receipts for her appearances in the 1946 musical <span class=\"title\">Lute Song</span>, interview transcripts, and correspondence. Personal correspondence exchanged among Haas, Hirschfield, and their daughter is restricted.</p> <p>The later years of Hirschfeld's career and posthumous matters are represented by a set of chronological files maintained by Louise Hirschfeld from the 1990s through 2006. The 1996 documentary <span class=\"title\">The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story</span> and the 2005 \"Brits on Broadway\" exhibit at London's Theatre Museum are well documented in these files.</p> <p>The collection also contains three sketchbooks, photographs of Hirschfeld, records regarding Hirschfeld's musical collaboration with S.J. Perelman, <span class=\"title\">Sweet Bye and Bye</span>, and a small selection of artifacts.</p>"}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Donated by Louise Kerz Hirschfeld, 2011, 2013, and 2014.</p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Compiled by Susan M. Kline in 2016, with the assistance of Chris Tong.</p>"}
- accessrestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>Personal correspondence exchanged among Haas, Hirschfield, and their daughter is restricted unless authorized by the donor. Items located in the *T-Cabinet are available by appointment only.</p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>The author/creator retains copyright of materials. For information on obtaining permission to publish, contact the Theatre Division at theatre@nypl.org.</p>"}
- dsc_type
-
combined
- date_start
-
1905
- keydate
-
1905
- date_end
-
2006
- date_inclusive_start
-
1905
- date_inclusive_end
-
2006
- date_bulk_start
-
1940
- date_bulk_end
-
2006
- extent_statement
-
49.12 linear feet (108 boxes, 3 volumes, 1 oversized folder); 10.5 mb (7 computer files)