Edward Harrigan papers

Description data TOP

physdesc

{"format"=>"simple", "value"=>"7 boxes and 3 vols."}

{"format"=>"simple", "value"=>"11.1 linear feet (29 boxes)"}

unitid

{"value"=>"*T-Mss 1941-003", "type"=>"local_call"}

{"value"=>"21441", "type"=>"local_mss"}

unitdate

{"value"=>"1871-1984", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1871/1984"}

unittitle

{"value"=>"Edward Harrigan papers"}

repository

{"value"=>"The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Billy Rose Theatre Division."}

{"value"=>"The New York Public Library Manuscripts and Archives Division"}

prefercite

{"value"=>"<p>Edward Harrigan Papers, *T-Mss 1941-003, Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.</p>"}

origination

{"value"=>"Harrigan, Edward, 1844-1911", "type"=>"persname"}

bioghist

{"value"=>"<p>Born in New York City, the grandson of Irish immigrants, and originally apprenticed in the shipbuilding trade like his father, William, Edward (Ned) Harrigan ran away from home and made his theatrical debut in San Francisco's burgeoning variety theaters in 1867. His early partners were Alexander O'Brien, then Sam Rickey. The latter partnership was a success with a sketch called <span class=\"title\">The Little Fraud</span>, but Rickey's drinking problems led to the act being disbanded.</p> <p>In 1871 Harrigan met Tony Hart in Chicago and they first appeared together in a sketch called <span class=\"title\">The Big and Little of It</span>. Together they were one of vaudeville's most popular attractions. Harrigan wrote sketches and song lyrics, Dave Braham, who became his father-in-law, wrote the music, and Hart, apparently an amazingly convincing female impersonator with a beautiful singing voice, played the wife, son or black maid to Harrigan's fatherly figure. Soon Harrigan expanded his sketches to full-length musicals. In 1879,<span class=\"title\"> The Mulligan Guards' Ball</span>, the first of Harrigan's <span class=\"title\">Mulligan Guard</span> series, a spoof of the then popular paramilitary groups and a major hit, was produced. Harrigan played Dan Mulligan and Hart was his wife. Other plays included <span class=\"title\">The Major</span>, <span class=\"title\">Squatter Sovereignty</span>, <span class=\"title\">Cordelia's Aspirations</span>, <span class=\"title\">Dan's Tribulations</span>, <span class=\"title\">The Leather Patch</span> and <span class=\"title\">Old Lavender</span>. Harrigan and Hart played at the Theatre Comique on Broadway near Spring Street in New York City under the management of Martin Hanley. They had great success and opened a New Theatre Comique a bit further up Broadway in 1881, but a fire destroyed the building in 1884. They moved to the Park Theatre, later known as the Herald Square, but due to lingering bad feelings stemming from the fire, their partnership ended in 1885.</p> <p>Harrigan continued at the Park Theatre until 1890 when he opened a new theater on 35th Street that he named for himself. His first production there, in which he played the title role, and his last real success, was <span class=\"title\">Reilly and the Four Hundred</span>. In later years Harrigan appeared in revivals of his plays, acted intermittently in plays written by others and leased his own theater that later became the Garrick Theatre.</p> <p>Harrigan died of heart failure on June 6, 1911, leaving a widow, Annie Harrigan, and six children, two of whom, William and Nedda, also went on the stage. At the time of his death he believed himself forgotten by the public, but the outpouring of remembrances in the press belied this. His songs had been among the most popular of his era with hits such as <span class=\"title\">The Mulligan Guard March</span>, <span class=\"title\">The Babies on Our Block</span>, and <span class=\"title\">Maggie Murphy's Home</span>. His plays, presenting urban working class life in relatively realistic if comic terms, were one of the first attempts of American <span class=\"subject\">musical theater</span> to identify with everyday life and indigenous themes.</p>"}

custodhist

{"value"=>"<p>The Edward Harrigan Papers were donated in 1941 to the Billy Rose Theatre Division by his daughter, Nedda Harrigan Logan.</p>"}

scopecontent

{"value"=>"<p> The papers document the life and career of actor, playwright, lyricist and producer <span class=\"persname\">Edward Harrigan</span> with correspondence, scripts, songs, articles, programs and clippings. Highlights include extensive correspondence with his wife when he was touring with<span class=\"persname\"> Tony Hart</span> in the 1870s, photocopies of two handwritten scripts: <span class=\"title\">Dan's Tribulations</span> and <span class=\"title\">Squatter Sovereignty</span>, bound volumes of his songs, and illustrated sheet music covers. While Harrigan's caricatures of various ethnic groups, primarily Irish and German immigrants and African Americans, seems dated today, in his lifetime he enjoyed tremendous popularity and respect. His work, innovative both in its subject matter, tenement life, and in its realism, reflects the social life and sensibilities of his times.</p>"}

{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Edward Harrigan papers are arranged in eight series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21441#c300906'>Series I. Correspondence</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1875-1954</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>16 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Almost entirely family correspondence, the jewel of this series is the extensive correspondence between Edward and <span class=\"persname\">Annie Harrigan</span> while he was on tour. The largest portion was written between 1875 and 1877 and the progression of their relationship is reflected in his salutations beginning with \"My dear Annie,\" then \"My darling Annie,\" and finally \"My darling wife.\" <span class=\"persname\">Annie Braham</span> and Edward Harrigan were married on November 18, 1876.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21441#c300923'>Series II. Family Papers</a></div>\n<div class='series-extent'>1 folder (1 notebook)</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Consists of a notebook belonging to <span class=\"persname\">Annie Harrigan</span> containing accounts and French lessons.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21441#c300925'>Series III. Scripts</a></div>\n<div class='series-extent'>18 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Mostly clean photocopies, both typescript and handwritten, are for <span class=\"title\">Cordelia's Aspirations</span>, <span class=\"title\">Dan's Tribulations</span>, <span class=\"title\">The Mulligan Guard Nominee</span>, <span class=\"title\">Mulligan Guard's Ball</span>, <span class=\"title\">Squatter Sovereignty</span>, and <span class=\"title\">Telephone</span>. Also contains synopses for <span class=\"title\">The Leather Patch</span> and <span class=\"title\">Old Lavender</span>.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21441#c300936'>Series IV. Other writings by Harrigan</a></div>\n<div class='series-extent'>4 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Consists of a photocopy of his novel, <span class=\"title\">The Mulligans</span>, published by <span class=\"corpname\">G.W. Dillingham Company</span> in 1901 and dedicated to the memory of Tony Hart, a couple of autobiographical articles and a handwritten pamphlet on celebrities, probably by Harrigan.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21441#c300940'>Series V. Songs</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1873-1903</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>3 volumes 2 boxes and 3 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The bound volumes, probably prepared by Harrigan's daughter Nedda, contain songs by Harrigan and Braham arranged alphabetically by title (with a few filing discrepancies). The boxes contain loose copies of what is in the volumes. The series also includes sheet music covers, a list of song titles and a notebook of handwritten song lyrics by Harrigan.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21441#c300953'>Series VI. Articles about Harrigan</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1883-1984</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>7 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Consists of critical analyses of Harrigan's playwriting, including a thesis (1984) on Harrigan's comedy, part of a book-length biography of Harrigan and various magazine articles.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21441#c300960'>Series VII. Programs and other printed material</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1874-1917</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>3 folders and 1 oversized box</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Contains programs, advertising, printed ephemera, and visual materials, mostly photographs from newspapers and magazines.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21441#c300965'>Series VIII. Clippings</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1874-1942</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>13 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p> Clippings, now photocopied, are on Edward Harrigan's life and career. Includes a few scrapbooks; one was a memorial scrapbook. Also contains a few clippings on his colleagues, <span class=\"persname\">Johnny Wild</span> and <span class=\"persname\">David Braham</span>, and on his family members, mostly his actor children, William and Nedda.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}

arrangement

{"value"=>"<ul> <li>Series I. Correspondence</li> <li>Series II. Family Papers</li> <li>Series III. Scripts</li> <li>Series IV. Other writings by Harrigan</li> <li>Series V. Songs</li> <li>Series VI. Articles about Harrigan</li> <li>Series VII. Programs and other printed material</li> <li>Series VIII. Clippings</li></ul>", "supress_display"=>true}

separatedmaterial

{"value"=>"<p>See also the following collection of materials:</p> <span class=\"archref\"> Edward Harrigan Papers, c. 1870-1908 11.1 linear feet (29 boxes The New York Public Library Manuscripts and Archives Division View finding aid.</span>"}

accessrestrict

{"value"=>"<p>Photocopying prohibited.</p>"}

userestrict

{"value"=>"<p>For permission to publish contact the Curator, Billy Rose Theatre Division.</p>"}

date_inclusive_start

1871

date_inclusive_end

1984

acqinfo

{"date"=>"1941", "materials"=>"Papers", "source"=>"Nedda Harrigan Logan", "method"=>"gift", "value"=>"Papers: gift, Nedda Harrigan Logan, 1941"}

abstract

{"value"=>"Correspondence, scripts, songs, articles, programs and clippings document the life and career of Edward Harrigan. Includes extensive correspondence with his wife when he was touring with Tony Hart in the 1870s, photocopies of typescripts of a few works in his MULLIGAN GUARD series and two handwritten scripts: DAN'S TRIBULATIONS and SQUATTER SOVEREIGNTY, bound volumes of his songs and illustrated sheet music covers."}

keydate

1871

processinfo

{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Elisabeth Elkind.</p>"}

date_start

1871

date_end

1984

Update Collection TOP

Update from EAD XML File

Child components TOP

1. Series I. Correspondence [16/1]
2. Series II. Family Papers [1/1]
3. Series III. Scripts [10/1]
4. Series IV. Other writings by Harrigan [3/1]
5. Series V. Songs [12/1]
6. Series VI. Articles about Harrigan [6/1]
7. Series VII. Programs and other printed material [4/1]
8. Series VIII. Clippings [13/1]