- unitid
-
{"value"=>"21717", "type"=>"local_mss"}
{"value"=>"*T-Mss 2003-052", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"b15919510", "type"=>"local_b"}
- unitdate
-
{"normal"=>"1861/1971", "type"=>"inclusive", "value"=>"1861–1971"}
{"normal"=>"1935/1966", "type"=>"bulk", "value"=>"1935–1966"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"George Freedley papers"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"55 boxes and 2 oversize folders", "unit"=>"containers"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"33.5 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear_feet"}]}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">Billy Rose Theatre Division</span>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"Papers of George Freedley, author, educator, theatre critic, librarian and founder of the Theatre Collection of the New York Public Library."}
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"English"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Freedley, George, 1904-1967", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p> George Reynolds Freedley, author, librarian, lecturer, educator, and theatre critic was born September 5, 1904 in Richmond, Virginia. He was the son of George Jacoby Freedley and Maude A. Reynolds. Freedley graduated from the University of Richmond in 1925. He studied at Yale University, where he was a student of George Pierce Baker from 1926 to 1928, and received his Master of Fine Arts in drama in 1936. After leaving Yale in 1926 Freedley worked in the theatre in various capacities, including three years as an assistant technical director and a stage manager of the New York Theatre Guild. As an actor, Freedley appeared in <span class=\"title\">The Grey Fox</span> (1928), <span class=\"title\">The Camel Through the Needle's Eye</span> (1929), and <span class=\"title\">Everything's Jake</span> (1930). Freedley began his career at the New York Public Library in the picture collection. When David Belasco's papers were donated to the library with the stipulation that they be made available to the public, Freedley was selected to organize them and the Theatre Collection was born. Beginning in 1931 as \"librarian in charge\", Freedley was appointed curator of the Theatre Collection in 1938. Except for a brief absence from 1948 to 1950 when he took a position as Chief Play Reader for A & S Lyons, Freedley retained his curatorial post at the library until 1965 when poor health made it necessary for him to change his status to that of a consultant to the Collection.</p> <p>During his tenure at the library Freedley also pursued his work on behalf of theatre history and theatre librarianship through numerous professional affiliations. He established the Theatre Library Association and served as its president from 1937 to 1963. He also served on the board of the American National Theatre and Academy (ANTA) from 1946 to 1964. Freedley gave his time and expertise to many organizations promoting international cultural exchange including the International Federation for Theatre Research and the Société Universelle du Théâtre. He was a delegate to the UNESCO Theatre Conference in Paris (1948) where the International Theatre Institute was established. Other organizational affiliations included: American Educational Theatre Association, Equity Library Theatre, National Theatre Conference, New York Drama Critics Circle, Pirandello Society, The Players, and the Shaw Society of America.</p> <p>Freedley wrote frequently on the theatre, theatre education and theatre librarianship. He was a regular columnist for <span class=\"title\">Playbill</span> and the dramatic critic (1938-1947), book editor and drama feature writer (1947-1967) for the <span class=\"title\">Morning Telegraph</span> (New York). He was also a reviewer of theatrical books for <span class=\"title\">Publisher's Weekly</span>. Freedley's monographs include <span class=\"title\">The Lunts: a Biography</span> (1957), <span class=\"title\">Simon Lissim: a Biography</span> (1949), <span class=\"title\">A History of Modern Drama</span>(with Barrett H. Clark, 1947), and <span class=\"title\">A History of the Theatre</span> (with J.A. Reeves, 1941). In 1960 Freedley published a memoir of his cat titled <span class=\"title\">Mr. Cat</span> and the sequel <span class=\"title\">More Mr. Cat</span> in 1961. During his lifetime Freedley was honored many times, receiving the Kelcey Allen Award in 1956 and the Theta Alpha Phi Educational Award in 1957. He also accepted a Tony on behalf of the Theatre Collection in 1956. George Freedley died on September 7, 1967.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The George Freedley Papers span the years 1861 to 1971 with the bulk of the material ranging from 1935 to 1966. The papers consist of correspondence, writings, clippings, biographical material, research materials, photographs, scrapbooks and miscellaneous items and realia documenting Freedley's career as a librarian, lecturer and writer. The papers also include a collection of greeting cards from theatrical personalities.</p> <p>George Freedley's involvement with the theatre began during his college days and continued as the focus of his work for the ensuing 40 years. This focus was evident in his endeavors including the Theatre Collection, his writings, reviews, speaking engagements and organizational affiliations, and is documented in this collection. Freedley was known and respected by a wide range of theatre professionals from Broadway to the academic community, both here and in England. The collection includes letters from actors, producers, designers, critics, and writers, including Carl Theodore Dreyer, Hallie Flanagan, Rosamond Gilder, Lillian Gish, Phyllis Hartnoll, Simon Lissim, Flora Robson and John Van Druten. It also contains material relating to Freedley's work in organizations such as ANTA, the International Theatre Institute and the National Theatre Conference to promote theatre scholarship and international cultural exchange. Freedley also worked on projects to identify and describe theatre collections throughout the world and to make that information available to researchers.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The George Freedley papers are arranged in eleven series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21717#c327977'>Series I - Correspondence</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1924-1967</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>8 boxes, 11 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The files are almost exclusively incoming letters documenting personal and professional matters, including letters relating to two of Freedley's books.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21717#c328133'>Series II: Writings</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>ca. 1940-1967</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>8 boxes, 15 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The series includes typescript copies of many of Freedley's columns for the <span class=\"title\">Morning Telegraph</span> and for<span class=\"title\"> Playbill</span>. Also included are chapters, correspondence and reviews for<span class=\"title\"> A History of Modern Drama</span> and a <span class=\"title\">History of the Theatre</span>. The material relating to <span class=\"title\">Mr. Cat</span> and <span class=\"title\">More Mr. Cat</span> includes holograph and typescript versions of the manuscript and the foreword to <span class=\"title\">Mr. Cat</span> written by Lillian Gish.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21717#c328201'>Series III: Projects</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1932-1959</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>2 boxes, 10 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains papers and surveys relating to Freedley's work. Projects include the National Theatre Conference survey, the <span class=\"title\">Saturday Review of Literature</span> survey and the World Theatre Microfilm project through which Freedley hoped to begin a cooperative project to make microfilm of various theatre items from libraries throughout the world available on film.</p> <p>The National Theatre Conference survey was conducted by Freedley and Rosamond Gilder to gather information on theatre books and collections in public, private and university libraries. The information was used in their book: <span class=\"title\">Theatre Collections in Libraries and Museums: An International Handbook</span>, published in 1936. In 1948 Freedley gathered information from college, university and civic theatres to write an article for the <span class=\"title\">Saturday Review of Literature</span>. The respondents often included programs and brochures.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21717#c328234'>Series IV: Organizations</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1934-1966</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>17 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p> The files contain correspondence and printed matter. Although Freedley served as an officer in many of these organizations, the files do not contain a full record of his activities, but instead contain random and minimal documentation. Among the organizations are the American Educational Theatre Association, American National Theatre and Academy (ANTA), Columbia University, New York Drama Critics Circle and the Theatre Library Association.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21717#c328253'>Series V: Personal Papers</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>ca. 1861-1967</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>16 folders, 5 volumes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Papers include correspondence, ephemera, biographical information and date books. They are organized in two sub-series: Sub-series 1: Personal papers Sub-series 2: Date books.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21717#c328272'>Series VI: Clippings</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1924-1971</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>14 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Clippings by and about George Freedley.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21717#c328289'>Series VII: Photographs</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>ca. 1880-1956</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>7 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series includes family photographs of Freedley as a child, of his parents and other family members. Also included are photos of Freedley as an adult, inscribed photos, a few production shots, and 2 folders of unidentified individuals and locations.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21717#c328296'>Series VIII: Greeting cards</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>ca. 1920-1963</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>16 boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Series includes mostly Christmas cards, many of them from theatrical personalities. Not all of the cards are addressed to Freedley and it is not clear how the collection was created. The collection includes cards from many of Freedley's colleagues and friends and also from artists such as Agna Enters, Bob Hope, Lillian Gish, Simon Lissim and others. Many of the cards also have theatrical themes.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21717#c328313'>Series IX: Scrapbooks</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1904-1957</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>3 boxes and 5 volumes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Scrapbooks compiled by Freedley containing clippings and ephemera.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21717#c328324'>Series X: Bound volumes</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1927-1958</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>2 boxes (7 volumes)</div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21717#c328327'>Series XI: Oversize materials</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>ca. 1886-1963</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>1 box and 1 folder</div>\n</li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection was donated to the Billy Rose Theatre Division and to the Manuscripts Division of the New York Public Library by George Freedley. The two sets of papers have been integrated and are now organized as one collection.</p>"}
- separatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p>Separated materials: Unboxed - John Barrymore wooden plaque: \"Eitzenhoffer 1924\" (Held by Curator 3/2004); <span class=\"persname\">Lajos Zilahy</span>, author of <span class=\"title\">The Angry Angel</span>: three photographs (B&W, 8 x 10\") filed in the Theatre Division's Photograph Files B; <span class=\"persname\">Boris Karloff</span>: one photograph (B&W, 5 x 7\"), filed in the Theatre Division's Photograph Files A.</p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by <span class=\"name\">Francesca Pitaro</span>.</p>"}
- accessrestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>Realia requires an advanced appointment for access.</p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>For permission to publish, contact the Curator, Billy Rose Theatre Division.</p>"}
- revisiondesc
-
{"value"=>"Oversized photograph rehoused in an individual folder and detailed description\n updated; separated realia added to detailed description; expanded and revised notes,\n subjects, and agents", "date"=>"2025-05"}
- extent_statement
-
33.5 linear feet (55 boxes and 2 oversize folders)
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"George Freedley papers, *T-Mss 2003-052. Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts"}