- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"simple", "value"=>"5 linear ft.(12 boxes)"}
- unitid
-
{"value"=>"MssCol 2585", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"2585", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1893-1953", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1893/1953"}
{"value"=>"1911-1953", "type"=>"bulk", "normal"=>"1911/1953"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1893
- date_inclusive_end
-
1953
- keydate
-
1893
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"J.J. Robbins papers"}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"The <span class=\"corpname\">New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division.</span> <div class=\"address\"> <span class=\"addressline\">New York, New York 10018-2788</span></div>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"Collection consists of correspondence, writings of Robbins and others, personal and legal papers, photographs, sketches, and printed matter. Correspondence, 1911-1953, concerns literary, theatrical and translating work as well as personal matters. Robbins's writings, 1910s-1940s, make up the bulk of the collection and include manuscripts and typescripts of his articles, plays, poems, stories, and parts of novels, and his translations of writings of other authors in Yiddish and Russian. Also, family papers and documents, photographs, sketches, and programs and printed materials from theaters with which Robbins was affiliated."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>John Jacob Robbins Papers, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations.</p>"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>J.J., or Jack, Robbins was an author, editor, poet, stage director, teacher of theater, and translator (chiefly from Russian and Yiddish) in New York. He was affiliated with the Actors' Ensemble Theater, American Theater Ensemble, Impromptu Theater, Leonardo da Vinci Art School (theater department), New Theater School, the Professional School of the Theater at the 92nd Street YMHA, and other theaters and theater schools. He edited literary and theatrical journals including <span class=\"emph\">East and West, Impromptu, J.R.'s Magazine,</span>and others. From approximately 1917-1918 Robbins served as head of the translation department of the <span class=\"emph\">Jewish Daily Forward,</span>a New York Yiddish language newspaper. His published translations include: <span class=\"emph\">A Sheaf From Lermontov</span>(1923), <span class=\"emph\">Azure Cities: Stories of New Russia</span>(1929), and Constantin Stanislavsky's <span class=\"emph\">My Life in Art</span>(1952). During the 1920s, apparently during trips to Russia, Robbins was an assistant to Constantin Stanislavsky at the Moscow Art Theater, USSR. From 1921-1936 he was assistant to Nikita Balieff at Balieff's <span class=\"emph\">La Chauve-Souris.</span></p> <p>Robbins was involved with the Ferrer Colony, Stelton, New Jersey, from 1918-1920s, serving as the principal of the Colony's Modern School, editor of its magazine <span class=\"emph\">Modern Education,</span>and founder and director of the theatrical group the Stelton Players. His family appears to have had a house at the “Jewish Colony” at Chatham, New Jersey.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>Correspondence, 1911-1953, some undated, consists primarily of letters and postcards received by Robbins, in English, with some in Russian and a few in French. A few drafts of Robbins' letters are included. Letters post-dating his death are addressed to his widow, Constance. Correspondence concerns literary, theatrical, and translating work, and personal matters. Some Ferrer Colony matters are also discussed. Letters are from literary and theatrical colleagues; magazine editors; book publishers; authors' representatives; friends; and family members. Frequent or prominent correspondents include: <span class=\"persname\">Leonard D. Abbott</span>, <span class=\"persname\">Scholom Asch</span>(authorizing Robbins to sell five of his one-act plays, 1915), <span class=\"persname\">William Rose Benet</span>, <span class=\"persname\">Richard Boleslavsky,</span><span class=\"persname\">H.W.L. Dana,</span> <span class=\"persname\">Ossip Dymow,</span> <span class=\"persname\">Frances M. Gill,</span> <span class=\"persname\">B.W. Huebsch,</span> <span class=\"persname\">Alexander Koiransky,</span> <span class=\"persname\">Maxim Lieber,</span><span class=\"persname\">David Liebovitz,</span><span class=\"persname\">Edwin Markham,</span><span class=\"persname\">Ralph R. (“Wad”) Perry,</span><span class=\"persname\">Constantin Stanislavsky,</span> <span class=\"persname\">Lewis Untermeyer,</span><span class=\"persname\">Abraham Yarmolinsky,</span><span class=\"persname\">Stark Young,</span><span class=\"persname\">Marya Zaturenska,</span>others.</p> <p>Also included are programs and other printed material from theaters with which Robbins was affiliated; theater mailing lists; statements and legal documents relating to various theater projects; stage design sketches. Personal material includes: portrait photographs of Robbins and of <span class=\"persname\">Bertha Robbins,</span>his mother; a portrait sketch of Robbins; minutes of an investigation, 1927, probably at the Jewish Colony, <span class=\"geogname\">Chatham, N.J.</span>; letters and documents, in Yiddish, of Robbins' father, <span class=\"persname\">Shmolovitch Rabinovitch</span>; and a document, 1893, in Russian, certifying that <span class=\"persname\">Daba Shliomovna Rabinovitch</span>of Minsk Province is Jewish. The document is signed by a rabbi, and was part of an application for higher education.</p> <p>Robbins' writings, both original writings and English translations, make up the bulk of the collection. They include manuscripts and typescripts of Robbins' articles, plays, poems, stories, and parts of novels, in English, ca. 1910s-1940s. Articles are on literary, theatrical, and musical topics, and include Robbins' impressions of <span class=\"persname\">Chaim Soudeikine</span> and <span class=\"persname\">Constantin Stanislavsky</span>. Plays, <span class=\"title\">A Breath of Life,</span> and <span class=\"title\">Children Never Forget</span>, were written in collaboration with <span class=\"persname\">Stanley Lewis</span> and <span class=\"persname\">Z. Libin</span>, respectively. Robbins' English translations of stories, plays, poetry, essays, and other writings are chiefly from Yiddish and Russian. Authors translated include: <span class=\"persname\">Scholom Asch,</span> <span class=\"persname\">Chaim Nachman Bialik,</span> <span class=\"persname\">Alexander Blok,</span><span class=\"persname\"> Boris Baykoff,</span> <span class=\"persname\">Mikhail Bulgakov,</span><span class=\"persname\">Ossip Dymow,</span><span class=\"persname\">Ilya Ehrenberg,</span><span class=\"persname\">Viacheslav Ivanov,</span><span class=\"persname\">Vsevolod Ivanov,</span><span class=\"persname\">Jehoash (pseud.),</span><span class=\"persname\">I.A. Krylov,</span> <span class=\"persname\">Simeon Frug,</span><span class=\"persname\">I.L. Peretz,</span><span class=\"persname\">Mikhail Prishvin,</span><span class=\"persname\">V.I. Shishkov,</span><span class=\"persname\">M. Volkov,</span><span class=\"persname\">Maximilian Voleshin,</span>and <span class=\"persname\">Panteleimon Romanov</span>. Of note are manuscript and typescript versions of Robbins' translation of the complete poems of the Yiddish poet <span class=\"persname\">Abraham Liessin</span>in three volumes (the third is incomplete).</p> <p>Unidentified writings in Yiddish and Russian; typescript excerpts, in Russian, of <span class=\"title\">My Life in Art</span>; and unsigned writings and writings by other authors (<span class=\"persname\">Sandro Corona</span>, <span class=\"persname\">Alexander Koiransky</span>, others) are included.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The J.J. Robbins papers are arranged in three series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/2585#c178379'>I. Correspondence</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1911-1953</div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/2585#c178380'>II. Personal and theatrical papers</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1893-ca. 1940s</div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/2585#c178381'>III. Writings</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>ca.1910s-1940s</div>\n</li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Gift of Mrs. Cesare Stea (Florence Robbins, sister), <date>1958;</date> <date>1962;</date> <date>1968</date></p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Robbins, John Jacob, 1895-1950", "type"=>"persname"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"Six series: I. Correspondence, 1911-1953; II. Personal and Theatrical Papers, 1893-ca. 1940s; III. Writings, ca. 1910s-1940s; IV. Translations; V. Writings in Yiddish and Russian; VI. Writings by Other or Unidentified Authors", "supress_display"=>true}
- langmaterial_code
-
yid
rus
fre
eng
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"Some items in Yiddish, Russian and French"}
{"value"=>"English"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Julie Miller; machine readable finding aid created by APEX data services and revised by Chatham Ewing.</p>"}
- date_start
-
1893
- date_end
-
1953
- date_bulk_start
-
1911
- date_bulk_end
-
1953