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unitdate: {"value"=>"1893-1950", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1893/1950"}
date_inclusive_start: 1893
date_inclusive_end: 1950
keydate: 1893
unittitle: {"value"=>"Series I. Correspondence"}
scopecontent: {"value"=>"Burnside's correspondence dates from 1893, the year before he left London for New York, until 1949, a few years before his death. The correspondence is the largest portion of the papers, filling 66 boxes, and occupying 27.5 linear feet. There are letters present for every year spanned, with the fewest letters dating from the 1890s, and the most from Burnside's Hippodrome years, ca. 1908-1923. Letters are both incoming and outgoing; some received by Burnside contain shorthand replies. Telegrams, phone messages (many received at The Lambs), greeting cards, invitations, and circulars are also included, some separately, at the end of the correspondence series, others scattered throughout the correspondence. Readers should realize that since the papers came to the Library in extreme disorder, the order which now exists was, for the most part, imposed by the Library. When files were found in subject, alphabetical, or chronological order, they were maintained that way. The correspondence is grouped in three parallel subseries. Chronological and Chronological - Additional were organized by the Theater Division, and are both in chronological order. Chronological By Year contains correspondence in order only by year, and was organized by the Rare Book and Manuscripts Division. Topics, dates, and correspondents in all three series are essentially the same, the only thing different is the level of organization. Much of the correspondence concerns logistics of the numerous productions with which Burnside was involved. Hippodrome productions appear to be most fully documented. Also covered are: the tail end of Burnside's London period (sparsely); his early years in the United States, particularly with the Jefferson De Angelis Opera Company and various Shubert companies; productions for non-theatrical organizations, particularly the Hermits Club, the Pittsburgh Athletic Association, the 1926 Philadelphia Sesquicentennial, and the 1939-1940 New York World's Fair; the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas he staged during the 1930s and 1940s; Lambs “gambols;” and the many shows Burnside wrote and/or staged throughout his career. Of note is the large number of letters Burnside received from performers and their agents requesting work at the Hippodrome. These performers included: acrobats; actors; animal acts (with elephants, horses, dogs, goats, ostriches, ducks, seals, sea-lions, bugs, and other creatures); animal impersonators; bicyclists; chorus girls; clowns; comedians; dancers; equestriennes; high divers; ice skaters; jugglers; magicians; strong men; swimmers; whistlers; and a varied crowd of others. Letterheads are often decorated with illustrations or photographs of performers and their acts. Performers generally described what they did, often including publicity photographs, flyers, brochures, portions of scripts, posters (some of which are in Box 119 or the map case), and clippings as further illustration. Burnside also received letters from friends and relatives of performers who were writing on their behalf requesting work, help in times of distress, and in the case of young people far from home, guidance. The correspondence also documents the work of Burnside Studios; Burnside's efforts in the film industry in New York, 1920s, and in Hollywood during the 1930s; participation in theatrical clubs and organizations, particularly The Lambs, in which he was active for many years; war work (including Burnside's membership in the Mayor's Committee of Welcome to Homecoming Troops, 1919); and some personal and family matters. Burnside's correspondents included, along with performers, members of theater management ranging from office workers to theater owner; designers of sets, costumes, and lighting; all sorts of stagecraft workers and suppliers; lawyers; engineers; insurance agents; and everyone else whose work was necessary to his productions. He also corresponded with theatrical colleagues in the United States and London; amateur theatrical groups from schools, prisons, and charities requesting help with their productions; and others. Frequent or prominent correspondents include: Harry Askin, Irving Berlin, Charles B. Cochran, Jefferson De Angelis, Charles B. Dillingham, A. (Alfredo Leonardo) Edel, Florence Edel, Bruce Edwards, Michel Fokine, Charles Frohman, Loie Fuller, John Golden, Silvio Hein, Harry Houdini, Elsie Janis, George S. Kaufman, Victor Kiraly, Harry Kline, Jesse L. Lasky, Mark Luescher, Anna Pavlova, J.J. Shubert, Lee Shubert, Sam Shubert, John Philip Sousa, Oswald Stoll, Fred A. Stone, Arthur Voegtlin, Ned Wayburn, and Flo Ziegfeld. One group of family letters was found as a separate group, and has been kept that way. These, ca.1900s-1940s, consist primarily of correspondence among members of Burnside's immediate family: his wife Kittie, sister Nell Dowling, daughters Kathryne Burnside, Helen Burnside Blewitt, and Betty Burnside Anderson, and sons-in-law James T. Andersonand George Blewitt. Letters received by Burnside's daughters from friends are included. These largely concern personal matters. Some exceptions are mentions of Burnside's work, and of Kathryne's brief acting career, and letters, 1930s, to Burnside in Hollywood from George Blewitt, who was apparently taking care of some business matters for Burnside in New York and New Jersey. Additional family correspondence - including letters from Margaret Thorne, 1890s, concerning both personal and theatrical matters, and other relatives still in England - can be found scattered throughout the first three correspondence series."}
unitid: {"type"=>"local_mss", "value"=>"932937"}
date_start: 1893
date_end: 1950

Series I. Correspondence

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