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Creator
Atkinson, Brooks, 1894-1984
Call number
*T-Mss 1968-001
Physical description
11.25 linear feet; 46 boxes
Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Brooks Atkinson Papers, *T Mss 1968-001, Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

Repository
Billy Rose Theatre Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.Restrictions apply

The Brooks Atkinson papers contain correspondence, awards, personal papers, photographs, ephemera, scrapbooks, datebooks, clippings and subject files and document his life and career as a drama critic for the New York Times. The papers span the years 1904-1980. Significant in the correspondence are letters from notables figures of the theater community including writers, actors, scholars and other journalists. Included in these are Sean O'Casey, Tennessee Williams, Thornton Wilder, Eugene and Carlota O'Neill, Robert W. Anderson, Maxwell Anderson, Clifford Odets, Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, to name a few.

Biographical/historical information

Justin Brooks Atkinson was born in Melrose, Massachusetts in 1894. His interest in writing became apparent at an early age when he began writing and publishing his own newspapers. He continued throughout high school and some of the publications include: The Bay State Amateur, The Coagent, The Melrose Record and The Olympian. Atkinson graduated from Harvard University and from there taught English at Dartmouth. After a working as a reporter in Massachusetts newspapers, Atkinson joined the army in 1918. In 1922 he joined the staff of the New York Times.

Atkinson's career at the New York Times spanned the years 1922 until his final retirement in 1965. His first position there was as editor of the Sunday literary section, although he occasionally wrote play reviews. In 1926 Atkinson became the drama critic of the New York Times, replacing Stark Young. He served in this capacity until his retirement in 1960. In 1941 he took a temporary leave from this position while be worked as a war correspondent during World War II. He officially retired from the New York Times in 1960 when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 65. However, he continued for an additional 5 years writing a twice weekly column known as Critic-At-Large. Atkinson's love of theater revealed itself not only in his frequenting traditional Broadway productions but also by his discovery and encouragement of new talents to be found on the Off Broadway stage. A champion of both traditional and new forms of theater in New York, Atkinson was also known as an outspoken voice against the practices of the McCarthy era and the interrogations of the House Un-American Activities Committee, using his skill as a journalist to inform the public and expose the tactics practiced by Joseph McCarthy and his supporters in their vigilant fight against communism.

Atkinson maintained both professional and personal relationships with some of the foremost playwrights of the 20th century. He carried on a long standing friendship and correspondence with Sean O'Casey which is revealed in the vast amount of correspondence between them. Other friends and acquaintances include Tennessee Williams, Moss Hart, Maxwell Anderson, S. N. Behrman, Robert W. Anderson, George S. Kaufman, Clifford Odets, Robert Sherwood, Thornton Wilder and Eugene O'Neill, among others.

Brooks Atkinson was honored throughout his life both by his peers and those he served in the theater community by numerous awards and honors. In 1947, he won a Pulitzer prize for a series of articles which he had written when he was in Moscow in 1945. He was awarded the Antoinette Perry Award for his "distinguished achievement in the theater" and was the only critic to have a Broadway theater named after him. Honorary awards include membership in the Players and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Atkinson not only wrote as a journalist but also published many other works on the theater and other topics. Some of his titles include: Broadway Scrapbook, The Cingalese Prince, The Lively Years, Tuesdays and Thursdays, Broadway, and This Bright Land. He also edited and wrote the forward for a volume about the works of his long-time friend, Sean O'Casey entitled The O'Casey Reader.

Atkinson died in Huntsville, Alabama on January 13, 1984.

Scope and arrangement

The Brooks Atkinson papers contain correspondence, awards, personal papers, photographs, ephemera, scrapbooks, datebooks, clippings and subject files and document his life and career as a drama critic for the New York Times. The papers span the years 1904-1980. Significant in the papers is the correspondence with major figures of theater community including writers, actors, scholars and other journalist. Included in these are Sean O'Casey, Tennessee Williams, Eugene O'Neill, Carlotta Monterey O'Neill, Thornton Wilder, Robert W. Anderson, Maxwell Anderson, Clifford Odets and George S. Kaufman, to name a few.

His correspondence often contains not only incoming letters but carbon copies of his responses. This gives a wonderfully detailed look at all aspects of his personal and professional career. Many issues of the day interested and concerned Atkinson and this is revealed in depth not only in his articles and columns but also in his correspondence to his readers and friends. Prominent in his files is correspondence dealing with Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee. His championship of the theater community during this period of harassment and persecution in American history can be viewed in this collection as both amazing and heroic.

Atkinson writings include diaries from his time as a correspondent in China as well as a manuscript copy of Once Around the Sun. Other items of note in the collection include his early attempts at publishing when he was a child in Massachusetts. These journals entitled, The Puritan, The Watchout, The Bay State Amateur, The Coagent, The Melrose Record and The Olympian are very rare and show his budding interest in publishing and journalism..

Other writings of Atkinson's can be found in the scrapbooks which contain complete text of articles and columns written for the New York Times and span his entire career. There are also manuscripts of other articles and other writings done by Atkinson.

Ephemera and awards are included in the collection and contain citations, photographs, honorary degrees and testimonial dinner programs. His subject files include information on topics of interest or research value and include much information about communism and the McCarthy anti-communist movement.

The Brooks Atkinson papers are arranged in eleven series:

  • Series I - CORRESPONDENCE
    1921-1980
    8 boxes 3.36 linear feet

    This series consists of correspondence, including carbon copies of Brooks Atkinson's replies, documenting Atkinson's life as a writer and theater critic. Correspondence includes letters to the editor from readers, correspondence concerning the publication of his many books and letters from actors, playwrights and other notables of the theater community commenting on reviews, as well as his opinion of plays and performances. Some of his correspondents include: Maxwell Anderson, Robert W. Anderson, S. N. Behrman, J. Edgar Hoover, George S. Kaufman, Charlotte Kesselring, Lawrence Langner, Howard Lindsay, Archibald MacLeish, Jo Mielziner, Sean O'Casey, Clifford Odets, Eugene and Carlotta Monterey O'Neill, John S. Service, Irwin Shaw, Robert G. Sherwood, Margaret Webster, Thornton Wilder, Tennessee Williams, Alexander Woollcott and Flo Ziegfeld, among others.

    Of important note in the correspondence is Atkinson's political and personal perspective on the House Un-American Activities hearings. His outspoken denunciation of McCarthy and the hearings elicited positive and negative correspondence from his reading public. Another interesting section of the correspondence are the letters from Sean O'Casey to Atkinson. This correspondence spans from the 1930's until O'Casey death and illuminates the family life of O'Casey, the political and religious response to O'Casey's plays in Great Britain and Ireland and O'Casey's opinions and thoughts on his life and his work.

  • Series II - AWARDS AND CITATIONS
    1917-1967
    1 linear foot. (1 box

    This series consists of Atkinson's diplomas, honorary degrees, awards, citations and membership certificates.

  • Series III - EPHEMERA
    1909-1962
    .1 linear feet. ( 13 folders

    This series consists of personal items including business cards printed by Atkinson when he was a child, testimonial dinner programs and a few business papers.

  • Series IV - SUBJECT FILES
    1950-1961; n.d.
    .15 linear feet. (13 folders

    This series contains articles and papers collected by Brooks Atkinson for his personal interest and reference. Of special note and interest in this series is information on the McCarthy era and blacklisting. Included is a copy of the newsletter Counterattack.

  • Series V - ARTICLES
    1917-1967
    .02 linear feet. (3 folders

    This series contains articles by and about Brooks Atkinson.

  • Series VI - REVIEWS AND CLIPPINGS
    1947-1973
    .1 linear feet. (7 folders

    This series contains reviews and clippings about books written by Brooks Atkinson. Included are Broadway,The Lively Years,Once Around the Sun,This Bright Land and Tuesdays and Fridays. Also included is the review for Oriana Atkinson's book Over at Uncle Joe's.

  • Series VII - WRITINGS
    1944-1950; n.d.
    .05 linear feet. (7 folders

    This series contains manuscript copies of writings by Brooks Atkinson and others. Other authors include Robert Crandell, Percy Hammond and Oliver M. Sayler.

  • Series VIII - EARLY PUBLICATIONS
    1904-1916
    .42 linear feet. (1 box

    This series contains copies of publications which Brooks Atkinson either wrote for or published during his youth. Included are copies of The Bay State Amateur, The Coagent, The Melrose Record, The Olympian, The Puritan, and The Watchout

  • Series IX - MANUSCRIPTS
    1944-1950
    .42 linear feet. (3 volumes

    This series consists of handwritten notebooks containing Atkinson's China diaries from his years in Asia during World War II, as well as drafts for Once Around the Sun.

  • Series X - SCRAPBOOK OF WRITINGS
    1907-1976
    3.54 linear feet. (14 volumes

    This series includes scrapbooks of clippings of articles and columns written by Brooks Atkinson throughout his career. The first volume of this series contains articles and reviews written by Atkinson in the beginning of his career. Later volumes contain articles from his years as theater critic and critic at large for the New York Times

  • Series XI - DATEBOOKS
    1945-1980
    2.09 linear feet. (18 volumes

    This series includes agenda books belonging to Brooks Atkinson and document his appointments. Often included in these volumes are phone lists and miscellaneous jottings.

Administrative information

Custodial history

The Brooks Atkinson papers were received by the Billy Rose Theatre Division in two separate donations. The papers and correspondence were received in 1967 and appraised by Laurence Gomme in 1968. An additional donation was made in 1982 at the request of his wife, Oriana Atkinson. This donation contained scrapbooks and datebooks documenting his career. The collection was reprocessed in 1993-1994.

Source of acquisition

Gift, Brooks Atkinson; Oriana Atkinson, 1968

Processing information

Processed by Mary Ellen Rogan.

Using the collection

Location

Billy Rose Theatre Division
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498
Third Floor

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish contact the Curator, Billy Rose Theatre Division.

Access restrictions

Photocopying prohibited.