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Creator
Appleton, William W., 1915-2014
Call number
*T-Mss 2001-065
Physical description
2.25 linear feet (8 boxes)
Preferred Citation

William Appleton Collection of Theatrical Correspondence and Ephemera, *T-Mss 2001-065, 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
Portions of this collection have been digitized and are available online.

The William Appleton collection consists of letters, handwritten manuscripts, "penny plains" and "two-pence coloured" materials, which were small portraits of actors created for the toy theater trade, a once-popular form of home entertainment. The collection encompasses the late 17th century up through the mid-20th century, although the bulk of the material falls between the mid-18th century and the mid-19th century. The oldest item is a letter from actress Elizabeth Barry to a Lady Lisbourn, dated October 25, 1697. The latest item is a letter from playwright George Bernard Shaw to a J. T. Grien, dated November 28, 1930. The collection contains many letters from prominent theatrical figures, primarily of the English stage, including Ira Aldridge, Dion Boucicault, Edward Gordon Craig, David Garrick, Sir Henry Irving, Edmund Kean, William Charles Macready, Bernard Shaw, Sarah Siddons, Dame Ellen Terry, and others. Also included are black and white portraits known as "penny plains," and color portraits known as "two-pence coloured," depicting actors and actresses of the day in their best known roles. These images were intended for home use in puppet theater-type settings, and most date from the early to mid-1800s, though some date as far back as 1799.

Biographical/historical information

William Appleton, collector, was born in New York on December 31, 1915. He graduated with a BA from Harvard University in 1938 and continued his education in New York City, receiving his Masters from Columbia University in 1939 and a Ph.D in 1949. He taught at Columbia from the 1940s until the late 1970s and was appointed Professor Emeritus in 1976.

William Appleton is a theater scholar. He has both written and edited works on theater, primarily English theater of the 18th and 19th centuries. His writings include A Cycle of Cathay (1951), Beaumont and Fletcher: a Critical Study (1956), Charles Macklin : An Actor's Life (1960) and Madame Vestris and the London Stage (1974). Works he has edited include The Careless Husband (1966), The Prompter: a Theatrical Paper (1734-1736) (1966) and Letters to Dorothy (1988).

Scope and arrangement

The William Appleton collection consists of letters, handwritten manuscripts, penny-plains and two-pence coloured toy theater materials. The collection encompasses the late 17th century up through the 20th century. The oldest item in the collection is a letter from the actress, Elizabeth Barry to a Lady Lisbourn dated October 25, 1697. The most recent item is a letter from the playwright, George Bernard Shaw to a J.T. Grein dated November 28, 1930. The bulk of the letters fall between the mid-18th century to the mid-19th century.

The collection contains many interesting letters from theatrical personages, primarily of the English stage. Some notables include Ira Aldridge, Mrs. Ann Barry, Dion Boucicault, George Colman, T. P. Cooke, Edward Gordon Craig, Maria Foote, David Garrick, Joseph Grimaldi, Sir Henry Irving, Charles Kean, Edmund Kean, Ellen Kean, Charles Kemble, John Philip Kemble, Charles Macklin, William Charles Macready, Lord North, Sir Arthur Wing Pinero, Jane Pope, Bernard Shaw, Sarah Siddons, Dame Ellen Terry and Madame Vestris, among others.

Also included are black and white and color portraits, known as "penny plains" and "two-pence coloured" showing the actors and actresses of the day in their well-known roles. Most of these images date from the early to mid 1800s though there are some as early as 1799.

The Collection of theatrical correspondence and ephemera is arranged in two series:

  • Series I: Letters
    1697-1930
    1.5 linear feet (5 boxes)

    This series contains letters and other manuscripts documenting the theater from the late 17th century to the mid 20th century. Included as well are transcriptions of all the letters and most of the other documents. Correspondents include Mrs. Abington, Ira Aldridge, John Astley, Dion Boucicault, David Garrick, members of the Kemble and Kean families, Charles Macklin, William Charles Macready, Lord North, Jane Pope, Henry and Sarah Siddons, Bernard Shaw, Dame Ellen Terry and Madame Vestris. Included as well are other types of manuscripts such as an epilogue, contracts, some biographical notes, regulations for the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, a commentary by William Farren, a ballad called Jack Harding as well as a copy of a Folger manuscript on the same topic, some ephemera belonging to Edmund Kean, notes and scenic directions by John Philip Kemble, notes by Charles Macklin on the trial for the "Macbeth" riots, a theater notice by Charles Reed and a Drury Lane tailor voucher.

  • Series II: Portraits.

    This series consists of black and white and color theatrical sheets, known as penny plains and two-pence coloured, documenting the actors and plays of the early to mid 19th century. Some of the imprints on the toy theater sheets include the printers West, Hodgson, B. M. DeBurson, J. Fairburn, J. Redington and B. Pollock. Almost all of the images are portraits of actors in various roles, although there are a few sheets of production sets and prop pieces.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

The William Appleton collection was donated by William Appleton in October 2001. The materials were collected by Mr. Appleton throughout his life.

Processing information

Processed by Mary Ellen Rogan.

The collection was processed and cataloged in 2001. Surrogate copies were created for all materials in the Letters series. Transcriptions are included for almost every item in this series.

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

Correspondence can only be viewed through photocopies. Transcriptions included. Photocopying prohibited.