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Creator
Wilstach, Frank Jenners, 1865-1933
Call number
*T-Mss 1934-001
Physical description
.75 lin. ft. (2 boxes and 1 vol.)
Preferred Citation

Frank Jenners Wilstach Papers on Sothern and Marlowe, *T-Mss 1934-001, 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
Portions of this collection have been digitized and are available online.

Correspondence and press releases of Frank J. Wilstach document his promotion of the acting careers of Sothern and Marlowe.

Biographical/historical information

Frank Jeffords Wilstach (1865-1933), American theatrical manager and press agent, was the press representative for Sothern and Marlowe. Born in Indiana, he was the author of The Dictionary of Similes, 1916 and wrote a book and articles about Wild Bill Hickok.

E. H. Sothern (1859-1933), one of the great Shakespearean actors of his day, was born in New Orleans, educated in England and made his New York debut in 1879. The pinnacle of his career was perhaps his Romeo and Juliet with his second wife, Julia Marlowe. He continued to act after she retired in 1924. His first wife was Virginia Harned.

Julia Marlowe (1865-1950), leading American actress in the early 20th century, was born Sarah Frances Frost in England but came to the United States at the age of four. She first appeared as a child under the name Fanny Brough in HMS Pinafore in 1878 and made her New York debut in 1887. She had a long career as a leading actress in Shakespeare and comedies and toured with her husband E. H. Sothern whom she married in 1904. She retired from the stage in 1915, but made a comeback before retiring again in 1924.

Scope and arrangement

Collection consists of correspondence, mostly letters by Sothern to Wilstach, press releases by Wilstach on Sothern and Marlowe, articles and drafts by Sothern or Marlowe and clippings about them. The collection sheds light on the acting careers of the husband and wife team of Sothern and Marlowe and documents the work of their press agent, Frank J. Wilstach.

The Frank Wilstach papers on Sothern and Marlowe is arranged in three series:

  • Series I. Correspondence
    1911-1933 and n.d.
    13 folders

    The bulk of this series is letters by Sothern to Wilstach in his role of manager and press agent for Sothern & Marlowe. The letters, which shed light on the theatrical careers of Sothern & Marlowe, are numerous though a little hard to decipher. There are also a few letters by Marlowe to Wilstach.

  • Series II. Writings
    1913 and n.d.
    11 folders and 1 volume

    Consists of typescript press releases on Sothern & Marlowe by Wilstach concerning their theatrical touring, drafts of articles and other writings by Sothern and by Marlowe, a press release on Sothern by Townsend Walsh, some miscellaneous notes and fragments, and a volume bound by the Library many years ago of publicity for Sothern & Marlowe.

  • Series III. Printed material
    1900-1922 and n.d.
    9 folders

    Consists of articles by Julia Marlowe published in newspapers and magazines, articles about her or about E. H. Sothern or Shakespeare, clippings on Sothern and Marlowe, and a clipping on Frank J. Wilstach.

Administrative information

Custodial history

Papers were found in the Library's Cage Files. The Manuscripts Division of the New York Public Library also holds some papers of Frank J. Wilstach received from his estate in 1934. The papers pertaining to Sothern & Marlowe probably arrived then and were transferred to the Theatre Collection at a later date.

Processing information

Processed by Elisabeth Elkind.

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.