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Creator
Fielding, Edward, 1875-1945
Call number
*T-Mss 1996-056
Physical description
4.67 linear feet (4 boxes, 4 volumes, 2 oversized folders)
Preferred Citation

Edward Fielding and Elizabeth Sherman Clark papers, *T-Mss 1996-056. Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library.

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

Edward Fielding (1875-1945) was an actor in theater and film. Fielding's wife, Elizabeth Sherman Clark (1883-1959) was an opera singer. The Edward Fielding and Elizabeth Sherman Clark papers date from 1876 to 1975 and document their careers through photographs, posters, programs, and scrapbooks.

Biographical/historical information

Edward Fielding (1875-1945), born Edward B. Elkins in Brooklyn, New York, was an actor in theater and film. He made his theater debut in the United Kingdom, but also worked in New York and Los Angeles throughout his career. Fielding performed in numerous plays, and was known for his work in Alfred Hitchcock films such as Rebecca (1940). Fielding died in Beverly Hills, California in 1945.

Elizabeth Sherman Clark (1883-1959) was a concert, oratorio, and recital singer. She was a regular member of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. She appeared in standard repertoires until she toured as a concert singer in cities such as New York City, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh.

In 1913, Fielding married Elizabeth Sherman Clark. Fielding and Clark had one child, Lisabeth Fielding Elkins (1923-1996), who acted professionally under the name of Lisabeth Field.

Scope and arrangement

The Edward Fielding and Elizabeth Sherman Clark papers date from 1876 to 1975 (bulk dates 1910-1920) and document Fielding's career as an actor and Clark's career as an opera singer. The papers are comprised of photographs, posters, programs, and scrapbooks.

The bulk of the collection is related to Edward Fielding. The programs span his entire career, and showcase the breadth of his work in theater. The posters, such as one for the play Sapho (1903), document the beginning of Fielding's theater work in the United Kingdom. The photographs demonstrate Fielding's acting range through stage and still photography from various theater and film productions. The majority of the photographs are not labeled. The scrapbooks primarily contain correspondence and clippings of reviews. There are many clippings related to his performances in Sapho (1903) and Rebecca (1940). Some of the programs and posters are not related to Fielding, but were possibly materials he collected.

Elizabeth Sherman Clark's operatic performances, recitals, and concerts are documented through photographs and scrapbooks. One of the scrapbooks was created by her daughter, Lisabeth Field, who wrote a few annotations and selected photographs, postcards, correspondence, programs, and reviews that recounted milestones in Clark's career.

The collection includes a few materials related to Lisabeth Field, such as programs from productions she participated in or shows she attended.

Arrangement

The collection is separated by individual and organized by file type: photographs, posters, programs, and scrapbooks. A few of the scrapbooks were dismantled; loose material from the scrapbooks was housed separately.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Donated by William C. McMaster, 1996.

Processing information

Compiled by Joyce Joseph, 2014.

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

The author/creator retains copyright of materials. For information on obtaining permission to publish, contact the Theatre Division at theatre@nypl.org.