Brander Matthews Dramatic Museum collection of documents relating to actors and theatrical managers, 1732-1995

A collection of letters, manuscripts, and documents of prominent actors, actresses, and theatrical managers. Many of these are single, unrelated items. The largest body of correspondence is from the American actress, Charlotte Cushman (14 letters). Another figure of major interest is William Charles Macready, partly because of Miss Cushman's relationship to him (she toured with him for several years) and also as there are several of his letters. Sir Henry Irving, Edwin Forrest and James Mowatt are each represented by a few letters. A group of 8 unsigned letters may have been written by the famous singer, actress, and manager, Eliza Vestris. One box contains manuscripts of Samuel Coit, Charlotte Cushman, Clyde Fitch, Wallace Gould, Henry von Heiseler, E.H. Sothern, and Lester Wallack. Six boxes contain Augustin Daly's check stubs and bank books for Daly's Theatre, New York, for 1872-1899. (For additional Augustin Daly business records, see description sheets for Daly's Theatre Collection, X810.128/D15& the Dramatic Library Collection shelf list).

GEOFFROY: 86 letters removed from the Charles Michel Geoffroy, NOUVELLE GALERIE DES ARTISTES DRAMATIQUES, which contains his engravings of theatrical personalities. 15 of these letters are to Lʹeon Monval, stage director of the Paris Gymnase Dramatique, 1832-1852, and were transferred to the Dram. Mus.\Monval Coll. This is a collection of letters, 1828-1892, from performers, authors, directors, and those seeking boxes for the evening's entertainment. Among these are Jacques Offenbach, Pauline Viardot, Delestre Poirson, Marguerite George, Mlle Person, Rachel Fʹelix, and Edouard Plouvier.

GILBERT: Misc. autographs and photographs collected by Anne J. Gilbert (Mrs George Henry).

IRELAND: 494 autograph letters, manuscripts, and documents concerning the New York and London theater world, 1750-1899, from Ireland's own collection, which were bound in William Hartman Woodin's extra-illustrated copy of Ireland's RECORDS OF THE NEW YORK STAGE. The other items bound in this set (portraits, original drawings, playbills, views of theaters and localities referred to) are still bound in the set (in the Dramatic Museum book collection).

MONVAL: 315 letters to Lʹeon Monval (see also GEOFFROY above).

MOORE: 8 letters & telegrams, along with photographs, clippings, programs, and other printed materials relating to the American operatic and film star, Grace Moore, collected by June Lord-Wood, an admirer and music student.