Collections : [Rare Book & Manuscript Library]

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).

The files of the literary agency include correspondence with authors, publishers, and other agents and deal with editing and publishing, serial rights, reprints, dramatic rights, translations and foreign rights, promotion, copyright registration, contracts, royalty statements, tax statements, and other financial materials, and the personal affairs of many clients. Among the cataloged correspondents are: Louis S. Auchincloss, Erskine Caldwell, Herbert Gold, Alberto Moravia, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Rebecca West.