Collections : [Rare Book & Manuscript Library]

Playscripts, notes, caricatures, rehearsal lists, playbills, a flyer, and newspaper reviews and clippings for THE CRUCIBLE by Arthur Miller. THE CRUCIBLE, a drama about the Salem witch trials of 1692, was first produced in Wilmington in January 1953 and opened in New York in June 1953. The playscripts show the working notes of Arthur Miller and of Jed Harris, the director.

Correspondence, manuscripts, diaries, commonplace books, drawings, photographs, and printed materials. The collection is a comprehensive documentation of the dramatist's career and includes manuscripts, typescripts, notes, and costume and scenic design for more than seventy of his plays and related writings; 31 diaries, commonplace books, and scrapbooks containing manuscript and typescript notes, travel sketches, original drawings, and photographs; and correspondence files including letters from Harley Granville-Barker, Sir Herbert Beerbohm-Tree, John Galsworthy, Booth Tarkington, and Thornton Wilder. Austin Strong's mother, Isobel Field, was the step-daughter of Robert Louis Stevenson. Consequently, the collection contains much Stevensoniana, including photographs and Isobel Field's letters from Western Samoa, where she was known as "Teuila." Also, correspondence and photographs relating to Cornwall Park, Auckland, New Zealand, which was designed by Austin Strong.

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).

A collection of prints, photographs, pamphlets, clippings, playbills, and programs dealing with the theater, chiefly American and English, in all its aspects including drama, opera, dance, movies, puppets, and spectacles. The majority of the material documents the 19th century.

Office files consisting of correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other documents relating to the operation of the Museum. Included are numerous biographical and topical folders on the theatrical subjects such as David Belasco, Costumes, French stage models, Helen Hayes, etc. Masks and Puppets account for 29 folders.

A collection of letters, engravings, prints, portraits, caricatures, other illustrations, and printed materials relating to Charles Dickens. Among the letters is an autograph letter by Dickens and copies of several Dickens letters to the publishers Lea & Blanchard. Many of the illustrations are portraits of Dickens while others are illustrations for his novels and stories, including numerous illustrations of scenes from dramatic versions of his works as well as some playbills for these productions.

Correspondence, scripts, scores, set designs, prompt books, scrapbooks, costume designs, programs, playbills, broadsides, clippings, fliers, photographs, announcements of forthcoming productions, clippings, and related materials. Columbia University theatrical groups include The Columbia Laboratory Players, The Columbia College Dramatic Group, The Wigs and Cues, The Summer Session Classes in Play Production, The Morningside Players, and the Columbia Theatre Associates which superseded all the preceding groups. There is an extensive file on the Columbia Laboratory Players; including production files that document the various stages involved in putting together a dramatic production. In addition there are typewritten scripts representing the spectrum of plays that were produced over the Lab's active years. There are photographs of only a few specific plays. Non Lab materials relate to Rehersal Course productions, a Columbia English Department course that was closely affiliated with the Lab players

A collection of letters addressed to Russell Potter, Director of the Institute of Arts & Sciences, relating to speaking engagerents and conferences. The correspondence, dated 1930-1945, includes letters from Gertrude Stein, Robert Frost, Edna Ferber, Al Smith, Henry Wallace, Anthony Eden, and Harold Laski. Some of the letters are of a personal nature.

Correspondence of St. Cyr with many well-known theatrical personalities. The bulk of the correspondence is from Tommaso Salvini (1829-1916), the Italian playwright, and consists of 118 letters. There are manuscripts of several interviews and essays intended for magazine publication, and her translations of two plays by Roberto Bracco. There are also many contracts and documents relating to translation rights and the production of her plays; a group of 81 autographs collected by St. Cyr; and three boxes of published plays, chiefly Italian, signed by Dircé St. Cyr. Many of the plays are by Roberto Bracco who signed and inscribed them to St. Cyr. There is one scrapbook of theatrical memorabilia, programs, playbills, and related clippings.