This collection is located on-site.
This collection has no restrictions.
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.
Selected materials cataloged; remainder arranged.
Organized into five series: I. Ms Coll\Dram.Mus (25 boxes, 6 of which contain cataloged correspondence); II. Ms Coll\Dr.Mus.\Geoffroy (one box); III. Ms Coll\Dr.Mus.\Ireland (3 boxes); IV. Ms Coll\Dr.Mus.\Monval (2 boxes); V. Ms Coll\Dr.Mus.\Moore (one box). Alphabetical arrangement. Collection
You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.
This collection is located on-site.
This collection has no restrictions.
Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.
The collections stemming from and relating to the Brander Matthews Dramatic Museum are described and grouped under various collection names. The Brander Matthews Papers, 1827-1967 (MS#0854) also includes a number of separately cataloged items, such as bound volumes of correspondence with Theodore Roosevelt The Brander Matthews Dramatic Museum records, 1910-1971 (MS#0364) are the business records of the Dramatic Museum itself. The Brander Matthews Dramatic Museum collection of documents relating to actors and theatrical managers, 1732-1995 (MS#0365) (this collection) is collection of letters, manuscripts, and documents of prominent actors, actresses, and theatrical managers. It consists largely of single, unrelated items. The Brander Matthews Dramatic Museum collection of theatrical business records, 1864-1911 (MS#0363) includes box office receipts, salaries, stage properties, and expenses, for American and English theaters and two American booking agents. The Brander Matthews Dramatic Museum Ephemera, 1750-1970 (MS#0366) contains a variety of formats 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 and includes prints, photographs, pamphlets, clippings, playbills, and programs. This collection is divided into seven units: portrait file, subject file, program file, playbill file, scrapbooks, posters and lantern slides. The Dramatic Museum Realia, 1700-1966 (MS#0253) contains 391 puppets, 128 masks, and 30 stage models; Art and Theatrical Machinery are also part of this collection. The Speech Recordings records, 1925-1965 (MS#1182) contain sound recordings divided into four subunits--Speech Recordings Collection, Speech Laboratory Archives, Tape Recordings Collection, American Speech Recordings Collection . The Edward B. Wisely music tape recordings, 1875-1940 (MS#1364) Tape recordings of American, English, and Irish music hall and vaudeville stars. 1875-1940. 15 items. Individually cataloged books and codex manuscripts that form the Brander Matthews Dramatic Library
Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.
Deposit by the Museum, 1956.
Gift of W.H.W. Sabine, 1990.
Gift of June Lord-Wood, 1991.
Gift of William Asadorian, 1992.
Source of acquisition--the Museum. Method of acquisition--Deposited; Accession number--M-1956.
Letters & printed misc. re. Grace Moore: Source of acquisition--Lord-Wood, June. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--08/16/1991. Accession number--M-91-08-16.
Schott vs. Prestige lawsuit papers: Source of acquisition--Asadorian, William. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--06/26/1992. Accession number--M-92-06-26.
Engraving of C. Unger, inscribed: Source of acquisition--Sabine, W.H.W. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--07/06/1990. Accession number--M-90-07-06.
letter from Julie Harris: Source of acquisition--Ashton, Jean. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--06/--/1995. Accession number--M-95-06.
32 Noel Coward Letters: Source of acquisition--Schimmel, Herbert D. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--02/11/1998. Accession number--M-98-02-11.
7 H. Granville-Barker letters: Source of acquisition--6003B. Method of acquisition--Purchase; Date of acquisition--01/21/1998. Accession number--M-98-01-21.
Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Processed JLW 02/--/1988.
Letters & printed misc. re. Grace Moore Processed HR 12/19/1991.
Schott vs. Prestige lawsuit papers Cataloged HR 12/03/1992.
Engraving of C. Unger, inscribed Cataloged HR 07/20/1994.
letter from Julie Harris Cataloged HR 10/12/1998.
32 Noel Coward Letters Cataloged HR 07/14/2000.
7 H. Granville-Barker letters Cataloged HR 07/20/2000.
Columbia University's Brander Matthews Dramatic Museum, 1910-1971, collected materials of a theatrical interest.
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