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Start Over Repository University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts Online Content Not Available Subject Theater

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Adelaide B. Snyder director's copy of The Beautiful People by William Saroyan, after 1941 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.2 linear feet (1 box)
Abstract:
Adelaide B. Snyder (1881-1962) was a director and producer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who worked most notably at the Little Theatre of Philadelphia, now known as the Plays and Players Theatre. This collection contains her director's copy of The Beautiful People, a play written by William Saroyan and published in 1941. This copy is heavily annotated and includes extensive stage directions and other director's notes.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Thompson Westcott scrapbooks of Charles Durang's history of Philadelphia theater between the years 1749 and 1855, 1868 (inclusive)

Extent:
2 linear feet (6 volumes)
Abstract:
A native of Philadelphia, Thompson Westcott (1820-1888) was one of the city's leading journalists and historians of his generation. Westcott's scrapbooks consist of the complete series of the 267 chapters of Charles Durang's history of theater in Philadelphia between the years 1749 and 1855, published as weekly installments in the Sunday Dispatch from 1854 to 1863. Including page numbers, indexes, and lists of illustrations, the six volumes (available to be viewed online) are interleaved with images of theaters and portraits of famous actors and artists, as well as with personal correspondence, playbills, and additional clippings on theatrical subject.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Hedgerow Theatre Company records, 1901-2016 (inclusive)

Extent:
59.5 linear feet (67 boxes)
Abstract:
The Hedgerow Theatre Company was established in 1923 by Jasper Deeter, a New York based actor and director. Located in the Rose Valley Arts and Crafts Community of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Hedgerow holds the distinction as the longest serving Repertory Theatre in America. The Hedgerow Theatre Company records contains a wide variety of materials, from business records and show materials to member ephemera and photographs. The collection provides both a practical and intimate look into the workings of this repertory theatre.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Clyde Fitch typescripts and letters, circa 1890-1925 (inclusive)

Extent:
1 linear_foot (2 boxes)
Abstract:
William Clyde Fitch (better known as Clyde Fitch, 1865-1909) is considered one of the most successful American playwrights of his time, and the first to be produced abroad on a regular basis. This collection consists of typescripts of ten unpublished plays and four autograph letters written by Fitch.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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H. H. Furness Memorial Library manuscript collection, 1575-1991 (inclusive) 1812-1930 (bulk)

Extent:
10 linear feet (20 boxes and one oversized folder)
Abstract:
The H.H. Furness Memorial Library focuses on the study of Shakespeare and other Tudor and Stuart dramatists. Horace Howard Furness (1833-1912) and his son Horace Howard Furness Jr. (1865-1930) founded and edited the Variorum Shakespeare and their library was donated to the University of Pennsylvania in 1932. This collection contains personal correspondence to and from Rev. William Henry Furness (1802-1896), Horace Howard Furness, and Horace Howard Furness, Jr., largely relating to Shakespearean study and the H.H. Furness Memorial library; notebooks; copies of speeches and articles; and other assorted items relating to Shakespearean scholarship or to the Furness family.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Margaret McHenry papers, 1930-1948 (inclusive)

Extent:
2 linear feet (6 boxes)
Abstract:
Margaret McHenry earned her doctorate in English from the University of Pennsylvania in 1931. Her dissertation was titled "The Ulster Theatre in Ireland." Following her graduation, she taught English at Roxborough High School in Philadelphia and continued to write. This collection contains writings by Margaret McHenry, including "The Ulster Theatre in Ireland;" poetry; a biography of S. Weir Mitchell; and "A Booklover's Britain," later "England in English." For the most part, each of her works is represented by a nearly finished copy; and in some cases, with drafts and notes.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Robert L. Sherman collection of plays, 1853-1920 (inclusive)

Extent:
3 linear feet (8 boxes)
Abstract:
Robert L. Sherman, born in 1866, was a playwright and a theater manager. A prolific author, he began writing plays for Alexander Byers and the Chicago Manuscript Company, a printing business that sold and rented play scripts to theater companies in the United States from 1895 until 1922. Alexander Byers acquired most of the plays he published by pirating them. This collection consists of 139 mimeograph versions of play scripts which were part of the inventory of the Chicago Manuscript Company.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Joseph E. Gillet collection, 1909-1956 (inclusive)

Extent:
1.6 linear feet (4 boxes)
Abstract:
Joseph E. Gillet (1888-1958), a native of Belgium, was a professor of Spanish at Bryn Mawr College. He directed doctoral dissertations both at Bryn Mawr College and at the University of Pennsylvania, and he achieved several critical editions recognized in the academic world. His papers include photostats, transcripts and translations of Spanish texts, correspondence with his colleagues and libraries in America and Europe, clippings of journals mentioning his publications, and handwritten research notes.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Kathryn Hansen collection of Nautanki chapbooks, circa 1936-2001 (bulk: 1977-1982) (inclusive)

Extent:
5.4 linear feet (6 boxes)
Abstract:
Kathryn Hansen is a professor emerita in the Department of Asian studies at the University of Texas at Austin who specializes in South Asian languages and literatures (Hindi, Urdu, and Sanskrit); literary, cultural, and historical studies of South Asia; folk and classical performance of music and dance; history of theatrical practices in North India; early Indian film history; gender studies and feminist theory; and diaspora and ethnicity studies. This collection is comprised of chapbooks, studies and anthologies, and recordings related to Indian folk dramas and tales.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Hide and seek, or natural magic: a farce, 1846 (inclusive)

Extent:
1 volume
Abstract:
Paper volume containing a comedic, one-act play entitled Hide and Seek, or Natural Magic: a Farce written by John Baldwin Buckstone dated 1846.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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M. Alice Mason commonplace book, circa 1897 (inclusive)

Extent:
1 volume
Abstract:
A volume comprising excerpts from works regarding exercises of the body to enhance stage performance, acting, expression, and elocution. M. Alice Mason probably compiled the items in the volume around 1890.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Aaron M. Myers papers, 1916-1942 (inclusive) 1935-1936 (bulk)

Extent:
0.9 linear feet (3 boxes)
Abstract:
A collection of photographs from Dr. Aaron M. Myers' travels in England and Scotland in 1935 to 1936, as well as assorted playbills, tickets, newspaper clippings of theatrical reviews, and other ephemera of the 1930s theatre scene in England and Philadelphia.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Laurie Wagman collection of theater arts in education, 1989-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:
4.5 linear feet (6 boxes) and 1.7 gigabytes
Abstract:
Laurie Wagman is a Philadelphia native and founder of the American Family Theater (TAFY), which has become one of the predominant children's theater organizations in the United States, helping to bring an educational arts experience to vast audiences. This collection shows Wagman's body of work, mainly through the many productions of the American Family Theater.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Mark Chiacchiere collection of Savoy Company records, 1982-2012 (inclusive) 1998-2005 (bulk)

Extent:
3.4 linear feet ((4 boxes))
Abstract:
The Savoy Company is the oldest amateur theater company dedicated to the production of the works of Gilbert and Sullivan. The donor, Mark Chiacchiere, Esq. served a member of the Savoy company and has held the offices of Treasurer and President. This collection contains materials dating from the years 1982-2012 (bulk 1998-2005) pertaining mostly to matters of finances, performance and rehearsal locations, meetings, productions, social events, and other related functions.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Henrietta Pfaelzer theater and music scrapbook, 1892-1896 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.08 linear feet (1 volume)
Abstract:
Henrietta Pfaelzer (1878-1974) was a Philadelphian who married Horace Stern, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania from 1952 to 1956. This scrapbook, which pre-dates her marriage, dates from 1892 to 1896 and includes playbills, photographs of actors, and newspaper clippings about theater in Philadelphia.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Alfred Hermann Gumaer theater and music scrapbooks, 1877-1937 (inclusive)

Extent:
3 linear feet (11 boxes)
Abstract:
Alfred Hermann Gumaer (1873-1945) was a professor of architectural history at the School of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania. He had a lifelong interest in theater and music and collected performance programs and playbills from a 60 year period and compiled them into scrapbooks.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Joseph Francis Ambrose Jackson scrapbook on theatrical subjects, 1857, 1886-1902 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.5 linear feet (2 boxes)
Abstract:
Joseph Francis Ambrose Jackson (1867-1946) was a historian, lecturer, artist, journalist, and writer active in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This scrapbook contains newspaper clippings on theatrical subjects, dating from 1886 to 1902, and includes reviews, interviews, short biographies, and articles relating to the history of American theater.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Luber collection of Japan Group II material, 1980-2011 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.5 linear_foot ((1 box))
Abstract:
Gilbert Luber (1918-1999) and his wife Shirley Luber collected and sold traditional and contemporary Japanese prints at the Gilbert Luber Gallery in Philadelphia from 1980 to 2000. They also founded and ran the Japan Group II, an interest group relating to the arts and culture of Japan. This collection documents the administration of the Japan Group II and includes records relating to event planning, financial planning, group chronology, legal records, meeting minutes, member obituaries, membership lists, newsletters, notices and group correspondence, and photographs.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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"Theatricals in Philadelphia" scrapbooks, 1838-1936 (inclusive) 1838-1897 (bulk)

Extent:
6 linear feet (22 volumes)
Abstract:
The "Theatricals in Philadelphia" scrapbooks consists of a set of 15 scrapbooks on theatrical subjects and contains programs, playbills, newspaper clippings, images, and portraits of artists of the stage, dating from the second half of the 19th century. These materials mostly relate to theaters and other performing venues located in Philadelphia, although there are also some items from New York, Boston, and other U.S. cities. Because of its extent (about 3,500 pages), its chronological and geographical focus, the richness of its materials, and the breadth of theatrical genres covered in the scrapbooks, this collection represents a unique and invaluable resource for anyone interested in the theatrical and cultural history of Philadelphia in the second half of the 19th century.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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David Belasco play scripts, 1887-1912 (inclusive)

Extent:
1 linear_foot (1 box)
Abstract:
This collection contains twelve bound volumes, each containing a typescript of a single play authored, co-authored, or in one case adapted by David Belasco (1853-1931), the influential American theater impresario, producer, and playwright.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Philip H. Ward collection of theatrical images, 1859-1910 (inclusive)

Extent:
3.5 linear feet (15 volumes)
Abstract:
Philip Henry Ward, Jr. was an electrical engineer who collected photographs and autographs of actors and actresses, as well as stamps and coins. This collection consists of photographs, drawings, and engravings of more than 100 identified actors, actresses, and other performing artists. The actors and actresses include names such as Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923), Joseph Jefferson (1829-1905), Adelina Patti (1843-1919), Ada Rehan (1857-1916), and Ellen Terry (1847-1928). Photographers include Aimé Dupont (1841-1900), Nadar (1820-1910), Napoleon Sarony (1821-1926), and W. & D. Downey, to name only a few. These images are available online.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Furness family papers, 1765-1937 (inclusive)

Extent:
49 boxes
Abstract:
Family records, personal records, and materials related to the publication of the New Variorum editions of Shakespearean texts. The collection includes the work of Furness and his son, as writers, editors, and collectors, but it also includes personal materials related to their non-scholarly interests. Family members include: Horace Howard Furness (1833-1912), Horace Howard Furness (1865-1930), Helen Kate Furness, William Henry Furness, and Louise Brooks Winsor Furness.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Arthur Henry papers, 1893-1936 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.4 linear_foot (1 box)
Abstract:
Arthur Henry (1867-1934) was an author and a playwright who enjoyed a close friendship with Theodore Dreiser. This collection includes one of Henry's marriage licenses; a draft typescript of The Night Before, a play he co-wrote with his daughter, Dorothy Henry Van Auken; and two typescripts of his semi-autobiographical novel, "Roger Allen."

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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William Meredith collection of Philadelphia theatrical commentaries, 1852-1857 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.6 linear feet (2 boxes)
Abstract:
The William Meredith collection of Philadelphia theatrical commentaries dates from December 1852 to January 1957 and contains 119 longhand commentaries on theatrical performances written either by William Morris Meredith (1799-1873), a Philadelphia lawyer and politician, or his son, William Keppele Meredith.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Wyn Ritchie Evans papers, 1900-2003 (inclusive)

Extent:
14 boxes
Abstract:
The Wyn Ritchie Evans papers include correspondence, writings, photographs, and personal papers that shed light on her connection to the arts scene and to Herman Sachs, her endeavors as a professional writer, and her life with Ray Evans.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Savoy Company records, 1901-2017 (inclusive)

Extent:
226.2 linear feet (327 boxes)
Abstract:
The Savoy Company is the oldest amateur theater company dedicated to the production of the works of Gilbert and Sullivan. The collection contains administrative material, programs, musical and vocal scores, scrapbooks, audio-visual material and photographs which document its annual performance.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Mark Sfirri collection of Hedgerow Theatre Company posters, 1948-1959, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
0.1 linear_foot (2 oversized folders)
Abstract:
The Hedgerow Theatre Company was established in 1923 by Jasper Deeter, a New York based actor and director. Located in the Rose Valley Arts and Crafts Community of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Hedgerow Theatre was considered a haven for cutting edge artists of the early 20th century. This collection consists of ten posters advertising Hedgerow Theatre Company's seasons and repertory, dating from the 1940s to the 1950s.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Louis Lippa papers, 1953-2017 (inclusive)

Extent:
14.5 linear feet (16 boxes)
Abstract:
Louis Lippa (1928-2018) was an American playwright, actor, theater director, and teacher of the dramatic arts. An experimental and prolific playwright, he was influenced by the dramatic theories of Bertolt Brecht and concerned with political, historical, and social issues. This collection contains material produced and collected by Lippa, primarily but not exclusively related to his work as a playwright-in-residence at the People's Light and Theatre Company in Malvern, PA.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Daisy Kennedy Drinkwater scrapbook of John Drinkwater's Shakespearean performances, 1933-1934 (inclusive)

Extent:
.33 linear feet (1 box)
Abstract:
John Drinkwater (1882-1937) was an English poet, dramatist, and actor. This collection consists of a scrapbook of material relating to John Drinkwater's performances in three Shakespeare plays at the Open-Air Theatre in Regent's Park during the Theatres first and second seasons (1933 and 1934). It appears that the scrapbook was created by Drinkwater's wife, Daisy Fowler Kennedy Drinkwater. The plays documented include: The Tempest, As You Like It, and Twelfth Night.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Joel Howard Reber correspondence, 1900-1939 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.2 linear feet (1 box)
Abstract:
Joel Howard Reber (born 1870) was a Philadelphia attorney, who served as president of the Plays and Players Club of Philadelphia and was involved with the Art Alliance and the Drama Guild. This collection consists of letters written to Reber from friends and acquaintances, many of them actors, producers, designers or otherwise involved in theater. Many of the letters refer to gifts and cards sent by Reber, and several of them refer to parties given by Reber and his wife.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Edgar L. Potts dissertation and research on Philadelphia theater, 1932 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.4 linear feet (1 box)
Abstract:
Edgar L. Potts (1893-1970) was a professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania and a theater enthusiast. During his graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania, he wrote his thesis, "History of Philadelphia Theatre, 1890-1900." This collection documents his research for and writing of his dissertation and contains two typed drafts of the dissertation and his research into the chronological listing of plays performed in Philadelphia in the year 1890.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Bartholomew family theatrical scrapbooks, 1852-1948 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.6 linear feet (2 boxes)
Abstract:
The Bartholomew family scrapbook collection consists of five volumes compiled by Ethel C. Bartholomew (born 1889), William H. Bartholomew (born 1832), and Sallie Apt Bartholomew (1863-1934). These scrapbooks document the theatrical careers of the Bartholomews from the early 1870s to the late 1940s and include photographs of the Bartholomew family and unnamed people, notices and reviews of performances, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and notes.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Felix E. Schelling papers, 1856-1945 (inclusive)

Extent:
7.25 linear feet (13 boxes)
Abstract:
Felix E. Schelling (1858-1945) was a professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania, an expert on Shakespeare, and an author of scholarly works on Shakespeare and Elizabethan literature. This collection documents Schelling's life as a student, a professor, a scholar, and an author. It also documents the University of Pennsylvania through the eyes of an individual who was a student and a faculty member over a period of more than fifty years.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Actors' role books, [1870]-1878, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
0.4 linear feet (1 box)
Abstract:
This collection of about sixty handwritten actors' role books (1870-1878, undated) provides a glimpse into the world of nineteenth century theater in the United States. The role books seem to have belonged to the actor Philip Augustus Anderson though some were copied by, or on behalf of, other performers of the day including Lotta Crabtree, Laura Keene, Annie Lewis, John Lester Wallack, John Edward McCullough, Joseph Proctor and Lucille Western. Nearly all of the role books are annotated with production notes.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Emma Josephine Brazier theater and opera scrapbooks, 1858-1918 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.75 linear feet (3 boxes)
Abstract:
Emma Josephine Brazier (1867-1953) was a Philadelphian who followed the theater and opera scene. Her scrapbooks consist of three volumes that contain playbills, theater and opera advertisements, and actors' photographs and cards from 19th centuryand early 20th century in Philadelphia and New York City.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Charles Zuber papers on the history of theater in Cincinnati, circa 1937 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.5 linear feet (1 box)
Abstract:
Charles Zuber (1872-1938) was a sports writer for the Cincinnati Times-Star from 1895 to 1910 who intended to write a definitive history of early Cincinnati theater events. This collection includes a heavily annotated typescript draft of his articles on the history of theater in Cincinnati; notes from his research on the topic; and a more polished typescript, possibly a finished version designed to become a complete history.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Richard Wilson McCredy scrapbook of Philadelphia and New York City playbills, 1869-1906 (inclusive) 1869-1905 (bulk)

Extent:
0.2 linear_foot (1 volume)
Abstract:
The son of Thomas McCredy and Emma Dolores Wilson, Richard Wilson McCredy (1854-1924) was an iron merchant and alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania (Class of 1874). A gift by McCredy, this scrapbook consists of a collection of about 750 playbills and programs from Philadelphia and New York City, arranged in chronological order and pasted onto a volume of more than 200 pages.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Carolina Playmakers collection of playbills and programs, 1918-1953 (inclusive)

Extent:
1 linear_foot (4 boxes)
Abstract:
The Carolina Playmakers was the theatrical company in residence at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, from 1918 to 1976, when it was succeeded by the PlayMakers Repertory Company. Although they often staged classic and contemporary plays, the Playmakers specialized in the writing and production of folk plays, a dramatic genre "concerned… with the legends, superstitions, customs, environmental differences, and the vernacular of the common people." The Carolina Playmakers collection of playbills and programs consists of about 350 items documenting the theatrical activities organized or sponsored by the Playmakers, Frederick H. Koch, and, more generally, the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, between 1918 and 1953.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Eddie Cass collection of traditional drama material, circa 1990-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:
2.8 linear feet (4 boxes)
Abstract:
Eddie Cass (1937-2017), was a British scholar whose studies encompassed many disciplines, but focused particularly on social history, folklore and traditional drama, especially mummers' plays. This collection contains twenty-two bound volumes of photocopies of articles, periodicals, play scripts, and manuscript essays, relating to all aspects of traditional drama.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Anne Sandwith Drinker scrapbook, 1934-1937 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.4 linear feet (1 box)
Abstract:
This collection consists of a scrapbook compiled by Anne "Nancy" Sandwith Drinker (1918-1973), a teenager from a prominent family, and dates from 1934 to 1937. The bulk of materials included are: 1) Theater programs for plays, ballets, and concerts that Drinker attended in Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia, along with magazine and newspaper clippings relating to those events; and 2) Personal correspondence with friends and family. To a more limited extent, this collection also includes photographs and school records.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Arthur Bloom research collection on Edwin Forrest, 1829-2018 (inclusive) 2014-2018 (bulk)

Extent:
2 linear feet (2 boxes)
Abstract:
Arthur Bloom (born 1939), an author and scholar of American theater, studied and wrote a book on Edwin Forrest (1806-1872), a prominent Philadelphia-born actor. This collection contains research materials for Bloom's work, Edwin Forrest: A Biography and Performance History (2019). These include some limited original materials by and related to Forrest, extensive printout copies of newspaper articles about Forrest, contemporary scholarly publications related to Forrest and American theater, and other research materials.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Ada Rehan papers, circa 1879-1918 (inclusive)

Extent:
3 boxes
Abstract:
The collection consists primarily of correspondence addressed to Ada Rehan but also includes some memorabilia, such as an analysis of Katharine in The Taming of the Shrew in Ada Rehan's hand, clippings, dedications, menus and invitations, and programs and playbills.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Edwin Forrest collection, circa 1815-1931 (inclusive)

Extent:
39 linear feet (76 boxes)
Abstract:
The Edwin Forrest Collection provides some documentation of the business career of Edwin Forrest (nineteenth-century American actor, noted for his Shakespearean roles), focusing in the main on the latter part of his career (the 1860s and 1870s). Though some private personal correspondence is housed in the collection, predominant is correspondence concerning various aspects of Forrest's finances; these are arranged by major investments or interests.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Learned collection on German-language theater, 1832-1898 (inclusive) 1873-1895 (bulk)

Extent:
35 boxes (+ 2 map drawers)
Abstract:
Comprises material relating to the production of German-language plays in Philadelphia, predominantly in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Material includes printed and manuscript plays with annotations, which served as prompt books; manuscript scenarios; lists of props, as well as a few actual props; role books; librettos; musical scores; playbills; and selected issues of German-language theater newspapers published in Philadelphia. Also includes a catalog of the Theater-Leihbibliothek, handwritten by Theodor Bloch, owner of the lending library.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Raymond H. Ferris collection of theater programs, 1881-1901 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.33 linear_foot (1 box)
Abstract:
Raymond H. Ferris (1890-1972), a University of Pennsylvania administrator, collected playbills and programs from Philadelphia theaters, dating from 1881 to 1901. The collection features playbills from the Academy of Music, Arch Street Theatre, Association Hall, Chestnut Street Opera House, Congress Spring Park, Eleventh Street Opera House, Garrick Theatre, Grand Opera House, Haverly's Theatre, McCaull's Opera House, New Arch Street Opera House, New National Theatre, Park Theatre, Philadelphia Lyceum, Temple Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, and Winter Circus.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Henry Peterson manuscript plays, circa 1870s-1891 (inclusive)

Extent:
.4 linear feet (1 box)
Abstract:
Henry Peterson (1818-1891) was an author, poet, playwright, and the editor of the Saturday Evening Post. This collection consists of six hand-written manuscripts of plays that appear not to have been published.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Robert and Molly Freedman Jewish Sound Archive DVD collection, 1919-2015 (inclusive)

Extent:
354 items
Abstract:
The Robert and Molly Freedman Jewish Sound Archive aims to collect, preserve, and promote musical and spoken-word recordings of the Jewish people. This finding aid represents the Archive's materials on Digital Video Disc (DVD).

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Colonel T. Allston Brown history of the American stage notebooks, circa 1905 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.6 linear feet (5 volumes)
Abstract:
T. Allston Brown, was a theater critic, newspaper editor, talent agent and theater historian who lived from 1836 to 1918. Brown spent the majority of his adult life in Philadelphia, PA and published extensively on the history of American theater. The collection includes five bound volumes containing handwritten notes and newspaper clippings concerning the history of the American stage from 1749 to 1905. The volumes are organized by geographic location. The first three volumes are respectively focused on Boston, Philadelphia, and New York City. The fourth volume includes information on Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, greater Pennsylvania, New Jersey, greater New York, and Rhode Island. The fifth volume includes information on Brooklyn.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Florence Bayard Kane collection of European travel and theater ephemera, 1881-1929 (inclusive) 1899-1900 (bulk)

Extent:
0.25 linear feet (1 box)
Abstract:
A collection of playbills and other ephemera of a young lady's travels in Europe, particularly Paris, collected by Florence Bayard Kane, daughter of the prominent Kane family of Philadelphia, primarily between 1899 and 1900.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Robert Montgomery Bird papers, 1799-1946 (inclusive) 1822-1854 (bulk)

Extent:
31 boxes
Abstract:
Comprises personal, business, literary, and family papers. In addition to Bird's own papers, this collection includes papers of his wife Mary E. Bird, his son Frederic Mayer Bird, and his biographer Clement Edgar Foust. The earliest papers (1822) date from Bird's school days at Germantown Academy, and the very latest papers (1946) relate to C. Seymour Thompson's publication of Mary E. Bird's biography of her husband. Correspondents include men and women from Bird's career in medicine; his literary career; his theatrical career (including correspondence with Edwin Forrest, as well as the documentation regarding their legal battle over copyrights and profits); his political career; and his career in publishing and journalism.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Gerald Clifford Weales writings, circa 1956-1985 (inclusive)

Extent:
3 linear feet (6 boxes)
Abstract:
Gerald Clifford Weales was a professor of English and Drama who taught for about 30 years the University of Pennsylvania, until 1987. This collection of writings includes the drafts and galley proofs of several books, both fiction and non-fiction, as well as the typescript of four unpublished plays.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Joseph Francis Ambrose Jackson manuscripts and notes, 1906, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
0.2 linear_foot (1 box)
Abstract:
Joseph Francis Ambrose Jackson (1867-1946) was a historian, lecturer, artist, journalist, and writer active in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This collection offers insight into Jackson's intellectual activity as a theater historian. It includes a manuscript of an unpublished essay on the history of American dramatic literature, an alphabetical listing of American playwrights, a collection of portraits of 18th-century actors, and handwritten notes on the theatrical history of pre-and post-revolutionary Philadelphia.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Charlotte Cushman Club records, 1818-2000 (inclusive) 1907-1998 (bulk)

Extent:
16.6 linear feet (26 boxes)
Abstract:
Founded in 1907, the Charlotte Cushman Club was originally intended to provide respectable lodgings for actresses appearing in Philadelphia theaters. In the years of World War II the Club ceased to provide residential services, becoming a favorite gathering place of theater lovers as well as of the many actresses and actors visiting the city with their touring companies. The Charlotte Cushman Club Records offer insight into the activities, the administration, and the membership of the Club during the whole life of the organization, until its closure in 1998. The collection also includes part of the holdings of the former Club's museum and library.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Arthur Hobson Quinn papers, 1801-1961 (inclusive) 1907-1960 (bulk)

Extent:
46.2 linear feet (93 boxes)
Abstract:
Arthur Hobson Quinn (1875-1960) was a professor and dean of English and History at the University of Pennsylvania and an internationally recognized authority on the history of American drama. This collection contains material representative of Quinn's entire professional life: correspondence, manuscripts of books and articles, lecture notes, reviews of contemporary plays, his collection of playbills and libretti, and material related to his research on Edgar Allan Poe and the American realist playwright James A. Herne.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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Thomas Ridgway 18th century Philadelphia theater material, circa 1940s, 1983 (inclusive)

Extent:
.2 linear feet (1 box)
Abstract:
The Thomas Ridgway 18th century Philadelphia theater material dates primarily to the 1940s, and mostly contains Ridgway's writings related to 18th century Philadelphia theater and his accompanying research and notes. Thomas Ridgway (1874-1943) was a lawyer from Philadelphia who researched and wrote extensively on Philadelphia theater.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

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