Main content

Edmund Kean Collection

Notifications

Held at: Princeton University Library: Rare Book Collection [Contact Us]

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Rare Book Collection. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Kean, Edmund, 1787-1833

Edmund Kean (1787-1833) was an English actor.

The collection consists of theater programs, newspaper clippings, and articles on Kean; and portraits of Kean in various dramatic roles.

Some individual pieces are referenced in Catalogue One of Ifan Kyrle Fletcher's "The Life and theatrical career of Edmund Kean, 1787-1833," included in this collection.

Arranged by topic; portraits arranged by character.

Publisher
Rare Book Collection
Finding Aid Date
2003
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research use.

Use Restrictions

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. No further photoduplication of copies of material in the collection can be made when Princeton University Library does not own the original. Permission to publish material from the collection must be requested from the Associate University Librarian for Special Collections. The library has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.

Collection Inventory

Physical Description

1 box

a. King Richard III, 1814 March 7. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

b. Othello, 1814 May 5. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

c. Othello, 1814 May 7. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

d. Brutus, 1827 June 21. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

e. Brutus, 1829 December 30. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

f. A New Way to Pay Old Debts, 1831 February 11. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

1 box

a. The Daily Mail – "The Fire that Burned Ned Kean." Wilson Disher, Daily Mail Dramatic Critic, 1933 May 12. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

b. L'illustrazione Italiana – "Edmundo Kean – E La Sua Vita Tempestosa." Eugenio Gara, undated, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

1 box

i. "Music." 1858 January 16. Review of Kean in Hamlet, 1858 January 16. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

ii. "The Theatres." 1858 October 23. Review of Kean's King John, 1858 October 23. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

iii. "The Theatres." 1856 October 18. Review of Kean, 1856 October 18. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

iv. Commentary and picture of the Statue Scene, "The Winter's Tale," at the Princess' Theatre, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

1 box

i. "Death of Kean.", 1833 July 13. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

ii. "Recollections of Edmund Kean.", 1833 July 21. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

e. Illustritre Zeitung, 1914 April 23. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

f. News Chronicle – "News of the Theatres: Kean of Old Drury – Star Salaries a Hundred Years Ago." Theater Correspondent, A.T. Borthwick, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

g. The Theatre Magazine – blurb on Kean and advertisement for Richard III, at the Walnut Street Theatre, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

h. Who was Who – Edmund Kean, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

1 box

i. " 'Kean' at Kennington – A Good Popular Edition.", dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

ii. "Romantic Acting." On the one-hundredth anniversary of Kean's death, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

iii. " Then Hazlitt Answered to Kean – the Shylock and the Richard of a Great Actor now a Century Dead.", dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

1 box

a. American Athenaeum – A Repository of Belles Lettres, Science and the Arts, Vol 1:41, 1826 February 9, article on Kean's performance of Richard III., 1826 February 9. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

b. The Life and Interesting Anecdotes of Mr. Kean, from his first entrance on stage to the present day, with remarks on his performances and embellished with an animated likeness of Mr. Kean in the character of Richard, by I. Cruickshank. Printed and published by Smeeton, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

c. "The Life and Theatrical Career of Edmund Kean – 1787-1833," with foreword by Gordon Craig, published by Ifan Kyrle Fletcher, 1787-1833. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

d. W.H. Bond, "Keats on Kean: An Early Version.", dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

1 box

i. Colored caricature – "Wolves Triumphant, or, A Fig for Public Opinion.", dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

ii. The Albany Argus & City Gazette, Mr. Kean's first appearance at the Park Theater in N.Y.C, p.3, 1825 November 18. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

iii. The Providence Patriot, letter from Edmund Kean concerning his difficulties in Boston, p.2, 1821 June 6. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

1 box

a. Cymbeline – Kean as Leonatus Posthumus, colored etching by I.R Cruikshank, 1823. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

1 box

i. "Mr. Kean in the characters of Lucius Junius Brutus." Painted and engraved by S.J Stump, 1819. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

ii. Stipple engraving by Woolnoth after Wageman, 1825. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

1 box

i. Kean as Hamlet, pointing to a passage in the book in his right hand, by Woolnoth, after Wageman, circa 1818. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

ii. Kean as Hamlet, black and white newsprint in Act 1, Scene 4, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

iii. Sketch of Kean as Hamlet, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

d. King Lear – Mr. Kean as King Lear, colored etching, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

e. Macbeth – Mr. Kean as Macbeth, color portrait published by Hodgson & Co., dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

f. The Merchant of Venice – Mr. Kean as Shylock, Act 4. Drawn by Neagle and etched by Goodman, from an original sketch done from recollection, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

1 box

i. Stipple engraving of Kean as Sir Giles Over-reach, drawing sword from scabbard. Plate to The New Casket, 1832. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

ii. Mezzotint engraving of Kean as Sir Giles Over-reach, by T. Lupton after G.Clint, 1833. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

iii. Edmund Kean as Sir Giles Over-reach (from newspaper clip, in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of Kean's death) by George Clint, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

iv. Mr. Kean as Sir Giles Over-reach, engraving for Oxberry's New English Drama, by Thomson after Wageman, 1817. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

1 box

i. Colored lithograph of Kean as Othello, drawn by E.F. Lambert, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

ii. Edmund Kean as Iago, from a drawing by George Cruickshank, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

iii. Edmund Kean as Othello, lithograph by J.W Gear, 1820. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

iv. Edmund Kean as Othello, published by M.&M. Skelt II., dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

v. Colored version of iv, with Desdemona in the background, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

1 box

i. Kean as Richard III, pencil drawing with Kean holding a baton and wearing a medallion and ermine-trimmed cloak and hat, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

ii. Kean as Richard III, gloved arm gesturing to the left, ermine-tripped cloak and feathered had with inscription "The North! Why what do they in the North when they should serve their Sovereign in the West?", dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

iii. Pencil drawing, "The Infant Kean as Richard III, dates not examined. 1 box.
Scope and Contents

(2 copies, one with illegible margin notations)

Physical Description

1 box

iv. Drawing, Kean as Richard the III, head and shoulders with medallion, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

v. Engraving "The Late Edmund Kean as Gloster in Richard III," with inscription "Take up the sword again or take up me.", dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

vi. Same as v., but oval shaped with detailing from the play around border, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

vii. Mr. Kean as Richard the III, painted by J.J. Halls and engraved by S.W. Reynolds, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

viii. Edmund Kean as Richard III, from etching by George Cruikshank, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

ix. Edmund Kean as Richard III, watercolor drawing by George Harding, circa 1820. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

x. Edmund Kean as Gloster, pencil drawing or engraving, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

xi. Edmund Kean as Richard III, lying down with sword by his hand, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

xii. Edmund Kean as Richard III, arms crossed and fades below elbows, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

xiii. Edmund Kean as Richard III, watercolor drawing in sepia, probably based on similar print in color by unknown artist, has sword in right hand and left arm is raised, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

xiv. Watercolor drawing of Kean as Richard III, sword in left hand, pointing to ground with right hand, circa 1820. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

xv. Mr. Kean as Richard III, lying down with sword raised, by M.&M. Sklelt, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Physical Description

1 box

i. Double portrait of Kean as Othello and Shylock, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

ii. Mr. Kean Jr. as Selim, drawn by Wageman, etched by Cruikshank and engraved by Taylor, 1827. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

iii. Sketch of Mr. Kean, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

iv. Portrait of Mr. Kean from the season of his first appearance at Drury Lane, drawn by Cousine, etched by H.B Hall, 1814. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

v. Newsprint portrait from clipping "For Want of a Theatre," noting the withdrawal of the play "Ned Kean of Old Drury" at the end of the week, dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

5. Manuscript original box list, no longer in use., dates not examined. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

6. Obituary; "Life of Edmund Kean," The New York Mirror, 1835 August 1. 1 box.
Physical Description

1 box

Print, Suggest