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Descriptive Summary

Repository: Harvard Theatre Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
Location: b
Call No.: MS Thr 19
Creator: Barrie, J.M. (James Matthew), 1860-1937.
Title: Letters to Maude Adams and Charles Frohman,
Date(s): 1897-1928.
Quantity: 1 box (.5 linear ft.)
Abstract: Letters from Scottish playwright and novelist J.M. (James Matthew) Barrie to American actress Maude Adams and American theatrical manager and producer Charles Frohman.

Acquisition Information:

Historical Note

Barrie was a Scottish playwright and novelist. Adams was an American actress and starred in several of Barrie's plays. Frohman was an American theatrical manager and producer as well as manager of Adams.

Scope and Content

Includes 29 letters from Barrie to Adams, congratulating her on her past performances, invitations to come visit Barrie in Scotland, and travel plans. Barrie also tells Adams of current play projects he is working on, parts in his plays he thinks would be suitable for her to act, and asks her opinions about other plays she has seen. The 13 letters from Barrie to Frohman discuss ideas for staging his production of the Taming of the Shrew and other productions, and tells him of news from Adams. Collection also contains an unsigned autograph manuscript of Barrie's Golf Croquet and a section of his play What Every Woman Knows from the third act. Golf croquet, among other items.

Container List

• Barrie, Sir James Matthew, bart., 1860-1937. 25 A.L.s. to Maude Adams;
  • (1) [London] 17 Dec 1897. 1s.(2p.)
  • (2) [same] 16 Oct 1902. 1s.(3p.) env.
  • (3) [same] 10 Nov 1902. 1s.(3p.)
  • (4) [same] 15 Nov 1903. 1s.(2p.) env.
  • (5) [same] 18 Apr 1904. 1s.(4p.)
  • (6) [same] 22 Mar 1906. 1s.(4p.)
  • (7) Same, 13 Jul 1906. 1s.(3p.)
  • (8) [same] 23 Mar 1907. 1s.(2p.) env.
  • (9) [same] 7 Feb 1908. 1s.(3p.)
  • (10) Montreux, 11 Jan 1909. 1s.(2p.)
  • (11) [London] 8 Aug 1915. 1s.(3p.)
  • (12) [same] 30 Nov 1915. 1s.(2p.)
  • (13) [same] 5 Jul 1916. 1s.(4p.)
  • (14) [same] 23 Aug 1917. 1s.(4p.)
  • (15) [same] 30 Mar 1918. 2s.(3p.)
  • (16) [same] 20 May 1918. 1s. (3p.)
  • (17) [same] 28 Dec 1918. 1s.(3p.)
  • (18) [same] 5 Jan 1919. 1s.(1p.)
  • (19) [same] 18 Mar 1919. 1s.(2p.)
  • (20) [same] 28 Jun 1919. 1s.(3p.)
  • (21) [same] 20 Sep 1919. 2s.(3p.)
  • (22) [same] 4 Apr 1920. 1s.(2p.) env.
  • (23) [same] 15 May 1928. 1s.(2p.)
  • (24) [n.p.] 13 Oct [n.d.] 1s.(2p.)
  • (25) [London, n.d.] 1s.(3p.)

• (26) Barrie, Sir James Matthew, bart., 1860-1937. Golf croquet. A.MS. (unsigned); [n.p., n.d.] 1s.(4p.)

• Barrie, Sir James Matthew, bart., 1860-1937. 13 A.L.s. to Charles Frohman:
  • (27) [London] 1 Jan 1899. 1s.(2p.)
  • (28) [same] 9 Mar 1904. 1s.(2p.)
  • (29) [same] 25 Dec 1904. 1s.(3p.)
  • (30) Berkhamsted, 28 Jun 1906. 1s.(2p.)
  • (31) [London] 3 Nov 1911. 3s. (3p.)
    typed copy only.
  • (32) [same] 30 Sep 1912. 1s.(4p.)
  • (33) [same] 8 Oct 1912. 1s.(3p.)
  • (34) [same] 28 Oct 1913. 1s.(3p.)
  • (35) [same] 27 Nov 1913. 1s.(3p.)
  • (36) [same] 31 Dec 1913. 1s.(2p.)
  • (37) [same] 6 Mar [n.d.] 1s.(2p.)
  • (38) [same] 16 Nov [n.d.] 1s.(2p.)
  • (39) [same, n.d.] 1s.(1p.)

• (40) Gillette, William, 1853-1937. A.L.s. to Maude Adams; [n.p., n.d.] 1s.(2p.)

• Barrie, Sir James Matthew, bart., 1860-1937. 4 A.L.s. to Maude Adams:
  • (41) [London] 8 Dec 1918. 1s.(3p.)
  • (42) [Same] 12 Jan 1927. 1s.(2p.)
  • (43) [Same] 4 Feb 1927. 2s.(3p.) env.
  • (44) [Same, n.d.] 1s.(2p.)

• (45) Barrie, Sir James Matthew, bart., 1860-1937. [What every woman knows; beginning of Act III] A.M.S. (unsigned); [n.p., 1917?] 1s.(2p.)
  Varying widely from published text.