ARCHIVE: Theater material including manuscripts, photographs, letters, and printed matter, from Sarah Bernhardt, Ellen Terry, and more. (four bankers boxes and one bubble-wrapped package of oversized framed items.)

The Ellen Burstyn collections of Bernhardt, Terry, and Gallienne

[Theater] Bernhardt, Sarah. Photograph Album: “Christmas Night under the Terror” at San Quentin Prison. Washington’s Birthday. 1913.

Horizontal photograph album; 8 x 10 inches; black construction paper pages; 18 images affixed throughout; two with chips, cuts, and tears to edges; each pair of pages separated by tissue; stiff paper covers, embossed and stamped in gilt; specially bound in cloth, stamped in gilt.

A stunning survival, compiled by an unknown spectator – likely an affiliate of the prison – to document Bernhardt’s remarkable visit and performance of “Christmas Night under the Terror” for “1900 men in stripes” (San Francisco Call, February 23, 1913). It would be the last performance at the prison for over three decades.

The album contains 14 black and white images, 4 ½ x 6 ½ inches; 4 black and white images, 3 ¾ x 5 ¼ inches. Some photos depict Bernhardt and others in performance on the stage; others, the audience, including inmates in striped uniforms, interspersed with audience members in regular dress; one posed group shot; one of people loading a plane; and another of (presumably) Bernhardt’s plane taking off over water.


[Theater] Bernhardt, Sarah. Autograph letter signed, “Sarah Bernhardt,” in French, 1910; bifolium leaf; first page, 6 ¼ x 7 ½; second page composed across the double page interior. Regarding a production of Sappho by Bernhardt and her repertory company in New York.


[Theater] Terry, Ellen.

Album: 32 photographs of various types and from various sources bound into a new volume, incorporating the text pages of Terry’s The Green Room, with a handmade title page.

5 of the images are signed, initialed, annotated, or inscribed by Terry – after they were mounted into the book.

Some of the images of original gelatin prints; some were expertly clipped from other sources (such as magazines and programs) and professionally affixed; some are tinted, or handcolored, or bedazzled as with glue and color fine sand.

Together with:

[Theater] ALS, “Ellen Terry,” to Live, January 29, 1891, one leaf of 22, Barkston Gardens, Earls Court S.W. letterhead, one page. Agreeing to sit for “ ‘one of your artists’ with pleasure, if you will first tell me who it is. Both Mr. Barnard & Mr. Partridge I know -- & they know my face very well…”


[Theatre] Le Gallienne, Eva, inscriptions.

Ibsen, Henrik. The Master Builder, London 1955. Cloth/jacket, endpapers foxed and offset. Inscribed on the front endpaper, To Mary Zimkin – with devoted love ever - Eva – For 6-viii-55.

Rumer Godden, trans., The Creatures Choir by Carmen Bernos de Casztold, NY 1965. Cloth/jacket. A presentation copy, inscribed by Godden on the half-title: From Rumer Godden. Additionally inscribed on the half-title, To Mary Zimkin – with devoted love – Eva / 25-xii-65, and with an ALS in a Christmas card explaining that she had met Godden and asked her to inscribe the book. Also present is a black and white photo of a dog, inscribed on the verso by Eva, With love from Miss Rogualinda MIDGE XXXXX.

Clarence Decker, Richard le Gallienne, NY 1966. Cloth/jacket, cloth foxed, few worm holes to jacket. Inscribed on the front endpaper, To darling Mary Zimkin – with devoted love always from Richard’s daughter / Eva. With an ALS, “Eva,” to “Beloved Zebra,” n.d., one leaf of personal letterhead, two pages. About the book, and about her current acting tour. With a TL, perhaps from one of the women to the other, discussing their relationship – “As you well know, it is very difficult when the one you care for belongs to somebody else and that it cannot be changed without hurting someone or many…”

Sart, I Knew a Phoenix, NY 1959. Cloth/jacket, jacket lightly soiled. With an ALS, “Eva,” to Zimkin, n.d, one personal notecard, both sides cover, forwarding the book as a birthday gift.

(#4656340)

Item ID#: 4656340

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