Guide to the Mrs. Patrick Campbell Letters 1905-1938


Search this Finding Aid





Table of Contents

• Descriptive Summary
• Information on Use
• Access
• Citation
• Biographical Note
• Scope Note
• Related Resources
• Subject Headings
• INVENTORY
• Series I: Correspondence
• Series II: Photographs
• Series III: Miscellaneous Material

Descriptive Summary

Information on Use

Access

No restrictions.

Citation

When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Campbell, Mrs. Patrick. Letters,

Biographical Note

Beatrice Stella Campbell (1865-1940), known professionally as Mrs. Patrick Campbell, was a renowned English actress, famous for her portrayal of characters at once passionate and intelligent. The daughter of Jon Tanner, an English businessman in India, and Maria Romanini, an Italian countess, she began her professional stage career in 1888. Her first great success was as Paula in "The Second Mrs. Tanqueray" by Arthur Pinero. Among her famous Shakespearian roles were Juliet, Lady Macbeth, and Ophelia. She also starred as Mélisande in Maeterlinck's "Pélleas and Mélisande," and in the title roles in Ibsen's dedda Gabler," Hofmannsthal's "Elektra," and Yeat's "Deirdre." In 1914 she created the role of Eliza Doolittle in Shaw's "Pygmalion," and she maintained a warm friendship with the playwright. After World War I, she played few new roles, mainly recreating her former starring parts on tour in the United States and England. During the 1930's she also played minor roles in several American films. She died in 1940 in Pau, France.

Scope Note

The overwhelming majority of the letters of Mrs. Campbell in this collection are addressed to Mrs. Frank (Harriett) Carolan, later Mrs. Arthur Schermerhorn. In her autobiography, My Life and Some Letters (1922), Mrs. Campbell writes of Mrs. Carolan as "one of my dearest friends." Their friendship was long-standing and Mrs. Campbell often called on Mrs. Carolan for financial aid.

The letters fall mainly into two groups, one series between 1905 and 1918, and a second between 1927 and 1938. All of the letters are chatty and informal. The first series, however, deals mainly with her theatrical career. Of some interest are Mrs. Campbell's frequent pungent remarks about American audiences during her tours. Many famous people are briefly mentioned, such as George Bernard Shaw, Charles Laughton, and Katherine Cornell. Mrs. Campbell writes of the opening nights of many of her plays, of accidents, which befell her, such as when she broke her knee-cap in Philadelphia in 1905, and when her hair caught on fire during a performance. A carbon copy of a letter from her son is included in the papers. He was a British officer in World War I and fought at Gallipoli. His long letter movingly recreates the battle conditions existing on that front. He was later killed in France.

The second series, material after 1927, reveals clearly the decline in Mrs. Campbell's fortunes, her inability to find work, and her constant money difficulties. The collection includes several letters from Hollywood, where she had gone to find work, but had little success.

The collection also includes correspondence of Mrs. Campbell with others. There are also several letters to Mrs. Carolan from her daughter Stella, her son Alan ("Beo"), and her second husband, George Cornwallis-West. The collection also includes 14 photographs, 8 of Mrs. Campbell, and some playbills, broadsides, and clippings.

Related Resources

Browse finding aids by topic.

Subject Headings

• Campbell, Patrick, Mrs., 1865-1940
• Carolan, Harriet Pullman, 1869-1956
• Actresses
• Letters (correspondence)
• Photographs

INVENTORY