© The contents of this finding aid are the copyright of the University of Chicago Library
© 2014 University of Chicago Library
The collection is open for research.
When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Theatrical Portraits and Illustrations. Collection, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
This collection was transferred from the Rare Books Collection.
The collection was originally cataloged as Codex MS 1413. The collection contains two volumes of portraits, followed by a volume of illustrations.
The mounted portraits are of actors, actresses, and dramatists from the British and American stage, arranged alphabetically by name. In some cases, information such as artist, date, and publisher responsible for the individual image is included. Most of the images are engravings taken from photographs, drawings, and paintings.
Of particular interest are portraits and photographs of the American actor Joseph Jefferson (1829-1905) both in costume and at home, and several portraits of the English actor and theatre manager, David Garrick (1717-1779). There are a number of portraits by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) and Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830).
The mounted illustrations are connected to theatrical life in the 18th and 19th centuries. These include drawing and engravings of theatre architecture, monuments, scenes from plays, and the homes of actors and dramatists. Series II also includes a small amount of mounted theatrical ephemera including tickets, newspaper clippings, scores, and production posters. The collection highlights the homes and theatres of, and monuments to, David Garrick (1717-1779).
The following related resources are located in the Department of Special Collections: