Summary
Overview
Seymour,
William, 1855-1933.
William Seymour Family Papers
1859-1961 (mostly 1890-1933)
36.9 linear feet, 69 archival boxes, 2 record center cartons, 7 flat
boxes
Princeton University. Library. Dept. of Rare
Books and Special Collections
Manuscripts Division
One Washington Road
Princeton, New Jersey 08544 USA
Abstract
The William Seymour Family Papers consists of the papers of several members of
the Davenport/Seymour theatrical families, but American actor and director William
Seymour is the most prominently represented in the collection. Included are
correspondence (both general and family), photographs, documents, memorabilia of
playbills and broadsides, miscellaneous material including production notes and
music, and printed matter.
Description
Description
Consists of the papers of several members of the Davenport/Seymour theatrical
families, but William Seymour is the most prominently represented in the
collection -- with works, correspondence (both general and family), photographs,
documents, memorabilia of playbills and broadsides, miscellaneous material
including production notes and music, and printed matter of many newspaper
clippings and of articles in "Notes and Queries" in the Boston Transcript. There are also numerous playbooks and sides, and
many illustrious theatrical names are represented in the correspondence,
including the Barrymores, Booths, Drews, Frohmans, Maude Adams, David Belasco,
Charles Dillingham, Joseph Jefferson, and Tyrone Power, Sr.
In addition, the collection contains material of May Davenport Seymour, William
Seymour's daughter (and curator of the theater and music collection at the
Museum of the City of New York), and Fanny Lily Gypsy Davenport, his
sister-in-law, as well as over twelve other Davenport/Seymour relatives.
Collection Creator
Biography
William Seymour (1855-1933) was an American actor and director.
Collection History
Acquisition
The main portion of the papers were given by the five children of William Seymour
in 1936.
You can read about William Seymour, his papers, and the donation to Princeton in
an article by MaryAnn Jensen in Theater and Performing
Arts Collections (1981), vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 41-51. The name "William
Seymour Collection" was applied at times to the holdings of the Theatre
Collections generally, not just to the Seymour Papers and materials that came
with them.
Processing Information
This collection was processed in 1999.
Access and Use
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
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 Rare
Books and 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.
Preferred Citation
William Seymour Family Papers; 1859-1961 (mostly 1890-1933), Manuscripts Division, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Library.
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