Purchase, 1986.
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MSS 099, F220, George Bernard Shaw card to Fred Terry and Miriam Michelson playscript "The Duchess Barbara [of Leeds]," Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, Newark, Delaware.
Processed and encoded by Debra Johnson, April 2007.
George Bernard Shaw was born July 26, 1856, in Dublin, Ireland; he died November 2, 1950, in Ayot Saint Lawrence, Hertfordshire, England. Shaw was a renowned playwright, novelist, essayist, critic, and lecturer, whose life work was recognized through awards such as the Nobel Prize for literature, 1925; Irish Academy of Letters Medal, 1934; and the Academy Award (Oscar), Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 1938, for the screenplay of
Miriam Michelson (1870–1942) was an American novelist who flourished in the first half of the twentieth century.
This collection consists of an autograph card signed laid into a typescript carbon copy of Miriam Michelson's "The Duchess Barbara [of Leeds]." The card is addressed to Fred Terry of the Royal General Theatrical Fund. Shaw mentions "I know my place too well; and it is not, alas! on the stage." Shaw appears to be responding to Terry’s request of him to appear in a play.
The typed carbon playscript displays the title as "The Duchess Barbara" on the cover page. The name "Barbara" has been crossed out and in pencil reads "of Leeds." The subtitle is "A Slightly Historical Drama, Careless of Chronology, Indifferent to Facts, and Frankly Fanciful. In Four Acts." Also on the cover page are two names, including Fred Terry. Within the typed playscript there are instances of underlining in red pen as well as autograph corrections.
This collection also includes a cloth cover of the playscript with "The De Mille Company, Author's Representative, Astor Theatre, Broadway and 45th St., New York City" inscribed. It is noted as "Set No. 2." Inside the cover, there is some writing in pencil and there is additional writing on the back cover. It was apparently used as a prompt copy.
This item forms part of MSS 099 Miscellaneous Literary and Historical Manuscripts.
MSS 102 Bernard Shaw papers