Robinson Locke collection

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Collection Data

Description: The Robinson Locke collection consists of scrapbooks and portfolios containing clippings, programs, photographs, prints, letters and other ephemera documenting American theater history.
Names: Locke, Robinson, 1856-1920 (Creator); Locke, Robinson, 1856-1920 (Collector)
Dates / Origin: Date Created: 1680 - 1976
Library locations: Billy Rose Theatre Division; Shelf locator: NAFR+
Topics: Adams, Maude, 1872-1953; Anglin, Margaret, 1876-1958; Aoki, Tsuru, 1892-1961; Bara, Theda, 1885-1955; Barrymore, Ethel, 1879-1959; Belasco, David, 1853-1931; Bernhardt, Sarah, 1844-1923; Burke, Billie, 1885-1970; Carreño, Teresa, 1853-1917; Carter, Leslie, Mrs., 1862-1937; Chaplin, Charlie, 1889-1977; Chesterton, G. K. (Gilbert Keith), 1874-1936; Clemens, Samuel Langhorne, 1835-1910; Cohan, George M. (George Michael), 1878-1942; Daly, Augustin, 1838-1899; DeMille, Cecil B. (Cecil Blount), 1881-1959; Dixey, Henry E., 1859-1943; Fairbanks, Douglas, 1883-1939; Farrar, Geraldine, 1882-1967; Faversham, William, 1868-1940; Fiske, Minnie Maddern, 1865-1932; Garden, Mary, 1874-1967; Gish, Lillian, 1897-1993; Griffith, David W., 1875-1948; Hopwood, Avery, 1882-1928; Houdini, Harry, 1874-1926; Hugo, Victor, 1802-1885; Irving, H. B. (Henry Brodribb), 1870-1919; Jolson, Al, 1886-1950; Black Patti, 1869-1933; Keaton, Buster, 1895-1966; Keller, Helen, 1880-1968; Kerrigan, J. Warren (Jack Warren), 1889-1947; Locke, Robinson, 1856-1920; Loos, Anita, 1893-1981; Mansfield, Richard, 1857-1907; Marlowe, Julia, 1865-1950; Nazimova, 1879-1945; Nethersole, Olga, 1870-1951; Paderewski, Ignace Jan, 1860-1941; Pavlova, Anna, 1881-1931; Pickford, Mary, 1892-1979; Russell, Lillian, 1861-1922; Sothern, E. H. (Edward Hugh), 1859-1933; Swanson, Gloria, 1897-1983; Wagner, Richard, 1813-1883; Weber, Lois, 1879-1939; Actors; Actresses; Athletes; cartoonists; Clowns; Comedians; Composers; Critics; dancers; designers; Directors (film); Directors (stage); dramatists; Humorists; Illusionists; journalists; Lyricists; Magicians; Managers (theater); musicians; novelists; Playwrights; poets; Producers (film); Producers (theater); Singers; Socialists; Writers; African Americans in the performing arts -- New York (State) -- New York; Burlesque (Theater); Child actors; Circus; Female impersonators; Film; Male impersonators; Minstrel shows; Motion pictures -- 20th century; silent films -- United States; Theater -- United States -- History -- 19th century; Theater -- United States -- History -- 20th century; vaudeville; Women in the performing arts
Genres: Clippings; Correspondence; Photographs; Postcards; Programs; Scrapbooks
Notes: Biographical/historical: Owner and editor of the Toledo Blade, an Ohio newspaper founded by his father, Robinson Locke was a serious collector of material documenting American theater history. From the 1890s, Locke served as drama critic for his newspaper, writing under the name of Rodney Lee. Starting as a small reference collection of theatrical clippings to support his work, the collection expanded by gift and purchase. Soon a growing staff was required to clip all items of theatrical interest from the many national newspapers and magazines Locke received, and to paste the material into scrapbooks. Locke often traveled to New York to attend performances and many touring companies performed in Toledo. According to Locke's second wife, for many years until his death every musical or dramatic artist who visited Toledo also visited Locke and his collection and almost always donated an autographed portrait. Locke was married twice: in 1886 to Kate King who died in 1894, and in 1909 to Mabel Dixey, a former actress, who gave addenda to the collection after his death.; Content: The Robinson Locke collection consists of scrapbooks and envelopes containing clippings, programs, photographs, prints, letters, and other ephemera documenting American theater history. The collection documents the work of actors, singers, and other artists connected with the stage, including Maude Adams, Margaret Anglin, Theda Bara, David Belasco, Sarah Bernhardt, Billie Burke, Mrs. Leslie Carter, Henry Dixey, Geraldine Farrar, William Faversham, Minnie Maddern Fiske, Mary Garden, Henry Irving, Buster Keaton, Richard Mansfield, Julia Marlowe, Alla Nazimova, Olga Nethersole, Jan Paderewski, Anna Pavlova, Lillian Russell and E. H. Sothern. It also depicts the early film careers of Ethel Barrymore, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, D. W. Griffith, Lillian Gish, Cecil B. DeMille, Mary Pickford, Gloria Swanson, Lois Weber, composers from George M. Cohan to Richard Wagner and hundreds of other performers. The collection also contains materials on African-Americans, Europeans, Asians, and Latin Americans in the New York theater and scrapbooks of notable vaudeville and burlesque performers. Some material falls outside the typical date ranges of the collection and was most likely added at a later date.
Physical Description: Extent: 107.94 linear feet (518 volumes, 574 other items)
Type of Resource: Text
Identifiers: Other local Identifier: NAFR+; NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b14635247; MSS Unit ID: 21467; Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 3eadea30-cc01-013b-9bff-0242ac110003

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