Collections Database Manuscript & Object Collect... Small collections of manusc... Post-1650 Manuscripts George Bernard Shaw letters... Finding AidTitle: George Bernard Shaw letters and photographs, 1889-1945
ID: 01/02/02/POST-1650 MS 0656
Primary Creator: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Other Creators: Shaw, Bernard (1856-1950), Walker, Emery (1851-1933)
Extent: 22.0 Items
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in the following series:
Series I: Correspondence
Series II: Photographs
Series III: Article
The Correspondence and Photographs series are arranged chronologically, with undated items placed at the end.
Date Acquired: 09/04/1953
Subjects: Drama, Esher, Reginald Baliol Brett - Viscount - 1852-1930, Furniss, Harry - 1854-1925, Henderson, Archibald - 1877-1963, Kingsmill, Hugh - 1889-1949, Leigh, Vivien - 1913-1967, Shaw, Bernard - 1856-1950 - Passion, poison, and petrifaction, Shaw, Charlotte Frances - 1857-1943, Squire, John Collings - Sir - 1884-1958, Twain, Mark - 1835-1910, Wilde, Oscar - 1854-1900
Languages: English
This collection (22 items) contains letters and postcards by Irish playwright and essayist George Bernard Shaw, as well as photographic portraits of Shaw.
The Correspondence series consists of 13 letters from Shaw to various correspondents, as well as 1 incoming letter to Shaw with his response. Shaw wrote about his and others' works, including Passion, Poison & Petrifaction (George Bernard Shaw), "Wagner at Bayreuth" (George Bernard Shaw), Frank Harris (Hugh Kingsmill), and "The International Fame of Mark Twain" (Archibald Harrison). He also referred to his social life and shared brief opinions on socialism and Frank Harris's representation of Oscar Wilde. See below for more specific information about each letter.
The Photographs series (7 items) includes cabinet cards and prints of various sizes. Most of the photographs are portraits of George Bernard Shaw, including formal portraits taken in 1889 and 1906.
The Magazine Article is a two-page excerpt from The Queen (November 14, 1945), including an article about George Bernard Shaw and Vivien Leigh.
Link to catalog record: https://i-share-uiu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CARLI_UIU/gpjosq/alma99380621712205899
George Bernard Shaw (July 26, 1856-November 2, 1950) is best known for his humorous plays, political essays, and other writings. The son of Lucinda Elizabeth Gurly and George Carr Shaw, he was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, along with his two sisters, Lucinda Frances and Elinor Agnes. His mother and sisters moved to London, England, in 1873 with her music teacher, George John Lee; his father remained in Dublin. George Bernard Shaw joined them there in 1876.
During his first years in Dublin, Shaw frequented the British Museum's reading room, where he worked on several unsuccessful novels and short stories, as well as a few early plays. By the mid-1880s he had become committed to Socialism; he regularly delivered political speeches, wrote extensively about political issues, and was prominently involved with groups such as the Fabian Society and the Independent Labour Party. In 1885, he found work as a journalist, publishing criticism of theater, books, fine art, and music. Shaw continued to compose and publish comedic plays and became, by the turn of the century, one of Great Britain's most famous and highly regarded playwrights. Shaw received the Nobel Prize in Literature for 1925 and maintained his literary output until his death from kidney failure in 1950.
Shaw married Charlotte Frances Payne-Townshend (1857-1943), also a native of Ireland, in 1898; they had no children. The Shaws lived at 10 Adlephi Terrace from 1898 to 1927 and then moved into a flat at Whitehall Court; additionally, they maintained a country home in Ayot St. Lawrence, Hertfordshire, from 1906 until Shaw's death. The site, known as Shaw's Corner, is now administered by the National Trust.
Sources
Weintraub, Stanley. "Shaw, George Bernard." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Online edition. Oxford University Press, 2013. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/36047
Drama
Esher, Reginald Baliol Brett - Viscount - 1852-1930
Furniss, Harry - 1854-1925
Henderson, Archibald - 1877-1963
Kingsmill, Hugh - 1889-1949
Leigh, Vivien - 1913-1967
Shaw, Bernard - 1856-1950 - Passion, poison, and petrifaction
Shaw, Charlotte Frances - 1857-1943
Squire, John Collings - Sir - 1884-1958
Twain, Mark - 1835-1910
Wilde, Oscar - 1854-1900
Repository: Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Access Restrictions: The collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions:
This collection is the physical property of the Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Intellectual property rights, including copyright, may reside with the materials' creator(s) or their heirs.
The Rare Book & Manuscript Library's reproduction and publication policies are available here. The library welcomes requests for reproductions made from works in our collections, though restrictions may apply to certain materials. Please contact the library with any questions.
Acquisition Source: Chislett
Separated Materials: Some materials in this collection may have been acquired with the George Bernard Shaw letters to Alma Murray (Post-1650 MS 0126).
Related Materials: The Rare Book & Manuscript Library holds copies of many of George Bernard Shaw's plays, essays, and other writings. Additional manuscript collections include the George Bernard Shaw letters to Alma Murray (Post-1650 MS 0126) and the George Bernard Shaw clippings (Post-1650 MS 0510).
Preferred Citation: George Bernard Shaw letters and photographs, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Other Note: Former Shelfmark: 822 SH26YSL
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