Description
Edwin Booth was a 19th century American
actor from a well-known acting family that also included his thespian brothers Junius Brutus
Jr. and John Wilkes Booth. Booth made his stage debut in 1849, and his great granddaughter
Edwina Booth Waterbury Cutting continued the family vocational tradition by pursuing an
acting career of her own in the 1930s and 1940s. The
Edwin Booth
Family Collection
contains ephemera and photographs related to Edwin Booth's acting
career and the personal and professional lives of his descendants.
Background
Actor Edwin Booth (1833-1893) was well-known for his work as a tragedian, especially
playing Shakespeare's Hamlet. Booth was son of actor Junius Brutus Booth, and sibling to
actors Junius Brutus Booth, Jr., John Wilkes Booth, and writer Asia Booth Clarke. Edwin made
his stage debut in 1849 with his father Junius. After his father's death in 1852, Edwin
toured Australia and Hawaii, earning stage recognition during his 1856 engagement in
Sacramento, California. He is remembered today for his Shakespeare performances,
particularly his Hamlet in 1864-1865, which he produced with brothers Junius and John.
Restrictions
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of
this collection has been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright
status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected
by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the
written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any
use rests exclusively with the user.
Availability
The collection is open for research use.