John Hollingshead letters, 1860-1891

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Summary

Creators:
Hollingshead, John
Abstract:
A collection of material related to John Hollingshead, 19th century English theater manager and producer.
Extent:
4.8 Linear Feet (4 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. John Hollingshead letters, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

A collection containing letters, manuscripts, and ephemera related to John Hollingshead. The letters are mostly addressed to John Hollingshead from 1860 to 1891, concerning the management of the Gaiety Theatre. The material in this collection was originally mounted in two volumes and was later removed by Huntington staff; the material still retains some glue and evidence of removal. Some items in the collection were trimmed down, with loss of text, by the original owner. Correspondents in the collection include, among others, Dion Boucicault, John B. Buckstone, Wilkie Collins, George Eliot, Charles W. Dilke, William S. Gilbert, Henry Irving, Blanchard Jerrold, Ellen Kean, Francis Knollys, James Macaulay, Florence Marryat, Westland Marston, Charles Mathews, James R. Planché, Charles Reade, Eyre Massey Shaw, Alexander Strahan, Algernon Swinburne, Anthony Trollope, James Whistler, Oscar Wilde, and Edmund Yates.

Biographical / historical:

John Hollingshead (1827-1904) was an English theatrical manager, producer, journalist and writer. He managed the Alhambra Theatre and was the first manager of the Gaiety Theatre, London, England. As a theater manager he was the first to bring together dramatist W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan and was the first manager to install electric lights in his theater.

Acquisition information:
Provenance unknown. In library as of February 1939.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library staff in 1939; in September 2025, Gayle M. Richardson created the finding aid.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. John Hollingshead letters, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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