The Brandon Thomas-Leverson Archive is a collection of scrapbooks, photographs, letters, and journals pertaining to the Brandon-Leverson household that was largely compiled by Silvia Brandon Thomas, the daughter of actor and playwright Brandon Thomas. The materials in this collection capture intimate moments within the Brandon-Leverson's family life as well as the family's associations with other fin de siècle artists and writers such as Henry Irving, Oscar Wilde, and W.S. Penley.

Brandon Thomas (1848-1914) was a playwright, songwriter, and performer whose farce Charley's Aunt helped him achieve international renown. Born on December 24, 1848 as the first child of Walter Thomas and Hannah Thomas (née Morris), Brandon experienced a childhood of inconsistent financial resources and inconsistent schooling. His father, while a skilled bootmaker, was prone to making rash business endeavors that often left the family financially struggling. By the age of 12, Brandon was removed from school entirely to work as an apprentice at the Liverpool dockyards to provide for his family. His mother ran a small lodging business out of the family's home, with one of the tenants being than unknown stage performer Henry Irving. Irving's relationship with the Thomas family would profoundly inspired Brandon to pursue a similar path.

6.3 Linear Feet (8 boxes)

The Clark Library owns the property rights to its collections but does not hold the copyright to these materials and therefore cannot grant or deny permission to use them. Researchers are responsible for determining the copyright status of any materials they may wish to use, investigating the owner of the copyright, and obtaining permission for their intended publication or other use. In all cases, you must cite the Clark Library as the source with the following credit line: The William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

This collection is open for research.