Guide to the Alfred Douglas Harmer Collection AR.2021.129
Kerri Phillip
First edition
Gledhill Library
2022-04-05
136 E. De La Guerra
Santa Barbara, California 93101
archivist@sbhistorical.org
Contributing Institution:
Gledhill Library
Title: Harmer (Alfred Douglas) Collection
source:
Sankary, Matt
Identifier/Call Number: AR.2021.129
Physical Description:
6 Folder(s)
consisting of two (2) folders of correspondence, one (1) folder of scripts, one (1) folder of theater programs, one (1) folder
of postcards, and one (1) folder of miscellaneous items such as photos, contracts, and a bank book
Date (inclusive): 1920-1965
Abstract: The Alfred Douglas Harmer Collection contains letters from Alfred Douglas Harmer's family and romanitic interests while he
was a young man, as well as letters written by Harmer to his wife in later years. Also included is an array of scripts and
programs documenting his professional career as a playwright.
Language of Material:
English
.
The Alfred Douglas Harmer Collection contains letters that the playwright, son of artist Alexander Francis Harmer, received
and wrote over the years 1920-1965. The collection also includes a mix of personal and professional items such as: photos,
contracts, event invitations, telegrams, his personal bank book, postcards, and scripts and programs for plays Harmer directed.
Alfred Douglas Harmer was the youngest son of artist Alexander Francis Harmer. He started his career as a playwright at the
age of eleven and by the time he was eighteen years old, he had written and produced eight plays portraying the life of early
California. He later went on to marry Florence J. Weston and edit a Santa Barbara bilingual magazine titled
Don Quijote.
The Alfred Douglas Harmer Collection is arranged in six files:
1) Letters from family, 1925-1956
2) Letters - Business/H. Bernard, 1923-1931
3) Programs
4) Scripts
5) Miscellaneous
6) Postcards
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The materials were acquired from Matt Sankary.
Harmer (Alexander Bertrand) and family materials, 2017-002, Gledhill Library, Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Santa Barbara,
California.
The Alfred Douglas Harmer Collection was processed by Kerri Phillip in April 2022.
[Identification of file], Alfred Douglas Harmer Collection, AR-2021-129, Gledhill Library, Santa Barbara Historical Museum,
Santa Barbara, California.
Collection is open for research.
Property rights reside with the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. For permissions to reproduce or to publish, please contact
the Head Archivist of the Gledhill Library.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Letters
Theaters
Postcards
Old Spanish Days Fiesta
Banks and banking
Harmer, A. Douglas, Mr. (Alfred Douglas), 1907-1993
Otte, William L. (William Louis), 1871-1957
Harmer family
Sankary, Matt
Letters from family 1925-1956
Physical Description: 51 Sheets-consisting of fifty-one (51) letters from Alfred Douglas Harmer's family, and from Harmer to his wife Florence.
Letters - business/H. Bernard 1923-1931
Physical Description: 16 Sheets-consisting of fourteen (14) letters between Alfred Douglas Harmer and Hilda Bernard over the course of their romance and
two (2) letters from an attorney concerning an accident Harmer witnessed
Programs
Physical Description: 14 Item(s)-consisting of thirteen (13) copies of playbills from projects Alfred Douglas Harmer worked on and one (1) photo of a marquee
with "Douglas Harmer" on it
Scripts
Physical Description: 1 Folder(s)-consisting of one (1) folder of loose leaf script pages from several different productions that Alfred Douglas Harmer directed
and created
Miscellaneous
Physical Description: 1 Folder(s)-consisting of one (1) folder containing:
eight (8) telegrams;
six (6) photos enclosed in cards/letters,
four (4) invitations to Fiesta teas and an art show for William Otte;
one (1) photo negative enclosed in card;
one (1) Santa Barbara High School class roster;
one (1) bank book;
one (1) car deed;
one (1) airplane insurance contract;
one (1) Fiesta booklet;
one (1) check written by Alfred Douglas Harmer;
one (1) Santa Barbara brochure
Postcards
Physical Description: 74 Postcards-consisting of seventy-four (74) postcards, both blank and written on