Collection context
Summary
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Letters (including fan mail), literary productions, legal and financial records, scrapbooks, clippings, theater programs, and other materials relating to the life and career of William S. Hart. Hart's correspondence includes letters from Wyatt Earp and Thomas H. Ince. Paul Conlon's (Hart's publicist) correspondence with newspaper editors and others is also part of the collection. There are manuscripts and typescripts of many of Hart's writings, including the manuscript for his autobiography, My Life East and West. Legal documents relate to Hart's various lawsuits, including Hart vs. Thomas Ince and Hart vs. United Artists. Financial records include documents pertaining to Hart's life at his ranch in Newhall, California, and to his career (there are records from the Famous Players- Lasky Corporation and from the William S. Hart Company). The clippings and scrapbooks describe, for example, Hart's film appearances, his marriage to and separation from Winifred Westover, and his decision to remain retired, rather than returning to films. Additionally, there are two Mary Ellen Hart (Hart's sister) diaries that contain only brief passages. See also Gen. Col. 1191 The Fred Gehring Letters, and Gen. Col. 1192 The William S. Hart County Park Research Files. See also P-20.1, P-75, P-98, MSS-247, MSS-251, MSS-575.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Stage and motion picture actor, film director, author. Best known for his roles in western films.
Indexed terms
- Subjects:
- Actors and actresses.
About this collection guide
- Date Prepared:
- 1889-1947
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using Record Express for OAC5 on July 14, 2025, 2:54 p.m.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Research is by appointment only
- Terms of access:
-
Permission to publish, quote or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder
- Preferred citation:
-
William Surrey Hart (1864?-1946) Papers . Seaver Center for Western History Research, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
- Location of this collection:
-
900 Exposition BoulevardLos Angeles, CA 90007-4057, US
- Contact:
- (213) 763-3359