Finding aid for the Stephen Goosson papers 2492
Diann Benti
USC Libraries Cinematic Arts Library
2022 May
Doheny Memorial Library G4
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, California 90089-0185
ctlibarc@usc.edu
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Cinematic Arts Library
Title: Stephen Goosson papers
Creator:
Goossón, Stephen, 1889-1973
Identifier/Call Number: 2492
Physical Description:
1.75 Linear Feet
1 box and 1 oversize folder
Date (inclusive): 1920-1945
Abstract: This collection chiefly contains set design drawings by American movie set designer and art director Stephen Goosson (1889-1973)
for various films Goosson worked on from the 1920s to the 1940s.
Language of Material:
English.
Conditions Governing Access
Advance notice required for access.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Stephen Goosson, August 28, 1972.
Biographical / Historical
Stephen Goosson (1889-1973) was an American film set designer and art director chiefly from the late 1910s to the 1940s. He
was an architect in Detroit, Michigan (1915-1919), before moving to Hollywood to work for Lewis Selznick (1919), Mary Pickford
(1920-1921), and Joseph M. Schenck (1921-1925), First National (1925-1927) and then as chief art director for Columbia Pictures
(1934-1935, 1944-1948). While at Columbia, he worked on all the Frank Capra productions. In the mid 1940s, he became an oil
painter.
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder no. or item name], Stephen Goosson papers, Collection no. 2492, Cinematic Arts Library, USC Libraries, University
of Southern California.
Scope and Contents
This collection chiefly contains set design drawings by American movie set designer and art director Stephen Goosson for various
films Goosson worked on from the 1920s to the 1940s. The drawings consist of set designs for Blind Youth (1 sketch), East
is West (1 sketch); Feather in Your Hat (2 sketches), The Flame in the Dark (2 plans and 4 sketches), A Thousand and One Nights
(18 sketches), an unproduced Frank Capra film about Chopin (photograph reproductions of 19 sketches), and 10 unidentified
set sketches. There is also a compact disc containing four scans of sketches for The Love Light. There are also two production
stills for Little Lord Fauntleroy and some architectural sketches. In addition, there is a 1972 letter from Goosson describing
some of his work and a biographical note and some photocopied biographical information.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Cinematic Arts Library
at ctlibarc@usc.edu. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Cinematic Arts Library as the owner of the physical
items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Motion picture set designers -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources
Set designers -- United States -- Archival resources
Drawings
Set design drawings
Goossón, Stephen, 1889-1973 -- Archives
Box 1, Folder 1
Letter from Stephen Goosson to Robert Knutson
1972-09-18
Box 1, Folder 3
Little Lord Fauntleroy (Mary Pickford)
1921
Scope and Contents
2 production stills.
Box 1, Folder 5
Blind Youth (Selznick Co.)
1920-11
Scope and Contents
1 sketch.
Box 1, Folder 6
East Is West
1922-04-24
Scope and Contents
1 sketch.
Box 1, Folder 7
Feather in Your Hat (Santell Prod.)
1935
Scope and Contents
2 sketches.
Box 1, Folder 8
The Flame in the Dark (Mary Pickford Co.)
1920-09
Scope and Contents
2 plans and 4 sketches.
Box 1, Folder 9
[Frank Capra film on Chopin] (unproduced film)
1937
Scope and Contents
19 8x10" stills of sketches.
Box 1, Folder 4
The Love Light (Mary Pickford Co.)
1921
Scope and Contents
4 TIFF scans of sketches on compact disc. Location of originals unknown.
Oversize-folder 1
A Thousand and One Nights (Columbia Pictures)
[1945]
Scope and Contents
18 charcoal drawings.
Box 1, Folder 10
Unidentified set sketches
1927 and undated
Scope and Contents
10 interior and exterior sketches.
Box 1, Folder 11
Architectural sketches
1923-1929
Scope and Contents
8 pencil sketches on lined notebook paper.
