Florence Marx Hellman theatrical diaries, 1903-1942

Summary

Creators:

Hellman, Florence Marx

Abstract:

Theatrical diaries kept by Florence Marx Hellman of Los Angeles, California.

Extent:

2 Linear Feet (16 volumes)

Language:

Materials are in English.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Florence Marx Hellman theatrical diaries, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The diaries contain detailed descriptions and critiques of many plays, concerts and performers, with printed programs and photographs pasted into the volumes. The plays, operas and concerts were performed in theaters in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Venice, Paris, London, Berlin, Munich and Vienna. The diaries also discuss automobile trips that the Hellmans took in Europe, current fashions, social life, etc. The diaries cover many well-known actors, singers, dancers, composers, playwrights and members of the British Royal Family including: Zoe Akins, Queen Alexandra, Judith Anderson, Fred Astaire, Josephine Baker, Tallulah Bankhead, J.M. Barrie, Ethel Barrymore, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Sarah Bernhardt, Jack Buchanan, Billie Burke, Enrico Caruso, Noel Coward, Isadora Duncan, Queen Elizabeth II, Edith Evans, Geraldine Farrar, Lynn Fontanne, John Gielgud, Helen Hayes, Leslie Howard, Charles Laughton, Gertrude Lawrence, Alfred Lunt, W. Somerset Maugham, Henry Miller, Vaslaw Nijinsky, Anna Pavlova, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Will Rogers and Peggy Wood. All of the volumes are in poor condition with loose covers, pages and bindings, but no pages or text have been lost.

Biographical / historical:

Florence Marx Hellman, wife of Irving Herman Hellman, a Los Angeles civil engineer and entrepreneur. The Hellmans were married on November 30, 1911 in Los Angeles. She died in Los Angeles in December 1962.

Acquisition information:

Gift of Sandi Walker, June 2001.

Processing information:

Collection was processed by Gayle M. Richardson in August 2005. In 2021, Brooke M. Black created a finding aid.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Automobile travel -- England
Fashion -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
Fashion -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
Theater and society -- California
Theater -- Europe -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
Theater -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
Theater -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
Diaries -- United States -- 20th century
Scrapbooks -- United States -- 20th century
Theater programs -- United States -- 20th century

Names:

Akins, Zoë, 1886-1958
Alexandra, Queen, consort of Edward VII, King of Great Britain, 1844-1925
Anderson, Judith, 1897-1992
Astaire, Fred
Baker, Josephine, 1906-1975
Bankhead, Tallulah, 1902-1968
Barrie, J. M. (James Matthew), 1860-1937
Barrymore, Ethel, 1879-1959
Barrymore, John, 1882-1942
Barrymore, Lionel, 1878-1954
Bernhardt, Sarah, 1844-1923
Buchanan, Jack, 1890-1957
Burke, Billie, 1885-1970
Caruso, Enrico, 1873-1921
Coward, Noel, 1899-1973
Duncan, Isadora, 1877-1927
Elizabeth, Queen, consort of George VI, King of Great Britain, 1900-2002
Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain, 1926-
Evans, Edith, 1888-1976
Farrar, Geraldine, 1882-1967
Fontanne, Lynn
George V, King of Great Britain, 1865-1936
George VI, King of Great Britain, 1895-1952
Gielgud, John, 1904-2000
Hayes, Helen, 1900-1993
Howard, Leslie, 1893-1943
Laughton, Charles, 1899-1962
Lawrence, Gertrude
Lunt, Alfred.
Margaret, Princess, Countess of Snowdon, 1930-2002
Mary, Queen, consort of George V, King of Great Britain, 1867-1953
Maugham, W. Somerset (William Somerset), 1874-1965
Miller, Henry, 1889-1927
Nijinsky, Vaslaw, 1890-1950
Pavlova, Anna, 1881-1931
Rachmaninoff, Sergei, 1873-1943
Rogers, Will, 1879-1935
Windsor, Edward, Duke of, 1894-1972
Wood, Peggy, 1892-1978

Places:

England -- Description and travel
Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 20th century
United States -- Social life and customs -- 20th century

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]. Florence Marx Hellman theatrical diaries, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:

Huntington Library, Manuscript Collections

1151 Oxford Road

San Marino, CA 91108, US

Contact:

(626) 405-2191

reference@huntington.org

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