Edwin Booth Family Collection, 1865-1962

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Summary

Creators:
Booth Family
Abstract:
Edwin Booth was a 19th century American actor from a well-known acting family that also included his thespian brothers Junius Brutus Jr. and John Wilkes Booth. Booth made his stage debut in 1849, and his great granddaughter Edwina Booth Waterbury Cutting continued the family vocational tradition by pursuing an acting career of her own in the 1930s and 1940s. The Edwin Booth Family Collection contains ephemera and photographs related to Edwin Booth's acting career and the personal and professional lives of his descendants.
Extent:
8.31 linear feet
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materialsguide.

Background

Scope and content:

The Edwin Booth Family Collection contains photographs, correspondence, and ephemera related to Edwin Booth and his descendants. The collection is arranged into two series: Series I: Edwin Booth (1865-1891), Series II: Booth Family (1870-1962).

Series I, Edwin Booth, consists of correspondence written by Edwin, theater programs, autographs, and ephemera from Edwin's lifetime, as well as photographs of Edwin and contemporary actors. Materials are arranged chronologically.

Series II, Booth Family, contains correspondence written by Edwin's family members and newspaper clippings collected by family members about Edwin's career and legacy after his death. It also includes correspondence and ephemera related to Booth's granddaughter Mildred Booth Grossman Waterbury Tilton, great granddaughter Edwina Booth Waterbury Cutting, Edwina's stepfather Arthur Colburn Tilton, and other relatives. The press, photographs, and publications document the installation of the Edwin Booth statue in Gramercy Park, Mildred's husband Cleveland Livingston Waterbury's World War I training, family trips on the RMS Lucania in 1894, trips to Jamaica, and Mildred's last husband Arthur C. Tilton's Harvard College ephemera. There are also a small number of materials related to the Players Club founded by Edwin in 1888, Edwin's home Boothden built in 1883 in Middletown, Rhode Island, and the Booth family home Tudor Hall in Bel Air, Maryland. Materials are arranged chronologically, with female family members described by their maiden names.

Biographical / historical:

Actor Edwin Booth (1833-1893) was well-known for his work as a tragedian, especially playing Shakespeare's Hamlet. Booth was son of actor Junius Brutus Booth, and sibling to actors Junius Brutus Booth, Jr., John Wilkes Booth, and writer Asia Booth Clarke. Edwin made his stage debut in 1849 with his father Junius. After his father's death in 1852, Edwin toured Australia and Hawaii, earning stage recognition during his 1856 engagement in Sacramento, California. He is remembered today for his Shakespeare performances, particularly his Hamlet in 1864-1865, which he produced with brothers Junius and John.

In 1861, Edwin married Mary Devlin and they had one daughter Edwina (1861-1938). Edwina married banker Ignatius Grossman in 1885. They had two children, Clarence Edwin Booth Grossman, an artist, and Mildred Booth Grossman (1886-1960). During World War I, some family members changed their last name from Grossman to Crossman due to anti-German sentiment. Mildred had three marriages, with the first to Fordham C. Mahony in 1907. She married Cleveland Livingston Waterbury in 1916, and they had two children, Booth (1917-1974) and Edwina (1918-1985). Mildred's third husband was Arthur C. Tilton. Mildred's daughter Edwina is referred to as "Hope" in early family albums. She married actor Richard H. Cutting in 1951.

Acquisition information:
Edwina Booth Cutting. 1972.
Processing information:

Tony Gardner, 2010

Arrangement:

Series I: Edwin Booth, 1865-1891

Series II: Booth Family, 1870-1962

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

Terms of access:

Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection has been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materialsguide.

Location of this collection:
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330, US
Contact:
(818) 677-4594
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