Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Sefton, Thomas W. (1917-2006) and Laurel, Stan
- Abstract:
- The Thomas W. Sefton Laurel and Hardy Collection consists of photographs, movie stills and posters, correspondence, memorabilia, and scripts related to the great movie comedy team of Stan Laurel (1890-1965) and Oliver Hardy (1892-1957).
- Extent:
- 8 archival document boxes; 3 oversize boxes, 3 records storage boxes, 7 oversize folders
- Language:
- Languages represented in the collection: English
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Series number, Box and Folder number, Thomas W. Sefton Laurel and Hardy Collection, 083, Department of Archives and Special Collections, William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Thomas W. Sefton Collection of Laurel and Hardy Materials consists of photographs, movie stills and posters, correspondence, memorabilia, and scripts related to the great movie comedy team of Stan Laurel (1890-1965) and Oliver Hardy (1892-1957). The run of datable materials in the collection is from 1933 through 1994. Stan Laurel's personally annotated scripts, Laurel's opinions of his films and short films, and stills of Laurel and Hardy films: all came to Sefton from Stan Laurel and are now found in this collection. Extremely valuable as well, as a source for the history of Hollywood, is correspondence between the actor and Sefton and his family, containing much information on the production of Laurel and Hardy shorts and also movie production in the 1920s.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Thomas W. Sefton (1917-2006) was president of a major San Diego, California, bank (San Diego Trust) and a leading San Diego philanthropist, who had a life-long devotion to Laurel and Hardy. This interest in Laurel and Hardy led to a friendship with Stan Laurel before the latter's death in 1965. Sefton developed a correlative relationship with Hal Roach, the great producer of the 1920s and 1930s of, among other movie properties, the Laurel and Hardy films. His friendship with Stan Laurel meant that Thomas W. Sefton was able to accumulate from Laurel himself invaluable materials related to the career of the comedian, and, to a lesser extent, that of Oliver Hardy.
- Acquisition information:
- Donna K. Sefton, as Attorney-in-Fact for Thomas W. Sefton, donated the materials of this collection to Loyola Marymount University in 2003. The Department of Archives and Special Collections did not accession the materials until 2008 (accession number 2008.86).
- Arrangement:
-
This collection is divided into nine series: Series 1: Albums ; Series 2: Subject Files ; Series 3: Scripts; Series 4: Sketches ; Series 5: Lobby Cards, Posters; Series 6: Photographs; Series 7: Miscellaneous Documents and Materials ; Series 8: Audiocassettes, Reel-to-Reel Tapes and Videocassettes ; Series 9: Memorabilia. The series are based either on type of material, eg, scripts, or else Thomas W. Sefton's organization of materials into file folders, eg, Series 2: Subject Files. A description of each series, along with the box and folder list containing an index to the holdings is provided in the box and folder lists for each series.
- Physical location:
- Archives and Special Collections, William H. Hannon, Loyola Marymount University
- Rules or conventions:
- Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open to research under the terms of use of the Department of Archives and Special Collections, Loyola Marymount University.
- Terms of access:
-
Materials in the Department of Archives and Special Collections may be subject to copyright. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, Loyola Marymount University does not claim ownership of the copyright of any materials in its collections. The user or publisher must secure permission to publish from the copyright owner. Loyola Marymount University does not assume any responsibility for infringement of copyright or of publication rights held by the original author or artists or his/her heirs, assigns, or executors.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Series number, Box and Folder number, Thomas W. Sefton Laurel and Hardy Collection, 083, Department of Archives and Special Collections, William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University.
- Location of this collection:
-
1 LMU DriveLos Angeles, CA 90045-2659, US
- Contact:
- (310) 338-5710