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Craig (Edward G.) papers
LSC.1006
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Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: Edward Gordon Craig papers
Creator:
Craig, Edward Gordon
Identifier/Call Number: LSC.1006
Physical Description:
10.5 linear feet
(15 boxes, 16 oversize boxes, and 3 cartons)
Date (inclusive): 1883-1966
Abstract: Edward Henry Gordon Craig (1872-1966) was a member of the Lyceum, London, where he received training as an actor and began
his career in stage design and production (1889-95). He was appointed Royal Designer for Industry of the Royal College of
Art (1938), made a Companion of Honour (1958) and was appointed president of the Mermaid Theatre, London (1964). The collection
consists of materials related to Craig's career as an English stage designer and producer.
Physical Location: Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright,
are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright
and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
B.F. Stevens & Brown, Limited, purchase, 1960.
UCLA Catalog Record ID:
999645573606533
[Identification of item], Edward Gordon Craig Papers (Collection 1006). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young
Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Processed by Charlotte Payne, August 1976. Revised by Lilace Hatayama, February 1987.
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Edward Henry Gordon Craig was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England, January 16, 1872; son of Ellen Terry, a Shakespearean
actress, and Edward William Godwin, and brother of Edith Craig, a theatrical producer and director; attended Southfield Park
School in Tunbridge Wells, Bradfield College, and Heidelberg College in Germany; married and later divorced from actress May
Gibson; member of the Lyceum, London, where he received training as an actor and began his career in stage design and production,
1889-95; involved in productions such as
Acis and Galatea (1902),
The Vikings at Helgeland (1903), and
Much Ado About Nothing (1903); publications include:
The Art of the Theatre (1905),
On the Art of Theatre (1911),
Scene (1923),
Woodcuts and Some Words (1924) and a partial biography titled,
Index to the Story of My Days (1957); magazine publications include:
The Page (1898-1901) and
The Mask (1908-29); appointed Royal Designer for Industry of the Royal College of Art, 1938; made a Companion of Honour, 1958; president
of the Mermaid Theatre, London (1964); died July 29, 1966 in Vence, France.
| January 16, 1872 | Edward Henry Gordon Craig born at Stevenage, Hertsfordshire, England. Son of Ellen Terry and Edward William Godwin. |
| 1883-1886 | Southfield Park School, Tunbridge Wells |
| 1884-1885 | Visits United States on tour with Ellen Terry and Henry Irving. Makes first speaking appearance on stage in Eugene Aram. |
| 1886-1887 | Bradfield College. |
| 1887-1888 | Heidelberg College, Heidelberg. |
| 1888-1889 | Southfield Park School, Tunbridge Wells, as a private student. |
| 1889-1892 | At the Lyceum, London, under the direction of Henry Irving; provincial tours. |
| 1893 | At the Lyceum. Met James Pryde and William Nicholson (the Beggarstaff artists) and began wood carving; at Uxbridge does his first stage production, de Musset's On ne badine pas avec l'amour. |
| 1894 | Provincial tours. |
| 1895 | Leaves the Lyceum; provincial tours. |
| 1896 | Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet |
| 1897 | Meets Martin Shaw, the English composer and conductor. |
| 1898 | The Page |
| 1899 | Gordon Craig's Book of Penny Toys |
| 1900 | Bookplates, a booklet. Presents Dido and Aeneas |
| 1901 | Dido and Aeneas and The Masque of Love |
| 1902 | Acis and Galatea and The Masque of Love in London. Publishes souvenir program illustrated by his woodcuts for the performance. Designs settings for Bethlehem |
| 1903 | The Harvest Home. Designs sets for Fred Terry's production of Sword and Song and enters theatrical management with Ellen Terry and Edith Craig (Edward Gordon Craig's sister) in production of Ibsen's The Vikings and Much Ado about Nothing |
| 1904 | Venice Preserved |
| 1905 | The Art of the Theatre |
| 1906 | Isadora Duncan - Six Movement Designs in Germany. Meets Eleonora Duse in Berlin and designs sets for Rosmersholm |
| 1907 | The White Fan |
| 1908 | The Mask in Florence as forum for theatre criticism; publishes A Portfolio of Etchings. Travels to Moscow to discuss Stanislavsky's production of Hamlet |
| 1910 | Travels to Moscow. |
| 1911 | On the Art of the Theatre. W.B. Yeats uses Craig's new screens in sets for his plays at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. Honored by dinner in London on July 16. In Moscow for the presentation of Hamlet |
| 1913 | A Living Theatre |
| 1914-1916 | School closes due to war and lack of funds; suspends publication of The Mask, writes marionette plays. |
| 1917 | Moves to the Villa Raggio, Rapallo, Italy. |
| 1918 | The Mask in April. Publishes The Marionette |
| 1919 | The Mask. The Theatre Advancing |
| 1922 | Invited to open the International Exhibition of Theatre Art and Craft at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. Exhibit travels to London and Manchester. |
| 1923 | Scene |
| 1924 | Woodcuts and Some Words, and Nothing, or the Bookplate |
| 1925 | Books and Theatres |
| 1926 | The Crown Pretenders |
| 1930 | Hamlet with Craig's prints is published. In A Production-1926, Craig's illustrations for The Crown Pretenders are published. Also published the biography, Henry Irving |
| 1931 | Ellen Terry and her Secret Self |
| 1934 | Invited to Volta Conference in Rome by Pirandello and Marconi; meets Marinetti, Maeterlinck, and Gropius. |
| 1935 | Visits Moscow and meets Brecht, Litvanov and Eisenstein. |
| 1938 | Appointed a Royal Designer for Industry. |
| 1940 | Taken to Stalag 142, Besançon, as a British citizen living in occupied Paris. |
| 1957 | Index to the Story of my Days |
| 1958 | Made a Companion of Honour. |
| 1962 | Eight Wood Engravings for Hamlet |
| 1966 | Dies in Vence, France. |
Collection consists of materials related to Craig's career as an English stage designer and producer. Includes correspondence,
manuscripts, books owned and annotated by Craig, articles by or referring to Craig, photographs, designs, and ephemera.
Rudolph Holzapfel Collection of Edward Gordon Craig Material (Collection 1482) . Available at UCLA Library Special Collections.
Portions of this collection have been digitized and are available online:
Edward G. Craig Papers (1 item).
Bernhardt, Sarah, 1844-1923.
Craig, Edith, 1869-1947.
Craig, Edward Anthony, 1904- .
The crown pretenders.
de Walden,
Lord Howard.
Greet,
Sir Ben, 1857-1936.
Housman, Laurence, 1865-1959.
Irving,
Sir Henry, 1838-1905.
St. John, Christopher Marie (pseudonym).
Terry,
Dame Ellen, 1847-1928.
Shaw, Martin Fallas, 1875-1958.
1. Actor G92, E86.
2. Stage Manager G86, E82.
3. Ophelia.
4. Ophelia Mad G136, E124.
5. Bird Dancer.
6. Ghost with Crown G17, E17.
7. Ghost with Bone G115, E110.
8. Hamlet & Daemon (Large).
9. Hamlet & Daemon (Small) G77, E70.
10. Hamlet with Skull G154, E150.
11. Laertes G160, E156.
12. Queen G134, E123.
13. A Lord (Guildenstern) G170, E162.
14. Seated Figure (Large).
14C. Seated Figure (Small).
15. King Claudius G122, E114.
16. Actor (3/4 length)--two blocks: second E64.
17. Polonius G24, E24.
18. Osric G168, E160.
19. Yorick G155, E151.
20. Gravediggers.
21. Candlebearer 1.
22. Candlebearer 2.
23. Candlebearer 3.
24. Candlebearer 4.
25. Doubt G162, E74.
26. Soldiers seated G10, E10.
27. Ghost in flames G11, E11.
28. Courtier.
29. Courtier.
30. Hamlet with curtain G21, E21.
31. Hamlet/Horatio profile.
32. Mask for Queen.
33. Soldier with Shield (Large) G9, E9.
34. Soldier with Shield (Small) G140.
Block 2 E128.
35. Fencer A:.
Block 1, Block 2, Block 3 G175, E167.
36. Fencer B:.
Block 1, Block 2 G175, E167, Block 3.
37. Hamlet & King Claudius G109, E102.
38. S.1 & S.3 Black Girl.
39. Girl with Stick.
40. Shylock.
41. Antonio.
42. Bassanio.
43. Lorenzo.
44. Lawyer.
45. Young Gobbo.
46. Old Gobbo.
47. Lady in Waiting.
48. Three Witches.
49. Running Figure.
50. The Jewess.
51. Cuchulain.
52. Priestess.
53. Group of Four Men.
54. Mask.
55. Mask.
56. Rosencrantz.
57. Guildenstern.
58. Iphigenia.
59. Mourners.
60. The Jew.
61B. Beauty.
62. The Beast.
63. Group of Eight Men.
64. Moses.
65. Lust.
66. Dancing Girl.
67. Hunger.
68. Girl with Ball.
69. Susanna.
70. First Elder.
71. Second Elder.
72. Hecuba.
73. Ophelia with Willow.
74. Roman Actor.
75. Electra.
76. Roman Actor.
77. Roman Actor.
78A. Roman Actor, Block 1.
78B. Roman Actor, Block 2.
79. The Scrivener.
80. The Priest.
81. Worshipper.
82. Gravedigger (Second) G149, E144.
82B. Gravedigger (First) G150, E146.
83. Portia.
84. Fear.
85. Eve.
86. Kultur, Culture, Cultura et cie.
87. Self-Portrait.
88. Thespis.
89. Hamlet with Sword:.
Block 1, Block 2 G111, E105.
90. Shakespeare.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Set designers -- England -- Archives.
Theatrical producers and directors -- England -- Archives.
Craig, Edward Gordon, 1872-1966