Scope and Contents
The Joseph Norton Ireland papers contains material relating to Ireland's research and writing on American theater and personal papers. Forty-nine volumes in the collection contain clippings, printed ephemera, such as playbills, autograph manuscript material, letters, and other material, as well as lists of theatrical performances and lists and profiles of stage performers. Also included are drafts, proofs, and an extra-illustrated version of Ireland's major publication, Records of the New York Stage from 1750 to 1860.
Dates
- 1770-1902
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Joseph Norton Ireland Papers is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of William Ireland Starr in memory of Susan Ireland Starr, 1945.
Arrangement
Organized into three series: I. Bound Volumes, 1770-1885. II. Manuscripts, 1852-1880. III. Other Material, 1807-1902.
Extent
18.4 Linear Feet (68 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Abstract
The collection contains material relating to Ireland's research and writings on American theater and personal papers. Forty-nine volumes in the collection contain clippings, printed ephemera, such as playbills, autograph manuscript material, letters, and other material, as well as lists of theatrical performances and lists and profiles of stage performers. The collection features drafts, proofs, and an extra-illustrated version of Ireland's major publication, Records of the New York Stage from 1750 to 1860.
Joseph Norton Ireland (1817-1898)
Joseph Norton Ireland, one of the major early historians of the American theater, entered his father's business after graduating from high school in his native New York. Leaving the company in 1855 and retiring to Bridgeport, Connecticut, Ireland devoted the rest of his life to studying and writing about the stage. His major work was Records of the New York Stage from 1750–1860 (1866–67), although he also wrote two biographies, Mrs. Duff (1882) and A Memoir of the Professional Life of Thomas Abthorpe Cooper (1888).
Biographical information taken from the Oxford Companion to American Theatre.
Processing Information
The collection received preliminary processing around the time of acquisition in 1945. Further organization, rehousing, and description were carried out in 2012.
Former call number: Za Ireland.
- Actors
- Ephemera (general object genre)
- Ireland family
- Ireland, Joseph Norton, 1817-1898
- Park Theatre (New York, N.Y. : Park Row)
- Photographs
- Playbills
- Scrapbooks
- Theater -- New York (State) -- New York -- History
- Theater -- United States -- History -- 19th century
- Theater critics -- New York (State) -- 19th century
- Theater critics -- New York (State) -- New York
- Theaters -- New York (State) -- New York -- History
- Title
- Guide to the Joseph Norton Ireland Papers
- Author
- by Beinecke staff
- Date
- July 2012
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.