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Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Hanson A. Risley, July 2, 1869
Charlotte Cushman finds herself in a "poor & nervous state of health" and seeks treatment in England. She turns to Risley for business advice submitting to gender steretypes: "I can not know so much about business as if I were a man."She also…
Accounts of Charlotte Cushman's Life, Notes by Stebbins
This document is a collection of different quotes given by Charlotte Cushman before her death. It is supposedly written by Emma Stebbins and ranges from family history, childhood experiences, financial struggles, to early career ambitions and…
Charlotte Cushman's Diary, 1844/1845 (reused)
Charlotte Cushman writes a diary in 1844 and 1845. In October 1844, she gets on a steamer to go to Liverpool. In England, she hopes to be successful enough to enable her love, Rosalie Sully, to always be with her. The journey is rough and Charlotte…
Letter from Charles Cushman [?] to Emma Stebbins
First mentioned in the letter are Charlotte's first successes in Great Britain, of which Sally should be able to tell Stebbins more about. The sender, who could be Charles Cushman because he was in England with Charlotte in the 1840s and talks about…
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Eliza Meteyard
In this letter to English author Eliza Meteyard, Charlotte Cushman inquires about payment rates for journal articles in England (presumably on behalf of Matilda Hays)
Credit
Stead Collection, Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Madame Vraidot, June 10, no year
A letter of introduction written by Charlotte Cushman on account of an acquaintance who wants to enter the Convervatoire of Paris. Cushman complained about the volume of such requests, especially as she began to suffer from ill health (e. g. "For…
Letter from Wayman Crow to Emma Crow, April 6, 1871
Wayman Crow wants Emma Crow to have a place where Charlotte Cushman can stay and be cared for. Wayman wants to support her financially if necessary. Cushman is suffering from major health problems. Crow expects her to die soon.
Credit
Library of…
Copied Correspondence by Harold Moulton sent to Jennie Lorenz, Sept 25, 1950
Harold Moulton sends photostatic copies of two autographed letters to Lorenz. Lorenz requested material relating to Charlotte Cushman.The first letter is from Charlotte Cushman to Mrs Sarah J. Hale, Editor of “Lady’s Book” (Philadelphia). Cushman…
Emma Crow Cushman's Memoir about Charlotte Cushman: "A Memory" (1918)
Emma Crow Cushman emphasizes that she knew Charlotte Cushman "intimately." Emma and Charlotte met in 1858 when Charlotte brought two letters of introduction (by Hosmer and Kemble) to her father in St. Louis. Emma describes her as a "great artist and…
Transcript of Letter from Emma Stebbins to Sidney Lanier, Dec 21, 1880
This time, it was Lanier who was ill and could not reply to Stebbins's letters. Stebbins is once again addressing financial issues as she refuses to be repaid the sum of money that Lanier was paid for his contribution to Cushman's biography.…
"How Charlotte Cushman Came to Play 'Nancy Sykes,'" The Superior Times, Oct 26, 1878
The reprint from Brewster's article for the Boston Advertiser speaks to Cushman’s performance as Nancy Sykes before she went to England. It is a glowing review and covers Cushman’s financial precarity and beginning of her career. The article is…
Anne Brewster about Financial Independence, Diary Entry Excerpts (1878)
Anne Brewster finds herself earning "a comfortable independence." She is far better off than a year ago, working for Daily Evening Telegraph and Boston Advertiser.
Credit
The Library Company of Philadelphia
Anne Brewster's "Miss Cushman," Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Aug 1878
Anne Brewster describes the relationship between herself and Charlotte Cushman starting at the beginning of the 1840s as an "intimacy" and "intimate friendship". Together they were reading plays and preparing for Charlotte's performances on stage.…
Letter from Emma Stebbins to Anne Whitney, July 6, 1878
Emma Stebbins thanks Anne Whitney for her kind words about the Cushman-memoir and mentions the letters of praise she has received about the book. Stebbins also asks for information about Dr. Mitchell, famous for his rest cure, and the charges…
Anne Brewster about Blackwood and Gender Differences, Diary Entry Excerpts (1878)
The diary entries include discussions of illness, Brewster's anticipation of death, social networking, and payment negotiations with the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin and the Evening Telegraph. Brewster's brother initiated these negotiations as he…
Letter from Emma Stebbins to Dennis Alward, April 12, 1878
Emma Stebbins mentions her financial concerns as she has been "cut off, with all the annuitants — by the estate stopping payment for six months." Stebbins hopes "to make a little something out of the Book" referring to the biography of Charlotte…
Partial Transcript of Letter from Emma Stebbins to Sidney Lanier, Nov 29, 1877
Emma Stebbins deems Charlotte Cushman's time in England to be the most difficult period to cover for the biography due to the lack of facts. Stebbins is very concerned about the idea that the biography is mostly based on facts as opposed to insecure…
Transcript of Letter from Emma Stebbins to Sidney Lanier, Feb 18, 1877
It is the anniversary of Charlotte Cushman's death. Emma Stebbins is disillusioned since she has not heard back from England, for instance. Hence, the collection of material for writing the memoir is exhausting and takes a long time. Sallie supports…
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Charlotte Cushman
Charlotte Cushman becomes widely known on both sides of the Atlantic as the first successful US-American actress. Earlier, she was a singer under the tutelage of James G. Maeder, married to actress Clara Fisher, in Boston. Charlotte has been the sole financial support of her mother since her father…