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Collection Number: 03516

Collection Title: Bernard Shaw Papers, 1878-1964

This collection has use restrictions. For details, please see the restrictions.

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.


expand/collapse Expand/collapse Collection Overview

Size 5.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 5,000 items)
Abstract George Bernard Shaw was a playwright and critic; founding member of Fabian Society, 1884. The collection includes items related to George Bernard Shaw collected or received by Archibald Henderson (1877-1963), mathematics professor at the University of North Carolina, and other materials. Included is correspondence between Henderson and Shaw, his secretaries, and members of his family, largely relating to Henderson's biography of Shaw. Also included are letters and cards received from Shaw by Otto Kyllman of Constable & Co., London, publishers of Shaw's collected works, and carbon copies of the letters sent by Kyllman to Shaw. These letters, dated 1909-1950 (bulk 1929-1933), are concerned primarily with the business relations between the author and his publisher. Letters, 1891-1945 (photostatic copies), from Shaw to Sidney and Beatrice Potter Webb concern their common interest in the Fabian Society and socialism in theory and practice. Also included is correspondence, 1910-1950, between Shaw and Cyril Clemens. This consists largely of letters from Clemens to Shaw requesting permission to quote Shaw's work and to dedicate works to him, and soliciting his advice on publishing activities. Letters, 1888-1907 (copies), from Shaw to British publisher Thomas Fisher Unwin (1848-1935), concern publishing possibilities for his own work and that of others. Letters, 1896-1928, from Shaw to British actress Margaret Halstan (1879-1967) deal with the production of Shaw's plays in which Halstan appeared, offering advice on acting and making comments on the British theatrical scene. Letters from Shaw to Louis Calvert, Shavian actor and director, concern productions of Major Barbara. There is a small amount of other correspondence and compositions by Shaw as well as prints and photographs of Shaw and other subjects.
Creator Shaw, Bernard, 1856-1950.
Curatorial Unit University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
Language English
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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Information For Users

Restrictions to Access
No restrictions. Open for research.
Restrictions to Use
No copying or publication without permission.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Bernard Shaw Papers #3516, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Acquisitions Information
Received from Archibald Henderson, Series A (1959-1960), Series B (1960), Series E (1964); Series C received from Cyril Clemens of Kirkwood, Mo. (1962, 1976, and 1978); Series D/F received from Archibald Henderson, Mrs. Lucille Kelling Henderson, and other members of the Henderson Family (1962, 1970- 1976); Series H acquired from Swann Galleries, New York (1976); Series G acquired from multiple sources, including: Middle House, Witney, Oxfordshire, England (November 1975); Swann Galleries, New York (June 1976); Transfer from Rare Book Collection (July-August 1976); Bertram Rota, London (November 1977); Bertram Rota, London (June 1980); Paul C. Richards, Templeton, Mass. (October 1980); Jenkins Company, Austin, Tex. (October 1980); John Wilson, Witney, Oxfordshire, England (October 1980); Bernard Quartitch, London (July 1981); Paul Richards, Templeton, Mass. (July 1981); Transfer from Rare Book Collection (August 1981); Paul C. Richards, Templeton, Mass in January 1986 (Acc. 86001); Bertram Rota, London, in January 1997 (Acc. 97051); Charles Apfelbaum, Watchung, N.J., in April 2006 (Acc. 100369).
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.
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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Processing Information

Processed by: Tim Pyatt, April 1997

Encoded by: Jackie Dean, April 2006

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Subject Headings

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Biographical Information

George Bernard Shaw was born in Dublin in 1856. He moved to London in 1876 to devote himself to writing. In London, he worked as art, music, and drama critic on various London journals. Shaw was a founding member of the Fabian Society in 1884 and edited its Fabian Essays in Socialism (1889).

Among his plays were Arms and the Man (1898); Caesar and Cleopatra (1900); Man and Superman (1903); Major Barbara (1905); Androcles and the Lion (1912); and Pygmalion (1912). Shaw also wrote novels, tracts and books on socialism, and collections of music and dramatic criticism. He received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1925. Shaw died in 1950.

(Adapted from Webster's New Biographical Dictionary (1983).)

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Scope and Content

The collection includes items related to author George Bernard Shaw collected or received by Archibald Henderson (1877-1963), mathematics professor at the University of North Carolina, and other materials. Included is correspondence between Henderson and Shaw, his secretaries, and members of his family, largely relating to Henderson's biography of Shaw. Also included are letters and cards received from Shaw by Otto Kyllman of Constable & Co., London, publishers of Shaw's collected works, and carbon copies of the letters sent by Kyllman to Shaw. These letters, dated 1909-1950 (bulk 1929-1933), are concerned primarily with the business relations between the author and his publisher. Letters, 1891-1945 (photostatic copies), from Shaw to Sidney Webb and Beatrice Potter Webb concern their common interest in the Fabian Society and socialism in theory and practice. Also included is correspondence, 1910-1950, between Shaw and Cyril Clemens. This consists largely of letters from Clemens to Shaw requesting permission to quote Shaw's work and to dedicate works to him, and soliciting his advice on publishing activities. Letters, 1888-1907 (copies), from Shaw to British publisher Thomas Fisher Unwin (1848-1935), concern publishing possibilities for his own work and that of others. Letters, 1896-1928, from Shaw to British actress Margaret Halstan (1879-1967) deal with the production of Shaw's plays in which Halstan appeared, offering advice on acting and making comments on the British theatrical scene. Letters from Shaw to Louis Calvert, Shavian actor and director, chiefly concern productions of Major Barbara. There is a small amount of other correspondence and compositions by Shaw as well as prints and photographs of Shaw and other subjects.

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Contents list

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series Quick Links

expand/collapse Expand/collapse A. Constable & Co. Correspondence , 1909-1950.

238 items.

Arrangement: chronological.

This series consists of file correspondence from Constable & Company, London, publishers, containing letters and cards received by Otto Kyllmann, Chairman of the company, from Shaw, with carbon copies of letters sent by Kyllman to Shaw. Constable & Company published Shaw's collected works. The letters, dated 1909-1950, with the bulk from the 1929-1933 period, are concerned primarily with the business relations between publisher and author. The letters show Shaw's meticulous care in revising, correcting, and adding to his former texts in preparation for publication of his collected works.

Folder 1

Original Series A finding aid

1909-May 1930

Folder 2

June-December 1930

Folder 3

January-April 1931

Folder 4

May-August 1931

Folder 5

September-December 1931

Folder 6

1932

Folder 7

1933

Folder 8

1934-1950

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse B. Webb Correspondence, 1891-1945.

About 50 items.

Arrangement: chronological.

This series consists solely of negative photostatic copies made from original manuscripts in the Library of the London School of Economics. The copies are of letters written by Shaw to Sidney and Beatrice Webb and pertain to their common interest and activity in the Fabian Society and socialism in theory and practice. Other letters, 1913-1916, concern the New Statesman, its politics and business affairs. Other letters discuss Irish politics, the war, and the death of Shaw's wife

Folder 9

Original Series B finding aid

1891-1903

Folder 10

1911-1916

Folder 11

1917-1945

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse C. Clemens Correspondence, 1910-1950 and undated.

About 125 items.

Arrangement: chronological.

Primarily letters by Cyril Clemens to Shaw, asking about his writings, permission to quote, and advice on literary contracts. Also included is a 1948 manuscript (64 pages) of Shaw anecdotes Clemens wished to publish.

Folder 12

Original Series C finding aid

1910-1939

Folder 13

1940-1944

Folder 14

1945-1947

Folder 15

1948

Folder 16

1949-1950 and undated

Folder 17

Clippings and copies

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse E. Unwin Correspondence, 1888-1907.

19 items.

Arrangement: chronological.

Copies received from the Archibald Henderson estate; location of originals is unknown. The copies are of letters by Shaw to Thomas Fisher Unwin, publisher of Joseph Conrad, W. Somerset Maugham, and others. Shaw's letters concern publishing possibilities in connection to his own work and other potential projects.

Folder 18

Original Series E finding aid

1888-1907

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse D/F. Henderson Correspondence and Notes, 1878-1962 and undated.

About 4,500 items.

Arrangement: chronological.

This series consists primarily of Archibald Henderson's correspondence with Shaw, his secretaries, and other members of the Shaw family (folders 19-101). Also present are some of Henderson's notes on Shaw, a Shaw family genealogy, and other related writings and Shaw manuscripts. These items are described in the listings for folders 102-138.

Folder 19

Original Series D/F finding aid

Undated

Folder 20

1878-1895

Folder 21

1896-1900

Folder 22-23

Folder 22

Folder 23

1904

Folder 24-26

Folder 24

Folder 25

Folder 26

1905

Folder 27

1906

Folder 28-30

Folder 28

Folder 29

Folder 30

1907

Folder 31-32

Folder 31

Folder 32

1908

Folder 33-34

Folder 33

Folder 34

1909

Folder 35-36

Folder 35

Folder 36

1910

Folder 37-38

Folder 37

Folder 38

1911

Folder 39

1912-1914

Folder 40

1915-1918

Folder 41

1919

Folder 42

1920-1922

Folder 43

1923

Folder 44

1924

Folder 45-46

Folder 45

Folder 46

1925

Folder 47

1926-1927

Folder 48

1928

Folder 49

1929

Folder 50

1930

Folder 51-53

Folder 51

Folder 52

Folder 53

1931

Folder 54-55

Folder 54

Folder 55

1932

Folder 56-57

Folder 56

Folder 57

1933

Folder 58

1934-1936

Folder 59-60

Folder 59

Folder 60

1937

Folder 61

1938-1941

Folder 62

1942-1943, 1945-1947

Folder 63

1948

Folder 64-65

Folder 64

Folder 65

1949

Folder 66-70

Folder 66

Folder 67

Folder 68

Folder 69

Folder 70

1950

Folder 71-80

Folder 71

Folder 72

Folder 73

Folder 74

Folder 75

Folder 76

Folder 77

Folder 78

Folder 79

Folder 80

1951

Folder 81-85

Folder 81

Folder 82

Folder 83

Folder 84

Folder 85

1952

Folder 86-88

Folder 86

Folder 87

Folder 88

1953

Folder 89-91

Folder 89

Folder 90

Folder 91

1954

Folder 92-93

Folder 92

Folder 93

1955

Folder 94-97

Folder 94

Folder 95

Folder 96

Folder 97

1956

Folder 98-99

Folder 98

Folder 99

1957

Folder 100

1958-1959

Folder 101

1960-1962

Folder 102

Shaw genealogy, 1904-1905, by Reverend W. Ball Wright

Folder 103

Four Unpublished Poems Dedicated to Mrs. Patrick Campbell by G. B. Shaw, 1913 as transcribed by Blanche Patch, June 1952

Folder 104

Miscellaneous notes, photocopy of Shaw's comments written in a Shakespeare folio

Folder 105

Mansfield letters, typed copies of letter by Shaw to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Mansfield, 1894-1900

Folder 106

Miscellaneous photostatic copies

Folder 107

Miscellaneous music and articles, 1895 and before

Folder 108

Miscellaneous and medallions

Folder 109

Negative photostatic copies

Folder 110

Proof of Henderson's George Bernard Shaw, His Life and Works (1910)

Folder 111

Proof of Shaw's Back to Methuselah (1921)

Folder 112

Manuscript of Table Talk of Bernard Shaw by Henderson

Folder 113

Proof of Table Talk of Bernard Shaw (1929)

Folder 114

A Dialogue about Things in General, by Henderson

Folder 115

Manuscript of "Is Bernard Shaw a Dramatist" (18 February 1929)

Folder 116

Typed manuscript of "Chapter XVII" of George Bernard Shaw, His Life and Works by Henderson, corrected by G. B. Shaw

Folder 117

Manuscripts of Chapter II: "Alone in Ireland" with corrections by Shaw

Folder 118-130

Folder 118

Folder 119

Folder 120

Folder 121

Folder 122

Folder 123

Folder 124

Folder 125

Folder 126

Folder 127

Folder 128

Folder 129

Folder 130

Galley sheets and corrections for Henderson's George Bernard Shaw Playboy or Prophet 1932

Folder 131

Addition of December 1976

Folder 132

Additions of March and September 1973: Correspondence, 1904-1909

Folder 133

Additions of March and September 1973: Correspondence, 1910-1911

Folder 134

Additions of March and September 1973: Correspondence, 1912-1931

Folder 135

Additions of March and September 1973: Correspondence, 1932-1937

Folder 136

Additions of March and September 1973: Correspondence, 1943-1964

Folder 137

Shaw-Henderson from the Rare Book Collection, Addition of December 1980

Folder 138

Clippings, Addition of February 1976

Oversize Paper OP-3516/1

22 February 1937, Einstein to Shaw

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse G. Miscellaneous, 1893-1948.

About 65 items.

Arrangement: In order of acquisition.

Series consists of miscellaneous additions to the Shaw papers from various sources. Descriptions of the items are included as part of the folder list along with date of acquisition.

Folder 139

Original Series G finding aid

Acquisition of November 1975:

  • TLs, 3 November 1930, Shaw to W. W Sayer.
  • TL, 20 January 1931, W. W. Sayer to Shaw accompanied by TDs, Shaw on The Hypocrisy of Our Present Position over State Lotteries.

Folder 140

Acquisition of June 1976:

Als, 27 December 1928, Lewis Wynne to Shaw [letter requesting personal information].

Folder 141

Acquisition of July-August 1976:

  • TLs, 15 March 1923, Blanche Patch, secretary to Shaw, to F. D. Clewlow.
  • TLs, 7 April 1923, Patch to Clewlow.
  • TLs, 12 May 1932, Shaw to Mr. Buttitta (facsimile).

Folder 142

Acquisition of November 1977:

Primarily letters from Shaw to C. H. Grinling, Socialist member of the Woolwich Borough Council.

Includes:

  • Card, March 1901, Henry S. Salt to Grinling
  • Card, June 1903, Shaw to Grinling
  • Seven letters, June-July 1903, between Shaw and Grinling
  • Card, February 1904, from Shaw to London County Council
  • Seven letters, 1904-1933, between Shaw and Grinling
  • Four letters and cards, 1934-1935, from Shaw and his secretary to Grinling
  • Telegram, undated, Shaw to Grinling

Folder 143

Acquisition of June 1980:

Corrected typescript of Shaw's On Driving Capital Out of the Country.

Folder 144

Acquisition of October 1980:

  • ALs, 15 June 1893, Shaw to W. Joseph Wright
  • ALs, 11 September 1900, Shaw to Grant Richards
  • TLs, 4 July 1933, Shaw to Mrs. Pethick Lawreance
  • TL (carbon), 26 October 1933, [Lawrence?] to Shaw
  • L, 26 October 1933, Shaw to Lady Rhonda with copy of letter to Mrs. Lawrence attached

Folder 145

Acquisition of October 1980:

TLs, 7 October 1935, Shaw to Hamish Hamilton

Folder 146

Acquisition of October 1980:

TD with corrections, 16 January 1931, Shaw on the tendency of authors to be overly generous in assigning rights to publishers.

Folder 147

Acquisition of July 1981:

Materials relating to the publication of Shaw's Three Plays for Puritans, consisting of memorandum of agreement between Shaw and Grant Richards, receipts from the printer, R.& R. Clarke, Ltd., notes about the proof sheets, royalty statements, and other similar documents.

Folder 148

Acquisition of July 1981:

TLs with corrections, 11 June 1948, Shaw to Mr. Bentley.

Folder 149-153

Folder 149

Folder 150

Folder 151

Folder 152

Folder 153

Acquisition of August 1981:

Cards and letters, 1937-1938, from Shaw to Henry Charles Duffin with revised typescript of The Quintessence of Bernard Shaw.

Folder 154

Addition of January 1986 (Acc. 86001):

ALs, 25 November 1945 by Shaw to Jean Dauven with two 1931 agreements, one with Constable & Co. and the other with Fountain Press.

Folder 155

Addition of January 1997 (Acc. 97051):

Manuscript comments on Stalin and the Second World War, written in answer to a questionnaire from Hubert Humphreys. Also includes an autograph card by Shaw to Humphreys agreeing to answer the questions, 19 November 1940.

Folder 156

Addition of April 2006 (Acc. 100369)

Letters, 1905-1920, from Shaw to Louis Calvert, Shakespearean and Shavian actor and director. Letters chiefly concern the original London production of Major Barbara in 1905 and the New York production in 1915.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse H. Halstan Correspondence, 1896-1928.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse I. Pictures, 1879-1954 and undated.

67 items.

Arrangement: roughly chronological.

Note: Photographs P-3616/14-24 were taken by E. O. Hoppe of South Kensington, England.

Image P-3516/1

Original Series I finding aid

George Bernard Shaw, 1879. Halftone.

Image P-3516/2

Shaw, 1885. Albumen print.

Image P-3516/3

Shaw, 1885.

Image P-3516/4-5

P-3516/4

P-3516/5

Shaw, 1891. Cabinet cards.

Image P-3516/6

Shaw, 1894. Halftone. Reproduction of an original watercolor by J. Bernard Partridge.

Image P-3516/7

Shaw, 1894. Reproduction of a drawing by J. Bernard Partridge.

Image P-3516/8

Shaw, 1923. Photographer: Robert Lanbert, Bath, England.

Image P-3516/9

Shaw, 1930. Halftone.

Image P-3516/10

Shaw, 1931. Halftone.

Image P-3516/11

Shaw, circa1930-1945. Postcard.

Image P-3516/12-13

P-3516/12

P-3516/13

Shaw, circa1930-1945.

Image P-3516/14

Shaw, 1925.

Image P-3516/15

Shaw, 1931.

Image P-3516/16-19

P-3516/16

P-3516/17

P-3516/18

P-3516/19

Shaw, 1931.

Image P-3516/20-21

P-3516/20

P-3516/21

Shaw, circa 1930-1935.

Image P-3516/22-23

P-3516/22

P-3516/23

Shaw and unidentified man, circa 1930-1935.

Image P-3516/24

Shaw and several unidentified people, circa 1930-1935.

Image P-3516/25-26

P-3516/25

P-3516/26

Photos of a sculpture of Shaw by Jacob Epstein, 19??

Image P-3516/27

Caricature of Shaw by James Montgomery Flagg, 19??

Image P-3516/28

Two photos on one sheet; top is of Shaw and sculptor, J. Davidson, bottom is of Rev. William I. Shaw, George M. Shaw, and George I. Shaw, Photographer: The Huber Studio, Ontario, Canada.

Image P-3516/29

Shaw, Lena Ashwell, and Dr. Simson, 1913.

Image P-3516/30

Shaw, Lena Ashwell, Dr. Simson, and an unidentified woman, 1913.

Image P-3516/31

Shaw and an unidentified man, ca, 1900-1915.

Image P-3516/32-33

P-3516/32

P-3516/33

Shaw and an unidentified man, circa 1930-1945.

Image P-3516/34

Rev. George I. Shaw, 1903.

Image P-3516/35

James J. Corbett, 1906.

Image P-3516/36

Maurice Colborne, 1935.

Image P-3516/37-38

P-3516/37

P-3516/38

Ernest Thesiger, circa 1939-1940. Postcards.

Image P-3516/39-40

P-3516/39

P-3516/40

Maurice Colborne, circa 1939-1940.

Image P-3516/41

Barry Jones, circa 1930-1950. Photographer: Vandamm Studio, New York.

Image P-3516/42

Henry Sweet, circa 1895-1912.

Image P-3516/43

William Morris, 19??. Photographer: Fred Hollyer, photograph of painting by G. F. Watts

Image P-3516/44

Photograph of plaque of Charlotte Shaw, circa 1921.

Image P-3516/45

Photograph of plaque of Anna Taft, circa 1921.

Image P-3516/46

Photograph of plaque of Joseph Conrad, circa 1921.

Image P-3516/47-50

P-3516/47

P-3516/48

P-3516/49

P-3516/50

Unidentified man, circa 1900-1915.

Image P-3516/51

George and Richard Shaw, 1913.

Image P-3516/52

Barry Jones, Margaret Rawlings, and Maurice Colborne, circa 1929-1930.

Image P-3516/53

Scene from Two True to be Good with Maurice Colborne and Barry Jones, circa 1925-1935.

Image P-3516/54

Photograph of Greek mask, circa 19??

Image P-3516/55-64

P-3516/55

P-3516/56

P-3516/57

P-3516/58

P-3516/59

P-3516/60

P-3516/61

P-3516/62

P-3516/63

P-3516/64

Photographs of buildings, enclosures from a letter by B. F. Stevens, 1954.

Image P-3516/65-66

P-3516/65

P-3516/66

Photographs of Holy Trinity Church and 37 Fitzroy Street, enclosures from a letter, possibly by B. F. Stevens, circa 1954-1955.

Image P-3516/67

Negative of a sketch, 19??

Image P-3516/68

Archibald Henderson and Bernard Shaw

Verso reads: "Archibald Henderson endeavoring to protect Bernard Shaw from the importunities of the New York camera hounds and film fiends. Taken on board the round-the-world cruiser Empress of Britain in New York Harbor, April 11, 1933. On the hurricane deck may be observed James Montgomery Flagg making a sketch of the wild scene."

Image P-3516/69

Archibald Henderand and Mrs. Shaw?, undated

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