Charles Haddon Chambers, 1899 - 1923
Scope and Contents
Materials related to playwright C. Haddon Chambers, chiefly a bound handwritten manuscript of The Tyranny of Tears. The manuscript is written on several different sizes of paper bound together, and features a number of small illustrations and doodles. The title is tooled in gold on the cover, along with an inscription “To Madame Melba, From her Friend and Compatriot The Author” and dated 1899. Madame Melba was the nickname of famed Australian soprano Nellie Melba, who was known to be Chambers' mistress for some years. Also included are three pieces of ephemera: an undated letter in Chambers’ hand addressed only to “my own darling”, a typed letter to Chambers regarding his play The Saving Grace, dated 1918, and a press cutting from 1923 discussing the remarriage of Chambers’ widow .
Dates
- 1899 - 1923
Conditions Governing Access
Most manuscripts collections at the Georgetown University Booth Family Center for Special Collections are open to researchers; however, restrictions may apply to some collections. Collections stored off site require a minimum of three days for retrieval. For use of all manuscripts collections, researchers are advised to contact the Booth Family Center for Special Collections in advance of any visit.
Biographical / Historical
Charles Haddon Chambers (1860-1921), was an Australian-born dramatist active in England. Following a childhood in Sydney, in the 1890s Chambers emigrated to London, where he wrote for various magazines, including The Bulletin, Society, and Truth. Turning his hand to playwriting, he had little success until Captain Swift (1888) which was popular both in England and the US, and was made into a 1920 silent film. He wrote 20 further plays, including The Fatal Card (1894), The Tyranny of Tears (1899), Passers-by (1911) and The Saving Grace (1917).
Extent
From the Collection: 30 Cubic Feet (68 boxes)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
From the Collection: Latin
From the Collection: French
From the Collection: Italian
From the Collection: Welsh
From the Collection: Danish
From the Collection: Swedish
From the Collection: Spanish
From the Collection: German
From the Collection: Norwegian
From the Collection: Persian
From the Collection: Japanese
From the Collection: Russian
From the Collection: Greek, Ancient (to 1453)
Creator
- From the Collection: Scheetz, Nicholas B., 1952-2016 (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Georgetown University Manuscripts Repository
Lauinger Library, 5th Floor
37th and O Streets, N.W.
Washington DC 20057
speccoll@georgetown.edu