]> PUBLIC "-//The New York Public Library::Manuscripts and Archives Division//TEXT (US::NN::MSS::W93-a41::Louis K. Anspacher Papers)//EN" "mssanspache.xml" Inventory of the Louis K. Anspacher Papers, 1903-1960 Charles Kronick; machine readable finding aid created by Apex Data Services and revised by Chatham Ewing.

© 1999 The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations. All rights reserved.

 Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by Apex Data Services, February 1999. ENG March 24, 1999 Initial changes to APEX tagging completed by C. Johnson with notes to C. Ewing added for additional changes March 30, 1999 Changes finished by C. Ewing according to direction. October 16, 2006 EAD v1.0 finding aid converted to EAD 2002 using UC Berkeley's eadv1to2002.pl perl script. Inventory of the Louis K. Anspacher Papers, ca. 1903-1960 W93-a41 Manuscripts and Archives Division The New York Public Library New York, New York Manuscripts and Archives Division. New York Public Library. Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street Room 328 New York, NY 10018-2788 (212) 930-0801 mssref@nypl.org http://nypl.org/research/chss/spe/rbk/mss.html Charles Kronick 1986 Apex Data Services February, 1999 Encoding funded by the generous support of the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.

© 1999 The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations. All rights reserved.

 Descriptive Summary Louis K. Anspacher Papers, ca. 1903-1960 W93-a41 2 linear feet (4 boxes The New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
New York, New York 10018-2788
Papers consist of correspondence and theatrical writings, ca. 1903-1960 of Louis K. Anspacher, playwright, author, lecturer, and occasional actor. English Administrative Information Source

Gift of Mrs. Florence Sutro Anspacher, May 1960

 Access

Collection is open to research. Apply in Special Collections Office.

Preferred Citation

Louis K. Anspacher Papers, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations.

 Subjects Anspacher, Louis Kaufman, 1878-1947 Drama -- 20th century Theater -- Europe Theater -- Great Britain Theater -- United States Theater and society Dramatists Le cturers Coburn, Charles D., 1877-1961 Rumsey, John, dramatist Biographical Note

Louis K. Anspacher (1878-1947) was a playwright, author, lecturer, and occasional actor. Born in Ohio, he was raised, educated and resided in New York City and its environs. After taking degrees in law and philosophy at Columbia University in 1905, Anspacher turned to writing for the theater and lecturing for his livelihood. He published 17 plays between 1904 and 1940, as well as lecturing at the League for Political Education (1906-1947), the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences (1908-1947), and at Columbia University/Institue of Arts and Sciences. He toured extensively in the United States/lecturing on drama, art, politics, and social problems, often while acting in touring theater companies under an assumed name. In addition to his plays, Anspacher published three collections of poetry from 1943-1946, including several works commissioned by Isadora Duncan, and seven volumes of literary and social criticism and philosophy. Dr. Anspacher was also an active supporter of woman suffrage and birth control.

 Scope and Content Note

The Louis K. Anspacher Papers consist of correspondence and theatrical writings. The correspondence (1903-1960), with actors, directors, producers and agents, including Charles Coburn and John Rumsey, concerns the publication, copyrights, and productions of Anspacher's plays in Europe, Great Britain and the United States, and includes contracts, agreements and royalty statements. The writings consist of multiple drafts, both manuscript and typescript, of several of Anspacher's plays, including Rhapsody and That Day, as well as many of his lectures on theater, drama and society.

 Container Listing Series I. Correspondence, 1903-1960 1 1 Letters from Charles Coburn with replies from Anspacher, 1942-46 1 2 Letters from Henry Kolker, 1914-15; n.d.

with one reply from Anspacher, and one letter from him to Oliver Morosco regarding Kolker

 1 3 Letters from John W. Rumsey (American Play Co.) 1913-45

With two replies from Anspacher regarding his plays

 1 4 Letters regarding Madame Sans Gene, 1908; 1915-46

From John W. Rumsey (American Play Co.). Also, legal letters, 1915-28, from Ernst, Fox, & Cane (with one letter from Roi Cooper Meghue, Oct. 2, 1908).

1 5 Letters regarding Daddalums, 1912; 1919-20; n.d.

Letters from Louis Calvert and W. Edward Stirling, (with a few items from Hartley Milburn).

 1 6 Letters, 1915-17; 1934 - 60

Letters, 1915-17 from Oliver Morosco regarding The Unchastened Woman. Also, letters 1934-60 from John W. Rumsey (American Play Co.) regarding various plays of Anspacher's.

1 7 Miscellaneous Correspondence, ca. 1903-1945

Lena Ashwell, n.d.; August Blum, 1935; Mrs. Patrick Campbell, n.d.; Mary Helen Carlisle, 1918; Eddie Dowling, 1945; Daniel Frohman, n.d.; Theresa Helburn, 1945; Mary F. Roberts, 1945; Irene Vanbrugh, 1911, n.d.; Violet Vambrugh, 1918; John D. Williams, 1936; George Edward Woodbury, 1903-04; and a few unidentified items.

1 8a Letters regarding The Glass House, 1911-12

Letters from: Lena Ashwell, R. Golding Bright, Alf. Hayman, Elisabeth Marbury, Hartley Milburn.

1 8 b Letters from The International Copyright Bureau, Ltd., 1913

Letters regarding The Unchastened Woman.

 1 8c Misc. contracts and agreements 1 folder

Regarding various plays of Anspacher's.

 1 9a Letters from John W. Rumsey (American Play Co.), 1947

Regarding production rights of Madame Sans Gene.

 1 9b Royalty statements, 1933-48

Royalty statements for Our Children with some letters of transmittal from the publishers.

1 9c Copyrights, n.d.

Various plays and dates.

 Series II. Writings Plays 2 Unnumbered The Dim Light , and The Day of Wrath Breaks Over Germany MS. notes on The Dim Light, and one page carbon typescript of poem. 2 Unnumbered Rhapsody Various Drafts in Slipcase 2 Unnumbered Synopsis of Rhapsody MS. and typescript 2 Unnumbered That Day Original in Slipcase 2 Unnumbered That Day Various Drafts in Slipcase Lectures 2 Unnumbered The Mob and the Movies. September 1924 MSS and typescript of address. 3 10 Drama As a Revolutionary Force (Dec. 1911) MS. and typescript of lecture 3 11 Drama As a Social Force in a Democracy (1940) MS. of lecture 3 12 The Dramatic Point of View (Nov. 1910) MS. and typescript of lectures 3 13 Lectures on the Development of Drama (4): ca. 1909-1912, n.d. 4 MSS. and 4 typescripts

The Religious Origin of Modern Drama, <date>Feb. 1912; </date> The Roman Drama, <date>n.d.; </date> The New Heroic Drama, <date>n.d.; </date> The Eighteenth Century, <date>July 1909. </date>

3 14 Lectures on Greek Drama, ca. 1907 and n.d. 3 MSS. and 3 typescripts

The Greek Idea of Tragedy, <date>Oct. 1907; </date> Euripides, <date>n.d.; </date> Sophocles, <date>Oct. 1907. </date>

4 15 The Place of the Drama Among the Arts (n.d.) MS. and typescript 4 16 Psychology and Drama (Oct. 1930) MS. and typescript 4 17 The Public's Responsibility to the Theatre (Feb. 2, 1944) MS. and typescript of address delivered at National Arts Club 4 18 The Repertory Theatre (Jan. 1911) MS. and typescript of an address 4 19 The Spirit of Modern Drama (Oct. 1924) MS. and typescript 4 20 Introduction to John Millington Synge (July 1915) MS. and typescript of lecture 4 21 The Trend of the Modern Theatre (Oct. 1927) MS. and typescript of lecture 4 22 The Trend of the Modern Theatre (Apr. 1938) MS. and typescript of lecture 4 23 What Is Wrong with Our Theatre? (Dec. 1940) MS. and typescript of lecture