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George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library, MS2FL4400 University Dr.
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
Business Number: 703-993-2220
Fax Number: 703-993-8911
speccoll@gmu.edu
URL: https://scrc.gmu.edu
Greta Kuriger Suiter
Administrative Information
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions on personal use. Permission to publish material from the Hedley Gordon Graham papers must be obtained from Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University Libraries.
Access Restrictions
There are no access restrictions.
Preferred Citation
The Hedley Gordon Graham papers, #C0240, Special Collections and Archives, George Mason University Libraries.
Acquisition Information
Donated by W. H. Crain at the University of Texas in May 1988.
Processing Information
Processing completed by Greta Kuriger Suiter in September 2013. EAD markup completed by Greta Kuriger Suiter in September 2013.
Biographical note
Gordon Hedley Graham was a drama major at Columbia University and graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1925, he also spent a year at the Royal Academy of London and a year at the Max Rheinhardt School of Drama in Salzburg, Austria.
Professional experience includes working for the Theatre Guild in New York City as an Actor, Stage Manager, and Director of Understudies; work in Hollywood for MGM and Warner Brothers, as well as work in New Orleans. For the Federal Theatre Project he worked as the Assistant Executive Director of the I6 states and directed The Living Newspaper Theatre in Chicago for two years. He also taught at a variety of institutions including the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Adelphi College, Columbia University, Warner Brothers, Easthampton School of Rythmics (which he also owned), and the Theatre School of Drama at Carnegie Hall.
Scope and Content
The Hedley Gordon Graham papers contains a scrapbook, acting classes grade books, family photographs and photographs of Federal Theatre Project productions, correspondence, playbills, cards (possibly used for a treasure hunt game), scripts, and magazine and newspaper articles. Federal Theatre material includes photographs, newspaper clippings, and scripts for productions of O Say Can You Sing, Triple A Plowed Under, Altars of Steel, and Living Newspaper productions in Chicago.
The collection is divided into two series.
Series one consists of documents and photographs and is organized alphabetically.
Series two consists of oversize materials including three portrait photographs, a diploma, and a scrapbook.
Arrangement
Organized alphabetically by folder title.
Missing Title Series 1: Documents and Photographs, 1920s-1983 (Boxes 1-3) Series 2: Oversize, 1920s-1930s (Box 4)Related Material
The Works Progress Administration oral histories collection, the Federal Theatre Project collection, the Federal Theatre Project photograph collection, as well as numerous other personal papers.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- Federal Theatre Project (U.S.)
- Graham, Hedley Gordon
- New Deal, 1933-1939
- Performing arts
- Theater -- United States
Container List
Series one contains acting classes grade books, family photographs and photographs of Federal Theatre Project productions, correspondence, playbills, cards (possibly used for a treasure hunt game), scripts, and magazine and newspaper articles. This series is organized alphabetically by folder title.
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 1
Correspondence1928-1929
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 2
Correspondence1930s
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 3
Correspondence1940s
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 4
Correspondence1950s
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 5
Correspondence1960s
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 6
Correspondence1970s
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 7
Correspondencecirca 1930s-1970s
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 8
Correspondence and notes, Federal Theatre Project1930s
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 9
Employment documents; Radio production for Recreation manual; programs1936-1941
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 10
Living Newspaper programsMay 1936
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 11
Louisiana trip with Joe Earle1949
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 12
Miscellaneous: travel related, Long Island Fair, theatre techniques1931-1983
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 13
Newspaper clippings1935-1937Scope and Content
Federal Theatre Project
- Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 14
Newspaper clippings1943-1983
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 1
Notebook of song lyrics1936
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 2
Notebooks1950sScope and Content
Acting class and record books
-
O Say Can You Sing lyricscirca 1930sScope and Content
Includes photocopies of lyrics to the songs "I could go for you," "O say can you sing," "The show must go on," and "When we're out of the red and into the blue."
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 3
Photographscirca 1920s-1977Scope and Content
Personal photographs and Federal Theatre Project related. Altars of Steel in Atlanta and the Living Newspaper production 1935.
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 5
Photographs: O Say Can You Sing (1 of 2)December 1936
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 5
Photographs: O Say Can You Sing (2 of 2)December 1936
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 6
Photographs: Triple A Plowed UnderMarch-May 1936
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 7
Photographs: Triple A Plowed UnderMarch-May 1936
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 8
Playbills and programs1928-1966
- Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 9
Scriptscirca 1930s-1950s
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 1
Scripts (published)1946-1951
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 2
Scripts: Triple A Plowed Under1936
- Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 3
Treasure Hunt game (index cards)undated
Series two consists of three large portrait photographs, a diploma, and Hedley Gordon Graham's Federal Theatre Project related scrapbook. This series is organized alphabetically.
- Mixed Materials box: 4
Diploma from the Academy of Dramatic Arts1925
- Mixed Materials box: 4
Three oversize portrait photographscirca 1930s
- Mixed Materials box: 4 folder: 1
Scrapbook1935-1937