Fonds GB 0096 AL362 - O'Casey, Sean: letters, May 1937- Dec 1957

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0096 AL362

Title

O'Casey, Sean: letters, May 1937- Dec 1957

Date(s)

  • 1937-1957 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

14 items

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Sean O'Casey was born John Casey in Dublin in 1880. He joined the Gaelic League in 1906 with the intention of learning the Irish language, adopting the name Seán O'Cathasaigh, but later re-Anglicizing the surname as O'Casey. He also became involved in the Irish Transport and General Workers Union set up by Jim Larkin to represent unskilled workers and in 1914 became General Secretary of Larkin's Irish Citizens Army. He had several works performed at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in the 1920s but after his play The Silver Tassle was rejected by the Abbey in 1929 he severed all links with the theatre. He then moved to England where he wrote Within the Gates in 1934, Purple Dust in 1940 and Red Roses for Me in 1953. He died of a heart attack in Torquay in 1964.

Archival history

See archivist

GB 0096 AL362 1937-1957 fonds 14 items O'Casey , Sean , 1880-1964 , playwright and writer x Casey , John x O'Cathasaigh , Seán

Sean O'Casey was born John Casey in Dublin in 1880. He joined the Gaelic League in 1906 with the intention of learning the Irish language, adopting the name Seán O'Cathasaigh, but later re-Anglicizing the surname as O'Casey. He also became involved in the Irish Transport and General Workers Union set up by Jim Larkin to represent unskilled workers and in 1914 became General Secretary of Larkin's Irish Citizens Army. He had several works performed at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in the 1920s but after his play The Silver Tassle was rejected by the Abbey in 1929 he severed all links with the theatre. He then moved to England where he wrote Within the Gates in 1934, Purple Dust in 1940 and Red Roses for Me in 1953. He died of a heart attack in Torquay in 1964.

See archivist

Gift from Mr P Newmark, 1967.

14 letters from Sean O'Casey to Peter Newmark, May 1937- Dec 1957. Topics covered include: literary critics and criticism; the Communist Party; the Roman Catholic Church; plays and playwrights; and the writing of O'Casey's works and their publication and performance in Britain, Ireland and the USA. Individuals mentioned include: James Evershed Agate, Samuel Beckett, Ugo Betti, T S Eliot, Jean Giraudoux, Eugène Ionesco, Eugene O'Neill, George Orwell, John Osborne, Terence Rattigan, Jean-Paul Sartre, and W B Yeats.

See hard copy catalogue.

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Access to individual items in Senate House Library archives collections may be restricted under the Data Protection Act or the Freedom of Information Act. Please contact the University Archivist for details. 24 hours notice is required for research visits.

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

English

Typescript catalogue available in the Library's Palaeography Room.

Presumably, Miss Treadwell retained the original letters after relinquishing these copies; the current whereabouts of the original letters is unknown.

Compiled by Anya Turner.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Aug 2008 Giraudoux , Hippolyte Jean , 1882-1944 , novelist and playwright x Giraudoux , Jean Eliot , Thomas Stearns , 1888-1965 , poet Blair , Eric Arthur , 1903-1950 , novelist and journalist known as George Orwell Beckett , Samuel , 1906-1989 , writer and dramatist Agate , James Evershed , 1877-1947 , drama critic Religions Ancient religions Christianity Catholicism Information sciences Publications Communications media Authors Writers Playwrights Theatre management Theatrical performances Plays (performance) Political doctrines Collectivism Communism Literature Literary criticism O'Casey , Sean , 1880-1964 , playwright and writer x Casey , John x O'Cathasaigh , Seán Rattigan , Sir , Terence Mervyn , 1911-1977 , Knight , playwright Sartre , Jean-Paul , 1905-1980 , French philosopher, playwright and novelist Yeats , William Butler , 1865-1939 , poet and playwright London England UK Western Europe Europe Ireland USA North America

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Gift from Mr P Newmark, 1967.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

14 letters from Sean O'Casey to Peter Newmark, May 1937- Dec 1957. Topics covered include: literary critics and criticism; the Communist Party; the Roman Catholic Church; plays and playwrights; and the writing of O'Casey's works and their publication and performance in Britain, Ireland and the USA. Individuals mentioned include: James Evershed Agate, Samuel Beckett, Ugo Betti, T S Eliot, Jean Giraudoux, Eugène Ionesco, Eugene O'Neill, George Orwell, John Osborne, Terence Rattigan, Jean-Paul Sartre, and W B Yeats.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

See hard copy catalogue.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Access to individual items in Senate House Library archives collections may be restricted under the Data Protection Act or the Freedom of Information Act. Please contact the University Archivist for details. 24 hours notice is required for research visits.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Typescript catalogue available in the Library's Palaeography Room.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Presumably, Miss Treadwell retained the original letters after relinquishing these copies; the current whereabouts of the original letters is unknown.

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Senate House Library, University of London

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area