Browse Items (972 total)

Letter from Charlotte Cushman to George Combe, Nov 21, 1845

Cushman presents herself as shocked and surprised at the "gross motive [that] might be attributed" to her performance of Romeo on stage together with her sister Susan: "your hints have only plunged me into trouble — for I find the subject, in a new…

Letter from Charlotte Cushman to George Combe, Nov 23, 1845

Cushman has received a favorable reply from George Combe in which he calmed her down in terms of the reputational damage that Combe implied in his first letter to the actress which put her in distress earlier. Credit National Library of Scotland

Romeo and Juliet Performance, Haymarket Theatre, London, Dec 30, 1845

Charlotte Cushman performs as Romeo and her sister takes over the role of Juliet.Cushman's performance as Romeo is generally met with wild enthusiasm. There were, however, also critical voices, among them Mary Russell Mitford (1787-1855). Mitford was…

Letter from Geraldine Jewsbury to Charlotte Cushman, Wednesday, 1846

Frank sends much love the way of Cushman, saying he is always happy about receiving letters from her, while Jewsbury is anxious about Cushman's health. While Jewsbury calls her a genius, she is also in no way a machine. Credit Library of Congress,…

Letter from Geraldine Jewsbury to Charlotte Cushman [1846]

Jewsbury thanks Cushman for the documents she sent to her and talks about a poem she does not really care about. Credit Library of Congress, Charlotte Cushman Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

"The Theatres", Era, Jan 4, 1846

This is a long, detailed review of Charlotte and Susan Cushman's performance of Romeo and Julietat the Haymarket Theatre in London. The review contains high praise of Charlotte Cushman and her talents as an actress and the Cushman sisters' appearance…

"Haymarket Theatre", Caledonian Mercury, Jan 5, 1846

This article reviews the performances of Charlotte Cushman and her sister Susan Cushman in a production of Romeo and Juliet at the Haymarket Theatre in London. It discusses how their performances provided a unique, passionate interpretation of the…

Letter from Jane Welsh Carlyle to Jeannie Welsh, Jan 19, 1846

Jane Carlyle writes about her quarrels of jealousy with Geraldine Jewsbury due to Jewsbury's "friendship" with Cushman. Credit The Carlyle Letters Online/CLO

Letter from Robert Browning to Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Jan 31, 1846

Robert Browning tells Elizabeth Barrett about seeing Cushman and her sister on stage, performing Romeo & Juliet: "I went last night, out of pure shame at a broken promise,-to hear Miss Cushman & her sister in "Romeo and Juliet"-the whole play…

"Theatre Royal", Freeman's Journal, Mar 17, 1846

This article reviews Charlotte Cushman's performance as Lady Macbeth. She is praised for her powerful interpretation of the character compared to the rather "feminine" portrayals from other contemporary actresses. However, the article states that…

Poem by Eliza Cook to Charlotte Cushman, June, 1846

A love letter from Cook devoted to Cushman, addressed to C******** C****** but obvious to those in her social circle. The poem is published in the Weekly Dispatch on June 14, 1846. Credit Library of Congress, Charlotte Cushman Papers, Manuscript…

"Miss Cushman", Glasgow Herald, May 11, 1846

This article anticipates the arrival of Charlotte Cushman and her sister Susan Cushman, and their performance of Romeo and Juliet at the Adelphi Theatre. The articles states that there is much excitement about Cushman's performance as Romeo, which…

"Miss Cushman's Romeo", Era, June 21, 1846

This article is a detailed review of Charlotte Cushman's performance as Romeo. The critic expresses his dislike for the performance and deems it far from satisfactory. Cushman is criticized for failing to embody the youth and character of Romeo…

Howitt's The Miss Cushmans (1846)

In this biographical article, Mary Howitt recounts events from Charlotte Cushman's life and emphasizes her personal virtues, her talent on stage and the struggles she faced in her career. She describes Cushman's long and painful struggle to success,…

"First Impressions of Cushman's Romeo", People's Journal, Vol 2, July 18, 1846

This is a review of Charlotte Cushman's performance as Romeo at the Haymarket Theatre in London. The article praises her performance and compares it to that of William Macready. However, her fine qualities as actress are also deemed by the article as…

"Provincial Theatres and Gossip", Era, Aug 2, 1846

This short entry reports the news that Charlotte and Susan Cushman are about to make limited appearances in the Surrey Theatre. Credit The British Library Newspapers,Gale Digital Collections

"The Connoisseur", Northern Star, Aug 15, 1846

A short entry reviewing and advertising two articles containing a memoir of Charlotte Cushman. Credit NCSE: Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition

"Reviews", Liverpool Mercury, Aug 16, 1846

This article reports on a lithograph of Charlotte Cushman being produced and valued at an astonishingly low price. It also praises Cushman on her skills and talent in acting, but disagreeing with Connoisseur that she is in the only tragic actress at…

Wemyss's Twenty-Six Years of the Life of an Actor and Manager (1847)

Francis Courtney Wemyss is an actor and theater manager. The entry for Cushman envisions her as a business woman that cleverly paved her way to success by acquiring knowledge about the profession of an actress and the respective people involved in…

"The Weekly Record," Howitt's Journal, Vol 1, 1847

Charlotte Cushman is listed among the "representatives of the best portion of American artists" that are a transatlantic product of "true simplicity, such genuine worth, and so natural a possession of the noblest poetic temperament." This…