Browse Items (972 total)

Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Mary Cushman, Apr 17, 1845

The letter discusses an incident of "beastly conduct of a woman" who Charlotte once defended and called her "intimate friend." Charlotte fears being "implicated by any misrepresentation of hers." Charlotte hopes that her mother's "account was a…

Isabella "Isa" Jane Blagden

"Isa Blagden is the author of five fairly sentimental yet often outspokenly feminist novels, a small volume of poetry, and a number of essays and short stories—almost all of which were published in London during the 1860s. She lived primarily in…

Baltimore Gazette and Daily Advertiser, April 17, 1835

One of the earliest public notices of Charlotte Cushman's performances: A short notice of her first professional appearance in the opera The Marriage of Figaro (April 1835 in Boston). The article mentions that "Mrs Wood had expressed herself [...]…

Petition "To the Laws of Property as They Affect Women," Feb 16, 1856

Carlyle, Cushman, Hays, Browning, and Jewsbury signed the petition Credit The Carlyle Letters Online/CLO

The Northern Star, Cushman Arriving in England, Dec 14, 1844

AN AMERICAN ACTRESS, Miss Cushman, celebrated in the highest walks of the drama, has arrived in England.

Athenaeum, Cushman Mentions, Jan-June 1845 (Vol. 1)

Excerpts from the Athenaeum issues from the first half of 1845, which mention Charlotte Cushman;The passage praise Cushman as a versatile genius on stage despite at times gender-bending practices. The first volume of 1845 shows how the British press…

Athenaeum, Cushman Mentions, July-Dec 1845 (Vol. 2)

Remarkably, Cushman's sister Susan and her mother are mentioned in the reports as wanting "a share of the fruits of Shakspeare's [sic] island." Cushman is characterized as a gifted and "prosperous actress." Credit Hathi Trust

Northern Star about Charlotte Cushman, June 28, 1845

THE PRINCESS'S THEATRE.—The manager of this, "the prettiest theatre in London," deserves well of the English public for introducing to them Miss Cushman, the American actress. She is by far the best female performer on the stage. Devoid of…

Letter from Frederick William Seward to Frances Miller Seward, Oct 18, 1863

Cushman is touring for the Sanitary Commission, Emma Crow Cushman is accompanying her. Credit Seward Family Digital Archive

Letter from William Henry Seward to Frances Miller Seward, June 30, 1863

Charlotte and Emma Cushman are with the Sewards Credit Seward Family Digital Archive

Letter from William Henry Seward to Frederick William Seward, September 16, 1868

Cushman writes a "manly" letter expressing "feminine" appreciation. Credit Seward Family Digital Archive

Mary Devlin Booth

She is the first wife of Edwin Booth and performs the Juliet to Cushman's Romeo in 1858. She performs (Juliet) with Cushman in her farewell tour: April 26 - May 8 (Baltimore), May 31 - June 12 (Boston), June 21-July 6 (Niblo's, New York). She marries…

Last Farewell Performance in the US for the year 1852: Cushman in Guy Mannering

After this performance, Cushman moves to England where she will still be performing in 1856.

Letter from Dr. Howe to Emma Stebbins, Mar 15, 1862

Credit Library of Congress,Charlotte Cushman Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Rosalie Muspratt

Charlotte Cushman's niece, daughter of Susan Muspratt and sister of Mabel Muspratt;
Charlotte Cushman repeatedly writes to her in the 1870s.

Anne Whitney

Anne Whitney is one of the few successful, female US-American sculptors of the nineteenth century. She is born in Watertown, Massachusetts (the same place as Harriet Hosmer). Together with her partner Abby Adeline Manning (1836–1906), a painter, she…

Grace Greenwood in Response to New England Festival, undated

Greenwood emphasizes the role of New England women in US history. Among others, she mentions, Stowe, Cushman, and Hosmer as examples of especially noteworthy New England women.One part of the article was printed as "Products of New England," in the…

"Pistols for Two", Freeman's Journal, Dec 22, 1842

This article describes an antagonistic relationship between Charlotte Cushman and Madame Celeste. It indicates that an intellectual duel between the two could be anticipated. Credit The British Library Newspapers, Gale Digital Collections

"The Connoisseur", Northern Star, Aug 16, 1845

This article compares Charlotte Cushman with William Macready and discusses how they share a strong resemblance in both performance and physical appearance. Credit The British Library Newspapers,Gale Digital Collections