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Geraldine Endsor Jewsbury
She writes several novels, among which Half Sisters (1848) is her most famous one. It comments on Victorian society and gender norms. The character Bianca, an actress who is half Italian, is said to be loosely based on Charlotte Cushman with whom…
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…
Macready's Diary – Cushman mentions (edited by Toynbee, 1912)
The diary entries depict an interesting dynamic between Macready's and Cushman's relationship. There is no diary entry from the beginning of January, 1844, when Cushman published her poem about Macready in the Anglo American Journal. Usually,…
Boston Evening Transcript, Nov 16, 1843
The false reports that Macready referenced in his diary entry spread further.
Credit
Readex: America's Historical Newspapers
Vandenhoff's Leaves from an Actor's Note-Book; With Reminiscences and Chit-Chat of the Green-Room and the Stage, in England and America (1860)
Same text but different page no. published as Dramatic Reminiscences; or, Actors and Actresses in England and America (1860, London, T. W. Cooper).The autobiographical text was translated by A. v. Winterfeld and published in German as Blätter aus dem…
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to Emma Crow Cushman, May 6, 1865
After Lincoln's assassination, Charlotte finds herself in a state of shock. She is also concerned about Emma Crow Cushman's baby and its wellbeing. A note from Charlotte should introduce Emma to some members of London's society.
Credit
Library of…
Byrne's Gossip of the Century: Personal and Traditional Memories (1892)
A retrospective account of Cushman as actress and of her private life: The Memories serve as a good example for how the public image changes after Cushman's death and her success as an actress is being forgotten step by step.Gossip of the Century…
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to the Fields family, May 23, 1860
Cushman writes to the Fields of travel arrangements and complications which were experienced along the road and of a potential meeting in London. She informs them about the rooms she would like for her travel companions and herself, asking James to…
Duyckinck's Portrait Gallery of Eminent Men and Women of Europe and America (1872-1874)
Mary Marble mentions the collection of short biographies to Lyman Beecher Stowe when he is working on a biography of Cushman.Duyckinck's work comments on the lives of various artists and authors. The biographies include drawings/paintings of the…
Henry Cushman's A Historical and Biographical Genealogy of the Cushmans (1855)
The entry about Charlotte Cushman spreads across 15 pages. It quotes several accounts of the press, without, however, giving any sources. It is overwhelmingly positive and portrays Charlotte as a noble, ambitious, hard-working, and gifted actress.The…
Mrs. Walker's Reminiscences of the Life of the World-Renowned Charlotte Cushman (1876)
The biography traces Cushman's successful career and mentions many business partners and friends. However, it excludes every references to Cushman's same-sex relationships. It is published after Charlotte Cushman's death.The Cushman-Macready-…
Letter from Charlotte Cushman to the Fields Family, July 25, 1862
Charlotte Cushman writes to the Fields about the books they've sent them, the aftermath of Emma Crow Cushman's miscarriage, and the current issues she is dealing with regarding family and house. Cushman's children will be leaving for St.…
Anne Brewster's "Miss Cushman," Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Aug 1878
Anne Brewster describes the relationship between herself and Charlotte Cushman starting at the beginning of the 1840s as an "intimacy" and "intimate friendship". Together they were reading plays and preparing for Charlotte's performances on stage.…
Letter from Geraldine Jewsbury to Emma Stebbins, Feb 6, 1877
While working on the memoir of Charlotte Cushman, Emma Stebbins has made a request to Jewsbury, asking for her letters from 30 years ago. Although there are no 'secrets' in those letters, Jewsbury seems reluctant to hand them to Stebbins. The…
Letter from Charles Cushman [?] to Emma Stebbins
First mentioned in the letter are Charlotte's first successes in Great Britain, of which Sally should be able to tell Stebbins more about. The sender, who could be Charles Cushman because he was in England with Charlotte in the 1840s and talks about…
"Charlotte Cushman," Harper's Bazaar, Nov 14, 1874
The article summarizes Charlotte Cushman's "brave career." According to the author, Cushman could "exhibit her grand queenliness, her womanly sweetness and dignity." Cherishing most of her performances, the article criticizes the applause she…
"Charlotte Cushman," Harper's Weekly, March 4, 1876
Almost the same wording as in the Harper's Bazar article from Nov 14, 1874. The excerpt also includes the foreign gossip column.
Credit
American Antiquarian Society
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Charlotte Cushman
Charlotte Cushman becomes widely known on both sides of the Atlantic as the first successful US-American actress. Earlier, she was a singer under the tutelage of James G. Maeder, married to actress Clara Fisher, in Boston. Charlotte has been the sole financial support of her mother since her father…