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William F. Talbot Papers
An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University
Finding aid created by: JS and HG
Date: Feb 2008
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| Return to finding aids search |
Finding aid created by: JS and HG
Date: Feb 2008
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Overview of the Collection |
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| Creator: | Talbot, William F. |
| Title: | William F. Talbot Papers |
| Dates: | circa 1954-1993 |
| Quantity: | 19 linear ft. |
| Abstract: | Correspondence, printed material, play reports from the long-time editor-in-chief of drama publisher Samuel French, Inc. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: |
Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center |
William F. Talbot (1923-2007) was for 52 years Editor-in-Chief of Samuel French, Inc., a publishing company that provided published plays and musical plays to theatrical groups, from elementary schools to professional troupes. Over his career he read more than 100,000 plays, saw almost every play produced in New York for forty years, and launched dozens of new playwrights.
Talbot actively encouraged new writers and taught playwriting at the City College of New York, Hunter College, and for Double Image Theater. In addition, he created the Off Off Broadway One-Act Play Festival, the prize for which was publication of the winning play by Samuel French. Under his pen name William Francis he also wrote several plays; one, Portrait of a Queen, was produced on Broadway and London’s West End in 1968.
He was a member of the Outer Critics Circle, the Dramatists Guild, the American Theatre Critics Association, and the College of Fellows of the American Theatre. Talbot had degrees from the University of Notre Dame, and Columbia University. He and wife Marilyn Fagan had six children.
The William F. Talbot Papers contains large amounts of correspondence and play reports, some printed material, and a few scripts. The material is unprocessed and the inventory below is a simple box list.
The collection is unprocessed apart from reboxing and remains in original order.
Access Restrictions:
The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.
Use Restrictions:
Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
Persons
Francis, William (Playwright)
Talbot, William F.
Corporate Bodies
Samuel French, Inc.
Samuel French & Son.
Subjects
Drama -- United States -- 20th century.
Publishers and publishing -- History -- 20th century.
Publishers and publishing -- United States -- New York (State)
Theater -- United States.
Genres and Forms
Correspondence.
Occupations
Editors.
Playwrights.
Publishers.
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
William F. Talbot Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
Gift of William Talbot.
Box listing
| Box listing | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Books | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | TB contracts | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Correspondence | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Play reports (7 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | "Submitted" | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | "Want to submit" | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Correspondence | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | "Delay" | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | "Employment" | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | "Current - advertisement" | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Playbills | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Untyped play reports | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Correspondence - unexamined (3 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Script calls | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Preliminary sketches | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Scripts (?) | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Correspondence (3 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | TV show descriptions | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Correspondence | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Reports - unexamined (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Reports - retain (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | "Professional retention" - small binder of theatre misc. | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Scrapbook - theatre columns, photos, some movies | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Scrapbook - theatre columns, photos, programs, columns, some TV movies | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Theatre misc (?) | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Le Mien (?) | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Correspondence - May | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Correspondence - April | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Correspondence - June | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Correspondence - July | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Correspondence - Aug | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Correspondence - Sept | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Correspondence - Oct | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Correspondence - Nov | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Correspondence - Dec | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Correspondence - 4/30/99 (4 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Corres. (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Standard forms | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Form letter | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Corres. (3 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Correspondence 3/6/89 | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Correspondence | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | "Probably for review #2" | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Correspondence | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Corres. (6/89) (4 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Corres. (8/7/91) (3 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Reports | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Corres. (3 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | "1963 reports" | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | Play reports (12 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | Play reports (13 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | Correspondence (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | Correspondence/theatre misc. | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | Play reports (3 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | Correspondence/theatre misc. | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | Correspondence (6 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 9 | Correspondence 4/93 | ||||||||||
| Box 9 | Prof. correspondence 1986 | ||||||||||
| Box 9 | Theatre misc | ||||||||||
| Box 9 | Correspondence | ||||||||||
| Box 9 | Correspondence 11/93 | ||||||||||
| Box 9 | Correspondence 86-88 (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 9 | Correspondence 92 + 93 (3 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 10 | Skits/material | ||||||||||
| Box 10 | Theatre/articles misc. | ||||||||||
| Box 10 | Criticisms/art | ||||||||||
| Box 10 | Plot | ||||||||||
| Box 10 | Character | ||||||||||
| Box 10 | Theatre history | ||||||||||
| Box 10 | Literary scrapbook | ||||||||||
| Box 10 | Correspondence part 1 (5 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 11 | Play reports (6 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 11 | Correspondence (5 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 11 | Play reports | ||||||||||
| Box 12 | Correspondence (7 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 12 | Reports | ||||||||||
| Box 12 | Correspondence 7-29-99 (4 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 12 | Correspondence (3 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 13 | Correspondence (8 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 13 | Correspondence 11/91 (3 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 13 | Play reports (10 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 14 | Play reports (13 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 14 | Correspondence (6 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 14 | Correspondence retained (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 15 | Correspondence retained (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 15 | Correspondence - unexamined (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 15 | Play reports (5 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 15 | Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center misc. | ||||||||||
| Box 15 | Play reports (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 15 | Correspondence - unexamined (4 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 15 | Correspondence - unexamined (6/54-4/55) | ||||||||||
| Box 15 | Correspondence - regarding Zita Johnson | ||||||||||
| Box 16 | Correspondence (6 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 16 | Contemp. correspondence (4 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 16 | Correspondence (3 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 17 | Works placed by Samuel French | ||||||||||
| Box 17 | Correspondence | ||||||||||
| Box 17 | Correspondence / play reports | ||||||||||
| Box 17 | Professional correspondence 9/93 (5 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 17 | Professional correspondence 90/91 (4 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 17 | Correspondence '92 (3 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 17 | Correspondence 88-89 | ||||||||||
| Box 18 | Correspondence 88-89 (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 18 | Correspondence - removed 10/89 | ||||||||||
| Box 18 | Prof. correspondence 85/86 (3 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 18 | Correspondence (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 18 | Budget mktg | ||||||||||
| Box 18 | Play reports (8 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 19 | Play reports (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 19 | Literary Guild | ||||||||||
| Box 19 | Correspondence (3 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 19 | Reviews (3 folders) | ||||||||||