Scope and Content
The collection consists mostly of letters sent to Nora Nicholson by her close friends, Christopher Fry and John Gielgud, from the late 1930s until the time of her death. There are also letters, greetings cards and photocards/postcards sent by a variety of prominent theatrical figures of the period. In addition, there is a quantity of theatre related ephemera, including photocards of Ellen Terry and an autographed quotation by Henry Irving.
Administrative / Biographical History
Nora Nicholson was born on 7 December 1892 in Leamington, Warwickshire, the daughter of a Leamington vicar and a sister of the comedian, H.O Nicholson. Her stage career spanned the 1910s to 1960s. Nicholson made her Broadway debut in 1929, appearing there again in the 1950s, most notably with John Gielgud in Christopher Fry's The Lady's Not for Burning. Nicholson's acting career continued until shortly before her death in London on 18 September 1973.
Arrangement
This collection was arranged in the following series:
- THM/398/1 - Correspondence sent to Nora Nicholson
- THM/398/2 - Writing by Nora Nicholson
- THM/398/3 - Playbills, Programmes and Reviews of Nora Nicholson and her stage career
- THM/398/4 - Correspondence sent to Veronica Silver (nee Nicholson)
- THM/398/5 - Other items
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is available for consultation in the V&A Department of Theatre and Performance's Reading Room, which is located at Blythe House, 23 Blythe Rd, Olympia, London, W14 0QX. The Reading Room is open from Tuesday to Friday between 10.15 am and 4.30 pm. Access is by appointment only. To request an appointment please email tmenquiries@vam.ac.uk or telephone 020 7942 2698.
Access to some of these files may be restricted. These are identified at file level.
Acquisition Information
Purchased from Maggs Bros. Ltd in 2011
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Personal Names |
| Coward, Noël. ( 1899-1973) | |
| Gielgud, John. ( 1904-2000) | |
| Coghill, Nevill. ( 1899-1980) | |
| Trewin, J. C. (John Courtenay). ( 1908-2000) | |
| Fry, Christopher. ( 1907-2005) | |
| Nicholson, Nora. ( 1892-1973) | |
| Powys, Littleton | |
| Thorndike, Sybil. ( 1882-1976) | |
| Irving, Henry. ( 1838-1905) | |
| Terry, Ellen. ( 1847-1928) | |
Correspondence sent to Nora Nicholson
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1 |
| Dates of Creation | Apr 10 1905-Sep 14 1973 |
Scope and Content
Correspondence largely consists of autographed letters sent to Nora Nicholson between the 1940s-1950s, most notably from Christopher Fry and John Gielgud. Some correspondence is undated, particularly Christmas cards, greetings cards, and postcards.
There is also correspondence written to Veronica Silver (Nora Nicholson's niece).
Correspondence from Neville Coghill
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1/1 |
| Dates of Creation | Nov 29 1945-Apr 9 1973 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (10 items) |
Correspondence from Noel Coward
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1/2 |
| Dates of Creation | 1960s-1973 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (9 items) |
Correspondence from Christopher Fry
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1/3 |
| Dates of Creation | Nov 20 1937-Mar 21 1973 |
| Physical Description | 2 folders (73 items) |
Correspondence from Christopher and Phyllis Fry
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1/4 |
| Dates of Creation | Apr 08 1950-Dec 1954 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (21 items) |
Correspondence from Eleanor Gielgud
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1/5 |
| Dates of Creation | Apr 07 1950-Jun 20 1959 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (19 items) |
Scope and Content
Eleanor Gielgud is the sister of John Gielgud.
Correspondence from John Gielgud
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1/6 |
| Dates of Creation | Jan 28 1949-Sep 14 1973 |
| Physical Description | 2 folders (139 items) |
Correspondence from John Gielgud and Eleanor Gielgud
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1/7 |
| Dates of Creation | Feb 28 1953-Jun 05 1961 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (3 items) |
Correspondence from Kate Terry Gielgud
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1/8 |
| Dates of Creation | Dec 1951-Dec 28 1956 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (3 items) |
Correspondence from Val Gielgud
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1/9 |
| Dates of Creation | Jun 02 1963 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (1 item) |
Correspondence from Littleton Powys
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1/10 |
| Dates of Creation | Sep 02 1948-Jul 06 1954 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (11 items) |
Correspondence from Sybil Thorndike
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1/11 |
| Dates of Creation | Jan 27 1949-Oct 31 1968 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (7 items) |
Correspondence from John Trewin
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1/12 |
| Dates of Creation | Jun 30 1953-Jun 28 1965 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (7 items) |
Correspondence from Theatres and Production Companies
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1/13 |
| Dates of Creation | Apr 30 1966-Oct 31 1972 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (5 items) |
Correspondence from unknown/unidentifiable correspondents
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1/14 |
| Dates of Creation | Apr 10 1905-Apr 24 1973 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (25 items) |
Correspondence from various senders
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1/15 |
| Dates of Creation | Aug 31 1942-Feb 20 1973 |
A-M
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1/15/1 |
| Dates of Creation | Aug 31 1942-Feb 20 1973 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (12 items) |
N-Z
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1/15/2 |
| Dates of Creation | Mar 28 1960-Mar 9 1969 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (3 items) |
Greetings Cards and Telegrams
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/1/15/3 |
| Dates of Creation | Oct 14 1947-Feb 20 1973 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (24 items) |
Writing by Nora Nicholson
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/2 |
| Dates of Creation | undated |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (3 items) |
Scope and Content
This file contains two undated letters as well as newspaper cuttings on the death of Baliol Holloway.
Playbills, programmes and reviews
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/3 |
| Dates of Creation | Nov 1929-1950s |
Playbills, Programmes and Reviews of Nora Nicholson and her stage career
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/3/1 |
| Dates of Creation | Nov 1929-1950s |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (17 items) |
Scope and Content
This file contains a selection of playbills and programmes for productions in which Nora Nicholson performed.
The file also contains a number of journals and cuttings relating to Nora Nicholson and her career.
Programmes
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/3/2 |
| Dates of Creation | 1931-1958 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (3 items) |
Scope and Content
This file contains three programmes, one of which is for Expresso Bongo at the Saville Theatre in 1958 and signed by Paul Scofield.
Correspondence sent to Veronica Silver
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/4 |
| Dates of Creation | Jul 28 1963-Apr 25 1988 |
Scope and Content
Correspondence sent to Veronica Silver (Nora Nicholson's niece) before and after Nora Nicholson's death.
Correspondence from Peter Bull
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/4/1 |
| Dates of Creation | Oct 18 1973 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (1 item) |
Correspondence from Eleanor Farjeon
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/4/2 |
| Dates of Creation | Jul 28 1963 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (1 item) |
Correspondence from Christopher Fry
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/4/3 |
| Dates of Creation | Dec 13 1973 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (1 item) |
Correspondence from John Gielgud
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/4/4 |
| Dates of Creation | Sep 29 1973-Apr 21 1974 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (3 items) |
Correspondence from unknown/unidentifiable senders
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/4/5 |
| Dates of Creation | Apr 25 1988 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (2 items) |
Other Items
| Reference Number(s) | GB 71 THM/398/5 |
| Dates of Creation | 1879-Mar 28 1973 |
| Physical Description | 1 folder (18 items) |
Scope and Content
This file contains a variey of material including, among others, photocards of Ellen Terry; a Shylock quotation autographed by Henry Irving, a service programme to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of his birth and event invitations.
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