Scope and Contents
The Maurine Watkins Papers, which span from 1890 to 2012, contain writings, including scripts and short stories, printed material, correspondence, photographs and other papers by or relating to Maurine Watkins. Watkins was a journalist and playwright whose most well-known work was the play "Chicago," which Bob Fosse adapted into an award-winning musical.
Dates
- circa 1890-2012
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Maurine Watkins Papers is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Ken Lopez Bookseller, Ann Margaret Brown Buckland and Peter L. Brown on the Edwin J. Beinecke Book Fund, and the Adele Gutman Nathan Theaterical Collection Fund, 2016.
Arrangement
Organized into three series: I. Plays, 1926-2012. II. Other Writings, 1927-1949. III. Personal Papers, 1890-1939.
Extent
2.75 Linear Feet (7 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Abstract
The Maurine Watkins Papers, which span from 1890 to 2012, contain writings, including scripts and short stories, printed material, correspondence, photographs and other papers by or relating to Maurine Watkins. Watkins was a journalist and playwright whose most well-known work was the play "Chicago," which Bob Fosse adapted into an award-winning musical.
Maurine Watkins
Maurine Dallas Watkins (1896-1969) was a playwright and journalist most well-known for writing the play "Chicago." Watkins was born in Kentucky, attended several colleges including Radcliffe College, and got hired by the Chicago Tribune as a reporter in 1924. While working at the Tribune, Watkins reported on the trials of Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner, who were both found not guilty of murder. Soon after, Watkins left her position at the Tribune and went to Yale University to continue her studies, eventually writing a fictionalized version of the Annan and Gaertner trials entitled "Chicago." Watkins went on to write over twenty plays. After Watkins's death of lung cancer, her estate sold the rights of 'Chicago" to Bob Fosse, who adapted the play into a successful musical.
Processing Information
Collections are processed to a variety of levels, depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived research value, the availability of staff, competing priorities, and whether or not further accruals are expected. The library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections as they are acquired, and does more extensive processing of higher priority collections as time and resources permit.
This collection received a basic level of processing, including rehousing and minimal organization.
Information included in the Description of the Papers note and Collection Contents section is drawn from information supplied with the collection and from an initial survey of the contents. Folder titles appearing in the contents list below are often based on those provided by the creator or previous custodian. Titles have not been verified against the contents of the folders in all cases. Otherwise, folder titles are supplied by staff during initial processing.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
Source
- Ken Lopez Bookseller (Bookseller)
- Buckland, Ann Margaret Brown (Bookseller)
- Brown, Peter L. (Bookseller)
- Title
- Guide to the Maurine Watkins Papers
- Author
- by Rosemary K. J. Davis
- Date
- August 2017
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.