Pièces de thêatre: Collection of 18th century plays

Collection

Identifier: * PQ1211-P62

Staff Only

Scope and contents note

This collection includes 548 French plays, bound by an early 19th century owner into 42 volumes. These plays range from as early as the 1780s through the early 19th century, though the majority date from the period of the French Revolution. Most are comedies, though there are other genres included. The comedies are frequently subtitled parodie, comedy-parodie, opera-comique, comedie episodique, comedie parade, divertissment, melodrame, pastoral, and others. Many of the plays show popular tastes and feelings of the French during and after the Revolution. Many of the plays were published in the provinces, including Avignon, Toulouse, Carcassonne, Amsterdam, and others.

Dates

Creation: 1780-1805

Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright has not been assigned to the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, UCLA. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Clark Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, UCLA as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Extent

2 Linear Feet (42 volumes)

Language of Materials

French

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection of 548 plays was bound into 42 volumes between 1814-1819 and includes plays, mostly comedies, from the 1780s through the early 19th century, although the majority of the plays come from the time of the French Revolution.

Provenance

A French owner assembled the plays between 1812-1820 and has written the date when each of the 42 volumes was bound on the flyleaf. Many of the volumes contain a red armorial bookstamp with a monogram cipher (possibly the initials "L.F.S"), and volume 31 contain the name "Delmas David Cadet" inscribed several times.

General physical description note

This collection includes 42 volumes bound together between 1814-1819 in contemporary calf-backed boards. In addition, each volume includes a handwritten index written by the owner. On the end papers of each volume the binding date is inscribed by the owner, who also included accurate information on each play when the printer has left it out, or when title pages are missing. A few plays have been written out in their entirety by the owner. Many plays in the collection have been inscribed with signatures of various names and some include marginalia correcting the printed words. A blank leaf, sometimes a few, has been added between each play.

The catalog record for this collection can be found here, in the UCLA Library Catalog.