Guide to the George H. Quinby Papers, 1870-1983, undated (bulk 1923-1975)
Some material restricted. Consult series descriptions for details.
George H. Quinby Papers, George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine
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George (Pat) Hunnewell Quinby was born March 26, 1901, in Newton, Massachusetts. After being graduated from Bowdoin College with the Class of 1923, he taught English at Lafayette College, sailed as a merchant seaman between New York and Singapore, studied drama at Yale University, and acted, directed, and served as stage manager in community and road company shows. Quinby worked in the English department at Bowdoin as instructor, 1934-1936, assistant professor, 1936-1946, and associate professor, 1949-1969; he retired in 1969. He also served as Bowdoin's director of dramatics from 1935-1966, was on the committee which planned Pickard Theater in Memorial Hall, and coached fencing from 1946-1951.
In 1945 Quinby received a travel grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to complete a survey of "Academic Theatres in the United States - 1930-1943," and the following year received a master of fine arts degree from Yale University. While on leave during the fall of 1953, Quinby studied early Greek and Roman theaters in France, Sicily, and Greece, a project he continued during a 1965 leave. In 1956 he was a lecturer in American drama at the University of Tehran in Iran, where he directed three plays. He returned to Iran in 1962 as a Fulbright lecturer and directed a series of Eugene O'Neill plays. Quinby was called on as a consultant for new theaters; in 1958 he was an adviser to the Government of Afghanistan in establishing a dramatics academy in Kabul.
He was married in 1939 to Clarice (Polly) Guthrie English, who died in 1982. George Quinby died May 27, 1984, in Brunswick, Maine.
The collection contains correspondence, primarily concerning Quinby's professional and personal interest in dramatics and theater design; Bowdoin College class materials; research notes; and articles and lectures written by Quinby. The bulk of the research material concerns a 1946 survey of college theater architecture. The collection also includes Bowdoin College's plans for the 1950s remodelling of Memorial Hall into Pickard Theater, a scrapbook titled "Twenty-Two Ancient Theaters Oriented to the Sun," Bowdoin College Masque & Gown programs, Brunswick Dramatic Club programs, and miscellaneous theater programs dating from the late 1800s. Correspondents include Eugene O'Neill (March 28th, 1923).
English and dramatics materials used in Quinby's courses at Bowdoin College, including lecture notes, student assignments, and examinations. There are papers relating to Quinby's Bowdoin class reunions, Bowdoin College administrative reports, and a selection of annotated student directories.
Arranged alphabetically.
Student essays in box 4 are restricted for 75 years after date of creation.
Alumni affairs, 1945-1965, n.d.
College reports, 1963-1969, n.d.
Computing Center - report, "The Future of the Bowdoin College Computing Center," from the Computing Center Committee of the Faculty, 1969 Feb 28
Course information and student status, 1964-1969
Crowell Collection, 1940-1965, n.d.
English 1 course materials, 1934-1954
English 1-2 course materials, 1937-1950
English 2 course materials, 1935-1954
English 4 course materials, 1954
English 23-24 course materials, 1938-1955, n.d.
English 47 course materials, 1948-1951, n.d.
English 161 course materials, 1969, n.d.
English Department correspondence, 1967-1969
English Department materials, 1934-1967, n.d.
Miscellaneous material, 1923-1973, n.d.
Restricted material: English 23-24 student essays restricted until 2030; Senior Seminar-Theater Architecture student essays restricted until 2042; Senior Seminar-Eugene O'Neill student essays restricted until 2043
Senior Seminar on Eugene O'Neill material, 1967-1968
Student Directories, 1956-1973
Primarily personal correspondence concerning Quinby's work in dramatics and theater design. Included are letters from colleagues abroad, the U.S. State Department, former students, and dramatics directors from other institutions. There is also a 1923 letter from Eugene O'Neill referencing a prize Quinby received, possibly the Class of 1868 Prize, which Quinby was awarded his senior year at Bowdoin. Correspondence specifically related to Quinby's work in dramatics can be found in the Dramatics series and correspondence connected with his research can be found in the Research Materials series.
Arranged chronologically.
Correspondence 1923, 1939-1964
Correspondence 1965-1978, n.d.
Materials relating to Quinby's work in dramatics. Included are programs and director's notes for theater groups, including Bowdoin College's Masque and Gown, the Merrymeeting Players, the Workshop Theater of Brunswick, and the Brunswick Dramatic Club. The collection also contains correspondence, plans, and diagrams pertaining to the 1950s remodeling of Bowdoin's Memorial Hall into the College's first theater (Pickard Theater).
Arranged alphabetically.
Brunswick Dramatic Club programs, 1913-1930, n.d. and other Brunswick performances - programs, 1904-1907, n.d.
Clippings, photographs and illustrations, related to dramatics, 1930-1953, n.d.
Community theater - programs, meeting materials, and notes, 1948-1968, n.d.
The Development of the Theatre by Allardyce Nicoll, 1957 (annotated)
Conferences, workshops and festivals, 1945-1967, n.d.
Masque & Gown, 1943-1966, 1983, n.d.
Masque & Gown programs, 1940-1966, n.d.
Miscellaneous, 1924-1975, n.d.
Pickard Theater, 1957-1964
Pickard Theater - correspondence, 1937-1955, n.d.
Pickard Theater - diagrams and plans, 1945-1955, n.d.
Pickard Theater - diagrams and plans, 1953, n.d.
Scripts, 1933
Scripts, 1948
William Shakespeare: The Comedies, 1958 (annotated)
William Shakespeare: The Tragedies, 1958 (annotated)
U.S. Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT), 1960-1965, n.d.
Yale Drama alumni materials, 1954-1975
Yale Drama course materials, 1927, n.d.
Yale Drama course materials (composition book), 1926-1928
This series contains a variety of performance arts related newspaper clippings, photographs (primarily of Quinby, theatrical groups and Bowdoin reunions), miscellaneous theater programs, travel documents and itineraries, and various ephemera. The theater programs are mostly from productions outside the Brunswick area; a number of theater programs and advertisements are from the late 1800s.
Arranged alphabetically.
Florence Brown's Script of "Two Slatterns and a King"
Miscellaneous, 1870-1980, n.d.
Miscellaneous - certificates, 1925, 1974, 1975
Miscellaneous - poster, Gridiron Club, 1935
Newspaper clippings, 1965-1973, n.d.
Photographs, 1962-1971, n.d.
Programs, c.1885-1911, 1928, n.d.
Programs, 1940-1977, n.d.
Travel - miscellaneous, 1962-1972, n.d.
The bulk of this series is comprised of Quinby's research for his survey of U.S. college theaters, though large portions of it are also devoted to Quinby's research on the orientation of classical theaters and his work in Iranian theater. Included are correspondence and notes related to each of these areas of research, as well as photographs and diagrams of relevant sites, grant materials, and financial statements. Also includes Quinby's diary of his 1958 trip to Kabul, Afghanistan, to advise on the creation of a dramatic academy and theater building.
Arranged alphabetically.
Afghanistan, diary, 1958 Jul.-Sep.
Articles and related correspondence, 1960-1982, n.d.
Classical theaters, 1963-1966, n.d.
Classical theaters - correspondence, 1964-1968, n.d.
Classical theaters - grants, 1963-1966, n.d.
Classical theaters - scrapbook, "Twenty-Two Ancient Theaters Oriented to the Sun," 1955, n.d.
College theater survey, 1930-1946, n.d.
College theater survey - correspondence, 1941-1947, n.d.
College theater survey - institutions A-B
College theater survey - Arkansas, University of - blueprints for Arts Center
College theater survey - institutions C-F
College theater survey - institutions G-I
College theater survey - institutions L-M
College theater survey - Louisiana State University - blueprints for the Fine Arts Building
College theater survey - Michigan State - blueprints for the Auditorium
College theater survey - Mundelein College - diagrams for the Auditorium
College theater survey - institutions N-S
College theater survey - institutions T-W
College theater survey - unidentified blueprints and plans, n.d.
Iran - correspondence, 1963-1968, n.d.
Iran - financial statements, 1962-1963
Iran - grants, 1961-1963, n.d.
Iran - notes and reports, n.d.
Iran - teaching materials, 1963-1964, n.d.
Iran - theater work, 1963, n.d.
Photographs and negatives of theater plans, n.d.
This series contains articles and lectures written by Quinby both for classes and for the public. Included are various papers and lectures on Eugene O'Neill, and lectures on theater architecture and performance.
Arranged alphabetically.
Articles, 1965-1969, n.d.
Lectures and papers, 1947-1972, n.d.
Notes, 1926-1952, n.d.