ARCHIVE OF LETTERS BY BRITISH-AMERICAN SHAKESPEARIAN ACTOR ERIC BLIND, to his parents in England, 1895-1916. With Content Pertaining to the careers of Ellen Terry, Sydney Greenstreet and Douglas Fairbanks.
ARCHIVE OF LETTERS. Approximately 65 multi-page letters, (circa 250 pages) by British-American actor Eric Blind, 1898-1916, plus one letter from his wife, the actress Frances Carson. Also included is a real photo postcard of "Eric Blind as Cymbeline", Manchester, 1906, which he sent home to his mother with the note "How do you like this? Eric". Most are to his mother and father, a few to his brother Harold. His father was Rudolf Blind.
Eric Blind was a Shakespearian actor who worked hard in the theatre trade in early 20th Century America. He appeared in at least 18 Broadway shows. He frequently performed in Shakespearean revivals and collaborated with some of the era's biggest theatrical figures, including Douglas Fairbanks and Sydney Greenstreet, who was his close friend and one-time roommate. He was breaking into the fledgeling silent film industry just before his untimely and early death on New Year's Eve, 1916.
The letters home commence in 1898 and are all handwritten by Eric to his parents (and a few to his brother Harold) in England. The earliest letters are signed "Dickie", obviously a pet name, and most of the letters are addressed to "mumikins and Daddikins, "Mater & Pater", "My dearest own mum", etc. The first letter is dated Sept 28, 1898, and discusses travelling in Wales and states "I may get some secretarial work to do for Miss Terry" (i.e., Ellen Terry, the Shakespearian actress); several subsequent letters refer to writing letters for Miss Terry. They are on various interesting letterheads, as Eric was a travelling actor, performing in many small plays across the country as well as appearing on Broadway in NYC. The Internet Movie Database lists him as appearing in three moving pictures in the year preceding his death: Then I'll Come Back to You (1916), The Woman in 47 (1916) and Jaffery (1916).
65 letters, all to his parents in London (no envelopes accompany the letters, but the postcard to his mother is addressed to Beaufort Park, London). Return addresses are from Birmingham; Liverpool; Edinburgh; Glasgow; London; Belfast; Manchester; Byron Hot Springs, California; Los Angeles; Guelph, Ontario; Marion, Indiana; Savery House, Des Moines, Iowa; Hotel Metropolis, St. Joseph, MO; The National Hotel, Greenville, PA; The Mansion House, Titusville, PA; Hotel Madera, Morgantown, W. Va; The Felix Family Hotel, New York; The New Coates, Kansas City, Mo; Chicago Athletic Association; "The Players", New York City; "Astor Theatre", New York; Huntington Hotel, Los Angeles; Philadelphia; Hotel Leland, Rockford, Illinois; The New Hotel English, Indianapolis; The U.S. Grant Hotel, San Diego; The Ormond Hotel, Los Angeles; Green Room Club, New York; Hotel Gordon, Washington, DC;
The earliest mentions of theatrical work is September 15, 1898 "I went to the dress rehearsal of the new Drury Lane Autumn melodrama "The Great Ruby", it is magnificently staged... real horses & a real balloon and real coaches... "We are rehearsing every day from about 11:30 - 2 o'clock". A lovely letter dated May 15, 1904 discusses his role in E. Hamilton Moore's "Ygraine", am Arthurian play which ran at the Queen's Theatre. Eric played a "fierce, passionate albeit noble barbarian", Eric has included three lovely sketches of his costume.
The letters follow the career of this young actor, who moved to the USA circa 1904 and pursued his career full-time, landing many roles in small productions. Blind specialized in Shakespearian Roles, but his letters home show all the trials and tribulations of a young actor trying to both make a living and make it as a career. He died suddenly of pnemonia on December 31st, 1916, while on tour performing the play "Grumpy" with Cyril Maud's theatrical company.
Eric married a fellow actor Francis Carson in 1913.
In a great long letter (10-pages) to his parents dated Oct 7, 1913, Eric mentions having gotten married and being on his honeymoon, complains of the strain and constant long hours of rehearsal and "Petruchio nine times in the first week". He states that they are "making the most artistically staged and acted Shakespeare in the United States". His new wife Frances has just gone away to an engagement at the "Oriental Theatre, Frisco" for which she is being paid $65 a week. He complains of having invested in the Shakespearian company that he is close to broke, but they hope to visit them in England in the summer; in describing the many virtues of his wife, he quotes from Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT "She bore (bears) a mind that envy could not (cannot) but call fair". He goes on to say that he is sharing rooms with the actor Sydney Greenstreet: "Sydney Greenstreet and I have two rooms and a bath between & the dear chap is charging mezip - I feel a bit lonely without my 'gal' - also we are being economic - Greenie is a very careful man and will look after me like a "Lynx". He goes on to say that they are beginning a production of "Anthony and Cleopatra" which will run in Winnepeg in about 6 weeks time.
In another long letter, undated (but 1912), on Hotel Gordon (Washington DC) letterhead (with a return address written in of 640 w. 139th, NYC) Eric writes: "Some three or four weeks ago I joined the company of Mr. Douglas Fairbanks playing in "Hawthorne USA" under the management of Cohan & Harris. The play had been produced in Philadelphia & brought back to NY for alteration & I'm one of the alterations... Douglas Fairbanks the star is very popular with a big following and it's possible that the play may serve him as a vehicle for a season of some length in New York." Eric discusses the production for around 3 full pages, and goes on to talk about current events, mentioning the great Becker murder trial, the Worlds Series of baseball, the shooting of Roosevelt, and he has much to say about other current broadway productions. He writes about going to the opening night of "Little Women" starring Beverley West at the Playhouse theatre, and goes on about other current plays. An excellent long 6-page letter with great content: "Hawthorne USA" is considered to be Fairbanks' break-through role, he went on to great fame as one of the biggest stars of the silent film era - Fairbanks was referred to as "The King of Hollywood". Here we have a first-hand account from an actor who appeared in the Broadway play with Fairbanks.
This is just an outline of a couple of the letters, there are about 65 letters. Most are multi-page - 4-6 leaves of writing, making up several hundred pages of writing in total. Also included is a 7-page letter from Francis on Hotel Holman (Texarkana) letterhead in which she discusses her touring in the American South without her husband and tells of the beauty of the town of Charleston, SC.
Finally, there is also a 9 page handwriien script for a short comedy routine titled "Feathers'. held together with a brass pin to the upper corner.
His notable Broadway credits include:
Romeo and Juliet (1910)
Macbeth (1911)
Speed (1911) – Produced by a young Cecil B. DeMille.
The Merchant of Venice (1911/1913) – He played Bassanio, starring alongside Warner Oland (who later became famous as Charlie Chan).
Hawthorne of the U.S.A. (1912) – A comedy where he shared the stage with future Hollywood icon Douglas Fairbanks.
As You Like It (1914) – A Shakespearean revival directed by and starring Margaret Anglin.
Poor Little Thing (1914) – A drama where he performed alongside his wife, Frances Carson.
Androcles and the Lion (1915)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1915)
Caliban of the Yellow Sands (1916) – A massive community masque written by Percy MacKaye.
Hush! (October–November 1916) – His final Broadway appearance before going on the fateful regional tour of "Grumpy" where he fell ill and died.
The inclusion of a letter from Eric's wife, the prominent actress Frances Carson adds some significant value. Carson went on to have a highly successful, decades-long international stage and film career, eventually appearing in the classic Alfred Hitchcock films Foreign Correspondent (1940), Saboteur (1942), and Shadow of a Doubt (1943).
A wonderful archive which shows the intimate life of a travelling actor in early 20th Century America, right up to the crossover from live plays to motion pictures. Item #314659
Price (CAD): $1,500.00