Scope and Contents
The Montgomery Hare Papers consist of writings, notebooks and sketchbooks, correspondence, personal files, theater files, and audio material. The collection documents Hare's work as a playwright, producer, and director, and his work in other literary genres.
Writings include typescripts and manuscripts of Hare's plays, poems, novels, memoirs, and other writings. Notebooks also contain manuscripts of poems, along with notes, sketches, and drawings. Family correspondence includes letters from Hare to his first wife, Mary (May) Sturges, and letters from Hare to his parents, written while he was away at school. General correspondence includes letters to Hare from writers, friends, and acquaintances, among others, as well as some outgoing correspondence. Personal files include Hare's journals, family papers, and files stemming from his work with the Housatonic Valley Association. Theater files include scripts, correspondence, and other material relating to Hare's work with various theaters, including the Barter Theatre and Parsons Theatre, as well as some theater memorabilia. Audio material includes sound recordings (on reel-to-reel tape and audio cassette) of Hare's work and the work of others, especially dating from the 1950s, and phonograph records containing various sound effects.
Dates
- 1908-1996
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Boxes 17-21 (audiovisual material): Restricted fragile. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Conditions Governing Use
The Montgomery Hare Papers are 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
The Montgomery Hare Papers were donated by Patrick H. Hare in 2007.
Extent
20.11 Linear Feet ((27 boxes) + 2 record storage boxes, and 1 broadside folder)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Abstract
The collection consists of writings, notebooks and sketchbooks, correspondence, personal files, theater files, and audio material, and documents Hare's work as a playwright, producer, and director, and his work in other literary genres.
MONTGOMERY HARE (1911-1998)
Montgomery Hare, 1911-1998, was a playwright, theater producer, and poet. Born in New York City, Hare graduated from Groton School in 1929 and from Yale University in 1933 with honors in literature.
Hare wrote and directed plays for the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia in the late 1940s, and was also active with the Parsons Theatre and the Penobscot Charitable Trust. His published books of poetry include Three Eagles (1954), To Beat the Air: Poems and Drawings (1964), and Say This of Me (1981). He also wrote novels and his memoirs.
From 1940 on, Hare lived in Cornwall, Connecticut. He was a founder and president of the Housatonic Valley Association, which worked to protect the lands and waters of the Housatonic Watershed.
Processing Information
This collection received a basic level of processing upon receipt, including rehousing and minimal organization. Descriptive information is drawn in large part 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.
- American drama -- 20th Century
- American literature -- 20th century
- American poetry -- 20th Century
- Audiocassettes
- Audiotapes
- Authors, American -- 20th Century -- Archives
- Barter Theatre (Abingdon, Va.)
- Dramatists, American -- 20th Century -- Archives
- Hare, Montgomery
- Housatonic Valley Association
- Parsons' Theatre (Organization : Hartford, Conn.)
- Poets, American -- 20th Century -- Archives
- Sound recordings
- Sturges, Mary
- Theater -- United States -- 20th century
- Title
- Guide to the Montgomery Hare Papers
- Author
- by Jennifer Meehan
- Date
- April 2007
- Description rules
- Beinecke Manuscript Unit Archival Processing Manual
- 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.