Skip to main content

C. Lowell and Georgiana T. Lees papers

 Collection
Identifier: ACCN 0538

Scope and Contents

The C. Lowell and Georgiana T. Lees papers (1883-1998) contain materials used or collected by the Lees that document their family history and C. Lowell Lees's interest and professional activities in the theater at the University of Utah, Rutgers University, California's Pasadena Playhouse, government agencies during the Great Depression and World War II, commercial theater, and other institutions. These include correspondence, genealogical records, account books and letter books, news clippings, scripts, souvenir programs, scrapbooks, newspapers, art prints, and other documents. In addition, the collection provides information--in the form of scripts, playbills, souvenir programs, and brochures--on theater productions in the United States (particularly New York City and Salt Lake City) and Europe (particularly London).

Dates

  • 1883-1998

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Seven separate orignial letters have been removed and placed in Reserve. Access must be given by the Manuscripts Curator and by appointment. An archivist must remain with the items if being used. Please refer to the container listing for further information regarding the letters that have been removed.

Conditions Governing Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Biographical Sketch

Charles Lowell Lees (1904-1973), a Salt Lake City native, attended the University of Utah (A.B., 1926), Northwestern University (M.A., 1932), and the University of Wisconsin (Ph.D., 1934). Upon receiving his doctorate, he directed the theater program at Wisconsin for several years, then became Director of Theater at the University of Minnesota. He was director of the University of Utah's speech and theater department from 1943 to 1964. During this time, he was responsible for the conception and completion of the university's Pioneer Memorial Theater, collaborated with Willam Christensen and Maurice Abravanel in directing the university's Summer Festival series of productions, and brought well-known Broadway actors to University of Utah stages. He left the university to become director of the Pasadena Playhouse, and was later the chairman of speech and theater department at Rutgers University until 1971, when he returned to the University of Utah. He authored A Primer of Acting (1940), Play Production and Direction (1948), and other works on stage acting and directing.

Georgiana T. Lees (1903-1999), a Utah native and a descendent of Brigham Young, a prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), married C. Lowell Lees in 1931. She attended the University of Utah (M.A. 1952) and later taught speech and drama in Utah schools.

Extent

35 linear feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The C. Lowell and Georgiana T. Lees papers (1883-1998) contain materials used or collected by the Lees that document their family history and C. Lowell Lees's interest and professional activities in the theater at the University of Utah, Rutgers University, California's Pasadena Playhouse, government agencies during the Great Depression and World War II, commercial theater, and other institutions.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by Georgiana Lees Burbank and Richard and Sandra Lees Cannaday in 1983-2005.

Donated by Dick Cannaday (box 51) in 2010.

Separated Materials

Photographs (P0005) and audio-visual materials (A0414) were transferred to the Multimedia Division of Special Collections. Select original materials were removed from the collection and placed in the division's Reserve Collection. They can be viewed with permission from the curator.

Processing Information

Processed by Janet Everts Smoak, Jennifer Breaden, Mark Jensen, Lisa DeMille, Lindsey Moore from 1990-2006.

Addendum processed by Betsey Welland in 2010.

Subjects

Related Names

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Inventory of the C. Lowell and Georgiana T. Lees papers
Author
Finding aid created by Janet Everts Smoak.
Date
1990 (last modified: 2019)
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Revision Statements

  • 1990-2006: Finding aid revised and updated to reflect addenda by Jennifer Breaden, Mark Jensen, Lisa DeMille and Lindsey Moore
  • 2013: Finding aid revised and updated to reflect addenda by Betsey Welland

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections Repository

https://lib.utah.edu/collections/special-collections/index.php
Contact:
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City Utah 84112 United States
801-581-8863

Staff Interface | Visit ArchivesSpace.org | v2.8.1 | Send Feedback or Report a Problem