Bijou Theatre, 1909
The Bijou Theatre opened as part of Knoxville's longstanding Lamar House Hotel on March 8, 1909. Over the years it hosted many famous vaudeville and theater acts. This photograph was taken between Acts II and III of Little Johnny Jones on the Bijou's opening night.
Manuscript Collections
Gatlinburg Theatre Collection [MS.3893]
This collection includes materials related to two Gatlinburg-based companies: the Gateway Stock Company of New York and the Sevier County Theatre Guild.
Ellis Mayes Theatre Collection, 1935-2000 [MS.3648]
This collection includes mementos, memorabilia, and other materials related to Ellis Ephraim Mayes, who was very involved with the Carousel Theatre.
The Bijou Theatre: 1909-1949 [MS.0894]
This is a master’s thesis from Robert A. Ellis Jr. that examines the historical significance of the Bijou Theatre to the local area.
Knoxville Theatres: Vaudeville and Celluloid, 1872-1981 [MS.1046]
This is a manuscript from Wallace Woodruff Baumann, listing information about Knoxville theaters as well as other auditoriums and public entertainment venues.
Roy Rochelle, Jr. Playbill Collection [MS.3342]
This collection includes mostly New York City Playbills from Broadway theaters as well as programs from Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall; it also features New York City World’s Fair Magazines.
Walter Morris Papers, 1910-1999 [MS.3669]
This collection documents the career of movie theatre businessman Walter L. Morris, who ran local theatres and managed others for companies such as Paramount and Warner Bros.; it is comprised of various biographical, theater, and production papers as well as movie reels.
Clarence Brown Papers [MS.2010]
This collection includes the personal papers of Clarence and Marian Brown, materials related to their involvement with the University of Tennessee, information about their various donations, and other personal materials.
LeRoy Graf Collection [MS.2899]
This collection features the papers of Dr. LeRoy Graf as well as 1930s-1980s theatre articles related to play reviews, actors, and actresses.
Richard Leavitt Collection of Tennessee Williams [MS.2065]
This collection includes materials related to Tennessee Williams, from his childhood throughout his career, such as photographs and other miscellaneous memorabilia.
The Malcolm Miller Papers [MS.0308]
This collection includes materials related to Malcolm Miller, who was involved with the University of Tennessee drama program as well as other local theaters such as the Bijou and the Lyric, and also ran a Music and Drama column in the Knoxville Journal.
Owen Fawcett Papers [MS.0422]
This collection includes materials related to Owen Stanley Fawcett, who was a stage actor for fifty years, as well as 19th-century English and American theatre.
John C. Hodges Congreve Collection [MS.0641]
This collections includes the research materials of John Cunyus Hodges, a former chairman of the University of Tennessee English department who was also heavily involved in the Library Development Program beginning in 1959, from his studies of British author William Congreve.
The John C. Hodges Collection of William Congreve
William Congreve (1670-1729)
The John C. Hodges Collection of William Congreve: a Bibliographical Catalog
A detailed bibliographic description of 128 rare books (1693-1730) by, and related to, William Congreve, as part of the John C. Hodges Collection of Restoration Drama research materials. A digital version of this catalog is available in the University of Tennessee's institutional repository (TRACE) via the above link.
Archival Collections
University of Tennessee Theatre Collection, 1901- [AR.0235]
This collection includes materials related to theatre groups affiliated with the University of Tennessee, as well as some records related to the Department of Speech and Theatre and the Clarence Brown Theatre advisory board.
Fred Fields and Gary Buttrey Papers regarding University of Tennessee Theatres [AR.0029]
This collection features materials related to the Carousel Theatre as well as the Hunter Hills Theatre.
Robert M. Cothran's Clarence Brown Theater Set Design Collection [AR.0757]
This collection includes Robert Cothran's hand-drawn set and scene designs as well as performance photographs; Cothran taught several classes with the University of Tennessee Theatre Department, and was Clarence Brown Theatre's head set designer from 1972-1998, where he developed the infamous revolving set for A Christmas Carol.
Collections with Limited Theatre Materials
Note: The following collections contain smaller quantities of theatre-related material.
Records and Memorabilia regarding Student Organizations and Activities [AR.0017]
This collection includes materials related to the University of Tennessee's student organizations and activities from 1838-1991. It houses some materials related to the Carousel Theatre, Speech and Theatre Arts, The Clarence Brown Theatre, Hunter Hills Theatre, Opera, etc.
Paul L. Soper Papers [AR.0452]
This collection includes materials that document the career of Paul L. Soper, who was involved in UT theatre from 1939-1972. Theatre-related materials housed in this collection include correspondence and newspaper clippings from the opening of the Clarence Brown Theatre, as well as information about the Department of Theatre and Speech.
Frederick A. Elmore, Jr. Papers [AR.0472]
Donated by Frederick A. Elmore, Jr., this collection includes some University of Tennessee ephemera in addition to documentation from the Field Economic Mobilization Course of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and related materials. This collection also feature ticket stubs from Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Criterior Theatre.
M. McKay Bonner Papers [MS.1642]
This collection features various correspondence, circulars, scripts, reviews, etc. from the life of an African-American man named Malcolm McKay Bonner, who lived in Memphis in the 1920s. Theatre-specific items include theatre reviews by Bonner and material from Opportunity Week at the Palace Theatre.
Research Centers Records [AR.0683]
This collection includes various materials related to the University of Tennessee research centers. One folder is dedicated to the Center for Theatre Excellence, dated 1983-1990.
