Hockley, Edgar, 1860–1938, Edgar Hockley collection, 1886-1924
- Call Number:
- MSS 9
- Holdings:
- [Request]
- Creator:
- Hockley, Edgar, 1860–1938
- Title(s):
- Edgar Hockley collection
- Date:
- 1886-1924
- Extent:
- 1.68 linear feet
- Classification:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Abstract:
- This collection comprises costume and set design drawings by Edgar Hockley depicting late-Victorian London stage productions. Also present are theatre programs and clippings from the same period.
- Provenance:
- Acquired 2004, Paul Mellon Fund.
- Conditions Governing Access:
- The materials are open for research.
- Conditions Governing Use:
- Copyright UndeterminedThe collection is the physical property of the Yale Center for British Art. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the Archives Department.
- Biographical/Historical:
- The artist Edgar Hockley (1860-1938) achieved primary success as a wood-engraver, the profession listed alongside his name in the census of 1881. In 1891 he is listed as "wood engraver and draughtsman"; in 1901, as "retired wood engraver." The Victoria & Albert Museum notes: "Edgar Hockley's connections with the theatrical world and the specific reason for executing these sketches [in the V&A's collection of related material] is still unknown. Hockley was not designing anything, but recording finished productions and noting details of their appearance, especially their colours that he identified using professional paint colour names such as 'madder', 'gamboge' and 'cobalt blue'. From what we can glean of his life from census returns there is no evidence of theatrical relations or links, although he must have been well known especially in the London theatre world to gain entry to the dress rehearsals of the productions he sketched. It is highly unlikely that he could have made sketches and detailed notes such as these from a seat in a darkened auditorium." For the V&A's full description of Hockley, and their collection of Hockley material, see: http://www.vam.ac.uk/archives/unit/ARC16535
- Scope and Content:
- The collection consists of about 270 sheets containing approximately 1,000 costume and set design drawings by Edgar Hockley from late-Victorian London stage productions, many of which are believed to have been commissioned by Henry Irving. Also present are theatre programs and clippings from the same period. Drawings in the collection are unsigned; attribution to Hockley is based on a similar collection of drawings in the archives of the Victoria & Albert Museum. Hockley's name also appears on one envelope in the collection, box 4, item 10a. A large majority of the drawings were made using graphite only, but a number also contain watercolor, pen and ink, and gouache. Most of the drawings are accompanied by detailed notes on colors or other aspects of appearance.
- Arrangement:
- The collection is arranged into four series: I. Theatre Programs and Clippings; II. Designs By Production; III. Designs By Era; IV. Designs By Subject. Folders are arranged alphabetically by production (Series I and II) or topic (Series III and IV).
- Genre:
- Costume design drawings, Gouaches, Graphite drawings, Pen and ink drawings, Set design drawings, and Theater programs
- Subject Terms:
- CostumeCostume designCostume designersStage-setting and sceneryTheaterTheaters
- Subject Period:
- 19th century
- Associated Places:
- Great Britain
- Associated People/Groups:
- Hockley, Edgar, 1860-1938Irving, Henry, Sir, 1838-1905Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 ($x: Stage history)Terry, Ellen, Dame, 1847-1928
- Finding Aid Title:
- Edgar Hockley collection
- Collection PDF:
- https://ead-pdfs.library.yale.edu/25.pdf
- Archival Object:
- https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/3/resources/25
- Metadata Cloud URL:
- https://metadata-api.library.yale.edu/metadatacloud/api/aspace/repositories/3/resources/25?mediaType=json&include-notes=1&include-all-subjects=1