Edward H. Peple Collection, 1891/1953

Access and use

Location of collection:
University of Richmond
Rare Books and Special Collections
Boatwright Library
University of Richmond
28 Westhampton Way
Richmond, VA 23173
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Lynda Kachurek
Phone: (804) 289-8458
Fax: (804) 287-1840
Terms of access:

Copyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Preferred citation:

[Box Number, Folder Number], MS-3, Edward H. Peple Collection, Book Arts, Archives, & Rare Books, Boatwright Memorial Library, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia.

Summary

Extent:
7 Linear Feet 8 boxes
Creator:
Peple, Edward, 1869-1924
Abstract:
Edward Henry Peple was a popular playwright, short story and novel writer in the late 19th and early 20th century. This collection contains copies of his plays, poems, and novels, in various forms. There are letters to and from family, colleagues, agents, and other individuals. There are also contracts, copyright certificates and behind the scenes theater lore, including pictures. The negotiations for movie rights hold interest especially when talking pictures come along and studios need to renegotiate for sound.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Box Number, Folder Number], MS-3, Edward H. Peple Collection, Book Arts, Archives, & Rare Books, Boatwright Memorial Library, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains his plays, stories, poetry, and photographs, along with contracts negotiated by both the author and his executors. There is also a great deal of financial information regarding earnings from the plays, etc. and investments. And finally, there are letters from his brother Charles and sister Florence, as well as personal information about Florence and her own writing attempts.

Series I, Title Plays, Stories, Novels, Poetry, includes the copies of plays written by Mr. Peple, including corrections, actor's copies, and reviews.

Series II, Contracts-Plays, Movies, Stories & Books, includes contracts and correspondence concerning the sale and/or production of the various plays, and reviews; contracts and correspondence concerning the motion picture and sound rights to various plays and copyright information.

Series III, Estate, includes letters, income tax forms and information, lists, and royalty information gathered by his brothers and sister as executors.

Series IV, Florence Peple and Charles Peple, includes letters, fiction, poetry, and personal information about his brothers, Charles and Gustav, and sister Florence.

Series V, Photographs and Ephemera, includes photographic materials and items that do not fit any other section.

Biographical / historical:

Edward Henry Peple was a popular playwright, short story and novel writer in the late 19th and early 20th century. Born August 10, 1869, in Richmond, Virginia, he was the second of four children. He attended the John S. McGuire Academy but, due to financial matters, was unable to attend college. He set about educating himself and worked in a bank for several years, while writing and attempting to get a play produced on Broadway. In 1895, at the age of 26, he moved to New York City to pursue his writing career. Not having much money, he went looking for work and found a job in a fire insurance office as an accountant. He continued to shop his play, The Broken Rosary, around the city and at one point it looked like it was going to make it. He quit his fire insurance job to devote his time to the play. Unfortunately, it fell through and he went back to work, this time for a bridge building company. Finally, Walter Lawrence, manager of the Madison Square Theater commissioned him to write The Prince Chap, 1904, which was met with rave reviews. A Broken Rosary was rewritten as a book, also in 1904.

His best known works are A Pair of Sixes and The Littlest Rebel. Some of his plays were made into silent films, and then later sound films. Probably his most famous work was The Littlest Rebel, in book form, play form and then in motion pictures, most notably, the Shirley Temple movie of that name. After his death in 1924, his brothers and sister continued to work with theaters, agents, and producers to market his plays and handle requests for movie and publication rights.

By the time of his death, July 28, 1924, he had written more than 40 plays, many short stories and poems, and several books. He is buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.

Acquisition information:
The collection was donated by members of the Peple family.
Processing information:

Processed by Elizabeth Dickie.

Former child record (uri=/repositories/4/digital_objects/4 - digital_object_id=photos) was deleted from catalogue on [Tue Apr 10 15:20:37 UTC 2018] as matching Preservica Deliverable Unit 499156b9-fb3e-4a85-b98f-6c7969fa158b was deleted.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in 5 series:

Series I: Title Plays, Stories, Novels, Poetry

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard