Search

Series 2: Scholarship and Teaching, 1979-2014, is separated into two-subseries: materials relating to Arthur's research on Melvyn Douglas and material from semesters abroad in London and Italy. The former consists of correspondence, notes and manuscripts, theater programs, and photographs related to Arthur's research for his dissertation abd biography on Melvyn Douglas. Some items of interest include a letter sent February 10, 1972 from actor Robert Redford to Melvyn Douglas, Douglas' handwritten notes for Arthur's book, theater programs that detail Melvyn Douglas's early performances in various theaters throughout the Midwest, and photographs of Melvyn Douglas (or family members of Douglas) that Thomas H. Arthur used in his biography of Douglas. The semester abroad sub-series consists of materials from Arthur's study abroad class. Much of the sub-series comprises museum guides and hotel brochures. Some items of interest include photographs taken by a student while on the trip (with some correspondence written on the back dated 1984), a photograph of Thomas Arthur and three other guests at the Mansion House in London, and an itinerary with dinner programs for the students. Three posters from the 1979 Fine Arts Week and a list of Festival of the Arts topics and guests (1974-1992) compiled by Arthur are included.

Series 1: Theater Programs and Printed Materials, 1953-2018, is separated into two subseries: theater programs and printed materials related to many of the shows represented in the playbills. The theater programs document the many plays and musicals that Arthur attended, with the majority playing in London and on Broadway and spanning more than 60 years. Playbills of note include programs from award-winning shows such as Hamilton, Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Lion King, My Fair Lady, and Cats, programs from productions that feature actors including Ian McKellan, Patrick Stewart, Catherine Tate, Judi Dench, Viola Davis, and Gary Oldman, and programs from many versions of classic Shakespeare plays, such as Twelfth Night and Hamlet. The theater print material subseries comprises other theater-related pamphlets and programs, most of which are either souvenir brochures or pamphlets that include calendars for a particular season.