The collection is open for research.
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials. Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Lillian Gish Letter, Ms1978-006, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
The Lillian Gish Letter was purchased by University Libraries and transferred to Special Collection in 1978.
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Lillian Gish Letter was completed prior to 2010. Additional description was completed in November 2010.
Lillian Diana Gish was an American actress, best known for her appearance in such silent screen classics as Birth of a Nation and Orphans of the Storm. Born October 14, 1893, died February 27, 1993. She spent over 75 years on the sreen (1912-1987). Her most prominate films were of the 1910s and 1920s, with D. W. Griffith (1875-1948) as the director. AFI listed Gish as 17th among the greatest female stars of all time. She was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 1971, and she received an AFI Life Achievement Award in 1984.
Lillian Gish never married nor had children. The association between Gish and D. W. Griffith was so close that some suspected a romantic connection, an issue never acknowledged by Gish, although several of their associates were certain they were at least briefly involved. For the remainder of her life, she always referred to him as "Mr. Griffith."
The collection consists of a letter from Lillain Gish to Charles Haney, librarian at Virginia Tech, in answer to a question about the filmmaker D. W. Griffith.
The folder is arranged so that the letter by Lillian Gish is in the front, followed by the envelope, then a brief note on why the letter was written to place the letter in context.
The guide to the Lillian Gish Letter, Ms1978-006 by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).