Pamela Colman Smith collection, 1896-1900

The Pamela Colman Smith papers house the personal correspondence of Pamela Smith, a well-known author, illustrator, and stage designer. The collection, which ranges from 1896-1900, consists primarily of the outgoing correspondence of Smith to her cousin Mary B. Reed. These letters record Smith’s progression as an artist and the first sales of her artwork.

The collection comprises two series: “Series I: Letters to Mary B. Reed” and “Series II: Other Materials.”

“Series I: Letters to Mary B. Reed” consists of 17 letters written by Smith between 1896 and 1900 to her cousin Mary B. Reed. The letters were sent from Jamaica, where her family lived for several years, and later from New York and London, where Smith moved to pursue her career as an illustrator. The letters report on her activities writing, designing, and staging amateur plays, and show the development of her work as an illustrator, from the design of theatrical sets and costumes, to advertising posters she created for family friends. The plays she worked on during this period include Henry Morgan, Herne the Hunter, and The Magic Carbuncle. In three successive letters to Reed, Smith describes the action and staging of Henry Morgan in great detail, and provides sketches of several of the scenes. The play is a romantic, adventurous tale of a pirate, hunted by constables in the first act and knighted by Charles II at the end of the play. Smith devotes less detail to the plot of Herne the Hunter, but enthusiastically describes a procession that takes place at the beginning of the play, and includes several sketches of the characters and costumes. Several of the letters mention Smith's work on The Magic Carbuncle, but she does not include any description of its plot or staging. The conception, development, and publication of an illustrated Shakespearean alphabet for children can be traced through some of the letters in this collection. Smith's first sales of her artwork are recorded here, as is her deepening association with the Lyceum Theatre Company. “Series II: Other Materials” contains additional materials, including newspaper clippings, miscellaneous sketches, and an advertisement for a shop that Smith opened in London to sell her prints and services as an illustrator of cards, book plates, and sign boards.

This collection shows the artist's lively spirit and imagination, and make it clear that her nickname of "Pixie Pamela" was very apt. It evidences her creativity and interest in the arts. It would be of worth to anyone interested in Pamela Smith; theater during the turn of the century; Jamaica during the early twentieth century, etc.