The papers of Charlotte Saunders Cushman (1816-1876) span the years 1823-1941, with the bulk of material dating from 1861 to 1875, the period of her greatest acclaim. The papers document her acting career through correspondence; biographical notes, including recollections dictated by Cushman in 1875; annotated scripts of plays, poetry, and other texts used for performances; a comprehensive collection of newspaper clippings; and programs from her theatrical performances and readings. They are arranged into seven series: Bound Correspondence , Unbound Correspondence , Playscripts , Readings , Newspaper Clippings , Miscellany , and Oversize . A letter and fragment of a letter added to the collection in 1997 are contained in an Addition .

The correspondence, bound and unbound , includes a large number of letters which reveal the close relationships among various members of Cushman's family. The letters touch on all facets of their lives and reflect Cushman's role as "head" of the family. Most of the correspondence is between Cushman and her older brother, Charles Augustus; her mother, Mary Eliza; and Edwin C., a nephew whom she adopted. A letter from Charles, written after Cushman's death, contains a biographical sketch of her career based on his memory and diaries. A few letters to and from Cushman's sister, Susan, and aunt, Charlotte Saunders, are also found in the papers.

Charlotte Cushman surrounded herself with people who shared her artistic interests. Although much of her correspondence with friends and acquaintances is filled with news of events and personalities in the theatrical and literary world, it also provides a record of the difficulties which Cushman encountered in establishing and maintaining a career as an actress. A number of letters concern financial investments; others are from admirers and people seeking financial assistance or advice on pursuing careers on the stage.

Cushman returned to Rome following a tour for the benefit of the United States Sanitary Commission at the end of the 1863. She was deeply interested in the Civil War, and her papers contain a letter from Rufus King, United States minister in Rome, written on 27 April 1865 sending her a copy of a dispatch containing news of Lincoln's assassination; the attempted assassination of her friend and confidant, William H. Seward; the death of Seward's son, Frederick; and the general sense of horror which prevailed in the United States in the aftermath of these events. Upon receiving the news of the assassination, Americans living in Rome met to decide on a course of action. The record of their meeting and the resolutions which they adopted are included in the collection under the title "The Americans in Rome" signed by Edward S. Lacy. Sallie Mercer's telegram of 29 June 1863 to William Henry Seward inquiring "The Rebels are expected here, What shall Sallie do?" is also found in the papers. The telegram had amused Seward so much that he showed it to Lincoln.

The playscripts in the collection contain Cushman's best-known roles, including Lady Macbeth, Hamlet, Cardinal Wolsey, and Queen Katherine, and her most popular role, Meg Merrilies, from Walter Scott's Guy Mannering . In addition there are holograph copies of The Actress of Padua , Hope of the Family , and a Lesson of the Heart . Some of the plays are annotated to show stage directions, and prompt books are included for The Actress of Padua .

Newspaper clippings in the collection provide a record of the public's reaction to her performances. There are numerous articles tracing her life and genealogical background. Reviews chronicle her career almost performance by performance. In a letter of 2 March 1845 to her mother, she mentions she had collected a "lot of newspapers which could tell you in much better language . . . of my brilliant and triumphant success in London."

Correspondents in the collection include Henry Bellows, John Bigelow (1817-1911), Edwin Booth, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Jane Welsh Carlyle, Henry Fothergill Chorley, Emma Crow, Wayman Crow, Charles Augustus Cushman, Edwin C. Cushman, Mary Eliza Cushman, J. T. Fields, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Julia Ward Howe, Helen Hunt Jackson, Geraldine Endsor Jewsbury, Fanny Kemble, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, William Charles Macready, Christine Nilsson, John Howard Payne, Anna Seward, William Henry Seward, William T. Sherman, Emma Stebbins, Thomas Adolphus Trollope, Martin Van Buren, Lester Wallack, and John Greenleaf Whittier.