Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Mary Jane Irving Papers, 1917-1956
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Irving, Mary Jane, b. 1914
- Title
- Mary Jane Irving Papers
- Dates
- 1917-1956 (inclusive)19171956
- Quantity
- cubic ft. (3 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 06736
- Summary
- Mary Jane Irving was a child actress between 1917 and 1926. She was featured in films with William S. Hart, Hobart Bosworth, Sessue Hayakawa, and Bessie Barriscale. The collection includes correspondence, motion picture stills and other photographs, a scrapbook, and publicity materials.
- Repository
-
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY
82071
Telephone: 3077663756
ahcref@uwyo.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Access Restrictions
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- The creation of the EAD-version of this finding aid was made possible through a grant from the National Historic Publications and Records Commission.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Mary Jane Irving began her film career at the age of two. Thomas Ince called her “my first real find in pictures.” She was featured with William S. Hart in “The Square Deal Man” in 1917 and became a popular child star of the silent film era. She worked for Cecil B. DeMille in “Patriotism” in 1918 and “The Godless Girl” in 1928. Robert Brunton cast her in a number of his films. She did several films each with William S. Hart, Bessie Barriscale, and Sessue Hayakawa. She appeared with Hobart Bosworth in “His Own Law” in 1920. In 1922 she traveled to Tahiti to shoot “Lost and Found” on location. Her popularity continued until about 1926, but as she entered her teenage years roles became less frequent. She was largely relegated to secondary and non-speaking roles. Irving married screenwriter Robert Carson in 1938. She died in 1983.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Mary Jane Irving Papers contain photographs, including stills from some of Irving’s motion pictures, portraits, and a number of candid shots. There are snapshots from her trip to Tahiti in 1922 showing shipboard and island life. There is publicity material, including periodicals and a scrapbook of press clippings. Also included are letters from friends and fans (1919-1932) and letters from Robert Carson to Mary Jane Irving Carson (1930s-1940s).
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Copyright InformationThe researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
Preferred Citation
Preferred CitationItem Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Mary Jane Irving Papers, 1917-1956, Collection Number 06736, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Related Materials
Related MaterialsThere are no other known archival collections created by Mary Jane Irving as of the date of processing. The Robert Carson Papers are housed at Boston University.
Acquisition Information
Acquisition InformationThe papers were received from Mary Jane Carson in 1983.
Processing Note
Processing InformationThe collection was processed by D.C. Thompson in June 2005.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Correspondence |
1919-1932 |
| Container(s) | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 2 | Correspondence - Christmas cards |
1920s |
| Container(s) | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folders | ||
| 1 | 3-9 | Correspondence - “Love Letters” (from Robert Carson) |
1936-1939, 1942, 1944-1945, 1956, no dates |
Photographs – Motion Pictures:Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 10 | Brand |
1919 |
| 1 | 11 | Brand of Lopez |
1920 |
| 1 | 12 | Broken Doll |
1920 |
| 1 | 13 | Bugle Call |
no dates |
| 1 | 14 | A Certain Rich Man |
1921 |
| 1 | 15 | Cheri Bibi (Phantom of Paris) |
1931 |
| 1 | 16 | Cordelia the Magnificent |
1921 |
| 1 | 17 | Cradle |
1922 |
| 1 | 18 | Daughter of the Brahma |
1919 |
| 1 | 19 | Don’t Call It Love |
circa 1922 |
| 1 | 20 | Fair Week |
1924 |
| 1 | 21 | Flaming Forest |
1925 |
| 1 | 22 | Four Sons |
1927 |
| 1 | 23 | Girl’s Dormitory |
circa 1931 |
| 1 | 24 | Godless Girl |
1928 |
| 1 | 25 | Golden Bed |
circa 1925 |
| 1 | 26 | Golden Dreams |
1922 |
| 1 | 27 | Golden Harvest |
no dates |
| 1 | 28 | Good Bad Boy |
1925 |
| 1 | 29 | Grey Horizon |
1919 |
| 1 | 30 | Heart of a Fool |
circa 1922 |
| 1 | 31 | His Own Law |
1920 |
| 1 | 32 | Home Stretch |
circa 1920 |
| 1 | 33 | Live Sparks |
1919 |
| 1 | 34 | Lord Loves the Irish |
1919 |
| 1 | 35 | Lost and Found (Captain Blackbird) |
1922 |
| 1 | 36 | Man’s Country |
1919 |
| 1 | 37 | An Old Sweetheart of Mine |
1923 |
| 1 | 38 | Patriotism |
1917-1918 |
| 1 | 39 | Shamrock Handicap |
circa 1925 |
| 1 | 40 | Shining Adventure |
1926 |
| 1 | 41 | Song o’ My Heart |
1930 |
| 1 | 42 | Splendid Road |
1925 |
| 1 | 43 | Temple of Dusk |
1918 |
| 1 | 44 | Unbeliever |
1920 |
| 1 | 45 | Wedlock (Heart of Rachel) |
1919 |
| 1 | 46 | White Lie (A Wife’s Conscience) |
1918 |
| 1 | 47 | Without Honor |
1931 |
| 1 | 48 | Woman Who Understood |
1920 |
| 1 | 49 | Unidentified stills |
no dates |
Photographs – People:Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 2 | 1 | Barriscale, Bessie |
1919-1920s |
| 2 | 2 | Carson, Robert Writers Guild of America strike
|
no dates |
| 2 | 3 | Friends |
1918-circa 1980s |
| 2 | 4 | Hart, William S. |
1917-1919 |
| 2 | 5 | Irving, Mary Jane |
1917-1923 |
| 2 | 6 | Irving, Mary Jane and Others |
circa 1917-circa 1931 |
| 2 | 7 | Tahiti |
1922 |
| 2 | 8 | Tahiti, Figi, New Guinea, etc. |
1924-1928 |
| Container(s) | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 2 | 9 | Publicity |
1921-1928 |
| Container(s) | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 2 | 10 | Publicity – Periodicals |
1921-1922, 1930 |
| Container(s) | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 2 | 11 | Miscellaneous Souvenirs of Tahiti, etc.
|
1922, no dates |
| Container(s) | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 3 | Oversize publicity clippings |
1923-1925 |
| Container(s) | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 3 | Poster (rolled), “The Cradle” |
1922 |
| Container(s) | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Box | ||
| 3 | Scrapbook of press clippings |
circa 1917-1932 |
| Container(s) | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Safe Envelope | Autograph book |
no dates |
| Container(s) | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Safe Envelope | Correspondence and photographs |
1920-1923 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Silent films.
Personal Names
- Barriscale, Bessie, ca. 1884-1965.
- Hart, William S.
Form or Genre Terms
- Photographs.
Occupations
- Child actors.
- Motion picture actors and actresses.
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Carson, Robert, 1909-
Processed by D.C. Thompson
2006
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
