University of Wyoming
Stephen Longstreet (1907-2002) was born in New York, grew up in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He studied at Rutgers and Harvard and graduated from the New York School of Fine and Applied Arts (Parsons) in 1929. During his career, he moved between many professions working as a novelist, playwright, painter, art-critic and collector, lecturer, journalist, news magazine editor and jazz historian. His Broadway musical "High Button Shoes" documented the story of the Longstreet Family in 1913 and was awarded the Billboard-Donaldson Gold Medal for best play in 1948. Longstreet authored several novels under various pen names but is most noted for his screenplay for "The Jolson Story" (1948) which was awarded the Photoplay Gold Medal, followed by his screenplay for "The Greatest Show on Earth" which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1952. He also wrote and illustrated "Encyclopedie du Jazz" and "Sportin' House: A History of th e New Orleans Sinners and the Birth of Jazz".
Collection contains 15 water colors and drawings (1946) Longstreet made while researching his screenplay for "The Jolson Story" which depict various scenes for the screenplay. Along with his research material for "The Jolson Story" are found a one page biography on Stephen Longstreet, and a limited edition portfolio of artwork for "The Red Badge of Courage." The collection contains several novels authored by Longstreet as well as several manuscripts and screenplays (1940s-1960s) including the opening script he wrote for the TV series "Casey Jones". The collection also contains a number of portfolios of prints of artwork by Daumier with introduction and commentary by Longstreet. Also included are a number of books from the Master Draughtsmans Series (1960s) pertaining to work of various artists with an introduction by Stephen Longstreet. Unpublished manuscripts, newspaper clippings, and gallery announcements are also found in this collection.
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.
The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
There are no known other archival collections created by Stephen Longstreet at the date of processing.
Partial finding aid available in repository.
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
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