Selected Special Collections

Manuscript Plays Collection

American play typescripts submitted for copyright deposit in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, (3,062 typescripts).

See digitized works in the online presentation of: English-Language Playscripts Collection. From the thousands of playscripts submitted to the U.S. Copyright Office at Library of Congress during 1870-1920, and now housed in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division, 257 have been selected. These unpublished manuscripts include vaudeville comedy sketches, monologues, musical revue, spectacles, and other genres.

Supporting Resources

• Digitized Material: Rare Book Selections, Available Online, Manuscript Plays Collection (Library of Congress) | Library of Congress (loc.gov)
• Finding Aid: Manuscript Plays Collection, Library of Congress Copyright Office drama deposits, 1863-1973