This LibGuide is the result of a collaborative project with Dr. Lana Dalley’s 2019 ENGL 525T Victorian Transgressions class. Included are six insightful essays that delve into key topics, offering valuable perspectives and analysis. We invite you to explore these resources for a richer understanding of the subject.
These works highlight George Bernard Shaw's significant influence as both a writer and social activist in Victorian, Edwardian, and Georgian society. Shaw, an Irish playwright who authored over sixty plays before his death in 1950, used his work to challenge social norms. His controversial plays, such as Mrs. Warren's Profession, boldly addressed issues like women’s roles and economic injustice. This collection not only provides insight into Shaw’s personality, humor, and commitment to his craft but also documents his lasting impact on theater and social reform.
These publications document his fierce battles against censorship, including his prominent role in organizing private performances to circumvent Lord Chamberlain's restrictions and his passionate 1907 letter to The Nation defending the importance of addressing controversial subjects on stage.
The materials also reveal Shaw's celebrity status through personal accounts, such as Lewis Casson's memories of Shaw at rehearsals and Gilbert H. Fabes' bookstore encounter, where Shaw quipped that he'd "need Albert Hall" to accommodate all his potential listeners. His lasting influence is evidenced by the numerous Shaw societies worldwide, from India to Japan to the United States, and by publications like Drama Quarterly's dedication to him after his death.
This selection of G.B. Shaw's works offers fascinating insights into Shaw's character through extensive personal correspondence, representing just a fraction of the estimated quarter million letters and postcards he wrote during his lifetime. Shaw emerges as a profoundly controlling and meticulous individual through these materials, particularly in his theatrical work. His letters to Allan Wade reveal how he micromanaged every aspect of his plays' productions, from financial decisions about "Heartbreak House" to specific directions for actors' performances. His correspondence with Frederick Whelen shows his influential role in The Stage Society, where he offered suggestions for play selection and theater leasing decisions, though notably, Shaw would firmly decline involvement in areas where he felt he lacked expertise, such as Russian theatre.
The collection also illuminates Shaw's political engagement, mainly through his correspondence with George E. Gladstone about the 1904 St. Pancras election, including a draft of his satirical play The Man Who Stands No Nonsense, which critiqued voting procedures. In his later years, letters exchanged with his biographer Stephen Winsten demonstrate Shaw's careful attention to managing his legacy, reviewing drafts, and providing unpublished manuscripts while insisting on maintaining control over the narrative of his life story. As evidenced by his 1922 letter to Wade lamenting that he had "written nothing frivolous," these materials collectively paint a portrait of a purposeful man who approached both his artistic work and public image with unwavering intentionality.
This assortment of materials offers a unique glimpse into Shaw's life from 1892 to 1950, spanning personal, political, and professional domains. This box houses items that reflect Shaw's private world—such as a rhymed photographic guide to his home and a proposed phonetic alphabet—revealing his wit, creativity, and reformist inclinations. Personal artifacts, including a eulogy for a close friend and directions to his home, hint at his desire for privacy and retreat from public life. Professional materials showcase his humor and intellectual rigor through essays, forewords, and even a playful puppet play satirizing his comparisons to Shakespeare.
The second focus of this box centers on Shaw’s political and social commentary. This section includes pamphlets and essays illustrating his radical views on war, equality, and social issues. His criticism of military campaigns, economic inequality, and social justice concerns—including protecting children and medical ethics—demonstrates his dedication to public discourse. Shaw’s interest in Russian politics and his censored radio address about Soviet Russia reflects the contentious nature of his viewpoints.
The materials in Box #4 provide a comprehensive view of Shaw’s evolution as a writer, social critic, and advocate, revealing the complexities of his character and influence over half a century.
This box contains various materials that showcase the renowned playwright and social commentator's wide-ranging interests and controversial perspectives. The contents can be broadly sorted into three main categories.
First, the box includes examples of Shaw's social and political commentary, such as his writings for Fabian Society publications. In these works, he challenged prevailing views on private enterprise. He encouraged better political representation for the working class while critiquing the government's steadfast commitment to serving the laboring population.
Secondly, the box highlights Shaw's satirization of and opinions on religion. This includes expressions of his affinity for atheism and communism, as well as his use of various mediums to scrutinize the logic and structures of organized religion mockingly. Pieces like his play "Androcles and the Lion" and essays such as "If I Were a Priest" exemplify this irreverent, iconoclastic perspective.
Finally, the box contains various other miscellaneous items, including Shaw's self-reviews of his fiction, responses to public figures like H.G. Wells and J.B.S. Haldane, and introductions or contributions to the works of other authors. Together, these materials further illuminate Shaw's self-assured, hubristic viewpoints on literature, politics, religion and his prominent place within these spheres of discourse.
The contents of Box 5 provide valuable insight into the breadth and provocative nature of Shaw's wide-ranging social commentary and cultural influence.
This box houses the original manuscripts and proofs for *Jesting Apostle: the Private Life of Bernard Shaw*, a 1956 biography by Stephen Winsten that sheds light on Shaw’s private life and his involvement with the Fabian Society. The box is organized into folders containing various stages of the manuscript, from early notes planning the book’s format to proofs of the title page, introduction, and chapters 1-13, many of which feature Winsten’s revisions. Also included is a marked printer’s proof from May 1956, as well as Winsten’s acknowledgments manuscript.
Winsten, originally Samuel Weinstein, met Shaw through the Fabian Society, a democratic socialist organization that promoted societal reform through gradual means rather than revolution. Shaw, who helped establish the society’s foundation, grew to favor incremental change over radical upheaval, advocating for a strategy he called “permeation,” whereby socialists would work within established systems. Winsten, an artist and intellectual connected to the Whitechapel Boys, and Shaw were neighbors and close friends, spending much time together in Hertfordshire. Jesting Apostle reflects this close bond, highlighting Shaw’s relationships and social philosophies. The manuscripts in Box 6, with their handwritten notes and alterations, offer valuable insights into the biography’s development, as well as Winsten’s correspondence with Shaw about the book’s accuracy and relevance.
This album showcases a passionate but ultimately unfulfilled relationship between George Bernard Shaw and Alice Lockett, unfolding through a series of letters from 1882-1885. Initially, Shaw’s letters to Alice reveal a romantic attraction, blending poetry and affectionate yet playful exchanges. Their relationship becomes increasingly strained, with Shaw’s tone shifting from flirtation to frustration, and ultimately ends with him prioritizing his political and professional pursuits over Alice. In the letters, Shaw recounts moments of intimacy, like evenings playing the piano, but also expresses irritation, particularly when Alice fails to meet him or challenges his statements. The final letters show Shaw’s waning affection as he becomes absorbed in the Fabian Society and Socialist ideals, revealing how his growing political commitments influenced his personal life.
These letters provide insight into Shaw’s private life during his formative years, alongside his evolving political engagement as a member of the Fabian Society, and may interest those studying Shaw’s early relationships, Victorian epistolary traditions, or the emotional nuances of Shaw’s personality. The collection also illuminates Shaw’s complicated views on intimacy and his preference for written correspondence as a means of connection, highlighting a key aspect of Victorian literary culture and Shaw’s unique approach to love and expression.
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