The Harold Clurman Theatre Committee Tribute Archive, Featuring an Autograph Invitation Signed by Ellen Adler to Ben Raeburn - Horizon Press
THEATRE & AMERICAN LITERATURE
THE HAROLD CLURMAN THEATRE COMMITTEE TRIBUTE INVITATION AND BACKSTAGE BASH ENSEMBLE.
GROUP THEATRE DESCENDANTS MEET HORIZON PRESS — A RARE ASSOCIATION EPHEMERA ENSEMBLE
New York: The Harold Clurman Theatre Committee, Circa late 1970s.
A highly compelling, multi-part ephemera lot tracking the intimate social and professional networks of mid-century Manhattan's theatrical and literary elite. Sourced directly from the private estate of Horizon Press founder Ben Raeburn, this collection represents a remarkably vivid social-network artifact.
The group is anchored by a warm, handwritten autograph invitation from Ellen Adler—daughter of Group Theatre legend Luther Adler and niece of Stella Adler—urging Raeburn’s attendance. Rather than a casual, fan-based autograph, Adler’s note serves as direct, relational proof of Raeburn's deeply embedded status within this prominent cultural circle, alongside close friends and Horizon authors like Zero Mostel.
The accompanying program materials cluster a literal census of mid-twentieth-century American creative genius, capturing an evening orchestrated by Harold Clurman, Elia Kazan, Arthur Miller, Aaron Copland, Walter Matthau, Julie Harris, and Maureen Stapleton. The inclusion of a classic, bold Al Hirschfeld caricature of Clurman further solidifies the artistic cohesion and historical significance of the ensemble.
SPECS
+++ Format: Multi-component ephemera ensemble housed together in a protective archival Mylar sleeves.
+++ Original Mailing Envelope: Issued by The Harold Clurman Theatre Committee at 27 West 67th Street, New York City.
+++ Tribute Program & Menu Card: Printed in striking red ink, outlining a Bus Stop Bar cocktail hour hosted by Kim Stanley, a tent dinner hosted by Aaron Copland, and a master program featuring Julie Harris, Walter Matthau, Maureen Stapleton, Elia Kazan, Arthur Miller, Robert Whitehead, and Harold Clurman.
+++ Backstage Bash RSVP Card: The official ticket reservation and booking tier form.
+++ Al Hirschfeld Illustration Card: A large, printed theatrical caricature plate depicting Harold Clurman with a cigar and cane, signed by Hirschfeld in the matrix.
+++ Manuscript Feature: The reverse of the reservation card features a bold, ink-signed holographic note from Ellen Adler to the publisher: Dear Ben Raeburn— It would give us a great joy to see you with us. Ellen Adler.
+++ Condition: Fine. Every component remains exceptionally clean, crisp, and structurally sound, with bright ink and sharp edges.
Historical Significance —
This ensemble offers primary, transactional proof of how mid-century creative alliances were sustained outside of a formal office environment. While Harold Clurman, Arthur Miller, and Elia Kazan are widely documented at an institutional level, this lot reveals the quiet, connective tissue behind the scenes—specifically showcasing how Ben Raeburn’s Horizon Press was socially woven into the fabric of Broadway’s elite avant-garde.
Ellen Adler’s personal, informal tone indicates an intimate social standing, showing that the publisher was considered a trusted peer within the Group Theatre’s extended generational circle. For researchers, it turns a series of isolated historical names into a cohesive, interactive map of post-war Manhattan's intellectual community.
Subject / Genre: American Theatre History, Group Theatre (New York) Relational Archive, Mid-Century Independent Publishing History, Twentieth-Century American Ephemera & Caricature Art.
Item #22063
Price: $125.00
Other books you may like
