Series X: Scrapbooks and Unprocessed Material, 1875-2014, inclusive

Subseries A: Hardcopy Scrapbooks, consists of 14 hardcopy scrapbooks documenting a number of activities of the Actors' Fund. There are scrapbooks of clippings on the Fund generally and on benefit and special benefit performances. In addition, there are five volumes of theater programs and playbills unrelated to productions of the Actors' Fund; these scrapbooks are chronologically arranged from 1908-1933. There are four volumes of obituaries, documenting the deaths of members of the theater community from 1913-1933. Of special interest is the Louis Simon scrapbook, which includes original correspondence, programs, press clippings, and production photographs documenting Simon's theatre work, particularly his involvement in Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Theatre projects. Also of note is the scrapbook composer Ray O'Brien compiled of the USO tour of Olie Olsen and Chick Johnson's "Hellz-a-Poppin" Show, which toured army posts across the country during World War II. The cast included Milt Douglas, Jack Leornard, Ben Dova, the Emerald Sisters, the Three Grace Notes, Claire Louise Evans, Harry Hines, Joan Blondell, and Maxine Turner.

Subseries B: Microfilmed Scrapbooks, 1900-1961, consists of an additional 15 Actors' Fund scrapbooks that have been microfilmed (on 4 reels, Tamiment microfilm call numbers R-7822/1-4). Through clippings from local publications from around the country, the microfilmed scrapbooks provide a rich source of historical information not only about the Actors' Fund but about the theatrical community at large. Their unique narrative of major events in the Fund's history includes documentation, mostly through newspaper clippings, of fundraising and major donations, the life of the Actors' Fund Home, and Daniel Frohman's long reign as president of the Fund. There are also cartoons, flyers, press releases, and telegrams. Included, and filmed in full, are sumptuously decorated Souvenir Programs of the Fund's annual benefit shows. Most of the material in this subseries was in extremely fragile and deteriorated condition and was discarded after filming. The original Souvenir Programs and other items of exceptional graphic interest or historical value have been preserved in Series III and V of the archival collection. Subseries C: Unprocessed materials include research materials for annual reports and about actor Edwin Forrest; programs for, and invitations to fundraising performances, annual galas, and other benefit events; souvenir programs and playbills; photographs (some from early 20th century), snapshots, hand-drawn cartoons of, and press clippings and scrapbook pages for Joe Smith and Charles Dale, the comedic vaudeville duo who were models for the Neil Simon play, The Sunshine Boys. DVDs document Actors Fund benefits and events from 2001-2013 that include performances or appearances by Jason Alexander; Alec Baldwin; Harry Belafonte; Annette Bening; Polly Bergen; Jed Bernstein; Matthew Broderick; Betty Buckley; Charles Busch; Liz Callaway; Mario Cantone; Bonnie Comley; John Cullum; Christine Ebersole; Eartha Kitt; Judy Kuhn; Rocco Landesman; Stewart F. Lane; Lorna Luft; Patti LuPone; Terrence Mann; Karen Mason; Kevin McCollum; Audra McDonald; Rebe McEntire; Anne Meara;Randie Levine Miller; Liza Minnelli; Brian Stokes Mitchell; Bebe Neuwirth; Al Pacino; Chita Rivera; Seth Rudetsky; Emily Skinner; David Steiner; Mike Stengel; Jerry Stiller; Elaine Stritch; Jonathan Tisch; and Nia Vardalos.