Martha Greenhouse Collection of Acting Union Records
Call Number
Dates
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Martha Greenhouse (1921-2013) was a New York stage, film, and television actor who was an active member and leader of unions for actors, most notably the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). Greenhouse joined the American Federation of Radio Artists, the predecessor to AFTRA, in 1941 and SAG in 1955. This collection spans from 1943 to 1997; the bulk of the materials were created between 1968 and 1992. The collection includes records collected by Martha Greenhouse in the course of her time as a member and leader of AFTRA, SAG, and other unions for actors. The majority of the records are union meeting minutes, agendas, memoranda, and communications to union members, committees, or officers. The collection also includes governing documents, contracts, financial statements, press releases and clippings, and union member benefits. There are also clippings and other records related to the larger labor movement during the years Greenhouse was active.
Biographical
Martha Greenhouse (1921-2013) was a New York stage, film, and television actor known for her roles in the films The Stepford Wives, Bananas, and Daniel; television shows including Law & Order, The Jackie Gleason Show, and Love is a Many Splendored Thing; and stage productions including the original production of Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.
Greenhouse was an active member and leader of unions for actors, most notably the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) which she joined in 1941 and 1955 respectively. She was also a member of Actors Equity Association (AEA) and the Associated Actors and Artistes of America (AAAA). She served as the president of AFTRA's New York Local from 1977-1982, represented the New York Local at national conventions, and served on AFTRA committees at both the local and national level. Greenhouse served two terms on SAG's National Board from 1981-1987, was active in the SAG New York Branch, and served on national and local SAG committees as well.
Greenhouse was in favor of the merger of SAG and AFTRA and advocated for it throughout the late 1970s and the 1980s. The two unions officially merged in 2012 to become SAG-AFTRA. She was recognized for her service to AFTRA and received the Founder's Award, the George Heller Gold Card, and the New York Local's Ken Harvey Award.
Arrangement
Materials have been grouped together by topic.
Scope and Contents
This collection spans from 1943 to 1997; the bulk of the materials were created between 1968 and 1992. The collection includes records collected by Martha Greenhouse in the course of her time as a member and leader of American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), and other unions for actors including the Actors Equity Association (AEA) and the Associated Actors and Artistes of America (AAAA). Greenhouse was active in AFTRA, specifically the New York Local, for the duration of her career from the 1950s to the 1990s, and especially in the 1970s and 1980s. During the 1980s and 1990s she held leadership roles in SAG as well.
This collection includes national, regional, and local board meeting minutes; agendas; memoranda; and communications to union members, committees, or officers from both AFTRA and SAG. It also includes governing documents, contracts, financial statements, union member benefits, and press releases and clippings from both unions. There are files demonstrating the campaign to merge SAG and AFTRA during the 1970s and 1980s as well as records that show that both unions worked together to jointly negotiate contracts well before they merged in 2012. Some documents include notes and annotations written by Greenhouse.
Greenhouse also collected press clippings, correspondence, and other records that related to the general labor movement over the course of her career. These materials include records about women and minorities in both unions and the acting profession, news about strikes and boycotts initiated by other unions such as the Association of Flight Attendants and the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union, labor-related legislation on the state and federal level, and labor studies.
Subjects
Organizations
People
Donors
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Use Restrictions
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by Martha Greenhouse are maintained by New York University. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from the Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Archives. Please contact the Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Archives at special.collections@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Martha Greenhouse Collection of Acting Union Records; WAG 217; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Martha Greenhouse, 2002. The accession number associated with this gift is 2002.038.
About this Guide
Processing Information
A graduate student in the Fall 2019 session of Advanced Archival Description HIST-GA.2031 surveyed and wrote a processing plan for this collection. This collection was described by an archivist in the fall of 2021. Materials were placed in new acid-free folders and boxes.
