The George Bernard Shaw Collection reflects the many sides of Shaw’s versatile personality. In his letters he emerges as a merciless critic, a careful businessman, a fond uncle, an artist struggling to work among various distractions, a political organizer, a kind benefactor, and finally as an aged man wearied by the demanding public role he played well into his final years. The collection documents the structure of his work and the daily routines he followed. Shaw’s correspondence to others provides a glimpse of his opinions on contemporary issues: war, politics, the economy, the women’s movement, and foreign relations. His feelings about other literary and theatrical figures of his era also make their way into Shaw’s letters. He appears to have been his own best business manager, literary agent and publicity broker.

Items in this collection range in date from 1882 to 1971, when Shaw died at the age of ninety-four. Shaw’s manuscripts, proofs and published works appear first in the collection, followed by his correspondence, which comprises the bulk of the material. Two separately collected albums of correspondence, photographs, and miscellaneous items appear next, followed by theatrical business documents. Next are a series of correspondence to Shaw; papers of others concerning Shaw; and miscellaneous items of general interest, including drawings and photographs of Shaw. The last grouping is correspondence from dealers and scholars to LaFayette Butler about his Shaw collection. Comprising over 400 items, the collection measures approximately nine cubic feet.

When the collection was donated, items were grouped according to the lots in which they were purchased from book dealers. To facilitate research, the items have been separated from these lots and rearranged. Some of the original dealers’ envelopes remain with the items, many with dealers’ descriptions. A sampling of these original envelopes has been placed at the end of the collection. Within each category, items are ordered alphabetically, either by the surname of Shaw’s correspondent or by the title of the work. Hereunder, items are arranged chronologically, with undated materials listed first, some in alphabetical order.

Shaw’s unusual habits as a correspondent are evident in this collection. He frequently responded to a letter by scribbling notes on it and forwarding it to his secretary, who would compose the final draft. For this reason, several items listed as correspondence of Shaw may be letters addressed to Shaw containing a holograph note by him. Additionally, Shaw occasionally drafted correspondence in his personal shorthand. Original transcriptions or later holograph drafts accompany these items.

A description of a few of the significant items will illustrate the range of Butler’s collection. Correspondence concerning Pygmalion, and Caesar and Cleopatra offers insight into Shaw’s objectives and methods as a playwright. Printed cards bearing messages explaining everything from Shaw’s vegetarianism, to his refusal to preview manuscripts, indicate the tenor and volume of correspondence that Shaw received daily. His connections to the important figures of his day emerge in a letter written by his wife excusing him from a luncheon engagement because he must act as a pall-bearer at Thomas Hardy’s funeral.

Shaw’s political activities are evident in his cooperation with William Morris in the drafting of the Socialist League Manifesto. Shaw helped to revise the English Manifesto, written in response to the German Manifesto of a few weeks earlier. Signed by German artists and intellectuals, the German Manifesto called for a stop to newspaper propaganda in both countries, and assured the English of the goodwill of the German people. Organized by Emery Walker, the English Manifesto expressed similar feelings toward the Germans, and was signed by English artists and intellectuals. Both Manifestos were printed as letters to the editor in an English newspaper in 1906.