About Us

A photograph of the Kelvin Smith Library, taken in November 2014 by this collection's creator Caitlyn Caldwell

Kelvin Smith Library & The Cleveland Play House

In December 2011, the Kelvin Smith Library acquired the Archives of the Cleveland Play House. Founded in 1915, the Cleveland Play House is America’s first professional regional theatre. The archives include correspondence, photographs, posters, legal and financial records, design drawings, audio and videotapes, and personal scrapbooks that date from the founding of the Play House through 2011.

According to Case Western Reserve University’s Associate Provost and Librarian, Arnold Hirshon, “The Cleveland Play House archives are an unparalleled resource for researchers studying the emergence and trove of information about the general and cultural history of Cleveland.”

Started in January 2012, processing these materials was originally estimated to be a three-year, 5,000-hour project. The intention is to open each series for use as it is processed, rather than waiting for the entire collection to be processed. The project is still underway, with the help of the Kelvin Smith Library and Special Collections. 

Accessing Paxton's Scrapbook

If you are a researcher interested in interacting with this scrapbook directly, you can locate it at the Kelvin Smith Library at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. The scrapbook is located in Box 161, and is the record information is: Cleveland Play House Scrapbooks. individuals. Dorothy Paxton and K. Elmo Lowe, 1939-1940.

For more information, you can contact Special Collections at the Kelvin Smith Library by phone (216) 368-0189 or by email kslspecialcollections@case.edu.