“Before becoming a movie star, Katharine Hepburn was a powerful presence on the stage, and she continued to act and tour in plays throughout her life. The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center has acquired Ms. Hepburn’s personal collection of thousands of pages of notes, journals, photographs, cast lists, scripts, contracts, fan letters and other documentation relating to her important but perhaps lesser-known theatrical career. This collection of Katharine Hepburn’s personal papers is being made public for the first time.

The documents reveal new details about Ms. Hepburn’s early performances and include correspondence from such notables as Sir Laurence Olivier, Judy Garland, Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda and Peter O’Toole. The papers contain numerous delightful anecdotes about the legendary star and demonstrate her steadfast commitment to self-improvement, even after her reputation had been cemented as one of the greatest actresses of our time.”

Filed under: Living