MARY A. ANDERSON - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED - HFSID 85114

MARY ANDERSON
The actress writes this letter signing "Mary de Navarro", one of her many stage names, in the closing
Autograph Letter Signed: "Mary de Navarro" in black ink. 2p adjoined sheet, 3¾x6 folded and 7¾x6 unfolded. On stationery with the following letterhead: Court Farm, Broadway, Worcestershire. No greeting. In full: "I may tell you I have not seen any Southerners in ages. I am sending this by Mr. Baker (who has made the arrangements for one motor trip) to prevent you from taking any further trouble in the river trip./ One very kind greeting/ Many thanks./ Yours sincerely". Anderson was married to Antonio Fernando de Navarro in 1890. Mary A. Anderson (1859-1940) was an American stage actress. A woman who possessed both immense talent and great beauty,she was educated at the all-girl Presentation Academy in Louisville, Kentucky, where she excelled especially in one subject: reading Shakespeare. Her father sent her to New York for acting lessons at 14 and, in 1875, she made her debut at Macauley's Theatre in Louisville as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. This led to further engagements, scoring popular if not critical acclaim as Our Mary in The Lady of Lyons in New York City in 1877. This was the start of a 12-year string of successes in Europe, especially England, and the United States, which included a successful 1887 production of The Winter's Tale in London. The aforementioned production ran 164 performances. However, she collapsed on stage due to nervous exhaustion during a production of The Winter's Tale in Washington D.C. She announced her retirement from acting immediately afterward, with only a few fundraising performances in England during World War I. Single horizontal fold. Toned. 2, ½-inch tears along top and bottom edges. Otherwise, fine condition.