Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
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Manuscripts
Six letters in Polish written from Warsaw, Poland, lacking years: January 15; March 14; May 24; September 2 (with envelope); December 16; and undated letter with envelope.
mssModjeska
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Manuscripts
Letters in Polish, chiefly written from Warsaw, Poland, consisting of: 1912 July 5 (with envelope); 1946 January 1 (with envelope); 1946 July 1 (with envelope); 1946 April 17 (typewritten; with envelope); 1946 September 28 (with envelope); 1946 December 16 (with envelope); 1947 March 25 (with envelope); 1947 August 18 (with envelope); 1948 January 10; 1948 June 23 (with envelope).
mssModjeska
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Manuscripts
Letters and postcards in Polish written chiefly from Krakow, Poland. Letters are signed "Marya."
mssModjeska
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Manuscripts
Letters in Polish chiefly written from Krakow, Poland, consisting of: 1869 December 4 letter to Helena Modjeska; 1870 March 19 letter to his mother, Jozefa Bendow; 1871 March 19 letter to his mother; 1871 August 14 letter to Helena Modjeska; 1874 April 18 letter to Helena; 1875 July 24 to Charles Bozenta Chlapowski; 187[6?] November 13 letter to Helena Modjeska; undated letter to Helena Modjeska and her husband; 1878 July 18 letter to "Moi Kochani"; two undated letters to Helena Modjeska; 1888 document signed by Adolf Opid.
mssModjeska
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Manuscripts
This collection contains correspondence, photographs, and ephemera of Polish-American actress Helena Modjeska and members of the family of Ludwik Opid, dating from 1869 to 1982. Though not biologically related to the Opids, Modjeska referred to them as family. The bulk of the materials consists of correspondence, in Polish, between members of the Opid family in Poland and Ludwik Opid in Los Angeles, California, dating from the 1910s to 1940s. While most of the materials post-date Modjeska's death in 1909, there are some materials created by or related to Modjeska including two handwritten actor's sides for two plays Modjeska starred in the mid 1880s and 17 letters by Modjeska, dated 1902-1909. There are also photographs of her Southern California homes and portraits of her, as well as 31 theater-related fabric and crepe sashes, chiefly with Polish lettering and dating from the 1890s to early 1900s. These sashes presumably were presented to Modjeska in towns where she was performing. The correspondence chiefly consists of letters from Opid family members to Ludwik Opid in Polish; the largest group is a set of 98 letters from Marianna Popielecka to her brother Ludwik (1912-1949). Correspondence to Ludwik also includes: 5 letters from Helena Gocowa (1923, 1946-1947); 10 letters from his younger sister Helena (Opid) Kozutska (1912, 1946-1948); 8 letters from his brother Adam Opid (1914, 1928-1930); 2 letters from his nephew Adolf Opid (1931-1932); 1 letter from his brother Bolesław Opid (1906); 1 postcard from his son, John Opid, and daughter-in-law Eleanor Opid (1926); and 6 letters from his mother Kunegunda Opid (approximately 1900s-1910s?). Within the correspondence series, there are also 2 letters from Modeska's husband Karol Chłapowski (Count Bozenta) (1908 and 1911); 1 letter from J. Kruszyńska (1888); 1 postcard possibly from Ralph Modjeska (1905); 1 letter from Mary Opid to Stefeni (1899); and 11 letters and 1 document by Ludwik's father, Adolf Opid, including letters to Helena Modjeska (1869-1870s and undated) and letters to his mother, Jozefa Bendow. There are 75 photographs in the collection chiefly consisting of snapshot photographs of the Opid family, both in Poland and California, as well as 14 images of "Arden," Modjeska's estate, near Santa Ana, California and 6 portrait photographs of Modjeska at various ages. There are also newspaper clippings about Modjeska both from Polish and Los Angeles newspapers, some later pieces of ephemera, correspondence, and printed items related to the history of Helena Modjeska.
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Manuscripts
Letter written in Polish from Zakopane, Poland, with photograph of man with three children at lake.
mssModjeska
mssModjeska