Papers of James Bridie (1888-1952), playright and pseudonym of Osborne Henry Mavor

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Papers relating to James Bridie's work and interests 1942-1950
Letters to and from Osborne Henry Mavor/James Bridie concerning his plays and the Citizens' Theatre, correspondents include: Norman W Duthie, Matthew Forsyth, John Casson, Lewis Casson, Colin White, Eric Linklater, JB Priestley, 1944-1950
Letters relating to the Citizens' Theatre, and scripts of plays written by James Bridie, 1942-1949

Administrative / Biographical History

Osborne Henry Mavor (1888-1951 ) studied medicine at Glasgow University, qualifying in 1913. He was a consulting physician to the Victoria Infirmary and for some time professor of medicine in the Anderson College of Glasgow. He is better known, however, as a playwright. His main pseudonym was James Bridie, but he also wrote as Mary Henderson and A P Kellock. He was a friend of Alfred Wareing (1876-1942) who founded the Glasgow Repertory Theatre. His first public offering was The Sunlight Sonata (1928), written under the pseudonym Mary Henderson, and he had plays performed by the Scottish National Players; but it was The Anatomist which really began his writing career. He wrote 42 plays altogether. In 1943 he was one of the founders of the Glasgow Citizens' Theatre, where many of his plays were performed. He also played a role in the founding of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and was a member of the Arts Council's Scottish Committee and an adviser to the Edinburgh Festival. He served in both the First and Second World Wars in the Royal Army Medical Corps.