John Ford Sollers collection
Abstract
The collection contains correspondence, photographs, prints, and ephemera of theater proprietor John T. Ford, a relative of Sollers. Photographs and prints of the Ford and Sollers family are also included, along with the memoirs of Confederate soldier and family friend, Arthur B. Pue.
Dates
- 1855 - 1963
Creator
- Sollers, John Ford (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use.
Conditions Governing Use
The reproduction of materials in this collection may be subject to copyright restrictions. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine and satisfy copyright clearances or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. For more information visit the MCHC’s Rights and Permissions page.
Biographical / Historical
John Ford Sollers is a descendant of the famous theater owner John T. Ford. Over the years, Sollers collected items related to Ford and his theaters. Ford, born in Baltimore in 1829, owned and operated multiple theaters in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, and Virginia. After the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in his D.C. theater, Ford and his brother were arrested and questioned because of their association with the Booth family. Ford was also active Baltimore city government and business. He served as president of both the Baltimore City Council and the Union Railroad Company.
Arthur B. Pue fought in the Civil War as a Confederate soldier. After the war’s end, he enlisted in the United States Army. Pue befriended Sollers’ father while living in a soldiers’ home in Pikesville (Md.). A prolific storyteller, he decided to record his life story before his death in 1926.
Extent
0.42 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
The original order of the material has mostly been retained. The items are generally divided between personal and theater-related matter. Additional photographs of the Ford, Sollers, and Pue families and Ford’s theaters are available on a CD included in the collection’s reference file.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of John Ford Sollers, August 2012.
Scope and Contents
The collection contains personal items of John T. Ford and his theater business, as well as material related to his descendants and family friends. Photographs of Ford’s home in Baltimore are included, along with carte de visites of John Wilkes Booth, owned by Ford’s daughters, Lizzie and Martha. Also among the theater items is an admission ticket for box seats at the Holliday St. Theatre, handwritten by Edwin, Ford’s brother. The Pue manuscript recalls the life of a Confederate veteran and his life in Maryland before and after the Civil War.
Creator
- Sollers, John Ford (Person)
- Pue, Arthur B., -1926 (Person)
- Title
- Guide to the John Ford Sollers collection
- Status
- Under Revision
- Author
- Lara Westwood
- Date
- 2012-11
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Revision Statements
- 2020-04-03: Manually entered into ArchivesSpace by Mallory Herberger.
Repository Details
Part of the H. Furlong Baldwin Library Repository
H. Furlong Baldwin Library
Maryland Center for History and Culture
610 Park Avenue
Baltimore MD 21201 United States
4106853750
specialcollections@mdhistory.org