Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Dorothy Maud Somerset fonds
General material designation
- Textual record
- Photographic material
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: The title is based on the contents of the fonds.
Level of description
Fonds
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
62 cm of textual records
81 photographs
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Born in Perth, Australia, Dorothy Somerset came to Vancouver to attend Braemer School. In 1921, she received an A.B. from Radcliffe. She returned to Vancouver and acted in the Little Theatre. After studying in Europe, she began directing the University of British Columbia Players' Club productions. In 1938, she was appointed supervisor for drama in the Extension Department, in which capacity she founded and directed the Summer School of Theatre. A Rockefeller Foundation grant enabled her to study drama departments at leading American universities. Somerset became the first head of the newly-formed Department of Theatre in 1959 and played an instrumental role in the establishment of the Frederick Wood Theatre. She retired in 1960, but continued to teach courses at UBC. She was awarded an honorary degree by UBC in 1965.
Custodial history
The fonds were donated to the University Archives by Jack Stuart Clyne in 1992.
Scope and content
The fonds consists of correspondence from 1929 to 1990; biographical data/information from 1921 to 1991; literary works from 1938 to 1984; photographs from 1898 to 1984; interviews and talks/speeches given from 1942 to 1984; newspaper clippings from 1920 to 1990; newsletters and theatre souvenirs from 1922 to 1987.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Digitized photographs from this fonds can be found through UBC Library's Open Collections series UBC 20.1.
Restrictions on access
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Online Finding Aid
Please see finding aid for an inventory of files.