ARCHIVAL COLLECTION
A Rare Glimpse Into Kaufman’s Country Years
In the summer of 1937, George S. Kaufman and his family moved into Barley Sheaf Farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, joining a growing community of theatrical artists seeking refuge from New York City. During the following years, Kaufman welcomed collaborators, friends, and some of Broadway’s most celebrated figures to the farm. Preserved for decades in the private collection of Kaufman’s daughter Anne, these photographs are now presented publicly for the first time.
All photographs owned by the George S. Kaufman Literary Trust. For permission to reproduce, please contact: laurence.maslon@nyu.edu
ARCHIVAL COLLECTION
BARLEY SHEAF FARM PHOTO GALLERY
By Laurence Maslon, co-trustee of the George S. Kaufman Literary Trust
Even if you were the busiest playwright on Broadway—especially if you were the busiest playwright on Broadway—you might want to take a break on the weekends and seek refuge in an Adirondack chair.
George S. Kaufman spent much of this professional career in midtown Manhattan, but in the mid-1930s—along with many of his colleagues and friends—Kaufman bought himself a country house. Along with his wife, Beatrice, Kaufman was attracted by the bucolic scene in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, an almost exact two-hour car ride from the city. Other theatrical luminaries, such as Moss Hart, Oscar Hammerstein II, and S.J. Perelman, had already made homes in the area and Beatrice was particularly attracted to classical rural charm of Holicong and its various farm houses with its rough-hewn stonework. Of course, a swimming pool was a necessary addition.
Beatrice, Kaufman, and their teenaged daughter, Anne, moved into Barley Sheaf Farm in the summer of 1937, as Kaufman and Hart were putting the finishing touches on You Can’t Take It With You. During the following eighteen months, they invited many of their friends to visit (and often, in George’s case, collaborate). The guest list is composed, quite simply, of Broadway and Hollywood’s best and brightest.
The photo gallery here has never been shown to wider public before; they were in the collection of Kaufman’s daughter Anne, who passed in 2025. The only way to date them was the stamp on the back of the “Holicong Photography Shop”—which had developed the photos. It’s also a bit unclear who took them: Beatrice or Anne—George S. Kaufman seems an unlucky candidate to be a shutterbug.
Even if you were the busiest playwright on Broadway—especially if you were the busiest playwright on Broadway—you might want to take a break on the weekends and seek refuge in an Adirondack chair.
George S. Kaufman spent much of this professional career in midtown Manhattan, but in the mid-1930s—along with many of his colleagues and friends—Kaufman bought himself a country house. Along with his wife, Beatrice, Kaufman was attracted by the bucolic scene in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, an almost exact two-hour car ride from the city. Other theatrical luminaries, such as Moss Hart, Oscar Hammerstein II, and S.J. Perelman, had already made homes in the area and Beatrice was particularly attracted to classical rural charm of Holicong and its various farm houses with its rough-hewn stonework. Of course, a swimming pool was a necessary addition.
Beatrice, Kaufman, and their teenaged daughter, Anne, moved into Barley Sheaf Farm in the summer of 1937, as Kaufman and Hart were putting the finishing touches on You Can’t Take It With You. During the following eighteen months, they invited many of their friends to visit (and often, in George’s case, collaborate). The guest list is composed, quite simply, of Broadway and Hollywood’s best and brightest.
The photo gallery here has never been shown to wider public before; they were in the collection of Kaufman’s daughter Anne, who passed in 2025. The only way to date them was the stamp on the back of the “Holicong Photography Shop”—which had developed the photos. It’s also a bit unclear who took them: Beatrice or Anne—George S. Kaufman seems an unlucky candidate to be a shutterbug.
Contact Us Today
Interested in bringing George S. Kaufman’s timeless plays to your stage?
Please refer to the contact information for each specific play on the various collection pages for direct amateur and professional licensing information.
Plays are represented by Concord Theatricals and Music Theatre International respectively.
If you are interested in first-class performance or film/television rights:
In the US, George S. Kaufman’s plays are represented by:
CPK Artists, LLC
In the UK, George S. Kaufman’s plays are represented by:
Alan Brodie Representation
For more information about George S. Kaufman or this website, contact:
Laurence Maslon
Literary Trustee, George S. Kaufman Estate
