Harvard Theatre Collection dance scene photographs
Overview
Contains mainly black-and-white photographs of dance production scenes, mostly from the latter half of the twentieth century.
Dates
- 1924-1989
Language of Materials
English, French, Russian
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on physical access to this material. Collection is open for research.
Extent
2 linear feet (3 boxes and 31 oversize folders)Contains dance scene photographs,scenes from ballets, rehearsals, portraits of dancers, as well as poster designs and a single Russian Ballet magazine. The photographs are mainly black and white, of famous ballet productions from throughout the twentieth century. Contains photographs of productions including but not limited to Graduation Ball, Interplay, Bayadere, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, BlueBeard, Sylpides, Nutcracker , Pas De Quartre, and Swan Lake. Additionally, the photographs feature ballets choreographed by individuals such as George Balanchine, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Ruthanna Boris, Michel Fokine, David Gordon, David Lichine, Roland Petit , and Antony Tudor, among others. Dancers depicted in the photographs include: Diana Adams, Alicia Alonso, Jean Babilee, Irina Baronova, Anthony Blum, Michael Coleman, Alexandra Danilova, Margot Fonteyn, Nora Kaye, Hugh Laing, Alicia Markova, Anna Pavlova, Michael Somes, Nick Vanoff, Charles Weidman, and George Zoritch, as well as others. Companies include New York City Ballet, Ballet Russe, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Ballet Caravan, Bolshoi Theatre, Joffery Ballet, Royal Ballet, Boston Ballet, Sadler's Wells Ballet, Dance Umbrella, as well as American Ballet Theatre, (at times referred to as Ballet Theatre and Ballet Theatre Foundation as found on the verso of photographs), among others.
Biographical / Historical
The Harvard Theatre Collection was founded in 1901 through the efforts of Professor George Pierce Baker, and collects documentary materials pertaining to the history of the performing arts, including theatre, dance and ballet, and opera and musical theatre, among other areas. The dance scene photographs have been collected through donations and purchases throughout the history of the Harvard Theatre Collection.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by dance production or scene title, with unidentified productions following.
Physical Location
b, pfd (P1.C7.02.03-P1.C7.02.05 [Folders 1-30]), ppf (P1.C7.02.06 [Folder 31])
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Various gifts and purchases, various dates. Known acquisition information is noted in the file description.
Processing Information
Processed by Farraj Alsaeedi, with the supervision of Betts Coup, 2018 December.
- Title
- Harvard Theatre Collection. Harvard Theatre Collection dance scene photographs, 1924-1989 (TCS 36): Guide
- Status
- in_progress
- Author
- Houghton Library, Harvard University.
- Date
- 2018 December 6
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- hou03056
Repository Details
Part of the Houghton Library Repository
Houghton Library is Harvard College's principal repository for rare books and manuscripts, archives, and more. Houghton Library's collections represent the scope of human experience from ancient Egypt to twenty-first century Cambridge. With strengths primarily in North American and European history, literature, and culture, collections range in media from printed books and handwritten manuscripts to maps, drawings and paintings, prints, posters, photographs, film and audio recordings, and digital media, as well as costumes, theater props, and a wide range of other objects. Houghton Library has historically focused on collecting the written record of European and Eurocentric North American culture, yet it holds a large and diverse number of primary sources valuable for research on the languages, culture and history of indigenous peoples of the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
Houghton Library’s Reading Room is free and open to all who wish to use the library’s collections.
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