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Overview of the Collection |
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| Creator: | Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.). Department of Theatre Arts | |
| Title: | Dance Archives Records | |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1934-1949 | |
| Quantity: | 4.8 linear feet 11 5" manuscript boxes, 1 2.5" manuscript box |
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| Abstract: | Records produced and assembled between 1940 and 1949 by the staff of the Dance Archives. | |
The Dance Archives, founded by Lincoln Kirstein, was established as a branch of the Museum's Library in October 1939 to provide a specialized research collection for the study of contemporary dance. The original collection of books, prints, photographs, slides, films and other dance/theatre related items were donated to the Museum from the extensive collections of Lincoln Kirstein, Gordon Craig, and Fred King.
Paul Magriel was the Dance Archives' first librarian. George Amberg took over this position after Magriel left the Museum in 1942 to join the armed forces. In 1944-45 the Dance Archives was regarded as a separate curatorial department, the Department of Dance and Theatre Design, with Amberg as its curator. At this time, an advisory committee to the department was established. Lincoln Kirstein, George Freedley (New York Public Library), Rosamond Gilder (Theatre Arts Monthly), Arch Lauterer, John Martin (The New York Times), A. Hyatt Mayor (Metropolitan Museum of Art), and May Seymour (Museum of the City of New York) were among its members.
The department was responsible for updating and expanding the study collection, and for curating exhibitions held at the Museum and those organized by the Department of Circulating Exhibitions. Some of these exhibitions include: Anna Pavlova Memorial Exhibition, Isadora Duncan: Drawings, Photographs, Memorabilia, Modern American Dance, From Sketch to Stage, The Theatre of Eugene Berman, World of Illusion: Elements of Stage Design, and Stage Design by Robert Edmond Jones.
The original gift of books from Lincoln Kirstein to the Dance Archives included historical dance documentation outside the contemporary focus of the collection. In Fall 1946, these items (ca. 250 books) were transferred to Harvard University.
The Department of Dance and Theatre Design was later renamed the Department of Theatre Arts. By 1947-48, George Amberg's title became theatre arts consultant under the Library. In Spring 1948 George Amberg resigned, and in July the Dance Archives was returned to its former status as a division of the Library due to the Museum's rising operating costs. At this point, works of art were transferred to other curatorial departments and, in 1956, the Museum transferred the Dance Archives' original research materials to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
This collection consists of the records produced and assembled between 1940 and 1949 by the staff of the Dance Archives. Included
are a variety of record types: correspondence, photographs, lists, clippings, memos, press releases, checklists, printed matter,
notes, reports, and typed manuscripts. Selected noteworthy correspondents include: Eugene Berman, Robert Edmond Jones, Salvador
Dali (1 item), Lilian Gish (1 item), Arch Lauterer, Marc Chagall (1 item), and Lee Simonson.
Series I contains administrative files. Series II contains exhibition files. Series III contains files related to the Dance Index periodical and the Dance Film Library. Series IV represents a reference collection of photographs of stage designs, curated
by George Amberg. Series V is made up of the contents of four albums of photographs of stage sets and costumes, which were
created following the International Exhibition of Theatre Art [MoMA Exh. #33a, January 15–February 25, 1934]. Lastly, Series VI contains photographs of Russian stage designs, donated
by Lee Simonson.
The records are open for research and contain no restricted materials.
Dance Archives Records are the physical property of The Museum of Modern Art. Literary rights, including copyright belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Rights to work produced during the normal course of Museum business resides with The Museum of Modern Art. For further information, and to obtain permission to publish or reproduce, contact the staff of the MoMA Archives.
Index Terms |
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| This collection is indexed under the following headings in the library catalog of The Museum of Modern Art. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings. | ||
| Subjects: | ||
| Kirstein, Lincoln, 1907-1996 -- Archives | ||
| Modern dance -- History -- Sources | ||
| Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.) -- Dance Archives -- Archives | ||
| Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.) -- Department of Theatre Arts -- Archives | ||
| Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.) -- Exhibitions -- Archives | ||
| Performance art -- History -- Sources | ||
| Document Types: | ||
| Correspondence | ||
| Photographs | ||
Within the MoMA Archives, see also the Department of Circulating Exhibitions Records and The Museum of Modern Art Exhibition
Records; object files in the Department of Drawings and Prints may also be relevant.
In 1956, the Museum transferred the Dance Archives' original research materials to the New York Public Library for the Performing
Arts. Though material may have been split up by subject and added to existing collections, at least the following six collections
likely result from this transfer: Photographs of Dancers; Photographs Expressional; Photographs: Ballet; Photographs: Dance; Collection of carte de visite photographs; Isadora Duncan: Studies.
Published citations should take the following form:
Long Version: Dance Archives Records, [series.folder]. The Museum of Modern Art Archives, New York.
Short Version: Dance Archives Records, [series.folder]. MoMA Archives, NY.
Series I, II, and III were transferred from the MoMA Library to the MoMA Archives in 1990. The contents of Series VI were donated to the Department of Theatre Arts in 1946 by set designer Lee Simonson. This material, along with that from Series V and VI, was transferred from the Department of Theatre Arts to the MoMA Library when the department became a division of the library in 1948. In 1959, the MoMA Library transferred the material to the photographic archive (then overseen by the Department of Rights and Reproductions and now part of the MoMA Archives). The material was added to this collection (the Dance Archives Records) in 2010 and formally processed in 2025.
The collection has several idiosyncratic issues, likely due to its complex custodial history. There appear to be items missing: the original inventory referred to folders not found in these records; and a notation on the last box processed read, "Dance Archives De-L... NB last box found 12/78."
Titles in quotation marks refer to original file folder labels.
Original albums in Series V have been disassembled due to preservation concerns, but folders are labeled with their album of origin. Albums were labeled Volume 2, 3, 4, and 5; Volume 1 was not extant when the albums were transferred from the MoMA Library to the MoMA Archives. Other institutions, such as Princeton University and the University of Iowa, also own four volume sets of this corpus; thus, we do not know what "Volume 1" would have been or where it is now. It may have been unrelated to the corpus.
Explanation of Abbreviations
ALS is an Autographed Letter Signed.
TLS is a Typed Letter Signed.
TL stands for Typed Letter.
MoMA is The Museum of Modern Art.
n.d. stands for no date.
re: stands for regarding.
Series I: Departmental Matters |
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20 folders; Arranged alphabetically by title |
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| Folder | Title | Date |
| I.1 | "Acquisitions (Study Collection) (Accessions)" Incl. 1 TLS Leo Ziemssen Moll-Alfred H. Barr (AHB) (1940) |
1940-46 |
| I.2 | "Amer. Dance Committee" Incl. clippings and Museum announcement, re: An evening on American dance |
1947-48 |
| I.3 | American Minstrel tradition Acquisition of American minstrel collection mentioned in "The Dance Archives." |
[n.d.] |
| I.4 | "Circulating [Exhibitions]" Memos |
1945-48 |
| I.5 | Correspondence 1 TL (carbon) MW-NY Public Library (1948) re: fate of Theatre Arts Collection |
ca. 1946-49 |
| I.6 | Correspondence and departmental report 1944 dept. report |
ca. 1944-46 |
| I.7 | Correspondence - René d'Harnoncourt "Curatorial- d'Harnoncourt" |
1946-48 |
| I.8 | "[Dance] Advisory Committee [Minutes]" | 1944 |
| I.9 | "Dance Archives (abroad)" Incl. corresp: London Archives of the Dance |
1946 |
| I.10 | Educational Theatre Labeled "Miss Weber" |
ca. 1946 |
| I.11 | "Exhibitions and Publications" memos |
1945-48 |
| I.12 | "Fund-Raising" Incl. text; form letter |
ca. 1948 |
| I.13 | "Gifts" Incl. donor corresp |
ca. 1947-48 |
| I.14 | "Kirstein - Foundation of Dance Archives" Incl. advisory and honorary committee member list |
1940-? |
| I.15 | "Publicity" Newmeyer/Chamberlain memos re: publicity to Amberg |
1945-47 |
| I.16 | "Registrar-Dudley-Registrar" Incl. memos |
ca. 1947-48 |
| I.17 | "[registrar] receipts" | 1940 |
| I.18 | Study collection reproduction descriptions Label text for objects in collection |
ca. 1942 |
| I.19 | "Theater Arts [departmental reports]" Incl. memos, drafts, departmental reports and budgets |
1945-47 |
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Series II: Exhibitions |
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24 folders; Exhibitions proposed and realized, arranged in chronological order. |
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| Folder | Title | Date |
| II.20 | "Dance Archives Exhibitions (Press releases, clippings)" Lists and printed matter from several exhibitions |
1940-42 |
| II.21.a | Art in Progress: 15th Anniversary Exhibition: "Art in Progress" MoMA Exh. # 258d, May 24-September 17, 1944 |
1944 |
| II.21.b | Art in Progress: 15th Anniversary Exhibition: "Art in Progress 1944" Incl. loan receipts |
1944 |
| II.22 | "Dance in America" C/E show which travelled to 14 cities, 1945-46 |
1945 |
| II.23.a | Stage Design by Robert Edmond Jones: "Robert Edmond Jones (First Exhibition Permanent Gallery) April 10, 1945" MoMA Exh. #285, April 11-June 24, 1945 |
1945 |
| II.23.b | Stage Design by Robert Edmond Jones: "Robert Edmond Jones April 10-June 29, 1945 Permanent Gallery" Incl. press release draft, invitation, loan correspondence |
1945 |
| II.24 | Stage Designs of Joan Junyer "Joan Junyer." MoMA Exh. #292, July 10-September 17, 1945 |
1945 |
| II.25 | Costume Carnival MoMA Exh. #296, September 19-November 25, 1945 |
ca. 1945 |
| II.26 | "Graphic Snapshots" Proposed exhibition. Incl. corresp: Dolbin, B.F. |
ca. 1945 |
| II.27 | Marc Chagall MoMA exh. 316, 1946 April 9-June 23, 1946 |
1946 |
| II.28.a | Scenic Design by Arch Lauterer: "Arch Lauterer-Press clippings label material" MoMA Exh. #327, August 27-November 7, 1946 |
1946 |
| II.28.b | Scenic Design by Arch Lauterer: "Arch Lauterer Exhibition" Incl. memos; loan correspondence alphabetically arranged |
1946-47 |
| II.29 | "Designer's Competition" Proposed Young Scenic Designers Competition |
ca. 1946 |
| II.30.a | The Theatre of Eugene Berman: "Berman lists" MoMA Exh. #341, January 21-March 9, 1947 |
1947 |
| II.30.b | The Theatre of Eugene Berman: "Berman" Incl. memos, loan correspondence alphabetically arranged |
ca. 1947 |
| II.31 | Boris Aronson: Stage Designs and Models. "Aronson Exhibition." MoMA Exh. #354, June 24-October 10, 1947 |
ca. 1947 |
| II.32 | World of Illusion: Elements of Stage Design. "Elements of Stage Design." MoMA Exh. 360, October 14, 1947-January 4, 1948 |
1947-48 |
| II.33 | "Ballet in England" Proposed exhibition of English ballet stage and costume designs in collaboration with London Arts Council |
1947-48 |
| II.34 | "Czechoslovak Exhibition" Proposed exhibition of stage design in Czechoslovakia |
ca. 1947 |
| II.35 | "Exter-Larionow-Gontcharova" Incl. corresp. re: possible exhibition of work by Gontcharova and Larionov |
ca. 1947 |
| II.36 | "French Theatre Design Exhib." 1 TL George Amberg (?)-Monroe Wheeler (Guaranty Trust Co.)] |
ca. 1947 |
| II.37 | Stage Designs for the Ballet Society. "Ballet Society Exhibition" |
1947-48 |
| II.38a | "Jones Circulating Show" C/E version of MoMA Exh. #285, Stage Design by Robert Edmond Jones. |
1948 |
| II.39 | "Italian Exhibition" Corresp. re: proposed contemporary Italian art exhibition |
1948 |
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Series III: Dance Index Publication |
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The Dance Index, created by Lincoln Kirstein, was issued between January 1942 and Spring 1949. Lincoln Kirstein, Paul Magriel, and Baird Hastings were its first editors. |
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| Folder | Title | Date |
| III.40 | "Dance in Film (Dance Index)" Incl. news article, correspondence (responses), and printed matter |
1945-47 |
| III.41 | "Dance in Film (Dance Index)" Incl. publication: Donald Windham, ed. Dance Index. v. IV. no. 5; May 1945 |
ca. 1944-45 |
| III.42 | "Dance Film Library" Incl. corresp, memos |
1943-48 |
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Series IV: Stage Designs Selected by George Amberg for Possible Exhibition 1942-1948 |
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This series represents a reference collection of photographs and reproductions of illustrations of stage designs by an international roster of artists. It was curated by George Amberg in the 1940s while he led the Department of Dance and Theatre Design, later called the Department of Theatre Design. Each photograph is mounted to a board and accompanied by a caption on its verso. The series is arranged alphabetically by the artist's last name. This series was processed in 2025. |
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| Folder | Title | |
| IV.1 | Åhrén - Ayres Stage designs by Uno Åhrén, Boris Aronson, and Lemuel Ayres. |
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| IV.2 | Bakst - Bauchant Stage designs by Léon Bakst, André Barsacq, Héctor Basaldúa, Gaston Baty, and André Bauchant. |
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| IV.3 | Bay - Benois Stage designs by Howard Bay, Cecil Beaton, André Beaurepaire, Norman Bel Geddes, and Alexandre Benois. |
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| IV.4 | Bérard Stage designs by Christian Bérard. |
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| IV.5 | Berman Stage designs by Eugene Berman. |
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| IV.6 | Berman Stage designs by Eugene Berman. |
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| IV.7 | Berman Stage designs by Eugene Berman. |
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| IV.8 | Braque - Cassandre Stage designs by Georges Braque, Brassaï, Raymond Breinin, Edward Burra, Horacio Butler, and A.M. Cassandre. |
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| IV.9 | Chagall - Craig Stage designs by Marc Chagall, Paul Colin, Alvin Colt, Lucien Coutaud, and Gordon Craig. |
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| IV.10 | Dalí Stage designs by Salvador Dalí. |
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| IV.11 | Davison Stage designs by Robert Davison. |
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| IV.12 | de Chirico - Derain Stage designs by Georges de Chirico and André Derain. |
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| IV.13 | de Diego - Exter Stage designs by Julio de Diego, Mstislav Dobujinsky, Angna Enters, Jacob Epstein, Max Ernst, and Alexandra Exter. |
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| IV.14 | Ffolkes - Goncharova Stage designs by David Ffolkes, Estaban Francés, Karl Free, Jared French, Irakli Gamrekeli, and Natalia Goncharova. |
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| IV.15 | Gris - Hugo Stage designs by Juan Gris, Hein Heckroth, Daniel Heinz, Antonin Heyum, Vlastislav Hofman, and Jean Hugo. |
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| IV.16 | Hurry - Jenkins Stage designs by Leslie Hurry, and George Jenkins. |
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| IV.17 | Jones - Junyer Stage designs by Robert Edmond Jones and Jean Junyer. |
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| IV.18 | Junyer Stage designs by Jean Junyer. |
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| IV.19 | Kent - Lagut Stage designs by Carl Kent, Félix Labisse, Mikhail Larionov, and Irène Lagut. |
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| IV.20 | Laurencin - Masson Stage designs by Marie Laurencin, Fernand Léger, Jean Lurçat, Jean-Denis Malclès, and André Masson. |
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| IV.21 | Matisse - Messel Stage designs by Henri Matisse, Ladislas Medgyes, Carlos Mérida, and Oliver Messel. |
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| IV.22 | Mielziner - Noguchi Stage designs by Jo Mielziner, Joan Miró, Nicolas de Molas, Léon Moussinac, Jean Muncis, and Isamu Noguchi. |
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| IV.23 | Oenslager - Perdriat Stage designs by Donald Oenslager, José Clemente Orozco, Raoul Pene du Bois, and Hélène Perdriat. |
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| IV.24 | Picasso - Portinari Stage designs by Pablo Picasso, Popov, and Candido Portinari. |
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| IV.25 | Pruna - Rivera Stage designs by Pedro Pruna, Nicolai Remisoff, V. Rindin, and Diego Rivera. |
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| IV.26 | Rouault - Simonson Stage designs by Georges Rouault, Alexander Schawinsky, Oskar Schlemmer, Kurt Schmidt, Kurt Seligmann, Josep Maria Sert, and Lee Simonson. |
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| IV.27 | Smith Stage designs by Oliver Smith. |
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| IV.28 | Soudeikine - Tanning Stage designs by Serge Soudeikine, Raymond Sovey, Vladimir Stenberg, Oscar Strad, Léopold Survage, and Dorothea Tanning. |
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| IV.29 | Tchelitchew Stage designs by Pavel Tchelitchew. |
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| IV.30 | Tchelitchew Stage designs by Pavel Tchelitchew. |
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| IV.31 | Thompson - Wijdeveld Stage designs by Woodman Thompson, George Vakalo, Marcel Vertès, Franklin C. Watkins, Rex Whistler, and Hendrik Theodorus Wijdeveld. |
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Series V: Photographic Corpus of International Exhibition of Theatre Art [MoMA Exh. #33a, January 15–February 25, 1934] 1934-1935 |
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The series includes the contents of four albums of photographs of models and designs for stage sets and costumes, which were
created following the International Exhibition of Theatre Art [MoMA Exh. #33a, January 15–February 25, 1934]. On February 19, 1934, the Rockefeller Foundation gave MoMA a grant to make
a permanent record of the works in the exhibition for distribution to other museums and universities; one "corpus" set was
given to the MoMA Library, while the others were sold to external institutions. The corpus documents two-thirds of the exhibition,
with 509 photographs of settings and costumes divided into two sections: Renaissance & Baroque and Modern.The Department of
Circulating Exhibitions also put together a traveling exhibition, called the Photographic Exhibition of Theatre Art, which helped finance the production of these corpus sets. Additional documentation concerning the Rockefeller Foundation
grant can be found in The Museum of Modern Art Exhibition Records, folders 33a.7 and 33a.8. This series was processed in 2025. |
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| Folder | Title | |
| V.1 | Volume 2: Exhibition Photographs: Renaissance & Baroque, 1 of 3 | |
| V.2 | Volume 2: Exhibition Photographs: Renaissance & Baroque, 2 of 3 | |
| V.3 | Volume 2: Exhibition Photographs: Renaissance & Baroque, 3 of 3 | |
| V.4 | Volume 3: Exhibition Photographs: Modern: A-Gor, 1 of 5 | |
| V.5 | Volume 3: Exhibition Photographs: Modern: A-Gor, 2 of 5 | |
| V.6 | Volume 3: Exhibition Photographs: Modern: A-Gor, 3 of 5 | |
| V.7 | Volume 3: Exhibition Photographs: Modern: A-Gor, 4 of 5 | |
| V.8 | Volume 3: Exhibition Photographs: Modern: A-Gor, 5 of 5 | |
| V.9 | Volume 4: Exhibition Photographs: Modern: Gr-N, 1 of 5 | |
| V.10 | Volume 4: Exhibition Photographs: Modern: Gr-N, 2 of 5 | |
| V.11 | Volume 4: Exhibition Photographs: Modern: Gr-N, 3 of 5 | |
| V.12 | Volume 4: Exhibition Photographs: Modern: Gr-N, 4 of 5 | |
| V.13 | Volume 4: Exhibition Photographs: Modern: Gr-N, 5 of 5 | |
| V.14 | Volume 5: Exhibition Photographs: Modern: O-Z, 1 of 5 | |
| V.15 | Volume 5: Exhibition Photographs: Modern: O-Z, 2 of 5 | |
| V.16 | Volume 5: Exhibition Photographs: Modern: O-Z, 3 of 5 | |
| V.17 | Volume 5: Exhibition Photographs: Modern: O-Z, 4 of 5 | |
| V.18 | Volume 5: Exhibition Photographs: Modern: O-Z, 5 of 5 | |
| V.19 | Additional Documentation Includes copies of a press release and checklists from the Circulating Exhibition, Photographic Exhibition of Theatre Art, which may help identify photographs. Also includes a report titled "Theatre Arts Corpus," dated 1934-1935, which details the use of the Rockefeller Foundation grant for this project. |
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Series VI: Photographs of Russian Stage Designs Donated by Lee Simonson |
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In 1946, Lee Simonson, an American stage designer active in the New York Theatre Guild, donated this collection of eighteen
photographs of Russian stage designs, dated 1917 to 1925, to the Department of Theatre Arts. Correspondence regarding the
donation can be found in I.1. Photographs are mounted on board and accompanied by captions indicating the play, designer,
and location. |
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| Folder | Title | |
| VI.1 | Photographs of Russian Stage Designs | |
| VI.2 | Photographs of Russian Stage Designs | |
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| Box | Series | Folder |
| 1 | I | 1-19 |
| 2 | II | 20-29 |
| 3 | II | 30-39 |
| 4 | III | 40-42 |
| 5 | IV | 1-6 |
| 6 | IV | 7-13 |
| 7 | IV | 14-19 |
| 8 | IV | 20-26 |
| 9 | IV | 27-31 |
| V | 1 | |
| 10 | V | 2-7 |
| 11 | V | 8-14 |
| 12 | V | 15-19 |
| VI | 1-2 |