Carson Brierly Giffin Dance Library Souvenir and House Program Collection

Collection

Identifier: D004

Staff Only

The Souvenir and House Programs Collection features souvenir and house programs related to dance productions, dance companies, dance festivals, Broadway musicals, theatre productions, opera companies, ice skating productions, and films.

A souvenir program is a commercial publication designed to enhance a company or show with photographs, short biographies, company histories and repertory lists. The companies, festivals and productions covered by the programs in the collection are international in scope. A house program is one that is distributed at a performance to members of the audience attending the event. The house program usually deals with only the specifics of the actual performance itself: title, composer, designer, cast list, and company roster.

Spanning the 20th century, the programs cover primarily ballet but also include folk dance, flamenco dancing, Highland dancing, tango, and ice dancing. Programs in the collection represent the American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Ballet Theatre, Ballet Folklorico de Mexico, Ballet West, the Bolshoi Ballet, Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival, Jose Greco and his Spanish Ballet, the New York City Ballet, the Royal Ballet (London), National Ballet of Canada, among others. Performers listed in the programs include Anna Pavlova, Marcel Marceau, Sonja Henie, Jose Greco, and Michael Flatly.

Dates

1906-2018

Creator

Carson Brierly Giffin Dance Library (Organization)

Language of Materials

Collection is predominately in English; materials in other languages are indicated at the file level.

Extent

75.5 Linear Feet (78 containers)

Additional Description

Scope and Contents

The Carson Brierly Giffin Dance Library's Souvenir Program Collection comprises souvenir and house programs related to dance: productions, companies, and festivals; as well as the dance aspects of Broadway musicals, operas, ice skating productions, and films. A souvenir program is a commercial publication designed to enhance a company or show with photographs and short biographies. Some programs include company histories and repertory lists. The companies, festivals and productions covered by the programs in the collection are international in scope representing the United States, Canada, France, England, Scotland, Spain, Australia, Mexico, USSR, Indonesia, Ukraine and many others. Spanning nearly the whole of the 20th century, the souvenir programs cover primarily ballet, but also folk, flamenco, Highland dancing, tango, ice dancing, tap, and ballroom. Souvenir programs in the collection represent the American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Ballet Theatre, Ballet Folklorico de Mexico, Ballet West, the Bolshoi Ballet, Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival, Jose Greco and his Spanish Ballet, the New York City Ballet, the Royal Ballet (London), National Ballet of Canada, among others. Performers in the programs include Anna Pavola, Marcel Marceau, Sonja Henie, Jose Greco, Michael Flatly and others. Information concerning the music, libretto, costumes and lighting relating to the productions can be located in some programs. Also, some souvenir programs in the collection include newspaper reviews or house programs laid in, or autographs from the performers. The earliest souvenir program, ca. 1906, is devoted to Adeline Genee; one of the most recent is for Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance.

Arrangement

The souvenir programs in the collection are arranged in alphabetical order by company name or performer's surname as they appear on the program itself.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Sources unknown.

Accruals

Further accruals are expected.

General

No accession records exist. Light blue letter storage box on PN.MB.11.1.2 is of importance as it relates to dance performances in Colorado in the 1950s and 1960s.