Primarily English. Some materials are in Latin, French, or Italian.
Abstract
Collection consists of photographic prints, lithographs, drawings, and written manuscripts pertaining to significant musicians,
composers, dancers, and their works.
There are no restrictions on personal use. Permission to publish material from Performing arts manuscripts collection must
be obtained from Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.
Access Restrictions
There are no access restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Performing arts manuscripts collection, C0215, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.
Acquisition Information
Collection materials were purchased from a variety of rare book and manuscript dealers from 2009 through the present.
Processing Information
Processed by Jordan Patty in 2012. EAD markup completed by Jordan Patty in 2013. Collection reprocessed and finding aid revised
by Lana Mason in January 2019.
The Performing arts manuscripts collection consists of items selected by Steven Gerber, the Music, Theater, and Philosophy
Librarian at George Mason University (GMU). In addition to his librarian duties, Gerber teaches courses on music research
and bibliography at GMU. He developed this collection to serve as a resource for his courses and to provide research access
for GMU performing arts faculty and students.
This collection consists of photographic prints, lithographs, and drawings of significant musicians, composers, and dancers.
The photographs depict portraits and images of professional performing artists at work. The drawings and lithographs are primarily
portraits of notable performing arts professionals, or feature subject matter related to the performing arts, including costume
design and scenes from various stage sets and performances. The collection also contains several manuscripts, including a
folio of musical instruments, a stage guide and score for the musical "My Maryland," and hand-written sheet music.
Special Collections Research Center holds published materials related to music and the performing arts which can be found
through the George Mason University library catalog. Special Collections Research Center also holds many other performing arts collections.
Dancer and choreographer Jerome Robbins and ballerinas rehearsing "Circus Polka",
1972
Acquisition date - March 2012
Box: 2
Folder: 1
Choreographer George Balanchine rehearsing two dancers in "Adagio Lamentoso",
1978
Acquisition date - October 2009
Box: 2
Folder: 2
Photograph by Blake Studios of Russian dancer Laurent Novikoff of Ballets Russes,
circa 1900s
Acquisition date - October 2009
Box: 2
Folder: 3
Photograph of dancer and choreographer Loie Fuller with printed program for a performance by her troupe,
1924
Acquisition date - October 2009
Box: 2
Folder: 4
Poet and folklorist Carl Sandburg playing guitar,
1948
Acquisition date - March 2012
Box: 2
Folder: 5
Two photographs of Russian dancer Theodore Kosloff and dance ensemble from MGM film "Madame Satan",
1930
Acquisition date - March 2015
Box: 3
Folder: 1
Photograph by Van Vechten of dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey,
March 1955
Acquisition date - October 2009
Box: 3
Folder: 2
Photograph by Maurice Goldberg of the Isadora Duncan Dancers,
circa 1920
Acquisition date - October 2009
Box: 3
Folder: 3
Photograph by Harcourt of Russian dancer Serge Lifar of Ballets Russes,
circa 1900s
Acquisition date - October 2009
Box: 3
Folder: 4
Photograph and autograph of Indian dancer and choreographer Ram Gopal in "Golden Eagle" costume,
circa 1900s
Acquisition date - October 2009
Box: 3
Folder: 5
Two photographs by Martha Swope of choreographer Jerome Robbins rehearsing dancers from the New York City Ballet in "Antique
Epigraphs",
1984
Acquisition date - October 2009
Box: 3
Folder: 6
Dancer Adolph Bolm of Ballets Russes,
circa 1900s
Acquisition date - February 2010
Box: 3
Folder: 7
Three photographs by Sasha of London of Russian dancers Alexandra Danilova and Andre Eglevsky of the Ballet Russe de Monte
Carlo performing "Les Sylphides",
1934
Acquisition date - February 2010
Box: 3
Folder: 8
Dancer Arthur Mitchell (Dance Theater of Harlem) with ballerina,
circa 1900s
Acquisition date - February 2010
Box: 3
Folder: 9
Press photograph of composers and educators Zoltan Kodaly, Dmitry Kabalevsky, and Norman Dello Joio at Interlochen conference,
1966
Acquisition date - March 2012
Box: 3
Folder: 10
Hitler Youth members playing recorders,
1933
Acquisition date - March 2012
Box: 3
Folder: 11
Photograph by Martha Swope of Jerome Robbins rehearsing "Circus Polka" with young girls,
1972
Acquisition date - March 2012
Box: 3
Folder: 12
Photograph by Arnold Eagle of dancer and choreographer Martha Graham in "Mirror Before Me (Heriodiade)",
1945
Acquisition date - March 2012
Box: 3
Folder: 13
Two photographs of Harry Partch,
March 10-11, 1962
Acquisition date - July 2012
Box: 3
Folder: 14
Minstrel show photograph,
circa 1900-1910
Acquisition date - September 2017
Box: 3
Folder: 15
Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents, Harold S. Prince, Robert E. Griffith, Leonard Bernstein, and Jerome Robbins,