Use Restrictions

The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Robert Davison original costume and set design scrapbook, C0513, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Purchased from J & J Lubrano Music Antiquarians by Stever Gerber in February 2010.

Processing Information

Processing completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in March 2024. Finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner from March-April 2024.

Biographical Information

Robert Davison was born in Los Angeles, California on July 17, 1922. A member of United Scenic Artists Local 829, Davison worked as a costume and scenic designer for a number of theatrical productions including opera, ballet, plays, and musicals. Between 1944-1950 he worked on a number of Broadway productions, notably as costume designer for a variety of actors, including Ethel Barrymore, in the 1944-1945 production of Embezzled Heaven at the National Theatre (now known as the Nederlander Theatre) and as scenic and costume designer for the 1947 Broadway premiere of German playwright Bertolt Brecht's Galileo (also known as Life of Galileo ) at the Maxine Elliott's Theatre, which was translated by and starred Charles Laughton and ran for 6 performances.

Scope and Content

Spiral bound scrapbook containing 41 original costume and set designs for theatrical productions by Robert Davison. Designs include pen and pencil sketches and full color watercolor and painted illustrations. Many of the designs are signed by Davison, either on the front or the back, some dated, with dates ranging from "'41" to "'44". Includes stamp of 'United Scenic Artists, Local', likely Local 829. Identified designs include the following:

• Loose drawing with title "Zenobio Bonaventura" including small fabric samples attached • Flippo, the Erewhon • Un cheval danse [?] • Miracle in the mountains, act two, scene one: courtroom set sketch • La Portugaise • Moonlight Sonata • Abducted virgin: Fingal's cave • The marchioness: Fingal's cave • Une sirène: Fingal's cave • Queen of the fairies: Fingal's Cave • The man: Scene V • Rosina: The Barber of Seville, Scene III • Friends to the couple: Fingal's cave • The young man: Fingal's cave • Le Triomphe de l'amour (Lully): Servant to princess • The young girl: Fingal's cave • The man, Scene IV: Life of man • Life of man: the wife

Pages 17-18 include a foldout painted piece that includes a loose drawing inside. A loose architectural pencil drawing is located in the back page of the scrapbook.

Arrangement

This is a single item collection.

Related Material

The Special Collections Research Center holds other performing arts collections , including other original costume and set designs, such as the David de Boschi set design for an unidentified ballet , and "Cavalleria rusticana" opera costume paintings .

Additional designs by Robert Davison can be found in the New York Public Library's Edward Kook papers and the Library of Congress' Paul F. Stiga Collection of Stage and Costume Design .

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Ballet
• Costume design
• Opera
• Performing arts
• Scrapbooks
• Theater
• Theaters -- Stage setting and scenery