FORMATS OF THE PERFORMING ARTS | HOME

archival photograph of the Metropolitan Opera (New York City) in 1966

PLAYBILLS & PROGRAMS

Theater

New York Public Library, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Schomburg Programs and Playbills collection, 1845-2022 (146 boxes)

Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin

Playbills and Programs Collection: London and Other United Kingdom Theaters, 1696-2024 (158 boxes) [No published finding aid but container list is available]
Playbills and Programs Collection: United States Theaters, 1778-2024 (141 boxes) [No published finding aid but container list is available]
Playbills and Programs Collection: New York City Theaters, 1750-2023 (473 boxes) [No published finding aid but container list is available]
Playbills and Programs Collection: Souvenir Programs and Silk Souvenir Playbills, 1929-ca. 1990 [bulk 1890-1970] (34 boxes) [No published finding aid but container list is available]

Houghton Library, Harvard University

Playbills and programs from London theaters, 1777-1978 (305 boxes and 250 volumes)
Harvard Theatre Collection playbills and programs from theatres in Great Britain, 1758-1979 (96 boxes and 167 volumes)
Harvard Theatre Collection of playbills and programs from New York City theaters, ca. 1800-1930 (501 boxes and 790 volumes)
Harvard Theatre collection playbills and programs from Boston theaters, 1775-1988 (272 boxes and 498 volumes)
Harvard Theatre Collection playbills and programs from theaters in the United States, 1800-1900 (145 boxes and 197 volumes)
Harvard Theatre Collection of playbills and programs concerning male "stars," ca. 1700-1930 (46 boxes)
Playbills and programs concerning female "stars," 1767-1962 (20 boxes)
Playbill Inc. Playbill collection, 1924-1985 (18 boxes)

Beinecke Library, Yale University

Souvenir performance program collection, 1840-1950 (9 boxes)
Edith Gerber and Gerber/Nottage collection of playbills, 1942-2021 (7 boxes)

Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University

Program and Playbill Files, Brander Matthews Dramatic Museum Ephemera, 1750-1900 (approx. 41,000 items)

Library of Congress

Richard L. Coe Theater Programs Collection: American theatre programs of the twentieth century, 1896-1979 (ca. 5,000 items)

British Library

British Library theatrical playbills (approx. 80,000 digitized playbills)

Victoria & Albert Museum

London Production Files (52 cubic meters, high proportion of programs)

University of Bristol Theatre Collection

Mander & Mitchenson Collection

University of Glasgow Special Collections

Playbills and programmes, Scottish Theatre Archive (approx. 20,000 items)

Dance

New York Public Library, Library for the Performing Arts

Dance broadside collection, 1761-1935 (91 folders)
Annotated dance performance programs, 1963-1991 (21 boxes)
Joffrey Ballet Company records, 1877-2017 [bulk 1956-2009] (43 boxes of programs)

Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin

Dance Collection, 1827-1900 [bulk 1910-1960] [No published finding aid; description includes series "Dance Playbills and Programs," extent unknown]

Houghton Library, Harvard University

Programs and souvenir programs of Serge Diaghilev's Ballet russes, 1907-1929 (4 boxes)
Souvenir programs of ballet companies, 1993-2006 (4 boxes)
Souvenir programs of English ballet companies, 1948-1981 (4 boxes)

Library of Congress

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater collection, 1910-2024 [bulk 1950-2005] (106 boxes of programs)

Opera

Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin

Opera Collection, ca. 1800s-1900 [bulk 1880-1950] [No published finding aid; extent of playbills & programs unknown]

Houghton Library, Harvard University

Souvenir programs of operas, operettas, and opera persons, 1902-1986 (2 boxes)

Performance Art & Experimental Theater

Fales Library, New York University

Downtown Flyers and Invitations Collection, 1980-1990 (5 boxes)
Frank Hentschker Collection of Off and Off-Off Broadway Ephemera, 2004-2009 (1 record carton)
Larry Miller Fluxus Collection, 1976-2011 (1 half MSS box)