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Collection Overview
Title: Historic Scenic Collection, 1865-2012
ID: RBSC/SPX/012
Extent: 250.0 Linear Feet
Arrangement:
Series I: Production Notebooks, Series II: Blueprints, Series III: Floorplans, Series IV: Photographs, Series V: Illustrations, Series VI: Programs, Series VII: Libretto, Series VIII: Scripts, Series IX: Correspondence, Series X: Timesheets, Series XI: Accounts, Series XII: Expense Reports, Series XIII: Purchase Orders, Series XIV: Material Orders, Series XV: Receipts, Series XVI: Property Lists, Series XVII: Inventory, Series XVIII: Reference Material, and Series XIX: Miscellaneous.
A copy of the old finding aid is located in Series I, Box 1 and it provides details of the orginal inventory made for the collection. When the collection was fully processed this inventory was adapted and used in the current finding aid which includes how some series were arranged.
Languages: English, French, German, Italian
Abstract
The Historic Scenic Collection contains intriguing documentation, photos, blueprints, and advertisements of the Chicago Opera dating back to the early 1900s. This collection is 250 linear feet that spans an entire century of theatre performances. Some of the highlights are production photos of scenes and play actors, blueprints of the sets and stages, and old-time programs that were handed out to avid theatre goers.
Scope and Contents of the Materials
This collection consists of printed paper-based materials, photographs, books, correspondence, illustrations, and blueprints that relate directly to the Lyric Opera of Chicago. This collection is divided into series based upon format. Series I is composed of production notebooks; Series II and III are Blueprints and Floorplans respectively (which are currently still being processed). Series IV consists of photographs; Series V is Illustrations of sets, stage design, and costumes; Series VI consists of Programs that describe the opera acts and story; Series VII is Libretto (which are the texts of the opera, translated from their original language into English). Series VIII is Scripts; Series IX is Correspondence; Series X consists of Timesheets, which are further broken down into Timesheet subseries of Anuual Tours, Rehearsal Timesheets, and Performance Timesheets. Series XI is Accounts; Series XII Expense Reports; Series XIII is Purchase Orders; Series XIV is Material Orders; Series XV is Receipts; Series XVI is Property Lists; and Series XVII is Inventory. Series XVIII is Reference Material that includes books (some of these books have call numbers listed that can be found in our online catalogue). Lastly, Series XIX is Miscellaneous material.
Administrative Information
Repository:
Northern Illinois University
Access Restrictions:
no restrictions
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series I: Production Notebooks],
[
Series II: Blueprints],
[
Series III: Floorplans],
[
Series IV: Photographs],
[
Series V: Illustrations],
[
Series VI: Programs],
[
Series VII: Libretto],
[
Series X: Timesheets],
[
Series VIII: Scripts],
[
Series IX: Correspondence],
[
Series XI: Accounts],
[
Series XII: Expense Reports],
[
Series XIII: Purchase and Work Orders],
[
Series XIV: Material Orders],
[
Series XV: Receipts],
[Series XVI: Property Lists],
[
Series XVII: Inventory],
[
Series XVIII: Reference Material],
[
Series XIX: Miscellaneous],
[
All]
- Series XVI: Property Lists
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Finding lists of furniture, ground cloths, carpenter boxes, and 1916 box symbols, July 1928
- Folder 2: Furniture Inventory, July 1931
- Folder 3: Inventory of armor, parts, and fittings [imported from Germany], Jan 1928
- Folder 4: Inventory of properties of Mrs. Insull's productions, As of Oct 23, 1929
- Folder 5: Aida [property plot for theatre office], 1928
- Folder 6: Aida [property plot], Apr 1930
- Folder 7: L'Africana [property plot], 1928
- Folder 8: Andrea Chenier [property plot], 1928
- Folder 9: Barber of Seville [property plot for theatre office], 1928
- Folder 10: Barber of Seville [property plot], 1930
- Folder 11: La Boheme [property plot], 1926
- Folder 12: Boris Godunoff [property plot], 1928
- Folder 13: Carmen [property plot for theatre office], 1928
- Folder 14: Carmen [property plot], 1930
- Folder 15: La Cena Delle Beffe [The Jester's Supper] [property plot], 1927
- Folder 16: Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci [property plot], 1928
- Folder 17: Le Chemineau [property plot], 1928
- Folder 18: Conchita [property plot], 1930
- Folder 19: Daughter of the Regiment [property plot], 1927
- Folder 20: Dinorah [property plot], 1928
- Folder 21: Don Giovanni [property plot], 1930
- Folder 22: Don Pasquale [property plot for theatre office], 1929
- Folder 23: Don Pasquale [property plot], 1930
- Folder 24: Don Quixote [property plot for theatre office], 1929
- Folder 25: Don Quixote [property plot], 1930
- Folder 26: L'Elisir di Amore [property plot], 1928
- Folder 27: Falstaff [property plot], 1930
- Folder 28: Faust [property plot for theatre office], 1928
- Folder 29: Faust [property plot], 1930
- Folder 30: Fedora [property plot], 1928
- Folder 31: Fidelio [property plot for theatre office], 1930
- Folder 32: Fidelio [property plot], 1930
- Folder 33: Figaro [property plot], 1928
- Folder 34: Die Fledermaus [property plot], 1928
- Folder 35: La Forza del Destino [property plot for theatre office], 1929
- Folder 36: La Forza del Destino [property plot], 1930
- Folder 37: Fra Diavolo [property plot], 1928
- Folder 38: Gianni Schicchi [property plot], 1928
- Folder 39: La Giaconda [property plot], 1930
- Folder 40: Hansel and Gretel [property plot], 1928
- Folder 41: Herodiade [property plot], 1928
- Folder 42: Herodiade [property plot for theatre office], 1931 - 1932
- Folder 43: Iris [property plot for theatre office], 1929
- Folder 44: Iris [property plot], 1930
- Folder 45: Jewels of the Madonna [property plot], 1930
- Folder 46: The Jewess [property plot], 1930
- Folder 47: Le Jongleur de Notre Dame [property plot], 1930
- Folder 48: The Lake of the Swans [property plot], 1930
- Folder 49: Lakme [property plot], 1928
- Box 2
- Folder 1: Linda de Chamounix [property plot], 1930
- Folder 2: Lohengrin [property plot], 1930
- Folder 3: Loreley [property plot], 1927
- Folder 4: Louise [property plot for theatre office], 1928
- Folder 5: Louise [property plot], 1930
- Folder 6: The Love of Three Kings [property plot], 1930
- Folder 7: Lucia [property plot], 1930
- Folder 8: Madame Butterfly [property plot], 1930
- Folder 9: Madame Butterfly [property plot], no date
- Folder 10: Magic Flute [property plot for theatre office], 1931
- Folder 11: Manon Lescaut [property plot], 1928
- Folder 12: Martha [property plot], 1928
- Folder 13: Martha [property plot for theatre office], 1930 - 1931
- Folder 14: Masked Ball [property plot], 1928
- Folder 15: Mefistofele [property plot], 1928
- Folder 16: Mignon [property plot], 1928
- Folder 17: Mona Lisa [property plot for theatre office], 1931
- Folder 18: Monna Vanna [property plot], 1930
- Folder 19: Norma [property plot for theatre office], 1929
- Folder 20: Norma [property plot], 1930
- Folder 21: L'Oracolo [property plot for theatre office], 1931
- Folder 22: Otello [property plot for theatre office], 1928
- Folder 23: Otello [property plot], 1930
- Folder 24: Parsifal [property plot], 1928
- Folder 25: Pearl Fishers [property plot], 1928
- Folder 26: Pelleas et Melisande [property plot for theatre office], 1928
- Folder 27: Pelleas et Melisande [property plot], 1930
- Folder 28: Prince Igor [property plot for theatre office], 1931
- Folder 29: Le Prophete|The Prophet [property plot], 1928
- Folder 30: Resurrection [property plot], 1930
- Folder 31: Rigoletto [property plot for theatre office], 1928
- Folder 32: Rigoletto [property plot], 1930
- Folder 33: Romeo and Juliet [property plot for theatre office], 1928
- Folder 34: Romeo and Juliet [property plot], 1930
- Folder 35: Der Rosenkavalier|The Knight of the Rose [property plot for theatre office], 1928
- Folder 36: Der Rosenkavalier|The Knight of the Rose [property plot], 1930
- Folder 37: Salome [property plot], 1928
- Folder 38: Samson and Delilah [property plot], 1928
- Folder 39: Sapho [property plot], 1928
- Folder 40: Siegfried [property plot], 1928
- Folder 41: La Sonnambula [property plot], 1928
- Folder 42: Snow Maiden [property plot], 1928
- Folder 43: Suor Angelica [property plot], 1928
- Folder 44: IL Tabarro [property plot], 1928
- Folder 45: Tales of Hoffman [property plot], 1928
- Folder 46: Tannhauser [property plot], 1930
- Folder 47: Thais [property plot for theatre office], 1928
- Folder 48: Thais [property plot], 1930
- Folder 49: Three Kings [The Love of Three Kings] [property plot for theatre office], 1928
- Box 3
- Folder 1: Tiefland [property plot], 1930
- Folder 2: Tosca [property plot], 1930
- Folder 3: La Traviata [property plot], 1930
- Folder 4: Tristan and Isolde [property plot], 1930
- Folder 5: IL Trovatore [property plot for theatre office], 1928
- Folder 6: IL Trovatore [property plot], 1930
- Folder 7: Die Walkure|The Valkyries [property plot for theatre office], 1928
- Folder 8: Die Walkure|The Valkyries [property plot], 1930
- Folder 9: Werther [property plot], 1928
- Folder 10: Witch of Salem [property plot], 1930
- Folder 11: Drops stored in the drop racks at the Civic Opera House, June 4, 1930
- Folder 12: Musical instruments [property of the Chicago Civic Opera Company], no date
Browse by Series:
[
Series I: Production Notebooks],
[
Series II: Blueprints],
[
Series III: Floorplans],
[
Series IV: Photographs],
[
Series V: Illustrations],
[
Series VI: Programs],
[
Series VII: Libretto],
[
Series X: Timesheets],
[
Series VIII: Scripts],
[
Series IX: Correspondence],
[
Series XI: Accounts],
[
Series XII: Expense Reports],
[
Series XIII: Purchase and Work Orders],
[
Series XIV: Material Orders],
[
Series XV: Receipts],
[Series XVI: Property Lists],
[
Series XVII: Inventory],
[
Series XVIII: Reference Material],
[
Series XIX: Miscellaneous],
[
All]