ILLINOI S UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN PRODUCTION NOTE University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library Large-scale Digitization Project, 2007. vol. 3, no. 4 Winter 1981-82 THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY FRIENDS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN ISSN 0192-5539 Motley Collection Acquired Costume Designs Span Fifty Years of Theater History The Friends, through their generosity, Since Motley designed costumes for have been instrumental in the many Shakespearean productions, the acquisition of an impressive collection costume collection will be a valuable of theater history-that of costume complement to the Library's already designs by the British company Motley. extensive Shakespeare collection The Motley Collection, which spans donated over the last 25 years by the 50 years of theater history, contains generous Library benefactor, Ernest more than 3,000 original costume Ingold. The collection will also be sketches, story boards and fabric valuable to those interested in costume samples from over 160 productions. design and generally for those Some of the designs are from interested in theater history. productions at the Shakespeare According to Dr. Mullin, the Memorial Theatre at collection, "documents the changing Stratford-upon-Avon, the Old Vic, trends in theatrical taste, conceptual Royal Court Theatre, operas presented approach and visual interpretation by the English National Opera, and through costumes and scenery. Using numerous commercial productions. In these sketches and designs, together the United States, Motley designed with the Library's other resources, costuming for such Broadway scholars can reconstruct individual productions as "South Pacific," productions and trace the evolution of "Can-Can," "Paint Your Wagon," "The theater style over several decades." Most Happy Fella," and "Peter Pan." Prof. Mullin added that the collection The group also designed costumes for was extremely unusual because of its the movie "Oklahoma!" and the The recent acquisition ot the Motley extensiveness. He said, "Not only was Broadway production of Eugene company's design collection includes this the collection valuable in itself, but it is drawing for the character Tybalt in a 1932 extremely rare in the ephemeral world London production of "Romeo and Juliet." of the theater, where designers often discard or give away their work after a production closes." O'Neill's "Long Day's Journey into Motley has designed costumes for, Night." and in conjunction with, such theatrical The Motley company is named after names as Sir Laurence Olivier, Dame the bright, colorful costumes worn by Peggy Ashcroft, and Sir John Gielgud, court jesters in Shakespeare's time, and to name a few. -(continued inside) is the corporation name of Sophia and Margaret Harris (sisters) and their friend Elizabeth Montgomery Wilmot. Miss Margaret Harris, who is 70 and one of two surviving members of the organization, still operates a renowned international design school. Miss Harris decided to sell the collection after Michael Mullin, associate professor of English and a Shakespeare scholar, suggested that Miss Harris have the collection appraised. Miss Harris had initially planned to sell some of the sketches piece by piece to support her school whose funds had been cut by the The Motley company designed this set for Thatcher administration. Prof. Mullin's the English National Opera production of suggestion made it possible for Miss A few of the costumes designs by the Verdi's "II Trovatore." Harris to support her school and also Motley company for the Broadway furnish the Library with a valuable production of "Paint Your Wagon" by Jay research archive. Lerner and Frederick Loewe. Motley Collection Executive Committee Notes -(from page 1) The Library Friends of the University of The most satisfactory factor of my Illinois has become one of the most own involvement with the Library successful university friends Friends has been the organization's organizations in the country. This mission of helping the Library. Some success, as with most success stories, is support organizations occasionally seem in large measure the result of the to exist for the sake of their own efforts and support of a very few key existence. They become more of a people as well as the contributions and parasite than a help. You can be help of the rest of us. In our case, assured that this Friends organization is much of the impetus, the growth, and directing all of its efforts and resources the early financial support was provided toward helping and supporting our by the Stewart Howe Foundation under Library. the direction of Carlyle Anderson. If any of you is able to make a Among its many contributions and substantial gift or if you know someone deeds was its $10,000 gift that has who can make a substantial gift for underwritten Friendscript the last three underwriting Friendscript, our years. Friendscript has been our organization can continue our primary means of communication with newsletter while maintaining our ever our membership and has, we feel, increasing support to the Library. Please become indispensable in our reaching let us know if you can be of help. out for greater support and new I do want to take this opportunity to friends. express our continued appreciation to Sadly, this money will run out after Carlyle Anderson and the Stewart two more issues of Friendscript. We will Howe Foundation. Its purpose has been not allow Friendscript to die, but we to help us grow in numbers and in are faced with the reality that unless we financial support. It has succeeded. can obtain one or more grants or gifts Now we need to find a comparable Ms. HarriettJump, niece of the Harris sisters, large enough to underwrite another friend. We also hope that the Stewart examines a sketch in the Motley collection year or more of our newsletter, we will Howe Foundation will continue its with Director of Technical Services Michael have to use money from our budget. As interest in us. The impetus provided by Gorman. most of you know, the beneficiary of the Foundation occurred in our crucial our budget is the library collection. Last early years as we set out to establish a The acquisition of the collection was year our gifts for books was $45,000. We substantial base of private support for praised by James Berton Harris, head of want that amount to grow every year, our Library. costume design at the Krannert Center not decrease. for the Performing Arts. Prof. Harris, -Robert Watts, President who has himself designed costumes for Broadway productions, said, "With the Motley collection, these resources Classical Bookmaking Behind Friends Logo make Illinois one of the most important research centers for drama and theater The detailed logo which appears in The logo seems fitting for history in the country." each issue of Friendscript has an Friendscript in that it was designed by a The Motley collection arrived in two interesting history behind it-a history quality printer of the 15th century and trunks and was accompanied by of craftsmanship and quality book now represents a quality organization Harriett Jump, niece of the Harris sisters printing. of bibliophiles-the Friends of the and one of the sellers. The collection is The illustration comes from one of Library. currently being cataloged in the Rare several Badius editions in the UI Book Room of the University Library Library. The printer is a Parisian named and should be available for research in Jodocus Badius Ascensius. Badius late November. There are plans to learned his craft in Italy, moved to exhibit some of the collection during Lyon, and finally set up his shop in Paris April as part of the Library's in 1499. Badius is one of the first commemoration of Shakespeare's printers of scholarly books following in birthday. the footsteps of his mentor Henri It can be said that acquisition of the Estienne, famous French bookdealer Motley Collection is another reason and printer. Many of Badius's editions why the Library values the Friends and are Latin classics. their support. The Friends, in The illustration itself is of Badius's conjunction with the Library and the press room. On the left there is a colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences workman preparing the leather ink and Fine and Applied Arts, can be truly balls. In the center of the room is the proud of making it possible for the heavy press with its frame braced Library to acquire such a prestigious against the ceiling by stout beams. On and valuable research collection. the right of the illustration is a compositor setting type. There is some question on whether this workman is concentrating on the text or looking out the window and daydreaming. From the Librarian's View We Need Your Help You can ensure the UI Library's One of the concerns of librarians, and The item must be indexed and continued excellence by: the community of library users, is accessible whether that access is from a whether or not the book as we know it computer terminal or by plugging in a * telling others about the Library them will continue in its present form. One blank cassette. The item has to be Friends and encouraging to join should remember that libraries have usable and in some form able to be collected books in various forms, and shared with other patrons of the library. * sending us lists of potential members and contributors that they have, in fact, developed from We will still have to buy the books, clay tablets to papyrus rolls to vellum catalog them, lend them, and store * helping the Library solicit handwritten codices to printed paper them. Only the forms of such activity, grants from foundations codices. And along the way libraries the displays of the products of * obtaining your company's or have collected items which sometimes authorship will change and then only organization's participation in a come out in parts, like the Victorian very slowly.