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NEWSLETTER OF THE THEATRE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION Volume 12, Number 4/Volume 13, Number 1 SpringISummer 1985 SPECIAL DOUBLE ISSUE "THE THEATRE AND THEATRE COLLECTIONS" IS SUBJECT OF SIBMAS CONGRESS IN LONDON The 1985 Congress of the Societe Inter- nationale des Bibliotheques et Musees des Arts du Spectacle was opened in London on September 9,1985, with an address by Sir Roy Strong, Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum. In his welcoming speech Sir Roy reported on developments related to the transfer of the V&A's The- atre Museum to its own quarters in Covent Garden, a move long in the making and one which for some time had been threat- ened due to financial and political prob lems. Sir Roy was delighted to inform the delegates that the move is now proceed- ing according to schedule, and that the Theatre Museum would open in Covent Garden in 1987. The new museum will prob ably charge an entrance fee. Addressing himself to the topic of the Congress, Sir Roy discussed the conse- quences of perpetual expansion of collec- tions and demands for more space and more staff. Clearly anti-fetishist, he urged the delegates to be more discriminating with regard to what may be gathered for posterity, and commented that the pres- sure for museums to provide entertain- Helen Armstead Johnson, Richard C. Lynch, and Mary C. Henderson are three of ment is being achieved at the expense of the TLA members who gave papers in London. the museum's function as repository of scholarship and learning. Harald Zielske, Acting President of SIB- Siedhoff will be a host for the next SIBMAS collection but is tirst and foremost de- MAS, and Alexander Schouvaloff, Secre- Congress, which will be held in Bayreuth. voted to theatre material from Bergen. In tary of SI BMAS and Organizer of the Con- The history and experience of black per- her presentation, "The Heritage of Ibsen," gress, welcomed the delegates and re- formers was discussed by Dr. Helen Arm- Trine Naess of the Teatermuseet, Oslo, ported on recent activities and goals of stead Johnson, whose collection, the Arm- Norway, discussed the positive and nega- the organization. The delegates observed stead Johnson Foundation for Theatre Re- tive effects of the lbsen tradition as well a moment of silence as a tribute to Eva search in New York, focuses on black art- as documentation of lbsen in Norway. Steinaa, Past President of SIBMAS, who ists. Dr. Johnson's paper, "Some Interna- "The Carl Lund Collection's Influence on died in December, 1984, after a long ill- tional Implications of an AfreAmerican Contemporary Documentation of Danish ness. President Zielske spoke of Mrs. Stei- Theatre Collection," was illustrated by Stage Settings 1883-1925,'' presented by naa's extraordinary contributions to SIB- some fascinating slides. Cecilia Folasade Lisbet Grandjean of the Teaterhistorisk MAS and suggested that donations to the Adedji, Librarian at the Institute of African Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark, was Danish Cancer Research Fund may be Studies of the University of lbaden in Ni- nicely complemented by a paper given by made in her memory. geria, then presented a very comprehen- Barbro Stribolt, Drottningholms teatermu- The. presentation of papers was begun sive paper concerning theatre and theatre seum, Stockholm, Sweden, entitled "The by Anne BrookeBarnett, Curator of the collections in Nigeria. Mrs. Adedji spoke Carl Grabow Collection in Drottningholms Bristol University Theatre Collection in not only of problems, history, and pros- teatermuseum." Bergljot Krohn Bucht, England, who discussed the establishment pects regarding Nigeria, but made sugges- Kungl Teatern, Stockholm, then discussed and development of her internationally re- tions for the rest of Africa as well. the history of theatre archives and the nowned collection. Bristol owns, among The next six papers of the Congress con- interplay between the theatre and docu- many other items, an extremely important cerned theatre and theatre collections in mentation institutions. A related paper, and comprehensive body of material re- Scandinavia. Kari Gardner Losendahl, rep presented by Pirkko Koski of Helsinki's lated to the career of Sir Herbert Beer- resenting Bergens Teatermuseum, Nor- Teatermuseum, examined the cooperation bohm Tree. Thomas Siedhoff of the For- way, discussed the "mask'' in modern the- of the Theatre Museum of Finland with schungsinstitut fur Musiktheater, Universi- atre production. Incorporated into her talk theatre, theatre associations, and profes- tat Bayreuth, Schloss Thurnau, Germany, was a history of her collection, which is sionals. then gave a paper entitled "Recent Opera the oldest in Scandinavia, having been Events-As Lost As Ancient Omra?" Mr. founded in 1919. The archive has a general Following the Scandinavian group, two Forbes-Robertson as the first of its kind. TLA AT ALA: CHICAGO, 1985 papers were presented by delegates from During that time the Library acquired the the lnstitute of Musicology, Belgrade, William Archer collection of 1,500 books, The Theatre Library Association's pro- Yugoslavia. Mirka Pavlovic considered the press cuttings, magazine articles, cprre- gram at the American Library Association relationship between the Natyasastra-a spondence, and other memorabilia, as convention was held on July 8. Organized treatise on Hindu dramaturgy and histri- well as a collection of hundreds of 19th and chaired by David Bosca of the Chi- onics - and aspects of contemporary In- century plays which had been given by cago Public Library, it was attended by dian theatrical practice. Nadezda Mosu- Granville-Barker Horace Collins contrib- fifty members and guests. The morning sova discussed the value of theatre collec- uted 144 volumes of Lacey's acting edi- session took place at the Chicago Public tions for staging classical and historical tions of plays and this gave the Library a Library/Cultural Center. Robert Brubaker, plays by Yugoslav authors. comprehensive collection of 19th century Curator of Special Collections of the Chi- The final two papers of the Congress plays. Between 1925 and 1935 the stock cago Historical Society, presented an illus- were presented by Americans. Mary Hen- of the Library grew from 6,000 to nearly trated talk on the development of theatre derson, Curator of the Theatre Collection 30,000 Today the Library has more than in downtown Chicago, from the Saga- of the Museum of the City of New York, re- 250,000 volumes which include 54,000 naush Playhouse (1837) to the movie ported on her upcoming exhaustive exhi- plays and books relating to all aspects of houses of the 1920s which combined live bition on Eugene O'Neill, her world-wide theatre and allied subjects. acts with films. Among the theatres de- search for materials on O'Neill, and the In addition to books the Library has press scribed by Mr. Brubaker was the "fire- history of documentation of O'Neill's life cuttings, periodicals, photographs and pro- proof" Iroquois Theatre, the scene of a and work, especially as regards the collec- grams. Card catalogues include author, disastrous tragedy in 1903 caused by panic tion at the Museum of the City of New title, subject of critical works, publishing and locked exit doors rather than the ac- York. Richard C. Lynch, Assistant Curator details, type of play, cast, number of acts, tual fire. Coming down to the present, Mr. of the New York Public Library's Theatre availability for production both for ama- Brubaker told the audience that a Per- Collection at Lincoln Center, presented a teur and professional, and the name of the forming Arts Center for downtown Chi- lively look at how his collection is utilized agent who controls the rights. A list of cago is under consideration. by Broadway professionals. additions to the Library is issued monthly Carolyn Sheehy, Curator of the Midwest In addition to the presentation of to members who apply for books during Dance Archive of the Newberry Library, papers, the SIBMAS Congress was con- the month. There is a small collection of described her serendipitous discovery of cerned with various commissions and pub plays in foreign languages. rare dance materials, some dating back to lications. There were reports on SIBMAS The British Theatre Association Library the 16th century, in such unsuspected involvement in the World Encyclopedia serves all segments of the theatrical com- places as "courtesy" books prescribing of Contemporary Theatre, a four-volume munity, both amateur and professional. It deportment for ladies and gentleman, his- work covering 1945-1985, the first volume also provides sets of plays for readings torical works on native Americana, music of which is scheduled to appear in 1991, and rehearsals, ranging from translation of collections, and career scrapbooks. The and in the International Theatre Bibliogra- Greek tragedies, mummers plays, Eliza- Midwest Dance Archive covers dance his- phy. Full reports of the commissions and bethan and jacobean plays, Restoration tory and activities in twelve states and in- the full text of all papers from the Con- comedies, 18th century "sentimental" cludes collections relating to dance in the gress will be published by SIBMAS in the plays, and Victorian melodramas, to mod- movies, dance instruction, extravaganzas, near future. ern works and translations of contempo- etc. The modern dance materials deal with rary European plays. The Library obtains the careers of Martha Graham, Ruth Page, materials by purchase and donation. lsadora Duncan and Pearl Primus, among Although the Library contains some others. Much of this material is uncata- BRITISH THEATRE ASSOCIA- "treasures" given by important theatrical loged, but it can be made available to TION HOSTS RECEPTION figures over the past 66 years, it is very scholars for research. Dance videotapes much a working library. Specially selected are alscl-available, not at Newberry but at lists of plays to suit members' particular the Chicago Public Library. Thanks to Ms.