USITT Publications

Design Registry Prototype

Comments and Contacts

• Paul Ulrich, Editor, SIBMAS Dirctory
  
  Comments: "Although we tried to include as much in-depth information in the directory as possible, it is very difficult to get equal depth across all the institutions, especially regarding theatrical designs and scenographers."  Ulrich suggests, "There are many reasons for this: 1.) Institutions are not willing to provide information on collections because they are either not cataloged or the curators are working on a project and don't want others to know about it; 2.) Collections are in an institution which no one knows about; 3.) Collections are part of larger collections."

  "The information in the SIBMAS directory is in a database and the web pages are generated from the database. Hence with a few alterations in the program, it would be possible to create additional index pages with access via professions.
  A major question is then how to present the indexes: alphabetically by name; under the profession or alphabetically by country? "

  Contact information: pulrich@zlb.de

• Patrick Finelli, Associate Editor, Theatre Design and Technology, USITT
  
  Comments: "A quick check in the SIBMAS Directory under 'Institutions' and 'Collections' reveals major holdings for key scenographers including Norman Bel Geddes at the University of Texas Ransom Center, Joseph Urban at Columbia, R.E. Jones at Ohio State, Jo Mielziner at New York Public's Billy Rose collection, Donald Oenslager at Yale and the Billy Rose, Mordecai Gorelik at SIU, twelve listings under Gordon Craig and one under Appia. The Dion Boucicault collection at the University of South Florida is listed as well.  There are six entries under Eugene O'Neill, but Harley Hammerman's electronic archive is not listed under O'Neill, probably because it is a private collection and not affiliated with an institution."
  
  "We wonder about theatre-related material that is not included as part of a major collection. For instance, designs by
  Mielziner might be hidden within other holdings in addition to the major collection. The same is true of the papers of Sam Hume, Sheldon Cheney, Maurice Browne, Livingston Platt and the Boston Toy Theatre."
  
  Contact information: finelli@arts.usf.edu

• Nena Couch, Curator and Associate Professor
  The Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute
  The Ohio State University Libraries
  
  Comments: "The Gerald Kahan collection at OSU's Theatre Research Institute has almost 400 designs by 100 designers, and that is just one collection. Ohio State is working towards creating an inventory of several thousand
  designs available online at the level of the individual piece rather than a collection level. However, not all repositories will have that capacity or interest."
  
  "It seems that this issue is raised periodically, but nothing much comes of it.  Many of us might agree that perhaps now is the time to reconsider the idea of constructing a database of designs and designers since the technology is readily available and ideally suited as indicated in the SIBMAS directory.  The challenge is in uncovering the 'gems' in the holdings and finding a way to annotate the general SIBMAS database to the benefit of researchers and scholars."
  
  "A graduate fellowship would be one good way to at least start the process and provide more detailed access to holdings.  If a core database could be developed, perhaps it could become a design registry that institutions, if not private owners, would be able to contribute to as designs are acquired, making the task not quite so onerous. This process will not be easy. The ideal fellowship candidate will have a good historical design background and some knowledge of significant collections around the country.  It will take some digging to go through the picture credits of books on design or designers." 
  
  Contact information:  couch.1@osu.edu

• Anne Fletcher, Theatre Historian, SIU-C
  Gorelik Collection
  
  Comments: "We would be most interested in obtaining USITT funding for a graduate student to continue the work that is in progress on the Gorelik Collection here at SIU-C.  I am also trying to track down renderings that fell into private hands when Special Collections at SIU-C was not notified of Mrs. Gorelik's death."  
  
  Contact information:   afletch@siu.edu
  Ron Naversen, Director of Graduate Studies and Head of SIU's design program.

• Mary C. Henderson, Author, USITT Golden Pen Award Winner
  
  Comments: Mary C. Henderson, author of Mielziner: Master of Modern Stage Design, has discovered hidden treasures at various collections throughout the country.  She says,  "The Tobin Collection at the McNay Museum has hundreds of drawings by R. E. Jones and there may also be some at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.  Very few major collections have complete archives of particular designers, so it will be a job to ferret out what the collections have. The Morgan Library has many Oenslagers, but so does the Museum of the City of New York and Harvard."
  
  Mary asks, "What are we looking for?  What is our purpose?  Are we identifying only archives or examples of artists' work in all of the collections?  What are the specific parameters? Are we going to include private collectors?"  She knows several collectors in New York with significant holdings and indicates that Oliver Smith's collection is mostly in the hands of one person.

        Contact information: maryhen@voicenet.com

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