Guide to the Collection of Chinese Theater Images in California

Processed by the Museum of Performance & Design, Performing Arts Library
Museum of Performance & Design, Performing Arts Library
401 Van Ness Avenue
Veteran's Building, 4th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: (415) 255-4800
Email: info@sfpalm.org
URL: http://www.sfpalm.org
© 2004
Museum of Performance & Design, Performing Arts Library. All rights reserved.

Guide to the Collection of Chinese Theater Images in California

Collection number: Consult repository

Museum of Performance & Design, Performing Arts Library

San Francisco, California

Contact Information

  • Museum of Performance & Design, Performing Arts Library
  • 401 Van Ness Avenue
  • Veteran's Building, 4th Floor
  • San Francisco, CA 94102
  • Phone: (415) 255-4800
  • Email: info@sfpalm.org
  • URL: http://www.sfpalm.org
Processed by:
Museum of Performance & Design, Performing Arts Library staff
Date Completed:
2004
Encoded by:
Online Archive of California
© 2004 Museum of Performance & Design, Performing Arts Library. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Collection of Chinese theater images in California,
Date (inclusive): 1883-2004
Date (bulk): (bulk ca. 1920-1983)
Collection number: Consult repository
Collector: Museum of Performance & Design, Performing Arts Librarym
Extent: 401 items 401 online items
Repository: Museum of Performance & Design, Performing Arts Library.
San Francisco, California 94102
Abstract: The Museum of Performance & Design, Performing Arts Library's collection of images related to Chinese Theater in California ranges from 1883-2004, although the majority of the photographs document performers and productions from the 1920s to late 1940s. The photographs depict scenes from plays such as "Heavenly Kings" and "Princess Cheung Ping," staged at the Great China Theatre, Great Star Theatre, and other venues, shots of actors and actress such as Mei Lan-fang, Dai Ngow Lok, Ma Shi-tsang, Kwan Duk Hing, Sew Jow Lee, and Hall Fay Jing in costume, in the studio, or on stage portraying various characters such as Kuan Kung, Chu Ko-liang, and Sun Yat-sen, interiors and exterior shots of different theater buildings, and ceremonies and banquets honoring performers such as Mei Lan-fang. A number of the photographs were taken by May's Studio. The materials were selected from four main sources -- the Wylie Wong Collection, Lois Rather Papers, Jack Chen Papers, and the Library's own Chinese Theater Collection.
Language: Chinese.

Administrative Information

Access

Entire collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Vary with material. Please contact the Librarian.

Preferred Citation

[Collection name], Museum of Performance & Design, Performing Arts Library

Acquisition Information

This collection was created by the Museum of Performance & Design, Performing Arts Library staff from 2003-2004 as part of the Digital Archive of Chinese Theater in California project.

Project Information: Digital Archive of Chinese Theater in California

This collection was created by the Museum of Performance & Design, Performing Arts Library staff from 2003-2004 as part of the Digital Archive of Chinese Theater in California project funded in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Service under the provision of the Library Services and Technology Act administered in California by the State Librarian and by the Zellerbach Family Foundation.
The goal of the project was to provide online access to rare and historic images of Chinese theater in California. Digitization was done in-house using an Epson 1640XL-SE flatbed scanner or a Minolta DiMage Scan Multi Pro film scanner and full-level MARC records were created for each item.
The materials are accessible through MPD's online catalog at http://www.mpdsf.org/PAGES/LIBRARY/catalog.html .

Scope and Content of Collection

The Museum of Performance & Design, Performing Arts Library's collection of images related to Chinese Theater in California ranges from 1883-2004, although the majority of the photographs document performers and productions from the 1920s to late 1940s. The photographs depict scenes from plays such as "Heavenly Kings" and "Princess Cheung Ping," staged at the Great China Theatre, Great Star Theatre, and other venues, shots of actors and actress such as Mei Lan-fang, Dai Ngow Lok, Ma Shi-tsang, Kwan Duk Hing, Sew Jow Lee, and Hall Fay Jing in costume, in the studio, or on stage portraying various characters such as Kuan Kung, Chu Ko-liang, and Sun Yat-sen, interiors and exterior shots of different theater buildings, and ceremonies and banquets honoring performers such as Mei Lan-fang.
A number of the photographs were taken by May's Studio. The materials were selected from four main sources -- the Wylie Wong Collection, Lois Rather Papers, Jack Chen Papers, and the Library's own Chinese Theater Collection.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects

Great China Theatre (San Francisco, Calif.)
Great Star Theatre (San Francisco, Calif.)
May's Photo (Firm : San Francisco, Calif)
Ma, Shi-tsang
Mei, Lanfang, 1894-1961--Photographs
Chinatown (San Francisco, Calif.)
San Francisco (Calif.)
Actors--California--San Francisco--Photographs
Actors--China--Photographs
Actresses--California--San Francisco
Chinese Americans--California--San Francisco--Photographs.
Costume--China--Photographs
Dance--China--Photographs
Dresses--Photographs
Fans--Photographs
Female impersonators--Photographs
Gardens--China--Photographs
Nightclubs--California--San Francisco
Opera, Chinese
Soldiers--China
Theaters--California--San Francisco

Genres and Forms of Material

Photographic prints
Portrait photographs