Overview of the Collection
Access
Administrative Information
Cataloger's Notes
Biographical Note
Scope and Content
Arrangement
Indexing Terms
Overview of the Collection
Title: Forrest W. Coggan Papers
Dates (inclusive): 1914-2013
Bulk dates: 1953-2001
Collection Number: mssCoggan papers
Creator:
Coggan, Forrest W.
Extent: 957 items in 16 boxes + 26
binders and four oversize items.
Repository:
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.
Manuscripts Department
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2129
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
Abstract: This collection contains the papers of American dancer, choreographer, and theater director Forrest Coggan (born 1926), chiefly
dating
from 1935 to 2001.
Language: English.
Access
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services
Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.
Administrative Information
Publication Rights
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to
quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such
activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is
one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item]. Forrest W. Coggan Papers, The Huntington Library, San
Marino, California.
Provenance
Gift of Forrestt W. Coggan, 2002-2013.
Cataloger's Notes
1. The majority of the material in this collection was organized and identified by
Forrest Coggan. The cataloger kept this information and kept Coggan’s order when
possible. The cataloger also had Coggan’s assistance in identifying items, authors,
etc.
2. The actual number of items in the collection is much higher than the stated
number of items. The items in the binders were not counted separately but just the
binder counted as “1” item. The actual number of items in the collection is much
greater than 957.
Related Material
Other Forrest W. Coggan material can be found at the Michigan Library, Lansing, MI,
and the Michigan Oral History Association, Lansing, MI, and several other
institutions.
Biographical Note
Forrest Winston Coggan (born 1926) was born August 27, 1926, near East Lansing,
Michigan, to Bernard and Blanche Coggan. He began his education in dance at a young
age. He attended Michigan State University from 1943-1947 and received a B.A. in
Public Speaking and Drama. He earned an MS from the University of Wisconsin in
Physical Education/Dance. Through the years he has worked on a number of projects
including managing To Yo Za: Theater of the Far East, 1948- 1958; general director
of Teatro International Inc., 1966-1983; and founding of the American Mythic
Theater. He currently lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Scope and Content
This collection contains the papers of choreographer and theater director Forrest Coggan, chiefly dating
from 1935 to 2001 and consisting of binders of material, correspondence, dance
notes, manuscripts, subject files, notes, ephemera, published books belonging to
Coggan, and audio-visual material.
Binders
These binders were created by Forrest Coggan
himself. They contain photographs, manuscripts, blue prints and designs, letters,
etc.
The Binders series includes several sub-series:
- Forrest Designs – two binders containing sketches, blueprints, designs,
etc., for buildings, houses, and gardens, as well as photographs of rooms
that he designed, costumes for dancers and programs for theaters and dance
performances. Also includes material Coggan designed for Teatro
International Theatre: A Foundation for Pan-Am Performing Arts.
- Photos-Career – six binders containing photographs (and a few manuscripts
written by Coggan and some clippings) that document Coggan’s life and career
from his birth in 1926 to 2006. The photographs are labeled and dated. The
material is organized in chronological order. There is an Index of the
binder’s content at the beginning of the binder written by Coggan.
- Words-Career – ten binders containing manuscripts written by Coggan,
photographs, clippings, correspondence, programs, etc., that document
Coggan’s life and career from 1930 to 2006. The material is labeled and
dated and is organized in chronological order. There is an Index of the
binder’s content at the beginning of the binder written by Coggan.
- Correspondence – eight binders containing correspondence written by
Forrest Coggan from 1923 to 1959. These letters are from his early childhood
to his time in the US Army in the late 1940s and 1950s.
Correspondence
This loose correspondence is arranged
alphabetically by author and then addressee. This correspondence is between Forrest
W. Coggan and his family (chiefly his mother Blanche Coggan), other dancers,
ex-students, authors, professors, and dance departments at universities in the
United States. Many pieces of the correspondence are photocopies of letters. There
are 307 pieces of correspondence.
Dance Notes
The Dance Notes series contains dance
notes for a variety of musicals and performances. The material is made up of
handwritten notes by Coggan, diagrams showing dance steps, music, related printed
material, copies of photographs, programs, etc. They are arranged alphabetically by
performance/musical title. There is one folder of work notes for a dance workshop
(1971). The Dance Notes numbers 198 pieces.
Manuscripts/Subject Files/Notes
These folders are
arranged alphabetically by subject/topic. They include manuscripts written by
Forrest Coggan (including biographical information), notes written by Forrest
Coggan, material collected by Forrest Coggan in his research, chiefly on the subject
of dance. It includes handwritten manuscripts, notes, printed material, programs,
teaching materials, etc. There are also two copies of Coggan’s master’s thesis “For
the Choreographer.” Subjects included are: dance (both teaching and performing),
Ruth St. Denis, Teatro International, Inc. and Toyoza. This series numbers 240
pieces.
Ephemera
The Ephemera is arranged alphabetically by
topic. The material includes items related to different dance groups such as the
Sacred Dance Guild, Teatro Internacional, World Dance Alliance, and the Valentina
Oumansky Dramatic Dance Foundation, Toyoza; as well as dancers Ruth St. Denis, Rose
Lee, Vija Vetra, and Ethel H. Clark; dance performances (including photographs and
copies of photographs); musician Sage Gentle-Wing; and miscellaneous ephemera
collected to Forrest Coggan. The material is made up of clippings, programs,
photographs, fliers, articles and pages printed from the Internet, etc. The ephemera
numbers 102 pieces.
Published Books belonging to Forrest Coggan
The
collection also contains 18 published books that belonged to Forrest Coggan. The
volumes include a typed manuscript entitled “About these Books” written by Coggan.
The books are in the order Coggan described them. He knew many of the authors and
several of the books are signed by the authors and include handwritten notes by
Coggan. Topics of the books are: the Hopi Indians, North American Indians, the
Mayans and ancient Mexico, and spirituality. There are two books on dance (they are
not on Coggan’s list).
Audio-Visual
The audio-visual material is chiefly
related to Forrest W. Coggan, dance performances, Toyoza, American Indians, etc. It
includes a series of productions produced by Teatro Internacional, Inc. This series
numbers 62 pieces. The audio-visual material is organized by format/type and then
alphabetically by title:
- a. Cassette tapes
- b. VHS tapes
- c. CDs and DVDs
- d. Reel-to-reel (variety of formats)
Oversize
Oversize Box 16 houses oversize material
from previous Coggan boxes. There are then four oversize items, housed separately
(not in boxes) related to Forrest W. Coggan’s designs including portfolios,
drawings, sketchbooks, watercolors, etc. One portfolio is for Toyoza. Coggan
designed costumes, theater buildings, etc.
Arrangement
The Collection is arranged in the following order: Binders (26 volumes);
Correspondence (Boxes 1-2); Dance Notes (Boxes 3-4); Manuscripts/Subject Files/Notes
(Boxes 5-6); Ephemera (Box 7); Published books belonging to Forrest Coggan (Boxes
8-10); Audio-Visual (Boxes 11-15); Oversize (Box 16 and four separate items).
Indexing Terms
Subjects
Alexander, Hartley
Burr, 1873-1939.
Coggan, Forrest
W.
Gentle-Wing,
Sage.
Shawn, Ted,
1891-1972.
St. Denis, Ruth,
1880-1968.
Denishawn
Dancers.
Jacob's
Pillow.
Jacob's Pillow Dance
Festival.
Library of
Michigan.
Michigan Oral History
Association.
Sacred Dance
Guild.
Teatro Internacional,
Inc.
World Dance
Alliance.
Dance -- Philosophy.
Dance -- Religious aspects.
Dance -- Dance and teaching -- United
States -- History -- 20th century -- Sources.
Dance teachers -- United
States.
Dancers -- United States.
Indians of North America --
Religion.
Modern dance -- History -- 20th century
-- Sources.
Religious dance.
Theater -- United States -- History --
20th century -- Sources.
Forms/Genres
Audiocassettes -- United States.
Clippings -- 20th century.
Ephemera -- 20th century.
Ephemera 21st century.
Letters (correspondence) -- United
States -- 20th century.
Letters (correspondence) -- United
States 21st century.
Magnetic tapes -- United States.
Manuscripts -- United States -- 20th
century.
Manuscripts -- United States 21st
century.
Photographs -- United States -- 20th
century.
Photographs -- United States 21st
century.
Programs (documents) -- United States
-- 20th century.
Sketches -- United States -- 20th
century.
Watercolors (paintings) -- United
States -- 20th century.
Additional Contributors
Alexander, Hubert G. (Hubert Griggs),
1909-.
Lundberg, Susan.
Reed, H. Owen, 1910-.
Rue, Loyal D.