Finding Aid for the William Bellin Papers, 1930-1996
Processed by Amanda Neal and Julie Graham; machine-readable finding aid created by Julie Graham.
UCLA Library, Performing Arts Special Collections
University of California, Los Angeles, Library
Performing Arts Special Collections, Room A1713
Charles E. Young Research Library, Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Phone: (310) 825-4988
Fax: (310) 206-1864
Email: speccoll-paging@library.ucla.edu
http://www2.library.ucla.edu/specialcollections/performingarts/index.cfm
© 2008
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: William Bellin Papers
Date (inclusive): 1930-1996
Collection number: 295
Creator: Bellin, William
Extent:
4 Boxes 2 (linear ft);
4 Flat Oversize Boxes;
15 Oversize Map Folders
Abstract: William Bellin was a costume, prop and set designer in the performing arts industry. In the course of his career, he was involved
with a wide variety of projects including working with the UCLA Theatre Arts Department, Margaret Buxton's Originals, Irvin
and Kenneth Feld, and production designer George Jenkins. The collection consists mainly of materials related to his professional
career as graphic artist and designer and includes blueline set drawings; costume and prop sketches; playbills; graphic design
samples; photographs and transparencies of display materials; and snapshots of scenic elements, floats and props.
Language: Finding aid is written in English.
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library.
Performing Arts Special Collections.
Los Angeles, California 90095-1575
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Performing
Arts Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Administrative Information
Restrictions on Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library, Performing
Arts Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library,
Performing Arts Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright,
are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of
the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the
copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC
Regents do not hold the copyright.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gift of Miss Norah Jones.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], William Bellin Papers (Collection 295). Performing Arts Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, UCLA.
Biography
William Wallace D'Andurand Bellin was born in Providence, RI, May 25, 1919. He was a graduate of the Rhode Island School of
Design, Department of Architecture (1937-41), where he gained experience designing settings and costumes for theater pageants
and plays, especially influenced by Grace L. Ripley. During the same years, he did packaging design and architectural renderings
in Providence, RI. Bellin also completed one year of study in motion picture set and costume design at the Chouinard Art Institute
in Los Angeles. From 1942-45, he worked as an engineering production illustrator at the Douglas Aircraft Company's El Segundo
location. During this time, he was active as an actor and artist with local semi-professional companies. After a brief stay
in New York (1946), Bellin returned to Los Angeles, and in 1947, he began his association with Margaret Buxton's Originals,
a design firm specializing in display treatments for commercial and private properties. While at Buxton's he worked as a head
designer and sample technician on a variety of projects, including displays and murals for Robinsons and The Broadway department
stores.
In 1950, Bellin joined the library at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as a staff artist and curator of maps,
while simultaneously continuing his work for Margaret Buxton until her retirement in 1954. At UCLA, Bellin was primarily responsible
for designing publications, posters, and exhibits related to library activities. He also designed the library seal and endpapers
that are still found in books throughout the library's collection. Bellin enrolled in the UCLA Theater Arts Department, and
though he was initially occupied with acting, he was soon both acting and designing costumes and sets for several UCLA productions,
including
Caesar and Cleopatra (1956) and
Henry IV, Part One. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1957, he was employed by the Los Angeles and San Francisco Civic Light Operas as a production
assistant to designer George Jenkins on
Annie Get Your Gun and
Ariadne auf Naxos.
Bellin moved to New York in 1958, and over the next several decades, he worked on many theater productions in various capacities,
including scenic, costume, and prop design. He continued his association with George Jenkins on projects such as
Cue for Passion (1958),
Tall Story (1959), and
A Thousand Clowns (1962). He also built up a small scenic, costumes, and props business making statues, armor, masks, and jewelry for productions
including
Caligula (1960),
The Tempest (1960), and
The Royal Hunt of the Sun.
In 1975, Bellin became a scenic consultant for various enterprises produced by Irvin and Kenneth Feld, including
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus,
Ice Follies and Holidays on Ice Combined Shows, and
Siegfried and Roy: Beyond Belief. He designed scenic elements, floats, and props. In the 1990s, Bellin served as a design consultant for the Sarasota Ballet,
creating costumes for
Peter and the Wolf (ca. 1992-93) and
Walpurgis Night (1993-94). William Bellin died of congestive heart failure on July 18, 1995 in Sarasota, FL.
Scope and Content
The collection consists of materials reflecting the career of graphic artist and designer William Bellin. The bulk of the
collection relates to his professional career as a costume, prop and set designer in the performing arts industry. Included
are blueline set drawings, sketches, costume designs, and playbills, first for student productions with the UCLA Theater Arts
Department and, after 1958, for New York stage productions working with art director George Jenkins and others. The projects
from the UCLA Theatre Arts Dept. include
Caesar and Cleopatra (1956) and
Henry IV, Part One (1957), among others. Various George Jenkins projects include
Cue for Passion (1958),
Tall Story (1959), and
A Thousand Clowns (1962), to name a few.
There is a small amount of papers along with unidentified snapshots, mainly of floats, props, and scenic elements designed
by Bellin for several Irvin and Kenneth Feld productions (aka Feld Productions), including
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus,
Ice Follies, and
Siegfried and Roy. Additionally, there is a small amount of professional display material, which includes photographs and color transparencies
of displays and murals for Margaret Buxton's Originals, mostly created for The Broadway department store. There are also a
small number of graphic design samples for UCLA library-related projects. Of special interest is the manuscript for an unpublished
technical manual written by Bellin, which focuses on the design of props, costumes, and scenic elements for theater and motion
pictures. Personal/biographical material comprises Bellin's education and correspondence with friends or former associates.
All folder/file titles for the collection were supplied by the processor.
Organization and Arrangement
Arranged in the following series:
- Series 1. Acting
- Series 2. Correspondence
- Series 3. Education
- Series 4. Display Designs for Margaret Buxton's Originals
- Series 5. Graphic Design and Illustration
- Series 6. Performance Design
- Series 7. Professional Affiliations
- Series 8. Resumes
- Series 9. Writings by Bellin
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Bellin, William--Archives
Costume designers--United States--Archival resources.
Set designers--United States--Archival resources.
Genres and Forms of Material
Costume design drawings
design drawings
Series 1. Acting
1953-1956
Physical Description: (Boxes1-4)
Scope and Content Note
The series includes eight playbills for UCLA Theater Arts productions in which Bellin is credited as an actor. He appeared
in the productions while attending UCLA during the 1950s. Productions include:
The Broken Stairway,
Dona Elena,
The Front Page,
Montezuma,
Treasure Island,
Van Druten and
The Light Touch. The series is arranged alphabetically by production titles.
Box 1, Folder 22
UCLA Theater Arts productions - playbills/programs with acting credits for W.B. (1 of 2) (5
items)
1953-56
Note
The Broken Stairway, The Front Page, Montezuma, Treasure Island, Van Druten and the
Light Touch.
Box 4, Folder 9
UCLA Theater Arts productions - playbills/programs with acting credits for W.B. (2 of 2) (3
items)
1955
Series 2. Correspondence
ca. 1960-ca. 1990s
Physical Description: (Boxes 1-3, 23)
Scope and Content Note
The series is organized into three subseries: Subseries 1. Incoming Letters; Subseries 2. Outgoing Letters; and Subseries
3. Norah Jones' Correspondence. Subseries 1, Incoming Letters include two letters from friends and former associates, Vikki
Kite and James V. Mink and are arranged alphabetically by correspondent. Subseries 2, Outgoing Letters include a draft letter
to Vikki Kite as well as a draft letter to Edward Hearn, documenting Bellin's work as a design assistant on Broadway productions
through the 1960s. Files are organized alphabetically by recipient. Subseries 3, Norah Jones Correspondence, was added to
the collection in 2006 by Norah Jones, who was a close friend to Bellin. The subseries is arranged alphabetically by correspondent
and includes letters, postcards, brief notes, and clippings sent to Jones from Bellin, along with a small amount of items
from Lawrence Clark Powell and Vikki Kite, in regards to Bellin's death. The correspondence from Bellin to Jones reflects
his thoughts and opinions on assorted topics and projects (in which he was involved). In some instances, letters appear to
be missing pages.
Box 3, Folder 15
Kite, Vikki - letters and cards to W.B.
1980s-90s
Note
Primarily holiday cards.
Box 1, Folder 6
Mink, Jim - letter to W.B. with enclosure
1986 Sep-Oct
Note
Enclosure is an article about W.B. in the UCLA Librarian, Volume 39, Number 5.
Box 1, Folder 4
Hearn, Edward - draft letter from W.B.
no date
Box 3, Folder 16
Kite, Vikki - draft letter from W.B.
no date
Norah Jones Correspondence
Box 23, Folder 6
Bellin, William - 1960s correspondence to Norah Jones regarding several
projects
1960-62
Note
Mostly regarding the making of armor, Thirteen Daughters, A Thousand Clowns, and
Song of Norway, among others.
Box 23, Folder 7
Bellin, William - 1960s correspondence to Norah Jones several topics
1963-69
Note
Mostly regarding Erte, Mame, and Royal Hunt of the Sun, among others.
Box 3, Folder 10
Bellin, William - correspondence to Norah Jones regarding A Masked Ball opera
1962
Note
With press clippings and program. Opera also known as "Un Ballo in Maschera."
Box 23, Folder 14
Bellin, William - correspondence to Norah Jones regarding Aida
1962
Note
With small swatch of fabric.
Box 23, Folder 11
Bellin, William - correspondence to Norah Jones regarding Camelot
1960
Box 1, Folder 5
Bellin, William - correspondence to Norah Jones regarding early painting by
Bellin
no date
Note
Photocopy of note and clipping (clipping dated 25 May 1941).
Box 23, Folder 9
Bellin, William - correspondence to Norah Jones regarding Feld/(Ringling Bros.) work
(mostly)
1980s
Note
Mostly regarding the circus (with small fabric swatches), Mario Cooper, and Siegfried
and Roy, among others.
Box 23, Folder 8
Bellin, William - correspondence to Norah Jones regarding Feld/Ringling Bros. work
(mostly)
1970s
Box 23, Folder 15
Bellin, William - correspondence to Norah Jones regarding High Spirits.
1963
Box 23, Folder 13
Bellin, William - correspondence to Norah Jones regarding Paradise Island
1961 Jun-July
Box 23, Folder 10
Bellin, William - correspondence to Norah Jones regarding Sarasota Ballet
1990s
Note
With opinions about American politics.
Box 23, Folder 12
Bellin, William - correspondence to Norah Jones regarding Thirteen Daughters
1961
Box 3, Folder 9
Bellin, William - correspondence to Norah Jones regarding United Scenic Artists Entrance
Examination
1971
Note
With copy of exam from 1971.
Box 23, Folder 17
Bellin, William - letter to Norah Jones regarding Anchor and Bull masthead
1985
Box 23, Folder 19
Bellin, William - letter to Norah Jones regarding Frances Clarke Sayers
bookplate
1990
Box 23, Folder 18
Bellin, William - letter to Norah Jones regarding L.C.P. bookplate
1985
Note
With bookplate design ideas.
Box 23, Folder 20
Bellin, William - letters to Norah Jones regarding Sarasota Ballet's Peter and the
Wolf
ca. 1991
Box 23, Folder 21
Bellin, William - letters to Norah Jones regarding Sarasota Ballet's The
Nutcracker
1991-92
Box 23, Folder 5
Bellin, William - undated correspondence to Norah Jones
no date
Box 3, Folder 17
Kite, Vikki - letter to Norah Jones regarding Bellin's death
1995 Sep
Note
With a hand printed copy of the original letter from Norah Jones to Vikki Kite, regarding
the death of W.B.
Box 2, Folder 24
Powell, Lawrence Clark - card to Norah Jones regarding Bellin's death
1995 Oct
Note
With bookplate designed for L.C.P. by W.B. (Includes a transcription of the handwritten
card from L.C.P.).
Box 2, Folder 26
Powell, Lawrence Clark - correspondence to Norah Jones regarding Anchor and Bull
masthead
1985
Note
Note with Anchor and Bull newsletter featuring article on W.B.
Box 2, Folder 25
Powell, Lawrence Clark - letter to Norah Jones and book titled Ex Libris: Notes on My
Family's Bookplates written by LCP
1986 Nov 11
Note
With bookplate designed for L.C.P. by W.B.
Series 3. Education
1930-1957
Physical Description: (Box 1)
Scope and Content Note
The series included includes a program for an elementary school revue in which Bellin performed, an obituary of Grace L. Ripley,
an instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design, and Bellin's diploma and certificate of honors from UCLA. The files are
arranged alphabetically.
Box 1, Folder 1
"Kiddie Revue" - program for school event with W.B.
1930
Box 1, Folder 3
Bachelor of Arts diploma and certificate of honors from UCLA
1956-57
Note
With award from Theatre Arts Department.
Box 1, Folder 2
Grace Ripley - obituary (instructor from the Rhode Island School of Design)
no date
Series 4. Display Designs for Margaret Buxton's Originals
ca. 1940s
Physical Description: (Boxes 1, 4, 6)
Scope and Content Note
The series is comprised of materials related to Bellin's design work for Margaret Buxton's Originals, a Los Angeles display
firm. Bellin was associated with Buxton's from 1947-54 and worked on a variety of projects. Included are photographs and color
transparencies of display treatments and murals created for The Broadway department store, as well as photographs of display
objects for unknown projects. Unless otherwise noted, it is believed that Bellin was responsible for designing all of the
items in this series. Files are arranged alphabetically.
Box 1, Folder 11
Art of Display (The) - fliers
1947
Note
Printed ephemera promoting open house at Buxton's studio and postcard of Coty Paris
Salon, Los Angeles.
Box 4, Folder 4
Broadway department store - matted photographs of display pieces and murals (5
items)
1947-49
Note
With matted Art of Display flier which is labeled as an advertisement designed for
Buxton's.
Box 1, Folder 9
Broadway department store - photographs of display murals (4 items)
no date
Box 1, Folder 12
Broadway department store - transparencies of display murals (3 items)
1948
Box 1, Folder 8
Unidentified project - color transparencies of female model among hanging display pieces
(3 items)
no date
Box 1, Folder 10
Unidentified project - photographs of display pieces (15 items)
no date
Box 6, Folder 8
Unidentified project - transparency-type items (4 items)
no date
Note
Appear to be fireworks sparks. White on clear plastic-type material.
Series 5. Graphic Design and Illustration
1944-1990
Physical Description: (Boxes 1-3)
Scope and Content Note
The bulk of the series consists of drawings and printed ephemera related to designs created by Bellin. The series is arranged
chronologically into four subseries: Subseries 1. Douglas Aircraft Company (1940s); Subseries 2. UCLA (mostly 1950s); Subseries
3. Lawrence Clark Powell (mostly 1980s); and Subseries 4. Unknown Project (no date). Douglas Aircraft Company material includes
employment records created during Bellin's tenure as an engineering production illustrator from 1942-45. UCLA files consist
mostly of designs for the library, believed to be produced by Bellin in his work as a library staff artist during the 1950s.
Of interest are the library seal and endpapers that are still found in the library's book collection. Lawrence Clark Powell
material contains samples of work commissioned to Bellin during the 1980s, including designs for a personal bookplate and
the masthead of The Anchor and Bull, a newsletter of the Friends of the University of Arizona Library. The unknown projects
is an untitled sketch of flowers by Bellin. The files within each subseries are arranged alphabetically by project title.
Douglas Aircraft Company, Inc.
Box 1, Folder 13
Employment records
1944-45
Note
With "Employe" analysis reports, personnel forms, and printed ephemera. Also includes
recommendation for W.B. to U.S. Navy.
Box 1, Folder 17
Clark Library - newsletter graphic and other printed ephemera with graphic design by
W.B.
1950s and 1994
Box 3, Folder 13
Edward Niles Hooker Memorial Collection in the UCLA Performing Arts Special Collections
- bookplate design
1957
Box 1, Folder 15
Know Your Library - library user guides with cover and drawings by W.B. (2
items)
1951, 1957-58
Box 1, Folder 14
Library Seal and endpaper designs
no date
Box 1, Folder 16
Reserve book room (Room 145, former main library) - photograph of signs designed by
W.B.
ca. 1953
Note
With letter of thanks from Andrew Horn.
Box 3, Folder 12
Small placards created by W.B. for the UCLA Library
1951-57
Box 1, Folder 18
UCLA Library-related printed ephemera
1951-55, 1981
Note
Many items with graphic designs by W.B.
Box 1, Folder 19
Bookplate design for Lawrence Clark Powell
ca. 1985
Box 2, Folder 27
Southwest: Three Definitions - book by Lawrence Clark Powell.
1990 Mar 12
Note
First page inscribed to W.B. by L.C.P. Title page includes illustration of "Heart of the
Southwest" map created by W.B.
Box 1, Folder 20
University of Arizona - Anchor and Bull masthead design commissioned by Lawrence
Clark Powell.
1984-85
Box 1, Folder 21
University of Arizona - Books of the Southwest publication
ca. 1987
Note
Submitted to W.B. by L.C.P. for comments on design.
Box 3, Folder 14
Sketch of flowers by W.B.
1990
Series 6. Performance Design
1954-1996
Physical Description: (Boxes 1-22)
Scope and Content
This series consists of production materials related to a number of theater and television projects with which it is believed
Bellin was involved during the 1940s to 1990s. The material has been arranged into five subseries: Subseries 1. Feld Productions
(ca. late 1970s-early 1980s); Subseries 2. George Jenkins Projects (ca. late 1950s-1962); Subseries 3. Sarasota Ballet (early
1990s); Subseries 4. Other Stage and Television Productions (ca. 1950s-1960s); and Subseries 5. UCLA (ca.1950s). Files within
each subseries are arranged alphabetically by project title. For instances where a project title could not be determined,
the processor supplied the title of Unidentified project. The Feld Productions files are comprised of blueline drawings, photographs,
and printed ephemera for Irvin and Kenneth Feld productions from 1979-early 1980s and includes material for Ringling Bros.
and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Ice Follies and Holidays on Ice Combined Shows, and
Siegfried and Roy: Beyond Belief. The bulk of George Jenkins Projects material consists of blueline copy drawings for stage and television productions, as
well as a small amount of playbills, and/or copies of sketches (for selected titles). In the majority of the playbills, Bellin
is credited as an assistant to Jenkins. Includes material for
Two for the Seesaw (1957-58),
The Miracle Worker (1959),
Music with Mary Martin (1959), and
A Thousand Clowns (1962), among others. Of particular note in the Sarasota Ballet files are Bellin's costume sketches for
Peter and the Wolf (ca. 1992-93) and
Walpurgis Night (1993-94) (production titles identified by a Sarasota Ballet archivist January, 2006). The UCLA projects include set plans,
original costume sketches, and playbills for UCLA Theater Arts Department productions of
Caesar and Cleopatra,
The Love of Four Colonels, and
Henry IV, Part One (1954-57). The Other Stage and Television Projects includes a mixture of material created for stage and television productions,
not identified with a particular producer or production company. Included are blueline copy drawings, occasional playbills,
stencils, and/or prop sketches for stage productions such as
Caligula (1960),
Fade Out Fade In (1964), and T
raveller Without Luggage (1964). Additionally, there are blueline drawings for one episode of the television project
CBS' Studio One. There are also a small number of items that are not identified.
Box 3, Folder 6
Ice Follies and Holiday on Ice - press clippings and thank you letter from Kenneth
Feld
1980
Box 2, Folder 19
Ice Follies and Holiday on Ice Combined Shows - snapshots from unidentified ice show
(11)
no date
Box 6, Folder 6
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus - unidentified project/performance - blueline
drawing
no date
Note
Train cab and boiler.
Box 2, Folder 14
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus unidentified performers - slides (8
items)
no date
Box 3, Folder 5
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus unidentified project/performance - notes, idea
sketches, and negatives of prop sketches
1980-81
Note
With letter from Kenneth Feld to W.B. regarding employment (original and photocopy).
Box 2, Folder 17
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus unidentified project/performance - snapshots
(133)
no date
Note
Mostly scenic elements, floats, and props.
Box 2, Folder 16
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus unidentified project/performance - snapshots
(162)
no date
Note
Mostly scenic elements, floats, and props.
Box 2, Folder 15
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus unidentified project/performance - snapshots
(5)
no date
Box 2, Folder 18
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus unidentified project/performance - snapshots
(80)
ca. 1979
Note
Mostly scenic elements, floats, and props. Appear to be reprints.
Box 6, Folder 7
Siegfried and Roy: Beyond Belief - blueline drawings of set and scenic elements (3
items)
no date
Box 3, Folder 7
Siegfried and Roy: Beyond Belief - program and photocopied press clippings
ca. 1981
Box 18, Folder 0
13 Daughters - blueline drawings (6 items)
1960-61
Note
Master plan, boats on beach, hut, valley scene, Chun's house, Malia's room, and palace.
Box 6, Folder 9
13 Daughters - original artwork of scenery details
no date
Note
Designs for Chief's pavilion and Chun's house.
Box 1, Folder 27
Annie Get Your Gun - playbills (2 items)
1957 Sep-Oct
Note
One each for San Francisco and Los Angeles Civic Light Opera.
Box 21, Folder 0
Annie Get Your Gun (television project) - blueline drawings (4 items)
1957
Box 3, Folder 2
Around the World in 80 Days - playbill
no date
Box 8, Folder 0
Catstick - blueline drawings (6 items)
1960
Note
Primarily of front door, bay window, ground plan and elevations.
Box 1, Folder 28
Catstick - playbill
1961 Jan 9
Box 8, Folder 0
Critic's Choice - blueline drawings (6 items)
1960
Note
Primarily of stairs, elevations, and electrical layout.
Box 8, Folder 0
Cue for Passion - blueline drawings (6 items)
1958
Note
Masking, portal, and Nicholson's living room.
Box 1, Folder 29
Cue for Passion - playbills (2 items)
1958 Nov
Box 8, Folder 0
Desk Set (The) - blueline drawings (2 items)
1955
Note
General plan and Miss Watson's Office.
Box 9, Folder 0
Happiest Millionaire (The) - blueline drawings (8 items)
1956
Note
Primarily of solarium, ceiling, and elevations.
Box 10, Folder 0
Hit the Deck - blueline drawings (28 items)
1960 Jan-Apr
Note
Primarily of yacht club, Lulu's coffee shop, U.S.S. Nevada, and Roberto's bar.
Box 9, Folder 0
Ice Capades - blueline drawings (19 items)
1960
Note
Set pieces, including The Wizard of Oz, Operama, and A Salute to Rogers and
Hammerstein, among others.
Box 9, Folder 0
Jolly's Progress - blueline drawing
1959
Note
Station ground plan.
Box 1, Folder 30
Jolly's Progress - playbill
1959 Dec 7
Box 11, Folder 0
La Boheme - blueline drawings (25 items)
1958 Jun-Aug
Note
Primarily of props, attic, and Momu's café.
Box 4, Folder 7
La Boheme - photocopied sketches of sets (4 items)
1958
Box 4, Folder 12
Midnight Sun (The) - blueline drawing of set plan
no date
Box 1, Folder 31
Midnight Sun (The) - playbill
1959 Nov 4-7
Box 13, Folder 0
Miracle Worker (The) - blueline drawings (38 items)
1959-60
Note
Primarily of props, fences, doctor's office, tower, summer house, garden house, and
playhouse.
Box 12, Folder 0
Mr. Rumple - blueline drawings (10 items)
1957 Aug-Sep
Note
Primarily of Barney's bar, Nelson's studio, park, and psychiatrist's office. One sheet
labeled "Mr. Runkel."
Box 6, Folder 10
Music with Mary Martin (television project) - original artwork of scenery details
1959
Note
Designs for border, theater, and Cinderella's clock.
Box 1, Folder 32
Music with Mary Martin (television project) - studio schedule
1959 Mar
Box 22, Folder 0
Music with Mary Martin (television) - blueline drawings (33 items)
1959
Note
Primarily of masks, props, dressing room, Cinderella, and Peter Pan set plans.
Box 14, Folder 0
Once More, With Feeling - blueline drawings and set scene sketches (29 items)
1958 May-Jul
Note
Ground plan, apartment, doors, and fireplace. Set scene sketches of living rooms and
dressing room scenes.
Box 12, Folder 0
One More River - blueline drawings (9 items)
1960 Jan
Note
Primarily of lifeboat and ground plan.
Box 15, Folder 0
Paradise Island - blueline drawings (34 items)
1961
Note
Primarily of volcano, lava, waterfall, mystery valley, caves, and village scene. Also
includes stage and seating plan of Marine Theatre in Jones Beach, NY.
Box 3, Folder 3
Paradise Island - playbills (2 items)
no date
Box 1, Folder 33
Royal Hunt of the Sun (The) - playbills (2 items)
no date
Note
Appear to be for two different productions (London and New York).
Box 17, Folder 0
Song of Norway - blueline drawings (25 items)
1958-59, 1962
Note
Primarily of Neptune's shell and fan, blocks of ice, and preliminary ground plans.
Appears to be material for three separate productions (Jones Beach and Los Angeles).
Box 16, Folder 0
Song of Norway - blueline drawings (28 items)
1958 Mar-Jun
Note
Primarily of props, barges, house, chocolate shop, and Venice.
Box 4, Folder 10
Song of Norway - copies of pencil sketches of various sets
no date
Box 3, Folder 4
Tall Story - original artwork of scenery details (5 items)
ca. 1959
Box 2, Folder 1
Tall Story - playbill
ca. 1959
Box 7, Folder 1
Tall Story - tracing paper sketch of village
no date
Box 18, Folder 0
Thousand Clowns (A) - blueline drawings and set scene sketches (4 items)
1962
Note
Set plans for Arnold's office and light plot for apartment and office. Set scene sketches
of Murray's apartment and Arnold's office.
Box 2, Folder 2
Thousand Clowns (A) - playbill
1962 Oct 22
Box 20, Folder 0
Two for the Seesaw - blueline drawings (18 items)
1957-58
Note
Appears to be for productions in New York and London. New York includes drawings for
Gittel and Jerry's rooms. London includes apartment designs and elevations.
Other Stage and Television Productions
Box 2, Folder 3
Beach (The) - playbill, photograph, and clipping (Westwood Village Players)
1947 June
Box 2, Folder 4
Caligula - playbill and annotated clipping
1960 Feb-Mar
Box 2, Folder 5
Chu Chem - playbill
1966 Nov
Box 2, Folder 6
Fade Out Fade In - playbill
1964 Apr
Box 6, Folder 4
Fade Out Fade In - tracing paper sketch and paper stencils
no date
Box 2, Folder 7
Garden of Sweets (The) - playbill
1961 Oct 30
Box 12, Folder 0
Hidden River - blueline drawing of Portal #1
1956 Nov 23
Box 2, Folder 8
High Spirits - playbills (2 items)
1964
Box 2, Folder 9
Let it Ride! - playbill
1961 Oct 9
Box 2, Folder 11
Much Ado About Nothing - playbill
1959 Sep 21
Box 6, Folder 5
Mystery of Elche (The) - design patterns and costume sketches
[ca. 1963]
Box 2, Folder 12
Mystery of Elche (The) - playbill
[ca. 1963]
Box 4, Folder 8
Oedipus - fabric samples, cast measurements, and helmet sketches
no date
Note
Santa Fe Opera production.
Box 19, Folder 0
Rehearsal (The) - blueline drawings of set plans and set scene sketch of unidentified
scene (3 items)
no date
Box 6, Folder 1
Sketches, patterns, costume and set ideas
no date
Note
Mostly unidentified material from folder originally annotated: "Romeo and Juliet masks;
Misc notes Tempest, Caligula, Much Ado, Camelot, Antony and Cleopatra". Some pieces appear to
be from Antony and Cleopatra, Much Ado, and Tempest.
Box 19, Folder 0
Sponono - blueline drawing for tentative light plot
no date
Box 21, Folder 0
Studio One: Death and Life of Larry Benson - blueline drawings of set details (6
items)
1954
Note
Mainly doors and windows.
Box 2, Folder 13
Tempest (The) - playbill
1960
Box 19, Folder 0
Traveller Without Luggage - blueline drawings (13 items)
1964
Note
Props, scenery details, and ground plan.
Box 4, Folder 5
Traveller Without Luggage - sketch, stencil, and photographs of fireplace and
screen
no date
Box 4, Folder 11
Unidentified project - drawing of stage with actors
no date
Box 6, Folder 3
Unidentified project - paintings and stencil
no date
Box 6, Folder 2
Unidentified project - sketches on tracing paper
no date
Box 2, Folder 20
Unidentified project - snapshots of decorative litter (8)
no date
Box 19, Folder 0
Zulu and the Zayda (The) - blueline drawing of set (1 item)
1965
Box 3, Folder 8
Peter and the Wolf - costume and design sketches
no date
Note
With letter to Norah Jones from W.B.
Box 2, Folder 22
Seasonal calendars and program book
1993-96
Note
With note to Norah Jones from W.B.
Box 2, Folder 21
Walpurgis Night - copies of costume designs
no date
Note
With letter to Norah Jones from W.B.
Box 1, Folder 24
Caesar and Cleopatra - 2 playbills and 6 color transparencies of stage
performance
1956 May
Box 7, Folder 4
Caesar and Cleopatra - blueline drawings of set plans and scenic elements (27
items)
1956
Box 4, Folder 2
Caesar and Cleopatra - costume sketches (20 items)
no date
Box 4, Folder 1
Caesar and Cleopatra - costume sketches with small fabric samples (16 items)
no date
Note
With 3 painted illustrations of stage scenes.
Box 4, Folder 3
Caesar and Cleopatra - matted costume sketches with small fabric samples (4
items)
no date
Box 1, Folder 25
Henry IV, Part One - 2 playbills with 3 color transparencies of stage performance
1957 Apr
Box 7, Folder 2
Henry IV, Part One - blueline drawings of set plans (12 items)
1957
Box 5, Folder 1
Henry IV, Part One - costume sketches (5 items)
no date
Box 5, Folder 3
Henry IV, Part One - costume sketches with small fabric samples (1 of 2) (7
items)
no date
Box 5, Folder 4
Henry IV, Part One - costume sketches with small fabric samples (2 of 2)
(7items)
no date
Box 5, Folder 2
Henry IV, Part One - matted costume sketches with small fabric samples (4
items)
no date
Box 7, Folder 3
Love of Four Colonels (The) - blueline drawings of set plans (9 items)
1954
Box 1, Folder 26
Love of Four Colonels (The) - playbill
1954 Dec
Box 4, Folder 6
Tobias and the Angel - matted photograph of mask for Asmoday
1954
Note
Based on sculpture of Assyrian bird-headed god.
Box 1, Folder 23
UCLA Theater Arts productions - playbills/programs with crew credits for W.B. (6
items)
1953-55
Note
Billy Budd, The Happy Time, The Inspector General, Marriage Wheel, Mayhem in
Mayfair-Death in Dulwich, and Tobias and the Angel.
Series 7. Professional Affiliations
ca. 1964-1984
Physical Description: (Boxes 2-3)
Scope and Content
The series contains a promotional publication for the United Scenic Artists and a lifetime achievement award for Bellin from
the International Brotherhood of Painters dated 1984. The United Scenic Artists publication is targeted to hiring the organization's
members for the 1964 New York World's Fair and Bellin is listed as a "designer" in the publication. There is no specific arrangement
to the series.
Box 3, Folder 18
International Brotherhood of Painters - lifetime achievement award for W.B.
1984 June 20
Box 2, Folder 23
Put "Theatre" in Your World's Fair Thinking - United Scenic Artists promotional
booklet
ca. 1964
Note
Promotional publication for hiring United Scenic Artists members for the 1964 New York
World's Fair. Listing for Bellin under "designer".
Series 8. Resumes
until 1980
Physical Description: (Box 1)
Scope and Content
The series consists of a small number of Bellin's resumes. The resumes are not dated or arranged in a specific order.
Box 1, Folder 7
Variety of resumes reflecting the career of W.B.
before 1980
Note
Resumes for display, theater, circus, and graphic design work.
Series 9. Writings by Bellin
no date
Physical Description: (Boxes 3, 23)
Scope and Content
The series is comprised of undated manuscript pages and notes for what is believed to be an unpublished book written by Bellin.
The book focuses on prop-making, designing scenery and elements of designing costumes for many uses, such as displays, theater,
and motion pictures. There is no specific arrangement to the series.
Box 23, Folder 16
Bellin, William - letter to Norah Jones regarding his book
1975
Box 3, Folder 11
Book notes on index cards
no date
Box 23, Folder 2
Book notes - draft and roughs
no date
Box 23, Folder 4
Book notes written on paper pads
no date
Box 23, Folder 1
Drafts of outgoing letters requesting advice or monetary support
no date
Box 3, Folder 1
Manuscript pages for unpublished book (no title) written by W.B.
no date
Note
Focused on prop-making, designing scenery, and elements of designing costumes for
displays, theater, and motion pictures.
