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Museum of Performance and Design, Performing Arts Library
2200 Jerrold Avenue
Suite T
San Francisco, California 94124
Phone: 4157413531
Email: info@mpdsf.org
Collections with online items: 2
Physical collections: 59
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A
 
Ackerman (Charles and Irving) Papers

The Charles and Irving Ackerman Papers is a family collection of letters, photographs of family members, and information from their various professions and social activities. Charles, Senior, was one of the original founders of the Orpheum circuit and operated and...

 
Ahlstrom (David) Collection

David Ahlstrom (1927-1993) was a teacher of composition at Eastern Illinois University, Southern Methodist University, and Northwestern University, a conductor of orchestras and operas at these and other universities, and a composer and writer of operas. He lived in San...

 
Arimondi (Vittorio) Collection

Vittorio Arimondi was an Italian operatic bass across Europe including with the Imperial Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia, London, and Berlin. He also was a member of the Chicago Opera Company. He was well-known for roles such as Mephisto in...

 
Armsby (Leonora Wood) Papers

Leonora Wood Armsby (1880-1962) was the Managing Director and then President of the San Francisco Symphony Association from 1935-1953. With Pierre Monteux, Armsby revitalized the San Francisco Symphony in 1934. This collection includes art works, awards, books, clippings, press materials,...

 
B
 
Ballets Russes Collection

The Ballets Russes Collection traces the history of Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and its various offshoots, including de Basil and Blum's Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, the Original Ballet Russe, and Massine and Denham's Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo. Each...

 
Beal (Tandy) Family Papers

Tandy Beal (1948-) is an American director, choreographer, performer and teacher of dance. She has performed as a solo artist and in her ensemble Tandy Beal & Company founded in 1974. She wrote, directed and choreographed the New Pickle Circus...

 
Beck (Christopher) Papers

Christopher Beck was a choreographer and dance teacher who, in 1975, formed Christopher Beck & Company and founded Centerspace Theater in San Francisco. This collection includes videotapes, films, photographs, slides, contact sheets, negatives, audio cassette tapes, clippings, features, reviews, programs,...

 
ben Avram (Rachmael) Papers

Rachmael ben Avram was the founder of the Company of the Golden Hind in Berkeley and San Francisco and prominent theatre figure in the Bay Area. He directed the Cathedral Civic Theatre in San Francisco, was general director of the...

 
Boehm/de Leon Collection

Marissa de Leon and Leah Marie Boehm were dance teachers during the 1930s and 1950s who focused on studying and collecting information on South American dance. This Collection includes news clippings, notated scores, dance diagrams, brochures, pamphlets, reports, illustrations, photos,...

 
Brennan (William) Papers

William Brennan was an impresario who worked for CBS as a network sales manager, program manager, and contract producer, as a writer on shows such as “Death Valley Days” and “The Mighty O,” for the San Francisco Civic Opera as...

 
C
 
Carvajal (Carlos) Papers

The son of a Filipino immigrant, folk and ballet dancer/choreographer Carlos Carvajal has been recognized as one of the leaders of the San Francisco Bay Area's dance renaissance in the 1970s and served for 12 seasons as Co-Artistic Director of...

 
Christensen (Lew) and Caccialanza (Gisella) Papers

Lew Christensen was born in Brigham City, Utah on May 9, 1909. He a was dancer, choreographer, teacher and ballet director. Christensen was married to Gisella Caccialanza. Gisella was born in San Diego, California on September 17, 1914. She studied...

Collection of Chinese Theater Images in California

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...

Collection of San Francisco Bay Area Theater Images and Memorabilia

The Collection of San Francisco Bay Area Theater Images and Memorabilia includes photographs, program covers, seating charts, tickets and advertising cards related to theater buildings and performance spaces in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland from 1853 to the 1970s. The...

 
Commanday (Robert) Papers

Robert Commanday (1922-2015) was educated at The Juilliard School of Music, Harvard University, and the University of California; he conducted and taught at Ithaca (NY) College, the University of Illinois, and at UC Berkeley. In 1964, he became the music...

 
D
 
de Luce (Iris) Papers

Iris de Luce, born in 1903 was a dancer and choreographer in San Francisco with companies such as Albertina Raasch’s ballet company, the San Francisco Ballet, and the San Francisco Opera’s Ballet, as well as in Paris at the Opera...

 
de Nunzio (Edna Smith) Papers

Edna Smith de Nunzio (1905-1985) was an operatic singer from San Francisco. When the San Francisco Opera opened for its first season in 1923, she was engaged by Gaetano Merola to sing in the chorus, where she eventually transitioned to...

 
E
 
Elwood (Phil) Papers

The Phil Elwood Papers offers a unique view into the San Francisco Bay Area entertainment scene. Philip "Phil" Elwood (1926-2006) was a music journalist and radio broadcaster. From 1952-1996, Elwood had a weekly jazz program on Berkeley's KPFA radio station...

 
F
 
Fantasy Records Publicity Files Inventory

The Fantasy Records Publicity Files include documents and related materials collected and generated by the Fantasy Records Publicity Department. The materials range from the early days of the company's foundation in the 1950s under the ownership of the Weiss brothers...

 
Fried (Alexander) Collection

Alexander Fried (1903-1988) was a musical critic writing in San Francisco from the 1920s to the 1970s. He worked for various publications including “Musical Digest” as a translator and managing editor, “San Francisco Chronicle” as a music editor, and “San...

 
G
 
Girvin (Charles) Papers

Charles Girvin, born in 1935, was a ballet dancer with the New York City Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre at the Phoenix Theatre, and with the School of American Ballet at Carnegie Hall. He studied at the School of American...

 
Gladstein (Robert) Papers

Robert Gladstein (1943-1992) was a dancer, choreographer, and assistant director at the San Francisco Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre, and the Dallas Ballet during the 1950’s-1980’s. After assisting in multiple efforts to rescue San Francisco Ballet from near bankruptcy in...

 
Goldman (Rhoda Haas) Stern Grove Festival Archives

Since 1938, the Stern Grove Festival Association has presented the Stern Grove Festival, a free, summer performance series at Sigmund Stern Grove in San Francisco. The Festival has presented more than 800 performances for more than six million concert-goers. In...

 
Grauman Papers

Sid Grauman (1879-1950) built several theaters in San Francisco and Los Angeles. In San Francisco, he created the Unique Theater with his father where artists such as Frank Bacon, Jesse Lasky and his sister, and the Coast Defenders performed. This...

 
Greenfield (Mary Fisher) Collection, 1988-2013

Collection contains videotapes by Ted Helminski, a San Francisco Bay Area Based videographer. The collections includes videos of Bay Area dance, music, opera and theatre productions from companies such as Oakland Ballet Company, Smuin Ballet, LINES Contemporary Ballet, ODC, Pocket...

 
H
 
Halprin (Anna) Papers

Anna Halprin (1920-2021) was a renowned San Francisco Bay Area-based dance teacher and choreographer, who remains actived in the dance community through various workshops and presentations. Halprin helped pioneer the experimental art form known as postmodern dance. Over the years,...

 
Hartley (Russell) Papers

Russell Hartley (1924-1983) was a costume designer, antique dealer, art gallery runner, art conservator, and archivist. He worked extensively with the San Francisco Ballet as a costume designer, as well as other various companies like the Markova-Dolin Ballet Co. and...

 
Hatfield (Ruth) Collection

Ruth Hatfield was a dancer, choreographer and dance educator. In 1936, Ruth married Don Hatfield and they moved to Minneapolis, MN. One year later Ruth and Gertrude Lippencott formed the Modern Dance Center in Minneapolis. Around that same time, Don...

 
Hendricks (Gloria) Papers

Gloria Hendricks served on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Ballet Guild from 1960-69. She was in charge of Guild publicity and was later the Secretary. She also served as chairman of the Publicity Committee for the San...

 
Hinrichs (Gustav) Papers

Gustave Hinrichs (1850-1942) was a German American conductor, composer, and music teacher. In Hamburg, Hinrichs became the youngest member of the opera orchestra at the Stadt Theater. Between 1870 and 1885, he became a prominent figure in San Francisco opera...

 
Hollis (Jesse) Scenic Design Collection

Jesse Hollis was a set designer for more than eighty productions, mostly for Bay Area theaters during his thirteen year career during the 1970s and 80s. After receiving his master’s degree in scenic design from Southern Illinois University, he became...

 
J
 
Jewett Papers

Lucy Jewett was a member of the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Ballet in 1969 and 1970, Vice President in 1971, Vice-Chairman in 1972 and 1973, Vice President/Performances in 1974, Trustee Emeritus from 1975-88, and a member of...

 
K
 
Kahrs (Katherine) Photography Collection

Katherine Kahrs is a teacher, painter, and photographer. During the 1980s, Kahrs served as an official photographer for the Pacific Dance Center and the Palo Alto Dance Center, thus compiling an important visual record of their contributions to dance education....

 
Kane (Anita) Papers

Anita M. Kane (1910-1984) was a choreographer and dance teacher who grew up in the Philippines and introduced classic ballet to the Philippines through her school, "Studio of the Classic Dance." Under her influence visiting dance companies such as Alexandra...

 
Keohan (Constance and Emily) Papers

Constance Keohan was a music teacher at Galileo High School, and her sister Emily was the head of the department of Home Economics of the Sacramento School District. Constance became the first female conductor of the San Francisco Symphony. The...

 
Kessler (Chester) Dance Photography Collection

Chester Kessler was a student of Minor White’s photography program at the California School of Fine Arts. In the 1950s, he was a part of San Francisco’s North Beach scene, photographing Beat writers, poets, and artists, including Allen Ginsburg and...

 
L
 
Lathrop (Welland) Papers

Welland Lathrop (1905-1981) was a dancer, teacher, painter, choreographer, and a leader of the West Coast modern and avant-garde dance movement. He was born in upstate New York and trained in costume and scenic design at the Eastman Theatre in...

 
Ludova (Francesca) Collection

Francesca Ludova (1907-1979) was a dancer with the San Francisco Opera Ballet and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, as well as in Hollywood in movies and at the Hollywood Bowl. She also danced with the Albertina Rasch Dancers and studied at...

 
M
 
McDowell (Henrietta) Memorial Photographic Collection

Henrietta (Henri) Deming McDowell (1916?-1983) was a journalist and photographer. From the late 1950s to the 1970s, McDowell was the official photographer for the San Francisco Ballet, documenting nearly every ballet performed in that period of time. Promotional materials and...

 
McLeod (Robert J.) Photography Collection

The Robert J. McLeod Photography Collection is comprised of McLeod's photography in various formats such as printed photographs, film negatives, and 35mm slides, most of which were taken during the 1970’s-1980’s. McLeod worked for the and the as a photographer...

 
Michaelis (Adrian) Papers

Adrian Michaelis (1901-2000) was the producer and program manager for Standard Oil Company's radio broadcast, subsequent School Broadcast, and television show. In 1919, Michaelis began working for the Standard Oil Company as a hall boy. In 1926, through a collaboration...

 
Miller (Robert Watt) Papers

Robert Watt Miller (1899-1970) was a noted San Francisco industrialist and civic leader. He attended early performances of the San Francisco Opera Company and became a director of the San Francisco Opera Association in 1932. In 1937, he was elected...

 
Morrisey (John) Collection

The John Morrisey collection consists of several original photographs of vaudeville performers, circus performers, athletes, theater managers, and actors from the silent film era. Morrisey was the General Manager of the San Francisco Orpheum, the first OrpheumTheatre in the Orpheum...

 
Morton (Virgil) Papers

Virgil Leroy Morton (1913-1981) was a dancer and dance teacher focused particularly on folk dancing. In San Francisco, he taught at a number of schools including at Albert Ludwig Studios, Chang's International Folk Dancers, the Marin Folk Dance Society, the...

 
O
 
Opera Ring Theater Collection

The Opera Ring Theater was in operation in San Francisco from 1954 to 1967. Founded and directed by Irma Kay, the theater was intended to produce operas in English and in-the round in order to reach out to and educate...

 
Oukrainsky Collection

Serge Oukrainsky (1886-1972) was a Russian-born dancer, teacher and choreographer. He began his stage career as a mime in the French Musical Festival at the Theatre de Chatelet in 1911. In 1913, he moved to the United States with partner...

 
P
 
Palmer (Gary) Papers

The Gary Palmer Papers contain paper and video documentation of Men Dancing as well as Gary Palmer Dance Company (GPDC)/San Jose Dance Theatre (SJDT). Gary Palmer (born 1951) is a dancer/choreographer who was active in the San Francisco Bay from...

 
Pinska (Klarna) Collection

Klarna Pinska was a protegee of dance pioneer Ruth St. Denis. Dancer, choreographer, designer, director, and teacher associated with the Denishawn School of Modern Dance. In later years she recreated a St. Denis technique, which she called "soaring", and taught...

 
R
 
Roma (Magrit) & Ricklefs (Clarence) Papers

Margrit Roma was an actress and director, born in Zurich before moving to Berlin to pursue theatre. She studied under Max Reinhardt until fleeing to France during WWII where she starred in several films which lead to a career in...

 
Ross (Janice) Papers

As of the March 2012, Janice Ross works at Stanford University as a Professor in the Drama Department and Director of the Dance Division at Stanford University. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree with Honors from the University of...

 
S
 
Silk (Vincent) Papers

Vincent James Silk (1902-1992) started his career as a singer and drummer, then performed in vaudeville as a comedian and band leader. Alongside his work as a performer, Silk was actively involved throughout his career with the American Guild of...

 
Smuin (Michael) Family Papers

Michael Smuin (1938-2007) was an American ballet dancer and choreographer. He was trained by Willam Christensen at the University of Utah and Lew Christensen at the San Francisco Ballet School, where he then joined the San Francisco Ballet. He also...

 
Steinberg (Stephen Cobbett) Papers

Stephen Stainberg (1949-1991) was a dance scholar, historian, film maker and program coordinator for the San Francisco Performing Arts Library & Museum, now the Museum of Performance and Design. He edited and wrote for many entertainment journals and books throughout...

 
Stuart (Muriel) Papers

Muriel Stuart (1903-1991) was a dancer from England. She was chosen in 1913, at the age of 10, by Anna Pavlova to study underneath her. She joined the Pavlova Company that toured across the United States, Southern America, London, Paris,...

 
Susa (Conrad) Papers

This is the personal collection of Conrad Susa (1935-2013), an American composer. This collection includes a rich history of Susa's life from his childhood in Springdale, Pennsylvania, to his death in San Franisco, California. Susa was an award winning composer,...

 
T
 
Tivoli / Valerga Collection

In 1849, Antoinetta Damonte and Bartolomeo Valerga left their native Genoa and eloped on a ship bound for Boston. After several years, during which they had four children, the couple decided to move to California, eventually settling in San Francisco...

 
U
 
Usigli (Gastone) Collection

Gastone Usigli (1897-1952) was an Italian born composer, conductor and pianist who was active in the San Francisco musical scene from the 1930s to 1950s leading such orchestra's as the WPA orchestra and the SF Chamber Symphony. This collection contains...

 
V
 
Vollmar (Jocelyn) Papers

Jocelyn Vollmar, born in 1925, was a ballerina who studied at the San Francisco Opera Ballet School and later joined the San Francisco Opera Ballet. She received all of her training from Harold, Willam, and Lew Christensen. In 1939, 1940,...

 
W
 
Watanabe (June) Papers

June Watanabe has created contemporary dance theater works and collaborated with distinguished artists from diverse disciplines including taiko masters, visual artists like Ruth Asawa and Sandra Woodall, and choreographers Remy Charlip and Alonzo King. Her work incorporates and illuminates the...