P&P ONLINE CATALOG - PERFORMING
ARTS POSTERS
Originally used to attract the public to performances and performers, the posters available through this online assemblage of performing arts posters illustrate the wide range of popular, live entertainment in America from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century. The bulk of the posters are color lithographs and woodcuts. Most came to the Library of Congress as copyright deposits. Individual artists are not generally identified on the posters, but many prominent printers of the time produced the posters. Among those well represented in the Performing Arts Posters are:
The approximately 2,100 posters in the online Performing Arts Posters category represent the entire contents of three collections, which are discussed in further detail below: Magic Poster CollectionPosters in the Magic Poster Collection feature Harry Houdini, Harry Kellar, Howard Thurston and other masters of illusion.
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POS - MIN - .P759, no. 6 (C size) |
POS - MIN - .G67, no. 3 (C size) |
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The Theatrical Poster Collection has been organized into a series of subsets based on the:
POS - TH - BUR - .R53, no. 4 (C size) |
POS - TH - BUR .V53, no. 2 (D size) |
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POS - TH - DAN, no. 8 (D size) |
POS - TH - DAN, no. 1 (C size) |
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POS - TH - MUS, no. 8 (C size) |
POS - TH - MUS, no. 5 (C size) |
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POS - TH - OPT .A44, no. 2 (D size) |
POS - TH - OPT .M54, no. 3 (H size) |
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POS - TH - SPE, no. 82 (D size) |
POS - TH - SPE, no. 77 (D size) |
POS - TH - SPE, no. 65 (C size) |
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POS - TH - VAU .B69, no. 1 (C size) |
POS - TH - VAU .P45, no. 6 (C size) |
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The productions of the Kiralfy Brothers, Bolossy and Imre, were the epitome of the stage spectaculars. They incorporated dance, pantomime, and special effects, including one of the earliest uses of electricity on the American stage, into their lavish interpretations of fairy tales, Bible stories, and Jules Verne adventures.
POS - TH - KIR, no. 28 (C size) |
POS - TH - KIR, no. 44 (E size) |
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Portrait posters bring to life many contemporary stars of the stage.
POS - TH - POR .J67, no. 1 (C size) |
POS - TH - POR .E55, no. 1 (C size) |
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Stock posters were designed without a particular show in mind. Generic images of stage scenes were used for the pictorial portion of the poster. Information pertaining to a specific performance could be added to the poster as needed.
POS - TH - STO, no. 38 (D size) |
POS - MAG - STO, no. 5 (C size) |
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