Diverse Treasures: May Edition, 2018
Broadway Photographs (broadway.cas.sc.edu) is an online archival resource dedicated to the visual culture of American theater spanning from 1865 to 1965. Hosted by the University of South Carolina, this significant scholarly repository brings together a wealth of photographs, including portraits of actors and actresses, production stills, playbills, and promotional images from the golden age of American theater.
The collection focuses on a century of American theatrical history, covering the rise and development of Broadway as a central cultural institution. It dates from the post-Civil War era (beginning 1865) through the mid-20th century (up to 1965), capturing pivotal changes in theatrical styles, production, and performance.
Broadway Photographs offers an invaluable visual record of a transformative period in American cultural history when Broadway solidified its reputation as the epicenter of new theatrical forms. As a premier digital resource, it serves as an educational and research tool for researchers, historians, students, and theater enthusiasts studying the evolution of theatrical aesthetics, performance practices, and star personas.
The site's mission is to elucidate the visual culture of American performing arts and illustrate the work of significant photographers recording the American stage. It includes a pictorial directory of performers, a resonant image or series of images for a performing artist, and a capsule biography indicating his or her significance in the chronicle of the American stage.
The site covers the work of photographers from The Black Crook to Fiddler on the Roof, spanning the theatrical terms from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century. It features biographical profiles and histories of artistically significant and culturally influential theatrical photographers and studios.
Broadway Photographs was launched in 2006 and has evolved into a vital resource for the preservation of American Theater history. Its audience has expanded beyond students to include theatrical historians, memorabilia dealers, museum curators, and other enthusiasts. With its high level of scholarly oversight and expertise, provided by Dr. David S. Shields, a McClintock Professor at the University of South Carolina, the website continues to play a crucial role in safeguarding and promoting the visual history of American theater for both public and scholarly use.
The extensive scope of Broadway Photographs encompasses not only the history of American theater but also adjacent areas such as home-and-garden and lifestyle, as demonstrated through various production stills and promotional images capturing the gardens and residences of famous Broadway performers, offering a comprehensive perspective on their lives off-stage.
Gardening enthusiasts and home-and-garden aficionados may find intrigue in the Victorian garden settings and elegant homes depicted in the archive, as these aesthetics often play a significant role in portraying the lifestyles of prominent theater personalities and reflecting the cultural milieu of the time.
