The collection is open and available for use.
The images are protected under copyright law. Contact the archivist for further information regarding copyright of these materials.
Historical Scenic Collection - Lyric Opera of Chicago (PA 59), Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries, Minneapolis.
The collection was purchased from the Northern Illinois University School of Theatre Arts in 1998.
The collection is organized alphabetically by opera title.
The Historical Scenic Collection is one of the largest scenic collections in the world, containing 90 opera settings, approximately 900 backdrops and over 2200 scenic units. The collection contains the scenic works of Oscar Hammerstein's Manhattan Opera Company, the Civic Opera Company of Chicago and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The Historical Scenic Collection is housed at the Arts Annex of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Northern Illinois University.
The collection contains 3,142 color slide reproductions of the scenic designs of the Historical Scenic Collection at Northern Illinois University. The slides document late 19th and early 20th century scenic art in American and European scene painting and opera design.
An unpublished finding aid with detailed contents is available in the Manuscripts Division.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the University of Minnesota Libraries. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.