Donation Information
Special Collections is actively seeking both monetary contributions and donations of collections that enhance the curriculum of the University and complement the library’s current holdings in the performing arts. Areas of general interest include historic sound recordings and manuscript collections relating to music, the theater, dance, the circus, and film and television. Of particular interest are 78 rpm ethnic recordings, European recordings of vocal music, cylinders, materials relating to California and Santa Barbara performing arts, film music, and sound recording catalogs from all eras. We also seek to cooperate with other institutions that may be more appropriate homes for a particular collection. We cannot purchase or appraise collections.
Contact the archivist if you know of materials that might fit into the scope of our collections:
David Seubert
Curator, Performing Arts Collection
seubert@library.ucsb.edu
(805) 893-5444
Recent Additions
Below are listed some recent additions to the Performing Arts Collection. Collections of commercial sound recordings are not listed, but are being cataloged on an ongoing basis. Contact the archivist to use any of these materials or if you are interested in donating materials. Advance notice may be required to use audio and video materials or unprocessed collections.
- Austin (Warren) Papers (PA Mss 80)
- Kellogg (Marjorie) Papers (PA Mss 85)
- Law & Order Production Scripts, 1999-2010 (PA Mss 86)
- Zinc Berliner collection (PA Mss 79)
- Edouard Precourt collection (PA Mss 78) Collection of 78rpm discs and cylinders, primarily French repertoire, Latin-American music, and jazz.
- Anthony Menk Papers (PA Mss 77)
- Hubert Klyne Headley papers (PA Mss 76)
- Clowns and magicians of Barcelona (PA Mss 75) Photos and posters of Spanish clowns and performers, 1910-1944, including Trio Kariki.
- (74) Boucher (Anthony) Papers
- Kingsbaker (David L.) correspondence. (PA Mss 73). Correspondence with musicians and bandleaders about the personnel of various 1920s and 1930s dance and jazz ensembles.
- Williams (Frederick P.) Papers and Collection (PA Mss 72). Papers and collection of band historian and record collector Frederick P. Williams.
- Santa Barbara Jazz Society records (PA Mss 71). Records of Santa Barbara organization dedicated to the appreciation of jazz music.
- O’Brien (Neil) papers, 1900-1940 (PA Mss 70). Papers of blackface entertainer Neil O’Brien and his Great American Minstrels.
- Bruce Bastin/Interstate Music collection. Collection of ethnic and foreign 78 rpm discs.
- Film festival programs collection (PA Mss 69). Collection of programs from film festivals around the world, 1980s and 1990s.
- John and Anna Gillespie research files for Notable twentieth-century pianists, 1900-1995 (PA Mss 68). Authors' research files for biographical sourcebook on pianists.
- California circus photographs, 1950s (PA Mss 67). Photographs of California circuses in the early 1950s, including Clyde Beatty Circus.
- Geiringer (Karl) papers (Fac Pap 46). Papers of Austrian musicologist and UCSB faculty member Karl Geiringer.
- Bust of Dame Judith Anderson by Richmond Barthé (PA SC 18).
- Richard F. Bungay collection (PA2007-05). Collection of 9,000 78 rpm recordings that belonged to Mr. Bungay, the National Classical Promotions Manager for London Records in New York.
- British manuals and guides to magic tricks, conjuring, illusions, and prestidigitation (PA Mss 66).. Early 20th century British pamphlets and ephemeral guides to magic of a practical nature.
- Music Academy of the West recordings (PA Mss 65). Recordings of Music Academy of the West concerts, 1960-2001.
- Warren (Leonard) collection (PA Mss 64). Papers and recordings of noted operatic baritone Leonard Warren.
- Baker (Darrell) Harry Lauder collection (PA Mss 63). Collection of recordings, books, photographs, and ephemera related to Scottish performer Sir Harry Lauder.
- Little Performers collection (PA Mss 61). Collection of photographs, cartes-de-visite, and souvenir circus programs relating to little-people performers in late 19th and early 20th century circus and vaudeville.
- Film Scripts collection (PA Mss 60). Collection of screenplays from major and independent films, 1959-2003 (bulk 1989-2003).
- Playman (Gordon) papers (PA Mss 59). Papers of composer Gordon Playman, including manuscript scores and recordings.
- Lemack (Brad) collection (PA Mss 58). Collection of publicity materials from shows produced by Embassy Television and Tandem/T.A.T.
- Moran (William R.) collection (PA Mss 57). Papers of author and discographer William R. Moran.
- Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera records (PA Mss 56). Records of Santa Barbara musical theater company.
- Eichheim (Henry) papers (PA Mss 52). Papers of composer and organologist.
- Goldshlak (Leon A.) Gilbert & Sullivan collection (PA Mss 51). Extensive collection of books, recordings, and memorabilia related to Gilbert & Sullivan, donated by Barry Kasdan.
- Pedroza (Alma and Alfonse) Recordings (PA Mss 50). Acetate recordings of opera singers Alma and Alfonse Pedroza.
- Rae (Dorothy) collection (PA Mss 49). Photos and small number of documents of vaudeville performer Dorothy Rae.
- Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara records (PA Mss 47). Records of local theater company.
- Couper (Mildred) papers (PA Mss 45). Papers and musical manuscripts of composer Mildred Couper including her quarter tone piano compositions.
- Specht (Margaret) Correspondence (PA Mss 44). Correspondence between Specht and Lotte Lehmann.
- Wallsten (Robert) papers (PA Mss 43). Papers of New York actor and writer Robert Wallsten including correspondence, photographs, scrapbooks, and literary manuscripts. Wallsten co-wrote the autobiography of Dame Judith Anderson.
- Arabic wax cylinders (PA Mss 42). Collection of 21 brown wax cylinders recorded in Damascus, Syria ca. 1900. The cylinders are male vocals with instrumental (oud) accompaniment.
- Diemer (Emma Lou) papers (PA Mss 41). Papers of composer and UCSB faculty member Emma Lou Diemer. The collection includes her manuscript scores, business correspondence and royalty statements, programs, reviews, and clippings.
- Geiringer (Bernice) papers (PA Mss 40). Personal papers of pianist and philanthropist Bernice Geiringer, second wife of musicologist Karl Geiringer. The collection contains correspondence, and files related to her philanthropic activity with the Music Academy of the West, Hadassah and The Santa Barbara Music Clubs. Geiringer (then Bernice Abrahms) studied composition with Arnold Schoenberg in the 1930s and her notebooks from these courses are also in the collection.
- Betsy Brown Puppetry collection (PA Mss 38). Collection of programs, newletters, clippings, and other material related to puppetry, including the puppet theater of Europe and Asia.
- Alexander (John) collection (PA 2001-006). Collection of Dame Judith Anderson’s memorabilia. Collection includes her unpublished autobiography dictated to Robert Wallsten, letters, photographs, clippings and scripts.
- Lucas (Johnny) sound recording collection (PA 2001-001). Collection of jazz 78s of Dixieland trumpeter Johnny Lucas, including unreleased acetate recordings. The collection is currently being cataloged in UC Library Search.
- Florey (Robert) sound recording collection (PA 2001-001). Film director Robert Florey’s collection of early French 78 rpm recordings. The collection includes many French popular recordings from 1900 to 1940, including recordings by Dramen, Polin, Felix Mayol, Mistinguett, Charlus, Berard, and Chevalier among others. The collection is currently being cataloged in UC Library Search.
- Hilly (John) collection (PA 2000-017). Recordings of several radio shows guest-starring John Hilly, an Assistant US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The collection includes one episode of Hi Jinx and seven of the show Gangbusters. Most of the shows are about prosecuting mobsters and bootleggers. Discs are cataloged in UC Library Search. Search under Hilly, John, C.
- Moran (William) collection (PA 2000-014). About 3,000 of the discs in author and discographer William R. Moran’s collection of vocal 78 rpm recordings. Discs are currently being cataloged in UC Library Search.
- Kingsbaker/Moeller/Bang collection (PA 2000-003). The KMB collection contains approximately 3,000 jazz and dance orchestra 78s and LPs and a large number of trade catalogs relating to jazz and popular music. The collection is currently being cataloged through an LSTA grant and catalog records are in UC Library Search.
- Clovis (Hall) papers (PA Mss 30). Hall Clovis and Eleanor Steele performed as the vocal duo Clovis-Steele and concertized in the 1930s. Included in the collection are manuscripts of music composed for them by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Darius Milhaud, Jeno Takacs, Katherine Ruth Heyman, and Harry Thacker (H.T.) Burleigh as well as manuscripts of arrangements and other original compositions. Also included are copies of their recordings, programs, clippings, and photos. An inventory and listening copies are in preparation.
