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Claude Bragdon theatre drawings

 Collection
Identifier: A.B81-2

Biographical / Historical note

Claude Bragdon (1866-1946) entered the formal world of stage design in 1919, at the age of 53, with the creation of a traveling production of Hamlet for his friend the actor-producer Walter Hampden. Over the course of nearly two decades of collaboration with Hampden, Bragdon designed all aspects of the productions: sets, costumes, lighting and props. Drawing on his experience as an architect, his sets were simplified and easily movable, allowing for the quick scene changes Hampden’s productions demanded. Bragdon’s experience creating the large, outdoor Song & Light Festivals of 1915-19 informed his use of bold color and inventive lighting to promote audiences’ personal engagement with plays’ language and emotions.

Bragdon’s theater designs were published in various journals and his writing about the theater from the 1920s until his death in 1946 provides contemporary commentary on the New Stagecraft movement. His designs were exhibited at the Albright Art Gallery in Buffalo New York in 1927 and in a one-man show at the Museum of the City of New York in 1933.

Scope and Contents

The Claude Bragdon Theatre Drawings collection consists of illustrations for costumes and set design done by Claude Bragdon during his time as a theater designer in New York, subsequent to his career as an architect. The collection is linked to A.B81, the Bragdon Family Papers, which also contains many items related to Bragdon's theatre career.



The drawings in this collection are almost all for Walter Hampden productions.

Dates

  • Creation: 1919-1927

Language of Materials

English

Extent

146 item(s)

Access

The Claude Bragdon Theatre Drawings are open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Collections & Preservation Department prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.

Use

In consultation with a curator, reproductions may be made upon request. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from a curator. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The bulk of the collection was the gift of Henry and Chandler Bragdon with further donations from Peter Bragdon.

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], Claude Bragdon Theatre Drawings, A.B81-2, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester.

Arrangement

The Bragdon Theatre Drawings collection is arranged by production, in chronological order. Works produced in multiple years have been further subdivided by year. Drawings not tied exclusively to a specific production have been placed in a series at the end of the collection.

Related Materials

Many records, notes, and sketches related to the materials in this collection may be found in A.B81, the Bragdon Family Papers. Of particular note are the following:

- Box 42, folder 16: Notes and sketches for costume designs; record of expenses, 1923-1933.

- Box 43, folder 18: Programs and ephemera for Walter Hampden productions, 1919-1929

- Box 46, folders 17-21: Photographs from Hampden productions

- Box 47, folder 21: Material relating to theatrical productions, primarily those of Walter Hampden



Materials related to Bragdon’s Song & Light Festivals productions (1915-1919), also located in the Bragdon Family Papers (Series I, Subseries 9) may be of additional interest.

The Billy Rose Theatre Division of The New York Public Library holds around 92 original Bragdon theater drawings.

Title
Claude Bragdon theatre drawings
Status
Completed
Date
December 2021
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Library Details

Part of the Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation Library

Contact:
Rochester NY 14627-0055 USA