Theatre Arts: Primary Sources
This guide supports the History of Theatre and Drama courses and graduate study in Theatre Arts (playwrights, directors, actors, technical theatre, etc.)
Primary Sources
The University of Iowa Libraries Special Collections and Archives houses collections for the study of theatre arts and popular culture.
Newspapers & Magazines
New York
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New York Amsterdam News, 1922-1993 (Proquest Historical Newspapers: Black Newspapers Collection) This link opens in a new windowNew York City's oldest Black newspaper
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New York Times, 1851-2019 (Proquest Historical Newspapers) This link opens in a new window1851-2014, continued by nytimes.com
Chicago
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Chicago Defender, 1909-1975 (ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Black Newspapers Collection) This link opens in a new windowChicago-based online African-American newspaper
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Chicago Tribune, 1849-2000 (Proquest Historical Newspapers) This link opens in a new window1849-1985
Los Angeles
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Los Angeles Sentinel, 1934-2005 (Proquest Historical Newspapers: Black Newspapers Collection) This link opens in a new window1934-2005
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Los Angeles Times, 1881-1999 (Proquest Historical Newspapers) This link opens in a new window1881-1993
London/UK
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Guardian and The Observer, 1791-2003 (ProQuest Historical Newspapers) This link opens in a new window1821-2003
Iowa
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Daily Iowan Archive1868-2006
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Des Moines Register (1871-) This link opens in a new windowPart of the ProQuest Historical Newspapers (HNP) Iowa Collection.
More Newspapers
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News and Newspapers guideSee this guide for more information on newspapers.
Magazines
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Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive (EIMA) This link opens in a new windowEssential primary sources for studying the history of the film and entertainment industries, from the era of vaudeville and silent movies through to 2000.
Archives
Iowa
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Iowa Digital LibraryOver one million digital objects from University of Iowa Special Collection, University Archives, Iowa Women's Archives, and more.
United States
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Library of Congress Digital CollectionsOver 500 digital collections from the largest library in the United States
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Billy Rose Theatre Division of the New York Public LibraryThe Billy Rose Theatre Division of The New York Public Library is one of the largest and most comprehensive archives devoted to the theatrical arts. Select digital collections provide a great introduction to the larger archive.
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Chicago Theater Digital CollectionMore than 2,000 playbills and programs dating from 1848 to 1922
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Black Thought and Culture: African Americans from Colonial Times to the Present This link opens in a new windowApproximately 100,000 pages of monographs, essays, articles, speeches, and interviews written by leaders within the black community from the earliest times to 1975.
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ProQuest History Vault This link opens in a new windowUI subscriptions: Black Freedom Struggle in the 20th Century (Federal Government Records); NAACP Papers (all); Slavery and the Law; Struggle for Women's Rights, 1880-1990; American Indians and the American West; Immigration; Vietnam War and American Foreign Policy, 1960-1975
Global
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Theatre Without Borders RecordsDocuments highlighting the work of the volunteer, grass-roots group that encourages the theater arts around the world. Materials include administration files, ephemera, scripts and other documents that highlight the history of the organization and their global impact.
Images
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University of Iowa Theatre Arts Production StillsFind stills from 20th century productions at the University of Iowa
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The Met CollectionMore than 490,000 works from the collections of the Metropolitan Museum in New York
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Digital Public Library of AmericaMillions of images from library collections across the United States
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British Museum CollectionsOver four million objects
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Public Domain Images GuideFrom the Art Library, a list of resources you can use to locate public domain images
Sweeney Todd, University of Iowa, 1987
See more University of Iowa and Theatre Department history in the Iowa Digital Library