Carol Berger Chicago performing arts playbills collection

Access and use

Location of collection:
George Mason University
2400 Fenwick Library
Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library MS2FL
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Mieko Palazzo
Phone: (703) 993-2220
Fax: (703) 993-2669
Restrictions:

There are no access restrictions.

Terms of access:

The copyright and related rights status of this collection have not been evaluated (See http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/)

Preferred citation:

Carol Berger Chicago performing arts playbills collection, C0263, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Summary

Extent:
1 Linear Feet 4 boxes
Creator:
Berger, Carol
Abstract:
This collection largely consists of playbills from Chicago's Lyric Opera House, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and regional theatres collected by Carol Berger. There are also ticket stubs from the performances, as well as materials from the Art Institute of Chicago.
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

Carol Berger Chicago performing arts playbills collection, C0263, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection largely consists of playbills from Chicago's Lyric Opera House, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and regional theatres collected by Carol Berger. There are also ticket stubs from a handful of the performances, as well as materials from the Art Institute of Chicago. The playbills from Chicago's Lyric Opera House span the course of twenty-one seasons from the 34th to the 57th. The largest part of the collection consists of playbills from regional theatres from across the United States, including one piece from the San Francisco Opera. A smaller portion of the collection is made up of pamphlets from the Art Institute of Chicago that describe a few fashion and art exhibitions from 1996 to 2015.

Biographical / historical:

The Lyric Opera of Chicago was founded by Carol Fox, Lawrence V. Kelly and Nicola Rescigno in 1954. It is located in the Civic Opera Building which first opened its doors on November 4, 1929. The Civic Opera Building was envisioned by Samuel Insull as the predominant place for operatic performances. The Lyric Opera is now globally renowned for their chorus, orchestra, as well as their preservation of the cultural importance of opera in Chicago, Illinois. Several other nationally and internationally renowned theatres are also included in the collection of playbills.

Acquisition information:
Donated by Carol Berger in 2015.
Processing information:

Processing completed by Amy Blake in August 2018. EAD markup completed by Amy Blake in August 2018. Finding aid updated by Amanda Menjivar in January 2024.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged by venue, followed by format. The playbills are arranged chronologically by season, and alphabetically within each season.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard