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Robert Davison original costume and set design scrapbook, C0513, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries
Purchased from J & J Lubrano Music Antiquarians by Stever Gerber in February 2010.
Processing completed by Meghan Glasbrenner in March 2024. Finding aid completed by Meghan Glasbrenner from March-April 2024.
Robert Davison was born in Los Angeles, California on July 17, 1922. A member of United Scenic Artists Local 829, Davison worked as a costume and scenic designer for a number of theatrical productions including opera, ballet, plays, and musicals. Between 1944-1950 he worked on a number of Broadway productions, notably as costume designer for a variety of actors, including Ethel Barrymore, in the 1944-1945 production of
Spiral bound scrapbook containing 41 original costume and set designs for theatrical productions by Robert Davison. Designs include pen and pencil sketches and full color watercolor and painted illustrations. Many of the designs are signed by Davison, either on the front or the back, some dated, with dates ranging from " '41" to " '44". Includes stamp of 'United Scenic Artists, Local,' likely Local 829. Identified designs include the following:
• Loose drawing with title "Zenobio Bonaventura" including small fabric samples attached • Flippo, the Erewhon • Un cheval danse [?] • Miracle in the mountains, act two, scene one: courtroom set sketch • La Portugaise • Moonlight Sonata • Abducted virgin: Fingal's cave • The marchioness: Fingal's cave • Une sirène: Fingal's cave • Queen of the fairies: Fingal's Cave • The man: Scene V • Rosina: The Barber of Seville, Scene III • Friends to the couple: Fingal's cave • The young man: Fingal's cave • Le Triomphe de l'amour (Lully): Servant to princess • The young girl: Fingal's cave • The man, Scene IV: Life of man • Life of man: the wife
Pages 17-18 include a foldout painted piece that includes a loose drawing inside. A loose architectural pencil drawing is located in the back page of the scrapbook.
The Special Collections Research Center holds other performing arts collections, including other original costume and set designs, such as the David de Boschi set design for an unidentified ballet, and "Cavalleria rusticana" opera costume paintings.
Additional designs by Robert Davison can be found in the New York Public Library's Edward Kook papers and the Library of Congress' Paul F. Stiga Collection of Stage and Costume Design.
This is a single item collection.
The scrapbook was digitized by Kelsey Kim in May 2024 and is available to view
"Robert Davison – Broadway Cast & Staff." n.d. Internet Broadway Database (IBDB). Accessed April 3, 2024. https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/robert-davison-24792.
"Robert Davison (Designer)." n.d. Playbill. Accessed April 3, 2024. https://www.playbill.com/person/robert-davison-vault-0000003833.