Overview
Physical objects relating to the work of British musicians Gilbert and Sullivan.
Dates
- Creation: 1879-2002
Language of Materials
Collection materials are in English, Italian, Latin, and German.
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on physical access to this material.
Extent
8 linear feet (29 boxes)A collection of objects (realia), primarily souvenirs, that have a relationship to the work of Gilbert & Sullivan. Includes: badges, button badges, candy bars, card games, china, cloth pieces, coasters, cocktail napkins, cookies, corset box, costumes, cuff links, dish towels, earthenware, fans, glassware, handkerchiefs, boater hat, holiday ornament, jackstraws, key rings, lollipops, magnets, matches, music box, opera glasses, paperweight, Pears soap, pencils, pins, playing cards, post-its, scarves, sealing wax crest impression, seed package, stickers, t-shirts, tea, tea service, tote bags, toy theaters, trivet, umbrella, and whistle.
Biographical / Historical
Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900) was an English composer and conductor. W. S. (William Schwenck) Gilbert (1836-1911) was a English dramatist and librettist. They formed a Victorian-era theatrical partnership, collaborating on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H. M. S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado, or, The town of Titipu are among the best known.
Arrangement
Arranged into the following series:
- I. Small object boxes
- II. Large object boxes
- III. Fragile materials
Alphabetized by title within each series.
Physical Location
b, pf
Immediate Source of Acquisition
2010MT-11. Gift of Thomas Garrett; received: 2010 October 9. Forms part of the Fredric Woodbridge Wilson Collection of Gilbert and Sullivan (Harvard Theatre Collection).
Processing Information
Processed by: Bonnie B. Salt
- Title
- W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan realia, 1879-2002: Guide.
- Author
- Houghton Library, Harvard College Library
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- hou02239
Repository Details
Part of the Houghton Library Repository
Houghton Library is Harvard College's principal repository for rare books and manuscripts, archives, and more. Houghton Library's collections represent the scope of human experience from ancient Egypt to twenty-first century Cambridge. With strengths primarily in North American and European history, literature, and culture, collections range in media from printed books and handwritten manuscripts to maps, drawings and paintings, prints, posters, photographs, film and audio recordings, and digital media, as well as costumes, theater props, and a wide range of other objects. Houghton Library has historically focused on collecting the written record of European and Eurocentric North American culture, yet it holds a large and diverse number of primary sources valuable for research on the languages, culture and history of indigenous peoples of the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
Houghton Library’s Reading Room is free and open to all who wish to use the library’s collections.
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