- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"71", "unit"=>"linear feet"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"103 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- unitid
-
{"value"=>"*T-Mss 1996-015", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"21772", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1922-1982", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1922/1982"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1922
- date_inclusive_end
-
1982
- keydate
-
1922
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Donald Oenslager papers and designs"}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library.</span> <span class=\"subarea\">Billy Rose Theater Division</span> <div class=\"address\"> <span class=\"addressline\">New York, New York</span></div>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"Donald Oenslager was a set and lighting designer, teacher, lecturer, writer and collector. The collection consists of set and costume designs, technical drawings, elevations, manuscripts and correspondence with other prominent theater designers."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>Donald Oenslager Papers and Designs, T-MSS 1996-015. Billy Rose Theater Division, The New York Public Library.</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Oenslager, Donald, 1902-1975", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Donald Mitchell Oenslager, an American stage designer and professor, was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on 7 March 1902. Oenslager began his career in the theater as an actor, working at the Greenwich Village Theatre and the Provincetown Playhouse during the early 1920s. He became interested in theater design after studying in Europe and his first project as a designer was in 1925 for a ballet, Sooner or Later. Oenslager was active as a designer from the 1930's to the 1960s, working on many notable Broadway productions, including <span class=\"title\">Of Mice and Men</span> (1937) and <span class=\"title\">A Majority of One</span>(1959), for which he received a Tony Award. He also served as a faculty member of the Yale School of Drama, teaching design from 1925 until his death in 1975, publishing many works, including <span class=\"title\">Scenery Then and Now</span> (1936) and <span class=\"title\">Notes on Scene Painting</span> (1952). Profoundly influenced by the European stage designers, Edward Gordon Craig and Adolphe Appia, Oenslager brought a new emphasis on symbolism over realism to American theater design. Throughout his life, Oenslager built up an extensive collection of materials on both Craig and Appia. Following his death on 11 June 1975, Oenslager's widow, Mary, gave portions of the Craig material to the New York Public Library's Billy Rose Theatre Division, while other parts of the collection went to Yale University.</p>"}
- custodhist
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Donald Oenslager Papers and Designs were donated to the Billy Rose Theater Division in 1996 by Mary Oenslager.</p>"}
- scopecontent
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{"value"=>"<p>The Donald Oenslager Papers and Designs span the years 1922 - 1982, reflecting his long and varied career as set and lighting designer, professor, consultant, writer, and lecturer. The largest parts of the collection are the production and technical designs. Both production and technical designs include extensive amounts of painter's elevations, rough sketches, renderings, materials samples, notes, and correspondence. Almost every play, musical, ballet, opera or project Oenslager worked on is represented. Oenslager corresponded with notable theater people of his time; many of them not only were colleagues but friends, as well. Five boxes of correspondence include letters from Edmond Appia, Boris Aronson, Robert Edmond Jones, and Joseph Mielziner among many others. The remainder of the collection consists of research material, financial papers, family papers, notes for many of his personal appearances and lists of exhibitions of his designs, drafts, notes from his books and published articles. The photograph series is largely production related but does include some portraits and snapshots of Oenslager and photos from his time in the military. Clippings in the scrapbook series were organized by Oenslager himself and continued by Mrs. Oenslager after his death.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Donald Oenslager papers and designs are arranged in nine series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21772#c461360'>Series I: Office Files</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1921-1983, undated</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series includes general correspondence with friends, colleagues and theater organizations. Correspondence regarding productions Oenslager worked on along with notes and memos of committees he served in. Lecture notes, exhibition arrangements and index cards of design locations on loan by Oenslager.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21772#c461821'>Series II: Research Material</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1853 - 1981, undated</div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21772#c462002'>Series III: Writings</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1923-1976, undated</div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21772#c462149'>Series IV: Financial Papers</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1937-1982, undated</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Financial papers include production costs, expenses, design fees, income tax records, acquisitions, bank notes, receipts, statement of accounts, appraisals, bank check records, and cancelled checks.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21772#c462219'>Series V: Family Papers</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1930-1974</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The series encompasses a three-bound album of letters and pictures documenting a trip taken through Spain in 1930 and a trip through East Africa in 1968. One tribute album from colleagues and friends made up of letters. Itineraries, brochures and ticket stubs of vacations taken between 1965 and 1969.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21772#c462390'>Series VI: Photographs</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1931-1958</div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21772#c462511'>Series VII: Scrapbooks</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1923-1982</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains newspaper articles, correspondence, photographs, and theatre programs paste together and arranged by Oenslager. The scrapbooks span the years 1925 through 1982. Donald Oenslager’s wife arranged the latter years after his death.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21772#c462537'>Series VIII: Designs</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1927-1974, undated</div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21772#c462711'>Series IX: Oversized Material</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1923-1982</div>\n</li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p> <ul> <li>Series I: Office Files</li> <li>Series II: General Research Material <ul> <li>Sub series 1: General Notes</li> <li>Sub series 2: Designers</li> <li>Sub series 3: Appendix</li> <li>Sub series 4: Gordon Craig Collection</li> <li>Sub series 5: Post Cards</li> <li>Sub series 6: Books</li> <li>Sub series 7: Microfilm</li></ul></li> <li>Series III: Writings <ul> <li>Sub series 1: Personal Papers</li> <li>Sub series 2: Travel Journals</li> <li>Sub series 3: Published Articles</li> <li>Sub series 4: Manuscripts</li> <li>Sub series 5: Student Papers</li> <li>Sub series 6: Oenslager Articles</li></ul></li> <li>Series IV: Financial Papers</li> <li>Series V: Family Papers</li> <li>Series VI: Photographs <ul> <li>Sub series 1: Four Centuries of Scenic Invention</li> <li>Sub series 2: Exhibit</li> <li>Sub series 3: Production Prints</li> <li>Sub series 4: University of Chile Experimental Theatre</li> <li>Sub series 5: Negatives</li> <li>Sub series 6: Panoramic Prints</li></ul></li> <li>Series VII: Scrapbooks</li> <li>Series VIII: Designs <ul> <li>Sub series 1: Technical Designs</li> <li>Sub series 2: Production Designs</li> <li>Sub series 3: Scrolls</li></ul></li> <li>Series IX: Oversized Material <ul> <li>Sub series 1: Family Papers</li> <li>Sub series 2: Manuscripts</li> <li>Sub series 3: Financial Papers</li></ul></li></ul></p>", "supress_display"=>true}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Mary Oenslager</p>"}
- separatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p>Audiovisual materials separated from archival collections are cataloged individually and can be found in the Library catalog. Search CATNYP, The New York Public Library catalog.</p> <ul> <li>Audiotape of Prof. Yeargram on Oenslager Yale Galler ExhibitJanuary 20, 1977</li> <li>Audio reel on Designer's conference on <span class=\"title\">St. Joan</span>November 20, 19??</li> <li>Audio reel on Oenslager's The Doty Lectures \"Light as a Force in The Theatre\"May 1, 1975</li> <li>Audio reel on Oenslager's The Doty Lectures \"Artists in The Theatre\" (Side 1) April 29, 1975and \"The Theatre in Artists\" (Side 2)April 30, 1975</li> <li>Audio reel on Luncheon for Oenslager (Tape 1)May 23, 1970</li> <li>Audio reel on Luncheon for Oenslager (Tape 2)May 23, 1970</li> <li>Brown Marble Pillar with designs (7.5\"x2.25\"x2.25\")</li></ul>"}
- accessrestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>Photocopying prohibited.</p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>For permission to publish, contact the Curator, Billy Rose Theater Division</p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Sisnur Araujo; Machine-readable finding aid created by Sisnur Araujo.</p>"}
- extent_statement
-
71 linear feet (103 boxes)
- date_start
-
1922
- date_end
-
1982