- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"10.68 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear feet"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"14 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- unitid
-
{"value"=>"*T-Vim 2002-005", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"21623", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1933-1979", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1933/1979"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1933
- date_inclusive_end
-
1979
- keydate
-
1933
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Radio City Music Hall collection of the designs of James Stewart Morcom and John William Keck"}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. <span class=\"subarea\">Billy Rose Theatre Division.</span></span> <div class=\"address\"> <span class=\"addressline\">New York, New York</span></div>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"The Radio City Music Hall Collection of the Designs of James Stewart Morcom and John William Keck contain color set designs, including renderings, elevations and details, of productions primarily from the Radio City Music Hall as well as other venues."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>Radio City Music Hall Collection of the Designs of James Stewart Morcom and John William Keck, *T-VIM 2002-005, Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Radio City Music Hall (New York, N.Y.)", "type"=>"corpname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>James Stewart Morcom was born in Kentucky on July 28, 1906 and grew up in Houston, Texas. After graduating from Central High School in 1924, Morcom moved to New York City in 1926 to attend the Grand Central Galleries Arts School and the Anderson-Milton School of Theatre. He also joined the Scenic Artists Union in 1926. When S. L. Rothafel opened the Roxy Theatre at Seventh Avenue and Fiftieth Street in 1927, Morcom worked as an Assistant Director for the acclaimed producer and scenic designer Clark Robinson. His tenure lasted four years. In 1931 Morcom married his childhood classmate Cecile Cobb.</p> <p>Morcom began designing for the brand new Radio City Music Hall in 1933 as an Assistant to Clark Robinson, the Music Hall's second Art Director, and continued to work with Robinson on various creative projects that included plays, musicals, night club revues, and motion pictures. Facing hard times and unemployment in the 1930s, Morcom found work in the early years of the Federal Theatre Project (FTP) for approximately 6-8 months. During this same period he also designed windows for the National Shoe Company, and created back drops for the Columbia Burlesque theater chain before leaving the United States in 1936 to work in London for Raoul N. Dubois on Cochran's <span class=\"title\">Coronation Revue</span>.</p> <p>After seeing Orson Welles perform on stage in<span class=\"title\"> Dr. Faustus</span>, Morcom started working for Welles' Mercury Theatre Productions designing the sets at union minimum salary in exchange to be cast as an extra in the plays. Morcom designed sets for Welles' <span class=\"title\">Five Kings</span>, <span class=\"title\">Too Much Johnson</span> and <span class=\"title\">Native Son</span>. In 1940 Morcom took on various assorted projects, such as designing for the Ford Theatre Ballet and Sue Hastings Marionettes at the New York World's Fair, designing for productions at Madison Square Garden, the Gay White Way Club in New York City for George White, and the Ballet Caravan.</p> <p>Before entering the Army in May 1942, Morcom created numerous ballet sets for the prominent choreographer, director, and performer, Eugene Loring. Morcom served in the Special Service Arts Department in WWII, designing sets and costumes for productions in Paris and London. After WWII, he stayed in London and attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts on the GI Bill of Rights and studied acting. Once Morcom returned to New York City he began to design for such celebrated clientele as Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe, the New York City Ballet, and designed costumes for Radio City Music Hall in the late 1940s. Morcom became the fifth Art Director for Radio City Music Hall in 1950, and retired from the theater in 1973. Morcom was succeeded as Art Director by John William Keck.</p> <p>James Morcom participated in an oral history interview, conducted by Lorraine Brown on May 10, 1977, for the Special Collections & Research Center for the Federal Theatre Project at George Mason University. He died on May 28, 1988.</p> <p>John William Keck, son of the well-known American sculptor Charles Keck, was born in Greenwich Village, New York City, on December 4, 1929. He graduated from the High School of Music and Art and attended Pratt Institute. Keck got his start as a scenic painter working in summer stock in the 1950s, and eventually became a well-respected scenic designer in the New York theater community. Keck was a designer at Radio City Music Hall for several years before he succeeded James Stewart Morcom as Art Director in 1973, and also worked at Nolan Scenery Studios. He resigned from Radio City Music Hall in the spring of 1980, then moved on to design sets for the Metropolitan Opera House. He died on April 3, 2001.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The design collection consists of color set designs (mostly renderings, but also some elevations and details) for some of the stage shows at the Radio City Music Hall. The collection is not complete and is missing numerous years and productions. Many of the designs are unidentified as to the title and year. One set of designs are unidentified as to the name of the designer. All items are shelved in the Rose Building; advance notification is required for access.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Radio City Music Hall collection of the designs of James Stewart Morcom and John William Keck is arranged in three series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21623#c315469'>Series I: James Stewart Morcom - Designs</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1933-1965</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>2.66 linear feet (1 oversized box + 1 oversized folder</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series consists of original designs in the form of pastels, watercolors, elevations and renderings. All are either matted or mounted, many are undated and all are oversized. They are arranged chronologically, first by date and title of the production, and then by production number. A couple of the designs were done by other designers, but drawn or painted by Morcom. Box 1A is shelved in the Rose Building mapcases; advance notification is required for access.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21623#c315488'>Series II - John William Keck - Designs</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>ca. 1973-1984</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>10.23 linear feet (5 boxes, 5 folders</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains details, plans, sketches, renderings and elevations done in watercolors, pastels and pencil. Some of the items have been matted. For the most part they represent Keck's work at Radio City Music Hall, but there are a few items that represent work that he did on outside projects. Many are undated and unidentified.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21623#c315553'>Series III - Unidentified Designs</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>ca. 1973-1980</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>2 linear feet (1 oversized box + 1 oversized folder</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Items in this sub-series contain no indication as to who designed them. They also contain no titles, production numbers or dates. All items are renderings, done in watercolors and pastels. One rendering contains a three dimensional element.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p> <ul> <li>Series I: James Stewart Morcom - Designs</li> <li>Series II: John William Keck - Designs <ul> <li>Sub-series 1 - Oversized Designs</li> <li>Sub-series 2 - Numbered Productions</li> <li>Sub-series 3 - Titled Productions</li> <li>Sub-series 4 - <span class=\"title\">Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs</span> - Sets and Details</li> <li>Sub-series 5 - Unidentified</li></ul></li> <li>Series III: Unidentified Designs</li></ul></p>", "supress_display"=>true}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>The collection was donated by Jerry Marshall in 2002.</p>"}
- accessrestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>Photocopying prohibited.</p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>For permission to publish, contact the Curator, Billy Rose Theatre Division.</p>"}
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"English"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Christine Sanchez, Mark C. Maniak; Machine-readable finding aid created by Mary Ellen Rogan, Mark C. Maniak.</p>"}
- extent_statement
-
10.68 linear feet (14 boxes)
- date_start
-
1933
- date_end
-
1979