- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"simple", "value"=>"735 legal size folders in 28 Hollinger document boxes, and 26 oversized boxes with flat draftings, 14 map case files of draftings, # map case files posters"}
- unitid
-
{"value"=>"*MGZMD 115", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"19831", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"circa 1953-1994", "type"=>"inclusive", "certainty"=>"approximate", "normal"=>"1953/1994"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1953
- date_inclusive_end
-
1994
- keydate
-
1953
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"Thomas Skelton papers"}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"The <span class=\"corpname\">New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division</span>. <div class=\"address\"> <span class=\"addressline\">40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498</span></div>"}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"Thomas Skelton papers, *MGZMD 115. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Skelton, Thomas R", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Thomas Reginald Skelton Jr. was born in Maine in 1928. He developed an interest in modern dance while a student in the Theater Department at Middlebury College, Vermont. Upon graduating he moved to New York City where he continued to pursue his interest in theater and modern dance. He briefly studied dance technique with Martha Graham and José Limón, and composition with Doris Humphrey. He earned a living through odd jobs, including one in management for City Center Opera. His first professional experience in lighting came as an apprentice for Jean Rosenthal at the American Dance Festival.</p> <p>Tom Skelton was soon working as a stage manager and lighting designer for Columbia Artists Management which represented various American and foreign companies working in America and abroad. Robert Joffrey, who was at that time creating his own company, invited Tom Skelton to work as stage manager and lighting designer.</p> <p>After a long career, Thomas Skelton is recognized as one of America's most distinguished lighting designers. He designed the lighting for many important Broadway productions as well as landmark dance works. He had successful professional associations with Martha Graham, Robert Joffrey, Paul Taylor, New York City Ballet, and José Limón. Mr. Skelton taught at the New York Studio and Forum of Stage Design and at Yale University. He also designed lighting for numerous productions at the Circle in the Square, Yale Repertory Theatre, and the American Shakespeare Festival. Mr. Skelton received Tony Award nominations for <span class=\"title\">Indians</span> and <span class=\"title\">All God's Chillun Got Wings</span>. He served on the Board of DANCE/USA and was Associate Director for the Ohio Ballet, which has its home in Akron, Ohio.</p> <p>Among his most notable productions are <span class=\"title\">Guys and Dolls</span>, <span class=\"title\">The King and I</span>, <span class=\"title\">Gigi</span>, <span class=\"title\">Death of a Salesman</span> (both the Dustin Hoffman and George C. Scott revivals); <span class=\"title\">Oklahoma!</span>, and <span class=\"title\">Brigadoon</span>. For the ballet stage important works include: Jerome Robbins' <span class=\"title\">Dances at a Gathering</span>, Robert Joffrey's <span class=\"title\">Astarte</span>, José Limón's <span class=\"title\">The Moor's Pavane</span>, Paul Taylor's <span class=\"title\">Aureole</span>, Martha Graham's <span class=\"title\">Rite of Spring</span>, Kurt Jooss' <span class=\"title\">The Green Table</span>, Gerald Arpino's <span class=\"title\">Kettantanz</span>, and Leonide Massine's <span class=\"title\">Parade</span>. He died in August, 1994, at age 66.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The papers of Thomas Skelton represent his professional career as lighting designer from the early 1950s to his death in 1994. The bulk of the collection consists of light plots, cue sheets, ground plans, draftings and other papers related to Thomas Skelton's career in dance, theater, and opera. The collection also includes some teaching papers, correspondence, interviews, newspaper clippings, and programs. Other miscellaneous material includes travel and foreign language literature accumulated by Skelton for his various professional trips to Bali and other destinations.</p> <p>In the course of a lighting project, it is common for the designer to have at his disposal the scenic designs and even costume information for the production. Much of this kind of material is included among the drafings and renderings listed in this finding aid. Although Thomas Skelton did occasional scenic design, most of this additional material is the work of other crafts people. Included among the papers are also lighting designs executed by others. When identified, these are listed in subseries for 'Other Designers' in each category. The production files should be consulted for full credits for a project.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Thomas Skelton papers are arranged in eleven series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19831#c404482'>I. Lighting for Theater</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19831#c404668'>II. Lighting for dance</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19831#c405126'>III. Correspondence</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19831#c405151'>IV. Commercial Lighting Company Literature</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Includes Cinemoid Color Media from Kliegl Bros. second edition, December 1965, designer' s handbook prepared for Thomas Skelton. One of an edition of 60 copies.</p> <p> Also includes literature for lighting supplies and equipment from Century Lighting, American Stage Lighting, Strand Century, The Great American Market, Berkey Colortran.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19831#c405152'>V. Travel Literature and Language Books</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Includes French, German, Chinese, Tagalog, Maylay. Box 28 is entirely Spanish books and recordings.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19831#c405153'>VI. Clippings and Print Material</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19831#c405154'>VII. Draftings for Theater and Opera</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19831#c406584'>VIII. Draftings for Dance</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19831#c407167'>IX. Architectural Drawings</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19831#c407181'>X. Renderings</a></div>\n</li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/dan/19831#c407182'>XI. Posters</a></div>\n</li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Thomas Skelton papers were received by the Dance Collection along with an inventory in the format of a Filemaker Pro data base. For the sake of comprehensibility, the collection has been arranged and described with separate series for material relating to theater (including opera and variety) and that relating to dance. Organization of production files has been maintained generally the way files were originally kept. Theater work is filed alphabetically by production. There is a separate subseries of files for specific theaters, and one for articles and teaching material on the subject. For dance, all work for each project is filed by the company name, festival or series, or individual performer in three subseries. When appropriate, files have been arranged chronologically, or, specific dance works have been grouped together under the dance company, e.g. American Ballet Theatre--<span class=\"title\">Romeo and Juliet</span>.</p> <p> Oversized light plots and designs were separated from the production files and transferred to oversized boxes. Their new locations are listed with the production file material. The original order of the material was generally preserved within the series. A few rearrangements have been made in the production files in order to support a conventional series arrangement.</p> <p>Draftings for Theater are arranged alphabetically by name of play, opera, variety show or theater. Draftings for dance are divided into subseries: Dance (not Nutcracker) arranged first by company and then dance work; and Nutcracker productions arranged by company. This was the original physical organization of the material.</p> <p> The original identification numbers of the draftings have been maintained. Where the letters were formerly used to identify boxes of rolled draftings, they now identify map case drawers as the draftings have been flattened and rehoused. In some cases, draftings listed in the data base were not found in the collection. These are listed separately and may be added to the collection if found to be available from other sources. Two items, C2655 and J2656 were not found in the original data base.</p> <p>The material is organized into eleven series: <ul> <li>I. Lighting for Theater Production Files and Teaching Papers<ul> <li>A. Theater and Variety Productions</li> <li> B. Theaters</li> <li> C. Interviews, Articles, Projects, Teaching Information</li></ul></li> <li>II. Lighting for Dance Production Files<ul> <li>A. Dance Companies</li> <li>B. Regional dance, Festivals, and Concert Series</li> <li>C. Individual Performers</li></ul></li> <li>III. Correspondence<ul> <li>A. General</li> <li>B. Personal</li></ul></li> <li>IV. Commercial Lighting Company literature</li> <li>V. Travel Literature and Language Books</li> <li>VI. Clippings</li> <li>VII. Draftings for Theater, Opera, Variety<ul> <li>A. Draftings by Thomas Skelton</li> <li>B. Draftings for Theater and Opera by Other Designers</li></ul></li> <li>VIII. Draftings for Dance<ul> <li>A. Draftings for dance (not <span class=\"title\">Nutcracker</span>)</li> <li>B. Draftings for <span class=\"title\">Nutcracker</span></li> <li>C. Draftings for Dance by Other Designers</li></ul></li> <li>IX. Architectural Drawings</li> <li>X. Renderings</li> <li>XI. Posters</li></ul></p>", "supress_display"=>true}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Gift of the estate of Thomas Skelton.</p>"}
- separatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<ul> <li>28 audio cassettes to Oral History Archive</li> <li>1 videotape <span class=\"title\">Romeo and Juliet</span>, Part I, American Ballet Theater to Jerome Robbins Archive</li></ul>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>For permission to publish contact the Curator, Jerome Robbins Dance Division.</p>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"The Thomas Skelton papers represent his professional career as lighting designer from the early 1950s to his death in 1994. The bulk of the collection consists of light plots, cue sheets, ground plans, draftings and other papers related to his career in dance, theater, and opera. The collection also includes some teaching papers, correspondence, interviews, newspaper clippings, and programs. Other miscellaneous material includes travel and foreign language literature accumulated by Skelton in the course of his various professional trips. The collection also includes some scenic designs and costume information retained by Skelton from individual productions. Although Skelton did occasional scenic design, most of this additional material is the work of other crafts people. Included among the papers are also lighting designs executed by others. When identified, these are listed in subseries for 'Other Designers' in each category. The production files should be consulted for full credits for a project. The materials were received with an inventory in database format. The collection has been arranged and described with separate series for material relating to theater (including opera and variety) and dance. Organization of production files has been maintained generally the way files were originally kept. Oversized light plots and designs were separated from the production files and transferred to oversized boxes. Original identification numbers of the draftings have been maintained. Where letters formerly were used to identify boxes of rolled draftings, they now identify the drawers in which the material is currently stored. In some cases, draftings listed in the database were not found with the collection."}
- langmaterial_code
-
chi
fre
ger
may
tgl
spa
eng
tag
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"The Travel literature and language books series contains items in Chinese, French, German, Maylay, and Tagalog; Box 28 is entirely books and recordings in Spanish"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Irina Klyagin; machine-readable finding aid created by Irina Klyagin and Mary Ellen Rogan.</p>"}
- date_start
-
1953
- date_end
-
1994