Richard Beard papers

id
9590
origination
Beard, Richard
date statement
1930-1995
key date
1930
identifier (local_mss)
19046
org unit
Jerome Robbins Dance Division
call number
*MGZMD 410
b-number
b20298340
total components
16
total series
0
max depth
3
boost queries
(none)
component layout
Default Layout
Extended MARC Fields
false
Extended Navigation
false
created
2014-10-07 18:24:51 UTC
updated
2026-06-25 15:07:55 UTC
status note
(missing)
Display Aeon link
true

Description data TOP

unitid
{"value"=>"*MGZMD 410", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"19046", "type"=>"local_mss"}
{"value"=>"b20298340", "type"=>"local_b"}
unitdate
{"value"=>"1930-1995", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1930/1995"}
unittitle
{"value"=>"Richard Beard papers"}
physdesc
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"4.09 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear feet"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"3 boxes, 4 volumes", "unit"=>"containers"}]}
repository
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library. Jerome Robbins Dance Division.</span><div class=\"address\"> <span class=\"addressline\">New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center</span><span class=\"addressline\">40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498</span></div>"}
abstract
{"value"=>"Richard \"Dick\" Beard was a ballet dancer and choreographer. The Richard Beard papers contain programs, photographs, correspondence, and scrapbooks."}
prefercite
{"value"=>"Richard Beard papers, *MGZMD 410. Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts"}
origination
{"value"=>"Beard, Richard", "type"=>"persname", "role"=>"creator"}
bioghist
{"value"=>"<p>Richard \"Dick\" Beard (1926-2009) was a ballet dancer and choreographer. His first professional appearance was with Ballet International in 1944. After a brief period at Ballet International, Beard was recruited for the Ballet Theatre by Antony Tudor where he created the role of the Bridegroom in Tudor's ballet Undertow in 1945. Other solo roles included Paris in Tudor and Eugene Berman's <span class=\"title\">Romeo and Juliet</span> and a role in Jerome Robbins' <span class=\"title\">Facsimile</span>.</p> <p>Following the closure of Ballet Theater, Beard was invited to join Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein's new group, Ballet Society. In 1948 Ballet Society became the New York City Ballet and Beard remained as a founding member.</p> <p>After Beard's departure from the New York City Ballet, he appeared as a dancer on the Your Show of Shows television series and toured the U.S. with the Cabots, a dance trio cabaret act. The Cabots (Beard, Frank Sabella and Marion Saunders) also spent a year performing in Paris in the 1960s. In the 1960s and 1970s, Beard created choreography for major television musical series starring Dinah Shore, Danny Kaye and Julie Andrews as well as television specials for Cher, Mitzi Gaynor, and Doris Day. He retired in Los Angeles and remained there until his death in 2009.</p>"}
scopecontent
{"value"=>"<p>The Richard Beard papers contain programs, photographs, correspondence, and scrapbooks. Photographs include individual promotional shots of Beard and the Cabots, as well as photographs of dancers from the New York City Ballet. Personal snapshots document his travels to England and France in 1960. There are also photographs of retired dancers in the 1970s and 1980s at various events in Los Angeles, including Alicia Markova and Tatiana Riabouchinska. Programs consist of Ballet International and Ballet Theatre performances in which Beard appeared, as well as the Cabots' tours and various anniversary galas and memorial services.</p> <p>Scrapbooks consist of one volume documenting the touring career of the Cabots with programs, photographs, and clippings; a Ballet Theatre European tour scrapbook holding personal snapshots (1946); and an early dance career volume with clippings, postcards, and photographs dating 1945 to 1948. The Ballet Theatre tour scrapbook documents the backstage life of the dancers as well as their outside activities as they toured various cities. There are also three scrapbooks with a mix of materials ranging from childhood photographs of Beard to clippings about dancers he has worked with, autographed portraits of notable dancers, and obituaries. These materials date from the early 1930s to 1975.</p> <p>Correspondence is limited and consists of an undated letter from Beard to his mother and a few postcards from friends and family. There are also two letters from Thamar (Tamara) Karsavina to Cyril Beaumont dated 1914 which were collected by Beard, possibly to be included in one of his dance scrapbooks.</p>"}
arrangement
{"value"=>"<p>Alphabetical by file type.</p>"}
acqinfo
{"value"=>"<p>Donated by Robert James Wood II, 2012.</p>"}
processinfo
{"type"=>"processing", "value"=>"<p>Compiled by <span class=\"name\">Lea Jordan</span>, <span class=\"date\">2014</span></p>"}
userestrict
{"value"=>"<p>The author/creator retains copyright of materials. For information on obtaining permission to publish, contact the Dance Division at dance@nypl.org.</p>"}
dsc_type
combined
date_start
1930
keydate
1930
date_end
1995
date_inclusive_start
1930
date_inclusive_end
1995

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