Scope and arrangement
The Peter Basch photographs date from the 1949 to 1969. This collection focuses on his dance photography, particularly studio portraits of individual dancers. There are a significant number of photographs of the dancer and choreographer José Limón, including portraits and documentation of his choreographic work. Basch also made several studio portraits of ballet dancers, including every dancer in the American Ballet Theatre company in 1951. In addition, this collection also includes some photographs of opera singers and performances, models, belly dancers, and performances in nightclubs, particularly The Hawaiian Room in New York City.
Basch created many of these images for Dance Magazine, The New York Times and other publications.
The collection is divided into two groupings: Dancers and Companies; and Performances. The folders are then arranged alphabetically.
The collection is primarily made up of contact sheets and negatives. There are some 11 x 14" prints, some of which have been mounted on board.