Scope and arrangement
The Joan Marcus photographs, dating from 1980 to 2019, include images she took of hundreds of Broadway, Off-Broadway, and touring theatrical performances, as well as promotional portraits of actors, and other theater-related subjects. The collection comprises original and duplicate photographic slides, prints, transparencies, negatives, and digital images created by Marcus over the course of her career as a theater photographer.
The vast majority of images document live performances of plays and musicals. Many staged publicity shots and cast portraits are also included. Some individual headshot portraits of actors, playwrights, and directors are present, as are occasional images of rehearsals, backstage scenes, and other theater-related events. Most productions were staged in New York City though Marcus also occasionally shot performances in Washington, D.C., and touring productions as they travelled regionally around the United States.
Productions of note include M. Butterfly (1988), The Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Spamalot, Doubt, Jersey Boys, Rent, Gypsy, Cabaret, Mamma Mia!, and Angels in America. Marcus photographed many such popular productions repeatedly over the course of successive seasons running years or decades.
The collection is divided into two series: Series I: Assignments and Series II: Negatives. "Assignments" is the term Marcus uses for her main work files. Files in this series are labeled by production name, theater company name, names of theater-related people or events, according to the details of each work assignment. Files in Series I principally hold slides, prints, and contact sheets. Occasionally, documents relating to shooting sessions or particular productions, such as invoices, Marcus's handwritten notes, playbills, cast lists, or programs are found in these files.
In 2003 Marcus began using digital cameras. She was an early adopter to digital photography, making the transition from traditional analog processes gradually throughout the 2000s and 2010s. Although Marcus's electronic records are not yet accessible to researchers, Assignments files from 2003 onward may include digital images. Digital image files become more prevalent among Assignments as the years progress.
Series II contains negatives corresponding to most, but not all, Assignments, especially those shot before the 2000s. The majority of negatives are black-and-white 35mm format. A smaller quantity of color 35 millimeter and 120 millimeter format is also present.
The Joan Marcus photographs are arranged in two series:
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1980-201989.54 linear feet (214 Boxes)
"Assignments" is the term Marcus uses for her main work files. Files in this series are labeled with production name, theater company name, or names of theater-related people or events, as appropriate to the details of each work assignment.
The vast majority of images document live performances of plays and musicals. Many staged publicity shots and cast portraits are also included. Some individual headshot portraits of actors, playwrights, and directors are present, as are occasional images of rehearsals, backstage scenes, and other theater-related events. Most productions were staged in New York City though Marcus also occasionally documented performances in Washington, D.C., and touring productions as they travelled regionally around the United States.
Assignments Files typically contain slides, prints, and contact sheets. They may occasionally also contain playbills, correspondence, or other general information about the production; technical notes about the shoot or lab information about film development and printing. Many duplicate and similar images appear within a single file. Marcus's editing choices can frequently be discerned by markings on slide sleeves or notations on the backs of prints.
This series is arranged alphabetically by file name.
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1980-201252.29 linear feet (126 Boxes)
The Negatives series holds the negative strips and sheets associated with Marcus's assignments, which she stored separately. Selection information and technical lab notes sometimes appear in these files. The vast majority of negatives were shot in black-and-white 35 millimeter format. A substantial quantity of black-and-white 120 millimeter film is also present, with color or larger format negatives appearing rarely.