The collection is divided up into production files, a library with a range of books on black performance, companies files, biographical/personal files and a photographic collection.

Photographs of black performers are recorded alphabetically by name of individual or show as part of the main Theatre museum collection: there is no separate index to black performers. The museum also holds photographs of Royal Court productions which include a number of shows by black writers. Among collections in the Museum’s copyright are photographs by Houston Rogers and Graham Brandon. The latter in particular includes a number of shows by black performers or by black companies or writers including shows by Dance Theatre of Harlem, Tamasha, Man Mela, Ilbijerri Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre Co-op and Talawa Theatre.

There is a limited amount of relevant material in the Design Collection, essentially some designs for shows which featured major black performers or writers e.g. Loudon Sainthill’s design for Flesh to a Tiger and James Pryde’s for Otbello with Paul Robeson (1930).

There are two pictures of Ira Aldridge in the Paintings and Prints Collection. Aldridge also appears in the Beard and another print collections.

Special collections include Temba Theatre Company and the Black Theatre collection, Black Mime Theatre archive. There is also relevant material in the archive of the Arts Council of Great Britain and the archive of Unity: The Workers’ Theatre.

Black and Asian performance at the Theatre Museum - a users guide

The collection is divided up into production files, a library with a range of books on asian performance, companies files, biographical/personal files and a photographic collection.

Photographs of asian performers are recorded alphabetically by name of individual or show as part of the main Theatre museum collection: there is no separate index to asian performers. The museum also holds photographs of Royal Court productions which include a number of shows by asian writers.

Special collections include material on the Akedemi school of South Asian dance.

Black and Asian performance at the theatre museum - a users guide

The collection is divided up into production files, a library with a range of books on black performance, companies files, biographical/personal files and a photographic collection.

Photographs of black performers are recorded alphabetically by name of individual or show as part of the main Theatre museum collection: there is no separate index to black performers. The museum also holds photographs of Royal Court productions which include a number of shows by black writers. Among collections in the Museum’s copyright are photographs by Houston Rogers and Graham Brandon. The latter in particular includes a number of shows by black performers or by black companies or writers including shows by Dance Theatre of Harlem, Tamasha, Man Mela, Ilbijerri Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre Co-op and Talawa Theatre.

There is a limited amount of relevant material in the Design Collection, essentially some designs for shows which featured major black performers or writers e.g. Loudon Sainthill’s design for Flesh to a Tiger and James Pryde’s for Otbello with Paul Robeson (1930).

There are two pictures of Ira Aldridge in the Paintings and Prints Collection. Aldridge also appears in the Beard and another print collections.

Special collections include Temba Theatre Company and the Black Theatre collection, Black Mime Theatre archive. There is also relevant material in the archive of the Arts Council of Great Britain and the archive of Unity: The Workers’ Theatre.

Black and Asian performance at the theatre museum - a users guide

The Theatre Museum has three puppets from the tradition of shadow theatre, now very much associated with the Gypsies. The eastern shadow theatre, which was once very popular amongst the population of the Ottoman Empire, is today preserved among the Gypsies of northern Greece. The theatre uses on-dimensional camel-leather puppets, very much in the tradition of Punch and Judy. The most famous puppet, Karagõz, was a bearded rustic blacksmith - and probably a Gypsy.

The Theatre Museum puppets are Karagoz himself - 12" high and made in about 1970 and 'Haoivat' from roughly the same time. There is also a 19th century shadow puppet with stained skin.