Depending on what information you are searching for, below are related collections and resources arranged by format type. These lists are not exhaustive, but a great starting place for exploration.
At the bottom of the page are links to useful and fun external websites for publications, histories, and other repository collections.
The Prints and Photographs collections document individual performances, life behind the curtain, and the architecture of some of Chicago's historic venues.
Popular visual collections include:
The Broadsides Collection includes large format prints and images of theaters and entertainment posters. And venues, performers, and types of entertainment can be searched by subject or name. See our Image Research guide for more.
Archival collections contain memories from performers, records from performance companies or theaters, and personal collections.
Scrapbooks
Since scrapbooks are unique resources, they are often cataloged by their subject, time period, or distinguishing characteristic. Scrapbooks can include tickets, song lists, newspaper articles, letters, autographs, reviews, stickers, and promotional material. Often created by an individual or small group, performance scrapbooks were used to collect two-dimensional materials related to performances, venues, or individual performers.
In ARCHIE, search by venue name and the term "scrapbook" to see results by venues such as:
Books, periodicals, and directories on venues, performances, or genre styles
Ephemera
The Ephemera collection is organized by topical headings. A keyword search in the finding aid for terms like music, dance, or theater will bring up headings for venues, performance groups, festivals, and more.
The Chicago Public Library's Chicago Theater Collection-Historical Programs. The collection consists of programs, playbills, stagebills, newspaper clippings and other material on theatrical productions in Chicago. The earliest piece is a playbill for Pizarro, which played at Rice’s Theatre in 1848. While the bulk of the collection covers the years 1880 to 1960, programs are added for historical venues in the Loop on an ongoing basis.
The University of Chicago's Playbill and Program Collection 1843-1979. Contains primarily posters, programs, and souvenir books from 19th-century public performances and Playbill and Showbill magazines from the 20th century. Also contains musical performance programs for amateur recitals, operas, and ballets. A smaller number of programs are included for lectures, memorials, and tributes.
From The Smith Center, a blog post about "The Fascinating History of Theater Programs".