Jules Fisher collection of Jo Mielziner Designs

Collection Data

Description
The Jules Fisher collection of Jo Mielziner designs includes original drawings and renderings for theater, opera, and ballet productions from the 1920s through the 1960s, primarily in New York City.
Names
Fisher, Jules (Donor)
Jones, Robert Edmond, 1887-1954 (Creator)
Mielziner, Jo, 1901-1976 (Set designer)
Dates / Origin
Date Created: 1926 - 2003
Library locations
Billy Rose Theatre Division
Shelf locator: *T-Vim 2013-307
Topics
De Kruif, Paul, 1890-1971. Yellow jack
Howard, Sidney Coe, 1891-1939. Yellow jack
Laurents, Arthur. Gypsy
Loesser, Frank, 1910-1969. Guys and dolls
Miller, Arthur, 1915-2005. Death of a salesman
O'Flaherty, Liam, 1896-1984. Mr. Gilhooley
ONeill, Eugene, 1888-1953. Emperor Jones
Porter, Cole, 1891-1964. Can-can
Porter, Cole, 1891-1964. Silk stockings
Rodgers, Richard, 1902-1979. Allegro
Thomas, Edward, 1924- . Mata Hari
Ungar, Hermann, 1893-1929. Red general
Williams, Tennessee, 1911-1983. Cat on a hot tin roof
New York World's Fair -- 1964-1965 -- New York (N.Y.)
Theater architecture
Theaters -- Designs and plans
Theaters -- Stage-setting and scenery
Theatrical productions -- United States
Genres
conceptual drawings
Design drawings
Drawings
Set design drawings
Sketches
Notes
Biographical/historical: Jo Mielziner, set and lighting designer, theater architect and consultant was born in Paris to American parents, but spent most of his life in New York City. Highly successful, he designed scenes for approximately 270 plays, musicals, revues and an occasional opera, movie and ballet, spanning the 1920s through the 1960s. Memorable successes include Carousel; Death of a Salesman; Guys and Dolls; Gypsy; The King and I; Look Homeward, Angel; Picnic; South Pacific; Strange Interlude; A Streetcar Named Desire; and the opera, The Emperor Jones Jules Fisher, award-winning lighting designer, found early inspiration in Mielziner's designs and worked for Mielziner during the technical rehearsals of The Most Happy Fella in Philadelphia (1956). Fisher began assembling this collection in 1976, after Mielziner's death. Aiming to document the full range of Mielziner's artistry and career, he acquired items at auction and through private purchase from Mielziner's family, friends, and other collectors.
Content: The Jules Fisher collection of Jo Mielziner designs includes original drawings and renderings for theater, opera, and ballet productions from the 1920s through the 1960s, primarily in New York City. All are works on paper, with the exception of a three-dimensional model. Most images are set designs, with a few costume designs also represented. The bulk of the collection is finished renderings, although there are some preliminary sketches, and a 3-dimensional illuminated set design. Among Mielziner's best-known works here are Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Death of a Salesman, The Emperor Jones, Guys and Dolls, Gypsy, and Look Homeward, Angel. Other notable titles include Mr. Gilhooley, Romeo and Juliet, Silk Stockings, That Summer, That Fall, The Lark, The Red General, and Yellow Jack. There is also a design for the AT&T Pavilion's Controlled Ride at the New York World's Fair, 1964-65.
Physical Description
Extent: 3.6 linear feet 5 boxes, 36 oversized folders
Type of Resource
Still image
Identifiers
Other local Identifier: *T-Vim 2013-307
MSS Unit ID: 23315
NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b20172386
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): d6660990-60cb-0134-414d-00505686d14e
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