William A. Speck collection of Goetheana : theater ephemera
Collection
Call Number: YCGL MSS 24
Scope and Contents
The William A. Speck Collection of Goetheana: Theater Ephemera consists of eighteenth- through twentieth-century theater playbills, programs, broadsides, posters, and other ephemera documenting performances of plays, operas, magic and puppet shows, burlesques and lectures based on works by Goethe (primarily Faust) and other German and European writers and composers. The collection reveals the extent to which Goethe's work was popularized and incorporated into a wide range of theatrical and musical performance genres. While the majority of materials document performances in Germany, performances in other European and American cities are also represented. The collection also includes original catalogue cards which formerly served to provide access to the collection.
Dates
- circa 1725-1984
- Majority of material found within 1829 - 1940
Creator
- Speck, William A. (William Alfred), 1864-1928 (Collector)
Language of Materials
Chiefly in German.
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The William A. Speck Collection of Goetheana: Theater Ephemera is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Most of the material in the Speck Collection was assembled by William A. Speck. Much of the Faust material probably came from the Ehrhardt Collection, purchased by the library in 1922. Additional items have been added more recently by the library.
Arrangement
Organized into three series: I. Performances of Goethe's Works and Other Productions Based on Them, circa 1725-1984. II. Performances of Plays and Operas by Other Writers, 1759-1929. III Additional Playbills, Programs, Posters, and Other Ephemera, 1806-1934.
Extent
2 Linear Feet ((10 boxes) + 5 broadside folders)
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
The William A. Speck Collection of Goetheana: Theater Ephemera consists of eighteenth- through twentieth-century theater playbills, programs, broadsides, posters, and other ephemera documenting performances of plays, operas, magic and puppet shows, burlesques and lectures based on works by Goethe (primarily Faust) and other German and European writers and composers.
William A. Speck (1864-1928)
William A. Speck, the son of German immigrants, was born in New York City in 1864. A pharmacist by profession, he amassed the largest Goethe collection outside of Germany. In 1913, he and his collection came from Haverstraw, New York to Yale, where he served as curator of the collection until his death in 1928. For further biographical information on William A. Speck and a general history and description of the Speck Collection, see the finding aid for the William A. Speck Collection of Goetheana: Manuscripts (YCGL MSS 6).
Processing Information
This finding aid was produced primarily from information on the folders in which the material was formerly housed. All pertinent descriptive information has been retained, including photocopies of folder labels and see references on cards within the folders. "Speck numbers" formerly used to classify material have been replaced by standard box and folder references.
- Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832 -- Adaptations
- Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832 -- Stage history
- Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832 (Faust)
- Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von, 1749-1832 (Faust, Musical settings)
- Magic shows -- Germany
- Opera -- Germany
- Playbills
- Posters
- Puppet plays, German
- Speck, William A. (William Alfred), 1864-1928
- Theater -- Germany
- Theater programs
Creator
- Speck, William A. (William Alfred), 1864-1928 (Collector)
- Title
- Guide to the William A. Speck Collection of Goetheana: Theater Ephemera
- Status
- Under Revision
- Author
- by Susan Brady and Andrea Benefiel
- Date
- September 2009
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.