This brief collection description is a preliminary inventory. The collection is not fully processed or cataloged; no biographical sketch, descriptions of series, or indexes are available.
Purchase, 1980 (R8870)
Open for research. An advance appointment is required to view photographic negatives in the Reading Room.
Sue Gertson and Jennifer Hecker, 2000; Performing Arts staff, 2008; Daniela Lozano, 2012
The collection of Bob Golby (b. 1901) documents the work of the New York theater photographer, 1931-1977, capturing Broadway stagings of plays, theater personalities, and, to a lesser extent, dance and opera performances. The collection is arranged in two series: I. Photographs, 1931-1977 (64 boxes, 560 oversize folders), and II. Papers, 1936-1966 (2 boxes).
The Photographs series is arranged in four subseries: A. Theater Productions,
1931-1972, undated; B. Personalities and Places, 1936-1969, undated; C. Dance and
Opera, 1934-1967, undated, and D. Other, 1953-1977. The theater photographs in
Subseries A form the largest group, documenting some 350 plays staged mainly in New
York, including premiere productions, revivals, and classics. A few of these
productions were staged at Westport County Playhouse. Performance images and
The photographic materials consist mainly of 5x7" prints, along with a small number of 2x3" proof prints, though groups of larger prints (8x10", 11x14", and a group of 12x13" prints mounted to 16x20") are also present. The 5x7" prints are located in boxes 1-41, with larger prints located in boxes 42-47, and 12x13" mounted prints in oversize folders. The only color items, a small number of color transparencies, are located in folders 43.12-13. The Container List collocates all of the prints and transparencies, regardless of size or location, into a single alphabetical listing by show title or name of person.
The very small group of papers in Series II includes a few letters and notes by Golby, a small collection of programs, and tearsheets and clippings either about Golby or that include published versions of his photographs. The scrapbook in this series documents the 1936 production of
In 2012, previously uncataloged negatives were added to the original inventory. The negatives are located in boxes 50-64. Boxes 50-63 contain rolls of 35mm and 120 negatives. Box 64 contains individual frames or strips of negatives in various formats as well as three glass plate lantern slides. The folder descriptions for the negatives have been integrated into the existing listing. High resolution images of the boxes where the rolls of negatives were originally stored are available in the reading room. Additionally, the labels that contained identifying information were removed from the boxes and are located in folder 43.22. Both provide evidence of the original order of this part of the collection. An advance appointment is required to view photographic negatives in the Reading Room.