Performance and Entertainment

Digital collections that fall within the John Hay Library’s Performance and Entertainment STRATEGIC COLLECTING DIRECTION. Here you will find digitized materials that document the history and creative process of performing arts and provides a window into public life and popular entertainment in the Americas through plays, dance, film, music, photography, and pornography.
This collection is part of Brown University Library, hosted by Brown University.

This collection has the following subsets:

Items in this collection

An old verse

An old verse

Brown University

At head of text: The following specimen of ingenious versification was published in a Philadelphia paper while the fate of Burgoyne was in doubt. It may be read three different ways .... In the first reading the Revolutionary cause is condemned, and by the others it is encouraged and lauded. Suggested range of publication dates from internal evidence.

An old riddle

An old riddle

Brown University

At head of text: Fifty or sixty years ago ... guessing riddles was a popular form of amusement .... Composed by Isaac Rice, Sr. Newport, R.I.

An old poem

An old poem

Brown University

Written about the year 1835 by Mrs. Hannah Saunders (widow of Arnold Saunders,) who died in 1850. Printed in two columns. Poem in 85 four-line stanzas.

An old home

An old home

Brown University

Printed on heavy white paper in postcard format. Poem in seven four-line stanzas. "Copyright, 1912, by Westcott Wickham"--Verso.

An old home

An old home

Brown University

Printed on heavy white paper in postcard format. Poem in seven four-line stanzas. "Copyright, 1912, by Westcott Wickham"--Verso.

An old home

An old home

Brown University

Printed on heavy white paper in postcard format. Poem in seven four-line stanzas. "Copyright, 1912, by Westcott Wickham"--Verso.

An old fogy's lament

An old fogy's lament

Brown University

French fold; printed on double page. Printed in red, blue and black on watermarked gray laid paper. Wood-engravings by John DePol include landscape in black, pennant inscribed "W" in red, and chair, tureen, hat and coffee grinder in blue. Cover title. Poem in four eight-line stanzas preceded by four-line stanza. Written and printed by Steve Watts. Cf. Typophile chap book commentary 28, p. 8. Reprinted from The pastime printer.

An ode to my album

An ode to my album

Brown University

Poetry. Printed in red and black. Text surrounded by captioned engravings of scenes of a man's life, signed: Lee Engraving Co., Kansas City, M[o] At end of text: Prof. Wm. C. Wilson. Copyrighted 1891. In lower margin: For sale by J.E. Jackson, Dealer in Scarce Books, Engravings and Literary Curios, 246 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y.

An ode of welcome

An ode of welcome

Brown University

At head of text: The following lines were composed in honor of the completion of the South Pacific Coast Railroad to Santa Cruz, May 8, 1880.

An ode from the Century poet

An ode from the Century poet

Brown University

Advertising card printed in sepia on heavy peach paper within double ornamental border; round hole for hanging in center of upper border. At head of title cuts of wall-mounted and standing telephones; at end of text cut of factory buildings captioned: The home of Century apparatus. Poem in five numbered four-line stanzas advertising Century telephones. Suggested date from pencil notation on Brown University copy and from internal evidence, including illustrations.

An ode for the Fourth of March, 1857

An ode for the Fourth of March, 1857

Brown University

Celebrates the inauguration of Buchanan and Breckinridge, and the glory of Andrew Jackson. Celebrates the inauguration of Buchanan and Breckinridge, and the glory of Andrew Jackson. Within border of type ornament sections. Text of song in five nine-line stanzas.