Historic Photos of Broadway: New York Theater 1850-1970

by Leonard Jacobs (Contributor), Billy Rose Theatre Division (Illustrator)

The history of theater in New York is captured in the images of the Billy Rose Theatre Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. From this valuable archive, author Leonard Jacobs spotlights the evolution of the world’s most storied dramatic community. Reaching from the 1850s to the recent past, these images give insight into the passion and character of the theaters, the performers, and the performances that have made Broadway the iconic cultural capital of theater. With hundreds of images, many never before published,  Historic Photos of Broadway  provides an intriguing look behind the scenes at the Booths and the Barrymores and every subject from the Alvin Theatre to the Ziegfeld Follies, giving those passionate about theater an irreplaceable glimpse into its humble beginnings and rise to greatness over the last two centuries.

220 pages, Hardcover

First published June 18, 2008

Reviews

[Jim Bartruff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing photographs from the Billy Rose Collection at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts...some familiar like Zero Mostel and the Papas in "Fiddler on the Roof" and Ethel Merman in "Annie Get Your Gun"...to rare, like a father-son photo of Junius and Edwin Booth or Katherine Dunham and company in "Cabin in the Sky." This is a must for fans of Broadway.

[Martin Denton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leonard was a colleague of mine back in my theater days, and I remember how excited he was when he got the gig to write this book. He spent a ton of time choosing the photos to include and doing copious research to document each one. There are hundreds of photos in the book, almost all of which I'd never seen before. Great theater photography puts you right on stage with the actors; they provide a glimpse into the stuff of legend. Leonard's annotations are pointed and illuminating, but wisely he lets the pictures do most of the talking, and they are glorious.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The photos in this book have never been published before! Concise details tell the story of success and failure, but faces tell all.