Guide to the Papers of Desmond Digby

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MS 10172

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Created: 2016

Collection Summary

Creator
Digby, Desmond
Title
Papers of Desmond Digby
Date Range
1953 - 2014
Collection Number
MS 10172
Extent
21.9 metres (24 MS Boxes; 2 Large Folio Boxes; 1 Medium Folio Box; 15 Map Folios)
Language of Materials
English
Repository
Special Collections (Manuscripts)

Introduction

Content Description

The collection comprises set and costume designs by Desmond Digby for Opera Australia, the Australian Ballet and the Elizabethan Trust Opera including Dame Joan Sutherland's farewell performance at the Sydney Opera House in 1990; original drawings and artwork for the Bottersnikes and Gumbles books by S.A. Wakefield; scrapbooks, personal and professional correspondence, photographs and memorabilia including the program for Joan Sutherland's role debut in Lucia di Lammermoor at Covent Garden, 1959.

Conditions Governing Access

Access conditions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat- vn6892612).

Conditions Governing Use

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Desmond Digby, National Library of Australia, MS 10172, [class/series/file/item number]'.

Item Descriptions

Series. Correspondence and related papers

Including clippings and photographs.

Bundles of Opera Press Clippings (x3), 1970s (File) - Box 1

Desmond Digby and James Alison personal photographs and ephemera, 1950s-1980s (File) - Box 1

Monograph by Moffatt Oxenbould relating to Desmond Digby's career and artistry, 2001 (File) - Box 1

Desmond Digby general papers;, 1960s-2000 (File) - Box 2

Desmond Digby "Opera Politics", 1971-1992 (File) - Box 2

Dame Joan Sutherland Lakme and Suor Angelica, 1970-1980 (File) - Box 2

Opera Souvenir and Programs, 1969-1970 (File) - Box 2

Bottersnikes and Gumbles theatre program, 1982 (File) - Box 2

Dame Joan Sutherland Farewell Opera Australia, 1990 (File) - Box 2

Exhibitions South Yarra Galleries Melbourne, 1961, 1964, 1969 (File) - Box 2

Art Exhibitions Galleries general, 1962-1978 (File) - Box 2

Exhibitions: Clune Galleries, Sydney; Macquarie Gallery, Sydney; Australian Galleries, Melbourne; Johnstone Galleries, Brisbane, 1959-1975 (File) - Box 2

Series. Career files

Includes original designs, photographs, clippings, research material, theatre programs, souvenirs, publications.

Die Fledermaus A.E.T.T. Opera Company Director Stefan Beinl, 1963 (File) - Box 3

Patrick White's A Cheery Soul Union Theatre Repertory Company, Melbourne, 1963 (File) - Box 3

Patrick White's The Season at Sarsaparilla, Director Joan Tasker, Adelaide, A.E.T.T., 1962, 1963 (File) - Box 3

Hamlet, Old Tote Theatre Company, Director Tom Brown, 1963 (File) - Box 3

The Royal Command Performance NZOC, A Unicorn for Christmas, Director John Trevor, 1963 (File) - Box 3

A Man for All Seasons, A.E.T.T., Director Raymond Westwell, 1962 (File) - Box 3

La Traviatta, A.E.T.T. Opera Company, Director Stefan Haag, 1961 (File) - Box 4

Oedipus Rex, Theatre Projects, Sydney , Director John Tasker, 1960 (File) - Box 4

Work With Hugh Skillen, designer and Theatrical prop maker, London, 1957 (File) - Box 4

Slade School of Fine Arts, London, 1955-1957 (File) - Box 4

New Zealand Players, 1953-1954 (File) - Box 5

The Rape of Lucretia, Australian Opera, Director Moffatt Oxenbould, 1971 (File) - Box 5

Sketches (x2) for aborted production of Othello, Director Tito Gobbi, 1969-1970 (File) - Box 5

Falstaff - Headgear, A.E.T.T. Opera Company, Director Stephan Beinl, 1969 (File) - Box 5

Un Ballo in Maschera, A.E.T.T., Director Tom Brown, 1969 (File) - Box 5

Un Ballo in Maschera, A.E.T.T., Director Tom Brown, 1969 (File) - Box 6

La Fanciulla del West, A.E.T.T. Opera Company, Director Stephen hall, 1968 (File) - Box 6

Don Carlo, A.E.T.T. Opera Company, Director John Young, 1968 (File) - Box 6

School for Fathers, A.E.T.T. Opera Company, Director Stephan Beinl, 1968 (File) - Box 6

Rondino, Esmeralda, The Australian Ballet, 1964-65 (File) - Box 6

Le Conservatoire, The Australian Ballet, 1965 (File) - Box 6

Cosi Fan Tutte, A.E.T.T. Opera Company, Directoe Stefan Haag, 1964 (File) - Box 6

Henry V, A.E.T.T. Opera Company, Director Tom Brown, 1964 (File) - Box 6

Henry V, A.E.T.T. Opera Company, Director Tom Brown, 1964 (File) - Box 7

Mylar sheets (x5) containing pencil drawings ofn tracing paper from Das Rheingold and Die Walkure, Australian Opera, Director Andrew Sinclair, 1983-1984 (File) - Folio-Box 8

Costume sketches/designs (x5)from Hamlet, Australian Opera, Director Lotfi Mansouri, 1982 (File) - Folio-Box 8

Royal Gala Performance theatre program, 1954 (File) - Folio-Box 8

The Tintookies promotional poster, AETT/Marionette Theatre of Australia - directed by Peter Scriven (File) - Folio-Box 8

Issues of Fiction and Poetry Journal (x5), 1984 (File) - Folio-Box 8

Issues of The Sydney Mail (x3)- Sydney Harvour Bridge souvenir material, 1932 (File) - Folio-Box 8

Tosca - specific costumes, AETT Opera Company, Director Stephan Beinl/Stefan Haag, 1967 (File) - Folio-Box 8

Acrylic paintings x 2 (File) - Folio-Box 8

Original designs, Opera Australia, Dame Joan Sutherland Farewell/Souvenir program/supper backcloth, 1990 (File) - Folio-Box 8

Costume sketches 'La Traviata', 1961 (File) - Folio-Box 8

Costume sketches Cosi Fan Tutte, AETT, 1964 (File) - Folio-Box 8

Publication- A Dramatic Appearance:New Zealand theatre 1920-1970 bu Peter Harcourt, signed, 1978 (File) - Folio-Box 8

Die Walkure,Australian Opera, Director Andrew Sinclair, 1983 (File) - Box 9

Das Rheingold, Australian Opera, Director Andrew Sinclair, 1984 (File) - Box 9

Fiddler on the Roof, Australian Opera, 1984 (File) - Box 9

Notebook/sketchbook (File) - Box 9

Fiddler on the Roof, Australian Opera, 1984 (File) - Box 9

Hamlet, Australian Opera, Director Lotfi Mansouri, 1982 (File) - Box 9

Hamlet, Australian Opera, Director Lotfi Mansouri, 1985 (File) - Box 10

Lakme, Australian Opera, Director Norman Ayrton, 1976 (File) - Box 10

Il Trittico, Australian Opera, Director Moffatt Oxenbould, 1973 (File) - Box 10

Un Ballo in Maschera, Australian Opera Revival, Director Stefan Haag, 1975 (File) - Box 10

Cavalleria Rusticana, Australian Opera, Director Stephen Hall and Pagliacci, Australian opera, Director stephen hall, 1972 (File) - Box 10

Cavalleria Rusticana, Australian Opera, Director Stephen Hall, 1972 (File) - Box 11

Pagliacci, Australian opera, Director Stephen Hall, 1972 (File) - Box 11

Pavlova programs,Ballet programs, Melba programs,New Tivoli Theatre programs,, 1940s-1950s (File) - Box 11

JC Williamson theatre programs, 1920s-1930s (File) - Box 12

Sydney Harbour Bridge souvenir program, 1932 (File) - Box 12

Souvenir Theatre programs, 1920-1957 (File) - Box 12

Cinema Australia programs,, 1976 (File) - Box 12

The Sydney Morning Herald- Sydney harbour Bridge supplement, 1932 (File) - Folio 13

Costume sketches for The Rape of Lucretia, Australian Opera, Director Moffatt Oxenbould, 1971 (File) - Box 21

Theatre programs Melba and Bullet seasons, 1928-1973 (File) - Box 22

Sydney Harbour Bridge souvenir material, 1923-1970 (File) - Box 22

Old Vic Theatre Company programs, 1948 (File) - Box 22

Opera programs, 1934-1938 (File) - Box 22

Australian Nature Pictures - Edited by Chas Barrett (File) - Box 22

Australia Magazine/Journal, 1939-1940 (File) - Box 23

Publications with scenic photographs of Australia and New Zealand, 1914-? (File) - Box 23

Ballet programs, 1940-1954 (File) - Box 23

JCW Magazine, 1940 (File) - Box 23

The Sutherland-Williamson International Grand Opera Company; Her Majesty's Theatre programs, 1965 (File) - Box 24

Backgrounds and acrylic sketches from which paintings and designs were developed. (File) - Box 24

Colour transparencies (35mm): Paintings "Hat ladies", Macquarie Gallery, 1965 (File) - Box 25

Colour transparencies (6x6 ): Transparencies, Die Fledermaus, Elizabeth Trust Opera, 1963 (File) - Box 25

Colour transparencies (6x6 ): Transparencies of paintings, Man for all seasons (File) - Box 25

Colour transparencies (35mm): : "A man for all seasons, AETT, 1962 (File) - Box 25

Colour transparencies (6x6 ): Henry V, 1964 Adelaide Festival, AETT, 1964 (File) - Box 25

Scale model cut out figures for set models "Fiddler on the Roof" Australian Opera, 1984 (File) - Box 25

Costume paintings for Cosi Fan Tutte, AETT Opera Company, Director Stefan Haag, 1964 (File) - Box 26

Joan Sutherland related material- includes some correspondence, program for her role debut in Lucia di Lammermoor at Covent Garden (1959), 2 x Opera magazines with Sutherland on the cover, 1st Alcina and 1st Lucia, various Newspaper clippings ;1 small framed signed photograph of Joan Sutherland in Suor Angelica, Sydney (1977), 1959-2010 (File) - Box 27

Scrapbooks (x2) - A Unicorn for Christmas and Henry V, Odds and Ends", 1960s (File) - Folio-Box 28

Original costume designsfor "Die Walkure" The Australian Opera, 1983 (File) - Folio 29

Bottersnikes and Gumbles (4 books) - original artwork, coloured covers (File) - Folio 30

Costume sketches - Die Walkuere (1983) and Rheingold (1984), The Australian Opera, 1983-1984 (File) - Folio 31

Costume sketches - Die Walkuere (1983) and Rheingold (1984), The Australian Opera, 1983-1985 (File) - Folio 32

Original costume ideas for Patrick White's A Cheery Soul, Melbourne Theatre Company, 1963 (File) - Folio 33

Mounted Black and White photograph Oedipus Rex, Theatre Project, Sydney, Director John Tasker, 1960 (File) - Folio 34

Numbered limited edition prints (x5) of Joan Sutherland's costume in Act 1 of Delibes' Lakme (Nos: 705,706,897,898,900) The Australian Opera, Sydney Opera House, 1976 (File) - Folio 34

Black and White photograph (x2) of cast members on stage in the Revival of the Rape of Lucretia, Austtalian Opera, 1980 (File) - Folio 34

Program design for Dandy Dick first tour, 1953 (File) - Folio 34

Black and White photographic portarits of Desmond Digby, 1950s-1960s (File) - Folio 34

Black and White photograph, group portrait of New Zealand Players, 1953-1954 (File) - Folio 34

Mounted Black and White photograph of Leonie Leahy performing in Rondino, The Australian Ballet, 1964 (File) - Folio 34

Mounted Black and White photograph of Marilyn Jones and Garth Welch performing in Le Conservatoire, Australian Ballet, 1965 (File) - Folio 34

Student Design sketches, Slade Scholl, London, 1955-1957 (File) - Folio 35

Design first sketches from La Traviata, 1961 (File) - Folio-Box 36

Costume designs for A man for all Seasons, 1962 (File) - Folio-Box 36

Costume designs for Violetta, La Traviata, Elizabethan Trust Opera, 1962 (File) - Folio-Box 36

Photographic publications (x3)- Picturesque Launceston, Beauty Spots Hobart and Surrounding Districts, Jenolan Caves; (File) - Folio-Box 36

Royal Command Performance " A Unicorn for Christmas" special presentation programs, St James Theatre Auckland; " A Unicorn for Christmas" World Premiere programs, St James Theatre Wellington;Framed painting of illustration used for " A Unicorn for Christmas" programs, 1962-1963 (File) - Folio-Box 36

Design (with fabric sample on verso of frame) for Dame Joan Sutherland's Lakme, Australian Opera, 1976 (File) - Folio 37

Design for Fiddler from Fiddler on the Roof, Australian Opera, 1984 (File) - Folio 38

Costume designs or Don Carlos (female chorus) and Masked Ball (male chorus), Australian Opera, 1968 (File) - Folio 39

Costume sketches mounted on cardboard for Henry V, Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust plus 1 x exhibition invite for Design for the Theatre; A Collection of Paintings and Costumes by Courtesy of the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust, Auckland, 1964 (File) - Folio 40

Tube containing 5 x fine art reprodutions for Lakme (1 copy, numbered) and Lady Bowlers (2 copies, West Australian Art Gallery), 2x program copies of the ballroom scene from Un Ballo in Maschera, Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust Opera (1969), 1969-1975 (File) - Folio 41

Series. Bottersnikes & Gumbles

Original drawings,artworks and paste ups for four of the Bottersnikes and Gumbles books, 1967-1989 (File) - Box 15

Original drawings,artworks and paste ups for four of the Bottersnikes and Gumbles books, 1967-1990 (File) - Box 16

Original drawings,artworks and paste ups for four of the Bottersnikes and Gumbles books, 1967-1991 (File) - Box 17

Original drawings,artworks and paste ups for four of the Bottersnikes and Gumbles books, 1967-1992 (File) - Box 18

Original drawings,artworks and paste ups for four of the Bottersnikes and Gumbles books, 1967-1993 (File) - Box 19

Original drawings,artworks and paste ups for four of the Bottersnikes and Gumbles books, 1967-1994 (File) - Box 20

Series. Publications

Sydney Panoramas, Blue Mountains Panoramas (File) - Folio 14

Series. Colour transparancies

Twelve 6 x 6 colour transparencies originally housed in Box 1 in folder titled 'Desmond Digby and James Alison personal photographs and ephemera', 1950s-1980s (File) - Box 42

Two 6 x 6 colour transparencies originally housed in Box 4 in folder titled 'Work With Hugh Skillen", 1957 (File) - Box 42

One 6 x 6 colour transparencies originally housed in Box 4 in folder titled 'Slade School of Fine Arts, London', 1955-1957 (File) - Box 42

Fourteen unmounted 35mm colour transparancies originally housed in Box 9 in folder titled 'Das Rheingold, Australian Opera, Director Andrew Sinclair', 1984 (File) - Box 42

Forty three mounted 35mm colour transparencies: Paintings "Hat ladies", Macquarie Gallery, 1965 (File) - Box 42

Seventy two mounted 6x6 colour transparencies: Transparencies, Die Fledermaus, Elizabeth Trust Opera, 1963 (File) - Box 42

Nineteen mounted 6 x6 Transparencies of paintings of a Man for all seasons (File) - Box 42

Eight strips of 16 mm film of "A man for all seasons, AETT, 1962 (File) - Box 42

Four mounted and fifty one unmounted 6x6 colour transparencies of Henry V, 1964 Adelaide Festival, AETT, 1964 (File) - Box 42


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