Belknap Theatre Broadside Collection

The collection contains 1,184 broadsides advertising theatrical performances in the United States and Great Britain. The broadsides are single sheets, and typically one sided. The bulk of the broadsides are from the 19th century, with very few from the early 20th century. They have been arranged roughly by size (small, medium, large and extra-large) and then filed alphabetically, by the title of the most prominent production on each broadside, within 10 folders. The final folder in the collection includes extra-large items, as well as broadsides that were found later in the organizational process that could not be easily integrated with those already organized and labeled.

Each individual broadside has a description. The description generally contains the title of the major production advertised, the measurements of the broadside, and the year of the performance, if noted. The name of the venue where the performance takes place and geographical information is included when it is evident. In many cases the broadsides were advertising whole programs that included multiple productions; the titles of these additional plays are often included in the description. Also included in the description are any performers who have been clearly marked as headlining in the respective performances.