The Archive

“We are thrilled to be able to let you know that we have reached an agreement with The British Library about their acquisition of the D’Oyly Carte Opera Trust’s archive.
This is excellent news for D’Oyly Carte and for the public, as it means that the archive will remain in the UK, be housed appropriately, conserved and properly catalogued. It also means that it will be accessible once again to the public for research purposes.
A fuller public announcement including greater detail will be made in due course”.

Surplus archive stock is still available for purchase from D’Oyly Carte.

Visit the archive

The Archive contains:

Correspondence

Company correspondence from the 1900s

Financial Records

D’Oyly Carte accounts from 1880s

Music Parts

Music parts for non G & S operas e.g. The Vicar of Bray, The Chieftan, The Rose of Persia, The Mountebanks

Photographic Records

Production and Publicity photographs from early 1900s

Press Records

Press Cuttings from the 1900s

Programmes

Company programmes from the 1930s

Prompt Books

Prompt books from early 1900s

Vocal Scores

Vocal scores from 1920s

Visit the archive

Archive Surplus

The Archive has the following surplus items available. These items range in price from £2 to £600, depending on rarity and date.

D’Oyly Carte for Schools – pack containing teacher’s notes, stage and character cut-outs for The Pirates of Penzance

The Savoyard (1962-1982) (most issues available)

Posters

The Yeomen of the Guard (Dudley Hardy repro. 1920s)

Billboard

Various New D’Oyly Carte 1989-1998

Iolanthe/The Yeomen of the Guard 1988

The Mikado (Peter Goffin design)

HMS Pinafore (Peter Goffin design)

The Yeomen of the Guard (Hardy)

The Mikado (Hassal)

The Gondoliers (Hassal)

Photographs

Various productions & artists (details available on request)

Programmes

1958-2002 including souvenirs (details available on request)

Booklets

The Mikado – A Centenary Celebration, The Pierpoint Morgan Library, New York City – 1985

D’Oyly Carte in Gilbert & Sullivan Australia & New Zealand – 1979 (large item)

The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company Souvenir – 1961/62

The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company 75th anniversary of first USA tour – 1955

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