Digitalisation and theatre iconography
Willem Rodenhuis
University of Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Les collections des arts du spectacle et leur traitement
Performing Arts Collections and their Treatment
24ème Congrès International
24st International Conference
Rome, 2-7 septembre 2002
Rome, September 2-7, 2002
Abstract
In my introduction I’ll focus on the close relationship between
the objectives of the methodology of theatre iconography and nowadays technology.
Theatre research is largely depending on related sources as the
performance itself is characterized by its hic et nunc occurance. By tradition researchers
have used among others paintings, drawings, books and pamphlets, programmes, posters,
costume and propdesigns, and other realia as sources for the description of a given
performance. Archives, museumcollections and libraries have collected these items over the
years.
Several initiatives have been developed to connect these sources, in order to facilitate a
better access for researchers: one could think of the thematic series by Chadwyck-Healy,
containing dia-positives in combination with a book. Microfilm has been of use as well, as
for dia-series concentrating on single issues. However, the researcher was still the one
to manage this kind of information and its presentation. The collectionmanagement did not
allow a pro-active attitude when presenting this material, hampered by the limits of what
cardcatalogues and even computers could achieve. Researchmaterial was kept in locus,
waiting for a particular researcher, putting forward his, or her, need for information.
Nowadays digitalisation, and its management, has allowed important
steps to be taken towards a contentlinking of collections, or parts of it. Especially the
stronger machines available since a decade have eased the processing of pictorial
material.
FIRT already has recognized these new horizons by installing a
taskgroup who dedicates itself to the development of a methodology for an applied
theatre-iconography.
Within this framework, and supported by professor Robert Erenstein of the Amsterdam
University, a well-known specialist in the research of the commedia dell’arte, we have
decided to survey the relevant material in the holdings of the Amsterdam
Universitylibrary. Doing so, we have researched on 18th century material, depicting scenes
of plays that were performed in that century. We have also taken into account what already
has been achieved by colleagues, like professor Cesare Molinari in Florence and his
Dionysos-project.
I’ll present you a selection of our findings, the framework we
have built when responding to the questions we wished to solve, as for the questions the
material itself has put forward.
Presenting this framework for you, we are eager to learn more from you as colleagues, to
learn from your own experience and know-how with regard to this promising process, aiming
at a more productive access for researchers to the information they are in search for.
24th Congress
URL:
http://www.sibmas.org/congresses/sibmas2002/Rome13.htm
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