Historic Photos of Broadway: New York Theater 1850-1970

“. . .   an amazing, remarkable and hard-to-put-down book.”

— Talk Entertainment, Oscar E. Moore

With 240 carefully selected photographs and memorabilia from the Library's acclaimed Billy Rose Theatre Collection, Historic Photos of Broadway: New York Theater 1850-1970 celebrates the Great White Way, the undisputed pinnacle of success and achievement on the American stage. Dating 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 from the Booths and Barrymores to Maxine Elliott's Theatre and the Ziegfeld Follies, giving those passionate about theater an irreplaceable glimpse into its humble beginning and rise to greatness over the last two centuries.

Leonard Jacobs, formerly the National Theatre Editor of Back Stage, the trade publication for American actors, is currently chief critic for the New York Press; he was also the founding editor of Theatermania.com. The author of 10 plays and director of 40, he is a Tony voter and a member of the Drama Desk and American Theatre Critics Association.