Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. Hellman, Lillian, 1905-1984
2. Darion, Joe, 1917-2001
3. Leigh, Mitch, 1928-2014
4. Wasserman, Dale
5. Bizet, Georges, 1838-1875
6. Hammerstein, Oscar, II, 1895-1960
7. Fields, Dorothy, 1905-1974
8. Fields, Herbert, 1897-1958
9. Romberg, Sigmund, 1887-1951
10. Willson, Meredith, 1902-1984
11. Appell, Don
12. Herman, Jerry, 1931-2019
13. Kern, Jerome, 1885-1945
14. Harburg, E. Y. (Edgar Yipsel), 1896-1981
15. Lane, Burton, 1912-1997
16. Hart, Lorenz, 1895-1943
17. Rodgers, Richard, 1902-1979
18. Inge, William
19. Shaffer, Peter, 1926-2016

Description

1. 53 linear feet (40 boxes)

Summary

1. Original designs form the bulk of this collection covering Howard Bay's varied career as set designer and professor. The collection consists of designs from thirty-six productions, including technical drawings, painter's elevations, rough sketches, set renderings, light plots, detail drawings and preliminary drawings. The designs span most of Bay's work, from Broadway to hia lesser-known productions for colleges and universities. The remainder of the collection consists of correspondence, office files, published articles, clippings, and programs. The photograph series is largely production-related but does include some portraits and snapshots of Bay, including a group scene with Donald Oenslager and Laurence Olivier. The collection also includes awards received by Bay.

Subject

1. Bay, Howard
2. Theaters -- Stage-setting and scenery

Genre/Form

1. Awards.
2. Clippings.
3. Correspondence.
4. Design drawings.
5. Detail drawings (drawings)
6. Diazotypes.
7. Elevations.
8. Photographs.
9. Preliminary drawings (drawings)
10. Preliminary sketches (sketches)
11. Programs.
12. Renderings.
13. Technical drawings.

Call number

1. *T-Vim 1986-007

Biography (note)

1. Howard Bay (1912-1986), whose career spanned more than fifty years, was considered by some to be the dean of American stage designers. Bay's set and lighting arrangements were used in some 170 Broadway shows. He received two Tony Awards as a scenic designer; the first for his work on Lillian Hellman's play, Toys in the Attic (1960), and the second, for Man of La Mancha (1966), the musical written by Mitch Leigh, Joe Darion, and Dale Wasserman. Other notable work for musical theater included the designs for the original productions of Carmen Jones (1943), Oscar Hammerstein's adaptation of the George Bizet opera, Carmen, Up in Central Park (1945) by Sigmund Romberg and Herbert and Dorothy Fields, Meredith Willson's The Music Man (1957), and Milk & Honey (1961) by Jerry Herman and Don Appell. In addition to original productions, Bay worked on revivals of Show Boat (1946) by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein, Finian's Rainbow (1955) by Burton Lane and Yip Harburg, and Pal Joey (1963) by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart on Broadway and at City Center. He also worked on numerous dramatic productions, including both the original version and the revival of Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes (1939; 1946), William Inge's Come Back, Little Sheba (1950), and the American premiere of Peter Shaffer's Equus (1974). As a designer, he is remembered for his practical and realistic approach. Bay's designs have been used for operas, films, touring productions, and television productions. He also taught set design at various schools, spending fourteen years at Brandeis University.

Indexes/finding aids (note)

1. Collection guide available in repository and on internet.

Author

1. Bay, Howard.

Title

1. Howard Bay designs and technical drawings, 1934-1985.

Biography

1. Howard Bay (1912-1986), whose career spanned more than fifty years, was considered by some to be the dean of American stage designers. Bay's set and lighting arrangements were used in some 170 Broadway shows. He received two Tony Awards as a scenic designer; the first for his work on Lillian Hellman's play, Toys in the Attic (1960), and the second, for Man of La Mancha (1966), the musical written by Mitch Leigh, Joe Darion, and Dale Wasserman. Other notable work for musical theater included the designs for the original productions of Carmen Jones (1943), Oscar Hammerstein's adaptation of the George Bizet opera, Carmen, Up in Central Park (1945) by Sigmund Romberg and Herbert and Dorothy Fields, Meredith Willson's The Music Man (1957), and Milk & Honey (1961) by Jerry Herman and Don Appell. In addition to original productions, Bay worked on revivals of Show Boat (1946) by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein, Finian's Rainbow (1955) by Burton Lane and Yip Harburg, and Pal Joey (1963) by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart on Broadway and at City Center. He also worked on numerous dramatic productions, including both the original version and the revival of Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes (1939; 1946), William Inge's Come Back, Little Sheba (1950), and the American premiere of Peter Shaffer's Equus (1974). As a designer, he is remembered for his practical and realistic approach. Bay's designs have been used for operas, films, touring productions, and television productions. He also taught set design at various schools, spending fourteen years at Brandeis University.

Indexes

1. Collection guide available in repository and on internet.

Connect to:

1. Request Access to Theatre Division Special Collections material
2. Selections available in NYPL Digital Collections
3. Finding Aid

Occupation

1. Set designers.

Added author

1. Hellman, Lillian, 1905-1984. Toys in the attic.
2. Darion, Joe, 1917-2001. Man of La Mancha.
3. Leigh, Mitch, 1928-2014. Man of La Mancha.
4. Wasserman, Dale. Man of La Mancha.
5. Bizet, Georges, 1838-1875. Carmen (Carmen Jones)
6. Hammerstein, Oscar, II, 1895-1960. Carmen Jones.
7. Fields, Dorothy, 1905-1974. Up in Central Park.
8. Fields, Herbert, 1897-1958. Up in Central Park.
9. Romberg, Sigmund, 1887-1951. Up in Central Park.
10. Willson, Meredith, 1902-1984. Music man.
11. Appell, Don. Milk and honey.
12. Herman, Jerry, 1931-2019. Milk and honey.
13. Hammerstein, Oscar, II, 1895-1960. Show boat.
14. Kern, Jerome, 1885-1945. Show boat.
15. Harburg, E. Y. (Edgar Yipsel), 1896-1981. Finian's rainbow.
16. Lane, Burton, 1912-1997. Finian's rainbow.
17. Hart, Lorenz, 1895-1943. Pal Joey.
18. Rodgers, Richard, 1902-1979. Pal Joey.
19. Hellman, Lillian, 1905-1984. Little foxes.
20. Inge, William. Come back little Sheba.
21. Shaffer, Peter, 1926-2016. Equus.

Research call number

1. *T-Vim 1986-007