Costume & Performance Design: Theatre Research

The John Johnson Collection
An archive of printed nineteenth-century ephemera, including playbills, tickets, posters, advertisements and illustrations relating to theatrical entertaiment.

V&A Theatre and 
Performance Collection
Searchable digital collections documenting all areas of performing arts, including drama, opera, circus, puppetry, costume, set design, pantomime and more

Paris Music Hall Collection
Original renderings of costume designs and curtain designs for the music halls of Paris, including the Folies Bergere, and the Moulin Rouge, from 1920-1938. 

Las Vegas Showgirls Collection
Photography collection from the University of Nevada, depicting the showgirls of Las Vegas stage, as well as costumes, headdresses and props, from the 1930s-1980s.

Central Saint Martins Theatre Costume Design Collection
Archive collection of costume designs from British designers Jeannetta Cochrane, Pegaret Anthony and Sheila Jackson.

Motley Collection of Theatre and Costume Design
Digital collection of costume and set designs, sketches, photographs, prop lists, storyboards, and fabric swatches, from 1932-1976, at the University of Illinois.

Theatrical Scene and Costume Design Collection
University of Calgary collection featuring a selection of designs from operas, stage plays, ballets, and films, dating from the mid-nineteenth century.

Annette Kellerman Costume Collection
Online collection of costumes, props and memorabilia relating to Annette Kellerman, a swimmer and vaudevillian who pioneered underwater ballet, from 1905-1970.

Daphne Dare Collection
Digital collection of costume and scene designs from more than fifty productions by British designer Daphne Dare.

The Ringling Circus Museum
Selections from the permanent collection of posters and photographs documenting the history of the American circus at Florida State University.

Ballet Russes: The Art of Costume
National Gallery of Australia resource for Ballet Russes costumes, listed by ballet or by designer, including Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris and Sonia Delaunay.

Theatre to Cinema: Stage Pictorialism and the Early Feature Film
University of Wisconsin collection of images documenting the ways the live stage influenced films, from early film to 1910s.

Digital Theatre Plus
Recordings of theatrical productions, documentaries set backstage and interviews with directors, costume designers and other practioners.

BoB National
TV and radio programmes, including recordings of theatrical and dance productions.

A selection of productions can be found in this BoB playlist.

Theatre Performance and Design Collection
Collection covering all aspects of theatre, from production and design to performance. Includes full video performances from the National Theatre, BroadwayHD and the Royal Shakespeare Company.