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Portland Civic Theatre photographs collection, circa 1925-1994

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Portland Civic Theatre (Portland, Or.)
Title
Portland Civic Theatre photographs collection
Dates
circa 1925-1994 (inclusive)
Quantity
18.69 cubic feet, (Approx. 1,000 photographs, 73 slides, and approximately 500 negatives in 43 document cases and 9 oversize boxes)
Collection Number
Org. Lot 847
Summary
This collection documents many of the productions, actors, staff, and special events of the Portland Civic Theatre company in Portland, Or., circa 1925 to 1994. Most of the collection consists of production photographs of shows throughout the history of the company. The images were produced by many photographers, including a set of signed photographic prints of actors by Minor White, ca. 1940. The collection also includes images from Junior Civic Theatre productions and the Portland Civic Theatre (P.C.T.) Academy.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Funding for preparing this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
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Historical Note

The first two decades of the twentieth century were golden years for live theatre in Portland. Evening and afternoon entertainment by stock companies, road shows and vaudeville flourished. By 1925, however, empty theatres caused by the disappearance of these performing groups energized three Portland women, Susan Farrell, Florence Bristol and Delta Spencer, "the founders," to organize a new company, the Art Theatre Players. Within a year they presented their first production, Henrietta the Eighth. (Included in the cast were Susan Farrell and future culinary expert James Beard). In 1929, concerned that they appeared to others to be a private organization, the members changed the name of their company to the Portland Civic Theatre (PCT). Several player groups merged into the newly-named group.

In 1934 the Portland Civic Theatre School was started with Doris Smith, an actress and drama coach, as dean. Their first production, at the Reed College Bowl, was Twelfth Night. Subsequently the Board declined an offer from Reed College for a piece of land and $15,000 towards a theatre building, fearing that the Reed location might be too distant from downtown. The theatre was then located on NW Burnside. In 1936, the Blue Room for touring shows was fashioned out of this rented space. In 1937, Donald Mayre became the theatre's director. He would stay for the next twelve years.

Adverse conditions related to unsatisfactory work facilities and the need to hire theatres stimulated the Board to raise money and build a theatre at 1530 SW Yamhill Street. After it opened, in 1942, the Junior Civic Theatre began producing plays for children by children. Jim Cameron succeeded Donald Mayre in 1949.

The 1950s and 1960s were very productive years. A twelve-month season in the theatre was inaugurated, summer musicals with the Portland Symphonic Choir were produced, a summer beach season was initiated, and in 1958 the PCT Guild was founded by Mary Brand as an independent support group (it is still active). In 1965 PCT membership numbered 3,125.

However, in 1968 an emergency appeal for funds was sent to all members. By 1971 membership had dwindled to 1,525, and the theatre building was mortgaged. New ideas were tried: the Guest Director System was initiated by Isabella Chappell, who had become the general manager, and Summer Repertory Onstage (S.R.O.), the first theatre to pay local actors, was founded by Bill Dobson. Twelve years later a PCT production, Sunday in the Park with George, was the opening performance in the new Portland Performing Arts Center. The Portland Civic Theatre for Youth, under the management of Sondra Pearlman, started in-school productions at the Civic Auditorium.

PCT had been one of the largest Community Theatres in the country in terms of budget, at $1 million, and its programs included two theatres, a school, the S.R.O. series, and a professional children's theatre. Yet PCT continued to struggle for a variety of complex and intertwined reasons, and eventually closed in June 1990. The theatre building was sold to the MALCO company, and in 1993 it was demolished.

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Content Description

The Portland Civic Theatre Photographs Collection (Org. Lot 847) documents many of the productions, actors, staff, and special events of the Portland Civic Theatre company in Portland, Or., from circa 1925 to 1994. A significant portion of the collection consists of production photographs that document shows throughout the history of the company. The images were produced by many photographers, including a set of signed photographic prints of actors by Minor White, ca. 1940. The collection also includes images from Junior Civic Theatre productions and the Portland Civic Theatre (P.C.T.) Academy. The P.C.T. Academy produced Junior Civic Theatre shows after the Portland Civic Theatre's dissolution in 1990.

Other photographers represented in this collection include Claude V. Neuffer, Louise Phillips, and the Edris Morrison Studio and Photo Art Studios of Portland, Or.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

Portland Civic Theatre photographs collection, Org. Lot 847, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into three series:

  • Series A: Productions, 1927-1993
  • Series B: Photographs of Individuals, circa 1930s-circa 1990s
  • Series C: Special Events Photographs, circa 1925-1994

Custodial History

The materials in the collection were originally housed in various locations, including the offices of the Portland Civic Theatre and the homes of those associated with the organization. Beginning in 1986, Director Emeritus Isabella Chappell began assembling the materials into a single archival collection. In 1996, after the Civic Theatre's dissolution, the materials were transferred to the Oregon Historical Society, where they were processed by Mrs. Chappell with the help of volunteers and the Historical Society staff.

Acquisition Information

Library Accession no. 25568.

Processing Note

Most of the photographs in this collection were removed from the Portland Civic Theatre records, Mss 2965, in the course of processing that collection in the Oregon Historical Society.

Separated Materials

Manuscripts have been separated into the Portland Civic Theatre Records, Mss 2965, at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Related Materials

The Oregon Historical Society Research Library holds the related Edris Morrison Studio (Portland, Or.) photographs collection, Org. Lot 130. Edris Morrison produced many photographs for the Portland Civic Theatre and also participated in several productions.

The Oregon Historical Society Research Library also holds oral history recordings for a number of people associated with the Portland Civic Theatre. These include: Isabelle Kidd Ashcroft (SR 9532), Janet D. Baumhover (SR 9533), Isabella N. Chappell (SR 9534), Allison H. Dean (SR 9057), Edith Stevenson Ormandy Essex (SR 9536), Susan May Richards Farrell (SR 9435), Harvey S. Giffin (SR 9537), Mildred Butzer Ingdahl (SR 9535), Mary Marsh (SR 9538), Edris Noble Cox Morrison (SR 9539), and Doris B. Smith (SR 9540).

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Finding aid prepared by Andrew Bryans, Erica Goodwin, Sharon Howe, and Geoffrey Wexler. Collection arranged by Isabella Chappell, Erica Goodwin, Andrew Bryans, Geoffrey Wexler, Lauren Lee, and Val Ballestrem.
2004

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