From the Library of Congress Archives: The Magic of the American Variety Stage

The American Variety Stage Collection through the Library of Congress is a major anthology celebrating the American theatre scene. The multimedia anthology celebrates the evolution of the theatre through images and videos.

According to the Library of Congress, the collection illustrates the diverse and magnificent forms of theatre as a form of popular entertainment. It showcases vaudeville that thrived in America between 1870 and 1920.

The collection features 334 English and Yiddish language playscripts, 146 theater playbills and programs, 61 motion pictures, 10 sound recording, 143 photographs and so much more. It even includes 29 memorabilia items documenting the magical life and career of the great Harry Houdini.

The anthology continues to grow and will continue to showcases the birth and evolution of theater in America. The digital collection also features a large selection of artifacts that can be viewed.

"Of all the types of variety entertainment, comedy is the best represented in this collection. The English-language playscripts provide a wealth of information about what audiences found amusing, or at least what writers thought the audience would find funny. One can also learn about such things as comedic techniques used, the structure of comic sketches, subjects used for comedic purposes, and how material was customized for specific entertainers. As well, the collection can help shed light on the ways that vaudevillians tried to deal with contemporary topics and concerns, especially those that now seem inappropriate (such as ethnic stereotypes, gender and race prejudices, etc.), a topic that is especially ripe for study."

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