Theatre collection

The theatre collection holds approximately 750,000 items. In the CES[PG1] , 508,143 numbers are recorded. According to the type of material they hold, the fonds are divided into the following groups:

• The collection of manuscripts numbers over 50,000 items. It chiefly contains archive material relating to the history of individual theatres (the archive of the Society for the Establishment of a Czech National Theatre, torsos of the archives of the Stavovské (Estates) Theatre, the Vinohradské Theatre and the Švanda Theatre). Besides the collection of manuscripts, the collection of old prints and the library are the oldest fonds. The library holds over 40,000 volumes, including books published from the early 17th century to the present. It contains works of history of Czech and foreign theatre, publications on the theory of theatre, theatre plays by Czech and foreign authors, both in the original language and in translation, almanacs, theatre magazines, puppeteering literature and puppet plays. Besides the multi-volume encyclopaedias and complete plays by classic authors, the library holds a collection of cabaret texts and occasional publications, most of them relating to the history of the National Theatre. Some of the theatre plays contain valuable director's or stage manager's notes, and also censorship notes and sections crossed out for a particular staging.
• The collection of theatre posters (signs) and programmes is of great historical documentary value. The signs offer a relatively exact record of what was performed at various places and with what cast. They are a source of information about the number of performances of individual productions, and they help us put together lists of roles for actors and the repertory of theatres. Often, they are the only documents of plays that did not survive to this day, on half-forgotten figures who in past centuries laid the foundations for today's sophisticated theatre culture.
• The collection of visual material includes stage and costume designs, maquettes, actual theatre costumes, pictures and a separate puppet theatre collection. The collection, numbering 30,000 pieces, consists of several quite small separate sections. First of all, there is the scenography collection (stage and costume designs, staging models), then the iconography collection (portraits of important figures of the Czech theatre in various media, such as prints, paintings and busts) and the puppeteering collection. There is also an interesting set of actual theatre costumes and props. This collection, which is unique in Europe, consists of large section of artists' estates, and individual designs documenting the work of significant visual artists. It numbers over 20,000 designs for decorations, theatre sets, backdrops, costumes and props, and technical drawings
• The collection of photographs and negatives holds almost half a million items, more than any other fonds within the theatre collection.
• The collection of audio recordings was begun only after World War II. In addition to new recordings, older audio recordings were gradually added.
• "Trophies" (3D[PG2] objects commemorating important figures of the theatre). The collection holds artefacts of high artistic value as well as unusual everyday objects.
• Collection of circus and variety show art. Currently, the collection contains 26,000 individual items documenting Czech circus and variety shows from the late 1950s to the recent past. The material it holds is diverse: almost 10,000 photographs, artistic posters and daily signs, from which we learn about circus programmes (ca 3,500 in total); over 700 books in the Czech language, and 21 in foreign languages, relating to circuses; 176 digitalized recordings of shows by Czech circus artists; manuscripts, collection sets; plans for the construction of permanent circuses in the country; and finally, historical acrobatic equipment and costumes.