Programmes and souvenir brochures

The Adeline Genée archive includes programmes from performances at London’s Empire Theatre at the turn of the 20th century, while Philip Richardson collected programmes from the many Ballroom Competitions and Annual Dance Festivals with which he was involved.

The RAD archive contains programmes for various events, including the Gala Matinées organised by Margot Fonteyn between 1958-1965. Other rare items include programmes from early English ballet companies such as The Cremorne Company (1926) and the Camargo Society (1930), Russian programmes from the Hermitage Theatre in St. Petersburg 1902/1903 and a beautiful bound volume containing a collection of the illustrated souvenir programmes of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes for its ‘Saisons russes’ from 1909 to 1921.

In addition to these historical items the library also houses a significant run of general ballet and dance programmes dating from the 1930s to the present day and including more than 500 companies worldwide. A detailed index is available on site or you can contact us with your enquiry.