East London Theatre Archive

Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is ELTA?

The East London Theatre Archive (ELTA) is a database of performing arts resources, including playbills, programmes, press cuttings, photographs, and original archival material, ranging from the 1820s to the present. In creating nearly 15,000 digital images, relating to different East London theatres, ELTA has made a number of theatrical collections easily accessible, via the internet, to both an academic and a popular audience.

The ELTA database is not a complete archive of all East London material in existence. The Project partners may have additional objects, relating to different areas of the database. Also, there are other East London Theatre collections housed throughout the world that were not part of this Project. However, we are planning to extend the archive gradually, subject to further funding.

How can I find out about the ELTA project partners or contact them?

Go to either the About section, where there are also contact details for the project partners, or contact ELTA directly.

Where are the objects in the ELTA website kept?

Most of the objects are kept at the various partner institutions, and some are housed at the University of East London. See the About section.

Can I access the original objects?

The objects have all been photographed to give as much detail as possible, since many of the items are fragile and difficult to handle. However, should you need to see an object in person, contact the institution responsible for the image. This information is supplied on each page at the foot of the image(s) next to the copyright symbol. It may also be helpful to supply the Local ID number(s) at the foot of each record if there is one. See the About section for the contact details of partner institutions,

The images in the essays, and on the home page, have been supplied by the V&A Theatre Collections, and are taken from individual records within the ELTA site.

Can I obtain a copy of an image?

ELTA material can be used in any way and for any such purposes that are conducive to education, teaching, learning, private study and/or research as long as they are in compliance with the terms and conditions of our Licence.

More information can also be found on the Copyright pages.

Can I buy an image or use it commercially?

Please contact us either via the Contact page, or go to the About section to contact the collection holder.

Will more material be added to the ELTA site?

New material will be added subject to further funding. We are working on funding bids and identifying new funding streams on an on-going basis. If you would like to discuss new opportunities and addition of new material, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Finding information within the ELTA site

How do I do a quick search?

Type any word(s) into the Quick search box at the top of the page.

E.g. type a word (dogs), a name (Irving or Washington Irving) or a short phrase (Napoleonic wars) and a list of items matching the search will be provided. Omit all punctuation.

Can I use any words in a search?

The database is keyword searchable so if a word appears in the record, that record will appear in the search results. Lower case and/or upper case letters can be used. If no results are displayed, then either that word doesn't appear in the database, or an alternative word or spelling needs to be entered.

The ELTA site uses the Library of Congress subject terms (the words listed in the Subjects fields in the records) so occasionally an American spelling, or terminology, may be required. For example, `ladybugs', and not `ladybirds'; sometimes `theater' instead of `theatre'. Most of the time this will not matter but occasionally it could be worth trying an alternative spelling if there are no search results.

Why isn't all the text on an object searchable?

The ELTA images have not been scanned using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) so only the words catalogued into the records are searchable. One of the benefits of this is that it has been possible to group names and subjects under single headings and, by clicking on the highlighted links within a record, other examples of this term become available. Another advantage of this grouping together of terms is that alternative name spellings, and instances where a subject term is implied, but not mentioned implicitly, can be searched too.

Within the ELTA Project as a whole there was, unfortunately, not time to list all the cast members for all objects.

Can I do a more complex search?

Yes, the Search tab on the left of the page provides various Search options within particular fields in the catalogue records. This includes the option to search within one or more fields at the same time.

Can I refine my search results?

Yes, when your search results return more than one item, the list can be altered by the Date published, or the Theatre name (alphabetically) by clicking on the individual column headings at the top of the search results. These lists can also be reversed by clicking again on the column headings.

What are the browse lists?

These enable a quick route into the ELTA material.

The site can be browsed in the following ways:

By Collection: All the material from one of the ELTA Project partners
By Theatre: Lists all theatres in ELTA that have material. It is not a complete list of East London Theatres. For more information on the Theatres themselves see the Map section. This includes all the main theatres known to have existed in East London
By Material: Lists types of material, such as playbill or programme, but also contains some items generally listed in the records, such as ticket (either an actual ticket or the word `ticket' listed in the title of a production). Within some individual records, in the Form field, there will then be further refinements of this by country or year.
By Decade: Lists decades of material in ELTA from 1820 to 2000
By Subject: Lists all the subjects that have been catalogued into the ELTA records, including places
By Title: Complete list of titles taken directly from the records
By Name: This lists all the names that appear in the Author/Corporate Author and Names/Corporate Names sections of the ELTA records, and can include authors, actors, artistes, theatres, and companies amongst others.
By Quick Topic: a way into broad areas of ELTA material

Can I refine my browse results?

Yes, when your browse results return more than one item, the list can be altered by the Date published, the Theatre name (alphabetically), or the Title (alphabetically), by clicking on the individual column headings at the top of the search results. All of these lists can also be reversed by clicking again on the column headings.

What methods are there of looking at the images?

ELTA has provided a number of different ways to view the images for any given record. Where there is a single image there are options to click directly on the image and view a slightly larger version of it, or to click on the Small, Medium and Large links near the image to download increasingly larger versions. For some of these options you may need to check you have a good image editing programme installed on your computer. An additional Large link allows the image to be opened in its largest size directly in the browser.

If there are multiple images on a page, they will be displayed in a Gallery Viewer with the same options as above. When there are more than three items in the Gallery Viewer the arrows on the left and right side of the Viewer allow you to scroll back and forth through the resulting images.

Additionally, multiple images can also be viewed in the Flipbook (see the link below the images) which gives various options to go to selected pages (helpful for lengthier items), or to use the Zoom function and rotate the image, if necessary.

The View All option (see the link below the images) also appears on the page when there are more than three images available. This allows all images to be viewed at once, and clicking on them a further time gives the option to enlarge them to the Medium size.

All images, whether single ones or those in the Gallery Viewer, have the option for you to pass the cursor over them for a `quick peak' and to enlarge a small section.

Are there any images of the theatres themselves?

Yes, these are scattered throughout the ELTA site and can usually be found by searching on a particular theatre. A search on the words `theatre building' also results in a list of records which contain information about some of the theatres, including images.

Some objects, such as programmes, may have images of the theatre building on the cover. Additionally, many theatre plans have been included and can be found through searches such as `plan', `architectural' or the name of the theatre, or the architect/author (e.g. Frank Matcham, Bertie Crewe, C.D. Power).

Jamie Lumley has provided many current photographs of theatres, which can be seen by choosing the `Jamie Lumley' option, in Browse by Collection.

Understanding information in the ELTA catalogue records

What standards and principles have been used for the catalogue records?

General standards:

Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd ed., revised (AACR2)
International Council on Archives' ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description, 2nd Edition, 2000

Personal and Corporate Names:

Personal and corporate names were derived, where possible, using Online Computer Library Center authorities (OCLC), or from J.P. Wearing's American and British Theatrical Biography: a Directory, Scarecrow Press (1979).

Due to the uniqueness of the material, many were made by the cataloguer, based on the format of the previous sources, by using the most popular form of the name as it appeared on the original source material. Corporate names, such as performance acts and companies, were also made in this way.

Authors and titles:

For name/title authorities of authors and plays, many were derived from the source material directly. Otherwise, reference was made mainly to the British Library Integrated Catalogue, and Reginald Clarence's The Stage Cyclopaedia, ``The Stage'' (1909).

Theatre Names:

Names of theatres were derived from OCLC, and (with some adaptations) Diana Howard's London Theatres and Music Halls 1850-1959, The Library Association (1970).

Subject terms:

Subject headings were taken from Library of Congress Authorities, therefore some spellings and meanings may have a slight North American bias.

Geographic names:

Geographic names were derived from Library of Congress Authorities where possible, or created by the cataloguer.

Genre or Form terms:

Genre headings were derived from the Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT).

Why is some information in the catalogue records displayed in square brackets?

Square brackets are entered into parts of the catalogue record when text in the record is not exactly as it appears on the object, or not on the object at all. For example, where there is no obvious title for an object, the cataloguer makes a title from the information available. The square brackets help to distinguish it from `correct' titles, which appear without brackets.

Similarly, a date in a square bracket, or with a question mark, indicates that it is a `best guess' date from the information known about the object .

Names of authors may also be put in square brackets when the author for a title is known, but not displayed on the object.

The Latin word [sic], meaning ``so'', ``thus'' or ``as such'', is entered by the cataloguer after a word or phrase to demonstrate that the word or phrase has been copied directly from the source material and may contain an error, usually in spelling or word order. The error is deliberately left in the record so that the reader can make up their own mind over what was meant to be written, rather than have the cataloguer assume a `correct' version.

Why are some names followed by a date while others are not?

Many names on the ELTA records are provided from internationally recognised official sources (see Standards used above), and these can exist with or without a date. In addition, where the name has been derived by the cataloguer, dates are only added if known, and then, usually only if the name isn't sufficiently distinguishable to be listed without dates.

Why do some names have the letters `fl.' with a date?

Fl. (for the Latin floruit, meaning flourished) is provided by the cataloguer when the actual dates of the person are unknown, and the name needs a date to distinguish it from other names. The floruit date refers to the time when the person was known to be active, and an exact birth or death date isn't known.

In ELTA the floruit date often spans the material used within the ELTA project, as the name of the person has not previously been catalogued. It may later be found that the person was active during other dates outside the scope of ELTA.

Also used with people's dates are: b. = born, and d. = died

Why do some names have their social titles?

Many 19th and early 20th century names in the ELTA database are prefaced by Mr., Mrs., and Miss. This has been done because the names frequently appear this way on the objects themselves and so, when listing cast members, their social titles have been retained to give a flavour of the times and the material.

The linkable `Names' field in the ELTA records, uses social titles when no first name is given, e.g. Mr. Plumer, fl. 1828-1834, or Miss Woolf, fl. 1836.

In addition, when female actresses married they usually took their married name and were known by the title `Mrs.' - e.g. Mrs. Henry Denvil, d. 1899 (also known as Marianne Denvil) and Mrs. R. Honner, b. 1812. In fact, Mrs. R. Honner, spent the early part of her career as Miss MacCarthy, later becoming known more by her husband's first name and surname.

In the ELTA database, most names (including corporate names) have been gathered under their `official' linkable authority headings. There is no automatic way of cross-referencing alternative names in the ELTA database, so this is the best option. Alternative names for actors and authors still appear elsewhere in the text for a record, with their original spellings if appropriate, and remain keyword searchable.

Thematic essays/Themes

What are the thematic essays?

These are researched essays on various themes.

One is written by the theatre historian John Earl and provides a useful introduction to the material digitised for ELTA. A further 16 are written and researched by the V&A curator Catherine Haill and provide introductions to different topics. Two general essays have been written by V&A staff to provide some extra information on two sections within ELTA - The London Pavilion Ltd. Archive, and some of the Architectural Plans.

Why have these particular themes been chosen?

The themes were chosen based on the range of material available and in line with themes decided upon by the ELTA project partners.

Why do the essays only show images of 19th and early 20th century material?

Most of the essays were written by a curator at the V&A Theatre Collections based largely on material there which has a 19th and early 20th century bias. At the time the images were selected there was no access to the images of the other partners.

Map

What is the Map?

The map is a quick reference way to see the spread of East London theatres over the 19th and 20th centuries. It contains a number of map `pins' which can be clicked on to view further information about the theatre at that location. Within the information bubble that appears it is also possible, where applicable, to click on the theatre name to link through to ELTA objects relating to that particular theatre. The information in the bubble is a starting point for further research and does not include a complete history of the theatre.

Why has an historical map not been used?

In attempting to show two centuries worth of theatrical activity, it was impossible to pick an historical map that worked for all of the theatres at once, so a modern map was decided upon.

Are the theatre locations on the map exact?

The locations of the Theatres are colour-coded into Exact, Near and Rough depending on the information that survives over their position. Some theatres did not stay all their life in exactly the same spot, but the position given is the one they were mainly known at. In addition, because Google Maps is a modern map, some street numbers and roads have changed over time. Whilst some have been re-named or no longer exist. The East End of London was bombed heavily during the Second World War and much of it was rebuilt.

Can I use the map to visit the Theatres?

Many of the East London Theatres listed in the Map, and in ELTA, no longer exist. Click on a map `pin' to see a short history of a theatre to see if either the building or the theatre still exists. Nevertheless, it is still possible to walk around many of the streets to see where the theatres were, and to gain a sense of what the area was like.

Is this a complete list of all East London theatres?

The list of theatres and the map contain the principle theatres known about throughout the 19th and 20th centuries (the main scope of the ELTA project). Selected earlier theatres are also included. There are many smaller theatres, often housed in pubs and saloons, which are not included as very little information is known about them. For more information on these see, for example, Diana Howard's London theatres and music halls 1850-1959, The Library Association (1970).

What is the slider bar on the Map page?

The slider bar is a representation of the date range of theatres covered by ELTA. The tab on the slider bar can be shortened or lengthened from either end and moved along the slider itself to provide a way of narrowing the selection of `pins' displayed on the map. This then provides a visual representation of the theatres in existence at any given time.

Miscellaneous

If I find the name of a drama in ELTA will the full text be available?

In some cases the full text of a play may also be available in ELTA, which will be apparent during a search. However, there are only a small number of play texts on the site. These were selected based on the criteria that an East London theatre was the first place the drama was played at. This information is usually given on the title page, or its reverse. Even so, there was not enough space in ELTA to digitise all of the plays that followed this criteria. It is best to contact the relevant partner institution to see if they have more texts, or know where they may be found.

It should be remembered that the vast majority of plays performed in East London had been put on somewhere else first, that often had nothing to do with the area. In many cases the only record that a particular play was performed, or existed at all, is its mention on a playbill or programme.

Why do many of the titles begin Mixed playbill, Mixed programme, or, Playbill, and not with the actual title?

If an object is about a single play or drama it will have been listed under the relevant name in the Title field. However, many playbills and programmes list a number of performances (plays or performance acts) that took place over the course of an evening, or even a week. In this case, it was decided to begin the title with some appropriate wording that suggested this was a mixture of performances, hence, for example `Mixed playbill' or `Programme for'. All the titles with an item are also listed separately within the records and are fully searchable.

Is there any more information about actors and performers available?

For many of the actors and performers, especially for the older material, there is often very little information available. It is always a good idea to seek more information from the partner institution that holds the relevant material as they may have more holdings. However, it should also be recognised, that single or brief references to a performer may be all that is currently available about them. In the future, further collections may be digitised. Other institutions, and collections, that were not part of ELTA, may also have additional objects or information, which is not so readily available.

Why isn't there more material from before the 1820s?

The limits of the ELTA project timescale and the material available meant that certain objects were selected to provide a useful workable collection of material chiefly from the 19th and 20th centuries. The project partners had a diverse range of collections from the last two centuries, whilst some of the partners still work in modern theatre. The project never intended to provide an extensive chronological background to East London theatre, but rather a rich cross-section of selected areas that would invite further study and research.

Why isn't there more 20th or 21st century material?

Many of the project partners have been able to include substantial amounts of contemporary material. However, much of the material in the 20th and 21st centuries is still in copyright, and objects selected were either out of copyright, or had appropriate permissions.

East London Theatre Archive

East London Theatre Archive

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Frequently Asked Questions

General

Finding information within the ELTA site

Understanding information in the ELTA catalogue records

Thematic essays

Map

Miscellaneous

General

Finding information within the ELTA site

Understanding information in the ELTA catalogue records

Thematic essays/Themes

Map

Miscellaneous