VINTAGE OPERA

When we cleaned out the files in our old warehouse (see previous post), we found many treasures--along with a LOT of manila folders. I thought perhaps you wouldn't be so compelled by photos of said folders (don't hate on me, all you manila fetishists out there!) But I found the old issues of Opera News interesting--we found ones from the 1940s and 1950s, some of which feature cool illustrations on the covers.


I love how instead of generic headshots, the cast page features the singers in character. Cheesily in character, I might add.



Ah, patriotism--the greatest marketing tool, even for opera:



In the bowels of our warehouse, I discovered old programs from when the Met performed in Cleveland. While the company sporadically came to town since 1899, it regularly performed at Cleveland Public Auditorium starting in 1924. These programs are early on in that tenure--they're from 1925 and 1926, respectively.

One of the performances in 1926 was Lucia di Lammermoor:


(I have been inspired by The Sterling & Welch Co. ad above to create my own "Bureau of Suggestion." I think I have enough suggestions and opinions to fill a bureau, heh heh.)
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