"Porgy and Bess" was a three act "folk opera" originally produced by The Theatre Guild at the Alvin Theatre, New York City, in 1927. It was taken directly from a book by Dubose Heyward titled "Porgy," with lyrics and music by Ira and George Gershwin.
Robert Breen, secretary for the American National Theatre and Academy (ANTA) was instrumental in bringing federal financing to the performing arts on the American scene and promoting artistic and cultural exchanges between the U.S. and Europe. Beginning in 1949 with a U.S. tour of Hamlet throughout Europe, ANTA sponsored such projects as the American National Ballet Theatre's tour of Europe, and American participation in the Berlin Arts Festival in 1951.
"Porgy and Bess," which showed a different side of life in America, was one of the productions chosen to be played before European audiences in 1952. Breen directed and co-produced it with Blevins Davis. The revivial was critically acclaimed and toured twenty-nine countries in North America, South America, and Europe from 1952-1956.
This collection contains posters promoting the ANTA-sponsored production of "Porgy and Bess" as it toured various countries, mostly European, during the 1950s.
The posters are arranged alphabetically according to the country in which the performances were produced.
There are no restrictions on personal use. Permission to publish material from the Porgy and Bess poster collection must be obtained from Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.
Gershwin, George, 1898-1937. Porgy and Bess--Posters.
Theatrical posters.
Porgy and Bess poster collection, C0145, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.
Processed by Special Collections Research Center Staff. EAD markup completed in February 2009 by Eron Ackerman and Jordan Patty. Finding aid updated by Amanda Brent in April 2020.
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Porgy and Bess poster collection |
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Oversize |
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MC |
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Antwerp, Belgium: Hippodrome
Theatre June 23-30, 1955 |
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22"x14"; Vertical; black background with
yellow lettering; white squares with black lettering;
white border |
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Antwerp, Belgium: Hippodrome
Theater June 23-30,1955 |
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34"x24"; Large black background with bright
yellow lettering; white squares with black lettering;
white border |
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Antwerp, Belgium: Hippodrome
Theater June 23-30,1955 |
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31"x96"; Black background with white
squares and black lettering; large bright yellow
lettering in the middle of "Porgy and
Bess". |
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Brussels, Belgium: Theatre de la
Monnaie June 23-30,1955 |
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32"x24"; Black background with white
squares and black lettering; off white border; large
lemon yellow letters in middle; yellow square at top
with black lettering |
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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Brazil Teatro
Municipal July 7-13,1955 |
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60"x92"; Four pieces; bright red background
with off white border and white lettering inside of
it |
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Prague, Czechoslovakia: Kerlin
Theatre February 11-19,1956 |
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34"x24"; Washed out off-white background;
small black lettering, larger bold red lettering; on
the left side there is a square with the words "Porgy
and Bess". |
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Prague, Czechoslovakia: Kerlin
Theatre February 11-19,1956 |
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42"x31"; Salmon colored fibrous paper with
black charted lettering |
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Arhus, Denmark: Aarhushallen May 9-16,1956 |
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33"x25"; White background in middle with
lime-green lettering and black writing;black and
white photographs taken from characters and scenes of
the play act as the boder. |
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Alexandria, Egypt: Theatre Mohamad Aly
December 31,1954-January 2,
1955 |
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69"x36"; White background; blue border with
white starts; blue and red lettering |
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Alexandria, Egypt: Theatre Mohamad Aly
December 31,1954-January 2,
1955 |
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12"x8"; Small washed out cream-color
background; black border with red and black
lettering; two star illustrations on either
side |
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Cairo, Egypt: Theatre De'L Opera
January 7-12,1955 |
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11"x8"; Washed out brown background; red
and black lettering; four different
versions |
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Cairo, Egypt: Theatre De'L Opera
January 7-12, 1955 |
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69"x36"; White background; blue star
border; blue and red lettering; Egyptian lettering at
top. |
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Marseilles, France: Opera Municipal
March 26-April
4,1955 |
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18"x12"; Off-white background;red and blue
lettering |
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Marseilles, France: Opera Municpal
March 26-April
4,1955 |
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55"x36"; Large; bright purple with black
lettering. |
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Paris, France: Theatre De'L Empire
February 16-March
1,1953 |
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24"x16"; Green background with black and
white lettering |
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Paris, France: Theatre De'L Empire
September 30-December
4,1954 |
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64"x94",48"x34"; Large;green background
with large black lettering |
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Paris, France: Theatre De'L Empire
September 30-December
4,1954 |
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24"x16"; Vertical;dark green background
with white border;large bold black
lettering |
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Paris, France: Theatre De'L Empire
September 30-December
4,1954 |
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59"x40",59"x37"; Green background; large
black lettering |
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Berlin, Germany: Titania Palast
September 18-27,1952 |
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23"x33"; Off-white background with blue
sketch-like illustration of village; magenta and
black lettering through the center |
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Dusseldorf, Germany: Apolla Theatre
November 18-22,1955 |
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24"x34"; Lemon yellow background with
orange border on the top and bottom; orange and black
lettering |
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Dusseldorf, Germany: Apolla Theatre
November 18-22,1955 |
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24"x34"; White background with black
lettering; blue patch with Porgy and Bess written in
yellow in the middle |
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Frankfurt, Germany: Stadtischen Buhnen
November 25-27,1955 |
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24"x33"; White background with black
lettering; blue patch of color in middle with "Porgy
and Bess" written in bright yellow |
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Frankfurt,Germany: Stadtischen Buhnen
November 25-27,1955 |
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24"x34"; Lemon yellow background; black
border on sides; orange border on top and bottom;
black and orange lettering |
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Hamburg, Germany: Opera House
March 7-11,1956 |
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23"x33"; Brick colored border surrounding
off-white background; brick colored
lettering |
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Munich, Germany: Deutsches Theatre
December 1-6,1955 |
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48"x33"; Black and white background with
large yellow, black, and white lettering |
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Munich,Germany: Deutsches Theatre
February 22-29,1956 |
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48"x33"; Two pieces; bright red background
with bright yellow lettering reading "Porgy and Bess"
across the front |
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Stuttgart, Germany: Staats Theatre
March 1-4,1956 |
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51"x34"; Two pieces; black background with
large yellow lettering in the middle |
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Tel Aviv, Israel: Habimah Theatre
January 26-30,1955 |
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37"x25"; White background with blue border;
red and blue lettering; bigger letters in the middle
than in the rest of poster |
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Florence, Italy: Teatro Comunale
March 9-13,1955 |
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27"x13"; Vertical; off-white background
with red and black lettering |
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Florence, Italy: Teatro Comunale
March 9-13,1955 |
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48"x33";Mustard-yellow background with
black lettering;red lettering in upper half; Two
purple stamp-like pictures on lower left part; tear
running through title. ("Porgy and Bess") |
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Genoa, Italy: Teatro Carlo Felice
March 1-6,1955 |
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40"x14"; Vertical; beige background with
brown and red lettering;has a shield-like emblem
border at the top |
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Milan, Italy: Teatro Alla Scala
February 23-27,1955 |
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28"x40"; Bright yellow background; lists
names in black lettering with red lettering in the
upper half. |
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Milan, Italy: Teatro Allo Scala
February 23-27,1955 |
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15"x11",40"x28",80"x40"; Light brown
background with dark brown lettering; red cross on
shield at top; decorative leafy-style
border |
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Naples, Italy: Teatro Di San Carlo
February 15-17,1955 |
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39"x28"; Bright blue background with a
yellow and green illustration of village; white
border; white lettering. |
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Naples, Italy: Teatro Di San Carlo
February 15-17,1955 |
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52"x38, 37"x26"; Bright yellow background;
black lettering; red lettering at top; very
simple. |
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Naples, Italy: Teatro Di San Carlo
February 15-17,1955 |
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22"x13"; Bright mustard yellow background;
brown border; red and brown lettering. |
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Rome, Italy: Teatro Quattro Fontane
April 21-May 14,1955 |
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10"x7"; Small white playbills with red and
blue lettering; writing on front and back. |
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Rome, Italy: Teatro Quattro Fontane
April 21-May 14,1955 |
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55"x40",78"x54"; Bright mustard-yellow
background with black and red lettering |
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Rome, Italy: Teatro Quattro Fontane
April 21-May 14,1955 |
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40"x14"; Vertical; blue background with
black and red lettering |
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Rome, Italy: Teatro Quattro Fontane
April 21-May 14,1955 |
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40"x14"; Vertical; yellow background with
black and red lettering |
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Rome, Italy: Teatro Quattro Fontane
April 21-May 14,1955 |
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80"x54"; Three pieces; green and bright
yellow background fading into one another; large red
lettering at top; black lettering at bottom; very
bright and colorful |
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Turin, Italy: Teatro Alfieri
April 9-17,1955 |
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27"x13"; Vertical; off-white pink
illustration of a lady in the background; large red
lettering towards top |
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Turin, Italy: Teatro Alfieri
April 9-17,1955 |
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38"x26"; Pink and yellow illustration with
black lettering |
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Venice, Italy: Teatro La Fenice
September 22-25,
1954 |
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40"x28"; Vibrant red background with half
facial photo of Gershwin in upper right, illustration
of Porgy and Bess on left; black and white
lettering. |
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Venice, Italy: Teatro La Fenice
September 22-25,
1954 |
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40"x14"; A number of these in the
background colors of: yellow, blue-green, blue,
washed-out, white, and pink; black and red
lettering;vertical |
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Venice, Italy: Teatro La Fenice
September 22-25,
1954 |
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55"x39"; Large; off-white; red and black
lettering. |
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Amsterdam, Netherlands: Teatre Carre
May 19-June 3, 1956 |
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49"x33"; White border; black lettering
within white squares; yellow squares with black
lettering; bright yellow lettering in very
middle |
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Lima, Peru: Teatro Municipal
September 3-7, 1955 |
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52"x34"; Two pieces; washed-out white
background with black lettering |
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Warsaw, Poland: National Opera House
January 24-February 1,
1954 |
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40"x28";White background; blue and red
lettering. |
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Barcelona, Spain: Gran Teatro Del Liceo
February 3-13, 1955 |
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50"x35"; Large; off-white with brown and
red lettering; branch style border with leaves on
it. |
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Lausanne, Switzerland: Theatre De Beaulieu
March 16-23, 1955 |
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28"x14", 50"x36"; Washed-out yellow
background with black and red lettering; bold red
lettering in the middle. |
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Lausanne, Switzerland: Teatre De Beaulieu
March 16-23, 1955 |
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11"x8";Washed-out white with red and black
lettering; bold red lettering in the
middle. |
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Zurich, Switzerland: Hallenstadion
June 3-12, 1955 |
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50"x36";Light green background with painted
color figures of Porgy and Bess; black sketch of
village behind them; blue lettering at top; black
lettering throughout the rest. |
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Zurich, Switzerland: Hallenstadion
June 3-12, 1955 |
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20"x12"; Black border with lettering
surrounding light green background; painted color
figures of Porgy and Bess; black line sketch of
village behind them; blue lettering at
top. |
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Chicago, USA: Civic Opera House
June 25, 1952 |
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20"x14"; Two shades of orange background;
black and white lettering; illustration of Porgy and
Bess dancing in the middle |
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New York, USA: Ziegfeld Theatre
March 10-November
28,1953 |
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9"x6"; Small; off-white flyer with black
border; stars on sides; black writing; illustration
of village in black. |
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Leningrad, USSR: Palace of Culture
December 26-January
5,1956 |
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42"x28"; White background; blue and red
lettering in upper half. |
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Moscow, USSR: Stanilavsky Theatre
January 10-17, 1956 |
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40"x27"; White background; blue and red
lettering; blue lettering in bottom half |
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Zagreb, Yugoslavia: Theatre De'L Opera
December 11-14, 1954 |
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39"x28"; White background; purple and white
lettering |
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Zagreb, Yugoslavia: Theatre De'L Opera
Dec 11-14, 1954 |
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12"x8"; White background; red and black
lettering; writing on both sides. |