San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum
San Francisco is one of the renowned cultural centers of America and in the world. The city is known for its Golden Gate Bridge and for its diverse population. The history of San Francisco is colorful similar to the wide range of people that have come to love the famous American city. A collection of some of the city's fine arts heritage from the gold Rush to the contemporary times can be found in great number of media publications in SF PALM.
SF PALM, which stands for San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum, is dedicated in gathering and preserving public materials that have something to do with performing arts in the city's bay area. It is also committed in making the materials available for public viewing. It provides programs and materials with contents about international and national performing arts with emphasis on musical theatre, dance and theatrical design.
San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum houses a number of archives of several performing arts organizations established in San Francisco. The performing arts library and museum also presents a unique collection of over two million items that include programs, photographs, newspaper clippings, original artwork, audio and video tapes, artifacts and books. The items can be viewed by the public free of charge.
The performing arts library and museum located at the fourth floor of Veterans Building, Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco presents various exhibitions, programs and activities that are displayed and offered to the public. Galleries and updates of its events can be found on its website.
A collection of performing arts items of Russell Hartley, a costume designer and dancer has laid the foundation of San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum. In 1947, Hartley founded the San Francisco Dance Archives which contained a collection of dance artifacts that he acquired from his travel in Europe. His collection expanded into an assortment of performing arts items. His collection was moved in 1975 into the Archives of the Performing Arts, a segment of the San Francisco public library system.
In 1983, the Archives of Performing Arts was transferred to the Opera House to accommodate a growing collection of performing arts-related items. When Mr. Hartley died, his collection was entrusted to the Archives.
San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum was then named following the transfer of the collection in 1999 to a much a larger facility in the Civic Center area.
The collection of performing arts continued to grow that in 1999, the performing arts library was transferred to its present location.
San Francisco Performing Arts Library and Museum is regarded as the largest collection of live performing arts on the West Coast of the United States.
