Creative ways of displaying Playbills?

[twinbelters]

Posted: 9/24/10 at 6:21pm

I am seeking inventive ways to display Playbills for an exhibit. I could just frame each one of them, lay them in a display case with text, or scan them and apply the color prints to mat board. These are the ideas I've come up with, but I'd be interested in hearing what others might suggest. I could use some fresh perspectives.

Thank you for any guidance!

[the.hard.part]

Posted: 9/24/10 at 7:07pm

I use comic book cardboard and bags if I have the tickets I tape it above the playbilll. I have a rope around the perimeter of my room that I use black clips to hang them onto

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/24/10 at 7:16pm

As someone who has over 3,000 Playbills, let me advise you that they deteriorate. There are acids in the paper that make them literally fall apart in time. This is especially true of the ones I have from the early 60's when I started going to the theater.

I would advise you to go the route of using color scans for framing. Moisture and mildew can creep between the glass and the Playbill and that would ruin something you prize.

It's a good idea to store your Playbills in airtight containers.

[NuMystic]

Posted: 9/24/10 at 7:29pm

You can greatly increase the longevity of your playbills by investing in the calcium buffered cardboard (boxes and inserts) which are used for the archival of comic books, art, magazines etc.

Helps to neutralize the acids you're speaking of Dollypop.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/24/10 at 7:32pm

Thanks for the info. Now I have to get enough of those boxes for 3,000 Playbills!

[allofmylife]

Posted: 9/24/10 at 8:10pm

Like Dollypop, I have thousands of playbills and the ones from the 1940s, especially the war years are also endangered. The ones from the 30s, despite the depression, are usually as bright and clean as new. That's simply a testament to quality. They used better materials back then. Glossy paper seems to live a long life.

I have each playbill in an acidfree sleeve as if it were a copy of Superman #1. It's the only way to guarantee survival.

BTW, my playbill from Fords Theater production of "Our American Cousin" and my pill of "Pygmalian" from His Majesty's Theater in London both have a strange problem. One side of the brochure (the underside) is clean and clear and the top side (which I guess was exposed to the air) is slowly turning to dust.

[JOak]

Posted: 9/24/10 at 9:20pm

I did a little research about calcium buffered cardboard, I came up with this :

Archival Frames http://www.bcemylar.com/display_frame.cfm#originalart

Hope it helps. I'm thinking of investing in those.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 9/24/10 at 10:23pm

sew them together into a dress, and dance around in it.

[twinbelters]

Posted: 9/27/10 at 6:38pm

I'm leaning towards setting them flat in a display case for a time, and perhaps rotating them out every two weeks or so.

Thanks!

[sabrelady]

Posted: 9/28/10 at 12:02am

one friend put several of the most well knownplays/musicals with several "unknowns" under glass on his dining rm table. always makes for intersting conversation.

[ComedyTradgedy]

Posted: 9/28/10 at 12:21am

I have all my posters and pictures related to musicals and theatre arranged in shapes on my wall, like music notes or comedy/ tragedy masks ( it does look like it, I swear! ) . I suppose you could do the same for playbills.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/28/10 at 1:22am

My playbooks are filed alphabetically in a filing cabinet. I really show find something better to do with them.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 9/28/10 at 2:53am

Mine are on a shelf, in alphabetical order. Well the musicals at least, my plays are safely stored in an airtight container under a bed, because I don't have the room for them at the moment.