Martha Graham is one of those names that even many outside of the dance world have heard. Graham is considered one of the seminal figures of modern dance, and her principles continue to influence dancers today. On the 126th anniversary of the dancer’s birth, the Martha Graham Dance Company announced that Graham’s archives have been acquired by the New York Public Library.
The multimedia archive will be held at the Jerome Robbins Dance Division at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in Lincoln Center. The library will be processing and cataloging the collection for the next two years. The collection spans over 40 linear feet and includes photographs, moving image items, and written records. Highlights include films of Graham’s most iconic works, choreographic notes, and artist Isamu Noguchi’s set drawings for Seraphic Dialogue.
Genevieve Oswald, the founder of the New York Public Library’s dance division, had frequently talked to Graham about acquiring her archive. Oswald reported that the dancer usually laughed off the request.
Curator of the Jerome Robbins Dance Division at the Library for the Performing Arts Linda Murray said, “The Jerome Robbins Dance Division houses the collections of Graham’s teachers, peers and acolytes so we are incredibly excited to add the archive of the Graham Company to our holdings. With this addition the Division’s collections now present an extensive understanding of the history of American modern dance and we look forward to sharing these treasures with dance artists, students and scholars for generations to come.”