Collection GB 505 AVC - Coton Collection

40 boxes

GB 505 AVC 1936-1968 Collection 40 boxes Haddakin , Edward , 1906-1969 , ballet and dance critic

The Coton Collection originated in the personal library of the late Edward Haddakin (1906-1969), the eminent ballet and dance critic who wrote under the name of A V Coton. This library, consisting of the books, periodicals, programmes, souvenir items, and photographs collected by Edward Haddakin during his career as a ballet and dance critic from 1938-1968, was donated to Royal Holloway by his wife, Dr Lillian Haddakin (1914-1982), formerly Senior Lecturer in English at University College, London. The Collection also includes some additional programmes that were donated by Lorraine Williams, a former employee of Westminster Music Library.

The following biographical note about A.V. Coton is extracted from Writings on Dance, 1938-68, by A. V. Coton, (selected and edited by Kathrine Sorley Walker and Lillian Haddakin and published in London by Dance Books in 1975).
";A. V. COTON (EDWARD HADDAKIN) was born at York on 16 February, 1906; son of a railwayman; of mixed Irish and English extraction. He was educated at St. Michael's College, Leeds. From 1922 to 1924 he was a merchant seaman, and he served in the Metropolitan Police Force from 1925 to 1937, mainly in Bethnal Green. He began writing ballet criticism in 1935 and became a full-time freelance writer in march 1937. He published his first book, A Prejudice for Ballet (Methuen) in 1938; in the same year he married Lillian Turner. He was also active in the organising and management of Antony Tudor's London Ballet, which was launched in 1938; and he worked with Peggy van Praagh and Maude Lloyd when the company was revived in 1939-40. From 1940 to 1945 he served in the Civil Defence (Light Rescue Division) in the City of Westminster, (Light Rescue workers went into action during air raids, rescuing as many still-living persons as they could). After the war he returned to freelance writing, diversified by lecturing (mainly evening courses in the London area) and by radio and television work; he was a founder-member of the London freelance branch of the National Union of Journalists. He published The New Ballet: Kurt Joos and His Work (Denis Dobson) in 1946. From 1943 to 1956 he was London correspondent for the American Dance News. He was best known in journalism as dance critic of The Daily Telegraph, a position he held from 1954 to 1969; but he also acted as assistant drama critic for the same newspaper from 1957, and throughout his career he was deeply interested in drama and the theatre generally. He was part author of Ballet Here and Now, published by Denis Dobson in 1961, and in the same year, President of the Critics' Circle, London. He travelled extensively in Europe and North America for the purpose of seeing ballet and other forms of dance, in performance and in teaching; he visited the U.S.S.R. in 1960. He died of cancer on 7 July, 1969."

The collection was donated to Royal Holloway, University of London by Dr Lillian Haddakin, wife of AV Coton.

The collection consists of books, periodicals, programmes, souvenir items, and photographs collected by Edward Haddakin during his career as a ballet and dance critic. The Collection also includes some additional programmes.

Original order

All records are open subject to the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. All records containing personal information about individuals are subject to the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the College Archivist.

English unless otherwise stated.

An online listing of the collection is available via the Archives website: https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/archives/home.aspx

Unknown. Ballet Dance Haddakin , Edward , 1906-1969 , ballet and dance critic

The collection was donated to Royal Holloway, University of London by Dr Lillian Haddakin, wife of AV Coton.

The collection consists of books, periodicals, programmes, souvenir items, and photographs collected by Edward Haddakin during his career as a ballet and dance critic. The Collection also includes some additional programmes.

Original order

All records are open subject to the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. All records containing personal information about individuals are subject to the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the College Archivist.

• anglais

• latin

English unless otherwise stated.

An online listing of the collection is available via the Archives website: https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/archives/home.aspx

• anglais