Records of Southbank Centre comprising:
Administrative records including:
Opening Ceremony book of distinguished visitors, 3 May 1951, containing signatures of guests; Visitors books (signed by performers), 1956-1966; Press releases, 1969-1991 (1 box); Annual Reports, 1992-present
Event diaries, 1951-present; records of attendance and ticket sales, 1957-1970s
Arts Board Recreation and Arts Committee files, 1976-1982; Visual Arts Committee files, 1978-1982; London County Council Committee orders files relating to Royal Festival Hall, 1949-1975; Southbank Board administrative files, 1985-present
Artist agreements, 1974-1976; administrative files 1970s-1980s; files relating to redevelopment
Records relating to exhibitions including administrative files, papers and photographs, 1951-1994; printed catalogues of exhibitions; card catalogue of exhibitions, 1950s-1980s; photographs relating to exhibitions, 1981-1993
Records of performances and events including Meltdown summer music festival publicity material, 1993-2000; music projects subject files, 1970s-1980s; South Bank Summer Music (SBMS) administrative files, 1969-1984
Card index of performances at Southbank Centre venues arranged by artist, instrument, conductor and composer, 1951-1985
Printed publicity material including Preview, South Bank Centre publication, 1991-1995; Scrapbooks containing printed programmes, 1951-1964 (18 vols); copies of printed performance programmes 1951-present; Exhibition programmes, 1976-1980s; publicity posters, 1980-2000; leaflets 1960s-present
Collection of published magazines containing articles or special issues relating to the Festival of Britain of the RFH, 1951-1995
Cuttings collection including newspaper cuttings, 1951-1964; Press Department cuttings, 1984-present; Education Department press cuttings, 1987-1993; cuttings and papers relating to site development, 1996; articles and speeches of Nicholas Snowman, 1992-1999; orchestral residency background, 1990-1995; redevelopment submission, 1991; seasons and launches, 1994-1996; cuttings re Festival ballet, dance, 1952, 1954; cuttings of concert reviews and events; press cuttings, 1984-2002
Scrap books of press cuttings arranged by subject including Royal Festival Hall organ, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 1954; National Theatre and South Bank Opera House, 1958-1965; Philharmonia /New Philharmonia Orchestra, 1963-1966; Royal Festival Hall Competition, 1965; Queen Elizabeth Hall opening, and acoustics, 1967; South Bank Summer Music, 1964-1968; Orchestral Resources Report, 1970; Night of Nights-Frank Sinatra, 1970; Kirov Ballet, 1979; Calas/Di Stefano, 1973; Andre Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra, 1975; Royal Festival Hall 25th anniversary, 1976; Horowitz concert, 1982; Metropolitan Mikado, 1985; and The Soul of the Terracotta Army, 1987
Photographic collection comprising:
Files of photographs arranged by subject including aerial views, auditoria, backstage, brewer and South Bank Lion, Embankment, Festival Pier and Jubilee Gardens, Festival of Britain, foundation stone and topping out, furniture and fittings, Hayward Gallery interior and exterior, models and artists' impression, organs, Queen Elizabeth Hall under construction, exterior and interior, Royal Festival Hall construction, exterior and interior, Royal Festival Hall completion, site and views from the site, staff and miscellaneous images, 1920s-1970s
Scrap books of photographs relating to Royal Festival Hall construction, exhibitions, foyer exhibitions and other events, receptions, interior, exterior and models, Stage productions and films
Collection of photographs and negatives of artists, conductors, events and staff
Collection of visual materials including:
Portraits of - Bela Bartok, Artur Schnabel and Sir Thomas Beecham, Sir Arthur Bliss, Walter Crane, Piero De Gamba, George Gissing, Gerald Moore, Paul Tortellier, by artists including Janos Halafy, Adrian Allinson, Wyndham Lewis, Sonia Miller, Bette Flashtig
Collection of drawings by Dr Willy Dreifuss including portraits of Sir Thomas Beecham, Clifford Curzon, Jascha Horenstien, Otto Klemperer, Rafael Kubelik, Artur Ribinstein, Adrex Segovia
Prints of Ludwig van Beethoven, Clara Haskil, Double Basses of the New Philharmonia Orchestra, Arturo Toscanini, by artists including Michael Garady, Doroth Bradford, A Rienzi
Lithograph of Sir Henry Wood, view of Somerset House from Waterloo Bridge, view of Waterloo Bridge from the west; 27 prints of musicians and singers published in Vanity Fair, 1872-1908
Collection of films and videos of programmes and promotional material, relating to the Festival of Britain, Royal Festival Hall anniversaries, architecture and building development, the South Bank development, [1951], [1976] 1983 -2001
Sound recordings including:
Commercial CD (100) and audio cassettes (50) recordings of concert performances held at Royal Festival Hall
Oral history recordings (on audio cassette, DAT, and CD) of interviews with managers, London County Council members, architects, musicians, staff and patrons, including Felix Aprahamian, Hugh Bean, Lord Birkett, Tony Blackwell, Harry Blech, Jack Brymer, Shirly Cooper and Ted Higgins, Nicholas Danby, John Denison, Maura Dooley, Rober Glazebrook, Noel Goodwin, Ian Grant, Reg Fulker, Illtyd Harrington, Victor Hochhauser, R G F Howden, Michael Kaye, Frank Kellond Jones, London Festival/English National Ballet, Ruth Mackenzie, George Mann, Sir Leslie Martin, Lord Menuhin, Peter Moro, Yvonne Pegler, Anthony Phillips, Richard Pulford, David Seigle-Morris, Dennis Spall, Anthony Steele, and Christine Wilde, 1990s
Recordings of miscellaneous interviews and broadcast radio programmes relating to Royal Festival Hall and the Festival of Britain, 1957, 1990-2000
Material relating to the Festival of Britain including:
newspapers, magazines, guides, extract articles, programmes and exhibition catalogues [1951-1993]; Festival plans and posters; Festival ephemera and objects including ash tray, curtain, head scarf, press pass, presentation soap [1951]; chairs and other furniture
Cassette and CD recordings containing extracts from BBC commentaries, relating to the opening of Royal Festival Hall, various events, and interviews with Robert Matthew and William Allen; Festival Times, publication of the Festival of Britain Society, 1989-present.