“We are thrilled to be able to let you know that we have reached an agreement with The British Library about their acquisition of the D’Oyly Carte Opera Trust’s archive.
This is excellent news for D’Oyly Carte and for the public, as it means that the archive will remain in the UK, be housed appropriately, conserved and properly catalogued. It also means that it will be accessible once again to the public for research purposes.
A fuller public announcement including greater detail will be made in due course”.
Surplus archive stock is still available for purchase from D’Oyly Carte.
Company correspondence from the 1900s
D’Oyly Carte accounts from 1880s
Music parts for non G & S operas e.g. The Vicar of Bray, The Chieftan, The Rose of Persia, The Mountebanks
Production and Publicity photographs from early 1900s
Press Cuttings from the 1900s
Company programmes from the 1930s
Prompt books from early 1900s
Vocal scores from 1920s
The Archive has the following surplus items available. These items range in price from £2 to £600, depending on rarity and date.
D’Oyly Carte for Schools – pack containing teacher’s notes, stage and character cut-outs for The Pirates of Penzance
The Savoyard (1962-1982) (most issues available)
The Yeomen of the Guard (Dudley Hardy repro. 1920s)
Various New D’Oyly Carte 1989-1998
Iolanthe/The Yeomen of the Guard 1988
The Mikado (Peter Goffin design)
HMS Pinafore (Peter Goffin design)
The Yeomen of the Guard (Hardy)
The Mikado (Hassal)
The Gondoliers (Hassal)
Various productions & artists (details available on request)
1958-2002 including souvenirs (details available on request)
The Mikado – A Centenary Celebration, The Pierpoint Morgan Library, New York City – 1985
D’Oyly Carte in Gilbert & Sullivan Australia & New Zealand – 1979 (large item)
The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company Souvenir – 1961/62
The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company 75th anniversary of first USA tour – 1955
Our 2025 co-production with Scottish Opera and Opera Holland Park
Learn MoreThe 150th Anniversary co-production of Trial by Jury, in a double bill with a new commission, A Matter of Misconduct by Emma Jenkins and Toby Hession
Learn MoreIn 2025, we will collaborate with Scottish Opera for a fourth time. We are co-producing a brand new production of The Merry Widow by Franz Lehár and, to celebrate our sesquicentennial, a new production of Trial by Jury.
Learn More
