Archives Scrapbooks

Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V. Rinse, repeat.

Fogg Art Museum Scrapbooks, January 1950-April 1951

ARCH.2003.31, Rendition: 804313

Qwen, Qwen/Qwen2.5-VL-7B-Instruct

The image is a clipping from a newspaper article titled "Boston News Clip" dated November 25, 1950. It is from the Boston Post, located at 120 Tremont Street, Boston 8, Mass. The article discusses a lecture by Elliot Norton, a drama critic for the Post, which took place at Harvard University's Fogg Museum. Norton's lecture, part of a series of three, was about the extent of first-rate productions in American theater.

The article highlights Norton's opinion that during the past 26 years, American theater, except for Shakespeare's time, has produced a significant amount of first-rate drama. Norton's lecture was in connection with an exhibit of stage settings by three famous contemporary stage designers: Lee Simonson, Donald Oenslager, and Robert Edmond Jones.

Norton also defended the play reviewers of New York, asserting that despite their lapses, they have been the greatest lobby for good drama the theater has ever had. The article emphasizes the quality and quantity of drama produced in the American theater during the specified period, comparing it favorably to that of Shakespeare's era.

Qwen, Qwen/Qwen2.5-VL-72B-Instruct

This image is a scan of a newspaper clipping from "The Post" in Boston, dated November 25, 1950. The clipping is titled "LAUDS DRAMAS OF AMERICANS" and subtitled "Norton Cites Extent of First-Rate Productions."

The article discusses a lecture given by Elliot Norton, a drama critic for the Post, at Harvard University's Fogg Museum. Norton praises the quality and quantity of American drama produced in the past 26 years, comparing it favorably to the theater of Shakespeare's time. He notes that the American theater has produced 21 first-rate dramas that deal powerfully with universal themes and can cross national frontiers.

The lecture was part of a series presented by the museum and the Harvard University Theatre Collection, in connection with an exhibit of stage settings by three famous contemporary stage designers: Lee Simonson, Donald Oenslager, and Robert Edmond Jones.

Norton also defends New York play reviewers, stating that despite their lapses, they have been the greatest lobby for good drama the theater has ever had.

Qwen, qwen.qwen3-vl-235b-a22b

This image displays a vintage newspaper clipping from the Boston Post, dated November 25, 1950. The clipping is from the “BOSTON NEWS CLIP” service, located at 180 Tremont Street, Boston 8, Mass.

At the top of the article is a handwritten note, possibly added later, that reads: “...to Korea and got wounded in both my legs—they had to be amputated.” Below this, written in red ink, is the number “128-F.”

The main headline of the article reads:
“LAUDS DRAMAS OF AMERICANS”
With the sub-headline:
“Norton Cites Extent of First-Rate Productions”

The article reports on a lecture given by Elliot Norton, the drama critic of the Boston Post, at Harvard University’s Fogg Museum. In his lecture — the third in a series presented by the museum and Harvard Theatre Collection — Norton asserted that American theater has produced more “first-rate drama” in the past 26 years than any theater in history, except perhaps during Shakespeare’s time.

He cited statistics: between the 1924 production of What Price Glory? by Laurence Stallings and Maxwell Anderson, and the 1949 premiere of The Consul by Menotti, the Broadway theater produced 21 “viable dramas” that dealt with “powerfully with universals.”

Norton also defended New York play reviewers, acknowledging their lapses but calling them “the greatest lobby for good drama the theatre has ever had.”

The clipping appears to be preserved on a neutral gray background, likely for archival purposes. The aged paper and typewritten text suggest it is a physical artifact from mid-20th century American cultural journalism.

Amazon, amazon.nova-pro-v1:0

The image depicts a newspaper clipping from the Boston News, dated November 25, 1950. The clipping is titled "LAUDS DRAMAS OF AMERICANS" and features a photograph of a man, presumably Mr. Norton, who is giving a lecture at Harvard University's Fogg Museum. The article highlights Mr. Norton's lecture, which was part of a series of three presented in conjunction with an exhibit of stage settings by contemporary stage designers, including Lee Simonson, Donald Oenslager, and Robert Edmond Jones.

Mr. Norton's lecture, titled "The Poetic Drama of the Past 26 Years," discussed the first production of Maxwell Anderson's "What Price Glory" and Laurence Stallings' "The Consul," the theatre of various kinds produced by the Menotti, and the works of Broadway universalists. He emphasized that these productions had enough universal appeal to cross national frontiers.

The article also mentions that Mr. Norton defended the play "Queen Elizabeth," stating that while it has never been considered an extraordinary number of first-rate dramas produced in a short period, it has been guilty of lapses that have constituted the greatest lobby for good drama the theatre has ever had. The clipping is framed with a red border on the right side and has a small tear at the top right corner.

Amazon, amazon.nova-lite-v1:0

The image shows a newspaper clipping featuring an article titled "LAUDS DRAMA OF AMERICANS." The clipping is from the Boston News Clip, dated November 25, 1950. The article discusses the extent of first-rate drama productions in America, citing Mr. Norton's lecture at Harvard University as the third in a series. It mentions that the Harvard University Theatre Collection, in conjunction with an exhibit of contemporary stage designers, featured lectures by Le Simon, Donald Oenslager, and Robert Edmond Jones. The clipping highlights the significance of Broadway productions, including "The Price Glory" and "The Consul," and emphasizes the extraordinary number of first-rate dramas produced in America. The article also mentions Mr. Norton's defense of the play "Queen Elizabeth" against critics who deemed it guilty of lapses. The clipping is placed on a white background, making the text and details clearly visible.

Amazon, us.amazon.nova-2-lite-v1:0

The image shows a scanned newspaper clipping from the Boston News Clip at 120 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts, dated November 25, 1950. The headline reads "LAUDS DRAMAS OF AMERICANS", indicating a positive review or commentary on American theater. The subheading, "Norton Cites Extent of First-Rate Productions", suggests that the article discusses the quality and quantity of American plays produced during a specific period.

Key Details from the Image:

  1. Source Information:

    • Title: Boston News Clip
    • Location: 120 Tremont Street, Boston, Mass.
    • Date: November 25, 1950
    • Newspaper: Post (Boston, Mass.)
  2. Headline:

    • "LAUDS DRAMAS OF AMERICANS": This headline emphasizes praise for American dramas.
  3. Subheading:

    • "Norton Cites Extent of First-Rate Productions": Indicates that the article references a lecture or commentary by someone named Norton, who discusses the quality and quantity of American theater productions.
  4. Content Summary:

    • The article highlights the significant production of high-quality American dramas over the past 26 years, according to Elliot Norton, a drama critic for the Post.
    • Norton delivered a lecture at Harvard University’s Fogg Museum as part of a series presented by the museum and the Harvard University Theatre Collection.
    • The lecture was the third in a series featuring an exhibit of contemporary stage designs by famous stage designers Lee Simonson, Donald Oenslager, and Robert Edmond Jones.
    • Norton asserts that between 1924 and 1950, the American theatre produced an extraordinary number of first-rate dramas, comparable to Shakespeare’s era.
    • He specifically mentions notable plays such as Anderson’s Stallings and Maxwell Anderson’s What Price Glory, as well as Menotti’s The Medium.
    • Norton defends these plays against critics who claim they have been "guilty of lapses," arguing that they have been the greatest lobby for good drama the theatre has ever had.
  5. Visual Style:

    • The clipping appears to be a black-and-white scan of a printed newspaper page.
    • The text is clear and legible, with the headline and subheading prominently displayed at the top.
    • There is a handwritten annotation or marking near the top of the page, which appears to be a red or orange stamp or signature, possibly indicating a catalog or archival marking.

Overall Impression:

The image captures a historical moment in American theater criticism, highlighting the recognition and celebration of high-quality American plays during the mid-20th century. The article reflects a period of significant growth and acclaim for American drama, as emphasized by Elliot Norton’s lecture and commentary. The clipping serves as a primary source for understanding the cultural and artistic context of American theater in the early 1950s.

Meta, us.meta.llama3-2-90b-instruct-v1:0

The image depicts a newspaper clipping from the Boston News Clip, dated November 25, 1950. The headline reads "LAUDS DRAMAS OF AMERICANS" and is accompanied by a subheading that states "Norton Cites Extent of First-Rate Productions." The article discusses a lecture given by Elliot Norton at Harvard University's Fogg Museum, where he presented a series of three plays produced by the museum and the Harvard University Theatre Collection. The plays were exhibited in connection with an exhibit of stage settings by three famous contemporary stage designers: Lee Simonson, Donald Oenslager, and Robert Edmond Jones. The article also mentions that the Post critic asserted that "between the first production in 1924 of Laurence Stallings' and Maxwell Anderson's 'What Price Glory' and the first presentation last winter of Menotti's 'The Consul,' the theatre of Broadway produced 21 dramas of various kind which deal powerfully with universals and are good enough to cross national frontiers." Additionally, the article notes that Shakespeare wrote during the days of Queen Elizabeth, there has never been such "an extraordinary number of first rate viable dramas produced in a like period of time." Mr. Norton also defended the play reviewers of New York on the grounds that "although they have been guilty of lapses, they have constituted the greatest lobby for good drama the theatre has ever had."

Meta, us.meta.llama3-2-11b-instruct-v1:0

The image depicts a newspaper clipping from the Boston News Clip, dated November 25, 1950. The clipping features a headline that reads "LAUDS DRAMAS OF AMERICANS" in bold black font, with the subheading "Norton Cites Extent of First-Rate Productions" in smaller text below. The article discusses the quality of American theater productions, citing examples such as "What Price Glory" and "The Corsair." The clipping is set against a gray background, with a red stamp in the top-right corner that appears to be a date or code. The overall design of the clipping suggests that it was likely used for archival or research purposes.

Meta, us.meta.llama4-maverick-17b-instruct-v1:0

The image depicts a yellowed newspaper clipping from the Boston News Clip, dated November 25, 1950. The headline, "LAUDS DRAMAS OF AMERICANS," is prominently displayed in large black font, accompanied by the subheading "Norton Cites Extent of First-Rate Productions" in smaller text.

The article discusses the American theatre's production of high-quality dramas over the past 26 years, as noted by Elliot Norton, a drama critic for the Post. The clipping is set against a plain gray background, with red handwritten notes and markings visible on its surface.

Overall, the image appears to be a historical document or archive item, possibly used for research or educational purposes.

Meta, us.meta.llama4-scout-17b-instruct-v1:0

The image presents a vintage newspaper clipping from the Boston News Clip, dated November 25, 1950. The clipping features an article titled "Lauds Dramas of Americans" with the subtitle "Norton Cites Extent of First-Rate Productions."

Newspaper Clipping Details:

  • Date: November 25, 1950
  • Source: Boston News Clip
  • Address: 120 Tremont Street, Boston 8, Mass.
  • Title: "Lauds Dramas of Americans"
  • Subtitle: "Norton Cites Extent of First-Rate Productions"

Article Summary:

The article discusses the extent of first-rate productions in American theater during the past 26 years, according to Elliot Norton, drama critic of the Post. Norton cites examples of notable productions, including:

  • Laurence Stallings' and Maxwell Anderson's "What Price Glory"
  • Menotti's "The Consul"

He also defends the play reviewers of New York on the grounds that although they have been guilty of lapses, they have constituted the greatest lobby for good drama the theatre has ever had.

Visual Description:

The clipping is yellowed and features red handwritten numbers and lines, indicating that it was likely used for archival or research purposes. The background of the image is a light gray color, providing a neutral backdrop for the clipping. Overall, the image provides a glimpse into the history of American theater and the critical reception of productions during the mid-20th century.