The Barbara Curtis Adachi Bunraku Collection, 1964-2003
Collection context
- Creator:
- Adachi, Barbara C., 1924-2004, Chikamatsu, Monzaemon, 1653-1725, Yoshida, Tamao, 1919-2006, Yoshida, Bunjaku, 1928-2016, Yoshida, Minosuke, 1933-, Ōe, Minosuke, 1907-1997, Peccinotti, Harri, Sackett, Joel, Takeda, Izumo, 1691-1756, Chikamatsu, Monzaemon, 1653-1725 (Title of work: Sonezaki shinjū.), Chikamatsu, Monzaemon, 1653-1725 (Title of work: Shinjū ten no Amijima), and Chikamatsu, Hanji, -1786 or 1787
- Extent:
- 57 linear feet 57 linear feet of paper materials; 13571 slides; 7571 photographic items including negatives; 71 audio and video materials with 139 preservation master copies and 139 CDs of the same materials; 89 realia objects
- Language:
- English , Japanese .
- Scope and content:
-
This collection contains slides, photographs with corresponding contact sheets and negatives, audio and video materials, performance-related printed materials, realia objects and personal papers. Visual, audio, video and printed materials, and realia objects are described at the item level with play titles, production dates, and performer names and other descriptors, if applicable. Personal papers are described at the folder level. 178 plays, 290 productions, and 183 performers of the National Bunraku Troupe are cited in this collection. Visual and printed materials for fifteen Living National Treasures of Japan in Bunraku are also included in this collection.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Bunraku, one of the world's most highly developed forms of puppet theater, is an unusually complex dramatic form, a collaborative effort between puppeteers, narrators, and musicians. First developed in the seventeenth century, Bunraku was officially recognized as a "masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity" by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in November 2003.
Barbara Curtis Adachi (1924-2004), who lived most of her life in Tokyo, witnessed her first Bunraku performance in 1935, at the age of eleven. Her extensive involvement with the troupe began in the 1960s and continued throughout the rest of her life. She attended over four decades of Bunraku and kabuki performances, conducted over one hundred interviews of performers and craftsmen, and took thousands of photographs of both traditional Japanese theater and crafts. Adachi toured with the National Bunraku Troupe both in Japan and in the United States, appearing with them for demonstrations, lectures, and television performances. Adachi, a former columnist for two Tokyo newspapers, lectured widely on Japanese crafts and theater, and wrote several books including "The Voices and Hands of Bunraku" (1978) and "Backstage at Bunraku" (1985).
The Barbara Curtis Adachi Bunraku Collection at Columbia's Starr East Asian Library represents four decades of close contact and respectful collaboration between Adachi and the Japanese National Bunraku Troupe, the leading performance group of Bunraku in the world. Adachi's numerous superb photographs of rehearsals and performances reflect the depth of her understanding and knowledge, as do the other diverse artifacts she selected over the years for inclusion in her collection. The comprehensive combination of visual, audio, and textual materials provide researchers with the foundation for studying all aspects of the Japanese puppet theater in modern times, and for studying these aspects in relation to each other.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
This collection is available for use by qualified readers by appointment in the Kress Rare Book and Special Collections Reading Room, C. V. Starr East Asian Library at Columbia University. Collections maintained in off-site storage will be retrieved with advance notification only; for further details, please consult the C. V. Starr East Asian Library staff. For further information and to make an appointment, please call (212) 854-4318.
- Terms of access:
-
Columbia University is providing access to the materials in the Library's collections solely for noncommercial educational and research purposes. The unauthorized use, including, but not limited to, publication of the materials without the prior written permission of Columbia University is strictly prohibited. All inquiries regarding permission to publish should be submitted in writing to the Director, C. V. Starr East Asian Library, Columbia University. In addition to permission from Columbia University, permission of the copyright owner (if not Columbia University) and/or any holder of other rights (such as publicity and/or privacy rights) may also be required for reproduction, publication, distributions, and other uses. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of any item and securing any necessary permissions rests with the persons desiring to publish the item. Columbia University makes no warranties as to the accuracy of the materials or their fitness for a particular purpose.
- Preferred citation:
-
Barbara Curtis Adachi Bunraku Collection. C. V. Starr East Asian Library, Columbia University.
- Location of this collection:
- Before you visit:
- Researchers should request materials at least one week in advance to ensure availability. Due to limited storage, please request only the materials you plan to use during your visit.
- Contact:
- starr@library.columbia.edu