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The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts just announced Unleashed: Pets of the Performing Arts, a new exhibition that pulls from the Library’s archival material to tell the stories of the profound ways pets shaped the lives of some of the world’s most consequential performers.
The exhibition features artists like Josephine Baker, Anna Pavlova, and Lou Reed, and their beloved pets. It relies on the Library for the Performing Arts’s collections including images snapped by photographers such as Martha Swope and William P. Gottlieb; also audio and video recordings, personal letters, and other rare historical documents to bring these unique human-and-animal relationships to life.
Unleashed is the result of collaboration across the Library for the Performing Arts’s three research divisions, the Music and Recorded Sound Division, the Billy Rose Theatre Division, and the Jerome Robbins Dance Division—with assistant curators from each, Jessica Wood, Annemarie van Roessel, and Jenai Cutcher, respectively, taking lead role.
Music and Recorded Sound Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
The many fascinating characters in Unleashed include :
● Sarah Bernhardt and Auckland: The French actress was devoted to her dog, who traveled with her across continents.
● Billie Holiday and Mister: Holiday’s boxer was a constant, protective presence who waited backstage at jazz clubs and offered unconditional support during turbulent years.
● Larry Kramer and Molly: The playwright and AIDS activist found companionship in his dog, who offered emotional comfort during Kramer’s tireless years of advocacy.
● Anna Pavlova and Jack: Pavlova adopted her pet – and for years after continued to live with – swan while studying for her most famous role, the Swan in Swan Lake.
● Lou Reed and The Duke: Reed shared an affectionate bond with his miniature dachshund.
“In our years of experience interacting with the Library’s collections, my colleagues and I were struck by the incredible relationships between many performers and their pets. In this exhibition, we wanted to show the consequential role these animals played in the lives and careers of some of the most iconic performing artists.,” said Jessica Wood, assistant curator of the Music and Recorded Sound Division.
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts gratefully acknowledges the leadership support of Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman. Additional support for exhibitions has been provided by Judy R. and Alfred A. Rosenberg and the Miriam and Harold Steinberg Foundation.
About The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts was founded in 1965 at Lincoln Center, and is dedicated to enhancing access to its rich archives of dance, theater, music, and recorded sound—to amplify all voices and support the creative process. As one of The New York Public Library’s renowned research centers—and one of the world’s largest collections solely focused on the performing arts—the Library’s materials are available free of charge, along with a wide range of special programs, including exhibitions, seminars, film screenings, and performances. The collection at the Library for the Performing Arts includes upwards of 15 million items, notable for their extraordinary range and diversity—from 11th-century music, to 21st-century manuscripts, to contemporary hip-hop dance and Broadway recordings.
