Between 1871 and 1896, dramatist W.S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan produced 14 comic operas, the best known of which are The Mikado, H.M.S. Pinafore, and The Pirates of Penzance. 

In this Friends of the University of Rochester Libraries-sponsored event, collector and Gilbert and Sullivan authority Hal Kanthor will discuss the duo and their influence on 19th-century American advertising. 

The event, which is being held in conjunction with the exhibition Ephemera: The Minor Transient Documents of Everyday Life, on display in the Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation (RBSCP) through the end of 2022, will pull from the RBSCP’s Harold A. Kanthor Collection of Gilbert and Sullivan.

The Kanthor Collection includes a diverse collection of posters that served as advertisement for specific productions and theatrical companies. They  a feature a range of graphic design and historical context that helps provide an understanding of the theatrical evolution of Gilbert and Sullivan productions.

This event is free and open to all. Please register to attend.