Collection Summary
Florence Klotz Costume Designs
1971-1985
1971-1985
ML31.K606
Klotz, Florence
670 items
19 containers
11.5 linear feet
English
Collection material in
English
Music Division, Library of
Congress
Washington, D.C.
Florence Klotz was an American costume designer best known for her work on Broadway musical collaborations with composer Stephen Sondheim and director Harold (Hal) Prince, including Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), and Pacific Overtures (1976). The collection contains finished costume designs, sketches, fabric samples, and other materials for five musicals and one film adaptation.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Coleman, Cy. On the Twentieth Century.
Grossman, Larry. Grind.
Klotz, Florence.
Sondheim, Stephen. Follies.
Sondheim, Stephen. Little night music.
Sondheim, Stephen. Pacific overtures.
Subjects
Costume design.
Costume designers.
Musical theater--United States.
Theater--United States.
Women costume designers.
Form/Genre
Drawings (Visual works)
Sketches.
Swatches.
Provenance
Purchase, 2011.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Processing History
The Florence Klotz Costume Designs were processed by Alexandra Ley and Abigail Werner in 2018. Christopher Hartten coded the finding aid for EAD format in 2018.
Other Repositories
The Billy Rose Theatre Division of the New York Public Library contains the [Florence Klotz Papers, 1953-1997].
Copyright Status
Materials from the Florence Klotz Costume Designs are governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.) and other applicable international copyright laws.
Access and Restrictions
The Florence Klotz Costume Designs are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Music Division prior to visiting in order to determine whether the desired materials will be available at that time.
Certain restrictions to use or copying of materials may apply.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [item, date, container number], Florence Klotz Costume Designs, Music Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Florence Klotz was born Kathrina Klotz on October 28, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York. Little is known about her childhood. Klotz graduated from the Parsons School of Design and soonafter went to work painting fabrics at Brooks Costumes, where she met Irene Sharaff, costumer for Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I. Throughout the next ten years, Klotz served as assistant costumer to Sharaff, Joan Personnette, Miles White, and Lucinda Ballard before starting her own career.
Klotz's most noteworthy design credits were for productions by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Stephen Sondheim, and director Harold (Hal) Prince. Prince and Klotz worked on sixteen productions together, including Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993), Show Boat (1994), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), Pacific Overtures (1976), Grind (1985), and On the Twentieth Century (1978), among others. In addition to theater, Klotz also costumed three films, two of which were adapted from previous productions. Reuniting with Hal Prince for A Little Night Music (1977) and Something for Everyone (1970), the pair worked together on the only two films Prince directed. Pacific Overtures was recorded in 1976 at the Winter Garden Theatre for distribution on Japanese television.
Over her nearly thirty year career, Klotz won six Tony Awards for Best Costume Design for Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Grind, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Show Boat. She was also honered with five Drama Desk Awards for Follies, Pacific Overtures, On the Twentieth Century, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Show Boat. Klotz passed away at her home in Manhattan on November 1, 2006, at the age of 86.
Scope and Content Note
The Florence Klotz Costume Designs contain finished designs, sketches, fabric samples, notes, measurement cards, and related research materials for five Broadway productions and one film adaptation: Follies (1971), Grind (1985), A Little Night Music (1973; film, 1977), On the Twentieth Century (1978), and Pacific Overtures (1976). The film adaptation of A Little Night Music starred actress Elizabeth Taylor, with whom Klotz had a close professional relationship. The collection also contains designs for other notable performers, including Len Cariou, Imogene Coca, Hermione Gingold, Madeline Kahn, Stubby Kaye, John McMartin, and Ben Vereen.
The Klotz materials are comprised mostly of finished designs, many of which have attached fabric samples. These often contain numbers assigned by Klotz during the design process, some of which correspond to accompanying budget lists. These have been arranged in numerical order wherever possible. Some finished designs are accompanied by sketches and preliminary designs that provide insight into Klotz's approach to her work. With the exception of Grind, each production in the collection also includes some amount of historical research materials. Klotz's notes (which detail historical era, construction materials, etc.) for costumes are often written on the designs themselves, occasionally with the name of the performer designated for the costume and/or the scene or song title in which the costume would appear. Measurement cards for actors in these productions are laid in with their corresponding designs.
Organization of the Florence Klotz Costume Designs
The Collection is organized in one series:
-
[Costume Designs, 1971-1985](fk01)
Container List
Container
Contents
1-19
3
Costume Designs,
1971-1985
1971-1985
Chiefly finished designs, some with attached fabric samples. Also includes sketches, notes, measurement cards, and related research materials.
Arranged alphabetically by show title, then numerically by design number therein where possible.
4/1-15, 5/1-18
Follies,
1971-1972
1971-1972
Costume designs
7/1-24
Follies,
1971-1972
1971-1972
Costume designs
3/1
Follies,
1971-1972
1971-1972
Costume designs
1/1-7, 8/1-3
Follies,
1971-1972
1971-1972
Costume designs and research materials
1/8-10, 8/4-21
Grind,
1985
1985
Costume designs
9/1-22, 10/1-11
Grind,
1985
1985
Costume designs
1/11-28, 2/1-27
A little night music,
1973-1974
1973-1974
Costume designs
5/19-20, 6/1-5
A little night music,
1973-1974
1973-1974
Costume designs
15/1-4
A little night music,
1973-1974
1973-1974
Costume designs
3/1-21
A little night music,
1973-1974
1973-1974
Costume designs, research materials, and notes
6/7-9, 15/5-23
A little night music [film],
1977
1977
Costume designs
3/22-24
A little night music [film],
1977
1977
Costume design, fabric sample, and notes
6/11-16
On the Twentieth Century,
1978-1979
1978-1979
Costume designs
16-19
On the Twentieth Century,
1978-1979
1978-1979
Costume designs
3/25
On the Twentieth Century,
1978-1979
1978-1979
Research materials
10/12-15
Pacific overtures,
1976
1976
Costume designs
11-14
Pacific overtures,
1976
1976
Costume designs
3/26-31
Pacific overtures,
1976
1976
Costume designs, sketches, and fabric sample
6/17-18
Pacific overtures,
1976
1976
Miscellaneous documents and research materials