Key Information
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1905-2014 (Creation)
Level of description
Collection
Extent
29 boxes
Scope and content
Papers of David Clarke, 1931-2014, relating to Clarke’s career as Pageant Master, 1967-2000, including programmes and publicity materials, correspondence, financial and legal documents, press cuttings, drawings, photographs and notes documenting pageants directed by Clarke, for example Pageant of England, 1968, Carlisle Pageant and Silver Jubilee Pageant, 1977, as well as speculative and cancelled projects; papers relating to Clarke’s interest in pageant history, 1905-2014, including research, photographs and press cuttings relating to the work of well-known pageant masters and their pageants, including Frank Lascelles, Gwendoline Lally and Louis Napoleon Parker, programmes, postcards and other ephemera relating to 77 different pageants, 1905-1990, publications about pageant production including books, English Pageantry, 1918, Brother Copas, 1928, Our Modern Orpheus, 1932, How to make a pageant, 1936, Pageants: Their presentation and production, 1954, and general historical research; Clarke’s writings, exhibition and talks including two unpublished book manuscripts, documents relating an exhibition of Clarke’s collection at the Harvey Gallery in Guildford, Surrey, 2005 and notes for three talks about pageant history; Clarke’s personal items including a photograph, financial document, and general correspondence, 1960–1979.
System of arrangement
The collection is arranged in sections as described in scope and content. Files are grouped chronologically under thematic headings. There is some overlap between the content of the thematic groups, reflecting David Clarke’s original system of arrangement.
General Information
Name of creator
Biographical history
Born in London, UK, on October 20 1931; family moved to Farncombe in 1933; educated at Godalming Grammar School, Surrey; studied theatre, costume and tapestry at Guildford School of Art, Surrey; gained a teaching qualification from Goldsmith's College, London; completed National Service; headed the art department at a Surrey co-educational grammar school from 1958; later worked for a College of Education in Hampshire; first pageant was an acting role in the Pageant of Farnham Castle, 1950; production designer for the Pageant of Guildford,1957; acted for the Chantry Players, the Richmond Shakespeare Society, the Surrey Community Players and Polesden Lacey Open Air Theatre; founded and directed the Cloister Players, which specialised in large scale costume productions in settings such as cathedrals and castles; venues included Guildford Cathedral, Guildford Castle, Loseley Park, Farnham Castle, Salisbury Cathedral, Cowdray Castle, Sussex, and Minack Theatre, Porthcurno, Cornwall; appointed as artistic director of the Guildford Festival, 1973; left teaching profession to further his theatrical career; Pageant Master of the Guildford Pageants,1968, 1977 and 1995; awarded a Silver Jubilee Medal, 1977; Pageant Master of the Farnham Pageant of 1988; Guildford Festival director until 1996; staged productions in York, Winchester, Salisbury, Exeter, Chichester, Newquay and Carlisle; researched the history of pageants and English tapestry; produced several films; died November 28 2014, Chilworth, UK.
Repository
Archival history
N/A
Custodial history
Placed in the Archives by David Clarke’s family, 2018. Additional postcards of pageants, collected by David Clarke, added in 2019 with the kind assistance of Paul Readman, Professor of Modern British History, King's College London.
Conditions governing access
Open, subject to signature of Reader's undertaking form, and appropriate provision of two forms of identification, to include one photographic ID.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied from open material for research purposes only.
Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Archives.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Finding aids
This summary guide and detailed catalogue.
Alternative identifier(s)
Subjects
Place access points
People and Organisations
Genre access points
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000.
Script(s)
Archivist's note
Compiled by Sarah Coggrave