This database of late-nineteenth and early twentieth-century theatre posters represents a small portion of the holdings at the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research, located on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Sample posters were selected based on quality of their condition and the range of theatrical styles they advertise, from minstrel shows to Broadway premieres. Accompanying notes provide dates and locations of shows (when available) as well as minimal commentary on the playwrights and production staff. For each poster, the date, location and authorship of the poster itself is provided as well when information could be retrieved.

The database is made possible by a grant from the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Center, as well as a Graduate School Summer Research Grant. The project could not have been completed without the invaluable help of Melissa McLimans, the Digital Services Librarian at UWDCC, and Maxine Ducey, Senior Special Librarian for the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theatre Research (Department of Communication Arts). Leah Ujda provided guidance with the metadata, and Shannon Skelton served as research assistant, expertly photographing and cataloging the images for scanning.