In April 2006, two linear feet of materials including photographs, clippings, and correspondence related to the Little Theatre of the Rockies were transferred to the Archives from the UNC College of Performing and Visual Arts (Acq#45). In 2012, seven boxes of CDs containing images of LTR productions were received from the Langworthy Theatre Lobby Box Office. In 2011, Susan Nelson of PVA transferred additional slides, photographs, and negatives (acq# 11.20). In April 2016, photographic images contained in envelopes and albums and on CDs were received from Diane Cays of PVA (acq# 16.07).

There is evidence indicating that many of the photographs and programs in this collection were originally part of scrapbooks created by Helen Langworthy. George Bogusch referenced her scrapbooks in his 1960 thesis “The Little Theatre of the Rockies; 1934-1960 : a Pattern for Educational Theatre; “ however, the whereabouts of the scrapbooks has long remained unknown. It appears that Dr. Langworthy’s scrapbooks were disassembled at some point and combined with other individual LTR items prior to being donated to Archives and Special Collections.

In 1979, former guest artist John Courtney wrote to John Willcoxon, LTR director, offering “a box of programs, pictures, publicity and revues of LTR plays since the theatre opened in ’33 or ‘34” to the theater department. As noted on the original letter, Dr. Willcoxon responded to Mr. Courtney, but whether he accepted the photos and all, is unknown. Considering the number and variety of images of Mr. Courtney in the collection, we can assume his donation was accepted and has been incorporated into this archival collection.

The UNC College of Performing Arts, Theatre Arts office transferred programs, promotional materials, and photographs in December 2020. Shan Watkins donated programs in 2021.