1971-1972

The New Orleans Opera Association Archives documents the business and creative operations of NOOA from its inception in 1943 to 2015. The contents of the collection were donated to Special Collections and Archives over the course of over a decade starting in 2003. Special Collections and Archives continues to receive programs of ongoing performances; these will be added to the collection annually (Subseries II-B: NOOA Programs).

Board minutes, budgets, personnel files, promotional materials, and media documenting both performances and outreach efforts are just some of the facets of this collection. The business operations of NOOA are detailed in Series I: Administrative Files, while a complete timeline of NOOA’s performances can be compiled using the materials in Series II: Productions. Evidence of marketing and outreach activities are contained in Series III: Publicity. The collection contains a wealth of audio and visual media including photos, programs, posters, video, and sound recordings which recreate NOOA productions throughout the company’s existence in Series IV: Images and Media. The reel-to-reel tapes in the collection were recorded at the Municipal Auditorium using state-of-the-art stage microphones.