Series consists of snapshots, portraits, and production shots relating to family, friends, and career of Celia Franca, taken in South Africa, Britain, Europe, and Canada; including members of the National Ballet of Canada and its school; presentation of Honorary Degrees to Celia Franca by Canadian universities; presentation of certificate to Celia Franca by Hubert Humphrey, U.S. Vice-President, 1964; also a collection of photographs autographed and presented to Ray Moller and subsequently presented to Celia Franca.
The series also includes photographic material depicting events and individuals associated with the career of Celia Franca as founder and artistic director of the National Ballet of Canada and as freelance teacher and choreographer in Canada, the United States and China.
The following events are documented: University of Toronto Convocation, at which Celia Franca received an honourary degree, Toronto, 1974; Dancers of the New Orleans Ballet in rehearsal, ca. 1975-1983; Celia Franca's visit to China, 1978 or 1980; Celia: A Celebration, Ottawa, 1984 (gala celebrating Celia Franca's contribution to dance); Celia Franca at a reception at the screening of the film Bold Steps, Canada House, London, England, 1985; Gala celebrating the 35th anniversary of the National Ballet of Canada, Toronto, 1985; Celia Franca receiving a diplome d'honneur from the Canadian Conference of the Arts, Ottawa, 1986; Investiture of Celia Franca as a member of the Order of Ontario, Toronto, 1987; Group photo of the Canada Council, including Celia Franca, Ottawa, 1987; Canada Dance Festival, 1988; Reception honouring Celia Franca, National Arts Centre, Ottawa, 1990.
The following individuals are documented: Christy and James Abuzov, Lincoln Alexander, Stephen Andrews, Frank Augustyn, John Bosley, Nora Colpman Brown, Arnold Edinborough, Celia Franca, Betty Goodings, Abbie Hoffman, Karen Kain, Charles Kirby, Lin Jian-Wei, Roy McMurtry, Donald MacSween, Maureen McTeer, Alfred Morris, Rudolf Nureyev, Jean Papineau-Couture, Peihui Guo, Pui-Li Duyang, Sophia Shen, Swami Deva Padam, Ray Tanva, Whipper Billy Watson, Elaine Werner
Photos are by unidentified photographers and by the following: Ken Bell, Toronto; Stephen Brathwaite; Erik Christensen/The Globe and Mail; Barry Gray/Toronto Sun; Robert Lansdale Photography, Toronto; Ottawa Citizen; Photo Features Ltd., Ottawa; André Sima, Ottawa; Speer Studio, Memphis; David Street, Toronto; Roger Wood, London, England., Additional photographic records received in 2007 add a considerable number of family and informal photographs of Franca with friends, many depicting various ballet troupes on tour.
Also included in the accrual images for specific ballet performances and publicity shots featuring principal dancers. Early ballets documented include performances from the 1940s such as "The Quest", "Carnaval", "The Spider's Banquet with Sadler's Wells, Celia Franca's first performance in Canada at Varsity Arena. Major ballets covered include the following: Bailemos, Bayaderka, Coppelia, Dark Elegies, "Eh!", Gisèle, House of Atreus, La Syphilde, L'Après-midi, La Gaspésienne, Khadra, Lilac Garden, Nutcracker, Offenbach in the Underground, Romeo and Juliet, Salomé, Sleeping Beauty, Spectre of the Rose, Swan Lake, and Winter Night. Photographers include predominantly Ken Bell as well as Anthony Crickmay, Gene Draper, E. Bordes Mangel, and Duncan Melvin. Celia Franca's most famous roles are documented such as Lady Capulet and Gisèle. Most generally, National Ballet folders contain portrait shots of such dancers as Erik Bruhn, Rex Harrington, Karen Kain, Nadia Potts, David Scott, Lois Smith, and Veronica Tennant.
Also acquired in this accrual are formal portraits of Celia Franca by such well-known photographers as Ken Bell, Anthony Crickmay, Peter Croyden, Janine Photo Studio, Towers' photographic studio, Tunbridge Photo Studio, John Reeves, Jurgen Vogt, Fernand Leclair, Duncan Melvin and Michael Bedford. Other formal portraits include Celia Franca with her husband musician James Morton. Of note are early publicity shots of Franca as a young dancer as well as fashion and beauty advertisements. Also in this series are shots of Franca at an event in Mexico City for the social columns.
The accrual adds five photographic albums relating to teaching which emanated from Franca's two trips to China in 1978 and 1980. Most of the images are snapshots of classes with some tourism shots of tea parties and monuments.
Two backlog containers were processed in 2012 and contained several informal snapshots and portraits of Franca and her friends from their early years in Canada. There were also a few additional studio portraits and three taken on the ship the S.S. Liberté in February 1951.
