Museum of Performance + Design

The Museum of Performance and Design began as a private passion project in the nineteen forties when Russell Hartley, a dancer and costume designer for the San Francisco Ballet, started salvaging and cataloging dance artifacts he found in local second-hand shops. What started as his personal collection in his own home eventually grew into a massive archive, preserving everything from Gold Rush era playbills to rare costume designs. This institution now serves as the official steward for the records of major local organizations like the San Francisco Ballet and the San Francisco Opera, safeguarding a history that would otherwise have been lost to time.