Cynthia Connolly collection on d.c. space
Collection
0460-SCPA-CONNOLLY
The Cynthia Connolly collection on d.c. space consists of promotional fliers, concert calendars, and publications related to the operations of d.c. space, a notable venue in Washington, D.C. that operated from the late 1970s to the end of 1991. The venue was known for performances by jazz musicians, punk bands, spoken word performers, and other participants in alternative cultures. Cynthia Connolly is a photographer, artist, and curator from Washington, D.C. who worked at d.c. space in the 1980s and early 1990s. Connolly collected the materials in this collection in the course of her work at the venue, which primarily consisted of booking and promoting events there. Materials in the Cynthia Connolly collection on d.c. space cover the period from 1983 to 2023 with the bulk of the materials falling between 1985 and 1991.
The collection is open for research use. Materials from this collection must be used in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library's Irving and Margery Morgan Lowens Special Collections Room during SCPA’s operating hours. Please contact the curator for an appointment or if you have questions related to digital access of the materials.
Copyright was not transferred to the University of Maryland with the gift of any copyrighted materials. All rights remain with the creators and rights holders. The University of Maryland Libraries is granted permission for the use in scholarly research by the Libraries’ patrons under fair use in Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act.
To inquire about duplication of materials for research or for publication, please contact SCPA’s curator.
0.5 Linear Feet
English
The Cynthia Connolly collection on d.c. space consists of promotional fliers, concert calendars, and publications related to the operations of d.c. space, a notable venue in Washington, D.C. that operated from the late 1970s to the end of 1991. Materials in the Cynthia Connolly collection on d.c. space cover the period from 1983 to 2023 with the bulk of the materials falling between 1985 and 1991.
d.c. space was a notable venue in Washington, D.C. that operated from the late 1970s to the end of 1991. The venue, located at the intersection of 7th and E Street NW, was known for performances by jazz musicians, punk bands, spoken word performers, and other participants in alternative cultures.
Cynthia Connolly is a photographer, artist, and curator from Washington, D.C. who worked at d.c. space from the 1980s until it closed in 1991. Connolly was also a longtime employee at Dischord Records, a punk rock record label from Washington, D.C. Connolly was Dischord's Director of Public Relations and Promotions from 1992 through 2002, connecting the label's music with radio and press outlets. Her work was pivotal in helping to establish Dischord as an influential source for punk and alternative music during a period in which those genres of music broke into mainstream culture.
Connolly also co-authored (with Sharon Cheslow and Leslie Clague) Banned in DC, the first book to present an extensive history of punk in Washington, D.C. The book has moved through numerous editions since its initial publication in 1988 and is one of the definitive books on a regional American punk rock subculture.
Connolly collected the materials in this collection in the course of her work at the venue, which primarily consisted of booking and promoting events there. Materials in the Cynthia Connolly collection on d.c. space cover the period from 1983 to 2023 with the bulk of the materials falling between 1985 and 1991.
This collection is organized into three series:
Gift of Cynthia Connolly, January 2, 2024
Part of the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library