Search

The Orson Welles – Oja Kodar Papers includes scripts, production documents, photographs, and other materials from Orson Welles's work in film and other media. General correspondence, topical files, papers related to Oja Kodar, and personal materials also make up a portion of collection. The bulk of the papers date from the 1960s to the 1980s with a smaller amount of material from the 1930s-1950s. The Additions to the Welles-Kodar Papers series, acquired in 2015, complements the scripts, correspondence and photographs already held, but also include annotated typescripts of drafts for a planned memoir, additional on-the-set photographs from films, television, and other projects, personal photographs, and documents from collaborations between Welles and Kodar.

The Orson Welles - Oja Kodar Papers primarily document the creative activities of Orson Welles during the last two decades of his life. The papers also contain a smaller amount of materials from the 1930s through the early 1960s. The materials in this collection were obtained from Oja Kodar, his companion and creative collaborator from the 1960s until his death in 1985. Additional papers were acquired in 2015 and are described below in the Additions to the Welles-Kodar Papers series.

The Welles-Kodar Papers have been divided into thirteen series: Theater, Radio, Film, Television, Other projects, Magic, Name and topical, Personal, Oja Kodar, Sound, Motion pictures, Realia, and Articles and clippings. Though much of the collection was loose and unordered, any parts of the collection that were grouped or organized by Welles, his assistants, or Oja Kodar have generally been kept in their original order. The loose, unorganized papers were then arranged according to the patterns that seemed exist in the material that was organized. Essentially, the current organization of the collection is an attempt to more fully implement the organizational schemes that Welles and Kodar were employing in the collection.

The first five series (Theatre, Radio, Film, Television, Other projects) represent the bulk of the collection and are arranged by project. For example, all materials relating to Citizen Kane including correspondence, photographs, and production documents, are kept together, physically and intellectually. The projects are then ordered chronologically. For example, immediately after the Citizen Kane (1941) materials are materials related to Welles' next project, The Magnificent Ambersons (1942). There are two exceptions to this project-based arrangement, where two groups of materials were kept together by production company (Astrophore and Roprama Film). Researchers should also note that Welles often worked on several projects at once so a memo filed, for example, under F for Fake (1974), may touch on Blind Window , which he was working on in roughly the same time period. Browsing through material from projects that occurred during the same general time period may therefore be a useful search strategy for researchers.

The Magic series, consists of a small amount of magic books, scripts for tricks, correspondence with magicians, and playing cards, reflects Orson Welles' strong, life-long interest in magic.

The remaining seven series (Name and topical, Personal, Kodar, Sound, Motion pictures, Realia, and Articles and clippings) contain material not generated during the making or distribution of Welles' creative projects. The Name and topical series consists of an alphabetical set of subject and name files material may range from correspondence with friends to posters from film festivals honoring or featuring Welles's work. The Name and topical series also includes correspondence with many famous filmmakers and actors and actresses. The Personal series contain photographs of Welles and materials relating to childhood friends, family, Welles's houses, and personal legal and financial matters. The Oja Kodar series includes material from her career as a sculptor, scripts she wrote, and some correspondence and personal material.

The final series: Sound, Motion pictures, Realia, and Articles and clippings, are relatively small (taken together they take up roughly 3 linear feet). Some material of note include cigar boxes on which Welles jotted various notes and a set of acetate records which seem to include a rare Welles radio performance.

The Theater series consists of a few files (about .1 linear feet) with he contents made up primarily of photographs and some programs from relatively early in his career, including the Mercury Theatre, as well as some from after he started working in film. Dates span 1934-1960.

In 2015, the library acquired the remaining Orson Welles papers in the possession of Oja Kodar. The Additions to the Wells-Kodar Papers series has been arranged into eleven series, mirroring the arrangement of the papers in the original acquisition. The series are: Theater, Radio, Film, Television, Other Projects, Magic, Name and Topical Files, Personal, Oja Kodar, Biographical Works, Clippings and Articles, and Oversize Photographs.

The Radio series consists of a few files (about .1 linear feet), related to Welles' work in the late 30's and early 1940s, including photographs, scripts, articles, and correspondence.

The Film series is the largest in the added material, comprising ca. 3 linear feet of scripts, drafts, correspondence, articles and clippings, promotional materials, and photographs. Films represented include both those directed by Welles and those directed by others in which he acted or participated. The series is arranged chronologically by film, dated according to their first public showing or general release date. Unfinished or unreleased projects are identified with an approximate date range of the years in the work took place.

The material related to the earliest films from the 1940s and 1950s consists primarily of photographs. Later unfinished films of particular interest include The Deep, Because of the Cats, The Other Side of the Wind, Crazy Weather, Assassin/The Safe House, The Other Man, The Dreamers, Big Brass Ring, and King Lear. Also included is articles, promotional materials, correspondence, and photographs from Don Quixote, filmed on and off from the late 1950's to the early 1970s. Materials are primarily related to the version which was released in 1992 after a the footage was edited and finished by director Jesus Franco, but the photographs are from the original filming.

As with drafts in the earlier accessions, Welles typically worked on scripts in sections, producing successive drafts which he then amended. The collection preserves many pages of these working drafts, which sometimes also include Welles's typed or written notes about the story and characters, along with messages to and from his typists. Minimal reorganization of the papers was done in order to preserve evidence of the process, and there are many files of "drafts" which may contain repetitions and out-of-sequence pages, filed as they were found. As Welles often worked by inserting new pages into older drafts or blending together several different versions of a scene, page numbers may not follow a logical sequence. In many cases no information about the script material was recorded before it was filed away, so dating the drafts is difficult. The dates assigned to this material are approximate. Because of the lack of identifying information on some of the material, a miscellaneous sub-series is included at the end of the series, which includes unidentified photographs and drafts of scripts.

The Television series comprises about .4 linear feet, and includes scripts, photographs, correspondence, and other materials relating to projects that were originally meant for television. This includes The Orson Welles Show, a talk show that only ever shot one episode with guests Burt Reynolds and the Muppets. Aslo included are materials related to Orson's Bag, a collection of short films including Swinging London, Stately Homes, and the Merchant of Venice, the contents of which were eventually released in 1995 as part of The One-Man Band. Other materials reflect the initial stages of a Christmas TV movie and a special for NBC.

The Other Projects series (.1 linear ft.) includes materials related to Welles' non-film related work, including advertising and vioceover work, as well as correspondence about various job offers.

The Magic series (about .5 linear ft.) includes scripts, correspondence, photographs, and other materials related to Orson Welles magic performances, including the Mercury Wonder Show, and television specials The World of Magic and Orson Welles' Magic Show. Also included are collected printed magic tricks, drafts of trick patter that he used during performances, articles and clippings, and drawings of costumes.

The Name and Topical Files series (approximately 1 linear ft.) contains primarily correspondence and various other materials arranged alphabetically by the name of a person, place, event, or subject. The series includes letters from directors and film executives such as Martin Scorsese and August Coppola, actors and actresses such as Charleton Heston and Charles Fawcett, close friends such as Roger Hill and Peter Bogdanovich, and some fans of Welles's work. Also included are posters, programs, and other materials related to film festivals and tributes to welles, including the Cannes International Film Festival and the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

The Personal series (1 linear ft) includes a variety of materials related to Welle's personally, rather than his screen work. This includes drafts of his writing including essays and articles about various topics, including Shakespeare and tributes and remarks about others in the film business, as well as untitled, unidentified drafts. Also in this series are works by others given to or collected by Welles including poems, short stories, and tributes. Most significant is the material from Welles' unpublished memiors, both in draft form and shorter more organized versions, along with notes, correspondence, and photographs meant for the book. Additionally, there are miscellaneous personal documents, including the notes he would write himself with lists of things that needed to be done, and notebooks with similar content as well as several doodles, one a self protrait. Correspondence with his daughters and Oja is also found in this series, as well as personal and family photographs, some from very early in his life.

The Oja Kodar series (approximately .75 linear ft.) consists of materials related to Oja Kodar's work both with and Without Orson Welles, as well as correspondence, and personal matters. The series is divided into subseries for film, writing, name and topical files, and personal. The writing and film subseries both include unpublished drafts of scripts and stories. The personal subseries included several topics related to Orson Welles' estate after his death, including real estate, legal papers related to the dispute over film rights, and Oja's eulogy for Welles. Also included are materials from her sculpture work and photographs.

The Biographical Works series (about .25 linear ft.) includes published and unpublished works about Welles written by others, including a collection of annotated correspondence, "Orson!:An Original Play", drafts of biographies by Jonathan Rosenbaum and Barbara Leaming, and a copy of The Unknown Orson Welles.

The Clippings and Articles series (approximately .5 linear ft.) is a collection of articles and clippings about Welles from various publications including magazines and newspapers. Materials are mainly arranged chronologically from before 1970 to 2014, but also included are folders of undated materials, undated clippings from Croatian/Yugoslavian publications, and photographs clipped from articles.

The Oversize series comprises two oversize boxes with oversize photographs that correspond with materials in the Film, Television, Magic, Personal, and Oja Kodar series and follows the same order. The magic subseries includes pages from a scrapbook with images from vintage magic ephemera together with images of Welles performing magic.

Political group formed in Wayne, Michigan in 1920, with roots in the old Socialist Party of America. This "Michigan faction" was expelled from Communist Party shortly after its founding in 1919, in part for its "consistent adherence to majority action and repudiation of the Communist Party's minority action concept." The party moved its headquarters to Chicago in 1925 where it maintained an office until disbanding in 1968. Consists mainly of correspondence of National Secretary Al Wysocki.

The records of the Proletarian Party survive in an unusual condition, requiring an organizational scheme with some unusual features to accommodate them. Most of the records were torn up by hand when the party disbanded in 1968, usually into quarters or halves. Perhaps 75% of the records have since then been largely or wholly reconstituted by being pasted onto sheets or strips of paper or occasionally clipped or stapled together; the remainder exist only as fragments. These fragments have been variously treated depending on the series to which, if whole, they would belong. Fragments of general correspondence, if dated, are placed in separate folders of fragmentary correspondence at the end of each year's correspondence files; undated fragments are divided by medium and shape, handwritten fragments in one folder, typescript (mostly carbon copy) fragments into several, depending on whether they represent the top left, bottom left, or bottom right corners, the entire left side, or some miscellaneous portion of the original page. This should make it possible to reassemble individual letters when necessary, assuming that all the component parts still exist. Fragments of mundane official correspondence and other material is not distinguished from non-fragmentary examples of the same, fragments that have lost their date being treated as undated.

Note also that many of the records consist of carbon copies, often made on the verso of other documents of interest (flyers, bulletins, the Constitution of the Proletarian Party, etc.). With one or two exceptions, it is the later use as a carbon that is reflected in the item's organizational placement. Researchers seeking the documents accidentally preserved in this way may need to examine the whole collection personally.

The value of the collection resides chiefly in the correspondence. Taken in bulk, it provides an almost intimate acquaintance with the people and ideas that animated the Proletarian Party during its last ten to fifteen years of existence, as well as recollections of its past. The jargon and mechanisms of the party are well illustrated, as is, poignantly, the inability of either to cope with the refusal of history to cooperate with the party's program, or to accept the weariness its members. The decline of the party is well captured in passages like this (John Davis to Al Wysocki, May Day, 1963): "We are dying on the vine as it were, there isn't many more than a dozen of us left. You can't call this a political party. The bulk of our funds go to the paying of rent for the Headquarters and the Kerr store room. I ma not at all clear about what can be done." Or this, from one of the last two members of the Detroit Local (Phil Drouin to Al Wysoki, 6 May 1964): "I have been trying to get a meeting of the remaining members in local Detroit and the only one that shows up is myself and Bennie so we keep postponing it and contact the other members and they always have excuses so...it looks like local Detroit is finish." To which Wysoki can only reply vainly (9 May 1964): "The local Detroit members are asleep on their revolutionary duties."

For comments on the Sarah Lovell for Mayor (of Detroit) campaign, see general correspondence, April 1957. For Wysocki's exchanges with curious student Arthur Maglin, see general correspondence, May, 1960; with student Douglas Hainline, see May and July 1962. For comments on the correct interpretation of the assassination of J.F.Kennedy, see general correspondence of 29 November and 9 December 1963.

The papers of Dr. Rufus Degranza Pease are made up of 219 letters, documents, drafts, a diary, notes, broadsides and handbills, a printed journal, and ephemeral items dating between 1844 and 1890. The papers contain 195 incoming letters and drafts of outgoing letters focusing heavily on four main areas: itinerant teaching and lecturing on scientific and pseudoscientific subjects in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and other areas between the 1840s and 1860s; Dr. Pease's imprisonment at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in October-November 1863; Dr. Pease's work for and later litigation against the National Christian Association Opposed to Secret Societies, late 1860s-1870s; and his work as phrenologist and physiognomist in Philadelphia in the 1870s and 1880s. The collection also includes Dr. Pease's 1855 pocket diary, a copy of Pease's The Journal of Man (1871), and a variety of printed handbills, tickets, broadsides, business cards, and trade cards associated with Dr. Pease's lectures and occupations.

The papers of phrenologist and physiognomist Rufus Degranza Pease are made up of 219 letters, documents, drafts, a diary, speeches, notes, broadsides, a printed journal, and ephemeral items dating between 1844 and 1890.

The Correspondence and Documents series contains 195 incoming letters and drafts of outgoing letters focusing heavily on four main areas:

• Itinerant teaching and lecturing on scientific and pseudoscientific subjects in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and other areas between the 1840s and 1860s;
• Dr. Pease's imprisonment at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in October-November 1863;
• Dr. Pease's work for and later litigation against the National Christian Association Opposed to Secret Societies in the late 1860s and early 1870s; and
• His work as phrenologist and physiognomist in Philadelphia in the 1870s and 1880s (including several drafts pertinent to Dr. Pease's analysis of Charles Guiteau's "psycho-physiology," dated 1881 and 1882)

The collection also includes Dr. Pease's preprinted Pocket Diary for 1855. For Registering Events of Past or Present Occurrence ... Boston: Wm. J. Reynolds & Co., [1855]. Dr. Pease used this daily diary to document activities, notes, costs and purchases, medicinal recipes and more. It is unclear whether or not many of the entries correspond to the pre-printed dates on which they were written. He spent much of 1855 in Indiana (particularly Wayne County). Examples of his brief entries include: "Completed my large portfolio" (March 3); a recipe for broth taken from the Tribune (March 10). "Went to Indianapolis on cars . . . got cards printed . . . guitar strings. & saw Risher Linder in bookstore" (April 2); a rough pencil sketch of a "Puzzle box"; card printing and costs, and Silas Galespy's printer in Iowa (April 4-6); section headed "The Italian Lost Girl" with brief biographical notes about Amelia [Ettensberger?] (April 7-9); instructions for making "Webber's Plates" (for portrait painting) (April 22-23); reference to "Lectures to Ladies on Anatomy..." followed by a note "Mrs Lukens is said to be in sympathy with H.C. Wright." (April 24-25); an entry stating "a want of sensibility in the skin has been found in a vast number of cases of insanity" (June 18); a treatment for "Frozen flesh" (July 15-16 and November 27). Throughout are very brief notes or lists pertinent to articles and books, art, geographical locations, body measurements, names of people, professions, where they were from or where he met them, and places.

The papers include a single Photograph, a 3.5" x 2.5" tintype group portrait of three unidentified women, one standing behind two seated.

The collection's Printed Items include:

• R. D. Pease, The Journal of Man. Philadelphia: Wm. S. Rentoul, January 1872.
• Two business cards for "R. D. Pease, M. D., Editor of the Journal of Man," one with manuscript revisions.
• One trade card for R. D. Pease's services in Philadelphia.
• Eleven different handbills, broadsides, programs, and prospectuses for lectures and courses by Dr. Pease and others, plus fragments.
• Four tickets to lectures and courses by Dr. Pease (including one complimentary ticket for the Wagner Institute of Science).

The Rufus Putnam letters are made up of 13 drafts of letters written by Putnam, primarily concerning the Greenville Treaty boundary line. Putnam was surveyor-general of the United States from 1796 to 1803, and these letters provide insight into his duties related to the partitioning of the Northwest Territory.

The Rufus Putnam letters (1797-1799) are made up of 13 drafts of letters written by Putnam, primarily concerning the Greenville Treaty boundary line. Putnam was surveyor-general of the United States from 1796 to 1803, and the letters provide insight into his duties related to the partitioning of the Northwest Territory. Putnam wrote twelve of these letters to Secretary of the Treasury Oliver Wolcott, informing him of progress in drawing the treaty line, and of various other activities.

The earliest letters in the collection pertain to contracts for ax men and deputy surveyors needed in order to complete the "Greenville Treaty Line" survey in a timely fashion, as well as keeping Wolcott informed of Putnam's surveying plans. In a letter dated May 10, 1797, Putnam humorously reported that he had to acquire a new certification of his appointment as surveyor-general because the Senate revised his original commission, which meant he had to swear into office again. As surveyor-general, Putnam wished to avoid difficulties when working with Native Americans; on January 25, 1797, he wrote, "It will be proper to have the boundary lines between these lands & the present Indian claims ascertained as soon as may be to prevent all danger of our encroaching on the Indian Lands." To aid in the distinction between U.S. territory and Indian lands, Putnam believed that the construction of a "great road" was the best way to give the Indians "satisfaction & leave the white people without excuse with respect to their knowledge of the boundary line" (March 15, 1799).

The Rufus Putnam letters offer a glimpse into different native tribes' responses to the drawing of the Greenville Treaty line. A letter dated August 15, 1799, respects military officer Israel Ludlow's invitation to Indian chiefs to appear at the surveying of the line. However, after waiting for two weeks, no chiefs presented themselves to Ludlow. In a subsequent letter, Putnam described an encounter between Ludlow's men and "a party of Indians at Greenville; the Indians told them that they must go no farther [on] that course, that they would all be killed if they continued on." (10 September 1799) These situations left no doubt in Putnam's mind "that it was the intention of the Indians to prevent runing [sic] the boundary line, if it was in their power to effect a delay without employing actual force." (September 10, 1799) Ludlow completed the survey without any Indian representatives present.

The collection includes a copy of a letter from Shawnee chiefs to Ludlow, expressing their displeasure at Ludlow's apparent condoning of Chickasaw raids against the Shawnee (July 16, 1799). The Shawnee chiefs explained their dissatisfaction: "Brother you help the Chickasaws, you gave them provisions & they come here secretly to kill us and our families, we see them every morning but the woods is so thick we cannot catch them… When you send word that the Chickasaws are gon we will come to you to make the road, but if the Chickasaws kill one Shawonnoe we will follow them through your Town until we kill the most of them."

Titled "American Murders 1675 - 1900 A Bibliography of American Murder Trials and Cases by Thomas M. McDade," these six black three-ring notebooks are a typed working draft of The Annals of Murder: A Bibliography of Books and Pamphlets on American Murders from Colonial Times to 1900, published in 1961 by the University of Oklahoma Press. The draft contains McDade's manuscript revisions, additions, and notes, as well as a few laid-in library call slips and suggested corrections sent to McDade after the release of the publication.

Titled "American Murders 1675 - 1900 A Bibliography of American Murder Trials and Cases by Thomas M. McDade," these six black three-ring notebooks are a typed working draft of The Annals of Murder: A Bibliography of Books and Pamphlets on American Murders from Colonial Times to 1900, published in 1961 by the University of Oklahoma Press. The draft contains McDade's manuscript revisions, additions, and notes, as well as a few laid-in library call slips and suggested corrections sent to McDade after the release of the publication. Each volume bears one or more ownership stamps: "Thomas M. McDade / 83 Purchase Street / Purchase, New York" and/or "Thomas M. McDade / Scotland Yard / Purchase, New York."

While the notebooks are undated, they are all the same size and form; one has "Handbook for Salesmen of General Foods Sales Co., Inc." gold-colored text on the cover. Thoms M. McDade began working for the company in 1946 and moved to Purchase, New York, in 1956. He received funding from the University of Oklahoma Press for the project through the Ford Foundation in the 1950s.

The working draft is arranged alphabetically by the name of the perpetrator/s of a capital crime, or victim/s name if the perpetrator's name was unknown—the same arrangement as the published bibliography. Most of the sheets in the notebooks contain a description of a crime, bibliographical entry, and/or sources or locations where copies of the book/pamphlet/broadside/etc. could be found.

Laid in and stapled in items include communications or notes that postdate the 1961 publication of the volume. One, for example, is a May 31, 1961, postcard sent to McDade giving a collation of John T. James' The Benders in Kansas (1913). Another example is a 1962 postcard from the New York Historical Society offering a correction to bibliographic entries 819 and 820, stating that they should both read the "life of Miss Ellen" and not "life of Miss Helen."

Other materials laid into the volumes include bookplates of the Law Library at the University of Missouri, filled-out library call slips, notes of sermons looked at by McDade at the American Antiquarian Society, and more.

This collection is made up of 135 sermons and 46 incomplete sermons/notes/fragments/prayers by Presbyterian minister Thomas Picton of Westfield, New Jersey; and the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, initially written between 1792 and 1823. Each of Rev. Picton's sermons include designated hymns for the service, places and dates where he delivered it, and sometimes notes about events or people pertinent to the occasion. The collection also includes four letters and drafts of letters dating between 1815 and 1825, pertinent to his ministry, a request for a letter of recommendation, and his dismissal from the West Point chaplaincy.

This collection is made up of 135 sermons and 46 incomplete sermons/notes/fragments/prayers by Presbyterian minister Thomas Picton of Westfield, New Jersey; and the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, initially written between 1792 and 1823. Each of Rev. Picton's sermons include designated hymns for the service, places and dates where he delivered it, and sometimes notes about events or people pertinent to the sermon. The collection also includes four letters and drafts of letters dating between 1815 and 1825, pertinent to his ministry, a request for a letter of recommendation, and his dismissal from the West Point chaplaincy.

An example of Thomas Picton's sermons is one that he wrote at Westfield on January 17, 1809, for the funeral of Isaac Acken (who inadvertently shot himself in the arm and died from complications of the gunshot wound). Picton utilized the text again, as the basis for his sermon at the funeral of Sally Mooney at Westfield on January 17, 1810; the funeral of Dr. Isaac Ludlow at Westfield on March 30, 1815; the funeral of West Point cadet Dryden Laycock on October 17, 1818; and for "soldiers" at West Point on July 8, 1821.

Rev. Picton titled one of several sermons pertinent to the War of 1812 "Thanksgiving day" (based on 147th Psalm, 14th verse, 1st part), which he delivered at Westfield on April 13, 1815, "The day appointed by James Madison, President of U.S. for a publick Thanksgiving, on account of peace with England, signed in London Decr. 14. 1814. ratified in Washington Febry 18th. 1815"

One of the fragments (in box two, folder six) is in the Welsh language and another (in box two, folder five) is in shorthand.

• Incomplete autograph letter to Thomas Picton, December 26, 1815; New Haven. Replying to a request for advice from Rev. Picton about Phyllis/Phyllis, a woman of African descent (possibly an enslaved woman), who refused to marry the man "Mr. and Mrs. Aikorn" insisted she marry. On account of their subsequent "unkind & unchristian" treatment, Phillis refused to attend communion.
• Dymbech yng Rgwynedd autograph letter signed to Thomas Picton, January 20, 1818; Cape May Court House. 3 pages. The Welshman from New Bridge, Benbighshire, NW, mentioned in Picton's letter (recently seen in N.Y.), was committed to State Prison where he served his full term. He was about the city before taking a steamboat for N.B.; he was seen on Cape May hearty but fatigued. Daughter recovered from illness. Another daughter and son-in-law moved to Ohio and settled between the Miamis. Tracking down a copy of Dr. Lewis' "Body of Divinity" that was owned by the late Mr. Edwards. It was apparently sent by the estate to Philadelphia where it was sold. Rev. Ogden ordained and installed in Presbyterian congregation at Cape May. Thoughts on Ogden. Five lines and sign off in Welsh language.
• Jno. M. Picton autograph letter signed to Thomas Picton, January 9, 1825; Fortress Monroe. 4 pages. To his uncle. Unpleasant passage on account of stormy weather. With deference, reminded Picton of a vacancy in the artillery company at West Point. Fort Monroe not as well equipped for practical, "scientific & useful" instruction. Specifically mentioned the Library at West Point. Had conversations with Colonel Thayer, applied but has not heard. Wanted to connect with Rev. Picton before re-connecting with Thayer. Did not need transportation money to reach the post.
• Draft letter of three pages, with a section crossed out (still readable), signed "Aristides"; following the draft is a note from J. Mansfield (Mamfield?) to Thomas Picton, dated December 28, 1825, in which he attested to be the author of the draft and that it was originally written as a criticism of the West Point Board's idea of having a group of annual visitors brought in to assess the institution. Posted from West Point December 28, to Thomas Picton in New York.

American biographer; participated, researched, and wrote about individuals involved in movements central to New York City's Lower East Side, including the Beats and the Punks. Papers include correspondence, notes and notebooks, clippings, other resources, manuscripts (drafts, proofs, galleys), photographs, and audiovisual materials.

The Correspondence series is comprised of approximately 2.5 linear feet of material, foldered alphabetically by author with individual letters and cards within each folder arranged chronologically. The majority of the correspondence discusses Bockris' professional endeavors, including correspondence between publishers, lawyers, and sources. Additionally included are some personal correspondence such as letters, notes, and cards. Within the series are several notable, lengthy correspondence partners including Isabelle and Jean Louis Baudron, 1984-1997 (5 folders); Gerard Malanga, 1977-1996 (10 folders); Miles, 1977-1998 (7 folders); Elvira Peake, 1984-1999 (5 folders); Claude and Mary Beach Pelieu, 1983-1996 (5 folders); and especially Ingrid von Essen, 1983-2001 (31 folders); Christopher Whent, 1985-2002 (7 folders); and Andrew Wylie, 1974-2000 (41 folders). Correspondence with von Essen is of particular note as she was both a professional collaborator and personal friend of Bockris, and in addition to incoming correspondence, outgoing correspondence from Bockris to von Essen, 1977-2001 (17 folders), is included in the series.

The series also includes correspondence from notable individuals, poets such as Anne Waldman and Allen Ginsberg, John Giorno, Jeff Goldberg, artists and personalities including Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Art Garfunkel, Bobby Grossman, John Waters, Aram Saroyan, and book subjects Bebe Buell, William Burroughs, Debbie Harry, and Terry Southern.

The Notebooks and Journals series is comprised of approximately .5 linear feet, and consists of 17 volumes or items (including one that is oversize). The volumes' contents seem to span the range of Bockris' subjects, although it is difficult to discern the exact contents given the handwriting.

The Topical Files series is approximately .25 linear feet, and contains materials surrounding important topics and persons to Bockris' work. Included in the files are coverage on the subject matter of writing biographies, manuscript fragments, and information on various personalities including those that were featured in some of Bockris' work, like Lydia Lunch, collaborators including Andrew Wylie and Gerard Melanga, and individuals whom Bockris pursued as potential biography subjects such as Art Garfunkel.

The Events series is approximately .1 linear feet, and contains gallery invitations and speaking engagements sent to Bockris. These materials do not correspond specifically to any of Bockris' works, nor do they involve him as an artist or speaker, and thus are separated into their own series.

The Muhammed Ali series is approximately .5 linear feet and pertains to the works that Bockris wrote about Muhammed Ali. Although one of the smaller series of Bockris' works within the collection, it still contains a multitude of information, and is broken down into six subseries: Correspondence; Notes and Notebooks; Scrapbook; Clippings and Articles; Manuscripts; and Reviews. The correspondence is primarily from 1993-2002 and consists of letters between Bockris and his publishers. Within this subseries, items are arranged chronologically by date. The Notes and Notebooks, and Scrapbook subseries both contain Bockris' thoughts and collections of information he gathered on Muhammed Ali. Similarly, the Clippings and Articles subseries contain assorted clippings and photocopies of text about Ali. The Manuscript subseries contains drafts of four works that Bockris wrote about Ali, and the Reviews subseries contains clippings and photocopies of reviews of these works.

The Beat Punks series is approximately 1.5 linear feet, and contains materials related to the subjects within Bockris' Beat Punks book (also published as NYC Babylon) and related works. Correspondence within this series is primarily from Bockris' publisher. The series contains significant information on Allen Ginsberg, including a scrapbook, clippings and articles, and the National Arts Club Literary Aware Dinner manuscript. Other notable individuals mentioned in this series include clippings and articles related to Lydia Lunch and a transcript documenting an interview between Bockris and Legs McNeil.

The Blondie/Debbie Harry series is approximately 2.25 linear feet, and its contents pertain to both Blondie and its lead singer Debbie Harry. Also heavily represented is Blondie member (and Harry's former partner), Chris Stein. Although the Correspondence subseries mostly concerns the book and publishers, there is a handwritten letter by Debbie Harry. The Transcripts subseries features numerous transcriptions of interviews and conversations featuring both Harry and Stein. Other resources noted within the series include both song lyrics and visual materials such as images of both Harry and Blondie.

The manuscript series fastidiously documents the evolution of the Making Tracks monograph written by Bockris, Harry, and Stein. Included are multiple, often annotated drafts of the manuscript beginning with when it was still referred to as Above Fourteenth Street. This documented evolution continues even after the manuscript was renamed to Making Tracks, and includes not only drafts but galleys, sample layouts, second blues, and book covers. In addition to this manuscript, also included are drafts of From Eat to the Beat to Autoamerican and Meeting Famous People.

The smallest series (.2 linear feet) within the collection documenting one of Bockris' works, the Bebe Buell series documents Bockris' and Buell's biography, Rebel Heart. The Correspondence subseries is comprised of two handwritten letters to Bockris from Buell. However, the most notable items within the series are a series of photocopied love letters written by Elvis Costello to Buell. Additionally included are several drafts of Rebel Heart, and documentation of legal issues concerning quotes within the book.

The William Burroughs series is 1.25 linear feet and contains an assortment of materials used by Bockris to write his works on Burroughs. The Correspondence subseries includes letters from publishers and sources, as well as from Burroughs himself, including a small painting sent to Bockris as a Christmas card. The Events subseries includes several gallery invitations specifically sent to Bockris, as well as postcards of his own speaking engagement, In America All We Do is Work.

The Transcripts subseries includes transcripts featuring a wide breadth of individuals such as William Burroughs, James Grauerholz, Richard Hell, Debbie Harry, Christ Stein, Allen Ginsberg, Jean Michel Basquait. Also found in this subseries are transcripts from Burroughs interviewing Patti Smith.

Finally, the Manuscript subseries includes several drafts of many of the works Bockris wrote about Burroughs (including A Report from the Bunker and With William Burroughs). Also included are drafts of shorter works, including the cover, back copy and page mock ups of William Burroughs Cool cats, furry cats, and aliens, but no purring, which Bockris printed in a limited edition of only 100 copies, each of which he signed and numbered.

The John Cale series is .75 linear feet and documents the writing of Cale's biography, as well as the related disagreements about its publication between Cale and Lou Reed.

The Correspondence subseries primarily consists of letters from Lou Reed, Sylvia Reed, and Chris Whent, documenting legal issues and disagreements between Cale and Reed, concerning their past as members of the Velvet Underground, and potential future as collaborators. Also of note are items from Mo Tucker (another member of the Velvet Underground).

Also included is the Other Resources subseries, which contains papers about Cale, his assorted lyrics and writings, and album covers. The Manuscripts subseries provides insight into Cale's biography from proposal, to early draft, to proof, to galleys. The series concludes with clippings and photocopies of What's Welsh for Zen reviews.

At approximately 12.5 linear feet, the Lou Reed series is the largest within the Bockris Collection. Each of its subseries, Correspondence; Notes and Notebooks; Clippings and Articles; Events; Sketchbooks; Transcripts; Other Resources; Manuscripts; and Reviews are sizeable and detailed, providing an enlightening look into Bockris' research and writing processes.

The Correspondence subseries contains numerous letters both from publishers and sources, the most notable of whom include Shelley Corwin (nee Albin), Reed's former girlfriend, Elizabeth Kronstad, Reed's first wife, and Andrew Wylie, Bockris' agent and former collaborator who struck up a friendship with Reed. The Notes and Notebooks subseries is extensive, containing a variety of notes, some of which were arranged by Bockris by subject, and others which were arranged by year. Bockris also participated in several speaking engagements related to his Lou Reed book, the promotional materials for which are documents in the Events subseries.

In addition to notes, Bockris's research also generated a vast quantity of clippings and articles (11 folders), serials and books (7 folders), and an assortment of Lexis-Nexis article print outs, spanning the years 1950 – 1989. Bockris also filled seven volumes of sketchbooks (the Sketchbooks subseries) with Lou Reed Content. Also utilized as source material, Bockris conducted numerous taped interviews, many of which were transcribed and are contained within the Transcriptions subseries. Interviewees of note include Shelley Corwin (nee Albin), Roberta Bayley, Legs McNeil, Richard Mishkin, Billy Name, Bob Quine, Lou Reed, Maureen Tucker, Chris Whent, and Andrew Wylie.

Other Resources also played a role in Bockris' research, and may be found in the subseries of the same name. Included are Reed's college magazine, The Lonely Woman Quarterly, Lou Reed: The Collected Lyrics, and information from Lou Reed's fan club. However, the most extensive portion of this series is the Manuscript subseries which documents Bockris' Transformer: The Lou Reed Story from early proposal all the way to U.S. galleys as well as the U.K. edition galleys, providing a meticulous documentation of the book's evolution. The drafts are organized based on the various arrangements that Bockris utilized. Similar to the arrangement of the Notes and Notebooks subseries, this results in some of the drafts organized chronologically by year range, and others organized by subject or chapter. Numerous final drafts are also included, which reveal different versions of the monograph in its entirety. The series concludes with the Reviews subseries, containing clippings and photocopies the book's reviews.

The Keith Richards series is approximately 3.75 linear feet, and documents Bockris' writing of Keith Richards. Most of the Correspondence subseries is comprised of communications from publishers and fans, however, there are several handwritten letters from Richards' former girlfriend, Anita Pallenberg, although they merely describe materials she sent to Bockris as well as signed certification that the information she provided is truthful. The arrangement of the Notes and Notebooks subseries remains as Bockris sent it, chronological and divided by year. Additional background materials may be found in the Sketchbook, Scrapbook, and Clippings and Articles subseries, the last of which includes copies of Rolling Stones newsletters Beggars Banquet and Basement News. Bockris also made use of taped interviews, the transcripts of which are provided in the Transcripts subseries, including one between him and Marianne Faithful. The Manuscript subseries contains an assortment of drafts of Bockris' work on Richards. These range from drafts focusing on specific people or time period to edited galley proofs and book covers. This broad spectrum of the manuscript provides a view inside Bockris' writing process and style. Finally, the Reviews subseries includes clippings and photocopies of reviews of this work.

The Patti Smith series is composed of approximately .75 linear feet of materials, documenting Bockris' writing of Patti Smith: A Biography. The Correspondence series primarily documents the communication between Bockris and his publisher, Fourth Estate. The remaining subseries, Notes and Notebooks; Scrapbook; Events; Clippings and Articles; and Other Resources all provide background materials for Bockris' writing.

The Manuscript subseries recounts Bockris' writing process, beginning with the early draft of Smith's biography, and ending with several portions of the finished work including the unbound galley, index, cover image, and image galleys. Also included are several drafts documenting the process Bockris underwent to get from early draft to completed galley. The final subseries, Reviews, provides clippings and photocopies of the book's reviews.

At .25 linear feet, the Terry Southern series is one of the smaller series in the collection that describes one of Bockris' works. Correspondence in this series includes a letter written by Southern, as well as several letters by Lee Hill (a Terry Southern biographer) written to Bockris. Also included is a Transcript subseries which features the transcript of a conversation between Southern and William Burroughs. The largest portion of the series is the Other Resources subseries containing several works by Southern and Hill. Unlike the other series documenting Bockris' works, the Southern series provides very little Manuscript subseries content. Indeed, the only item is an untitled early draft. Thus, in this case, little insight is provided into Bockris' writing process or the final work.

The Velvet Underground series is approximately .5 linear feet, and documents the making of Bockris' Uptight: The Story of the Velvet Underground. The Correspondence subseries mainly contains communication from publishers. The bulk of the contents in this series are research materials, including subseries Notes and Notebooks; Clippings and Articles; and Other resources which includes an interview with former Velvet Underground member Moe Tucker. The Events subseries provides information on several speaking engagement of which Bockris was a part.

The Manuscript subseries has two drafts, but is primarily composed of galleys, both for the U.K. edition in 2002 and the new edition. The Reviews subseries contains numerous clipped and photocopied reviews of the book. Also of interest is that some of Bockris' materials, ranging from notes to drafts also appear to have been referenced and utilized during the writing process of his Transformer: The Lou Reed Story book. The Andy Warhol series is approximately 3.5 linear feet. The bulk of the Correspondence subseries is comprised of communication between Bockris and his publishers. However, there are two letters of note, both from Warhol's brother, John Warhola, written directly to Bockris. Also included with one of these letters is a photograph of Bockris at Warhol's grave, taken by Warhola.

Much of the background research for the work is found in the Notes and Notebooks, Clippings and Articles, and Other Resources subseries. The Events subseries includes promotional materials for several speaking engagements made by Bockris as well as student feedback on a lecture presented by Bockris. The Manuscripts subseries documents the evolution of Bockris' The Life and Death of Andy Warhol from original manuscript to page proofs. Additionally included are drafts of related pieces written by Bockris including How I wrote a Biography of Andy Warhol and Pittsburgh Andy. Also included is the Reviews subseries which provides numerous clippings and photocopies of reviews of Bockris' pieces on Warhol. The series concludes with the Scripts subseries which includes several scripts based on Warhol's life and Bockris' biography. These include a potential script for Andy Warhol the Motion Picture and several annotated copies of the script Pop.

The Proposals and Drafts series is approximately .75 linear feet and documents an assortment of research on proposed subject including Ornette Coleman, Dennis Hopper, Fred Hughes, and Charles Plymell. Also included are collaborative pieces with Andrew Wylie like Which Way Did Doris Day Go? drafts of Bockris' shorter works such as Negative Girls and some of his Gadfly pieces. The Photographs series is approximately 2.25 linear feet. The photographs are primarily arranged by subject, including many of the subjects of Bockris' books (Ali, Blondie/Debbie Harry, Burroughs, Cale, Reed, Richards, Smith, the Velvet Underground, and Warhol). Photographs featuring unidentifiable or multiple subjects were filed under "Various." Additionally, there is a folder of negatives. Also included are three volumes of Bockris Contact sheets, chronologically divided into three binders, and covering 1972-2001 in total. Three more binders create the three volumes of Photographs by Victor Bockris, with each binder focusing on a different subject, Burroughs, Warhol, and Ginsberg respectfully. Finally, additional photographic materials may be found in the two oversize boxes, including the AliWarhol 24 Panel Piece, a Debbie Harry photograph, and various photographs. The Audiovisual subseries is approximately 2.5 linear feet, primarily containing cassettes of taped interviews conducted by Bockris. Of particular interest are interviews including Burroughs, Jaguar, Warhol, Ali, John Warhola (Warhol's brother), Buell, Harry, Stein, Cale, the Allen Ginsberg Memorial at the Poetry Project, Gerard Melanga, Legs McNeil, Roberta Bayley, Chris Whent, and Sterling Morrison. Also included among the cassettes are various published materials such as Lou Reed albums. In addition to the cassettes, a Terry Southern CD is also included. The VHS tapes found within this series are primarily published and feature Lou Reed. Similarly, the LPs in this series are all published. Most of these records feature Bockris' subjects including Blondie/Debbie Harry, Cale, Reed, and the Velvet Underground. Other notable individuals include Susan Sontag and Maureen Tucker. Cassette tapes from boxes 36 and 38 have been reformatted and CD use copies have been created. Use copies are located in boxes 45-47