Seth Tobocman papers, 1960s-2020s
Collection context
- Extent:
- 50 Linear Feet (29 flat boxes (of various sizes); 1 RSC; 1 large box; 2 small boxes; 5 Tube boxes; 4 MC drawers)
- Language:
- English .
- Scope and content:
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Tobocman's collection features drawings, paintings, posters, notebooks, and ephemera from his long career as an artist and activist. Among the correspondence is a series of comic strips created by Mumia Abu-Jamal, the journalist and political prisoner, who is a longtime collaborator with Tobocman. The collection will provide extraordinarily rich materials for teaching, research, and -- especially -- exhibitions. Tobocman has chronicled every major protest movement of the past half-century, focusing on New York City and the Lower East Side, in particular, but touching upon conflicts and movements from around the globe.
- Biographical / historical:
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Seth Tobocman has been a passionate activist artist since his high-school days in the 1970s. Tobocman co-founded the political comics magazine World War 3 Illustrated in 1979 and his work may be found at protests and demonstrations around the world, as well as in the collections of MoMA and the Whitney Museum. He had made art in support of squatters' rights and affordable housing, and against war and globalization, and has chronicled the consequences of gentrification, the Wall Street crash of 2008, and the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
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Material is unprocessed. Please contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.
- Location of this collection:
- Before you visit:
- Researchers interested in viewing materials in the RBML reading room must must book an appointment at least 7 days in advance. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to 5 items per day.
- Contact:
- rbml@library.columbia.edu