Collections : [Rare Book & Manuscript Library]

Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Rare Book & Manuscript Library

6th Floor East Butler Library
535 West 114th Street
New York, NY 10027, USA
rbml@library.columbia.edu
The Rare Book & Manuscript Library is Columbia University’s principal repository for special collections. We collect, preserve, describe, promote, and provide access to the material evidence of diverse individuals and activities in alignment with the University’s research and teaching mission. We build and steward deep collections in select subject areas and connect them to a global audience through reference, teaching, exhibitions, publications, and public programs.

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David Hamburg papers, 1949-2003

353 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope
David A. Hamburg Papers (1950 - 2004, 841 boxes) document life and work of David A. Hamburg, a scholar, public health expert and president of Carnegie Corporation of New York from 1982 to 1997, who helped improve the quality of life and education for young people and worked to prevent violent conflict among nations

Sylvia Ardyn Boone Papers, 1925-2011, bulk 1961-1993

40 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope
This collection contains the personal and professional papers of Sylvia Ardyn Boone, a scholar of Art History with a focus on African art, and the first African-American woman to receive tenure at Yale University. The collection includes manuscripts, correspondence, course materials and syllabi, research notes, printed materials, photographs, video and sound recordings, and other papers relating to professional projects. Also included are dissertation manuscripts for recipients of the Sylvia Ardyn Boone Memorial Prize at Yale.

Carnegie Corporation of New York records, circa 1872-2015

3000 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope

Minutes, correspondence, annual reports, press releases, financial records, photographs, memorabilia, audiovisual, digital and printed materials document the philanthropic activities and administration of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The collection is actively growing, primarily through regular document transfers from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Andrew Carnegie's biographical information and personal philanthropic activity can be found in Series VII. In addition, his pre-1911 gifts, most notably his donations for libraries and church organs, can be found on microfilm (Series II), in the Home Trust Company Records (VI.A), and Financial Record Books (I.C.1). Grant files (Series III.A), which comprise the bulk of the collection) provide information on projects and institutions founded, endowed or supported by the Corporation. The Special Initiatives series (Series IV) contains the records of task forces, commissions and councils, formed by the Corporation mostly during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s to address specific issues. The Corporation's records include those of other Carnegie philanthropic organizations (Series VI), including the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Home Trust Company, both of which shared staff, officers, and office space with the Corporation for a period of time.

Robert M. Morgenthau papers, 1913-2019, bulk 1974-2009

190 Linear Feet
Abstract Or Scope

Robert M. Morgenthau (1919-2019) served as the District Attorney for New York County (the borough of Manhattan) for 35 years (1974-2009) and made a reputation for prosecuting white-collar crime. In this regard, the Papers hold many research files covering such aspects of white-collar crime as money laundering, offshore banking and tax havens. Morgenthau rarely handled a case himself. He delegated prosecutions to key aides in his office of 500 lawyers. Although not comprehensive, the Papers do contain a few files of assignment sheets covering the period (1938-2008). These sheets indicate which bureau each Assistant District Attorney was assigned to each month. The Papers, in turn, do not have any employment information about individual lawyers or the specific cases they worked on while employed in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office under Morgenthau. However, researchers should review "Series VI: Press Releases" and "Series VIII: Statements and Testimonies before Local, State and National Governmental Bodies," in order to gain an understanding of the issues handled by the Manhattan DA office during Robert Morgenthau's tenure.

RBML Office Files, 1917-2022

176.26 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope
This collection contains the administrative records of the Rare Book and Manuscript Library, from its days as the Department of Special Collections to the present.

Carnegie Council on Ethics & International Affairs records, 1844-2008

534 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope

Correspondence, minutes of meetings, financial records, publications, notes, subject files, awards, speeches, reports and audiovisual materials document work by the Church Peace Union, its successors Council on Religion in International Affairs and Council on Ethics and International Affairs, and related organizations such as the World Alliance for International Friendship Through the Churches. The first installment of the CCEIA archival materials came to the RBML in 1974, with numerous additions over the years. A major addition in 1982 contained primarily the records of the Board of Directors and their semi-annual meetings, as well as the various programs and institutes of the Council, for the years 1972-1982, along with selected 1930s materials. 1986 addition contains presidential correspondence files, minutes of the Board of Trustees and committees, special projects, programs and conferences files, and the business and editorial files of "Worldview". Correspondents include John Foster Dulles, Jane Addams, Fiorello La Guardia, and Paul Tillich. 1990 and 2000 additions includes files of CCEIA presidents and vice presidents, paper and audiovisual materials on Merrill House Conversation Programs; Educational programs; International Monetary Fund/Lecture series; The Annals Of The Academy Of Political & Social Science; Washington Consultations; Colloquia for the Clergy; Church State Project; Asian Development & The Carribean Initiative; Korea: Year 2000 Project; fundraising files, printed materials and files of the Department of Publications.

C.L.R. James Institute records, 1932-2003, bulk 1983-1999

20 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope
The C.L.R. James Institute was founded by Jim Murray to document the writing and influence of James and his circle

Seymour B. Durst Collection of Historical Manuscripts, Documents & Newspapers, 1764-1990

67 Linear Feet
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A collection of 17 cataloged items collected by Seymour B. Durst as part of his Old York Library collection. In addition there is a quite extensive collection of newspapers.

Marshall D. Shulman Papers, 1940s-1980s, bulk 1960s-1970s

95 boxes
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Book manuscripts, teaching materials, subject files, etc.

Clark Hoyt papers, 2009 - 2012

10 boxes
Abstract Or Scope

The Clark Hoyt collection is organized around the columns he wrote as public editor, with each being accompanied by related materials including notes, Q and A emails with Times staffers; emails from readers, which often served as the trigger for the column in question; emails with expert sources, and printed copies of Times articles that prompted the public editor's inquiries.

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Bomb Magazine records, 1978-2017

129 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope
This collection contains the administrative records of the interview-based arts journal, BOMB Magazine.

League of Women Voters of the City of New York records, 1919-2019

80 Linear Feet
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Correspondence, memoranda, minutes, reports, scrapbooks, printed material, and photographs. The files contain much material of the League of Women Voters of New York State as well, and some material pertaining to the national organization. The files document the League's activities in the areas of voter registration, election reform, New York City government, foreign policy, ecology, and numerous other concerns, and contain the records of city, state, and national conventions, annual reports, and Board and Council minutes. Major correspondents include Emanuel Teller, Stanley M. Isaacs, Jacob K. Javits, Robert F. Kennedy, Edward I. Koch, John Vliet Lindsay, Nelson A. Rockefeller, Anna Lord Strauss, and Percy E. Sutton.

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Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand records, 1891-2000

148 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope
The collection is clearly divided into two record groups: Coopers & Lybrand archival materials and Price Waterhouse & Co. archival materials. The documents from the offices Price Waterhouse & Co. materials include original company documents, accounting books, and other records created by Price Waterhouse or the firms that have subsequently merged with it.

Edwina Dumm papers, 1924-1978

7 Linear Feet
Abstract Or Scope
Edwina Dumm (1893-1990) was one of the earliest syndicated women cartoonists, known for her dog and animal centric strips and her delicate line. She was the author of Cap Stubbs and Tippie (1918-1966), Alec the Great (1931-1969), and the illustrator of numerous books about dogs.

Wesley Clair Mitchell papers, 1898-1953

22.5 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope

Professional correspondence, diaries, unpublished articles, lecture notes, abstracts, and other manuscripts by Mitchell. Subjects include economic theory and its history, business cycles, money, national planing, anthropology and psychology, and published material by Mitchell and others.

Serge Prokofiev Archive, 1917-2012

294 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope
Serge Prokofiev (1891–1953) was a Russian and Soviet composer, pianist and conductor, and seminal figure in the history of twentieth-century music. The Serge Prokofiev Archive (SPA) contains 58 original music manuscripts and over 10,000 letters and documents primarily from 1918-1936, the years Prokofiev spent in the West. The SPA also includes an expansive collection of music manuscript copies, published scores, concert programs, scholarly books and articles, photographs, and audio and video material, making it the premier research collection for studying Prokofiev's life, work and legacy.

International Institute of Rural Reconstruction records, 1914-2018

163 linear feet
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Correspondence, manuscripts, lectures, notes, diaries, notebooks, reports, financial records, blueprints, photographs, and printed materials of Y.C. James Yen and the IIRR concerned with the development, sharing, and financing innovative methods of teaching, improving agriculture, health and family planning, and education in impoverished villages. Among the cataloged correspondents are: Pearl Buck, William O. Douglas, Nelson Rockefeller, and DeWitt Clinton.

George Whiting Hibbitt papers, 1865-1965

3 boxes
Abstract Or Scope

Notes and research compiled by Hibbitt for a proposed book on Mary Delany and her contemporaries, the Duchess of Portland and Fanny Burney (Madame d'Arblay). Also, letters from approximately forty authors and public figures, mainly to George W. Hibbitt.

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Jerome Moross papers, 1924-2018

70.25 linear feet
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Correspondence, manuscript music scores, copies of scores, playscripts, scenarios, watercolor drawings and other stage designs, contracts, legal papers, programs, clippings and other printed materials, microfilms, records, tape recordings, and photographs. Among Moross's work are the musical play, "The Golden Apple"(1954), dance music for "Ballet Ballads"(1945) and for "Frankie and Johnny"(1938), the film score for "The Big Country"(1958) and for "The Cardinal"(1963), and his Symphony No. 1 (1943). There are some financial papers and production records for the staging of his works. Among the cataloged correspondents are Aaron Copland, Agnes George De Mille, Ned Rorem, Virgil Thomson, and Thornton Wilder.

Amiri Baraka papers, 1945-2015, bulk 1970s-2000s

219.5 linear feet
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The Amiri Baraka Papers contains correspondence, writings, and the personal, political activism and teaching materials related to Amiri Baraka's career as a poet, writer, editor, activist, and teacher in the New York City Beat, Downtown, and Black Arts literary scenes from the 1960s through the 2000s. Included are manuscripts from Baraka's numerous books of poetry, non-fiction, fiction, plays, editorial work, and screenplays. The collection also features organizational and documentary materials relating to Baraka's university teaching and Newark, NJ-based Black radical activism, as well as audio/visual material, photographs, and printed material collected and created by Baraka.

Human Rights Watch records : Record Group 4: Africa Watch, 1977-2019, bulk 1989-2019

154 linear feet
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Record Group documents Africa Watch's (AFW) three-pronged strategy to curb human rights abuses on the Continent through reports, missions and cooperative efforts with other NGOs. First, AFW monitored abuses and produced such comprehensive reports during war as Evil Days: Thirty Years of War and Famine in Ethiopia, and Conspicuous Destruction: War, Famine and the Reform Process in Mozambique. Second, although access remained difficult in many African countries, Africa Watch was still able to conduct missions to investigate human rights conditions in Mozambique, Angola, Zimbabwe and South Africa. AFW circumvented this predicament by exchanging information gathered by local in country monitors with other NGOs. Third, besides engaging in collaborative monitoring activities, Africa Watch engaged in many joint documentation projects and lobbying efforts geared toward ending political and ethnic violence in Africa. Finally, other documentary materials include correspondence and e-mail communications, professional, personal and monitoring activity, field notes, testimonies, interviews, advocacy, policy planning material, and briefing papers.
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Alfred C. Berol collection of American Revolution documents, 1650-1830

1.5 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope

A collection of letters and documents pertaining to the American Revolution, or to personages who figured in it. Among the persons represented in the collection are John Adams, Edmund Burke, Aaron Burr, Lord Cornwallis, Benjamin Franklin, Nathanael Greene, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, John Paul Jones, Marquis de Lafayette, Henry Brockholst Livingston, Robert Morris, William Pitt, Benjamin Rush, Baron von Steuben, and George Washington. The largest group of manuscripts in the collection is the sixteen letters of Henry Laurens, the South Carolina planter, and his son, John Laurens, among which is a "manumission letter" written by Henry Laurens to his son on 14 August 1776, shortly after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. For the text of this letter see: A LETTER FROM HENRY LAURENS TO HIS SON JOHN LAURENS, AUGUST 14, 1776.

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Robert A. Hill papers, 1933-2001

6 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope
The reasearch files of Professor Robert A. Hill relating to C.L.R. James. Professor Hill is the Literary Executor of C.L.R. James.

Women's National Book Association records, 1917-2020

72 linear feet
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The Women's National Book Association Papers document the history and work of the Women's National Book Association from their founding in 1917 until today. The organization is active in promoting women in the book industry through awards and programs to increase women's participation in the profession and the role of women in publishing and other book-related fields.

Albert Goldman papers, 1953-1994

225 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope

The papers consist of correspondence, diaries, journals, interviews, manuscripts, transcripts, and printed material.

Comic Art collection, circa 1884-2016

16 linear feet
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A teaching collection of original comic art, much of which sheds light on various historical styles or techniques. Accompanied by several comic books. Materials includes daily newspaper strip art, Sunday newspaper strip art, single-panel cartoons, comic book pages, and related comics material, such as printing plates and ephemera.

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Series IV: General Comic Art, 1884-2016

Group Research Inc. records, 1955-1996

215 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope

Wesley McCune founded Group Research Inc. in 1962 after a successful career as a journalist for such magazines as "Newsweek", "Time", "Life", and "Changing Times. Group Research Inc. was based in Washington DC until ceasing operations in the mid-1990s. The organization collected materials that focus on the right-wing and span four decades. The archive includes information about and by right-wing organizations and activists in the form of publications, correspondence, pamphlets, reports, the newspaper "Congressional Record," and magazine clippings and other ephemera. McCune and his small staff also published an initially bi-monthly but in later years monthly newsletter Group Research Report which kept its subscribers abreast of the latest views and actions of right-wingers.

Louis Nizer Papers, 1940-1994

13.09 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope
Manuscripts and correspondence of attorney Louis Nizer.

Amnesty International of the USA Inc. Indexed Documents, 1978-2004, bulk 1984-1997

24 linear feet
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Materials include indexed documents and reports created by Amnesty International.

Gary Y. Okihiro papers, 1939-2024

69.25 linear feet
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Manuscripts, correspondence, notes, research files, lectures, essays, papers, dissertations, teaching materials, and audio visual materials produced and used by Gary Y. Okihiro during his academic life.

Hubert H. Harrison papers, 1893-1927

23.5 linear feet
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The papers of Hubert Harrison, the brilliant and influential writer, orator, educator, critic, and political activist in Harlem during the early decades of the 20th century.

Lillian D. Wald papers, 1895-1936

97 boxes
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Papers concerning both the administration of the Henry Street Settlement and Wald's involvement in numerous philanthropic and liberal causes. Her office files trace the foundation and growth of the Henry Street Settlement from 1895 until 1933. Her other activities include child welfare, civil liberties, immigration, public health, unemployment, and the peace movement during World War I. The correspondence files contain letters from public figures and writers including Jane Addams, Roger N. Baldwin, Van Wyck Brooks, Lavinia L. Dock, John Galsworthy, Samuel Gompers, William D. Howells, Charles Evans Hughes, Mabel Hyde Kittredge, Frances Perkins, Dorothy Thompson, Norman Thomas, Ida Tarbell, Margaret Sanger, and Jacob A. Riis.

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Herbert H. Lehman Papers, 1878-2002, bulk 1930-1963

607 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope
This collection documents the personal and political life of Herbert H. Lehman, who served as lieutenant governor, governor, and senator of New York, and as director-general of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration.

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace New York and Washington Offices records, 1910-1954

335 linear feet
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Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, established by Andrew Carnegie in 1910, is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing cooperation between nations and promoting active international engagement by the United States. The files document the activities of the New York and Washington Offices of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace from 1910 until 1954, as well as the founding, administration, and activity of the Centre Europeen (CEIP Paris Office) and the work of the Carnegie Endowment in Europe in 1911-1940

Frederick Fried Coney Island collection, 1847-2001

32.62 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope
The collection consists of materials used by Frederick Fried in his research and writing about folk art and material culture, especially related to Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. A significant portion of the collection consists of the personal archive of William F. Mangels, which was purchased by Fried in 1955. Mangels was a designer and manufacturer of amusement rides and founder of the American Museum of Public Recreation at Coney Island. Subjects include amusement parks, amusement rides, architecture, bathing pavilions, beaches, beauty contests, carousels, carousel animals, Brooklyn, coin-operated machines, Coney Island, exhibitions, games of chance and skill, hotels, mechanical rides, mechanization, parades, pleasure railways, recreation, roller coasters, sideshows, transportation, and other subjects related to American material culture and popular amusement.
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Subseries II.1 Flat drawings, 1847-1927, undated

Industrial Workers of the World collection, 1916-1922

0.5 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope

A small collection of poems, broadsides, fliers, publications, manuscripts, and letters.

Earl L. Packer papers, 1910-1990

64000 items
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The Packer collection contains 64,000 items from the files of this American diplomat. It is complete in its representation of every aspect of his life. The papers include personal and professional correspondence, manuscripts, documents, printed materials, and Russian cartoons and illustrations, as well as original World War I posters. It also contains an array of photographs taken by Mr. Packer between 1917 and 1923, which depict scenes from the Russian Revolution and from Russian city life.

Fly papers, 1965-2023, bulk 1990-2012

70 Linear Feet
Abstract Or Scope
Professional and personal papers of Fly, a comic artist, textile artist, "crust punk," musician, feminist, squatter, illustrator, muralist, chronicler, teacher, and community activist. The papers include comics, zines, illustrations, original art, journals, sketchbooks, ephemera, production materials, printed materials, photographs, and audio and video recordings which documented Fly's personal life and artistic career highlighting the history of New York City's Lower East Side neighborhood and the counterculture scenes from the 1990s and beyond.

David A. Paterson papers, 2005-2011

38.75 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope
The papers consist primarily of records created or maintained during David A. Paterson's tenure as Lieutenant Governor and Governor of New York. The papers include approval and veto messages, budget materials, certificates, correspondence, litigation records, messages of necessity, photographs, press releases, proclamations, program bills, resolutions, schedules, speeches, video recordings, and visitors' logs.
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Series VI: Daily Public Schedule, 2001-2010

Series XVI: Privileged Records, 2005-2011 (Restricted Until 2029), 2005-2011

Paul Levitz papers, 1974-2017

9 Linear Feet
Abstract Or Scope
Over 40 years of comics scripts and Fanzines from the 1960s and 1970s.

Community Service Society records, 1842-1995

423 linear feet
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Correspondence, reports, memoranda, case records, photographs and printed material. The archive include central and district administrative records; cammittee correspondence and minutes; and files on the various programs--such as sheltered workshops, tuberculosis sanitariums and health centers, public baths and employment bureaus--run by the two organizations. The archive also contains hundreds of photographs, including works by Lewis Hine and Jessie Tarbox Beals; extensive casework files from the beginning of social work (originally referred to as "friendly visiting among the poor"); and copies of masters and doctoral theses from the New York School of Sociel Work and other schools. Much of the research for these theses was based on the CSS files

Institute of Current World Affairs records, 1914-2018, bulk 1926-2011

145 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope

The Institute of Current World Affairs records document the history of the ICWA, its sister organization, the American Universities Field Staff, and its founders, Charles and John Crane. Documents include first-hand reports authored by Fellows and field staff, correspondence, minutes, planning documents, subject files, financial records, publications, and photographs.

Leo H. Downes Papers, 1789-2014, bulk 1950s-2014

20 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope

The collection comprises 753 cassette tapes; 2 videotapes, and 13 boxes of papers.

Whitney M. Young, Jr. papers, 1960-1977

300 boxes
Abstract Or Scope

Correspondence, speeches, reports, testimony, press releases, and articles of Young. The files document Young's leadership in many social welfare and civil rights organizations, as well as his activities as a columnist and speaker. Cataloged correspondents include Robert F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Hubert H. Humphrey, Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King, Roy Wilkins, and John W. Gardner.

George Santayana papers, 1880-1946

10 linear feet
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Letters from Agustin Ruiz de Santayana have typescript carbon English translations. The translations are not on microfilm.

Joseph Stiglitz papers, 1970s-2019

240 linear feet
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The collection contains manuscript drafts for many of Stiglitz's books, as well as article drafts and copies of speeches and lectures from throughout his career. There are files related to his work with the White House on the Council of Economic Advisors and from his time as the Chief Economist of the World Bank. There is a small amount of material relating to his teaching and other academic activities such as conferences.

Patti LuPone papers, 1940-2024, bulk 1969-2024

66 Linear Feet
Abstract Or Scope
A collection of scrapbooks, scripts, sheet music, and photographs chronicling the career of the Tony award winning actress and singer Patti LuPone.

Jennifer B. Lee collection, 1926-2008

2 Linear Feet
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The collection includes 21 posters relating to book arts, and a number of historical rare book dealer and auction catalogs and booklets related to rare book librarianship. It also includes several groups of printed materials, documents, art and memorabilia related to literature, performing arts, and the New York World's Fairs of 1939-40 and 1964-65.

Andrew W. Cordier papers, 1918-1975

160 linear feet
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The large collection covers all aspects of Cordier's life. It contains letters, memoranda, reports, cables, printed materials and photographs, mostly pertaining to his tenure at the United Nations and Columbia University.

Joseph Urban papers, 1893-1998

135 linear feet
Abstract Or Scope

Collection contains watercolor renderings, sketches, technical drawings (ground plans, elevations and details), photographs, glass plate and acetate negatives, scrapbooks, set models and some related papers covering Urban's career in Vienna and New York as an architect, set designer, decorator and illustrator. There is a thorough representation of his New York career including his set designs for Florenz Ziegfeld (1915-1932) and the Metropolitan Opera (1917-1933). The collection also contains information on Urban's work for William Randolph Hearst as art director for Cosmopolitan Studios, his exhibitions including his 1921 Wiener Werkstätte store, and his many architectural projects. Biographical information and research gathered by Richard Cole and Randolph Carter including contributions from his daughter,Gretl Urban, and biographical notes and some letters from his widow, Mary Urban, are also present.

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