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Series IV: Gay Culture, Activism, and Community, circa 1978-2003
Series VI: ESL Teaching, circa 1970-2013

Rick Shur papers, 1949-2016, bulk 1970-2003

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Series III: Closet Case TV Show, circa 1984-1997

Series III assembles materials related to Shur's production of the Closet Case Show on Manhattan Cable Access from 1984-1994. Subseries III.1 includes the show's extensive correspondence and materials files, which include letters, flyers, photographs, event announcements, pamphlets, erotica, and more, as well as documents from Shur's battles with the cable access channel over censorship and cancellation, PR materials, media coverage of Shur and the show, materials from film festivals in which Shur's work appeared, and correspondence with Haworth Press, with whom Shur collaborated on academic research into gay video pornography and visual culture. Shur created a business selling erotic videotapes drawing on content from the show, files from which are collected in Subseries III.2.

Subseries III.1: Cable Access Show Materials, circa 1984-1997


Box 7 Folder 1 CCTV Correspondence and Materials, 1984-1985

Box 7 Folder 2-3 CCTV Correspondence and Materials, 1986, 2 folders

Box 7 Folder 4 CCTV Correspondence and Materials, 1987

Box 7 Folder 5 CCTV Correspondence and Materials, 1988

Box 7 Folder 6 CCTV Correspondence and Materials, 1989

Box 7 Folder 7-8 CCTV Correspondence and Materials, 1990, 2 folders

Box 7 Folder 9-10 CCTV Correspondence and Materials, 1991, 2 folders

Box 7 Folder 11 CCTV Correspondence and Materials, 1992


Box 8 Folder 1 CCTV Correspondence and Materials, 1993

Box 8 Folder 2-4 CCTV Correspondence and Materials, 1994, 3 folders

Box 8 Folder 5 CCTV Correspondence and Materials, 1995-1999

Box 8 Folder 6 CCTV Correspondence - Pre-Emption, 1992

Letters related to the CCTV show's pre-emption (removal from the schedule by Manhattan Cable Access) in 1992; miscellaneous photos, flyers, pamphlets, etc; issue of QW 31 (May 31, 1992), with short article on Shur and CCTV.

Box 8 Folder 7-8 Haworth Press Correspondence, 1988-1993, 2 folders

Box 8 Folder 9 Haworth Press - HIV/AIDS, 1992-1994

Box 8 Folder 10 Obituaries, 1990-1993

Box 8 Folder 11 Obituaries, 1994-1997

Box 8 Folder 12 CCTV - Scripts, undated

Miscellaneous scripts for skits related to CCTV show


Box 9 Folder 1-7 CCTV - Materials Used, circa 1987-1994, 7 folders

Box 9 Folder 8 CCTV - Media Coverage, 1985-1992

Manhattan Cable franchise agreement, pre-emption letter (1992); articles from Village Voice; film festival programs; film industry periodicals; other miscellaneous materials

Box 9 Folder 9 CCTV - PR Kit Copies, 1985-1992

Articles, interviews, and materials discussing CCTV and Rick X.

Box 9 Folder 10 CCTV - Periodicals with Articles on CCTV, 1987-1992

Magazines including articles about Rick X. / CCTV: All-Man, Fall 1987; Torso, September 1989 (article: "Rick X: Safe Sex Video Artist" by Bruce Ballard); Evil May 1992.

Box 9 Folder 11 CCTV - Model Release Forms, 1988-1994


Box 27 Folder 1 CCTV - Porno Actors, 1993

Closed to researchers until 2068

Letters and photos from prospective actors in response to ad placed by Shur in Homo Xtra (HX) magazine


Box 10 Folder 1 City Heights Materials, circa 1983-1989

Papers related to the first iteration of Shur's show: stationary, newsletters, newspaper articles, Paragon Cable Manhattan and Group Cable info pamphlets, Manhattan Cable TV contract and info, handwritten notes, resumes with photos, promotional materials for early shows, programming cards for station.

Box 10 Folder 2 City Heights mailing list, circa 1984-1987, undated

Box 10 Folder 3 City Heights Auditions, circa 1984

Casting call ad, handwritten schedule for auditions, resumes and photos for prospective hosts/participants for original City Heights cable access show

Box 10 Folder 4 City Heights Newsletter, 1986

Masters and multiple copies of typed newsletter for viewers, handwritten notes, return-to-sender letter

Box 10 Folder 5 MCTV Suit, 1985-1992

Papers related to Shur's conflict with cable access channel over refusal to air some of his material, circa 1988 and 1990; correspondence, documents on law/policy around content, censorship, etc.

Box 10 Folder 6 Cable Law, circa 1984-1996

Photocopies and printouts of legal statutes relevant to sexuality, obscenity, cable television, etc; agreement with Manhattan Neighborhood Network; newspaper clippings

Box 10 Folder 7 Film and Video Festivals, 1987-1989

Periodicals with articles on festivals where his video work appeared: The Advocate no. 488 (1987); Square Peg no 19 (1988); and programs from festivals: American Film Institute Video Festival (1987) LA International Gay and Lesbian Film/Video Festival (1987), San Francisco International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (1987), Fifth Picadilly Film and Video Festival (1988).

Box 10 Folder 8 Film and Video Festivals, 1987-1989

Articles, handwritten notes, promotional materials, programs, and other materials from US and UK film and video festivals; ephemera from trip to San Francisco for film festival including ticket stubs and miscellaneous brochures on HIV/AIDS in English, Spanish, and Chinese.

Box 10 Folder 9 Academic essays, 1990-1992

"Breathing Pauses in the Radio Commentary of Rick X" by Bruce Ballard (course paper, 1991, 10 pp + appendix); "The Politics of Home Movies: Rich X and the Closet Case Show" by Nicholas Zieminski (course paper, 1992, 48 pp); "Androgyny in Silent Comedy" by Zieminski (thesis, 1990, 119pp)

Box 10 Folder 10 Miscellaneous, circa 1984-1994

Various papers related to Shur's shows and video work. Title cards for show; "Theories on AIDS Etiology" by Shur, 1987; images from newspapers/magazines; 1986 events calendar listings; list of video rentals, 1991-92; "A Guide to Video Camcorder Techniques"; erotic collages and drawings; "Is Coors the Right Beer Now?" pamphlet by Shur; signed flyer for videos by Brenda and Glenda; flyer for PFLAG dinner, 1986; list of sections with timestamped from CCTV erotic videos; list of CCTV "shows with heavy political content", 1989-91; annotated printout "Male Video Collection, 1988; invitation to 50th birthday party for Shur; pamphlets/clippings about gay travel; papers related to jack-off clubs, including "Hellfire Jack-Off Night: A Review by Rick Shur"


Box 23 Folder 1 CCTV posters, circa 1987-1995, undated

Two large collage-style mixed media posters for the Closet Case TV Show


Box 25 Magnetic letters, undated

Collection of magnetic plastic letters and numerals with metal backing board, used as props on CCTV show

Subseries III.2: Video Businesses, circa 1984-1996


Box 10 Folder 11 Heights Media Video Business - Promo Materials, circa 1984-1987

Black and white video stills, testimonial letters, and other promotional materials for "Grooming" video

Box 10 Folder 12-13 Heights Media Video Business - Orders, 1984-1985


Box 11 Folder 1 Heights Media Video Business - Orders, 1986-1987

Box 11 Folder 2 Heights Media Video Business - Correspondence, 1984-1987

Miscellaneous letters related to sale and promotion of and customer response to "Grooming" video

Box 11 Folder 3 City Heights Video Business - Promo Materials and Correspondence, circa 1985

Box 11 Folder 4 Heights Enterprises Video and Computer Software Services flyer, undated

Copies of a flyer advertising Shur's word processing, video, and computer software services, with prices

Box 11 Folder 5 CCTV Video Business - Correspondence, 1991-1996

Box 11 Folder 6 CCTV Video Business - Promo Materials, undated

Box 11 Folder 7 PR, circa 1987-1993

Papers related to classified advertising, satirical Christmas card mailing, business cards, promotional materials for Shur's erotic videos


Box 23 Folder 2 CCTV Video Business - Promotional Materials - Screens and Plates, 1993

Mechanical screens and plates for photo lithographic printing of promotional materials for CCTV pornographic tapes produced and distributed by Shur: "How to Seduce a Preppy" "Jimmy Joins the ROTC," "Sandy and Jeff Apply Sunscreen," and "Billy Bob Cleans Up."