Rare Book & Manuscript Library
 

Robert Lax papers, 1938-1990

Summary Information

At a Glance

Call No.: MS#0752
Bib ID 4079014 View CLIO record
Creator(s) Lax, Robert
Title Robert Lax papers, 1938-1990
Physical Description 17 linear feet (32 boxes 1 package)
Language(s) English .
Access You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

This collection is located on-site.

This collection has no restrictions.

Arrangement

Arrangement

Selected materials cataloged; remainder arranged as follows. Box 1: Cataloged correspondence & manuscripts; Box 2: Uncataloged correspondence & manuscripts by others; Box 3-20: His poetry; Box 21-23: Prose & journals; Box 24: Drawings & sketches; Box 25-28: Photographs; Box 29-31 & Oversize: Printed materials; Box 32: Addition.

Description

Summary

Correspondence, manuscripts, drawings, photographs, and printed material of Lax. Included are letters of Mark and Dorothy Van Doren and Thomas Merton. The bulk of the collection is comprised of Lax's poetry and journal manuscripts, many written in Patmos and Kalymnos, Greece, and originally sent to Emil Antonucci of the Journeyman Press in New York for publication. Also, printed photographs and unprinted negatives of pictures taken by Lax, primarily in Greece.

Using the Collection

Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Restrictions on Access

You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

This collection is located on-site.

This collection has no restrictions.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Robert Lax papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Accruals

Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Ownership and Custodial History

Gift of Robert Lax, 1971-1975 & 1990.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Source of acquisition--Lax, Robert. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--1971. Accession number--M-71.

Letters & clippings: Source of acquisition--Lax, Robert. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--10/26/90. Accession number--M-90-10-26.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Cataloged 07/--/89.

Processed by MBB 10/75 and HR 5/92. Letters & clippings Cataloged HR 05/05/92.

Revision Description

2010-02-16 Legacy finding aid created from Pro Cite.

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Genre/Form

Heading "CUL Archives:"
"Portal"
"CUL Collections:"
"CLIO"
"Nat'l / Int'l Archives:"
"ArchivedGRID"
Drawings (visual works) Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Journals Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Manuscripts (documents) Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Notebooks Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Notes (documents) Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Photographic prints Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Photographs Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Poems Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Sketches Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
negatives (photographs) Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID

Subject

Heading "CUL Archives:"
"Portal"
"CUL Collections:"
"CLIO"
"Nat'l / Int'l Archives:"
"ArchivedGRID"
American literature -- 20th century Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
American poetry -- 20th century Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Antonucci, Emil Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Authors, American Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Editors Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Greece -- Pictorial works Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Journeyman Press (New York, N.Y.) Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Kalymnos (Greece) -- Description and travel Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Literature publishing -- New York (State) -- New York Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Merton, Thomas, 1915-1968 Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Patmos (Greece : Municipality) -- Description and travel Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Poets, American Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Publishers and publishing -- New York (State) -- New York Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Van Doren, Dorothy, 1896-1993 Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID
Van Doren, Mark, 1894-1972 Portal CLIO ArchiveGRID

History / Biographical Note

Biographical / Historical

Poet & editor (Columbia University B.A., 1938) who was born in 1915.

Lax was a noted American poet who wrote concrete or minimalist poetry. He was born in Olean, NY on 30 November 1915 and died there on 26 September 2000. He attended Columbia University where he received a B. A. in 1938. While at Columbia he befriended such notables as Thomas Merton and Ed Rice. After Columbia he worked at the New Yorker University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Time and Jubilee magazine. In 1956 he published his first book The Juggler. He was published in such prestigious journals as New Yorker and Poetry Journal. In 1969 he received a National Council for the Arts Award.