Robert Lax papers, 1938-1990

Robert Lax papers, 1938-1990

Summary Information

At a Glance

Call No.:
MS#0752
Bib ID:
4079014 View CLIO record
Creator(s):
Lax, Robert
Repository:
Rare Book and Manuscript Library
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.

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.

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.

Using the Collection

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

Reproductions 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.

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.

Subject Headings

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

All links open new windows.

Genre/Form
Drawings (visual works)
Journals
Manuscripts (documents)
Notebooks
Notes (documents)
Photographic prints
Photographs
Poems
Sketches
negatives (photographs)
Name
Antonucci, Emil
Journeyman Press (New York, N.Y.)
Merton, Thomas, 1915-1968
Van Doren, Dorothy, 1896-1993
Van Doren, Mark, 1894-1972
Place
Greece -- Pictorial works
Kalymnos (Greece) -- Description and travel
Patmos (Greece : Municipality) -- Description and travel
Subject
American literature -- 20th century
American poetry -- 20th century
Authors, American
Editors
Literature publishing -- New York (State) -- New York
Poets, American
Publishers and publishing -- New York (State) -- New York

Series I: Correspondence and Manuscripts


Box 1

Cataloged correspondence and manuscripts

Series II: Uncataloged correspondence and manuscripts by others


Box 2 Folder 1

Photocopies of Thomas Merton correspondence & manuscripts

Series III: Manuscripts

Titled typescripts, in alphabetical order


Box 3 Folder 1

Another play for Nancy Flagg, Sept. 2 1939

[Arranged alphabetically]

Series IV: Manuscripts, untitled

Arranged chronologically


Box 10

Poetry volumes, 1941-1959


Box 14

Poetry volumes

[Untitled and undated]


Box 15

Poetry volumes and scroll poems

[Untitled and undated]


Box 16

Loose poetry [No order apparent]

[Untitled and undated]


Box 17

Loose poetry [No order apparent]

[Untitled and undated]


Box 18

Loose poetry [No order apparent]

[Untitled and undated]


Box 19

Loose poetry [No order apparent]

[Untitled and undated]


Box 20

Loose poetry [No order apparent]

[Untitled and undated]


Box 21

Journal and prose notes [Arranged chronologically], [n.d.]; 1938-1940

Series V: Manuscripts


Box 23

Journals, notebooks, loose writings, [n.d.]; 1965-1968; 1973, 1974

Series VI: Artwork


Box 24

Drawings and sketches

Series VII: Photographs

Arranged by subject


Box 25 Folder 1

Reinhardt

[ Black and white, contact sheets, prints of various sizes]


Box 26

Negatives, completely unlabeled and unorganized


Box 27

Negatives, completely unlabeled and unorganized


Box 28

Negatives, completely unlabeled and unorganized

Series VIII: Printed materials


Box 29

Original and photocopied items written by Lax, including whole journals and other publications, 1968-1973

Series IX: Oversize, Art


Flat Box 316

Lax, Robert [Figure in landscape], [n.p.], [n.d.], 8 x 11 [on mat] watercolor


Flat Box 316

Lax, Robert [Woman], [n.p.], 8 July 1939, 8 x 11 [on mat] watercolor

Series X: Oversize, Manuscripts


Flat Box 316

Lax, Robert "The Sea Poem", [n.p.], [n.d.], 2 manuscripts

Series XI: Uncataloged correspondence and manuscripts by others


Box 2 Folder 2

Miscellaneous correspondence, 1944-1968


Box 2 Folder 3

Uncataloged correspondence


Box 2 Folder 4

Uncataloged correspondence & mss. re: "The Circus of the Stars"


Box 2 Folder 5

Mss. by Gerhard van den Bergh


Box 2 Folder 6

Merton-Lax mss., Book of Merton letters


Box 2 Folder 7

Uncataloged mss. by others

Series XII: Manuscripts

Titled typescripts, in alphabetical order


Box 3 Folder 2

Arise & be happy & glad...


Box 3 Folder 3

Acey-Ducey, Summer 1959


Box 3 Folder 4

Acey-Ducey


Box 3 Folder 5

Able Charlie Baker Dance


Box 4 Folder 1

A Bower of Weeds


Box 4 Folder 2

Fire Water Earth & Air


Box 4 Folder 3

The Gentle Legend


Box 4 Folder 5

The Book of Revango


Box 4 Folder 6

The Circus of the Sun


Box 4 Folder 7

Black Yogurt


Box 4 Folder 8, 9

Fritz


Box 4 Folder 10

Gooper's Landing


Box 4 Folder 11

Assumption Day


Box 4 Folder 12

Miscellaneous writings


Box 5 Folder 1

Mark the Teacher


Box 5 Folder 2

The Long Horrible Night at Riker's, a play, Jan. 11, 1940


Box 5 Folder 3

Jack the Cat


Box 5 Folder 4

Notebook Blue


Box 5 Folder 5

Libretto for a Technicolor Ballet


Box 5 Folder 6

The Morning Stars


Box 5 Folder 7

Is-sus Miggs


Box 5 Folder 8

Invocation & Canticle


Box 5 Folder 9

The Island Kingdom


Box 5 Folder 10

The Island Kingdom


Box 5 Folder 11

New poems


Box 5 Folder 12

Histories


Box 6 Folder 1

Omnibus


Box 6 Folder 2

Recent works, includes photographs and drawings


Box 6 Folder 3

Poems


Box 6 Folder 4

Old notebooks


Box 6 Folder 5

Once & For All


Box 6 Folder 6

One About the Future


Box 6 Folder 7

One Two Three (1,2,3)


Box 6 Folder 8

Miscellaneous poems


Box 7 Folder 1

Tractatus


Box 7 Folder 2

Recollections of a Temple Dancer


Box 7 Folder 3

Songs


Box 7 Folder 4

Scraps


Box 7 Folder 5

Tosca


Box 7 Folder 6

Solomon's High Dive


Box 7 Folder 6

Miscellaneous poems


Box 8 Folder 1

Three Days Patmos, many drafts & copies


Box 9 Folder 1

Winter


Box 9 Folder 2

The Voyage to Pescara


Box 9 Folder 3

Winter Lightning


Box 9 Folder 4

You Gotta Understand the Language

Series XIII: Manuscripts, untitled

Arranged chronologically


Box 11

Poetry volumes, 1959-1960


Box 12

Poetry volumes, 1961-1966


Box 13

Poetry volumes, 1972-1974

Series XIV: Manuscripts

Arranged chronologically


Box 22

Journal and prose notes, 1941-1945

Series XV: Photographs

Arranged by subject


Box 25 Folder 2

Rice

[Black and white, contact sheets, prints of various sizes]


Box 25 Folder 3

Jubilee

[Black and white, contact sheets, prints of various sizes]


Box 25 Folder 4

Ringling

[Black and white, contact sheets, prints of various sizes]


Box 25 Folder 5

Alzana

[Black and white, contact sheets, prints of various sizes]


Box 25 Folder 6

Bermuda

[Black and white, contact sheets, prints of various sizes]


Box 25 Folder 7

Lowe

[Black and white, contact sheets, prints of various sizes]


Box 25 Folder 8

Van Doren

[Black and white, contact sheets, prints of various sizes]


Box 25 Folder 9

France; Corps, Eau Vive

[Black and white, contact sheets, prints of various sizes]


Box 25 Folder 10

Cristianis

[Black and white, contact sheets, prints of various sizes]


Box 25 Folder 11

Brittanic

[Black and white, contact sheets, prints of various sizes]


Box 25 Folder 12

Book of taped in photographs

[Black and white, contact sheets, prints of various sizes]


Box 25

Various envelopes of seaside portraits

[Black and white, contact sheets, prints of various sizes]

Series XVI: Printed materials


Box 30

Original and photocopied items written by Lax, including whole journals and other publications. Also includes music scores and writings by others, mainly poetry journals., 1961-1991


Box 31

Original and photocopied items written by Lax, including whole journals and other publications. Also includes music scores and writings by others, mainly poetry journals., 1966-1995

Series XVII: Addition to Lax Papers


Box 32

Printed materials written by Lax; correspondence with several notable figures, including Richard Avedon and Jack Kerouac; bibliography of his writing and other miscellaneous items.