Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Lawrence Ferlinghetti Papers, 1980-2020, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.ferllawr
Creators:
Ferlinghetti, Lawrence
Dates:
1980-2020
Languages:
Some of the professional material and printed material are in Italian.
Physical Description:
3.3 Linear feet
Repository:
The Lawrence Ferlinghetti papers measure 3.3 linear feet and date from 1980 to 2020. The papers document Ferlinghetti's career as a poet and artist through exhibition files, inventories, correspondence and other professional files; clippings, exhibition announcements, exhibition catalogs, and other printed material; sketches, sketchbooks, lithographs, and other artwork; and photographs and slides of Ferlinghetti and his artwork. There is a 0.3 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2023 that includes copy prints of images taken by Ferlinghetti during World War II made for an exhibition on Ferlinghetti at the Harvey Milk Photo Center in 2019. Also included are three reproductions from the photo book Splinter Fleet, 2018, used in the exhibition. Additional material includes a letter from Nancy Tucker to Lawrence Ferlinghetti, 2007; and six photographs of Ferlinghetti's Underwear series, circa 2000.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The Lawrence Ferlinghetti papers measure 3.3 linear feet and date from 1980 to 2020. The papers document Ferlinghetti's career as a poet and artist through exhibition files, inventories, correspondence and other professional files; clippings, exhibition announcements, exhibition catalogs, and other printed material; sketches, sketchbooks, lithographs, and other artwork; and photographs and slides of Ferlinghetti and his artwork.
There is a 0.3 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2023 that includes copy prints of images taken by Ferlinghetti during World War II made for an exhibition on Ferlinghetti at the Harvey Milk Photo Center in 2019. Also included are three reproductions from the photo book Splinter Fleet, 2018, used in the exhibition. Additional material includes a letter from Nancy Tucker to Lawrence Ferlinghetti, 2007; and six photographs of Ferlinghetti's Underwear series, circa 2000.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged into five series.
  • Series 1: Professional Files, 1988-2020 (0.9 linear feet; Box 1)
  • Series 2: Printed Material, 1982-2019 ( 0.7 linear feet; Boxes 1-3, 5)
  • Series 3: Artwork, 1980-2005 (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 2-5)
  • Series 4: Photographic Material, 1990-2009 (0.3 linear feet; Box 2)
  • Series 5: Unprocessed Addition, 2007-2019 (0.3 linear feet; Box 6, OV 7)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Lawrence Ferlinghetti (1919-2021) was a painter, poet, and activist in San Francisco, California. Ferlinghetti was born in Yokers, New York. He studied journalism at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and completed a Ph.D. in comparative literature at the University of Paris. In the 1950s, Ferlinghetti established City Lights, a publishing house in San Francisco. Ferlinghetti was also a poet writing in the vein of T. S. Eliot. Ferlinghetti painted throughout his lifetime and exhibited works throughout the United States. Ferlinghetti died in 2021.

Administration

Author
Ricky Gomez
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated in 2022 and 2023 by the Lawrence Ferlinghetti Artworks Trust via Joseph Sasser, Trustee.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Ricky Gomez in 2022.
Existence and Location of Originals
Original contact prints taken by Ferlinghetti are located at the Bancroft Libray, Berkeley.

Using the Collection

Terms of Use
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Conditions Governing Use
The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, that they may own in the following material: artwork created by Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Preferred Citation
Lawrence Ferlinghetti papers, 1980-2020. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Painters -- California -- San Francisco Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Poets -- California -- San Francisco Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sketchbooks Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives of American Art
750 9th Street, NW
Victor Building, Suite 2200
Washington, D.C. 20001
Business Number: Phone: 202-633-7950
https://www.aaa.si.edu/services/questions