Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Mark Green Papers, 1954-1991, bulk 1954-1978, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.greemark
Creators:
Green, Mark L., 1932-2004
Dates:
1954-1991
bulk 1954-1978
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
1.1 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of San Francisco Beat era photographer, journalist, and poet Mark Green consist of correspondence, biographical information, photographs, Nanny Goat Hill Gallery exhibition announcements, printed materials, and exhibition files for "Rolling Renaissance" (1968) and "A Kind of Beatness: Photographs of a North Beach Era, 1950-1965" (1975) exhibitions that Green helped to organize. Photographs by Mark Green are of notable figures and places in the Beat movement, including Allen Ginsberg, Robert Rauschenberg, and Clyfford Still, as well as photographs by others of Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Mark Green, and Jack Kerouac among others.

Scope and Content Note

Scope and Content Note
The papers of San Francisco Beat photographer, journalist, and poet Mark Green consist of biographical information, correspondence, exhibition files, printed materials, scattered writings, and photographs. Photographs by Mark Green are of notable figures and places in the Beat movement, including Allen Ginsberg, Robert Rauschenberg, and Clyfford Still, as well as photographs by others of Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Mark Green, and Jack Kerouac among others.
One folder of correspondence includes letters from Jay DeFeo, Wallace and Shirley Berman, and Robert Emory Johnson. Exhibition files are found for two Beat exhibitions that Mark Green assisted in organizing: "Rolling Renaissance", 1968 and "A Kind of Beatness: Photographs of a North Beach Era, 1950-1965", 1975. Exhibition files contain correspondence, photographs of work exhibited and installation views, clippings, announcements and catalogs. Photographs are of Thomas Albright, Francis Ford Coppola, Allen Ginsberg, Leonard Hull, Robert Emory Johnson, Bob Kauffman, J. Oliver Mitchell, Francis Rigney, Jerome Stauber, and Edward Silverstone Taylor. Correspondents include include Thomas Albright, Wallace Berman, Bill Eisenlord, Alfred Frankensten, Allen Ginsberg, Helen Johnson of the Focus Gallery, Robert Emory Johnson, Chester Kessler, and Philip Whalen.
Mark Green's writings include a history of the Nanny Goat Hill Gallery, a statement about his photography, and various notes.
Printed materials consist of clippings, exhibition announcements for the San Francisco area and Nanny Goat Hill Gallery, and comic books.
The series of photographs is particularly rich due to Green's thoughtful and informative reflections written on the back of many of the photographs. The majority of the photographs identify the photographer, sitter, date, and place. Many times, Green included his own recollections of the particular sitter or photographer as well. In addition to photographs of Mark Green, there are photographs taken by Green and others of important Beat Movement figures. There are also photographs of beatnick "hot-spots" including the Co-Existence Bagel Shop, The Cellar, and The Place.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged into 6 series:
  • Missing Title
  • Series 1: Biographical Information, 1967-1970s (Box 1; 1 folder)
  • Series 2: Correspondence, 1959-1976 (Box 1, 3; 1 folder)
  • Series 3: Exhibition Files, 1954-1975 (Box 1, 3; 13 folders)
  • Series 4: Writings and Notes, 1974-1978 (Box 1; 3 folders)
  • Series 5: Printed Material, 1959-1978 (Box 1-3; 8 folders)
  • Series 6: Photographs, 1950s-1970s (Box 2-3; 0.3 linear feet)

Biographical Note

Biographical Note
Mark Green (1932-) moved to San Francisco and became active in the "Beat Movement" as a photographer, writer, and arts advocate. He helped organize two major group exhibitions of beat-era arts and also founded the Nanny Goat Hill Gallery in San Francisco.
Green was born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio in 1932, and attended the University of Miami, Florida from 1950-1952. After taking classes in journalism and philosophy, Green began a career in media and worked as a copy-boy, reporter, and correspondent at various newspapers throughout the United States until 1956.
In 1957, Green moved to San Francisco and worked as a bartender at the Co-Existence Bagel Shop, a local spot for Beat gatherings. It was during this time that Green became involved with the Beat Movement and the San Francisco Renaissance. Green became friends with "Beatnick" figures including Edward Silverstone Taylor and Patricia Marx who encouraged him to take up photography. Green's poems were published in Beatitude and The Real Bohemia.
A more prolific photographer than poet, Mark Green exhibited his photographs at Seven Arts Gallery, the Critic's Choice San Francisco Art Festival (1964), the Focus Gallery, and the "San Francisco Renaissance" at the Gotham Book Mart and Gallery (1975). He was active in organizing group exhibitions including the "Rolling Renaissance" (1968) and "A Kind of Beatness: Photographs of a North Beach Era, 1950-1965" (1975). Additionally, Green founded the Nanny Goat Hill Gallery (1972-1974) to give little-known artists an outlet to exhibit their works.

Administration

Author
Jayna Hanson
Sponsor
Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
Provenance
Mark Green donated his papers in 1974, 1976, 1979, and 1991.
Alternative Forms Available
This site provides access to the papers of Mark Green in the Archives of American Art that were digitized in
2010
, and total
805
images.
Processing Information
A portion of the Mark Green papers was microfilmed upon receipt in 1974 on reels 981-982. The remaining accessions were merged and processed by Jayna Hanson in 2008. The papers were digitized in 2010 with funding provided the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
Mark Green papers, 1954-1991, bulk 1954-1978. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Restrictions on Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
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.

Related Material
The Archives of American Art holds an oral history interview with Robert Emory Johnson by Paul Karlstrom on March 14, 1975 that details the history of the Rolling Renaissance exhibition organized in part by Mark Green.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Poets -- California -- San Francisco Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Writings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Beat generation Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bohemianism -- California -- San Francisco Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photography -- Exhibitions -- California -- San Francisco Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographers -- California -- San Francisco Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Journalists -- California -- San Francisco Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photography -- California -- San Francisco Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hull, Leonard Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kauffman, Bob Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Johnson, Robert E. (Robert Emory), 1932- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kessler, Chester Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kerouac, Jack, 1922-1969 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Nanny Goat Hill Gallery (San Francisco, Calif.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mitchell, J. Oliver Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Berman, Shirley Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Coppola, Francis Ford, 1939- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
DeFeo, Jay, 1929-1989 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ferlinghetti, Lawrence Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Eisenlord, William J., 1926-1997 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Frankenstein, Alfred V. (Alfred Victor), 1906-1981 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Berman, Wallace, 1926-1976 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ginsberg, Allen, 1926-1997 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rauschenberg, Robert, 1925-2008 -- Photographs Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Albright, Thomas Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rigney, Francis J. (Francis Joseph), 1923- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Stauber, Jerome Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rennie, Helen J., 1906-1989 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Taylor, Edward Silverstone Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Whalen, Philip Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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