Wallace Berman papers, 1907-1979, (bulk 1955-1979)

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A Finding Aid to the Wallace Berman Papers, 1907-1979 (bulk 1955-1979), in the Archives of American Art, by Jean Fitzgerald

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Table of Contents:

• Biographical Information
• Overview of the Collection
• How to Use the Collection
• Detailed Description and Container Inventory

Biographical Information

Wallace Berman was born in 1926 in Staten Island, New York. In the 1930s, his family moved to the Jewish district in Los Angeles. After being expelled from high school for gambling in the early 1940s, Berman immersed himself in the growing West Coast jazz scene. During this period, he briefly attended the Jepson Art School and Chouinard Art School, but departed when he found the training too academic for his needs.

In 1949, while working in a factory finishing antique furniture, he began to make sculptures from unused scraps and reject materials. By the early 1950s, Berman had become a full-time artist and an active figure in the beat community in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Many art historians consider him to be the "father" of the California assemblage movement. Moving between the two cities, Berman devoted himself to his mail art publication Semina, which contained a sampling of beat poetry and images selected by Berman.

In 1963, permanently settled in Topanga Canyon in the Los Angeles area, Berman began work on verifax collages (printed images, often from magazines and newspapers, mounted in collage fashion onto a flat surface, sometimes with solid bright areas of acrylic paint). He continued creating these works, as well as rock assemblages, until his death in 1976.

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Overview of the Collection

Scope and Contents

The Wallace Berman papers, 1907-1979 (bulk 1955-1979), measure 4.9 linear feet and present a cursory overview of Berman's career as an assemblage artist and poet. The collection is valuable not only for its documentation of the work of Wallace Berman, but for its documentation of the California beat movement of the late 1950s through the early 1970s.

Found are numerous letters, writings, poems, and other published material which portray the thoughts, attitudes, and trends popular in a prominent underground culture which eventually led to radical changes in America and American art. The collection contains business correspondence, letters from other artists and writers of the beat movement, writings by others, scattered artwork by Berman, and photographs by Robert F. Heinecken. In addition, the collection contains files for Berman's mail art publications Semina and S.M.S. Also of note is the large volume of printed material (2.7 feet), much of it in the form of books and other published material.

Arrangement and Series Description

The collection is arranged into nine series which generally reflect material type.

With the exception of the letters in Series 1, each series is arranged chronologically. The original arrangement of the letters has been maintained, with a chronological arrangement of miscellaneous business letters and an alphabetical arrangement of the letters from Berman's more prominent colleagues.

• Series 1: Letters, 1957-1979, undated (box 1, 0.5 linear feet)
• Series 2: Notes from Interview, 1967 (box 1, 1 folder)
• Series 3: Writings by Others, 1972, undated (box 1, 6 folders)
• Series 4: Artwork, 1956-1976 (box 1, 4 folders)
• Series 5: Semina, 1955-1967 (boxes 1-2, 26 folders)
• Series 6: S. M. S., 1968 (box 2, 1 folders)
• Series 7: Printed Material, 1907-1976 (boxes 2-5, 2.7 linear feet)
• Series 8: Photographs, 1956-1976 (box 5, 6 folders)
• Series 9: Audio Tapes, 1962-[1965] (box 5, 6 folders)

Subjects and Names

Provenance

The Wallace Berman papers were donated by Tosh Berman, Wallace Berman's son, in 1992.

How the Collection was Processed

The collection was processed and the finding aid written by Jean Fitzgerald in 1998. The finding aid was modified during conversion to EAD by Stephanie Ashley in 2001.

How to Use the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The collection is open for research. Patrons must use microfilm copy.

Ownership & Literary Rights

The Wallace Berman papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Available Formats

The collection is available on microfilm reels 5282-5284. The microfilm is available for interlibrary loan.

How to Cite this Collection

Wallace Berman papers, 1907-1979 (bulk 1955-1979). Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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Detailed Description and Container Inventory

Series 1: Letters, 1957-1979, undated (box 1, OV 7, 0.5 linear feet)

This series consists of miscellaneous business letters, ten letters from Berman, and letters from colleagues.

The letters are arranged chronologically.

Series 2: Notes from Interview, 1967 (box 1, 1 folder)

This series consists of one folder of sentence fragements taken from a London interview of Berman undertaken by Sandrada.

Series 3: Writings by Others, 1972, undated (box 1, 6 folders)

This series includes a typescripts for two manuscripts and poems by Michael McClure, David Meltzer, and John Wieners.

Series 4: Artwork, 1956-1976 (box 1, OV 7, 4 folders)

This series consists of eleven collages and nine drawings by Berman, and eight "photograms" by Robert F. Heinecken.

Series 5: Semina, 1955-1967 (boxes 1-2, 26 folders)

This series consists of copies of Berman's mail art publication Semina. There are multiple copies of Nos. 1, 2, 4-8, and an envelope for No. 9. The files also contains Semina Art Gallery announcements.

Series 6: S. M. S., 1968 (box 2, 1 folder)

This series consists of a copy of No. 1 of the mail art publication S. M. S.

Series 7: Printed Material, 1907-1976 (boxes 2-5, 2.7 linear ft.)

This series consists of clippings, exhibition announcements, catalogs, brochures, booklets, scripts written by Berman's colleagues, seventy-four books, and miscellaneous printed material. Exhibition announcements and catalogs for others includes a catalog authographed by Jasper Johns.

The series is arranged as two subseries.

• 7.1: General Printed Material, 1908-1976
• 7.2: Books, 1907-1974, undated

7.1: General Printed Material, 1908-1976

7.2: Books, 1907-1974, undated

The books in this subseries include works on various religions, theories, and philosophies fundamental to the beat movement. There are first edition publications by many of the movement's leaders.

Series 8: Photographs, 1956-1976 (box 5, OV 7, 6 folders)

This series contains photgraphs of Berman, his wife, his colleagues, the Poets' Parade, and his work Wall Painting. The five photographs of Berman show him with Artie Richer, B. Alexander, David Meltzer at Fergus Gallery, his son Tosh, and William Hillman. Photographs of colleagues include: Cameron, 1962; Richard Constantino, 1958; S. Berman and Samson de Brier, 1956; Samson de Brier, 1957; Bill Eisenlord, undated; George Herms, 1960; Louise Herms, 1958; Pat Jordan, 1960; Philip Lamantia, 1958 and 1959; Michael McClure (16 undated photographs); Artie Richer with Berman, 1958; John Wieners, 1959 and 1964.

Series 9: Audio Tapes, 1962-[1965] (box 6, 6 folders)

This series contains twelve reel-to-reel tapes of poetry readings by Micahel McClure, David Meltzer, and Kenneth Patchen.