Bernard Zakheim collection on Frank Herbert
Finding aid prepared by Jessica Geiser, Collections Management Librarian.
Special Collections & University Archives
The UCR Library
P.O. Box 5900
University of California
Riverside, California 92517-5900
Phone: 951-827-3233
Fax: 951-827-4673
Email: specialcollections@ucr.edu
URL: http://library.ucr.edu/libraries/special-collections-university-archives
© 2018
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Bernard Zakheim collection on Frank Herbert
Date (inclusive): 1956-1969
Collection Number: MS 420
Creator:
Zakheim, Bernard, 1898-1985
Source:
Herbert, Frank (Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr), 1920-1986
Extent:
0.21 linear feet
(1 box)
Repository:
Rivera Library. Special Collections Department.
Abstract: The collection consists of materials from Polish-born San Francisco artist Bernard Zakheim, mostly related to his friendship
and interactions with science fiction author Frank Herbert. Items in the collection include correspondence between Herbert
and Zakheim, news clippings on Herbert, and poems written by Herbert. The collection also includes various typescripts of
Herbert's poem, "Carthage," with his handwritten corrections and annotations.
Languages: The collection is in English.
Access
The collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to the University of California, Riverside Libraries, Special Collections & University Archives.
Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission
of the copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable
rights holder is also required. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Preferred Citation
[identification of item], [date if possible]. Bernard Zakheim collection on Frank Herbert (MS 420). Special Collections &
University Archives, University of California, Riverside.
Acquisition Information
Purchased in 2018.
Processing Information
Processed by Jessica Geiser, Collections Management Librarian, 2018.
Biographical Note
Bernard Zakheim was born in 1898 to a Jewish family in Poland. He dreamed of becoming an artist from a young age, and was
awarded a scholarship to the Polish National Academy of Fine Art where he studied drawing, painting, and sculpting. In 1920,
Zakheim and his wife moved to San Francisco, California, where he worked as a furniture maker.
Zakheim also became involved in artistic endeavours in the early 1930s, and was especially interested in depicting and preserving
Jewish-American life and culture through his art. He met muralist Diego Rivera around this time, and studied with him and
San Francisco muralist Victor Arnautoff to develop his skills in mural painting.
In 1933 he helped found the San Francisco Artists and Writers Union, which was a group of activist artists that lobbied the
federal government to create a federally funded arts program during the Great Depression. These efforts led to the establishment
of the Public Works of Art Project, which helped fund some of Zakheim's most well-known works, including the Coit Tower murals
in San
Francisco.
Zakheim was also known for embedding his own politics into his work, and advocated that artists should openly show their beliefs
in their work. Frank Herbert's biographer stated Zakheim's views in this area were influential on Herbert as well, whom Zakheim
encouraged to include political and religious messages in his books.
During his career, Zakheim created murals for the University of California San Francisco, the San Francisco Jewish Community
Center, and the Alemany Hospital in San Francisco. Later in life he moved out of the city to Sebastopol, California, where
he continued to paint. He passed away in 1985.
Collection Scope and Contents
The collection consists of materials from Polish-born San Francisco artist Bernard Zakheim, mostly related to his friendship
and interactions with science fiction author Frank Herbert. Items in the collection include correspondence between Herbert
and Zakheim, news clippings on Herbert, and poems written by Herbert. The collection also includes various typescripts of
Herbert's poem, "Carthage," with his handwritten corrections and annotations.
Collection Arrangement
The collection is arranged alphabetically.
Related Materials
See also the Frank Herbert papers (SC-06-FH) held at California State University Fullerton [link:http://archives.fullerton.edu/repositories/5/resources/56].
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Herbert, Frank (Franklin Patrick Herbert Jr), 1920-1986
Authors
Poetry
Science fiction
Science fiction -- Authorship
Genres and Forms of Materials
Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence
Manuscripts
Box 1, Folder 1
Analog containing part 2 of "Dune World" by Frank Herbert - Inscribed to Zakheim
1964
Box 1, Folder 2
"Carthage," by Frank Herbert - Parts I and IV drafts
undated
Box 1, Folder 4
Correspondence - Holiday cards from Herberts
1968, undated
Box 1, Folder 5
The Dragon in the Sea by Frank Herbert - Zakheim's copy and response
circa 1957
Box 1, Folder 6
"Five Aurochs - Comment on a Painting by Bernard Zakheim" - Poem by Frank Herbert
undated
Box 1, Folder 8
Phelan Foundation recommendation of Zakheim from Herbert
1963
Box 1, Folder 9
Zakheim employment application
undated
Note
The reverse side of the application contains a handwritten poem by Frank Herbert.
