Guide to the Gerd Stern Papers M1954

Franz Kunst
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
2018
Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford 94305-6064
specialcollections@stanford.edu


Language of Material: English
Contributing Institution: Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: Gerd Stern papers
creator: Stern, Gerd
Identifier/Call Number: M1954
Physical Description: 50 Linear Feet (156 containers)
Date (inclusive): 1938-2012
Abstract: The papers of poet, writer, artist and multimedia pioneer Gerd Stern span over fifty years of creative work in the American counterculture.

Conditions Governing Use

While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns.

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research. Note that material must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use. Audiovisual materials are not available in original format, and must be reformatted to a digital use copy.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased, 2013. Accessions 2013-098, 2013-121, and 2013-122.

Preferred Citation

[identification of item], Gerd Stern Papers (M1954). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Biographical / Historical

Gerd Stern is a poet, artist, and multimedia pioneer whose remarkable life spans 40s bohemia, 50s Beat culture, 60s hippiedom, 70s hip capitalism, and continues today. Until his own biography is published, any account of Stern’s life must begin by referring the reader to his extensive oral history conducted by he University of California Berkeley ("From Beat Scene Poet to Psychedelic Multimedia Artist in San Francisco and Beyond, 1948-1978, Interviews Conducted by Victoria Morris Byerly in 1996" http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt409nb28g). While rather short on chronological detail, the interviews contain a wealth of insight about his life and accomplishments, and thus allows this biographical note some brevity.
Gerd Stern was born in Saarland on the German/French border October 12, 1928 and emigrated to the United States with his family as the Nazis rose to power. His father continued the family’s cheese importing company in New York, and both Stern and his brother would later run the business. Gerd was initially interested in biology, winning a science fair competition and befriending a guard at the Natural History Museum, Elsie Petersen, whom Stern credits with introducing him to the world of art and culture. He also went to school with artist Ivan Majdrakoff, becoming lifelong friends and collaborators. At first studying zoology at City College of New York, he then briefly attended Black Mountain College, where he had hoped to study poetry with M.C. Richards, but she had left with her husband after the coup that left Josef Albers in charge. Stern was later neighbors in New York with various communities of former BMC teachers & students, including Richards, Paul and Vera Williams, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, and others, and corresponded with other attendees such as Knute Stiles and James Leo Herlihy.
After various travels west in the late 40s (including working in a mine in Virginia City, Nevada), Stern wound up back in New York, destitute and in poor health. He was admitted to Columbia Presbyterian Psychiatric Institute, where he befriended Carl Solomon and later met Allen Ginsberg. After he left, Stern and poet John Hoffman worked as seamen on the Norwegian ship M.S. Bowhill bound for South America. Hoffman’s death a few years later in Mexico casts a pall over much of Stern’s 1950s poetry-related correspondence. After returning from South America, Stern worked various odd jobs in Greenwich Village, including a press which published his first book of poems, First Poems and Others, with Majdrakoff illustrating and Julia Pearl, his first wife, doing the calligraphy. Around this time, Stern became involved with Jane Hill, later his first wife. After hitching around the country and living in New York, they eventually settled in California.
For much of the fifties, Stern lived on a repurposed Navy laundry barge in Sausalito, California. Through his involvement in poetry and jazz, Stern was a vital participant in the swinging San Francisco of the 1950s in which commercial and artistic worlds freely intermingled. He managed composer Harry Partch, was namedropped in Herb Caen columns, dated (and managed) Maya Angelou, read at poetry gatherings, went fishing with S.I. Hayakawa, marketed bamboo bongo drums, hosted jam sessions with Chet Baker and other jazz musicians with films and dancers on his barge, and produced fine press poetry broadsides with his wife Jane (Poetry in Folio). Stern worked at public radio station KPFA and was close to founder (and fellow poet) Lew Hill. He had met Juan de Angulo in Big Sur on his first trip West and was an early champion of his work, as well as later that of Marshall McLuhan, and of the latter there is a substantial file of correspondence. Among various occupations around this time, Stern was a publicity agent and a little later a journalist, writing for Playboy and other magazines.
USCO The sixties can be seen as the USCO era, although USCO (aka Us Company or the Company of Us) didn’t really begin until at least 1963. In the aftermath of his second divorce, Stern rented his houseboat to Stewart Brand and moved back to rural New York. Stern moved in artistic circles dense in the area around Woodstock, and bonded with a painter named Stephen Durkee who lived in an old church in Garnerville with his wife Barbara. Stern had began creating mechanical sculptures as a natural extension of his poetry, only based on the iconography of street and traffic signs. In order to raise funds for a particular sculpture project, Stern arranged a two night multi-media performance at the San Francisco Museum of Art (as it was then known). These events required audio techical assistance, and Stern enlisted Michael Callahan, a young engineer working with the San Francisco Tape Music Center. A successful touring show based on these events became known as the Verbal American Landcape, and when Callahan joined Stern and Durkee in New York, USCO coalesced. Also centrally involved were Gerd’s wife Judi Stern, filmmaker Jud Yalkut, Walter Gundy, Jonathan Ayers, Jonathan Altman, Paul Williams, and many others. The church became USCO’s headquarters, with various people moving in and out (among them Brand and wife Lois, Dion Wright, and many others), and eventually a portion of the building was devoted to a meditational space called The Tabernacle which was open to the public on Sundays.
One of USCO’s main activities was producing multimedia installations, including touring programs throughout the United States and Canada (mostly galleries and universities), making films (“Y” was made by Stern, Majdrakoff and Callahan) and working in theater & performance, video art, discotheques, and other prototypical venues such as the Millbrook estate of the Castalia Foundation. USCO produced media backgrounds for Castalia-sponsored Timothy Leary lectures in New York City, and for a time Steve Durkee lived and toured with Richard Alpert. averick Systems was formed between Stern and Callahan to produce the hardware (including mixers, projectors & strobe lights) for these shows, which were also sold to other interested parties. As an additional sideline USCO distributed posters, diffraction mirrors, and other items to head shops. Money proved difficult to recoup from this venture, however. Many factors were involved in USCO’s breakup, but essentially the schism involved eastern religion (especially Meher Baba), moving west (the Lama Foundation, at first called Solux), the use of drugs, and the ethics of commercial media work (to some, marketing feminine hygiene products as groovy was a step too far).
Intermedia Systems Corporation Media production company Intermedia Systems Corporation (ISC) began in 1968 in Cambridge, Massachusetts evolving from various Harvard Business School initiatives and restructuring in the early 70s with Stern installed as president. ISC was active internationally throughout the next ten years with projects including a wide variety of presentations, slide shows, installations, exhibits, recordings, and other media productions. Clients included universities, museums, government and non-profit groups & foundations, expositions & trade shows, and especially companies involved with real estate, development, nuclear power & other industry, electronics, and education. Their efforts included a recording studio and production facility. They were also involved in a number of Rockefeller Foundation, New York State Council for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities & National Endowment for the Arts projects, especially a large grant for Abraham Lincoln historical sites. There are also many files concerning the production of training films for football and for railroad safety inspectors, in the marketing of Carribean Global Village (a real estate development in the Turks & Caicos Islands), and laser shows. ISC worked with a range of companies such as Armco Steel, Synergetics (built domes in Venezuela), Astrodine (a space-themed restaurant chain), ARP synthesizers, Landscape Architecture magazine, and with groups such as America the Beautiful (Stern was on the board), the Economic Development Administration (Indian Reservation project), the National Center for Experiments in Television (NCET), and WGBH. There were a great number of projects in Venezuela. The studio recorded musicians such as Paul Pena, Charlie Mariano, and Roger Powell, and also made recordings by Timothy Leary, Huey Newton, Reb Zalman and others. ISC also worked with many artists, and were simultaneously active in intermedia, video art, public television and educational programming, media studies, theater, and sculpture. Intermedia Systems Corporation declared bankruptcy in 1978.
Stern continued to work under the Intermedia umbrella, and much of the later correspondence bears its letterhead. For that matter, there are also 1970s letters of a more personal or informal nature with Intermedia’s logo, but that is generally characteristic of the collection as a whole. There was not so much a division between personal and professional in his relationships. Fewer files are present from the 1980s and beyond, although Gerd continues to write, publish, and show in galleries.
In addition to this work, Stern was an Associate in Education at Harvard, and lectured at University of California, Santa Cruz (despite having no college degree himself). His poetry books include the following:
Stern, Gerd, and Bern Porter. First Poems: And Others. Sausalito, Calif.: B. Porter Books, 1955.
McLean, Jean; Laura Uronovitz [Ulewicz]; Michael Grieg; Ann London; Gerd Stern; Robert Stock; Carol Christopher Drake; Jack Gilbert. Seven Stray Cats Reading Their Poems in Sausalito/ Poetry San Francisco Presents Seven Stray Cats in Sausalito. [Sausalito, Calif. : publisher not identified], 1957.
Seven Stray Cats Reading Their Poems [in San Francisco]. [San Francisc, Calif. : publisher not identified], 1957.
Stern, Gerd. Afterimage: Poems. Woodstock, N.Y: Maverick Books, 1965.
Gilbert, Jack. Seven Stray Cats Reading Their Poems in the Six Gallery, San Francisco. Pittsburgh, PA: Caliban Bookshop, 1995.
Stern, Gerd. Whenthen. Loveland, Ohio: Dos Madres Press, 2018.
Stern’s solo and collaborative multi-media projects with USCO have been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Guggenheim Museum, Tate Museum, Vienna’s Kunsthalle, and Centre Georges Pompidou.

Scope and Contents

This collection is primarily correspondence, and outgoing drafts predominate, although there are many rich exchanges. These drafts are almost always dated, which provides an excellent chronology overall. One might expect media to play a greater role given the subject, however there are very few films or photographs (but lots of slides, mostly Intermedia), and the audio component, which are almost entirely open reel tapes that have not been processed (they are also mostly Intermedia). As as been noted, the majority of files date from the 1960s and 70s.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Poets, American -- 20th century
Multimedia (Art)
Stern, Gerd
USCO
Intermedia Systems Corporation

 

Series 1. Personal/general correspondence

Scope and Contents

For the most part, correspondence not directly related to USCO, Intermedia, or any of Stern's other professional endeavors. However, there is related correspondence in those series, and letters here may also refer to similiar activities. Includes material concerning personal and legal matters, postcards, announcements, notes, etc. There is a separate series for family correspondence, but again there is overlap. A few files were labeled and these titles were retained.
box 4, folder 8

Fran Deitsch circa late 1940s-early 1950s

Scope and Contents

Two oversize letters with ink portraits
box 5, folder 1

Personal/general correspondence 1944-1959

Scope and Contents

Includes Mary S. to "Blanche, Wal, Ed & pups" 1944 ; to Selective Service Board 1950 ; to Mr. Homestead, Long Meadows Farm 1951 ; two from Donald Pleshette 1951 ; "excerpt from to Jordan Belson Jan 20 1954" ; to Sandy [Justice] 1957 ; to Richard Pollard/LIFE re: barge party 1/27/57 with screening of Jordan Belson "Mandala" film and dancer Zack Thompson ; four envelopes from Peter Friedeberg [later known as Pedro] ; Peter [Broome]- one to and two from 1958-59, mentions Chet Baker (as "Mr. Chesney Baker," also Halima, & Chet Jr.), Stan Getz playing Blue Note, Andre & Gogo, etc.; to and from Leon Rosenbluth 1959; etc.
box 5, folder 2

Personal/general correspondence 1960-1961

Scope and Contents

Includes letters from William Claxton ; to Stanley [Kunitz?] ; to & from Elizabeth Ames/Yadoo ; to & from Georgia [photographer] ; to & from Mimi [London] ; to Percy [Heath] ; etc.
box 3, folder 3

Legal - George G. Walker, etc. 1960-1964

box 5, folder 4

Personal/general correspondence 1962

Scope and Contents

Includes letters to and from Annemarie Hand ; to Alfdred Kazin ; to Anne Shipman re: Carl Solomon ; to Sylvia Spencer re: Sari Dienes ; to Stanley [Kunitz?] ; to & from Luther Nichols, Doubleday & Co. ; to & from June Oppen Degnan ; etc.
box 5, folder 6

Personal/general correspondence 1963

Scope and Contents

Includes letters from Annemarie Hand ; to Betsy and Ep [Epstein] ; to and from Jake Ehrlich ; to Bob [Robert Indiana] ; to and from John Coplans ; to Sidney Gordin ; to International Federation for Internal Freedom[?] ; from Robertito re: Zihuatenejo ; to Harvey re: Roseman etc. ; from Arthur [Josephson] ; etc.
box 5, folder 7

Personal/general correspondence 1964

Scope and Contents

Includes letters to Sally re: "Y" and Brakhage, etc. ; to Knute Stiles ; to & from Jim Johnson ; to & from James Merrill ; to Charles [Rotmil?] ; from Nina Karp ; etc.
box 5, folder 8

Personal/general correspondence 1965-1966

Scope and Contents

Includes letters from Mona [Carmel?] ; from Pat & Lew [Tavenner] ; from Brian [Peterson] ; to Annemarie [Hand] ; etc.
box 5, folder 9

Personal/general correspondence 1967-1970

Scope and Contents

Includes letters from Norm Berg ; from Shelley re: swimming with John Lilly dolphins ; from André VandenBroeck & Gogo ; to & from Mary Gardner ; from Bella Spewack re: Ayers family, Kiss Me Kate ; from Eva Hesse (postcard) ; from Gerald Wapner ; to Hans [Neumann?] ; from Victor di Suvero ; from Mitsou Naslednikov ; to Walter & Peggy Bowart ; to & from Claire Cooperstein ; to Thomas O'Keefe, Jr./Obion, Russell & Co. re: art collection insurance, with list ; to David Halperin ; from Liam [O'Gallagher] ; from Tom [Porrett?] ; to & from Peg Culler ; etc.
box 5, folder 10

Personal/general correspondence 1971-1972

Scope and Contents

Includes letters to & from Sheila Campion ; to & from Norm/Naum Berg ; to & from Malcolm Brown ; to Yoko Ono ; to & from George Culler ; to John C. Lilly ; to Toby Rafelson ; from Annette Laporte ; from Holmes Alexander ; etc.
box 5, folder 11

Ted Becker 1971

Scope and Contents

re: "Head" screening in Hawaii, K-3, etc.
box 5, folder 12

Personal/general correspondence 1973-1975

Scope and Contents

Includes letters from Walter & Peggy Bowart ; from Gerald Wapner ; from Anne [Focke], and/or ; from Natalie Drache ; to Morag Benepe ; from Jonathan [Ayers] ; from Stafford Beer ; to Shirley Clarke ; to Fletcher Benton ; from CArl Andre [postcard] ; from Elsa Dorfman ; etc.
box 5, folder 13

Personal/general correspondence 1976-1977

Scope and Contents

Includes letters to & from Grace Wapner ; to Gerry Wapner ; to & from Kenneth Wapner ; to Mary Orser ; to Mark di Suvero ; from Andre Reudi ; to Harvey Wallerstein ; to Harold Zellerbach ; from Zubin Shahastra ; etc.
box 5, folder 14

Personal/general correspondence 1978-1980

Scope and Contents

Includes letters from Zubin Shahastra ; various grant applications ; to & from Isabel Wasserman ; to Sunny Goldstein ; from Coleen Chandler ; from Lilo Pohl ; to & from Toby [Rafelson] ; from Maria Termini ; from Naum Berg ; to & from Rochelle Jones ; to Liam and Bob [O'Gallagher & Rheem] ; etc.
box 5, folder 15

Fernand Leger drawing sale 1979

box 5, folder 16

Personal/general correspondence 1981-1984

Scope and Contents

Includes letters from Susan Homer ; from Mitchell Benoff ; to Bert [Schneider] ; to Michael Nesmith ; to & from Sondra Byrnes ; from Peter Beren ; to & from Beth & Sandor Burstein ; etc.
box 6, folder 1

Personal/general correspondence 1985-1986

Scope and Contents

Includes letters from Elaine Shragge ; to Doris Cross ; from Walter [Gundy] ; to & from Sandor Burstein ; to & from Malika Lee Whitney ; to Fay Gold ; to Gary Margolis ; to & from Carolyn Ritchie McCall ; to Jane Somerville with draft of cheese article ; etc.
box 6, folder 2

Personal/general correspondence 1987

Scope and Contents

Includes letters to Malika Lee Whitney ; from Martha Wilson/Franklin Furnace re: Ken Dewey retrospective ; to Eric Harth ; to Bernice Steinbaum ; from Werner Liepolt ; to Norm Berg ; from Ernesto de Sousa [postcard] ; to Wayne Wadhams ; to Leonard Yaseen ; to Grace & Jerry Wapner ; to & from Jorge Weil ; etc.
box 6, folder 3

Personal/general correspondence 1988

Scope and Contents

Includes GS "Some Advice about Visiting Poetreef" ; letters from Malika Lee Whitney ; to David Ward-Stenman ; from Carlos Penaherrera ; etc.
box 6, folder 4

Ernesto de Sousa/Phill Niblock/Portugal 1992

box 6, folder 5

Arts Horizons/WBGO Festival of Music 1992-1998

box 6, folder 6

Personal/general correspondence 1989-1996

Scope and Contents

Includes letters from Rubin Gorewitz ; from Rogier Gregoire ; to & from Grace Wapner ; to & from Bill Robinson ; to & from Doris Cross ; to & from Ethel Hultberg ; to David Ross/San Francisco Museum of Art ; to & from Jan Bast ; from Victor di Suvero ; etc.
box 6, folder 7

Undated outgoing drafts

box 6, folder 8

Undated incoming, signed

Scope and Contents

Includes letters from Peter Broome ; Michael Collins ; Guerdon Bill ; Harvey Gruenwald ; William S. Kable ; Carolyn Ritchey McCall ; Bard [Norville] with draft GS letter ; Bill Robinson ; André VandenBroeck & Gogo ; Lilia Walewski ; Brad Wallin ; Ann Wilson ; Zubin Shahastra ; etc.
box 6, folder 9

Undated incoming, unidentified

Scope and Contents

Most are signed are by first name only.
box 6, folder 10

Undated incoming circa 1960s

Scope and Contents

Letters mentioning Gerd's partner Judi.
box 6, folder 11

Undated incoming circa 1970s-1990s

Scope and Contents

Letters mentioning Gerd's partner Sally.
box 6, folder 12

Postcards, holiday cards, etc. mostly undated

 

Series 2. Correspondence by name

box 7, folder 1

Nancy de Angulo circa 1951-1977

Related Materials

University of California, Santa Cruz holds the Lucy Shepard Freeland papers ( MS 83) http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf9v19p3j7

Scope and Contents

Nancy de Angulo (Lucy Shepard "Nancy" Freeland) was the second wife of linguist/author/ethnomusicologist Jaime de Angulo. They were divorced in 1943. Gerd had met Jaime in Big Sur on his first trip to California, not long before his death in 1950. Stern was active in getting his Indian Tales and other works published, and the correspondence is primarily about locating the manuscripts. Many letters are undated or are rough outgoing drafts. There are also frequent mentions of mutual friend Bard (Norville).
Nancy thought that Jaime had wanted Ezra Pound's wife Dorothy to act as literary executor, and thus some of the letters mention her. However, from her there is only a postcard containing the response "Thank You. -D. Pound," as well as drafts of letters from Stern to Ezra Pound. Poet Marianne Moore had at some point been entrusted to manage Indian Tales and served as an intermediary, but there is only one exchange here. There is also a postcard from daughter Guiomar de Angulo.
Also included is de Angulo's "Seven Indian Tales" from The Hudson Review, with an announcement that A.A. Wynn would be publishing Indian Tales in September 1952, and Turtle Island Foundation ephemera, including a short card from Bob Callahan after Nancy's death in 1977.
See also John Idlet file.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Angulo, Jaime de
Freeland, L. S. (Lucy Shepard), 1890-1972
box 7, folder 2

Eugene Anthony 1961-1964

Scope and Contents

Photographer whom Stern met around December 1959. W worked with Stern on articles including Sabella's in Cavalier, Enrico's for Show Business International, also possibly a Vacaville prison article for Coronet. Worked for Black Star in Brasil, and some letters sent from there. Later known for Haight-Ashbury series which was published in book form in 1980.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Anthony, Gene
box 7, folder 3

Thad Ashby circa 1963-1964

Scope and Contents

Stern submitted Ashby's manuscript "The Duke Dies, Crazy, Cool" to Playboy magazine in 1963 (two copies included here). Mentions of "B&B" i.e. Bernard Roseman and Bernard Copley, also discusses failed Leary/IFIF venture in Zihuatanejo, Mexico.
According to this website, Ashby was associated with Ayn Rand, Alan Watts, and Robert Heinlein: http://dragonflyranch.com/dragonflyer_thaddeus.html
box 7, folder 4

Hal Babbit 1963-1969

Scope and Contents

Patron and friend, executive at Kaiser. First supported Stern's "Who R U" event at the San Francisco Museum of Art (some correspondence is filed there).
box 7, folder 5

Richard Baker/Zen Center circa 1967-1984

Scope and Contents

While they may have met prior to this, Baker and Stern first worked toogther when USCO participated in a University of California, Berkeley conference on LSD organized by Baker (see USCO files for that material, as well as for a second UCB conference on communication that was cancelled). Intermedia also later consulted for the Zen Center on audio recording. Baker had also been contracted to write the liner notes for an ISC-produced Huey Newton album, but that never came to fruition (a copy is filed here, as is a copy of a letter from Baker to Newton).
Material in this file is largely informal in nature, although some correspondence concerns donations to the Zen Center and the founding of Dharma Sangha. Also includes articles, two copies of the Zen Center publication Wind Bell, and a promotional booklet with tipped-in photographs.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Baker, Richard, 1936-
San Francisco Zen Center
box 7, folder 6

Howie & Nan Becker circa 1964-1967, 1972

Scope and Contents

Howard Becker is sociologist, author, pianist, and former professor at Stanford University. He and first wife Nan Harris Becker were good friends with Gerd and Judi. The Beckers (including daughter Allison) participated in the "Who R U" event at the San Francisco Museum of Art.
One postcard from Nan in Chicago was sent on a Bill Graham/Fillmore Auditorium handbill featuring the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Cream, Southside Sound System, August 22 - 27, 1967, with art by Bonnie MacLean.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Becker, Howard Saul, 1928-
box 7, folder 7

Vern & Madge Bennett circa 1958-1963

Scope and Contents

Stern knew the Bennetts when he lived in Northern California in the late 50s and early 60s. Vern was a pianist and Madge was an artist. They lived in Santa Cruz, Los Gatos, and in San Francisco during this time. The Bennetts are included in the well-known Gordon Onslow-Ford photograph of Stern on his houseboat with Allen Ginsberg, Percy Heath, and Ann London.
box 7, folder 8

Peter Beren circa 1971-1986

Scope and Contents

Beren is an author, editor, literary agent, and publishing consultant. He worked loosely with Intermedia on various projects (he lists himself as "promotion manager" on a resume), and there are some related materials filed there. Beren was a prolific correspondent, and in these letters there are various mentions of John Brockman (including copies of letters to him), Stewart Brand and Point Foundation, Ralph Gleason, KPFA, the Zen Center and Green Gulch, And/Or Press, and Sierra Club Books (Beren worked for the latter two). There are also two newspaper clippings.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Beren, Peter
box 7, folder 9

Paul [Blackburn] 1950-1951

Scope and Contents

Four letters written to Stern from Washington D.C. and Takoma Park, Maryland, while Blackburn was visiting Ezra Pound (he mentions Pound, as well as his wife Dorothy, who had told him about Jaime de Angulo's death). There is also a critique of one of Stern's poems, as well as some extended general thoughts on poetry.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Blackburn, Paul
box 7, folder 10

Stewart Brand 1962-2006

Scope and Contents

This important series of letters, the majority of which are dated, begins in August 1962, while Brand was renting Stern's barge in Sausalito. Brand would assist with photography for the "Who R U" event at the San Francisco Museum of Art the next year, and they would consult and collaborate through the next decade. Stern and USCO had a role in Brand's "America Needs Indians" events as well as other productions such as his WAR/GOD multimedia project. Brand's photographs were also used by USCO in various capacities. Stewart and his wife Lois were frequent visitors to the Church in Garnerville, New York in their travels, and these letters announce the Whole Earth Truck Store, as well as the Whole Earth Catalog (which Intermedia informally distributed, at least for one issue).
See also the USCO and Barge files, although most Brand-related material has been filed here. He is frequently mentioned in other correspondence, including Stern's introductions to other people (Brand writes here "thank you, sir, for the letters. I shall see Fred Lyon this week, the others after that"). Stern also introduced Brand to John Brockman, and there is a letter to him here (remarks concerning re: By the Late John Brockman). There are also letters from and to others: a postcard signed Stewart & Lois (probably in Lois' writing) ; from Diana Shugart ; from Richard Raymond ; and from Brand to Steve and Barbara Durkee (they were close well before USCO).
The August 15, 1962 letter is a description of an informal concert by Barbara Dane on Stern's barge, and letters between Dane and Stern are filed with the barge material (she had wanted to rent it for a nightclub, but it never happened). The remainder of the 1962 letters are mostly about the sale of the barge, Brand's rent, and potential buyers (Dane, Bill Ryan/Contact or Harry Partch).
A Polaroid photo of a hogan in New Mexico is enclosed with a March 26, [1965?] letter describing his experience there.
A February 12, 1968 letter on Portola Institute letterhead refers to the Augmented Human Intellect project at Stanford Research Institute, Ken Kesey, George Walker, Ramon Sender "working with Buchla's stuff" and Neal Cassady ("you probably heard of Cassidy's [sic] death; in Mexico, quietly, alcohol-nembutal; incredible").
An April 22, 1968 letter announces the founding of Whole Earth: "Starting in June Lois and I are going on the road with a Whole Earth Truck Store to the landed intentional communities. If the notion takes we'll develop a Whole Earth Catalog--mostly of tools, how-to, low cost services etc. Access service... "
A June 1968 WAR/GOD press release/program: "The 40-minute performance is a mix for two Kodak Carousel projectors and stereo tape recorder...For assistance in assembling the tape we're grateful to Don Buchla and Gerd Stern." Also features a list of audio sources.
The last letter is dated August 13, 1969 and is on Whole Earth Truck Store and Catalog letterhead.
File also includes the following: Proposal re: Activities to Supplement UN Conference on the Human Environment, June 1972 ; card with photograph (possibly by Brand?) on one side, and the word "Further" on a pink background on reverse ; America Needs Indians design (by Osborne & Stewart) and press release, July 1964 ; Sensorium schedule 1965 ; various articles and clippings, including "Long Now" article from The Sun 2001 and a New York Times review of Fred Turner's book in 2006.
Among the mentions (some brief, many recurring): Ivan and Julia Majdrakoff ; Minor White ; Fred Lyon ; Durkees/Lama ; International Foundation for Advanced Study ("where could I scare up the $500?") ; Zach Stewart ; Gordon Ashby ; Roger Somers ; Millbrook/Leary/Alpert/Castalia ; Mike Harner ; Walter Chappell ; American Church of God ; Jack Loeffler ; Buckminster Fuller ; Dorothy Brett ; Knute Stiles ; KPFA (re: America Needs Indians, "will do some programs and offered use of facilities and de Angulo tapes") ; Ken Kesey [Brand mailed photocopy of SF Chronicle article about Kesey serving time at the San Mateo County Sheriff's Honor Camp 9/18/67] ; Education Fair (scheduled for October 1968, but was cancelled) ; Jim & Cynthia Nixon ; Dick Raymond ; Paul Silbey ; Moshe Safdie ; Paul Lee ; Rolf von Eckartsberg ; Tassajara ; Hans and Frances von Briesen ; Alton Kelley ; John Brockman ; ALLOY conference 1969 (included Brand, Steve Durkee, Steve Baer, Drop City, etc.) ; Dean Fleming.

Related Materials

Stanford holds the Stewart Brand papers (M1237): https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/4688803

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Brand, Stewart
box 73, folder 1

John Brockman

Scope and Contents

Brockman brokered various projects for USCO and later Intermedia. He was also a founder of the Reality Club, a social group/lecture series based in New York. Brockman may be best known as a literary agent successful in lucrative contracts for books on computers, including Stewart Brand's Whole Earth Software Catalog. See also USCO, ISC, Reality Club, etc.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Brockman, John, 1941-
box 7, folder 11

Herb Caen circa 1961-1972

Scope and Contents

Caen and Stern became acquainted around the mid-1950s; as a society columnist he knew Stern's wife Ann London, whose father managed the St. Francis Hotel. The Sterns were mentioned frequently in his Chronicle columns, and when Gerd began working in public relations, Caen printed news items from his clients. Much of their correspondence is filed in the Public Relations series. Herb also arranged for Gerd to write a "Playboy On the Town" travel column for Playboy magazine; the job had been offered to Caen but would not include a byline. Many letters filed here are undated but are likely from the late 1950s to early 60s.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Caen, Herb, 1916-1997
box 7, folder 12

Michael Callahan 1986-1998

Scope and Contents

Stern first met Michael Callahan when he visited the San Francisco Tape Music Center on the recommendation of Michael McClure, who was friends & neighbors with the Center's co-director Morton Subotnik. Although only 16 years old, Callahan was the technical director of the SFTMC, and designed and built electronics for their lab. Stern asked Callahan to assist with his San Francisco Museum of Art projects, forming a creative partnership that extended to USCO and later Intermedia. He was also primary in Maverick Systems Company, an USCO-related venture that sold strobe lights and media equipment. Most files concerning Callahan can be found in those series; material here is correspondence from the 80s and 90s.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Callahan, Michael, 1944-
box 7, folder 13

Mona Carmel

Scope and Contents

Personal letters to Stern, undated but probably 1950s and 60s. Some are addressed to Gerd when he went by "Jack."
box 7, folder 14

Remy Charlip

Scope and Contents

One undated exchange between them about one of Stern's "Destruction" events in New York. Charlip was a dancer with Merce Cunningham who had gone to Black Mountain College and later wrote childrens' books.
box 7, folder 15

Tram Combs 1957-1963, 1977

Scope and Contents

Elisha Trammel (Tram) Combs, Jr. (b. 1924) was a poet and bookseller who lived in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Letters are mostly about poets and poetry and mention Philip Lamantia, John Hoffman, Bern Porter, Lew Welch, Harry Redl, the Howl trial, etc. A 5/20/63 letter: "do you know or know much about Gregory Bateson? who at Marthe Rexroth Schoen's suggestion wrote me a few days ago that he was coming to St. Thomas shortly for a year of dolphinology with John Lilly..."
His main papers are at UC San Diego (http://library.ucsd.edu/speccoll/findingaids/mss0123.html) with Stern correspondence filed in Box 3 folder 2. University of California, Berkeley also holds Combs material, as do other archives (http://snaccooperative.org/ark:/99166/w6834qrd).

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Combs, Tram, 1924-
box 7, folder 16

Tony Conrad 1971

Scope and Contents

A brief series of letters concerning a screening of Conrad's The Flicker at UC Santa Cruz. Conrad is also included on a Theatre of Eternal Music handbill filed in the Music series.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Conrad, Tony
box 7, folder 17

Abbott Fraser 1952-1958

Scope and Contents

Literary critic based in Oregon. Stern's aunt Elinor Pillsbury was a friend and introduced them. File also includes related letters to and from J. Dean Fagerstrom (later known as UFO-ogist).
box 8, folder 1

Jack Gilbert 1958-1965

Scope and Contents

Poet Jack Gilbert collaborated with Stern on a puppet show called "Don't Flee the Scene Salty" and was part of the "Seven Stray Cats Reading Their Poems" group reading and chapbook with Stern. An undated letter recounts Gilbert's experiences at a Merry Prankster acid test in La Honda. File also includes poems, a bio, and a NYT Book Review article by Gilbert on the 1962 San Francisco Poetry Festival.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Gilbert, Jack, 1925-2012
box 8, folder 2

Frank Granat 1961-1963

Scope and Contents

Franklin Lee "Frank" Granat (1929-2017) was the son of one of the founders of Granat Brothers Jewelers in San Francisco. After graduating from Stanford University in 1950, Frank went on to be a Broadway producer and restaurateur in New York City. A friend of Stern's wife Ann, they had written lyrics together (prior to this correspondence).
box 8, folder 3

S.I. Hayakawa 1961-1963

Scope and Contents

Hayakawa (known as "Don" here) was mutual friends with Herb Caen and A.C. Spectorsky, and they would occasionally go fishing together. Most letters are about literary matters.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Hayakawa, S. I. (Samuel Ichiyé), 1906-1992
box 8, folder 4

James Herlilhy 1962

Scope and Contents

Herlihy (who goes by Jim here) had gone to Black Mountain College and was mutual friends with M.C. Richards. Discussion includes poetry, publishing, and Key West (with a mention of Tennessee Williams).

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Herlihy, James Leo
box 8, folder 5

Lewis Hill/KPFA 1953-1957

Scope and Contents

Stern became friends with Lew Hill through poetry circles and was involved with KPFA in the 1950s, serving as public relations director from December 1954 to September 1955, according to an early CV. There are several letters from Hill (known as Lew here), who committed suicide in 1957, beginning with a Stern draft from December 1953 concerning Harry Partch on KPFA. One undated letter from Hill requests that Gerd seek permission from Philip Lamantia for reading his work on BBC. Other letters include Stern (signed as PR Director) to Irving Stone 2/1/55 re: Boo Bams, Partch, Walt Kelly, etc. ; Hill memo to Program Supervisors 1955 re: "plugging" ; copies of Harvey Wallerstein to Gunther Weil 1970s.
Other material filed here includes: Pacifica Foundation Articles of Incorporation 1946 & "Summary of Its Purposes & Organization" booklet 1950 ; KPFA fundraising letter 1955 ; Lewis Hill typescript of poem ; annotated script for Hill's "A Word for Wallace Stevens" program [aired in March 1955] ; Grace Clements' "Art in Our Time" program reading list ; two undated Folio program guides & one page of undated guide listing "What Is a Wine Snob?" program hosted by Stern and featuring Mayacamas and Alexis ; clippings on Pacifica/KPFA.
Correspondence in Music, Harry Partch & P.R. files also refer to KPFA. See also Pacifica Foundation ephemera collection, 1949-1984 (M0425) https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/4083075

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Hill, Lewis, -1957
KPFA (Radio station : Berkeley, Calif.)
box 4, folder 4

Ken Kesey clippings etc.

Scope and Contents

Also includes press release from Ken Kesey Defense Fund. See also 1964 letter from Faye Kesey re: Pranksters in New York in USCO series.
box 8, folder 6

Richard Kostelanetz 1966-1994

Scope and Contents

Kostelanetz first worked with Stern when he wanted to write an article about USCO in 1966 after having met at the Riverside opening (eventually published as "Scene and Not Herd" in Harper's Bazaar, December 1967). The following year, Kostelanetz was contracted to write a book on multimedia, also including a feature on USCO (Dial's The Theater of Mixed Means).

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Kostelanetz, Richard
box 8, folder 7

Philip Lamantia 1952-1962

Scope and Contents

Although he is mentioned frequently in letters to and from others, and he and Stern were close, there are very few letters present here. The file begins with a 2/52 draft from Stern concerning the death of poet and mutual friend John Hoffman, and the most substantial from Lamantia is a 20/25/54 letter about Hoffman and Bern Porter. An 11/16/54 letter includes a poem. Also includes a typescript copy of "To Shake Up the General Catatonia" dated 1962-3. Other letters to or from "Philip" filed elsewhere may be him.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Lamantia, Philip, 1927-2005
box 8, folder 8

Janie "Chipmunk" Lewis

Scope and Contents

Lewis was part of the post-beatnik pre-hippie Oak Street scene in San Francisco, profiled in Dion Wright's Irregular Quarterly, which also included a transcription of her prison journal (Vol. III : No. II, published in 1986, the year after her death). Stern and Lewis seemed to have many mutual friends, and she met her husband, poet Peter Allen, at The Church. All her letters are undated, but the one draft from Stern is dated 1962.
box 8, folder 9

Lotte Lichtblau 1947-1973

Scope and Contents

Lotte Adelberg Lichtblau (1925-2013) was an Expressionist painter whose sister Stern had a crush on in New York in the 1940s. Some letters are by her husband Hans.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Lichtblau, Charlotte, 1925-
box 8, folder 10

Fred Lyon c.1962, 1979-1980

Scope and Contents

Although Stern and Lyon worked closely together (Lyon photographed Harry Partch, the San Francisco Museum of Art "Who R You" event, and Stern's PR clients), there are only a handful of letters here, most addressed to Fred and Ann.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Lyon, Fred
box 8, folder 11

Jackson Mac Low circa 1954-1961

Scope and Contents

Only a few letters here between Stern and Mac Low, but there is a substantial sub-file of letters from Jackson to Vera Williams around 1960. There is also a poem by Mac Low dated 7/24/54.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Mac Low, Jackson
box 74, folder 1

Ivan Majdrakoff - from Stern undated

Scope and Contents

Artist and educator Ivan Majdrakoff (1927-2015) was Gerd's oldest friend ; they attended the same public school in New York City. He designed the logo and did design for Poetry in Folio and later assisted with the filming of "Y" with Stern and Michael Callahan (see USCO series for more). He also wrote the introduction to Gerd's UC Berkeley oral history. Due to their long relationship, there is a great amount of correspondence between them (four full folders worth). However, many from Ivan are undated. There are also letters from and to his first wife Julia ("Julie") Pearl, who was also a painter, and later an art director at Intermedia (see box 74, folder 7).

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Majdrakoff, Ivan, 1927-
box 74, folder 2-3

Ivan Majdrakoff undated

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Majdrakoff, Ivan, 1927-
box 74, folder 4

Ivan Majdrakoff 1951-1964

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Majdrakoff, Ivan, 1927-
box 74, folder 5

Ivan Majdrakoff 1965-1998

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Majdrakoff, Ivan, 1927-
box 74, folder 6

Ivan Majdrakoff articles, handbills, etc.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Majdrakoff, Ivan, 1927-
box 8, folder 12

Alan Marcus 1961-1980

Scope and Contents

Alan Marcus (1922-2015) was a writer who lived in Carmel since 1955. His first book Straw to Make Brick was a success in 1948, and he went on to write for radio, telelvision and film, as well as three other books and many short stories and essays. He was also a jazz pianist. His wife of 63 years, Lotte, is a psychologist. In David Hajdu's Positively 4th Street there is a short non-story about neighbor Joan Baez bringing Bob Dylan over but not really hitting it off. Nearly all letters, which span forty years and thus provide an excellent chronology, are between Alan and Gerd, although many are also addressed to "Alan and Lotte." File also includes several essays and other writing by the Marcuses.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Marcus, Alan, 1922-
box 8, folder 13

Judy McBean circa 1963-1998

Scope and Contents

Society girl, art patron, and close friend of Gerd's for many years, Judith Diana McBean (later Judy Hunt and Judith Cosper) was the daughter of prominent San Franciscan Peter McBean. She supported Gerd's art and poetry efforts beginning in the early 1960s, helping with the planning and promotion of the 1963 SF Museum of Art events and later assisting with Afterimage subscriptions. She also purchased some of Stern's artwork. In 1965 McBean married Harry Hunt and there are a few letters to and from him, as well as one from Judi Stern to Judy. Judy's sister Sheila may have written a few letters in the personal correspondence series. File also contains a few newspaper clippings.
Among those mentioned frequently in the letters are Michael Callahan, Ivan Majdrakoff, Steve Durkee, Hal Babbitt, Michael McClure, Paul Williams and Howie Becker, as well as mentions of Jordan Belson, Bruce Conner, Liam [O'Gallagher?], Varda, Victor di Suvero, Lenore Tawney, Peggy Guggenheim, Cy Twombley, and Lou Harrison. See also "Who R U and What's Happening" files.
box 8, folder 14

Michael McClure circa 1961-1967

Scope and Contents

Although he's mentioned frequently in other letters, there is very little correspondence between Stern and McClure here, almost all outgoing drafts dating from 1962 (one undated postcard and photocopied letter from McClure). The remainder of this file consists of the following: programs for "The Blossom or Billy the Kid" and "The Beard" (USCO worked on the latter; see also USCO files) ; Stern typescript draft of review of McClure's Meat Science Essays ; untitled typescript in Beast Language. More material filed in oversize.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

McClure, Michael
box 4, folder 5

Michael McClure printed material

box 8, folder 15

Marshall McLuhan 1963-1976

Scope and Contents

Stern was loaned a pre-print copy of McLuhan's Understanding Media in 1961; three years later, Stern and McLuhan both participated in the University of British Columbia's Festival of Contemporary Arts. From then on, they exchanged letters for over ten years (although there is a gap between 1968 and 1975). Gerd also frequently recommends McLuhan's books in letters to others. McLuhan also introduced Stern to introduced to Edmund "Ted" Carpenter, whose correpondence is filed in USCO. File also include article photocopies and clippings.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

McLuhan, Marshall, 1911-1980
box 8, folder 16

Phill Niblock 1968-1978

Scope and Contents

Filmmaker and composer Niblock worked with Stern at Intermedia, and there is more material there (which overlaps with this file). Moderate amount of correspondence, along with Guggenheim and other grant applications, promotional material, articles, and event publicity.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Niblock, Phill, 1933-
box 8, folder 17

Gordon & Jacqueline Onslow-Ford circa 1953-1964

Scope and Contents

Painter Gordon Onslow-Ford and his wife Jacqueline lived in Mill Valley when Gerd & Philip Lamantia first came to visit; Gordon also owned the old ferryboat Vallejo in Sausalito, where he had a studio. He lent Stern a berth at the shipyard, after which through roundabout circumstances Gerd became owner of his own vessel (a former navy laundry barge) and was thus part of the vibrant houseboat scene through the 1950s. Stern also first Harry Partch at a party at the Onslow-Fords (GOF 11/16/53: "PS Harry told us how grateful he was for your exertion on his behalf. I don't suppose we will be able to come to Berkeley at the concert but will surely listen on KPFA"). One letter is from Jacqueline and one is addressed to Gordon & Jacqueline. See also Barge files.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Onslow-Ford, Gordon
box 9, folder 1

Nam June Paik 1965-1975

Scope and Contents

One letter from Paik re: WGBH 1970s, and one from Stern at Intermedia dated 1975 re: Documenta VI in Venezuela (which Intermedia had a strong role in organizing, see Intermedia files for more), also photocopy of Documenta press release and a few Paik publicity items: Electronic Video Recorder, Cafe Au Go Go October 1965 and Galeria Bonino Electronic Art II (undated).

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Paik, Nam June, 1932-2006
box 74, folder 7

Julia "Julie" Pearl circa 1965-1968

box 9, folder 2

Elsie "Petie" Petersen 1944, 1946, 1985-1994

Scope and Contents

As Gerd relates in more detail in his Berkeley oral history, Petersen was "the young woman I had met at the museum and who kind of got me into the whole music and art crowd." Two early letters from Petersen mention Ivan Majdrakoff. Later correspondence involves legal troubles and the settling of her estate.
box 9, folder 3

M.C. Richards 1953-1964

Scope and Contents

Poet M.C. Richards had just resigned from Black Mountain College when Stern arrived to study with her; however, a BMC contingent moved to in rural New York including Richards, Paul & Vera Williams, John Cage, David Tudor, La Noue Davenport, Karen Carnes, David Weinrib and others, forming a loose community known as The Land (and later Gate Hill Cooperative). When Stern moved back east in the early 1960s, he became their neighbor. But Gerd's association with Richards actually predates his visit to Black Mountain. In the earliest letters here, Richards lived in Oakland, and they discussed publishing Richards' translation of an Artaud manuscript among other poetic matters. Throughout the letters there are also mentions of Cage, Merce Cunningham, Harry Partch, KPFA, City Lights, Jim Herlihy, Marshall McLuhan, Arthur Josephson, and many others. File also includes a poem for Vera [Williams] 1963, a critical article based on Richards' writing, and an obituary. See also Arthur Josephson letter(s) filed elsewhere.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Richards, Mary Caroline
box 9, folder 4

Rene di Rosa 1963-1998

Scope and Contents

Bay Area art collector and vintner (1919-2010).

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Di Rosa, Rene
box 9, folder 5

Carolee Schneemann 1966-1977

Scope and Contents

Carolee worked with Gerd and USCO a little, including choreographing "Ghost Rev" and participating in group film/performance events along with them. As artists in related media living in New York they also ran in similiar circles. Stanford holds the Carolee Schneemann papers (M1892): https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/9631452

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Schneemann, Carolee, 1939-
box 9, folder 6

Jack & Colleen Simpson 1960-1998

Scope and Contents

Jack Simpson (sometimes known as Jak although he signs his name in a variety of ways) was a poet and art teacher who lived around the Bay Area; he and his wife Colleen were close friends with Gerd and his family. In the period before these letters, Simpson was involved with the BooBam Bamboo Drum Company (see Music series) and introduced Stern to Maya Angelou (see Personal series). Later, the Simpsons sold USCO merchandise including posters and diffraction gratings. There are mentions of Stewart Brand, Janie [Lewis?], Bill Loughborough, Buckwheat, the Durkees, Millbrook, Bucky Fuller, Carol Berge, the San Jose State LSD conference in May 1964, and the emerging Haight-Ashbury. Jack is mentioned a number of times in James Gavin's Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker.
box 9, folder 7

Carl Solomon circa 1962-1967, 1990

Scope and Contents

It is well known that Allen Ginsberg first encountered Carl Solomon (to whom he would dedicate Howl) at the Columbia Presbyterian Psychiatric Institute; it is perhaps less understood that Gerd Stern had already been admitted and had befriended Carl prior to Allen's arrival. Later, Solomon, who was working for his uncle A.A. Wynn at Ace Books, helped publish Jaime de Angulo's Indian Tales at Stern's urging. Solomon also arranged for William Burroughs' Junkie to come out on Ace. There are only a few relatively insubstantial letters here, but they do mention Rexroth (re: Carco translations), Lamantia, and others, and there is also a 1963 letter to Ted Wilentz re: Carl's address (replied by Mimi Jacobsen) and a 1990 letter from Don Kennison of Paragon House originally accompanying a book of Solomon's.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Solomon, Carl, 1928-
box 9, folder 8

Alan Sondheim printed material 1968-1972

Scope and Contents

two booklets and one envelope addressed to Stern/Intermedia containing short letter and art book of unbound components.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Sondheim, Alan
box 9, folder 9

John Thomas Idlet 1953

Scope and Contents

A few letters between Stern and Idlet concerning Jaime de Angulo, beginning with a letter from Idlet to Nancy de Angulo 1/16/53 (signed John T. Idlet, Jr., while stationed at Brooks AFB in Texas). Idlet first knew of de Angulo through Ezra Pound. Stern was asked to reply on Nancy's behalf. Outside of literature, Stern mentions having just met Jordan Belson and Harry Partch in a 5/30/53. Also includes four unsigned pages of prose, probably by Idlet. See also Nancy de Angulo file.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Thomas, John, 1930-2002
box 9, folder 10

Emanuel Vardas 1953, 1957-1960

Scope and Contents

The 1953 letter is Vardas writing to his friend Archie after having met Stern (also mentioning Bill & Pam, Jane, & Harry Partch), with Archie's reply on reverse. Remainder is correspondence spanning Vardas' incarceration in the late 1950s, beginning with a letter from Stern to U.S. Federal Judge Walsh in Tucson, Arizona 2/21/57 prior to his sentencing. Last letter is 8/30/60 from Vardas after his release. There are mentions of Bill Loughborough, Buckwheat, Maya Angelou, Chet Baker, Jack Simpson, Juanita Masson, Bill Claxton, and Sandy Jacobs, among others. Vardas is mentioned briefly (as Manuel) in James Gavin's Deep in a Dream: The Long Night of Chet Baker.
box 9, folder 11

Herbert Vogel 1951-1954, 1962

Scope and Contents

Not the well-known art collector, Vogel (who later changed his last name to Uriel) was a friend of Gerd & Jane's in New York; as per the UCB oral history, "we were living in New Paltz, and our very close friend, Herbert Vogel--he came from Europe, and his father was in the business of cashing checks in New York City after he arrived as a refugee--a philosopher and a small man with an intense stare through heavy glasses and an accent, and a person with whom I spent countless hours discoursing about various philosophical and aesthetic theories and ideas and constructs." Vogel also wrote the introduction to Gerd's First Poems and Others. There are mentions of Ivan & Julia, Thorberg Brundin, Philip Lamantia, and others.
box 9, folder 12

Paul & Vera Williams 1962-1979

Scope and Contents

Although they separated around 1967, Paul and Vera Williams are foldered together here. Both were part of the Black Mountain College contingent that moved to "The Land" in New York. Paul, who was an architect, helped build some of Gerd's early poem sculptures and built some related machines himself (he had an installation at USCO's Riverside show). Most of these letters are outgoing drafts to Paul or Vera; in fact there is only one letter from Paul. There are also two letters from Barbara Macallum to Vera, letters from the Everson Museum of Art to Vera re: a David Weinrib sculpture, and poems by Vera. There are also two copies of the magazine Liberation with cover art by her. The Williams and Stern had many mutual friends and both are mentioned often in other letters. See also Jackson Mac Low letters to Vera.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Williams, Vera B.
Williams, Paul F., Jr.
box 9, folder 13

Patti Wilson circa 1966-1970

Scope and Contents

Patti Wilson was at one time married to musician Ramblin' Jack Elliot, later met Barry McGuire at the Hungry i and was with him for three years. Judi Wilson gave birth to Zalman around the same time Patti had Ever, and they continued to be close after she and Gerd separated. Aside from the few letters between Patti & Gerd, there is also a letter to Patti from Maggie [Ryan Denver] misdated 1/20/1962 while Patti was staying with Gerd in New York (mentions Tommy Masters, Victor Maymudes, Juke Savages, Sante Fe, etc.) and a 1966 letter from Patti to Judi from Topanga, mentioning David Crosby and Barry. An undated letter to Judi also mentions John Sebastian. Patti later remarried, and a photocopy of a 1970 Gerd letter is labeled "Patti McGuire Elam."
box 9, folder 14

Dion Wright 1966-1997

Scope and Contents

Dion Wright (http://www.dionwright.com) is a painter and sculptor who spent alot of time in Laguna Beach and curated the art at Mystic Arts World, but was also involved with USCO. He painted his most well-known work "Taxonomic Mandala" in Garnerville, participated in their Down by the Riverside show, and a film of him and his then-partner Margaret Lerner was used at an Institute of Contemporary Arts event. They also made crafts and helped sell USCO posters and gratings. Dion was part of Stewart Brand's "Whatever It Is" festival at SF State and contributed art for Psychedelic Review and Timothy Leary books. In these letters there are mentions (some brief) of the Durkees, Solux/Lama, Tim Leary, Patti Wilson McGuire, John McIntyre/Canessa Gallery, the Haight Ashbury, Zach Stewart, Harry Partch, Mystic Arts World, Swami Dhirendra Brahmachari, Jud Yalkut, Bob Beck, Tom Blackwell, "Lois & Stewart," etc. At least one letter is from Margaret to Gerd & Judi, and many letters are signed Dion & Margaret. Dion produced a magazine called Irregular Quarterly; later correspondence here concerns edits to various remembrances to be published there, including a 1992 exchange with Michael Callahan. Wright also recounted USCO experiences in his memoir Tempus Fugitive. See also USCO series.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Wright, Dion
box 9, folder 15

Dion Wright - Irregular Quarterly

Scope and Contents

many with with Stern & USCO Vol.1 No.3 Vol.1 No.4 1983 Vol.1 No.5 Vol.2 No.3 Vol.2 No.4 Vol.3 No.1 Vol.3 No.2
 

Series 3. Who R You and What's Happening? - Contact is the Only Love - S.F. Museum of Art - Verbal American Landscape circa 1962-1966

Scope and Contents

Prior to the formation of USCO, Stern produced a series of "poem-sculptures" evocative of traffic signs which incorporated light, sound and primitive electronics. In the process of developing the piece "Contact Is the Only Love," which was to be shown at the San Francisco Museum of Art, director George Culler offered the use of the museum's auditorium for a fundraising event. With the help of his friend Judy McBean, who had first-rate contacts in San Francisco society, and patron Hal Babbitt, who was an executive at Kaiser, a two-night multi-media project gradually came together that included "Live Public Figures, Tape, Telephone, Television, Projected Images ... From the Verbal American Landscape" according to publicity.
The event was titled "Who R U?" for November 7th and "What's Happening" on November 12th, 1963. Among the invitees (many of whom declined): Michael McClure, Imogen Cunningham, Hans von Briesen, Rene di Rosa, Dr. Richard Prest, Allen Ginsberg, Jake Ehrlich, Jessica Mitford, Cyril Magnin, Richard Rubacher, Jeremy Ets-Hokin, Assemblyman Jesse Unruh, Governor Edmund Brown, Mayor Harold Dobbs, Congressman John Shelley, and Lt. Governor Glenn Anderson. Also involved in the production were painter Ivan Majdrakoff, sociologist Howard Becker, and the San Francisco Tape Music Center, especially its young engineer Michael Callahan, who with Stern and Stephen Durkee would form an early core group of USCO. In fact, these events were considered studies for the kind of multi-sensory environments USCO became known for with the touring "Verbal American Landscape" series.
Clippings about these events have been filed with USCO. More correspondence with participants and others involved can also be found elsewhere.
box 22, folder 1

San Francisco Museum of Art 1963-1966

Scope and Contents

Primarily correspondence with director George Culler (more elsewhere).
box 22, folder 2

San Francisco Museum of Art - Who R U?/Contact is the Only Love flier & PR

box 22, folder 3

San Francisco Museum of Art - Verbal American Landscape notes

box 22, folder 4

San Francisco Museum of Art - Who R U? correspondence

box 22, folder 5

San Francisco Museum of Art - Who R U? Phillip Whalen review & correspondence

box 22, folder 6

San Francisco Museum of Art - Contact is the Only Love notes & sketches

box 22, folder 7

San Francisco Museum of Art - Contact is the Only Love fundraising 1963

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence from or to Lou Sabella, William Roth, Victor di Suvero, Harry Hunt, George Walker, John Branston, Hal Babbitt, Alexis Merab, and Jake Ehrlich.
box 22, folder 14

Verbal American Landscape proposals

box 22, folder 15

Verbal American Landscape tour correspondence

box 22, folder 16

Verbal American Landscape slide list & story board

box 22, folder 17

Verbal American Landscape - Billy Master track list

map-folder 70

"Contact is the Only Love" original drawings 1962

 

Series 4. USCO

 

4.1 Correspondence, chronological

box 17, folder 1

Outgoing Stern correspondence undated

box 17, folder 2

Unsigned correspondence undated

box 17, folder 3-4

Correspondence undated

Scope and Contents

Letters have been arranged alphabetically by author (although some are signed by first name only). Includes the following: Agnes [Martin?] ; Chris Ames, UC Santa Cruz ; Jonathan Altman ; Jonathan Ayers (see also general corr. 1970s) ; Jordan Belson ; Carol Bergé ; Fran von Briesen (Barbara Durkee's sister) ; R. Lee Carlson, Arleigh Gallery ; Ted [Edmund] Carpenter ; Doris Totten Chase ; Gary, Nova Productions ; Walter [Gundy?] ; Ann Halprin ; Dottie/Dorothy [Harrison] ; William A.C. Curtis Hayward (copied excerpt) ; Joan [Brown? St. Thomas VI, mentions Tram Combs, Woodstock Art Gallery]; Nina [Karp] ; Paul [Lee, but possibly also other Pauls]
Jean Martin ; Mary [Orser?] ; Joe and Rose Anne Mulkey, Trans Love Energies (4th & 5th from left in letterhead group photo) ; Pathe-Hall Productions ; Sasha Perkoff ; Brian & Mary Peterson (one on reverse of Mothers of Invention Fillmore handbill) ; Irmi Rosenthal ; Charles Rotmil to Steve Durkee, also group letter re: SOLUX ; Shell ; Sheil Selasnek, MD ; Chris & Ann Sidenius ; Beryl Sokoloff ; Marilyn Stone ; Lew & Pat Tavenner ; "Us" ; Chris West, Double Happiness Traders Unlimited ; Will ; Judi Wilson to Ann & George
box 17, folder 5

Correspondence 1961-1962

box 17, folder 6

Correspondence 1963

box 17, folder 7

Maurice Sokoloff proposal 1963-1965

Scope and Contents

Proposal (probably unrealized) for the production of t-shirts and sweatshirts with a traffic sign logo.
box 17, folder 8

San Francisco Chronicle/Examiner correspondence 1963-1964

box 17, folder 9

Correspondence January-March 1964

box 17, folder 10

Correspondence April-May 1964

box 17, folder 11

Correspondence June-August 1964

box 17, folder 12

Correspondence September-October 1964

box 17, folder 13

Correspondence November-December 1964

box 17, folder 14

Michael Callahan correspondence 1964-1965

box 18, folder 1

Correspondence January-March 1965

box 18, folder 2

Correspondence April-May 1965

box 18, folder 3

Correspondence June-July 1965

box 18, folder 4

Correspondence August-September 1965

box 18, folder 5

Correspondence October-December 1965

box 18, folder 6

Correspondence January-February 1966

box 18, folder 7

Correspondence March-May 1966

box 18, folder 8

Correspondence June-July 1966

box 18, folder 9

Correspondence August-September 1966

box 18, folder 10

Correspondence October 1966

box 18, folder 11

Correspondence November-December 1966

box 18, folder 12

Correspondence circa 1967

box 18, folder 13

Correspondence January-February 1967

box 19, folder 1

Correspondence March 1967

box 19, folder 2

Correspondence April-May 1967

box 19, folder 3

Correspondence June-July 1967

box 19, folder 4

Correspondence August-September 1967

box 19, folder 5

Correspondence October-December 1967

box 19, folder 6

Correspondence circa 1968

box 19, folder 7

Correspondence January-February 1968

box 19, folder 8

Correspondence March-May 1968

box 19, folder 9

Correspondence June-August 1968

box 19, folder 10

Correspondence September-December 1968

box 19, folder 11

Correspondence 1969

box 19, folder 12

Correspondence 1970-2005

 

4.2 Projects/subject files

Scope and Contents

Some of these files were assembled from elsewhere in the collection. Also, not all USCO projects are reflected here, only those with significant quantities of material.
Files related to the San Francisco Museum of Art and the "Verbal American Landscape," "Who R U and What's Happening?," and "Contact is the Only Love" projects can be found in its own series below.
box 19, folder 13

Abbemuseum Eindhoven, Holland 1965-1968

Scope and Contents

Triple Diffraction Hex and Contact Is The Only Love were exhibited in the "Kunst-Licht-Kunst" show in 1966.
box 19, folder 14

Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia 1966-1968

Scope and Contents

USCO helped develop an overstimulation system for a research project directed by Marvin Zuckerman.
box 19, folder 15

Allan Stone Galleries, New York 1962-1964

Scope and Contents

"Nuts & Bolts" show flier, calendar listings, correspondence.
box 19, folder 16

Architectural League of New York 1966-1968

Scope and Contents

postcards, PR, correspondence with John Margolies chairman, Current Work Committee), including material for "Environment II: Prisms, Lenses, Water, Light. A Collaboration by Charles Ross & USCO" 1/19 - 2/15/67.
box 19, folder 17

Baba, religion 1966-1968

Scope and Contents

Material concerning Avatar Meher Baba and Eastern religion, including two undated letters from Bob Dreyfuss (one sent from Pakistan) ; Bob Lefkowitz to Steve Durkee ; Adi K. Irani to Stern and Barbara Durkee (2/13/66 Menlo Park) ; Eruch ; Bill Harris, Sri Ram Ashram in Pleasant Valley, NY ; Swami Sivananda Radha, Yasodhara Ashram in Kootenay Bay, BC ; Girard "Gerry" Brilliant ; Mikuschi Hamilton, Berkeley.
box 19, folder 18

Bard College, New York 1965-1966

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence with Arlene Krebs and others, as well as fliers for Stern's "Verbal American Landscape Take 3."
box 20, folder 1

Bob Beck, Bob Beck Light Associates 1966-1969

Scope and Contents

Beck was an early producer of psychedelic light shows in Southern California. His company also sold UFO films and slides. Beck participated in Stewart Brand's "Whatever It Is" festival at San Francisco State. He was later involved with New Age healing (http://www.bobbeck.com).

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Beck, Robert C., 1925-2002
box 20, folder 2

University of California, Berkeley LSD conference June 13-18, 1966

Scope and Contents

Contains programs, papers, correspondence, PR, and anti-LSD and related protest material. Richard Baker was director of the Conference, prior to his involvement with the San Francisco Zen Center (see separate file). Richard Alpert, Frank Barron, Sidney Cohen, Paul Lee, and Huston Smith were on the advisory committee, and most also spoke at the conference, as did Timothy Leary and Rolf von Ekartsberg. USCO performed "We Are All One" and discussed multi-media techniques. Although sponsored by UC Berkeley, the conference was moved at the last moment to the UCSF Extension Center in San Francisco.
box 20, folder 3

University of California, Berkeley Communication & Media Conference (cancelled) 1967

box 20, folder 4

Brandeis University, Massachusetts 1964-1965

Scope and Contents

Contains correspondence, PR, notes & sketches. Stern's friend Paul Lee first sponsored an event in his capacity as as Protestant Chaplain. Gunther Weil, who later be involved with Intermedia, was also in the Psychology Department. In April 1965 USCO presented "Yield," and "We Are All One" the following month at the Creative Arts Festival.
box 20, folder 5

University of British Columbia, Vancouver 1963-1964

Scope and Contents

Alvin Balkind, director of the Fine Arts Gallery, brought in USCO for their first major event during the Festival of Contemporary Arts in January 1964. It was at this festival that Stern first met Marshall McLuhan.
box 20, folder 6

Byron Gallery, New York 1965

Scope and Contents

USCO and Callahan exhibited at "The Box Show" in February 1965.
box 20, folder 7

Canyon Cinema Cooperative 1964-1976

Scope and Contents

Canyon distributed "Y" on the West Coast, as well as Jud Yalkut's "Turn Turn Turn" and "Diffraction Film." File contains catalogs, memoranda, and board minutes, but very little correspondence. See also Stanford's Canyon Cinema and Bruce Baillie collections.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Canyon Cinema
box 20, folder 8

Castalian Foundation/Alpert/Leary/Metzner 1963-1980

Scope and Contents

USCO collaborated with the Castalian Foundation for Psychedelic Research at the "Psychedelic Explorations" program at the New Theatre in New York City, and also presented at their Millbrook headquarters. Correspondence is all from 1964. File also includes related material on the International Federation for Internal Freedom, Psychedelic Review magazine, Richard Alpert and Timothy Leary.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Leary, Timothy, 1920-1996
Ram Das
Metzner, Ralph
box 20, folder 9

David Stuart Galleries, Los Angeles 1963-1965

box 20, folder 10

Diffraction Company/Remson Wood 1964-1968, 1979

Scope and Contents

The Diffraction Company was run by Remson "Rem" Wood and his wife in Maryland; they produced diffraction grating whose optical properties were popularized for artistic purposes by USCO and others. File contains mostly correspondence, with some samples and promotional material.
box 20, folder 11

Drop City circa 1967

Scope and Contents

Contains a letter from Curly Benson to Steve Durkee asking for bread ("Dion Wright and Bob Dreyfuss were just here"), two undated collage fliers, and a copy of El Moro Vol.II no.1 "The Drop City Newsletter."

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Drop City (Colo. : Commune)
box 20, folder 12

Stephen Durkee undated

Scope and Contents

artist, co-founder of USCO. all dated correspondence interfiled in USCO correspondence. Many notes. He is now known as Abdullah Nooruddeen Durkee (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nooruddeen_Durkee)

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Dūrkī, ʻAbd Allāh Nūr al-Dīn
box 4, folder 3

Stephen Durkee (oversize material)

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Dūrkī, ʻAbd Allāh Nūr al-Dīn
box 21, folder 1

Barbara Durkee undated

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Greer, Asha
box 21, folder 2

to Durkees undated

box 21, folder 3

E.A.T. (Experiments in Art & Technology) 1967-1969

Scope and Contents

USCO worked with E.A.T. on a few projects, including the Pepsi-Cola Expo Pavilion Design Group 1968-1969 which includes memoranda, design photos, and a copy of Expo '70 News v.3 n.6 1968. File also contains several newsletters: EAT News newsletters v.1 n.3 (11/1/67), v.1 n.4, v.2 n.1 ; EAT Operations and Information no.1, 2, 4 1968-1969 ; EAT Bay Area no.5, 6 1969 ; EAT Boston v.1 n.2 1968 (became Art & Technology, Inc.) 1968-1969.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Experiments in Art and Technology (Organization)
box 21, folder 4

Film-Makers' Cooperative/Film-Maker's Cinematique/Anthology Film Archives 1964-67, 1976, circa 2000

Scope and Contents

Contains memoranda, accounting notes, correspondence with Jonas Mekas and others mostly concerning the distribution and screening of USCO films. Included are fliers, programs, press releases for events such as John Brockman's New Cinema Festival, Piero Heliczer 's"The Last Rite," Kenneth Dewey and Terry Riley's "Sames," and the much later USCO Resurrection screening at Anthology circa 2000. There is also material on Ed Emshwiller and the London Film Maker's Collective.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Film-Makers' Cooperative
Film-Makers' Cinematheque
box 21, folder 5

Howard Wise Gallery, New York 1966-1968

Scope and Contents

Correspondence and promotional material on shows including Festival of Lights and Lights in Orbit, the latter of which exhibited "Diffraction Hex" along with art by Paul Williams, Chris Sidenius, Richard Aldcroft, Otto Piene, Nam June Pak, Jackie Cassen/Rudi Stern and others. See also Howard Wise and Experimental Intermedia files in ISC series.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Howard Wise Gallery
box 21, folder 6

Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston 1967

box 21, folder 7

Intermedia '68 1966-1968

Scope and Contents

Series of multimedia events throughout New York state sponsored by the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Council on the Arts and managed by John Brockman Associates. USCO presented "Ten-foot Fanflashtic." Includes correspondence, memoranda, funding & foundation material, "A Report on Intermedia" by Brockman and Stern/JBA, and publicity photographs of Stern, Terry Riley, Dick Higgins, Carolee Schneemann, Allan Kaprow, Nam June Pak, etc.
box 21, folder 8

Jewish Museum, New York circa 1965

Scope and Contents

See also ISC series.
box 21, folder 9

Kutsher's Country Club, Monticello, New York 1965

box 21, folder 10

M.I.T. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) 1965-1972

Scope and Contents

USCO presented "Hubbub in December 1965 in a program sponsored by Paul Lee. There are also letters from and about Fenno Hoffman, Jon K. Rosenthal, Italo Scanga, and Harold Edgerton. Stern also screened films there in 1972.
box 23, folder 10

Maverick Systems 1966-1970

box 21, folder 11

Milwaukee Art Center 1968

box 21, folder 12

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts 1966-1967

box 21, folder 13

Moog 1966

Scope and Contents

Letters to and from Bob Moog of R.A. Moog Co., mostly re: Stern possibly brokering the sale of a theremin to Sal Yanovsky of the band Lovin' Spoonful. Michael Callahan had first met Moog at an Audio Engineering Society conference. Also includes a 1964 Moog catalog and a card from sales rep Barry Ober with the inscription "Steve Reich says hi."

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Moog, Bob (Robert)
box 21, folder 14

Museum of Modern Art, New York 1964-1966

Scope and Contents

Correspondence with Peter Seltz, William "Bill" Seitz, and others.
box 21, folder 15

Oberlin College, Ohio 1966-1967

Scope and Contents

USCO presented "We Are All One" as part of a 1967 conference on drugs sponsored by the Oberlin YMCA and the National Student Association. Includes correspondence, clippings, photo, etc.
box 21, folder 16

Rhode Island School of Design 1965-1966

Scope and Contents

USCO presented "Hubbub" and "Now Ow Ow" through the RISD Museum of Art and the help of Fenno Hoffman and Italo Scanga. See also Blockprint (student newspaper with articles and reviews) in clippings file.
box 21, folder 17

Riverside Museum, New York 1965-1969

Scope and Contents

USCO's "Down by the Riverside" in 1966 was one of their largest and popular productions. Includes many design notes, some of which are by Steve Durkee.
box 21, folder 18

University of Rochester, New York 1964

Scope and Contents

Presented "Verbal American Landscape III" in 1964.
box 21, folder 19

Rolf Nelson, Rolf Nelson Gallery 1963-1965

Scope and Contents

Correspondence with Rolf G. Nelson, mostly before his own gallery, including work with the Dilexi Gallery in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
box 22, folder 8

Seymour Schweber 1965-1968

Scope and Contents

Founder of Schweber Electronics, a specialist in the distribution of semi-conductors, connectors and other electronic components.
box 22, folder 9

Scott Paper Company 1966-1967

Scope and Contents

USCO's most commercial project, and one that would ultimately contribute to its fracture, was developing marketing for a feminine hygiene product called Confidet made by Scott Paper. John Brockman was involved in brokering the deal. USCO had approached Scott earlier with a proposal for psychedelic paper towels.
box 22, folder 10

Sister Magdalen Mary 1964

Scope and Contents

USCO (actually Stern and Callahan) built a poem-sculpture called "Resurrection" for two nuns at the Convent of the Immaculate Heart in Los Angeles, Sisters Magdalene Mary and Mary Corita.
box 22, folder 11

St. Cloud State College 1966-1967

box 22, folder 12

State University of New York at Buffalo 1965-1966

box 22, folder 13

strobe machine specs & sales 1965-1968

Scope and Contents

Stern and Callahan formed the independent company Maverick Systems to design and market strobe lights and other devices. Includes correspondence with Bertrand "Bud" Goldberg, Ed Billowitz, Terry Flood/Flood & Lemm, Inc., Bill Hutton, The Surf, Nantasket Beach, and Robert Kragen, Morning Light Co. Related correspondence can be found elsewhere in USCO. See also Maverick Systems file.
box 23, folder 1

Walker Art Center 1967-1968

box 23, folder 2

University of Washington 1963-1964

box 23, folder 3

Whitney Museum of American Art 1968

box 23, folder 4

Woodstock Artist Association/Woodstock Art Gallery

Scope and Contents

handbills and press releases. USCO was loosely affiliated, and exhibited "Fourthreetwoone." See also clippings.
box 23, folder 5

The World/Michael Myerberg 1966-1968

Scope and Contents

USCO created a multi-media installation including lights, strobes, and taped music for a Long Island discotheque, originally called Murray The K's World with the promotional backing of the noted radio personality, but later known as The World when he left the project. Financial backing was by noted theatrical producer Michael Myerberg. Includes publicity, slide, film & music lists, notes, accounting, correspondence, etc.
box 23, folder 6

Y 1963-1964

Scope and Contents

Notes, etc. concerning the 1963 experimental film by Gerd Stern and Ivan Majdrakoff with soundtrack assistance by Michael Callahan. See also files on Majdrakoff, distributors Film-makers' Cinematique & Canyon Cinema, and elsewhere in the USCO series.
Box 153

Miscellaneous slides

Scope and Contents

Not all USCO. Includes Lanou Davenport Easter Concert '68, Ghost Rev, Steve Durkee, Oregon At Show 2/69, No Ow Now produced WGBH 5/9/73, Lovin' Spoonful, Verbal American Landscape, etc.
 

4.3 Administrative, etc.

box 16, folder 1

Interview transcripts with correspondence

Scope and Contents

undated, partial. Stern, Gundy, Callahan. conducted by DW David Weinrib. July 20. from tapes
Michel Oren, National Museum of American Art 1988-1989 correspondence and draft of interview with Stern and Callahan 8/19/1988
also letter from Judi to Stern
box 16, folder 2

Original artwork

box 16, folder 3

Collages, letterheads, ephemera

box 16, folder 4

"Take the Ow..." notebook

box 16, folder 5

Church guestbook 1966-1967

box 16, folder 6

Address lists

box 16, folder 7

Receipts, invoices, logbooks, etc.

box 16, folder 8

Draft proposals, press releases, memoranda, lists, etc.

box 16, folder 9

Drawings & schematics - electronic poem sculptures

box 16, folder 10

Projector control circuitry 1964-1965

box 16, folder 11

Notes, schematics, etc.

box 16, folder 12

Notes, mostly Stern undated

box 23, folder 7

Miscellaneous gallery correspondence, etc. 1962-1963, 1965

Scope and Contents

Notebooks, check stubs, and correspondence to and from Martha Jackson, John Weber/DWAN Gallery, Ivan Carp/Castelli, Irving Blum/Ferus Gallery, Bolles Gallery (with handbill), Quay Gallery in Tiburon, and Maverick Gallery 1965. Some more about Stern's own art than USCO creations.
box 23, folder 8

Miscellaneous gallery correspondence, etc. 1979-1991

Scope and Contents

Correspondence, publicity, clippings, etc. mostly about Thorpe Intermedia Gallery in Sparkill, New York and director Adele Myers. As the Intermedia Foundation was its parent organization, this could very well be filed under Intermedia, but one of their main shows was an USCO/ISC retrospective in 1979 (press kit enclosed). Also involved with "Sound's Sound" show in 1986. There are also board meeting minutes from 1987 and a 1991 newsletter announcing the gallery's closure.
box 23, folder 9

USCO on fliers, programs etc.

Scope and Contents

Includes the following (See also Poster series):
Original Great Springout, New York flier 4/15/68
Veterans and Reservists to End the War in Vietnam march flier "Saturday November 5th" (advertises Ginsberg, Snyder, Krassner, Fugs, USCO)
Convocation Vernal Equinox, Mystic Arts World, Laguna Beach flier 3/20/69 (with Dion Wright, etc.)
Verbal American Landscape 2, Wisconsin Union Theater flier
East Hampton Gallery, "The Visionaries" PR
Festival of the Arts, OSU-Lima program ("We Are All One" 5/23)
"The Deer Park" program ("Electronic tote board designed by USCO")
"Lenny" play with multimedia PR ("Media Gerd Stern, Music Charles Lloyd")
Without & Within/Confederate Memorial Day program, Action Theatre 6/8/65 (USCO listed among fellow travelers)
box 69, folder 2

Oversize

Scope and Contents

Includes the following: "Destruction" at Bella Union Theatre, San Francisco flier ; University of British Columbia Festival of Centemporary Arts '64 poster (Verbal American Landscape, etc.) ; "One-Two-Three-Fourever" lecture at Harvard Carpenter Center for Visual Arts 1972 (has metal printing plate stuck to it) ; Sounds' Sound at Thorpe Intermedia Gallery (Stern/Callahan Verbal American Landscape, etc.) ; photoreproductions of Riverside Musuem "Down by the Riverside" poster ; Kresge Auditorium plans ; Montreal plans, etc. See also Poster series.
box 69, folder 1

Painted plastic disc, probably for light show

Scope and Contents

Bent in half, very fragile
 

Series 5. Intermedia Systems Corporation (ISC)

Scope and Contents

"George Litwin, who is the guy who has gotten me the appointment, and Andre Ruedi said, 'We didn't just bring you up here to do this thing at Harvard. What we want to do is we want to form a company, and we're going to do multimedia productions, and we're going to make multimedia equipment.' Michael Callahan and I and these two guys and later on other people formed a corporation, Intermedia Systems Corporation, and we rent a space with an office, a media production facility, and an electronics shop."
-Stern, Gerd. "From Beat Scene Poet to Psychedelic Multimedia Artist in San Francisco and Beyond, 1948-1978, Interviews Conducted by Victoria Morris Byerly in 1996" http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt409nb28g
Unlike USCO, Intermedia maintained formal office files, including files for clients, vendors, consultants, projects, legal & accounting. For the most part, their arrangement has been retained. In addition, a very large portion of the ISC series consists of slides used in various projects; those in carousels have been rehoused with order retained. There are slides for projects with no corresponding paper files. There are also many slide cases labeled "outs" or "duplicate," although some would appear not to be. Lids have been mixed up or recycled, and labels are brief or likely incorrect in some cases. Also, many slides were exposed to moisture and may be damaged.
 

5.1 Correspondence, chronological

Scope and Contents

Both internal and external correspondence with copies of most outgoing. Also includes memoranda, notes, charts, and related material. Much of this is related to files in the projects grouping.
box 24, folder 1

Correspondence 1967-1968

box 24, folder 2

Correspondence January-April 1969

box 24, folder 3

Correspondence May-December 1969

box 24, folder 4

Correspondence January-February 1970

box 24, folder 5

Correspondence March-April 1970

box 24, folder 6

Correspondence May-June 1970

box 24, folder 7

Correspondence July-September 1970

box 24, folder 8

Correspondence October-December 1970

box 25, folder 1

Correspondence January-April 1971

box 25, folder 2

Correspondence May-June 1971

box 25, folder 3

Correspondence July-December 1971

box 25, folder 4

Correspondence January-March 1972

box 25, folder 5

Correspondence April-May 1972

box 25, folder 6

Correspondence June-July 1972

box 25, folder 7

Correspondence August-December 1972

box 25, folder 8

Correspondence January-February 1973

box 25, folder 9

Correspondence March-May 1973

box 25, folder 10

Correspondence June-October 1973

box 25, folder 11

Correspondence November-December 1973

box 26, folder 1

Correspondence January-April 1974

box 26, folder 2

Correspondence May-June 1974

box 26, folder 3

Correspondence July-August 1974

box 26, folder 4

Correspondence September-December 1974

box 26, folder 5

Correspondence January-February 1975

box 26, folder 6

Correspondence March-April 1975

box 26, folder 7

Correspondence May-June 1975

box 26, folder 8

Correspondence July-August 1975

box 26, folder 9

Correspondence September-October 1975

box 26, folder 10

Correspondence November 1975

box 26, folder 11

Correspondence December 1975

box 27, folder 1

Correspondence January-February 1976

box 27, folder 2

Correspondence March-May 1976

box 27, folder 3

Correspondence June-July 1976

box 27, folder 4

Correspondence August-September 1976

box 27, folder 5

Correspondence November-December 1976

box 27, folder 6

Correspondence January-February 1977

box 27, folder 7

Correspondence March-May 1977

box 27, folder 8

Correspondence June-September 1977

box 28, folder 1

Correspondence October-December 1977

box 28, folder 2

Correspondence January-February 1978

box 28, folder 3

Correspondence March-April 1978

box 28, folder 4

Correspondence May-August 1978

box 28, folder 5

Correspondence September-December 1978

box 28, folder 6

Correspondence 1979-1994

box 28, folder 7

Correspondence, notes, etc. undated

 

5.2 Projects & people

Scope and Contents

With a few exceptions added later, this is ISC's main files and folder order.
box 96

1-2-3-4ever slides May 1973

box 43, folder 6

Adams, William Howard

box 97

AID slides

box 43, folder 7

America the Beautiful 1971-1978

Scope and Contents

Bruce Dowling, Nanine Bilski. See also ATB file (Stern was on Board)
box 98

America the Beautiful slides

box 43, folder 8

American Speaker Systems, Inc. 1982

box 43, folder 9

Appel, Doris & Bernard 1975-1976

Scope and Contents

Doris was a sculptor. ISC placed American Medicine sculptures at the Boston Museum of Science.
box 43, folder 10

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum 1971-1976

Scope and Contents

"Tunnel in the Desert" exhibit
box 44, folder 1

Armco Steel Corp. 1975-1976

Scope and Contents

Offshore Technology Conference etc.
box 99, Box 100

Armco slides

Scope and Contents

National Supply, Marion, Sand Springs, Gainsville, Butler, Baltimore, Ambridge, Hamilton Middletown Works, Houston, Zanesville, Community, Venezuela, Ashland, Kansas City, RISD, etc.
box 44, folder 2

Army Corps of Engineers 1977

Scope and Contents

Dickey-Lincoln School Lakes Hydroelectric project brochure/exhibit
box 44, folder 3

ARP Instruments/Tonus 1971-1973, 1976

Scope and Contents

synthesizer manufacturer, a division of Tonus, Inc. Marvin Cohen, etc.
box 101

Art Access Media slides

box 44, folder 4

Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers, Inc. 1974-1976

Scope and Contents

president Ed Lynch. Newsletters, memos, one letter from Stern
box 44, folder 5

Astrodine Systems 1969

Scope and Contents

space-themed restaurant franchise, interested in domes, "space light module" projections. Later named National Communications Group.
map-folder 67

Astrodine plans

box 130

Astrodine slides

box 44, folder 6

Batos, Armand 1971, 1976

box 44, folder 7

Berks, Robert 1973-1981

Scope and Contents

Sculptor. Mostly re: David Weinrib, Gather Ye Flowers proposal, MITRE Corp., Vepco. Includes Bios, contact sheets. No letters from Berks
box 44, folder 8

Beth Hatefutsoth 1973-1978

Scope and Contents

Museum of the Jewish Diaspora, Tel Aviv, Israel. Design notes, scripts, etc.
box 130

Bic slides

box 44, folder 9

Boston Neighborhood Business Association 1977

Scope and Contents

City of Boston project
box 44, folder 10

Bouterline, Serge

box 44, folder 11

Bove & Charmoy (law firm) 1976-1978

box 44, folder 12

Brailsford, Larry 1969-1971

box 45, folder 1

Brockman, John 1968-1988

Scope and Contents

See also USCO, personal files
box 45, folder 2

Brockman/Intermedia Artists Corporation 1968-1988

Scope and Contents

see also Intermedia '68 etc. in USCO
box 45, folder 3

Burke, Ken

box 45, folder 4

Caicos/Global Village 1969

Scope and Contents

Carribean Global Village was real estate development in Turks & Caicos Islands, organized by Herbert Harrington. ISC responsible for "concept, marketing, enivornmental development." Project never came to fruition.
box 45, folder 5

Caicos/Global Village 1970

box 45, folder 6

Caicos/Global Village - printed material & negatives

box 45, folder 7

Caicos/Global Village - land development

Scope and Contents

Includes original maps and sketches.
box 45, folder 8

Caicos/Global Village - billing & expenses

box 45, folder 9

Caicos/Global Village - agreements, proposals, notes

box 46, folder 1

Caicos/Global Village - investors/stock offers

box 46, folder 2

Caicos/Global Village - working view master

Scope and Contents

(original of proposal, contains art possibly by Alton Kelley)
box 130

Caicos/Global Village slides

box 46, folder 3

Calloway, Dayton 1975-1977

Scope and Contents

Subcontracted as representative in the Midwest. mostly re: Armco, 360 degree theater
box 46, folder 4

Capa, Cornell 1973-1975

Scope and Contents

International Center of Photography, International Fund for Concerned Photography
box 131

Capa/International Fund for Concerned Photographers slides

Scope and Contents

Cornel Capa/Jerusalem City of Mankind with three audio reels
box 46, folder 5

Center for Understanding Media seminar 1970

box 46, folder 6

Central Maine Power 1972-1974

Scope and Contents

Maine Yankee Atomic Power Information Center
box 46, folder 7

Century III 1979-1981

box 46, folder 8

Charter Industries, Inc. 1976-1978

Scope and Contents

North Carolina geodesic dome builders, related to Synergetics. See also Venezuela files.
box 130, Box 131

Chas. T. Maine slides

box 46, folder 9

Collins, Michael

box 46, folder 10

Columbia Pictures 1971-1972

Scope and Contents

re: "A Safe Place" etc.
box 46, folder 11

Commercial Union Assurance Co. 1978

box 47, folder 1

Denver Earth Exposition 1970, 1972, 1974

Scope and Contents

Mel Lawrence, Earth Expositions, Inc. Scheduled for 1972 but was cancelled.
box 47, folder 2

Dror, Yehezkel 1975-1976, 1983

box 47, folder 3

Durkee, Barbara / Lama Foundation 1972

Scope and Contents

also Berklee Johnson, re: pressing record of mantras.
box 47, folder 4

Eames Office 1970-1977

Scope and Contents

ISC loaned equipment for Eames Norton lectures.Most correspondence is with Alex Funke. Includes one brief letter from Charles Eames.
box 47, folder 5-6

EDA Indian Reservation project 1973

Scope and Contents

Economic Development Administration (EDA), part of Department of Commerce. Planning/Economic Development on reservations. Recommendations for audiovisual programs, scripts & treatments.
box 102

EDA slides

box 47, folder 7

Ehrenreich Photo-Optical / Nikon 1974-1976

Scope and Contents

Ira Shapiro, Richard LoPino, Ehrenreich Photo-Optical Industries, Inc.
box 47, folder 8

Farrington, Richard (landlord) 1978-1979

box 47, folder 9

Faverman, Mark/Boston Visual Arts Union 1974-1979

box 47, folder 10

Federal Design Assembly 1974

Scope and Contents

Second conference, September 1974. ISC produced "This Is the Federal Court" via NEA.
box 103

Federal Design Assembly slides

box 105

Federal Railroad Administration slides

box 47, folder 11

Fisher, George 1968-1969

box 47, folder 12

Football Training Films, Ltd. 1976-1980

box 48, folder 1

Football Training Films, Ltd. 1976-1980

box 48, folder 2

Freeman, Don/Archimedia 1972-1977

box 48, folder 3

Friedberg, M. Paul 1975-1976

box 48, folder 4-5

Goldstein, Sunny 1973-1978

Scope and Contents

Sungold Marketing Corp., Video Product Exposure, Inc. Involved with National Tobacco Distributors project, also Dannon Frozen Yogurt, etc. Some legal material.
box 48, folder 6

Gorewitz, Rubin 1968-1976

Scope and Contents

Accountant, active with artists rights.
box 106

Harry's American Bar slides

box 48, folder 7

Harvard Business School Case Studies 1966-1968

box 48, folder 8

Harvard Institute in Arts Administration 1975, 1977

Scope and Contents

Class material
box 107

Harvard slides

Scope and Contents

Historical, Current/70s, Social Commentary, Outs, Dups, Graphics, Alden-Merthon, Student Show, HBSS, Live, Copy Stand, Harvard Square, MMSM/Managing Motivation, Climate Rhythms, Humana
box 108

Harvard/N-Ach (Need for Achievement) slides

box 48, folder 9

Hatfield, William/Hatfield & Associates 1975, 1977

Scope and Contents

Mostly reports on educational television
box 49, folder 1-2

Hatfield, William/Hatfield & Associates 1975, 1977

Scope and Contents

Mostly reports on educational television
box 49, folder 3-4

Hockey Scene 1971-1983

Scope and Contents

Nelson Goodman, Harvard philosophy professor. Multimedia theater/dance work. Martha Armstrong Gray, choreographer.
box 49, folder 5

Hudson project 1983

box 49, folder 6

Humana 1971-1972

Scope and Contents

ISC subsidiary founded by George Litwin.
box 50, folder 1

International Design Conference in Aspen 1976

Scope and Contents

Stern presented "Flip Flop." See also Stern writing series.
box 104

International Design Conference in Aspen- Flip-Flop slides

box 50, folder 2

International Underwater Explorers Society ( UNEXSO) 1976

Scope and Contents

1970 Press release announcing Intermedia as new co-owner with Litwin as VP. Also includes copy of 1962 Fathom magazine.
box 123, Box 124, Box 125, Box 126

UNEXCO/Underwater Exploration slides

box 109

Jewish Museum slides

Scope and Contents

Lower East Side show, D-9 demo, etc.
box 50, folder 3

Kamen, Michael/New York Rock Ensemble 1972, 1975-1977

box 50, folder 4

Kamstra, Abrash, Dickerson & Associates (architects) 1971-1976

box 50, folder 5

Katz, Karl 1969-1979

Scope and Contents

Jewish Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art. See also Yeshiva.
box 50, folder 6

Kieronski, Robert 1970-1974

Scope and Contents

Consultant, developed K-3 hardware.
box 50, folder 7

Kings Island/Expo-America 1975-1976

Scope and Contents

William C. Price, marketing director
box 131

King's Island slides

box 50, folder 8

Kodak 1969-1980

Scope and Contents

Kodak also in USCO series (interfiled)
box 50, folder 9

Krieger, Jesse/J.J. Krieger & Co. (accountants) 1970-1973

box 51, folder 1-2

Landscape Architecture magazine 1972-1976

Scope and Contents

editor Grady Clay. Stern wrote book reviews. Proposal for film version of Clay's book "Close Up: How to Read the American City"
box 51, folder 3

Leary, Timothy 1969-1970, 1976

Scope and Contents

Recorded at Intermedia August 1969 for Douglas label. Contains itinerary and clippings ; Copies of letters of support from Stern, Litwin & Weil ; Stern to Leary 1976 ; notes ; photo negatives and contact strips. See also Castalia file in USCO.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Leary, Timothy, 1920-1996
box 51, folder 4

Lee, Paul 1967-1976

Scope and Contents

See also USCO.
box 51, folder 5

Lee, Tom/Thomas H. Lee Company 1974-1979

box 52, folder 1

Lincoln Sites project 1974-1975

Scope and Contents

"Lincoln's Thought & The Present" NEH grant-funded project run by Professor Chuck Strozier of Sangamon State University, Springfield, Illinois. ISC produced presentations, film, pamphlets. Also involved were Geoffrey Ward, Gillian Anderson, others.
box 52, folder 2-3

Lincoln Sites project 1976

box 52, folder 4-5

Lincoln Sites project 1977

box 52, folder 6

Lincoln Sites project - Lincoln Historical Society, museums correspondence 1977

box 52, folder 7

Lincoln Sites project 1978

box 52, folder 8

Lincoln Sites project 1979

box 53, folder 1

Lincoln Sites project - undated notes & meeting transcripts

box 53, folder 2

Lincoln Sites project - equipment

box 53, folder 3

Lincoln Sites project - pamphlet drafts

box 53, folder 4

Lincoln Sites project - photographs

box 53, folder 5

Lincoln Sites project - research

box 53, folder 6

Lincoln Sites project - unidentified script

box 53, folder 7

Lincoln Sites project - law offices scripts

box 54, folder 1

Lincoln Sites project - courtroom scripts

box 54, folder 2

Lincoln Sites project - New Salem film scripts & production notes

box 54, folder 3

Lincoln Sites project - depot scripts

box 54, folder 4

Lincoln Sites project - NEH proposals

box 55

Lincoln Sites project - academic papers (unfoldered)

box 110, Box 111

Lincoln Sites project slides

box 56, folder 1

Lovelight/Laser Magic 1975-1976

box 56, folder 2

Lovelight/Laser Magic 1977

box 56, folder 3

Lovelight/Laser Magic 1978-1987

box 56, folder 4

Lovelight/Laser Magic - printed material

box 56, folder 5-6

Lovelight/Laser Magic - scripts, etc.

box 56, folder 7

Lovelight/Laser Magic - storyboards

box 132

Lynn show slides

box 51, folder 6

Mahoney, Weiss & Brock (law firm)

box 112

Maine Yankee slides

box 51, folder 7

Marsh, Ken / Woodstock Community Video

box 51, folder 8

McBer & Company 1969-1975

Scope and Contents

Boston, William Le Clere, Behavioral Science Center, David McClelland. ISC produced "Effects of Achievement Motivation Training" film.
box 51, folder 9

Museo de Arte Contemporaneo 1975-1979

Scope and Contents

Correspondence re: video exhibition. See also Venezuela files.
box 57, folder 1

Museum of the American China Trade 1975-1976

Scope and Contents

"Boston & The Sea" film. New England Aquarium
box 57, folder 2

Museum of the American China Trade

Scope and Contents

research, scripts, notes, photographs
box 131, Box 132

Museum of the American China Trade slides

box 57, folder 3

Museum of Contemporary Crafts 1969, 1970, 1975

box 57, folder 4

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 1969-1975

box 57, folder 5

Museum of Modern Art, New York 1975-1978

box 57, folder 6

National Association of Tobacco Dealers/Distributors 1974-1975

box 57, folder 7

National Center for Experiments in Television (NCET) 1973-1975

Scope and Contents

KQED, Paul Kaufman, executive director. Warner Jepson was composer-in-residence.
box 58, folder 1

National Council of Negro Women 1973-1976

Scope and Contents

ISC were contracted to film the dedication of the Mary McLeod Bethune Monument in Washington D.C.
box 58, folder 2

National Endowment for the Arts 1972-1978

Scope and Contents

Includes Federal Design and other conference material. More on NEA elsewhere too.
box 58, folder 3

New American Library 1975

box 58, folder 4-6

New England Electric System 1970-1978

Scope and Contents

Bear Creek Pumped Storage Project Visitor Center ; Narragansett Nuclear Power Station Nuclear Information Center, Charleston, Rhode Island 1975
box 113

New England Electric System slides

Scope and Contents

6 in a Day, Bear Swamp, Deerfield, Reddy Kilowatt
box 58, folder 7

New England Research Associates (NERA)

Scope and Contents

Carl D. Orio, John Simms
box 58, folder 8

New York State Council on the Arts 1970-1977

Scope and Contents

Includes Giorno Dial-a-Poem application 1975. See also Planning Corporation for the Arts, Ken Dewey
box 58, folder 9

Niese, Henry 1970-1971

Scope and Contents

NEH application for "The Aliens" documentary on outlaw motorcycle gang.
box 58, folder 10

O'Grady, Gerard / Center for Media Studies (SUNY Buffalo)

box 58, folder 11

Opera Today magazine 1970, 1973

Box 132

Opera Today slides

box 58, folder 12

Pablo Light Show 1968, 1971-1972

Scope and Contents

Pat Firpo, Pablo Media Artists & Technicians. See also USCO.
box 59, folder 1

Park-McCullough House (Bennington, Vermont) 1976-1977

box 59, folder 2-3

Planning Corporation for the Arts 1971

Scope and Contents

Ken Dewey, executive director. Anne Wadsworth. Stern chairman of Artists in Society Committee, reports to NY State Council on the Arts. Includes prospectus, board minutes, reports, Stern interview 1971. See also NY State Council on the Arts.
box 59, folder 4

Poets & Writers 1973-1975

Scope and Contents

Galen Williams
box 59, folder 5

Porett, Thomas D. 1969-1978

Scope and Contents

Philadelphia College of Art film/video artist and teacher. Re: "Made in USA," etc.
box 114

ROTC slides

box 59, folder 6

Quincy School, Boston 1974-1976

Scope and Contents

Through The Architects Collaborative (TAC), artist Maria Termini created a "Mural art frieze of porcelain enamel steel panels" on the exterior of the school. Also includes Quincy School poetry book c.1978.
box 133

Quincy/TAC slides

box 59, folder 7

Rimberg, June & Felix 1970-1976

Scope and Contents

Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co., real estate marketing
box 59, folder 8

Rink Realty 1971-1978

box 59, folder 9

Rockefeller Foundation

Scope and Contents

Video/cable/educational television proposals, including "Experimental Television Centers and the Universities: the NCET Project" 1974
box 60, folder 1

Rockefeller Foundation

Scope and Contents

Video/cable/educational television proposals, including "Experimental Television Centers and the Universities: the NCET Project" 1974
box 60, folder 2-3

Ryan, Paul undated, 1983, 2001

Scope and Contents

Graduate Media Studies faculty, New School. script treatments, clippings, etc.
box 60, folder 4

Schachter, Zalman

Scope and Contents

Recorded "7 Beggars of Reb Nalman/Torah of the Void" at Intermedia, released and distributed by Intermedia. See also Intermedia Sound/Recording, Jewish series.
box 60, folder 5

Schneider, Bert 1971-1977, 1983

Scope and Contents

BBS Productions with Bob Rafelson. Re: " A Safe Place," Huey Newton, etc. See also USCO.
box 60, folder 6

Schweber, Seymour 1966-1976

Scope and Contents

Schweber Electronics. "The Tip Off on Components From Schweber" 1966-67, other promotional material, including offprints of Schweber's column in Electronic News. See also USCO.
box 60, folder 7

Sea Pines Plantation Company 1969

Scope and Contents

Hilton Head, South Carolina. Proposals with William Doggrell.
box 115, Box 116, Box 117

Sea Pines slides

Box 132

Scott Paper slides

box 60, folder 8

Segal, Joseph & Nathan 1975-1978

Scope and Contents

Musicians, recorded "Hallel" LP through Intermedia. See Intermedia Sound/Recording.
box 61, folder 1

Smithsonian Institution 1969-1978

Scope and Contents

Drug Conference 11/11/1969, William "Bill" Fitzhugh, Department of Anthropology consulted on Bear Swamp project, etc.
box 118

Spartus slides

box 61, folder 2

Staten Island Development Center (SIDC) 1979-1980

Scope and Contents

Omar Lerman
box 119

Staten Island Development Center slides

Scope and Contents

Includes 4 audio reels and one audio cassette
box 61, folder 3

Surveys 1967-1968

box 120

Synergetics slides

box 61, folder 4

Teicholtz, Eric 1972-1976

Scope and Contents

Assistant director, Laboratory for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis at Harvard. Worked on Beth Hatefutsoth project. See also Chronological Correspondence.
box 61, folder 5

Teleportraits / Artists, Babies, Bodies

Scope and Contents

Stern video productions at WGBH
box 61, folder 6

Termini, Maria 1975, 2006-2007

Scope and Contents

Stern recommendation, emails re: Quincy mural film stored at Anthology Film Archive.
box 61, folder 7

Theodore Samet & Co. 1975, 2006-2007

Scope and Contents

Mel Shuman
box 121

Thom McAn slides 1972

Box 132

Tonus/ARP slides

box 61, folder 8-9

Transportation Safety Institute 1974, 1977

Scope and Contents

Railroad safety inspector training films, Federal Railroad Administration.
box 61, folder 10

Turning On Without Drugs (TOWD) 1970-1971

Scope and Contents

College tour. Edward Rosenfeld wrote TOWD book. Brockman Associates involved.
box 133

Turning On Without Drugs slides

box 62, folder 1-2

United States Information Agency 1971-1977

Scope and Contents

Three AV shows for exhibit, including "Technology for the American Home," also vocational videos 1971.
box 122

United States Information Agency slides

box 122

United States Transportation Agency slides

box 127

VEPCO slides

box 62, folder 3

We Are All One 1968, etc.

Scope and Contents

USCO - Intermedia
box 62, folder 4-6

Weiss, Zimmerman & Angoff (law firm) 1969-1978

box 62, folder 7

WGBH undated, 1970-1972

Scope and Contents

Producer/director Fred Barzyk, also Dorothy Chiesa, Jock Gill, Michael Rice, Rick Hauser, Olivia Tappa, others. ISC made equipment, recorded Bernstein lectures, Twyla Tharp, other production, graphic treatments, etc. Stern was involved as video artist with the New Television Workshop and proposed a program on latin music called "Chévere." See also Teleportraits, etc.
box 62, folder 8

WGBH 1973-1974

box 62, folder 9

WGBH 1975-1979

box 63, folder 1

WGBH Chévere proposal

box 128

WGBH slides

Scope and Contents

Busch-Reisen, Keeping Warm, Pocket Mime, Adult Education, Higgins & Hammond Museum/Castler, Armory, Aquarium, Museum of Science, Massage, Salem, Christmas Show, Chinatown, Steve's Ice Cream, Saugus Iron Works, Twyla Tharp, Wayside Inn, Fanny Farmer, Do It, Insomniac, Museum of Transportation, Where to Get Off
box 63, folder 2

Wiener, Hesh 1972

Scope and Contents

Artist/theorist, opened timeshare computing company Berkeley. Now tech journalist/writer.
box 63, folder 3

Wise, Howard/Eletronic Arts Intermix 1971-1977

Scope and Contents

See also Howard Wise Gallery in USCO
box 63, folder 4

Woodchuck Hollow Brass and Woodwind Choir 1972

Scope and Contents

Recorded at Intermedia, released and distributed by Intermedia too. See Intermedia Sound/Recording.
box 63, folder 5-6

Woodstock Ventures/Aquarian Exposition 1969

Scope and Contents

Woodstock Music & Art Fair August 1969. ISC proided logistical support - designed campgrounds, signage, transportation, maps. Michael Lang, Stan Goldstein, Don Ganoung, Mel Lawrence. USCO Fanflashtic was proposed for campgrounds too (not enouigh electricity it turned out?). Altopn Kelley was involved with signage "Stanley Mouse has joined Kelley here" 9/69. Will Wroth supervised Hog Farmers with field prep, etc. Sturart Viddocler very active, not just accounting. Quennel/Gaffney Design Services. Contains correspondence, memoranda, invoices, clippings, blank staff passes, site blueprints, etc.
map-folder 68

Woodstock plans 1969

box 69, folder 4

Woodstock newspaper clippings 1969

box 63, folder 7

Yalkut, Jud 1973-1979

Scope and Contents

Contemporary Media Study Center, Dayton, Ohio. See also USCO.
box 63, folder 8-10

Yeshiva University Museum 1971-1976

Scope and Contents

New York. Dalia Tawil, curator. Sheldon Socol, VP of Business Affairs.
box 129

Yeshiva University slides

box 63, folder 11

Zubin Shahastra Zandra 1975-1977

box 63, folder 12

Zen Center (San Francisco) 1972-1973

Scope and Contents

300 Page Street, San Francisco. Fran Keller, advice on audio recording and tape storage. See also Richard Baker file.
box 133

Miscellaneous slides

Box 134

Miscellaneous slides

Scope and Contents

AMA Telephone, American Savings & Loan Institute, American Women Making History, A.D. Little, Art Centers USA, Art Director's Club of Boston, BASF "Word Processing" (with audio cassette), ASI, Boston Center for the Arts, Boston Edison Energy Crisis
box 135

Miscellaneous slides

Scope and Contents

Avon Diamondopolous, CADEC, Come Visit Us, City Hall Show
box 136

Miscellaneous slides

Scope and Contents

Contrasting Lifestyles, Data Packaging Corp., Demonstrations, Delmarva
box 137

Miscellaneous slides

Scope and Contents

Dichter Program, Dymol/Xylogic Processing System, Children's Museum, Energy, Genra Grason Stadler, Ralph Guild, Green Beret, Hands On
box 138

Miscellaneous slides

Scope and Contents

LifeSaver, VPE, Melhado & Co., Cherubini, Intervideo
box 139

Miscellaneous slides

Scope and Contents

Microwave, ODC Pepsi, Qquaker Oats, Quinnipac, Sbane
box 140

Miscellaneous slides

Scope and Contents

Intervideo, Lifesavers
box 141

Miscellaneous slides

Scope and Contents

Spindler Alignment Slides, Hugh Stubbins & Associates, Student Impact, Bill Verity, Working Party
Box 150

Miscellaneous slides

Scope and Contents

USCO T-13, T-14, T-17, T-18; one box "USCO, Gerd, T. McCan, Venezula, UNEXCO"
Box 142, Box 143, Box 144, Box 145, Box 146

Slides by subject

Scope and Contents

Includes transportation, travel, tourism, landscape, people, hospitals, supermarkets, etc. ISC & USCO labels, some stock photos, multiple labels. Many have project numbers.
Box 150

Sampler slide show

Scope and Contents

Hands On, Lynn, Deerfield, ASI (with audio cassette)
Box 151, Box 152

ISC slides

Scope and Contents

Corporate Capability, Corporate Samplers, ISC People & Associates, various slide cases labeled only "Intermedia"
Box 154

"Gerd's Show at Carpenter Center" slides

map-folder 64

Miscellaneous oversize

Scope and Contents

Includes Aspen conference posters, Torah of the Void cover slick, Einstein notes, etc.
map-folder 65

Plans and schematics

Scope and Contents

Includes material on projects such as Arizona, Beth Hatefutsoth, Caico, & Einstein Medical Center.
 

5.3 Venezuela

Arrangement

Files in subject order alphabetically, followed by chronological correspondence files.
box 28, folder 8

Luis Enrique Alcala

box 28, folder 9

Alfavision undated, 1971-1975

box 29, folder 1

Alfavision 1976

box 29, folder 2

Alfavision 1977

box 29, folder 3

Alfavision 1978-1979

box 29, folder 4

Diego Arria 1972-1975

box 29, folder 5

Jose Ignacio Cadavieco

box 29, folder 6

Carabobo

box 30, folder 1-2

Centro Simon Bolivar

box 88, Box 89, Box 90

Centro Simon Bolivar slides

Scope and Contents

"Para Todos Trabajamos" etc.
box 30, folder 3

Gustavo Cisneros

box 30, folder 4

Diego Alberto Cisneros

box 30, folder 5

Conahotu

box 30, folder 6

CORIMON

box 30, folder 7

Expo Zulia

box 30, folder 8

Guido Grooscoors

box 31, folder 1

Fernando Irazabal 1971-1972

box 31, folder 2

Fernando Irazabal 1973-1977

box 31, folder 3

Maracaibo

Box 86

Maracaibo slides

box 31, folder 4

Mas Viven Mejor

box 31, folder 5

Mas Viven Mejor manuals

Box 91, Box 92, Box 93, Box 94, Box 95

Mas Viven Mejor slides

box 31, folder 6

Miraflores

box 31, folder 7

O.C.I.

box 32, folder 1

O.D.C. (Organizacion Diego Cisneros)

box 32, folder 2

Panama

box 32, folder 3

Carlos Andres Perez

box 32, folder 4

Reimburseables

box 32, folder 5

Jose Rafael Revenga, Educatel

box 32, folder 6

David Sawyer

box 32, folder 7

Summavision

box 32, folder 8

Synergetics

box 33, folder 1

business cards, etc.

box 33, folder 2

Photos, Venezuela '77 1977

box 33, folder 3

News clippings

box 33, folder 4

Correspondence undated

box 33, folder 5-7

Publications

box 34, folder 1

Untitled typescript

box 34, folder 2

Correspondence 1971-1972

box 34, folder 3

Correspondence 1973

box 34, folder 4

Correspondence 1974

box 34, folder 5

Correspondence 1975

box 34, folder 6

Arte de Video

box 34, folder 7

Correspondence 1976

box 35, folder 1-2

Correspondence 1976

box 35, folder 3-4

Correspondence 1977

box 35, folder 5

Correspondence, MVM etc. 1977

box 36, folder 1-3

Telexes 1977

box 36, folder 4

Correspondence 1978-1988

map-folder 66

Venezuela/Synergetics/MVM plans 1977

Box 85

Miscellaneous slides

Scope and Contents

Includes Caracas sunsets, CSB Para Todos, Conahotu, Expozuli, Cruz Diaz, concert at Hipodromo de El Paraiso, Caracas 1/14/72 featuring Paul Pena and New York Rock Ensemble.
box 87

Curaçao slides

 

5.4 Intermedia Recording/Intermedia Sound

Box 155

ISC studio slides

Scope and Contents

"Session Report" with Johnson Brothers and Boston record stores, Studio 101.1 with Paul Pena and others, Pena 101.2, Roger Powell, Woodchuck Hollow Choir & Band 143
box 41, folder 4

Miscellaneous

box 41, folder 5

Files 1970

box 41, folder 6

Files 1972-1974

box 41, folder 7

Fire insurance claim 1974

box 41, folder 8

Files 1975

box 41, folder 9

Files 1976-1979

box 41, folder 10

John Jorda, Studio courses 1977-1978

box 41, folder 11

Reb Zalman LP sales 1974-1977

box 41, folder 12

Lovelight soundtrack, Dan Cole legal 1974-1977

box 41, folder 13

Contracts, Jim Hurt 1973

box 41, folder 14

Contracts, Paul Pena 1971-1973

box 42, folder 1

Contracts & legal, Roger Powell 1972-1975

box 42, folder 2

Contracts, Charlie Mariano 1971

box 42, folder 3

Contracts & legal, Abe Laborial 1971-1973

box 42, folder 4

Weil separation agreement 1973

box 42, folder 5

Taxes 1973

box 42, folder 6

Contracts, etc. 1971-1974

 

5.5 Administrative, personnel, etc.

Scope and Contents

Employee files are mostly undated correspondence, memoranda, and notes; more are filed under projects or in general chronological correspondence files.
box 36, folder 5

Annual reports

box 36, folder 6

Annual meetings

box 39, folder 1

Press kits etc.

box 39, folder 2

Printed material

Scope and Contents

Forms, letterheads, promotional brochures (some with Alton Kelley art) etc.
box 39, folder 3

Press releases

box 39, folder 4

Miscellaneous employee

box 39, folder 5

Callahan, Michael

box 39, folder 6

Cherubini, Tony

box 39, folder 7

Dacey, Robert

box 39, folder 8

Gundy, Walter

box 39, folder 9

Litwin, George

box 39, folder 10

McLelland, Nick

box 39, folder 11

Osler, Bobbi (later Bobbi Carrey)

box 39, folder 12

Penaherrera, Carlos & Kathy

box 39, folder 13

Vidockler, Stuart

box 39, folder 14

Weil, Gunther

box 39, folder 15

Miscellaneous photographs & negatives

box 40, folder 1

Addresses

box 40, folder 2-3

Miscellaneous proposals etc.

box 40, folder 4

Institute for Financial Education Instructor Guidelines

box 43, folder 3

Business cards

box 43, folder 5

PR maquettes

 

5.6 Tax, stock & financial

box 37, folder 1

audits 1968-1970

box 37, folder 2

audits 1971

box 37, folder 3

audits 1972

box 37, folder 4

audits 1973

box 37, folder 5

audits 1974

box 37, folder 6

audits 1975

box 37, folder 7

audits 1976-1977

box 38, folder 1

tax/stock/financial undated, 1969

box 38, folder 2

tax/stock/financial 1969

box 38, folder 3

tax/stock/financial 1970

box 38, folder 4

tax/stock/financial 1971

box 38, folder 5

tax/stock/financial 1972-1973

box 38, folder 6

tax/stock/financial 1974-1975

box 38, folder 7

tax/stock/financial 1976

box 38, folder 8

tax/stock/financial 1977

box 38, folder 9

tax/stock/financial 1978

box 38, folder 10

tax/stock/financial 1979

box 38, folder 11

tax/stock/financial 1980

box 38, folder 12

tax/stock/financial 1981

box 38, folder 13

tax/stock/financial 1982-1983

box 38, folder 14

tax/stock/financial 1984-1985

box 38, folder 15

tax/stock/financial 1986-1988

box 38, folder 16

tax/stock/financial 1989-1996

box 38, folder 17

tax/stock/financial - Chapter IX

 

5.7 Equipment & technical

box 40, folder 5

Technical manuals, schematics, notes, etc.

box 41, folder 1

Hardware - D-9, D-10

box 41, folder 2

Hardware - D-12

box 41, folder 3

Hardware - D-14

box 42, folder 7

Technical catalogs and manuals A-M

box 42, folder 8

Technical catalogs and manuals N-W

box 43, folder 1-2

Film rental catalogs

box 43, folder 4

Slide, tape & other listings

Box 147, Box 148, Box 149

Equipment slides

Scope and Contents

Hardware,"Media - Common Ownership" Litwin/Wroth report, Installations D-9 & D-10 ; D-10, DG-3, DG-4, K-3, R-7, E-Z Viewer, Seth's Video Synthesizer, Video Showcase, Graphics, DAVI Systems/DAVI Booth, NAVA Show ; NAVA, SUMMA, Dissolve Show, D-9 Carousel
Box 150

D-10 Show

 

Series 6. Poetry & writing

Scope and Contents

See also poetry magazines etc. in "Other Publications & Clippings" file.
 

6.1 Poetry in Folio

Related Materials

Washington University in St. Louis holds the May Swenson Papers (MSS111), which contains some Poetry in Folio correspondence: http://library.wustl.edu/units/spec/manuscripts/findingaids/MSS111.html

Scope and Contents

Poems in Folio was a project initiated by Stern and his then wife Ann London to publish poems in broadsheet form by fine presses on a monthly subscription basis. While Gerd and Ann did all the coordinating, the editorial board consisted of Stanley Kunitz, Henry Rago (editor of Poetry) and Richard Wilbur, and presses included Lawton Kennedy, Sig Sivertson, Westerham Press Ltd., and Mallette Dean. Ed Grabhorn (who printed a William Carlos Williams poem) had suggested using a variety. Correspondents include Claude Fredericks, Banyan Press/Pawlet; Ward Ritchie (one or two notes); Harold Zellerbach (a major backer); Dave Meltzer, Discovery Book Shop; Henry W. Wennings Rare Books (handled some sales 1963-64, also worked with Stern on Afterimage), as well as most of the poets listed below. Some files only contain typescripts of poems. The Roethke file is more substantial than others, and contains a 4/22/54 letter draft from Stern which mentions Lewis Hill, John Hoffman and Harry Partch. Some copies were sent as gifts, and they received acknowledgements from Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren and California governor Goodwin Knight. At one point PIF had even intended to record an LP of poetry. In the end, lack of interest and the resulting financial crisis prevented them from printing the planned twelfth poem by I.A. Richards. See also poetry correspondence files.
Please note: many of these files are water damaged and contain evidence of light mold and discoloration. The worst examples were photocopied and removed. Many items are fragile, use care when handling.
box 10, folder 1

Administrative (by-laws, copyright, tax exemption status, etc.)

box 10, folder 2

Printed material, ads, reviews, etc.

box 10, folder 3

Subscriber lists

box 10, folder 4

Correspondence undated, 1956

box 10, folder 5-6

Correspondence 1957

box 10, folder 7

Correspondence 1958-1959

box 10, folder 8

Correspondence 1960-1964

box 10, folder 9

Miscellaneous poems

Scope and Contents

Robert Lowell printed poem (damaged) ; Robert Kelley signed mimeograph, mentions Stern ; Mary Stuart, signed ; one unknown, unsigned ; Harvey Brown
box 10, folder 10

Miscellaneous poets

Scope and Contents

Poets not in PiF; most only a page or two of correspondence. Includes George Barker ; Elizabeth Bishop ; Susan MacEwan for T.S. Eliot ; Archibald MacLeish ; William Meredith ; Delmore Schwartz ; Yvor Winters.
box 10, folder 11

W.H. Auden

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Auden, W. H. (Wystan Hugh)
box 10, folder 12

Louise Bogan

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Bogan, Louise, 1897-1970
box 10, folder 13

John Ciardi

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Ciardi, John, 1916-1986
box 10, folder 14

J.V. Cunningham

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Cunningham, J. V. (James Vincent), 1911-1985
box 10, folder 15

Richard Eberhart

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Eberhart, Richard, 1904-2005
box 10, folder 16

Robert Francis

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Francis, Robert, Robert, 1901-1987
box 10, folder 17

Jean Garrigue

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Garrigue, Jean, 1912-1972
box 10, folder 18

Robert Graves

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
box 10, folder 19

Katherine Hoskins

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Hoskins, Katherine
box 10, folder 20

Barbara Howes

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Howes, Barbara
box 10, folder 21

Elizabeth Jennings

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Jennings, Elizabeth, 1926-2001
box 10, folder 22

Kenneth Koch

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Koch, Kenneth, 1925-2002
box 10, folder 23

James Merrill

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Merrill, James, 1926-1995
box 10, folder 24

Josephine Miles

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Miles, Josephine, 1911-1985
box 10, folder 25

Marianne Moore

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Moore, Marianne, 1887-1972
box 10, folder 26

Howard Moss

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Moss, Howard, 1922-1987
box 10, folder 27

Howard Nemerov

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Nemerov, Howard
box 10, folder 28

F.T. Prince

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Prince, F. T. (Frank Templeton), 1912-2003
box 10, folder 29

Adrienne Rich

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Rich, Adrienne, 1929-2012
box 10, folder 30

I.A. Richards

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Richards, I. A. (Ivor Armstrong), 1893-1979
box 10, folder 31

Theodore Roethke

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Roethke, Theodore , 1908-1963
box 10, folder 32

Karl Shapiro

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Shapiro, Karl, 1913-2000
box 10, folder 33

Louis Simpson

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Simpson, Louis, 1923-2012
box 10, folder 34

May Swenson

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Swenson, May
box 10, folder 35

Charles Tomlinson

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Tomlinson, Charles, 1927-2015
box 10, folder 36

David Wagoner

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Wagoner, David
box 10, folder 37

William Carlos Williams

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Williams, William Carlos, 1883-1963
 

6.2 Poetry correspondence

Scope and Contents

Mostly communication with publishers and editors of literary journals as well as publishers such as Houghton Mifflin and Harper about his poetry. Many mentions of Lamantia, McClure, and other mutual friends.
box 11, folder 2

Poetry correspondence undated

Scope and Contents

Includes Patricia Coffin note ; from Bern Porter re: Partch, Artaud, Lamantia, Hoffman, Stern's poetry books ; to John Porter III, Life ; to Alan Pryce-Jones ; from Harriet Doar (friend of Abbott Fraser) ; from John Bryan, Renaissance.
box 11, folder 3

Poetry correspondence 1952-1954

Scope and Contents

Includes Allen Ginsberg 1/7/52 and reply 2/27/53 ; Marianne Moore ; Isaac [Rosenfeld] 1953 ; to Harriet Doar 1953 ; to Lew [Hill? Welch?] ; San Francisco State College Poetry Center announcement flier 1954.
box 11, folder 4

Poetry correspondence 1959-1962

Scope and Contents

Includes Diane di Prima & LeRoi Jones, Floating Bear ; William Ryan, Contact/Angel Island Publications ; Barney Rosset, Evergreen Review ; to Denise Levertov 1961 ; Dave Haselwood, Auerhahn Press.
box 11, folder 5

Afterimage 1964-1966

Scope and Contents

Correspondence concerning a subscription-based book of Stern poetry published by Villiers in 1965.
box 11, folder 6

Poetry correspondence 1963-1987

Scope and Contents

Includes Diane di Prima & LeRoi Jones, Floating Bear ; Lawrence Ferlinghetti ; to Richard Brautigan ; to Robert Creeley ; to Allen [Ginsberg] ; to John Bryan, Renaissance ; Fred Jordan, Grove ; Lita Hornick, Kulchur ; Ed van Aelstyn, Northwest Review [Phillip Whalen recommended Stern as an art reporter] ; to Charles Olson 1964. Later correspondence is largely about Stern's "Poemthink."
 

6.3 Stern poetry & writing

box 11, folder 1

Poems & lists

box 11, folder 8

Stern/Marga Richter, Relations Cantata notes 1950s

box 11, folder 7

Grant proposals, etc.

box 11, folder 9-11

Writing 1950s

Scope and Contents

Notes, essays, poetry, prose, diary entries, etc. Begins with a piece dating to Pinehurst, New York 1940s. Mostly annotated typescripts, some manuscripts.
box 11, folder 12

Miscellaneous notes, transcripts, etc.

Scope and Contents

Essay, report, transcripts, etc, including Intermedia Harvard Report with McClelland and Litwin ; Philosophy of Multi-Media 1976, National Audiovisual Association Convention, Flip-Flop Remarks.
box 74, folder 9

Don't Flee the Scene Salty, Seven Stray Cats

Scope and Contents

"Don't Flee the Scene Salty" - typescript of play/puppet show cowritten by Jack Gilbert
Seven Stray Cats Reading Their Poems in Sausalito/ Poetry San Francisco Presents Seven Stray Cats in Sausalito / Jean McLean; Laura Uronovitz [Ulewicz]; Michael Grieg; Ann London; Gerd Stern, Robert Stock; Carol Christopher Drake; Jack Gilbert. Silkscreened cover designed by Jack Gilbert and Joan Hartmann-McLean, 17 pp. mimeographed, stapled along the top. "These sheets have been assembled to accompany a reading at THE SAUSALITO LITTLE THEATYRE in Sausalito, February 8, 1957. They are limited to 150 copies and do not constitute magazine publication."
box 74, folder 10

Miscellaneous writing

Scope and Contents

Note that some filed here are duplicates from elsewhere in the collection. Includes book reviews ; Flip-Flop transcript ; annotated Stern/Grace Clements typescript - "prospectus based on outline..." ; Philosophy of Multimedia 1971 ; Media, Information, And Then? 1974 ; McLelland/Litwin/Stern, Some Intermedia Studies in Education, etc.
 

Series 7. Public relations

Scope and Contents

In the late 50s and early 60s, Stern became a publicity agent ("personal management and public relations" according to a bio), mostly representing restaurants but also a winery, a fashion designer, a real estate developer, and an author/millionaire. His PR career intersected with his writing for Playboy and other magazines, where he was able to plug clients in his reportage. Stern's association with Herb Caen also came in handy when it came to getting publicity. Stern was introduced to the scene in San Francisco by Frank DiMarco, who worked for Enrico Banducci. DiMarco recommended Stern for Alexis' Tangier. Related material can be found in other series.
box 13, folder 1

Bios/CVs/resumes/draft contracts circa 1957

Scope and Contents

Stern's first writing job was for the New Palz Independent 9/49-12/50. One bio lists as reference Richard Emerson, Western advertising manager for Shell Oil. He describes his PR work as largely creating "publicity releases, promotional material, magazine writing (some ghost writing) and radio & television script material."
box 13, folder 2

Miscellaneous PR correspondence 1955-1960

Scope and Contents

Includes 8/22/55 to Keith Rockwell re: Purple Onion, Maya Angelou ; Jake Ehrlich ; Piro's ; Ty Jurras re: Mary ; Louis Gomberg re: wineries ; Ronald M. Deutsch and Pat (writers for Redbook etc.) ; Paul Brooks, Houghton-Mifflin ; Jim Concannon and Concannon Vineyard ; M. Galashvily ; Dr. Wendell G. Hendricks ; scrap of paper mentioning Rudy Render, Fallen Angel.
box 13, folder 3

Alexis' Tangier, Alexis Merab 1958-1960, 1964

Scope and Contents

Includes 3/58 contract ; KCBS transcript 4/32/58 ; Margaret Rice Cooper & Jane Montand, Gourmet magazine re: kulebiaka recipe ; 4/59 Playboy article ; "News From NBC" 8/14/59 transcript (damaged) ; 1960 Stern to Alexis, mentions Frank, Granat Brothers, investments ; Alexis Merabishvilli (his full name) bio drafts ; kulebiaka notes and typed recipes, undated press releases, draft of copy for Korla Pandit record cover ; postcard & brochure ; advertisements & newspaper clippings, including writing by Herb Caen, Paul Speegle, Dick Nolan and Harry Craft.
Michael Callahan installed and maintained a discotheque at Alexis' in the early-mid-1960s and there are some some references in USCO and in PR clippings.
box 13, folder 4

Columbus Tower 1960

Scope and Contents

Columbus Tower is a building in San Francisco (San Francisco Designated Landmark No. 33) on Columbus Avenue at Kearny, formerly known as the Sentinel Building. Stern wrote copy for owner Robert Moor, who had bought the building in 1957 and then began an extensive renovation under Henrik Bull. While he appeared to want tenants at first, he ended up selling the building to the Kingston Trio. File contains a history of the building by Stern, dtaft press release, bio notes, promotional flier, photographs, & magazine clippings.
box 5, folder 5

Paul Hultberg P.R. drafts circa 1962-1963

Scope and Contents

Paul and Ethel Hultberg are artists; Gerd helped Paul with drafting a letter to galleries and other promotion. With two letters to them dated 1962.
box 13, folder 5

Jesse Lasky, Jr. 1961

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence, press releases, photographs, clippings.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Lasky, Jesse L., Jr., 1910-1988
box 13, folder 6

Mayacamas Vineyard 1954-1965

Scope and Contents

Leon Adams, who was the head of the California Wine Institute, went fishing with Stern and S.I. Hayakawa, and later introduced him to Mary and Jack Taylor of Mayacamas Vineyards, located in the Mayacamas Mountains within the Napa Valley AVA bordering Sonoma Valley. They remained friendly after Stern got out of the PR business.
Includes promotional material ; bulletins (no.2 August 1953 - no.51 May 1961) ; stock subscription information and prospectus ; bios, financial & other notes ; correspondence 1958-1965, press releases, shareholder report 1958-59 ; clippings.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Mayacamas Vineyards
box 13, folder 7

Chuck Meyer-Biff Jones 1956-1958

Scope and Contents

Los Angeles songwriting team best known for "Suddenly There's A Valley." They were formerly under contract to Hill & Range and later known as Capesana Music. Includes 12/11/56 to Carl Haverlin, BMI also re: Partch ; 12/11/56 to Charles Wolcott, MGM ; 1/7/57 Robert B. Sour, Assistant VP of BMI to Stern ; 11/7/57 mentions Fantasy Records list of distributors for record on "Biff" label ; 12/57 mentions Rudy Render LP ; 8/21/58 on Valentine Records letterhead.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Jones, Biff, 1930-
Meyer, Chuck
BMI (Firm)
box 13, folder 8

Sabella's of Marin 1960-1963

Scope and Contents

Angelo "Lou" Sabella, of the famed Sabella family of Fisherman's Wharf, owned a spin-off Sabella's at 633 Great Highway in Mill Valley. Includes correspondence, Pageant July 1963 article, with photographs by Eugene Anthony, including one of Stern.
box 13, folder 9

Charles Stark 1956-1957

Scope and Contents

Artist represented briefly by Stern whose work was at Grete Williams Gallery in San Francisco.
box 13, folder 10

Tamara 1959-1960

Scope and Contents

Tamara Yohanan was fashion designer who specialized in above-the-knee wedding dresses. Stern described himself as "business manager." Includes correspondence, promotional material, lists, press releases, some (very damaged) photographs, and clippings.
box 4, folder 2

Tamara clippings

box 13, folder 11

Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr. 1957-1960

Scope and Contents

Signed his letters "Neil." Includes correspondence, clippings, "Vagabonding with Vanderbilt" newsletter, some mentioning Stern.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Vanderbilt, Cornelius, 1898-1974
box 13, folder 12

Receipts - expenses, etc. circa 1956-1961

box 4, folder 1

Miscellaneous PR clippings

 

Series 8. Journalism

Scope and Contents

A natural outgrowth of Stern's public relations ventures, Stern's journalistic writing included uncredited articles for Holiday, Coronet, Life, and possibly other magazines. Material on Stern's Playboy (and related Show Business International) writing is in a separate series.
box 14, folder 1

Jane Kronholtz 1959-1963, 1965, 1974

Scope and Contents

Stern's literary agent.
box 14, folder 2

Gunther Stuhlman 1962-1963

Scope and Contents

Hinshaw & Stulmann, literary agents.
box 14, folder 3

Miscellaneous short works - typescript drafts 1958-1959

Scope and Contents

Includes lentil potage recipe ; "The Spliced Playmate" 8/58 Stern/[Howie] Becker ; "Just Barge Right In: Party Thoughts of a Confirmed Bargee" 9/7/58 (see also barge files) ; "Article Topic Suggestion: The Gentleman Vintner" 1959 ; Ted Streshinsky bio ; Tod Berlant press release (last two are PR)
box 14, folder 4

Cavalier magazine/travel/Florida 1962

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence 2-3/62 (some with editor Frederic A. Birmingham) ; article drafts as sent to Jane Kronholtz including "Water Water Everywhere" & "Tampa No, Cuba Si?"
box 14, folder 5

"A Good Cigar Is a Smoke" article 1961

Scope and Contents

Includes draft of article "A Good Cigar Is a Smoke" ; correspondence March 1961 ; clippings ; 3 photographs of cigar factory by Tampa News Bureau ; photocopy of uncredited Playboy Vol.12 no.10 October 1965 article on cigars titled "The Cherished Cheroot" probably based on Stern's original article.
 

Series 9. Playboy magazine

Scope and Contents

Playboy magazine had approached Herb Caen initially with the idea of a column, but Caen was not interested in writing without a byline and recommended Stern to his friend A.C. "Spec" Spectorsky, the associate publisher responsible for the magazine's literary merits until his death in the early 1970s.
Playboy was then more of a men's lifestyle magazine, and Stern wrote several travel and leisure articles as a continuing feature called "On The Town." Naturally, he covered San Francisco first (drawing on his many PR contacts), followed by pieces on New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Acapulco. He also wrote a little for the short-lived affiliate Show Business Iillustrated.
The majority of correspondence here is between Stern and Spectorsky. Other letters involve Hugh Hefner, associate editor Jack Kessie, photo editor Vincent T. Tajiri, personnel director (and Spec's wife) Theo, artist LeRoy Neiman (one letter from 1958), SBI senior editors Marvin Barnett & Don Gold, SBI associate editor Sheldon Wax, as well as a few between Spec and Caen. There are also a few internal memos. While all correspondence has been sorted in chronological files, material on the articles has been arranged alphabetically.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Playboy (Chicago, Ill.)
Spectorsky, A. C. (Auguste C)
box 14, folder 6

Miscellaneous

Scope and Contents

Includes clippings, draft bio of Spectorsky, Playboy letterhead and envelope.
box 14, folder 7

Correspondence undated, 1957-1958

Scope and Contents

Includes 12/31/57 proposal for On The Town article on San Francisco ; 2/27/58 Hefner response ; 8/58 proposes Monterey Jazz Festival ; 10/58 New Orleans assignment
box 14, folder 8

Correspondence 1959

box 14, folder 9

Correspondence 1960

box 14, folder 10

Correspondence 1961-1971

box 14, folder 11

Acapulco article 1960

Scope and Contents

Includes clipping ; correspondence ; typescript draft ; Playboy vol.7 no.11 1960 issue.
box 14, folder 12

Enrico Banducci article (SBI) 1961

Scope and Contents

typescript draft
box 14, folder 13

Las Vegas article 1960

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence ; typescript draft ; notes.
box 14, folder 14

Articles: The Library, Monterey & The Big Sur Coast

Scope and Contents

The Library: includes review/hype piece of bar at 951 Clement St., San Francisco with typescript draft ; notes ; promotional brochure -- Monterey & The Big Sur Coast: includes typescript draft and correspondence including to Bill Fassett, Nepenth
box 14, folder 15

New Orleans article 1960

Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence, including note from Truman Capote re: nightlife ; typescript draft ; notes.
box 14, folder 16

San Francisco article 1958

Scope and Contents

Includes typescript draft ; Playboy vol.5 no.6 June 1958 clipping.
box 14, folder 17

Joe Williams article 1961

Scope and Contents

Profiles appearance by jazz singer in March 1961 "Acts and Entertainment" column with two typescript drafts & clipping.
 

Series 10. Music

Scope and Contents

See also Meyer & Jones in PR files, KPFA under Lew Hill in Correspondence by Name series. There is also music-related material in USCO and Intermedia, especially the latter. Two San Francisco psychedelic rock music handbills were used as letters, both in USCO.
box 12, folder 1

Correspondence, etc. - jazz 1954-1982

Scope and Contents

Mostly outgoing drafts, some signed "Loughborough - Wheat - Stern" but written by Stern. The majority are about encouraging several jazz musicians to form a "supergroup," as well as Harry Partch, KPFA, & Boobam Drums. Includes GS to Chet Baker 1955 (two drafts, see also Baker to Loughborough in Boobams file as well as some references in Vardas correspondence) ; to Richard Bock, Pacific Jazz ; to Bob Brookmeyer ; LaNoue Davenport ; to Gil [Evans] re: Playboy's segregated nightclubs (which was why Evans refused an interview) ; to Stan Getz ; "In These Fruits" music manuscript by Elliot Gibbons & John Kusiak ; to Pat [Henry], KJAZ ; Stan Kenton ; Lester Koenig, Contemporary Records ; Howard Lucroft, Jazz International ; to Shelly Manne ; Dick Rising, Capitol Records ; Bob Stendahl.
box 12, folder 2

Correspondence, etc. - electronic & new music 1961-1986

Scope and Contents

Includes Carol Bergé typescript draft, "A Review of Some 'Modern' Music" ; to John Cage ; from Reynold Weidenaar, Independent Electronic Music Center, Trumansburg, NY ; Otto Leuning ; San Francisco Tape Music Center typescript operating manual by Pauline Oliveros ; Ramón Sender ; LaMonte Young/Tony Conrad/John Cale/Marian Zazeela performance handbill & MELA Foundation thank you letter.
box 12, folder 3

BooBam Bamboo Drum Company 1954-1956

Scope and Contents

Short-lived company producing and marketing tuned bamboo drums formed by musician/composer/builders William "Ol' Bill" Loughborough and David "Buck" Wheat, with Stern as "partner, sales & promotion manager" (according to a later bio). Jack Simpson was also involved. Bill, David and Gerd were roommates in Sausalito at the time, and the barge became their workshop. Bill had designed and built Harry Partch's Marimba Eroica, and along the same lines these drums were tuned with an oscillator borrowed from Mare Island Navy Yard. Investors included the Onslow Fords, Blanche Sherwood, and Peggy Tolk-Watkins. Despite material shortages (Wheat originally imported bamboo on his way back from cruise ship gigs but was unable to keep up), the drums managed to catch the interest of several jazz musicians. Stan Kenton came to see instruments and Shelley Manne bought a set after having borrowed Chet Baker's for a recording with Russ Freeman. Baker also performed with them on the Today show in 1956. Woody Herman, Gerry Mulligan & Cal Tjader apparently owned some as well (see Jazz Correspondence file). Around late 1955 they had a falling out, and according to an undated clipping, Gerd sued for $20,000. The company re-structured with new partner William Buck as Musical Engineering Associates, producing (according to a brochure) a line of "Tunedwood Drums." After selling to Henry "Sandy" Jacobs in 1959, M.E.A. started making records for Alan Watts, S.I. Hayakawa, and others.
File contains mostly correspondence (with many mentions of Chet Baker, Harry Partch, Stan Kenton, KPFA, & Marguerite/Maya Angelou), as well as a draft press release, notes, clippings, photograph of display, and promotional material, some with photos by Fred Lyon. Due to the short life of the venture, undated letters are probably all from 1954 or 1955. Includes undated letter from Chet Baker to "Old Bill and family" ; undated letter signed "Skuhlawnk" [Bill, with typed part prob. by Pam Loughborough] mentions Lou Harrison ; another undated letter from Bill suggests that Partch may write some material for a Stan Kenton Presents... LP with Chet Baker in mind for the trumpet part ; undated 6/15 Stern to Buckwheat mentions Allyn Ferguson ; letters to Roy Harte of Drum City and other music stores & distributors ; American Import Company re: bamboo ; Carl Haverlin/BMI (see also Meyer & Jones songwriters file). 8/25/55 Stern to Oliver Daniel ; 10/13/1955 copy of letter from Loughborough to Stern's lawyer James B. Fletcher ; 5/7/56 to Bill [Buck?] ; 12/28/56 Stern to Fletcher.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Loughborough, Bill, 1926-2010
Wheat, David, 1922-1985
box 69, folder 3

Marin Independent Journal article on BooBams August 15, 1955

Scope and Contents

With photos, including one of Anna Halprin dancing to drum. Note person identified as Buckwheat is actually Jak Simpson.
box 4, folder 6

Clippings (oversize material)

Scope and Contents

Includes material on Harry Partch, San Francisco Tape Music Center, Ramon Sender, La Monte Young, and complete copy of Bach Rock v.1 n.1 (Columbia Records promotional newspaper)
 

Series 11. Harry Partch

Scope and Contents

Stern first met Harry Partch at a party at Gordon and Jacqueline Onslow Ford's in 1953. Not long after, he became manager of the Harry Partch Trust Fund, which was "set up to produce performances and recordings of Mr. Partch's musical compositions" until Partch left for Illinois in 1956. According to a late 50s bio, Stern managed subscriptions, accounting, and promotion, supervised six months of Oedipus rehearsal with a cast of thirty, and arranged recording, production, promotion and sale of records on the Gate 5 label. He also is listed as "Messenger - Gerd Stern" on at least one Oedipus program and recording. While there are no recordings or scores persent in these files, there is a significant amount of correspondence which continues through 1970. see also Boobams, barge, etc.

Related Materials

University of Illinois Archives holds the Harry Partch Estate Archive, 1918-1991: https://archives.library.illinois.edu/archon/?p=collections/controlcard&id=10747 The collection includes correspondence from and to Stern.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Partch, Harry, 1901-1974
box 12, folder 4

Correspondence 1953-1999

Scope and Contents

Correspondence between Partch, Stern, and others including Danlee Mitchell, Allan Louw, Vincenzo Prockelo, Madeline Tourtelot, and Betty Freeman. There are mentions of the Onslow Fords, Oliver Daniel, Adaline Kent (who did the sets for Partch's Sausalito Regatta performance), Dick Emerson, Alwin Nikolais, and Jonathan Williams.
Includes: 6/23/53 to Partch "Since we met I have been attempting to write you" ; 12/4/53 from Wallace Hamilton, KPFA re: Partch concert ; undated and 2/4/54 to Ross [Russell?] re: recordings ; 3/8/54 Partch to Loughborough re: wood from Big Sur ; 10/8/54 from Glenn Dolberg, BMI re: Fred Lyon, photography ; 10/14/54 to Oliver Daniel, CBS ; Corning Glass Works re: carboy donation ; Lauriston C. Marshall, Link-Belt Company re: Instrusions recordings (Marshall worked with Partch on two Guggenheim grants researching instrement building and recording); one 8/2/66 Partch postcard to "Dion Wright & The Sterns" ; 3/13/70 last letter from Partch ; 7/29/99 Dean Drummond, Newband to Stern.
Also filed here are four pages of notes titled "Final Master (Copy) Sequences." These notes were found in a folder among miscellaneous USCO notes but were later determined to be Partch material due the fact that the notes were on the blank sides of Pioneer Hatchery stationery. Partch lived at the old hatchery in Petaluma, California beginning in October 1962.
box 12, folder 5

Harry Partch Trust Fund 1953-1954

Scope and Contents

Typescript drafts of prospectus for Oedipus Trust Fund 12/21/53 and related promotional material.
box 12, folder 6

Photographs

Scope and Contents

Approximately twelve prints of Partch, Gate 5 Ensemble and other musicians, and instruments. One photo of Partch has "Elizabeth Foster" written on the back (she was a soprano who performed on Oedipus), another is a promotional photo of Partch and kithara used by KPFa to promote a Berkeley concernt, and another image of cloud chamber bowls has a note from Gerd's friends Andre and Gogo on the back.
box 12, folder 7

Printed material

Scope and Contents

Gate 5 Records liner notes ; BMI pamphlet inscribed to Gerd & Ann ; 1991 CRI catalog
box 12, folder 8

Programs (some annotated) 1952-1962, 1986

Scope and Contents

Includes King Oedipus at Mills College 1952 ; Sausalito Regatta Children & Arts Fair Program with Oedipus performances ; University of Illinois Festival of Contemporary Arts: The Bewitched 1957 and Revelation in the Courthouse Park 1961 ; Water! Water! at University of Illinois 1962 ; King Oedipus, American Festival of Microtonal Music 1987.
box 12, folder 9

Press

Scope and Contents

Includes Oliver Daniel article on Music at Home Jan.-Feb.1955 (reproduced as of 12/2017 at http://preparedguitar.blogspot.com/2014/11/harry-partch-by-oliver-daniel-1955.html) ; J. David Bowen article for HiFi/Stereo February 1961 ; Dion Wright's Irregular Quarterly Vol.3 No.3, with Partch theme, 1987 ; various clippings.
box 12, folder 10

Tom McGeary/University of Illinois 1983-2004

 

Series 12. Teaching/academic appointments

box 75, folder 1

Harvard University - Associate in Education 1969-1970

box 75, folder 2

University of California, Santa Cruz - History of Consciousness program 1971-1972

box 75, folder 3

University of California, Santa Cruz - Videince 1971

box 75, folder 4

University of California, Santa Cruz - coursepacks

 

Series 13. Other activities and projects

 

13.1 America the Beautiful

Scope and Contents

Stern was an active member and served on its board for several years. Includes various copies of their "Better Times" newsletter from 1975 to 1987.
box 23, folder 11

America the Beautiful, undated & "Better Times" 1975-1987

box 23, folder 12

America the Beautiful 1974-1978

box 23, folder 13

America the Beautiful 1979-1995

 

13.2 Reality Club

Scope and Contents

Stern was an early member of this speaker roundtable founded by John Brockman. He also presented "Poemthink" there.
box 73, folder 2

info & introductory packets

box 73, folder 3

Reality Club 1981-1991

box 73, folder 4

speaker announcements

box 73, folder 5

Reality Club undated

box 73, folder 6

Edge Foundation newsletters 1-5

Scope and Contents

Note some issues contain evidence of mold or water damage.
 

Series 14. Personal

box 75, folder 5

Biographical

Scope and Contents

Includes copy of astrology reading 1928, "my accomplishments" circa 1950s, later remembrances, formal bios, etc.
box 75, folder 6

Interviews

Scope and Contents

More interviews elsewere, especially in USCO. Includes Douglas Davis interview annotated transcript 1971, correspondence re: Berkeley oral histry, etc.
box 75, folder 7

Ephemera

Scope and Contents

business cards, letterhead, awards & certificates
box 75, folder 8

Personal

Scope and Contents

Most items from folder originally labeled "Personal." Includes juvenile writing ; United States Lines SS Washington from Hamburg to New York passenger list, March 25-27, 1936 ; WWII ration books ; bar mitzvah announcement 10/25/41 ; certificate of Selective Service ("not acceptable") 5/29/51 ; photocopies of citizenship certificate 1953.
box 75, folder 9

Early education 1942-1944

Scope and Contents

Includes: graduation certificate and program 1942 ; material related to science project with Leon Hirsch, Bronx High School of Science Biology class- "Cell types in Tissue Culture of Fish," winner of best exhibit in 2nd Greater New York School Contest of the NYC Cancer Committee, with New York Herald Tribune article 4/30/44.
box 75, folder 10

Black Mountain College 1948

Scope and Contents

Bulletin v.6 n.3, 1948-1949 ; Stern to Martin Duberman.
box 76, folder 1

Barge 1954-1976

Scope and Contents

The Holland was a large (30' by 100') former Navy laundry barge in Sausalito that Stern owned and lived on in the 1950s. A berth had been given to Stern by Gordon-Onslow-Ford around 1955, and not much later Blanche Sherwood serendipitously gave him a barge. The boat was host to several parties, including one reportedly photographed by William Claxton for Life, and was also the headquarters for Poems in Folio and briefly the Boobam Bamboo Drum Company. After Stern moved east around 1960, he rented the barge to Stewart Brand after he got out of the Army, and spent the next several years trying to find a buyer. Folk singer Barbara Dane at one point pursued the idea of turning the barge into a nightclub like the Blind Lemon, the club she co-owned in Berkeley, and Harry Partch had also considered renting the boat. However, Stern ultimately rented it to a woman named Brite Bonnier. The Stanford Daily of July 28th 1967 notes that "Eugene lonesco's The Lesson will be presented on the Holland Barge at Waldo Point, Sausalito." It's current fate is unknown, but its more than likely destroyed. See also Brand, Partch, personal, newspaper clippings and other files.
box 76, folder 2

Marijuana conviction & therapy 1959-1963

box 76, folder 3

Nervous breakdown early 1960s

box 76, folder 4

Medical circa 1969-1986

box 76, folder 5

Photographs

Scope and Contents

Includes the following: Gerd with father & brother, late 1970s ; child with tanpura in front of mandala painting, labeled "Judi Stern 21 Church St." on back ; Stern & Zalman Schachter (probably) ; contact sheet & negatives of unknown house & yard ; Schweber Electronics ad with Stern in bathtub (letter on back probably from Barbara Durkee) ; photocopy of Stern in window in collage.
box 76, folder 6

Miscellaneous personal/love letters

Scope and Contents

Many are unsigned, but some are from Delores Shirley, Donny, Arlene & Alice. Possibly not all to Stern.
box 76, folder 7

Maya Angelou

Scope and Contents

Stern dated Angelou (who went by Marguerite Angelos at the time) in 1955 between his marriages to Jane Hill and Ann London. Maya was a nightclub performer at the time, and Gerd's friend Jack Simpson introduced them. Also includes a few later clippings.
box 76, folder 8

Barbara McCallum

Scope and Contents

Stern lived with McCallum in Rockland County, New York after having met her at a party in California. Letters are signed variously "Barbara" "BJM" and "Deo." Most are undated, but are from approximately 1961-1963. Includes sketches & drawings (some portraits), and a photo of four unidentified women.
box 76, folder 9

Family - unknown/misc.

box 76, folder 10

Parents

box 76, folder 11

Irma Brand (aunt)

box 76, folder 12

Elinor Pillsbury (aunt) 1951-1953

box 76, folder 13

Jane Hill 1952-1969

Scope and Contents

Jane Hamner Hill Stern Buck was Gerd's first wife, whom he married in 1952. Many letters and notes are undated. Some are from Jane to Pam (Bill Loughborough's girlfriend?), Radha, and Judi.
box 77, folder 1

Ann London 1956-1965

Scope and Contents

Gerd married Ann London in October 1956. Includes love notes in daily planner, draft of Ann to her father, also Stern to Ann's sister Mimi, Mr. & Mrs. London, his father Otto, etc. Many loose notes, some clippings. See also Poems in Folio files.
box 77, folder 2

Judi Wilson 1964-1999

Scope and Contents

Judith Ann Wilson Stern. See also USCO.
box 77, folder 3

Sally Shaw circa 1974-1992

Scope and Contents

Gerd married Sara Judith "Sally" Shaw Stern in 1974.
box 77, folder 4

Jared 1964-1988

box 77, folder 5

Radha 1964-2006

box 77, folder 6

Adam 1965-1967

box 77, folder 7

Zalman 1967-1987

box 77, folder 8

Abram 1976-1993

Box 153

Family slides

 

Series 15. Jewish

box 77, folder 9-10

Rabbi Zalman Schachter

Scope and Contents

Correspondence, notes, writing, etc.
box 78, folder 1

Menorah/New Menorah newsletters circa 1980-1985

Scope and Contents

Center for Jewish Renewal, Philadelphia
box 78, folder 2-6

B'Nai Or Religious Fellowship circa 1985-1987

box 78, folder 7

Miscellaneous correspondence

box 78, folder 8

Mark Lippman

box 78, folder 9

"Notes & script, Kabbalah, Sefer Yetzirah etc."

box 79, folder 1-4

Publications

box 80, folder 1-2

publications

 

Series 16. Cheese

Scope and Contents

After Intermedia began to wind down, Stern worked for his his family's cheese importing business.
box 80, folder 3

Miscellaneous re: Gerd

box 80, folder 4

Miscellaneous

box 80, folder 5

Correspondence

box 80, folder 6

Photographs

box 80, folder 7

Accounting

box 81, folder 1

Compagnie Francois Culinaire

box 81, folder 2

World Import Distributors, Inc.

box 81, folder 3

Dennis Raybuck/Custom Products

box 81, folder 4

Silver Goat

box 81, folder 5

Bulgarian Goat Feta

box 81, folder 6

Cypress

box 81, folder 7

Israel Cow Cheese

box 81, folder 8

Stater, Ltd./Greece

box 81, folder 9

FDA

box 81, folder 10

Legal

box 82, folder 1-2

Legal

Box 156

Cheese slides

 

Series 17. Magazines and newspapers

Scope and Contents

Contains both full issues and clipped articles, some of which are photocopies. Nearly every item references Stern, USCO, or Intermedia. There is a small number of clippings and periodicals in other series as well.
box 1, folder 1

Magazines and newspapers undated, 1944, 1957-1961

box 1, folder 2

Magazines and newspapers 1963

box 1, folder 3

Magazines and newspapers 1964

box 1, folder 4

Magazines and newspapers 1965

box 1, folder 5

Magazines and newspapers 1966

box 2, folder 1

Magazines and newspapers 1967

box 2, folder 2

Magazines and newspapers 1968

box 2, folder 3

Magazines and newspapers 1969

box 2, folder 4

Magazines and newspapers 1970

box 2, folder 5

Magazines and newspapers 1971

box 2, folder 6

Magazines and newspapers 1972

box 3, folder 1

Magazines and newspapers 1973-1974

box 3, folder 2

Magazines and newspapers 1975

box 3, folder 3

Intermedia - Venezuela 1975

box 3, folder 4

Magazines and newspapers 1976

box 3, folder 5

Magazines and newspapers 1977-2003

 

Series 18. Posters & publicity

box 74, folder 8

Stern-related fliers, press releases, publicity

Scope and Contents

Contains a wide range of material from the late 50s to the 2000s, with an emphasis on poetry readings but also including USCO, Intermedia and related events. Includes the following: Nuts And Bolts at Allan Stone Gallery 1962 ; Festival of Contemporary Arts, University of British Columbia 1964 (posters elsewhere) ; Currents - Electronic Media Conference, Queen's College 1973 (Ken Burke & Linda Levin, coordinators) ; No Ow Now at Experimental Intermedia ; Destruction at Bella Union 1963 (smaller version of flier filed elsewhere, possibly later copy) ; San Francisco Poetry Center 1957 ; December Show, New Mission Gallery (group show including Pat Tavenner) ; San Francisco Art Institute "Some New Art in the Bay Area" 1963 ; Harlem's Condemned Six Benefit, Town Hall, New York (Stern credited with "slide projections") ; reading at The Anarch, Pacifica ; Teleportraits, MOMA Projects: Video XI 1977 ; Poem Think, Reality Club 1982 ; 65th Birthday Party ; Vorpal Gallery 2002.
box 4, folder 10

Collages

Scope and Contents

Some or all by Stern.
map-folder 71

Posters, etc. (non-art)

Scope and Contents

Various posters not related to art or publicity. Includes plates from old publications, material referring to politics, LSD, the environment, information theory, etc.
map-folder 72

Posters, etc. (art publicity)

Scope and Contents

Posters, fliers and hadbills for dance/film/video & media art/music/etc., with galleries including David Stuart, Dwan, and others. Includes the following:
Ed/Ted Carpenter at LACMA handbill (inscribed with short note) ; Niblock, etc. at Experimental Intermedia ; David Weinrib at Howard Wise (damaged) ; Terry Riley at Courtyard Studio, Philadelphia College of Art November 1967 ; Ono/Lennon at Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse (newspaper format) ; Rotmil/Taylor/Lenore/Katz "Four Photographers" at Image Gallery, San Francisco 1960 ; L.A. Filmakers Festival, Cinema Theatre .
box 84, folder 1

Miscellaneous event publicity

Scope and Contents

Handbills, fliers, etc. Includes Peter Max handbill for Human Be-In in New York ; Hippie Community Meeting at St. Marks "minutes" published by Communications Co., NY ; American Arts Project announcement ; Bici Hendricks Black Thumb Summer Institute of Human Relations 1966 ; tickets for 1968 & 1969 Village Voice "Obies," etc.
box 4, folder 11

Gate Hill Coop potluck posters

 

Series 19. Other publications, clippings, etc.

Scope and Contents

Includes articles, magazines, reports, photocopies, brochures, etc.
box 82, folder 3

Art

box 84, folder 2

Art & drawings, unsigned

box 4, folder 7

Beats, Sausalito, Haight, Summer of Love, etc. clippings circa 1980s-1990s

box 15, folder 1

Cigars

box 15, folder 2

Computers

box 15, folder 3

Drugs

box 15, folder 4

Education

box 12, folder 11

Film/video/television

box 15, folder 5

Humor

box 15, folder 6

Management/behavioral science

box 15, folder 7

Multimedia & exhibit design

box 15, folder 9

Huey Newton clippings

box 15, folder 10

Miscellaneous printed items

box 82, folder 4

Poetry ephemera

Scope and Contents

Includes program for Allen Ginsberg memorial program in San Francisco, 1997.
box 83, folder 1

Poetry - catalogs, announcements, etc. 1980s-1990s

box 83, folder 2-3

Poetry magazines

box 15, folder 8

Science & environment

box 4, folder 9

Printed items, drawn horoscope, collage of press clippings, etc. (oversize material)

 

Series 20. Writing by others

box 11, folder 13

Draft of beginning of untitled novel by George Denby[?] 1953

Scope and Contents

Identified by attached note by Stern, author had left it at Stern's house with the idea of collaborating.
box 76, folder 14

Copen Hyl - The Gift/ Jane Hill Stern Buck 1951-1953

box 84, folder 3

Jonathan Altman "It Has Nowhere To Come From" typescript

box 84, folder 4

Serge Bouterline typescript

box 84, folder 5

Danny Reynolds partial novel draft, Negril, Jamaica

box 84, folder 6

Ken [Wapner?] - Fishing With My Father

box 84, folder 7

Ann Wilson - two typescripts

box 84, folder 8

Miscellaneous writing

 

Series 21. Film (CLOSED)

Scope and Contents

There are about 19 films (mostly 16mm) in the collection. They include ISC Armco projects, an edited version of "Y", Charlie Chaplin features, part of a Phill Niblock work, and other reels. Films are closed until processed.
 

Series 22. Audio reels (CLOSED)

Conditions Governing Access

There are hundreds of open reel audio tapes in the collection. The majority date from Intermedia. Tapes are in generally poor condition due to prior water damage and will require extensive cleaning prior to transfer. Many tapes also appear to be working drafts and copies. This series is closed until processed.