Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Ford (Charles Henri) Papers
900194
No online items
View entire collection guide
Search this collection
Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections
Title: Charles Henri Ford papers
Creator:
Tchelitchew, Pavel, 1898-1957
Creator:
Dreva, Jerry
Creator:
Ford, Ruth
Creator:
Fini, Leonor, 1908-1996
Creator:
Cohen, Ira
Creator:
Cunard, Nancy, 1896-1965
Creator:
Chick, John
Creator:
Cleveland, Buster, 1943-1998
Creator:
Bowles, Paul, 1910-1999
Creator:
Burk, Ronnie
Creator:
Johnson, Ray, 1927-1995
Creator:
Kostakis, Peter
Creator:
Grillo, Paul, 1943-
Creator:
Joans, Ted
Creator:
Friar, Kimon
Creator:
Ford, Charles Henri
Creator:
Tyler, Parker
Creator:
Oisteanu, Valery
Creator:
Malanga, Gerard
Creator:
Tillman, Lynne
Creator:
Borrero, Angel
Identifier/Call Number: 900194
Physical Description:
40 Linear Feet
(79 boxes, 6 flat file folders )
Date (inclusive): 1906-1989 (bulk 1939-1989)
Date (bulk): 1939-1989
Abstract: American poet, playwright, painter, and publisher. The Charles Henri Ford archive contains correspondence, manuscripts, ephemera,
art works, and newspaper clippings relating to himself, his companion, Pavel Tchelitchew, and a large circle of friends, artists,
and literary figures.
Physical Location: Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the
catalog record for this collection. Click here for the
access policy .
Language of Material:
English
.
Scope and Content of Collection
Papers contain correspondence (1920-1989), Ford's journals (1938-1986), literary drafts, papers relating to the publication
of
Blues 10 (1929-1930), works of art by Ford and others (1934-1988), clippings and announcements (1940-1989), and personal documents.
The correspondence details the business and personal activities of Ford and his circle of friends. Correspondents include
Angel Borrero, Paul Bowles, Ronnie Burk, Ira Cohen, Nancy Cunard, Leonor Fini, Kimon Friar, Peter Kostakis, Ted Joans, Gerard
Malanga, Lynne Tillman, and Parker Tyler. Letters from his sister Ruth Ford provide a detailed picture of her social life
in New York. Also included are pieces of mail art from Ronnie Burk, John Chick, Buster Cleveland, Ira Cohen, Jerry Dreva,
Paul Grillo, Ted Joans, Ray Johnson, and Valery Oisteanu. Diverse works of art by Ford and others also are part of the papers.
Ford's journals served as diaries and include drafts of his literary works: poems and haiku appear in fragments throughout
the journals. Also included are his agendas and datebooks, and Pavel Tchelitchew's datebooks from 1938-1948.
Drafts of Fords novels, plays, and poetry exists in various stages of revision. Manuscripts by others were sent to Ford, perhaps
for publication in
Blues or
View. Several folders relate to the publication of
Blues 10, the tenth issue of his literary magazine, 1929-1930.
Several folders, intended for Ford's scrapbook, contain ephemera that document his publications, gallery openings, poetry
readings, dinners, teas and other social events that he attended or that where given in his honor. Newspaper clippings, many
sent to him by his sister Ruth Ford, document social activities, theater, exhibitions, opera, dance, literature, and gay rights.
Announcements and invitations provide a picture of the artistic events that were an important part of Ford's life: exhibitions,
readings, auctions, announcements for publications, theatrical events.
The collection also includes miscellaneous papers, such as receipts (royalty reports, gallery receipts, invoices) and some
personal documents. Five boxes hold publications and unprocessed materials.
Arranged in 11 series:
Series I. Correspondence, 1906-1989;
Series II. Notebooks and datebooks, 1938-1986;
Series III. Ford's manuscripts, 1933-1986;
Series IV. Works by others, ca. 1980s;
Series V. Blues 10, 1978-1989;
Series VI. Works of art, 1934-1988, undated;
Series VII. Personal and business documents, 1936-1986;
Series VIII. Dossier scrapbook, undated;
Series IX. Newspaper clippings, 1952-1989;
Series X. Program announcements, 1940-1989, undated;
Series XI. Receipts, ca. 1920-1989.
Charles Henri Ford, the American poet, playwright, publisher and painter, was born Feb. 10, 1910, in Hazelhurst, Mississippi
and died in 2002. Ford's early and avid interest in poetry prompted him to publish a magazine while he was still a young man
in Mississippi.
Blues: A Magazine of new rhythms attracted submissions from well-known writers such as Gertrude Stein and William Carlos Williams, as well as from new voices,
James Farrell, Erskine Caldwell and Paul Bowles. Through the magazine Ford struck up a literary conversation with Parker Tyler,
whose descriptions of bohemian life in New York's Greenwich Village drew Ford to New York. Ford turned their correspondence
into the collaborative novel,
Young and evil (Obelisk Press, 1933), described by Michael Duncan as "a fragmented record of cruising, drag balls and brittle repartee."
(
Art Forum, p.25) It was when
Young and evil was published that Ford re-stated his birthdate as 1913 to become (in his words) "younger and more evil." (Information from
MaryLynn Broe, Grinnell College in a scholar note dated 27 March 1998 in Getty Research Library files.) Michael Duncan lists
Ford's birthdate as 1908 in his essay on Ford in
Art Forum, 41, no.5, Jan. 2003, p. 25.
In 1933 Ford traveled to Europe for the first time to meet artists and writers. In Paris he met the Russian painter Pavel
Tchelitchew. Pavel, apparently dazzled by Ford, moved with Ford to New York City and thus began the stormy 26-year relationship
that continued until Tchelitchew's death in 1957.
Ford is probably best remembered for editing the influential avant-garde magazine
View (1940-1947). Parker Tyler became the associate editor and they published the avant-garde, of which they were now a part.
Ford lived for extended periods in Nepal and Crete, keeping a home base in the Dakota in New York City. Besides his publishing
projects, Ford wrote poetry and plays, produced photographs, collages, and an experiental film. Shortly before he died he
exhibited his art works at the Scene Gallery in New York City.
In 1927 Ford wrote in his diary, "In two years I will be famous. In two years I will be famous. In two years I will be famous.
In two years I will be famous. In two years I will be famous. In two years I will be famous. This is my oath." His papers
document his intent, and his circle of intimates and acquaintances, the little known and the famous.
Processed by Alan Tomlinson.
Acquired in 1990.
Charles Henri Ford papers, 1906-1989, bulk 1939-1989, Research Library, The Getty Research Institute, Accession no. 900194
http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa900194
Contact
Library Rights and Reproductions .
Open for use by qualified researchers.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Blues ViewDiaries -- 20th century
Clippings -- 20th century
Receipts -- 20th century
Ephemera -- 20th century
Art, Modern -- 20th century
Literature, Modern -- 20th century
Haiku
Gay liberation movement
Mail art
Announcements -- 20th century
Audiocassettes
Theater -- United States
Poetry, Modern -- 20th century
Ford, Ruth
Ford, Charles Henri
Tchelitchew, Pavel, 1898-1957