Title: Dick Higgins papers

Date (inclusive): 1960-1994 (bulk 1972-1993)

Number: 870613

Creator/Collector: Higgins, Dick, 1938-1998

Physical Description: 108.0 linear feet (81 boxes)

Repository:

Abstract: American artist, poet, writer, publisher, composer, and educator. The archive contains papers collected or generated by Higgins, documenting his involvement with Fluxus and happenings, pattern and concrete poetry, new music, and small press publishing from 1972 to 1994, with some letters dated as early as 1960.

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Language: Collection material is in English

Dick Higgins is known for his extensive literary, artistic and theoretical activities. Along with his writings in poetry, theory and scholarship, Higgins published the well-known Something Else Press and was a cooperative member of Unpublished/Printed Editions; co-founded Fluxus and Happenings; wrote performance and graphic notations for theatre, music, and non-plays; and produced and created paintings, sculpture, films and the large graphics series 7.7.73. Higgins received numerous grants and prizes in support of his many endeavors.

Born Richard Carter Higgins in Cambridge, England, March 15, 1938, Higgins studied at Columbia University, New York (where he received a bachelors degree in English, 1960), the Manhattan School of Printing, New York, and the New School of Social Research, 1958-59, with John Cage and Henry Cowell. He attended Cage's composition class, where he met George Brecht, Allan Kaprow, Al Hansen and other future Fluxus artists. In 1958 Hansen and Higgins formed the New York Audio Visual Group, which was one of the groups to develop the concept of Happenings. The following year Higgins in association with Richard Maxfield, another of Cage's students, presented Stacked Deck, one of the earliest multi-media performances. Higgins also helped Kaprow put together his first New York happening 18 Happenings in 6 Parts that same year. Moreover, he also participated in the series of performances at George Maciunas' AG Gallery in 1961.

Higgins married artist Alison Knowles in 1960. They traveled extensively in Europe from 1962-63 to establish contacts and soak up the artistic atmosphere. They occasionally collaborated on Fluxus performances, but mostly kept their art separate, consulting and advising each other when necessary. Their twin daughters Hannah and Jessica were born in 1964. After their 1970 divorce, Higgins and Knowles maintained friendly relations and shared residences. They later remarried in 1984, mostly for financial reasons and convenience.

In 1961 Higgins co-founded Fluxus with Maciunas and others when that same year Maciunas began his Fluxus press. Maciunas wanted to publish a series of anthologies of very new and avant-garde art based on La Monte Young's An Anthology, which Maciunas had designed and produced. He proposed publishing an anthology of Higgins entire life's work. However, Higgins thought the publication would be too large for commercial publication. They agreed instead to include everything Higgins wrote, composed or invented between April 13, 1962 and April 13, 1963 (Thomas Jefferson's birthday). Since Maciunas was taking too long, Higgins decided to publish the work himself. Thus, Higgins founded Something Else Press in 1964. Its first publication was his Jefferson's Birthday/Postface, two books bound back to back.

A Fluxus work by definition must be cheap and mass-producible. However, Higgins' press published experimental literature in high-quality trade formats with remarkable design features intended for commercial mainstream publication. It was the first publishing house in the United States to devote itself to "artists books." Higgins also published the Something Else Newsletter, 1966-1973 and operated the Something Else Gallery, 1966-69, which in 1966 showed the first exhibit of concrete poetry in the United States.

John Cage's philosophy of integrating art and life influenced Higgins' own artistic and theoretical ideas. Higgins' important concept of "intermedia," stated in 1965, is a direct outgrowth of Cage's ideas. Higgins identified Happenings and contemporary experiments in theatre and the visual arts as arts that "fall between media."

Higgins hired Barbara Moore and Emmett Williams as editors for Something Else Press. Williams replaced Moore when she went on maternity leave in 1966, and remained there until both he and Higgins moved to California in 1970, Higgins to teach at California Institute of the Arts. Williams' subsequent involvement with the press would be based more on their personal relationship. But, their friendship grew increasingly strained until they broke off relations entirely in 1975, over a property dispute. They reconciled a few years later. Jan Herman took over as director of Something Else Press in 1973, when Higgins left to tend to personal and financial problems. The press went bankrupt the following year.

In 1971, Higgins settled in West Glover, Vermont, near Stinehour Press which has been called "the finest letterpress book printer in North America." The presence of Stinehour influenced what and how Higgins published. Higgins founded Unpublished Editions in 1972 as an offshoot of Something Else Press when Herman rejected Amigo for publication. Unpublished Editions was a hybrid between the traditional small press and an artists' cooperative. Its members included Higgins, Knowles, Cage, Philip Corner, Geoffrey Hendricks, Jackson Mac Low, Pauline Oliveros, and later, Jerome Rothenberg. It was renamed Printed Editions in 1978 and discontinued in 1985.

In 1974 Higgins had a nervous breakdown. He recuperated at Silver Hill Sanitarium for several months. The breakdown was caused by a combination of many factors: financial difficulties due to the renovation of his Vermont home, and personal problems, including a long bout with alcoholism and an increasingly problematic relationship with Eugene Williams, Emmett's son. The breakdown was precipitated by severe loneliness during his DAAD grant stay in Berlin. His lodgings were in an old castle on the outskirts of town, away from his friends and most other DAAD recipients. He became painfully lonely, had little money and drank heavily. He was forced to leave the program early, but later returned in 1981.

Higgins has had long-term relationships with both Eugene Williams in the early to mid 1970s and Bryan McHugh from the mid 1980s to the 1990s. Higgins' homosexuality is most notably illustrated in his books Amigo, For Eugene in Germany and Of Celebration of Morning and his many poetry contributions for gay magazines. His writings about homosexuality virtually ceased in the early 1980s after the commercial failure of Of Celebration of Morning and his remarriage to Knowles.

When Higgins' health improved, he entered graduate studies in English at New York University, 1975-1979. He received a master of arts degree in 1977. Higgins' studies led to his discovery of old visual poetry. His masters thesis was refined into his first scholarly publication, George Herbert's Pattern Poems: in their Tradition, 1977, which became the foundation for his research on Pattern Poetry: Guide to an Unknown Literature, 1987. Higgins attempted to enter New York University's Ph.D. program, but aborted the idea when he failed all of his qualifying exams in 1979.

When Higgins' financial problems became acute again in 1980, he moved from his large house in Vermont, with its indoor swimming pool, and bought and renovated a church in Barrytown, New York. Among his neighbors was George Quasha, publisher of Station Hill Press, who published, among others, Robert Kelly and Jackson Mac Low. Higgins found his new home small, but adaptable to his needs. From 1980-1983 he published many collections of scores including Piano Album and Sonata for Prepared Piano. Higgins also completed his DAAD fellowship in Berlin from 1981-1982.

From the 80's to his death Higgins spent much of his time writing scholarly bibliographies and theoretical discourses. Upon Higgins' return from Germany he delved into the subject of pattern poetry, which preoccupied him for over twenty years. His most intensive research occurred from the late 1970s to the mid 1980s. Higgins' involvement with pattern poetry culminated in 1986-1987 with the publication of the pattern poetry issue of Visible Language, which Higgins edited, and his book Pattern Poetry: Guide to an Unknown Literature. He also attended the Wolfenbüttel Conference (1987) on pattern poetry as an expert in the field.

Higgins remained active throughout the 1990s. Among his many projects, he edited and annotated Charles Doria's translation of Giordano Bruno's On the Composition of Images, Signs and Ideas, 1991 and wrote Modernism Since Postmodernism, 1997. Higgins died October 26, 1998 in Quebec City, Canada.

Open for use by qualified researchers.

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Dick Higgins papers, 1960-1994 (bulk 1972-1993), Getty Research Institute, Research Library, Accession no. 870613.

http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa870613

Acquired in 1986; five additional supplements received 1989-1994.

Several catalogers have worked on various aspects of the collection, including Higgins himself. Michel Oren compiled a preliminary inventory, Sept 1991-June 1992. The document he produced was not incorporated into this finding aid, because it no longer reflected the box organization subsequently created. In July 1992, Higgins specified the series arrangement utilized in this finding aid and interfiled some of Series I, II and III. Jocelyn Gibbs, from January-May 1993 finished most of the remaining preliminary organization with assistance from Natalia Costea. Gibbs also completed physical processing and made finding aid notes for Series I, A-H and most of Series II. Lynda Bunting, from May 1993-January 1994, completed physical processing of Series I, II, and all of Series III, IV, and V. She also wrote the finding aid by incorporating Gibbs's notes with her own. In November 1993, Higgins worked directly with Bunting in order to interfile the recently received supplement and to identify unknown items.

Books and Journal issues

Circa 118 items were transferred to the Getty Research Library for accessioning and cataloging 6 Mar 1996. A few titles had multiple copies and others were duplicates of items already in the Library.

Petasz, Pawel. 10 theses, 1978. 100. Karton, 1984/1986. Köln: Edition Hundertmark, 1986. ASA. (1-3; vol. 4, no. 4; vol. 5, no. 5; vol. 6, no. 6) Kempton, Karl. A/round / Karl Kempton. Toronto, Canada: CURVD H 388, 1988. AB : art in bookform : an exhibition / curated by Maurizio Nannucci and Pier Luigi Tazzi. Florence : Zona Archives, 1987. Friedman, Ken. After fluxus. Hombeek, Belgium : PostFluxPost, Luce Fierens, 1992? Alabama dogshoe moustache #5 / ed by Geof Huth. Schenectady, N.Y. : G. Huth, c. 1989. Andersen, Eric. Anne Regge, Poul Nesdunk, Geert Reiemsbrah, Michael Nesredep. Tryk Mogens Sandberg, 1983? Higgins, Dick. The autobiography of the moon : a commentary on the hsin-hsin-ming. Backworks. Backworks? New York, 1976. Vostell, Wolf. Betonierungen / Vostell. Hinwil [Schweiz] : Howeg, 1971? The Black Mountain Poets: the emergence of an American school of poetics, June 26-28, 1987. Annandale-on-Hudson, NY : Edith C. Blum Art Institute, Bard College, 1987. Nichol, B. P. Bored messengers. Prince George, B.C. : Gorse Press, 1988. Higgins, Dick. Buster Keaton enters into Paradise, 1994. Calm seas, auspicious gales. Marciana, Isola d'Elba, 1983. Higgins, Dick. Cat Alley : a long short novel, 1976. Granary books Catalog. No. 26 (Aug 1989). Giorno Poetry Systems Institute Catalog. No. 19 (1989) Something Else Catalog. Fall/Winter (1973/1974). Nichol, B. P. CCMC with Steve McCaffery : sketching 2. Toronto, 1988. Clown war, ca. 1972. Coda: poets & writers newsletter. Collaborations and connections : 20th century collaborative bookworks: 11 Feb 1990- 25 Mar 1990, University Art Museum and Hayden Library, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona. Higgins, Dick. Computers for the arts. ca. 1970. Contemporaries: new art from Finland, 1982-1983. Contemporary authors autobiography series. D.i.s.c.o.t.h.è.q.u.e.-- : expériences sonores d'artistes : Maison du livre, de l'image et du son, Ville de Villeurbanne, octobre-novembre 1989. Higgins, Dick. A bio/bibliography, 1979. Drawing toward sculpture : six Maine sculptors, Chris Duncan, Lewis Iselin, Phil Kaelin, Gretchen Lucchesi, Celeste Roberge, Carolyn Treat . Portland, Me. : Baxter Gallery, ca. 1987. E pod. Ear magazine. Exquisite corpse. Baltimore, Md. : Culture Shock Foundation, 1983. Hendricks, Geoffrey. Five found photographs / Geoffrey Hendricks. New York : Printed Editions, ca. 1979. Friedman, Ken. Fluxus 1992. Budapest: Artpool, 1992. Freibord. French window: idée, Goran Trbuljak ; conception et réalisation, Ida Biard. Zagreb: Galerija Studentskog centra, 1973. Baxter, Glen. Funny looking. Liège: Cirque Divers, 1991. Palaia, Franc. Great walls of China. foreword by Peter Frank., 1984. Grupa 143. Beograd: Galerija Sre'cna nova umetnost; Zagreb : Galerija Studentskog Centra, 1979. Higgins, Dick. Happytime: the medicine man, 1992. Hole. no. 2 (1990). Du Pont, Diana C. In dialogue: the art of Elsa Rady and Robert Mapplethorpe : Santa Barbara Museum of Art, February 6 through March 28, 1993. The International Shadow Project: Art Gallery, San Diego State University, August-September, 1989. Mac Low, Jackson. Is that wool hat my hat? : (from what Richard Kostelanetz asked me at the 12th International Sound Poetry Festival, Washington Square Church, New York, 4/13/80) : for two, three, or four voices , 1982. Higgins, Dick. The journey : eight colored scenes, 1992. Kaldron. Latitudes 320-490. No. 1 (1979). Walter, Daniel. A little beard book. Urbana, Ohio: Oll Korrect Press, ca. 1975. Bernard, Sidney. Metamorphosis of peace: essays & poems. Newton, MA.: Arts End Books, ca. 1984. Mississippi Mud. no. 20 (1979). Fox, Connie. Nachthymnen. Santa Barbara: J. Mudfoot, 1986. Trbuljak, Goran. Neobjavljene stranice iz zapisa jednog umjetnika 1968-1978 = Les pages non-publiées des ecrits d'un artiste 1968-1978. Zagreb: Galerija Studentskog Centra, 1978. Nichol, B. P. New new H blues. Toronto : CURVD H&Z 379, 1988. Sikorski, Tomasz. Obrazy. Klodzko: Klodzki O'srodek Kultury, Galeria, 1987. Higgins, Dick. Of celebration of morning: a polysemiotic fiction, 1980. Barbieri, Olivo. Olivio Barbieri : Commune di Rimini, Assessorato alla Cultura, Galleria dell'Immagine, Palazzo Gambalunga, 23 aprile-21 maggio, 1983? Petasz, Pawel. Pages of contemplation. Jqe Rubber Press, 1978. Bernstein, Charles. Poetic justice. Baltimore: Pod Books, c. 1979. Neveu, Angéline. Rêve. Vanves : Cahiers Loques, 1982. Finlay, Ian Hamilton. A sailor's calendar; a miscellany. New York: Something Else Press, 1971. Sartori (Win-Spr. 1989). Rice, Shelley. Schemes, a decade of installation drawings. New York, NY : E. Meyer, 1981. Higgins, Dick. Six trivial reflections, c. 1978. Sparrow. no. 24 (1974). Walter, Daniel. Spasmic vistas. Urbana, Ohio: Oll Korrect Press, ca. 1974. Higgins, Dick. Spring game: an opera for shadow puppets, 1974. Stanze del tempo: Irma Blank, Helmut Dirnaichner, Christina Kubish, Elisabeth Scherffig. Milano: Centro Internazionale Brera, 1988. Higgins, Dick. Suggested by small swallows, 1973. Madson, Jerry. A summer of blues : a experimental novel. Bemidji, MN: Truly Fine Press, ca. 1975. Nichol, B. P. Three rhymes. North Vancouver, B.C.: Silver Birch Press, 1988. Lax, Robert. Tiger. Lyndonville, Vt.: Furthermore Press, ca. 1983. Phillips, Tom. Dante's Inferno: materials for a book [exhibition] 2-26 Nov 1983, Waddington Galleries, 1983. Uni/vers(;), (1987-1992) : peacedream-project : 5 Jahre : Künstlerprojekt für Visuelle und experimentelle Poesie = 5 years : artists' project for visual and experimental poetry. Halle/Saale : Poetry Factory, 1992. Unmuzzled Ox. Galerie und Edition Hundertmark. Verlagsverzeichnis 1970-1991. Smith, Vincent D. Vincent Smith, monoprints : January 13-February 10, 1989, MASC, Mid Hudson Arts and Science Center, 1989. Harroff, William. William Harroff, artists' books. Edwardsville, IL : W. Harroff, 1989? The Word and beyond: four literary cosmologists / Dick Higgins ... [et al.]. New York: Smith, 1982. Words. vol. 11, no. 5 (1974). Writer's digest, reader's art. Franklin Furnace, New York, May 20 to July 1, 1989. Upjohn, Judith Farley. You can't get milk from an earlobe : primal time at the (cafe wha?). New York City: Flockophobic Press Ltd., c. 1990.

Microfilm

Higgins acquired from various sources books with pattern poetry examples (49 microfilm titles on 40 reels). Most of these books are rare, a few being perhaps the only copies in the United States. The reels, some of which contain more than one monograph, were transferred to the library. Following is a list of titles:

El piston [microform]. Ano 1, num. 1 (abril 1864) Madrid : Hemeroteca municipal, 1864 Abele von und zu Lilienberg, Matthias, 1616 or 18 1677. Kuenstliche Unordnung [microform] : das ist, Wunder seltsame niemals in offentlichen Druck gekommene Gerichts und ausser Gerichts doch warhaffte Begebenheiten, meistentheils aus eigener Erfahrnus / zusammengetragen und ebner massen, mit gantz neu erfundnen lustigen und kurtzweiligen Anmerckungen, doch zwischen Schimpff und Ernst gezieret und vermehret durch Matthiam Abele, von und zu Lilienberg. Zum andernmal aufgelegt. [Nuremberg] : Verlegung Michael und Johann Friderich Endtern, 1670. Abele von und zu Lilienberg, Matthias, 1616 or 1618 1677. Metamorphosis telae judiciariae, das ist, Seltzame Gerichts Haendel [microform] : samt denen hierauf gleichfalls seltzam erfolgten Gerichts Ausspruechen, Zusammengetragen mit lustigen Anmerckungen erlaeutert auch unterschiedlichen Geschichten vermehret, und an vielen Orten verbessert / durch Matthiam Abele von Lilienberg, der hochloebl. Fruchtbringenden Gesellschafft Mit Genossen. Zum sechstenmal gedruckt. Nuernberg : In Verlegung Iohann Georg Endters, 1684. Arvidi, Andreas. Manuductio ad poesin svecanam, thet aer, en kort handledning til thet swenske poeterij, versz eller rijm konsten [microform] / foerfaerdigad och sammandragen vthaff Andrea Arvidi. Strengnaes : Zackarias Brocken, 1651. Baianus, Andreas. Panegyricvs sine verbis de S. Philippi Nerii lavdibvs [microform] : dictvs in eius diei celebritate Vrbeveteri in maiore basilica, anno. M.DC.XXIX avctore Andrea Bajano ... Vrbeveteri : Ex typographia Rainaldi Ruuli, 1629 Bonifacio, Baldassare, 1586 1659. Balthassaris Bonifacii Mvsarvm liber XXV, Vrania [microform] : ad Dominicvm Molinvm. Venetiis : Apvd Antonivm Pinellvm, 1628. Bosworth, William, 1607 1650? The chast and lost lovers [microform] : lively shadowed in the persons of Arcadius and Sepha, and illustrated with the severall stories of Haemon and Antigone, Eramio and Amissa, Phaon and Sappho, Delithason and Verista ... : to this is added the contestation betwixt Bacchus and Diana, and certain sonnets of the author to Avrora / digested into these poems by Will. Bosworth. London : Printed by F.L for Laurence Blaiklock ..., 1651. Boyssieres, Jean de. Les troisiemes oevvres [microform] / de Iean de Boyssieres. A Lyon : Pour Loys Cloqvemin, 1579. Caramuel Lobkowitz, Juan, 1606 1682. [Primus calamus ob oculos ponens metametricam] Ioannis Caramvelis Primvs calamus ob ocvlos ponens metametricam [microform] : qvae varijs currentium, recurrentium, adscendentium, descendentium, nec non circumvolantium versuum ductibus, avt aeri incisos, avt bvxo inscvlptos, avt plvmbo infvsos mvltiformes labyrinthos exornat. Romae : Fabius Falconius excudebat, anno 1663. Cerone, Pietro, ca. 1560 1625. El melopeo y maestro [microform] : tractado de mvsica theorica y pratica ; en que se pone por extenso, lo que vno para hazerse perfecto musico ha menester saber ; y por mayor facilidad, comodidad, y claridad del lector, esta repartido en XXII. libros ... / compuesto por el R.D. Pedro Gerone ... En Napoles : Por Iuan Bautista Gargano y Lucrecio Nucci, impressores, 1613. Chabrol, C. L'Orizelle dv sr. Chabrol, ov, Les extremes movvements d'amour [microform] : tragi comedie. A Paris : Chez Matthiev Colombel, 1633. Cirier, Nicolas, 1792 1869. L'oeil typographique [microform]. Offert aux hommes de lettres, de l'un et de l'autre sexe, notamment a MM. les correcteurs, protes, sous protes, etc. Paris, Firmin Didot; et chez l'auteur, 1839. Coste, Guillaume de. La Lizimene, comedie pastoralle [microform] / par le sr. G. de Coste. A Paris : Chez Thomas de la Rvelle, 1632. Curti, Lancino, d. 1512. [Epigrammaton libri decem] Lancini Cvrtii Epigrammaton libri decem [microform].Mediolani : Apud Rochum & Ambrosium fratres de Valle impressores : Philippus Foyot faciebat, 1521. Dick, William B. (William Brisbane), 1827 1901. Dick's original album verses and acrostics [microform]. Containing original verses for autograph albums; to accompany bouquets; for birthdays; for wooden, tin, crystal, silver and golden weddings; for album dedications; for philopena forfeits; for congratulation; for valentines in general, and all trades and professions. Also a collection of two hundred and eighteen ladies' Christian names, with their derivation and meaning, and an original acrostic with each name. New York, Dick & Fitzgerald [c. 1879] Gonzalez Estrada, Jose. Poesias [microform] / de D. Jose Gonzalez Estrada. [Madrid : Duran?, 1864] Gonzalez Estrada, Jose. El siglo poetico [microform] / escrito por Jose Gonzalez Estrada. Burdeos : Impr. Jacquet, 1861. Gorgias, of Leontini. [Helenes enkomion] Gorgiae Helena [microform]; recognovit et interpretatus est Otto Immisch. Berlin und Leipzig, W. de Gruyter, 1927. Le Comte. La Dorimene dv sr. Le Comte [microform]. A Paris : Chez Cardin Besonge, 1633. Liceti, Fortunio, 1577 1657. Ad Alas Amoris divini a Simmia rhodio compactas ... encyclopaedia Fortvnii Liceti [microform] ... Patauij : Typis Iulij Criuellarij, 1640. Liceti, Fortunio, 1577 1657. Ad Epei secvrim encyclopaedia Fortvnii Liceti [microform] ... Bononiae : Typis Iacobi Montij, 1637. Liceti, Fortunio, 1577 1657. [Ad Syringam Publilianam encyclopaedia] Fortvnii Liceti genvensis in Patauino lyceo philosophi ordinarij ad Syringam Pvblilianam encyclopaedia [microform]: in qua Publilij fistula describitur, explicaturq; tactis vetustioribus poematijs sphere, throni, labyrinthi, ac pepli ... Patauij, apud Liuium Pasquatum, & Iacobum Bortolum. 1635. Liceti, Fortunio, 1577 1657. Allegoria peripatetica de generatione, amicitia, et privatione in Aristotelicvm aenigma Elia Lelia Crispis [microform] / Fortvnivs Licetvs genvensis ... Patauij : Apud Gasparem Criuellarium, 1630. Liceti, Fortunio, 1577 1657. L'amicitia incomparabile de gl'illvstriss. signori Niccolo Barbarigo e Marco Trivisano, gentilhuomini venetiani [microform] : celebrata con diuerse maniere di poesie et altre compositioni volgari et latine da molti eccellenti ingegni del nostro secolo ... In Venetia : Apresso Marco Ginammi, 1627. Liceti, Fortunio, 1577 1657. Encyclopaedia ad Aram mysticam Nonarii Terrigenae anonymi vetustissimi [microform] / Fortvnivs Licetvs ... Patauij : Apud Gasparem Criuellarium, 1630. Liceti, Fortunio, 1577 1657. Fortvnii Liceti...Ad Syringam, a Theocrito syracusio compactam & inflatam, encyclopaedia [microform]... Vtini, Ex typographia Nicolai Schiratti, 1655. Liceti, Fortunio, 1577 1657. Fortvnii Liceti...Vlysses apvd Circen, sive, De qvadrvplici transformatione, deque varie transformatis hominibus dialogvs ethico physicus [microform]. Vtini, Ex typographia Nicolai Schiratti, 1636. Lobo, Manuel da Gama, 1658 1742, praeses. Caesareas conclusiones [microform] : deductas ex elegantibus titulis D. de Jure codillorum & C. de crimine expilatae haereditatis his quae ibi suttiliter notavit ... Emmanuel a Gama Lobo, cujus nominis ingeniosum anagrama Malo Gamam Labeone V. quinquies eum explicat ... & defendit Felix Josephus a Costa ...Ulyssipone Occidentali : Apud Petrum Ferreyra ; 1726. Mairet, Jean de, 1604 1686. Chriseide et Arimand [microform] : tragi comedie / par le sieur Mairet. A Paris : Iouxte la copie imprimee a Roueen, Chez Iacqves Besonge, 1630. Montluc, Andrien de, 1568 1646. La comedie de proverbes [microform] : piece comique. 2. ed. A Paris : Chez Francois Targa, 1640. Pigna, Giovan Battista, 1529 1575. Io. Baptistae Pignae carminvm lib. qvatvor [microform]... His adiunximus Caelii Calcagnini carm. lib. III, Lvdovici Areosti carm. lib. II. Venetiis, Ex officina Erasmiana, Vincentii Valgrisii, 1553. Pignoria, Lorenzo, 1571 1631. Miscella elogiorvm adclamationvm adlocvtionvm conclamationvm epitaphiorvm et inscriptionvm [microform] / avctore Lavrentio Pignorio patavino, Io. Baptista Martinio collectore. Patavii : Apvd Impr. Camerales, [1626] Rarezas literarias [microform]; florilegio de composiciones curiosas y extravagantes de autores antiguos y modernos, recopilados y ordenadas por Eduardo de Ory. Cadiz, M. Ceron Bohorquez, [1939] Rayssiguier, sieur de, fl. 1630 1636. La Celidee sovs le nom de Calirie, ov, De la generosite d'amovr [microform] ... / par le sieur de Rayssigvier. A Paris : Chez Tovssainct Qvinet, 1635. Reuchlin, Johann, 1455 1522. [De arte cabalistica] Ioannis Revchlin ... De arte cabalistica libri tres [microform] : iam denvo adcvrate revisi. Haganoae : Apud Iohannem Secerium, 1530. Salmon Macrin, Jean, 1490 1557. [Lyricorum libri duo, epithalamiorum liber unus] Salmonij Macrini Ivliodvnensis Lyricorvm libri dvo ... epithalamiorvm liber vnvs [microform]. Parisiis : Ex officina Gerardi Morrhij, 1531. Speed, Samuel, 1631 1682. Prison pietie, or, Meditations divine and moral [microform] : digested into poetical heads, on mixt and various subjects : whereunto is added a panegyrick to the right reverend, and most nobly descended, Henry Lord Bishop of London / by Samuel Speed ...

London : Printed by J.C. for S.S. ..., 1677. Spelta, Antonio Maria, 1559 1632. La cvriosa et diletteuole aggionta del sig. Ant. Maria Spelta, cittadino pavese, all'historia sua [microform] : nella qvale oltra la vaghezza di molte cose, che dall'anno 1596 fino al 1603 s'intendono, sono anco componimenti arguti, da quali non poco gusto gli eleuati spiriti potranno prendere. In Pavia : Appresso Pietro Bartoli, 1602. Spelta, Antonio Maria, 1559 1632. Donneschi trofei dal sig. Ant. Maria Spelta, poeta regio [microform] : ad honore delle done cortesi, benigne, e saggie, et a conivsion delle ingrate, orgogliose, e rozze, gratiosamente eretti : opera molto esemplare, e di gran frutto, a fare, che i Mariti amando, e rispettando le Mogli, viuano lieti, e concordi nelle case loro.

In Pavia : Apresso Pietro Bartoli, 1612. Spelta, Antonio Maria, 1559 1632. Enchiridion, seu, Commentarivm ad contexendas epistolas [microform]. Necnon dicendi primordia ab Antonio Maria Spelta ... quam plurimis ex auctoribus collectum ... Papiae, Apvd Hieronymvm Bartolvm, 1591. Spelta, Antonio Maria, 1559 1632. Historia d'Antonio Maria Spelta, cittadino pavese, de'fatti notabili occorsi nell'vniuerso [microform] : & in particolare del regno de'Gothi, de'Logobardi, de i duchi di Milano, & d'altre segnalate persone, dall'anno di nostra salute VL. fino al MDIIIC : nel qual tempo fiorirono i vescoui, che ressero la chiesa dell'antichissima e real citta di Pauia, le cui vite breuemente si narrano : con vna nvova aggivnta dell'istesso autore dall'anno 1596 fino al 1602.

In Pavia : Appresso Pietro Bartoli, 1603. Spelta, Antonio Maria, 1559 1632. La Pavia trionfante [microform] / d'Antonio Maria Spelta. In Pavia : Per Andrea Viani, 1606. Spelta, Antonio Maria, 1559 1632. La solenne et trionfante entrata dell'illustrissimo & reuerendissimo vescouo monsignor Gio. Battista Biglio nell'antichissima & regal Citta di Pauia [microform] : con le allegrezze & archi, con le historie, imprese, emblemi, simboli, gieroglifici, imagini, iscrittioni, versi, sentenze, & motti / del signor Antonio Maria Spelta ... ; con vn discorso dell'istesso auttore dell'origine, forma, vso & misteri del Pallio. In Pavia : per Pietro Bartoli, 1609. Stevenson, Matthew, fl. 1654 1685. Occasions off spring, or, Poems upon severall occasions [microform] / by Mathew Stevenson. London : Printed for John Place, and are to be sold at his shop ..., 1645. Sutor, Andreas. Der hundert augige blinde Argos und zwey gsichtige Janus, oder, Latinum chaos der andere Bettl Hafen, sage, Hoenig oder Glucks Hafen [microform] : aus vilen Buecheren herausgezogene nutzlich, geist und weltliche Ehr und Lehr Spruech : emplemata, lemmata, seltzsame Spruechwoerter ... / ab Andrea Sutore ... Augspurg ; und Muenchen : verlegt und zu finden bey Mathaeus Rieger, 1740. Tellez Giron, Pedro, duque de Osuna, 1574 1624. Carminvm libri qvatvor ossvnensivm dvci, Collegii neapolitani Societatis Iesv mvnvscvlvm [microform] : laudationem continens, qua a Patribus eiusdem Societatis exceptus est. [after 1617] Voulte, Jean, d. 1542. [Inscriptionum libri duo]. Ioan. Vvlteii Rhemi inscriptionvm libri duo [microform] : ad Aegidium Boherum, Archid. Rhem & Auen : ad Barpt. Castellanvm Nicaeum Xeniorum libellus. [Paris] : Apvd Sim. Colinaevm, 1538. Wang, Chung hou, b. 1887. Chinese palindrome, the world's most exquisite literature [microform] / by Wang Chung Hou. Singapore : China Society, [196 ]

The Dick Higgins collection extensively documents Higgins' literary, performance, music, artistic and personal activities from 1972 to 1993, with some correspondence with family members, lawyers and accountants dated as early as 1960. Higgins' early Fluxus, Happenings and Something Else Press publishing activities are not as well represented. Most of that material from ca.1957-1971 is now housed at Archive Sohm, Staatsgalerie Stuttgart.

This archive consists primarily of carbons of Higgins' letters. Written in a frank and open style, the letters contain many artistic and personal insights into his numerous endeavors. Attached to his letters are many responses and, in some cases extensive exchanges with Fluxus, Mail art and Art and Language artists, Concrete and Sound poets and New Music composers, and small press publishers and poets. Thus, the correspondence includes many art "pieces" and manuscripts sent to Higgins as gifts or for comment.

The archive contains a substantial quantity of Higgins' works in original manuscript form, some with annotations and correspondence, and also includes works rejected by Higgins. Additionally housed is production material on 26 of Higgins' 45 published books from Something Else Press, Unpublished/Printed Editions and elsewhere, along with books by four other authors (two at Something Else Press and two others for Emmett Williams and Robert Filliou) and one killed project. Many of his earlier books, ephemeral publications and other works may be found in the Getty Research Institute's Jean Brown archive (Special Collections accession no. 890164), as well as the Gilbert and Lila Silverman Fluxus Collection and the Ruth and Marvin Sackner Archive of Concrete and Visual Poetry. The collection also has a small amount of miscellaneous personal papers and extensive research and correspondence files accumulated by Higgins for his publication Pattern Poetry: Guide to an Unknown Literature, 1987.

The archive is organized in 5 series: Series I. Correspondence; Series II. Works; Series III. Books; Series IV. Personal; Series V. Pattern Poetry.