Lettrism Papers, 1946-1965

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Summary

Title:
Lettrism papers
Dates:
1946-1965
Creators:
Queneau, Raymond, 1903-1976
Abstract:
A collection of letters and ephemera belonging to editor Raymond Queneau, one of the founders of "Ouilipo." The materials concern the avant-garde movement Lettrism, and comprise correspondence, manuscripts, typescripts, and ephemera.
Extent:
28.0 items
Language:
Collection material is in French
Preferred citation:

Lettrism papers, 1946-1965, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession no. 980036.

Background

Scope and content:

Letters and ephemera sent to editor Raymond Queneau concerning the avant-garde movement Lettrism, founded by Isidore Isou. A letter, a clipping and the tract "Defense d'Isidore Isou" illustrate Isou's problems with obscenity charges brought against him in 1962. Three letters to Queneau and a copy of a 7 p. letter from Isou to Gaston Gallimard, dated 1962 and 1964, plead for continued support for the movement. Other materials by Isou are a handwritten card (1946), a handwritten cover design for a proposed book "Oeuvres complètes de Isidore Isou" (n.d.), a typescript titled "Domaine artistique integral" (n.d.), and the tract "Vive la retrospective surrealiste!" (1964), which denounces André Breton.

The collection also includes three handwritten letters from Gabriel Pomerand concerning books Queneau sent him during his imprisonment (1949) and his hospitalization (1954), three typed letters from Jacques Spacagna regarding the issue of Bizarre that he and Maurice Lemaître are preparing, and two letters from Lemaître (1962, 1965). Ephemera consist of two announcements "Première manifestation lettriste" (n.d.) and "Le lettrisme" (n.d.), an invitation to a Lemaître event with ink drawings and stapled film strips (n.d.), the program "La poesie et la musique lettristes et aphonistes" (n.d.), and a 4 p. advertisement, with text by Noël Arnaud, for three recordings (1964).

Arrangement note

Arranged in one series, in rough chronological order.

Biographical / historical:

Raymond Queneau (1903-1973) worked with the surrealists as a young man before becoming known as one of the founders of "Oulipo" (Ouvroir de littérature potentielle, or the Workshop of Potential Literature). Two of his most famous works are Les exercices de style and Zazie dans le métro, which Louis Malle filmed in 1960. As an editor at Gallimard, Queneau was extremely influential in the publication and support of avant-garde movements and their proponents. Queneau began publishing Isidore Isou in the late 1940s and was supportive of him and his efforts to establish Lettrism.

Acquisition information:
Collection was acquired in 1998.
Processing information:

Lynda Bunting processed the collection in October 1998

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.

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Lettrism
Drawings (visual works)
Ephemera

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Lynda Bunting.
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2013-02-07T17:25-0800

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers.

Terms of access:

Contact Library Reproductions and Permissions.

Preferred citation:

Lettrism papers, 1946-1965, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession no. 980036.

Location of this collection:
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, CA 90049-1688, US
Contact:
(310) 440-7390
Website