Collection inventory

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American Radicalism Ephemera Collection

An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Syracuse University Libraries -- Special Collections Research Center
Title: American Radicalism Ephemera Collection
Inclusive Dates: 1929-1994
Quantity: 2.0 linear ft.
Abstract: Miscellaneous ephemera (fliers, brochures, posters, etc.) relating to various radical social movements in the U.S. including pro-labor movements, reproductive rights, anti-war activism, Communist and Socialist political organizations, and efforts to address systemic racism.
Language: Most in English, a few items in Japanese.
Repository: Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
222 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010
https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

American radicalism encompasses the political, cultural and intellectual history of radical social movements in the U.S. including pro-labor movements, reproductive rights, anti-war activism, Communist and Socialist political organizations, and efforts to address systemic racism.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The American Radicalism Ephemera Collection comprises a variety of ephemera -- cartoons, newsletters, fliers, book catalogs, buttons, patches, brochures, posters, pamphlets, and more -- relating to radical movements of 20th century America. Movements reflected include anti-capitalism/pro-labor and peace/anti-war. The collection also contains items related to systemic racism and Black Power movements in the United States, including police brutality, police shootings, and the Black Panther Party.

Cartoons include a 1938 postcard drawn by A. Redfield (cartoonist Syd Hoff) advocating a boycott of German, Japanese and Italian goods; a political cartoon "Ten Free Citizens" by Americans for the Corporate Enterprise System. The John Reed Club material relates to the First National Congress, May 30, 1932, and includes lists of national executive board members and clubs participating in the conference in Chicago, with delegates and membership numbers for each club. Also included are several "International Books" catalogs from International Publishers and some material relating to Dr. Benjamin Spock's peace activism.

Of particular interest are items by Emory Douglas, American graphic artist and Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party. The collection contains two prints and a cartoon by Douglas.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

Special Collections Research Center has extensive holdings relating to American radicalism, among them the papers of Arna Wendell Bontemps, Earl Browder, Lillian Gilkes, Horace Gregory, Granville Hicks, Harry Roskolenko and John Spivak. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete list of related manuscript collections and to Libraries Search for related items in the Rare Books Department and general collection.

Sir Lady Java material was transferred to the Sir Lady Java Collection in 2023.

AIDS activism material was transferred to the AIDS Activism Ephemera Collection in 2024.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Abernathy, Ralph, 1926-1990.
Agron, Salvador.
Ahmad, Muhammad, 1941-
Aquash, Anna Mae, 1945-1976.
Averill, Peg.
Bond, Julian, 1940-2015.
Brandt, Ralph.
Bush, George, 1924-2018.
Cleaver, Eldridge, 1935-1998.
Coltrane, John, 1926-1967.
Davis, Angela Y. (Angela Yvonne), 1944-
Dellinger, David T., 1915-2004.
Douglas, Emory.
Ellis, Fred, 1885-1965.
Finkelstein, Avram, 1952-
Gold, Michael, 1894-1967.
Hampton, Fred, 1948-1969.
Hoff, Syd, 1912-2004.
Jackson, George, 1941-1971.
Lefkowitz, Louis J.
MacLeish, Archibald, 1892-1982.
Magee, Ruchell.
Massey, Cal, 1927-1972.
McKay, Claude, 1890-1948.
McReynolds, David.
Newton, Huey P.
Reagan, Ronald.
Rizzo, Frank, 1920-1991.
Rockefeller, Nelson A. (Nelson Aldrich), 1908-1979.
Seale, Bobby, 1936-
Shakur, Assata.
Spock, Benjamin, 1903-1998.
Tabor, Michael, 1946-2010.
Terry, Peggy.
Thiele, Bob.
Yosano, Akiko, 1878-1942.

Corporate Bodies

Albert Ayler Quintet.
All-African People's Revolutionary Party.
American Veterans Committee.
Americans for the Corporate Enterprise System.
Attica Correctional Facility.
Attica Defense Committee.
Attica Legal Defense Fund.
B.C. Hagglund (publisher)
Black Panther Party.
Chicago Women's Liberation Union.
Committee for Abortion Rights and Against Sterilization Abuse (New York, N.Y.)
Congress of Racial Equality.)
Dow Chemical.
Farmworkers Boycott Committee.
International Publishers.
John Reed Clubs of the United States.
Merritt College (Oakland, Calif.)
National Abortion Rights Action League.
National Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression.
National Lawyers Guild.
National Organization for Women.
National United Committee to Free Angela Davis.
Ornette Coleman Quartet.
Peace and Freedom Party (U.S.)
St. Peter's Lutheran Church (New York, N.Y.)
Theatre Union.
White Panther Party.
Women's National Abortion Action Coalition.
Young Communist League of the U.S.

Associated Titles

Anvil.
Grass Roots.

Subjects

Abortion -- Canada.
Abortion -- United States.
Abortion.
African American jazz musicians.
Black Arts movement.
Black Panthers Trial, New York, N.Y., 1970-1971.
Black people -- Study and teaching.
Black power.
Chicago Seven Trial, Chicago, Ill., 1969-1970.
Drug abuse.
Drug control.
Feminism -- United States.
Indigenous women -- Education.
Police brutality -- United States.
Prison riots.
Prison violence -- United States.
Prisoners -- United States.
Prisons -- New York (State)
Racism -- United States.
Radicalism -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Radicalism -- United States.
Radicals -- United States.
Reiki (Healing system)
Reproductive rights.
Right to housing.
Siete de la Raza Trial, San Francisco, Calif., 1970.

Places

Canada -- History.
Chicago (Ill.)
Maine.
New York (State)
San Francisco (Calif.)
Syracuse (N.Y.)
United States -- History.

Genres and Forms

Buttons (information artifacts)
Cartoons (humorous images)
Catalogs (documents)
Fliers (printed matter)
Newsletters.
Pamphlets.
Political cartoons.
Postcards.
Posters.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

American Radicalism Ephemera Collection,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Some items purchase, Blackman Fund. Other items acquired through donation and via transfer from other collections and University Archives.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: MRC
Date: 9 May 2007
Revision history: 21 Dec 2010 - adds (MRC); 19 Oct 2009 - additions (MRC); 22 Sep 2009 - Sacco/Vanzetti switched to SC; 3 Dec 2008 - additions (MRC); Jan 2008 - additions (MRC); 1 Nov 2007 - additions (MRC); 19 Jul 2007 - subjects updated (MRC); 3 Jul 2007 - subjects updated (MRC); 6 Sep 2019 - oversize posters added (MRC); 9 Nov 2020 - new items added, some additional organization done (MRC); 4 Feb 2021 - new items added (MRC); 15 Jul 2021 - Emory Douglas posters added (MRC); 4 Aug 2022 - numerous additions (MRC); 2 Jun 2022 - numerous additions; OS 2 retired, items moved to map case (RMH); 26 Oct 2023 - Sir Lady Java items transferred to separate collection (RMH); 12 Mar 2024 - additions (MRC); 15 Apr 2024 - AIDS activism items transferred to separate collection (SAB)

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Inventory

Printed material
Box 1 Book catalogs 1929-1935
Box 1 Buttons, etc. - includes "Black Power" cloth patch
Box 1 Cartoons - includes one by Emory Douglas
Fliers and brochures
Box 1 Black liberation 1967-1968, 1971, undated - Angela Davis, Peggy Terry, Bobby Seale, Black Panther Party, etc.
Box 1 Miscellaneous 1930s, 1968, 1971, undated - topics include police brutality/police shootings, prison reform, anti-nuclear war
Newsletters
Box 1 The Advocate 1946-1947
Oversize 1 Attica, various 1971-1974 - Attica News Service, Attica Defense Committee
Box 1 Black Lesbian Newsletter 1982
Box 1 High Time 1939 - "published by Community Party members at Time Inc."
Box 1 Information 1971 - draft of vol. 1 no. 6 of Black Panther information bulletin, Algeria
Box 1 Peace and Freedom Party 1969
Reproductive rights (topic) 1971-1973, 1978, 1992-1994
Box 1 Miscellaneous 1971
Oversize 1 Miscellaneous 1976
Box 1 Pamphlets 1966, undated - include police presences in Harlem, genocide of the Black community written by Michael "Cetewayo" Tabor
Oversize 1 Posters - Peace and Freedom party (3 items); Anvil; Black Panther; Eldridge Cleaver
Oversize 2 Posters
Yosano Akiko poem
Anna Mae Aquash
Angela Davis, Communist Party
Emory Douglas (2 items)
Fred Hampton
Muhammad Ahmad (Max Stanford)
Pre-erection [sic] day party / Opening salvos from a black-white gun (Black Panther / Yippie)
"Read Raw Milk"
"Repeal the national service act"
Map-Case Posters
Four more years (anti-war)
Free Bobby [Seale], People's Legal Defense Committee
Free Ruchell Magee
Gun control begins in the White House
We begin bombing in five minutes (Ronald Reagan).
Box 1 Theatrical performances 1932-1935
Box 1 Miscellaneous - "open letters," collection box, letter to Eldridge Cleaver from David McReynolds, etc.

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