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Jean Jonassaint Art and Object Books Collection

An inventory of his collection at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: Calvin Silver
Date: 22 Jan 2026

Biographical History

Jean Jonassaint, native of Haiti, is a professor of French and Francophone Studies and a member of the Maxwell African Scholars Union at Syracuse University. He has also taught at Duke University and Université du Québec à Montréal. His research focuses on narratives by Caribbean, Quebec, and African writers or transnational writers in France and Quebec and he is considered a leading expert on French-Caribbean culture and literature.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Jean Jonassaint Art and Object Books Collection spans 1958-2025 and contains art and artist material that Jean Jonassaint has collected over the span of his life. The collection is divided into several categories, differentiated by the type of material. The majority of this material is in French, English, and Portuguese, with portions also in Italian and Spanish.

Art Books consist of books about art, primarily not in English. Many books are from Quebec, France, and Brazil. These books include exhibition catalogs and accompanying material, as well as books about specific artists. Also included are books about the Venice Biennale, an annual exhibition of international art and culture.

Artists' books contains books made by various artists that use the format of the book itself as an artform. Jonassaint's own artist book creations are included, as well as works by others. Many come from Quebec or Belgium, while many others have an unknown origin. Several are made with fragile or organic material.

Correspondence contains correspondence between Jonassaint and various people. Several items of correspondence are pamphlets or bulletins about various performances or artistic institutions sent to Jonassaint.

Poetry contains books and pamphlets containing poetry, with a particular focus on concrete poetry, a type of poetry in which the visual arrangement of text and space is used as an element of the poetry to convey meaning.

Subject files consists of one folder of material about Italian artist Graziella Borghesi. Examples of her work may be found in the Artists' Books series above,

Miscellaneous contains assorted printed items (pamphlets, zines, postcards, advertisements, etc.), a few items which may or may not be artist's books, three audiocassettes, and a DVD.

Arrangement of the Collection

Art books are arranged by province or country of origin or subject (e.g. Egyptian art). Artists' books and poetry are organized alphabetically by title. Correspondence is organized by date. Miscellaneous material is organized alphabetically by title.

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.

Two items, Bonbon: note sur une insulte musicale , an artists' book made by Graziella Borghesi, and Plis sous pli, an artists' book made by Jean-Yves Fréchette and Pierre-André Arcand, have been permanently encapsulated for preservation purposes; the interior pages are thus not accessible. Digital images are available. Please contact Special Collections Research Center for more information.

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.

Related Material

For the two artists' books that have been encapsulated for preservation purposes, digital images of interior pages are available. Please contact Special Collections Research Center for more information.

Subject Headings

Persons

Borghesi, Graziella.
Burroughs, William S., 1914-1997.
Cornière, François de, 1950-
Frankétienne.
Jonassaint, Jean, 1950-
La Casinière, Joëlle de.
Picasso, Pablo, 1881-1973.
Riopelle, Jean-Paul.
Vazan, Bill, 1933-

Corporate Bodies

Biennale di Venezia -- Exhibitions.

Subjects

Art -- Québec (Province)
Art, African.
Art, American.
Art, Belgian.
Art, Brazilian.
Art, Canadian.
Art, Cuban.
Art, Egyptian.
Art, French.
Art, Haitian.
Art, Honduran.
Art, Iraqi.
Art, Italian.
Art, Middle Eastern.
Art, Spanish.
Artists' books -- specimens.
Concrete poetry.
Poetry.

Genres and Forms

Art books.
Artists' books (books)
Audiocassettes.
Correspondence.
DVDs.
Exhibition catalogs.
Pamphlets.
Postcards.
Posters.
Sound recordings.

Occupations

Artists.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Jean Jonassaint Art and Object Books Collection,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Jean Jonassaint, 2025.

Table of Contents

Art books

Artists' books

Correspondence

Poetry

Subject files

Miscellaneous

Inventory

Note on alternate formats:

For the two artists' books that have been encapsulated for preservation purposes, digital images of interior pages are available. Please contact Special Collections Research Center for more information.