Charlotte Moorman Archive

Collection

Identifier: AS9

Staff Only
No requestable containers

Scope and Contents

The Charlotte Moorman Archive exhaustively documents the life and activities of Charlotte Moorman, cellist, performer and concert organizer. It includes correspondence, posters, photographs, sound recordings, video recordings, artwork and other materials.

A major constituent of the Moorman Archive is the group of materials related to the fifteen Avant Garde Festivals Moorman that she organized (1963 to 1980). Originally musical concerts in a traditional format, these grew to encompass art in all forms, and attracted artists from many countries.

Dates

1819 - 1993

Creator

Moorman, Charlotte (Person)

Extent

200+ Boxes

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Cellist, performance artist, and promoter of the avant-garde. The Charlotte Moorman Archive exhaustively documents the life and activities of Charlotte Moorman, cellist, performer and concert organizer. It includes correspondence, posters, photographs, sound recordings, video recordings, artwork and other materials.

Arrangement

The Charlotte Moorman Archive is arranged in thirteen primary series:

Biographical and personal: Biographical information about Moorman and her family, including substantial materials on Moorman's arrest and trial in 1967, and her battle with cancer

Correspondence: Letters and other communications of a general nature exchanged with individuals; in alphabetical order by correspondent. Correspondence related to particular events is arranged with materials for those events

Avant Garde Festivals: Materials concerning each of the major festivals organized by Moorman; in chronological order

Events with Moorman: Events in which Moorman participated directly, to which she otherwise contributed, or which she helped organize; in chronological order

Other events: Events about which Moorman collected information, but in which she is not known to have participated; in chronological order

Photographs: Both professional studio photographs, and casual photographs. Photographs related to particular events are arranged with those events

Portfolios: The contents of several portfolios Moorman used when talking to others (such as potential donors, or managers of festival sites) about her work

Moorman multiples: Artworks produced in multiple copies

Artists and other individuals: Information about individuals, when the information cannot be connected to particular events

Organizations: Information about organizations, when the information cannot be connected to particular events

Scores: Musical scores, chiefly of works performed by Moorman

Serials: Issues of serials that cannot be related to particular events

Additional sound recordings: Unidentified sound recordings, and blank tapes

Separated Materials

Substantial numbers of books, pamphlets, scores, serials and sound recordings were removed from the Charlotte Moorman Archive, and cataloged separately. These materials may be found in the Northwestern University Library's online catalog (search for the word "Moorman," in a search restricted to the call number).