Bob Witz Papers
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Bob Witz is the editor of Appearances Magazine, a small arts magazine first published in the East Village during the 1980s. Witz is also an artist, writer and sculptor who lives in New York. The collection consists of material related to Appearances Magazine, correspondence, gallery catalogues and ephemera, sketchbooks, writings, chap books, drawings, and photographs.
Biographical Note
Bob Witz is a painter/sculptor, writer, poet, and editor of Appearances Magazine. Appearances is a small, low-budget magazine which was started in the East Village and has been published from the 1980s to the present. It is devoted mostly to the art scene with a focus on the alternative currents of this scene. Witz also published/produced small chapbooks, including an early book by Keith Haring, and Leaves of Grass II: a book/by Bob Witz (1972). Witz, along other writers represented in the Downtown collection (Ron Kolm and Tom Savage, 1948- ), is also closely associated with the Unbearables literary group.
Arrangement
The original donation and 2009 accretion have been arranged into three series: Appearances, Correspondence, and Miscellaneous.
Other accretions to the collections have been added as separate series. The materials in these accretions are arranged in the order in which they were received from the donor.
Scope and Contents
The Bob Witz Papers/Appearances Magazine Collection (MSS 080) consists of material related to Appearances Magazine, correspondence, gallery catalogues and ephemera, sketchbooks, writings, chap books, drawings, and photographs.
Material related to Appearances Magazine includes notebooks compiled by Witz over his years as publisher of the magazine. Included within the notebooks are poems, drawings, phone numbers, and other assorted items. Other material related to the magazine include some financial and business records, submissions of writing and artwork, production files, and Appearances Press publications.
The collection also contains other materials collected by Witz including writings of his own and others, and additional notebooks, some from before the beginning of the magazine, and sketchbooks.
The collection includes both professional and personal correspondence. Among the correspondence are numerous exhibition announcements from various galleries around New York City and elsewhere. In addition to gallery ephemera there are also some exhibition catalogs from various galleries.
Subjects
Organizations
Genres
People
Topics
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open to researchers.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright (or related rights to publicity and privacy) for materials in this collection was not transferred to New York University. Permission to use materials must be secured from the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form: Identification of item, date (if known); Bob Witz Papers/Appearances Magazine; MSS 080; box number; folder number; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University Libraries.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Bob Witz Papers were donated to the Fales Library by Mr. Witz in the Fall of 1996. The accession number associated with the original donation is 1996.080. Multiple accretions to the collection were donated between 1997 and circa 2010. The accession numbers associated with these accretions are: 2001.080, 2006.080, 2009.080, 2014.080, 2015.080, 2017.049, 2017.050, 2017.051, 2017.052, 2017.053.
Separated Material
Items written by Witz (Leaves of Grass II, Berserker, and the Unbearable Manual of Style) are available to view at the Fales Library.
About this Guide
Processing Information
The original donation and 2009 accretion to the collection were arranged into series in 1997 and 2012. In 2017 multiple accretions were added to the collection as individual series; materials were re-housed in acid free folders and boxes described but no other arrangement and description has been done.
Revisions to this Guide
Edition of this Guide
Repository
Series I: Appearances
Scope and Contents note
The series consists primarily of notebooks compiled by Witz over his years as publisher of the magazine. Included within the notebooks are poems, drawings, phone numbers, and other assorted items. Also included in the series are financial documents and artwork from the magazine, as well as notebooks from before the beginning of the magazine.
Appearances Notebook - Issue #1 - n.d., undated
Appearances Notebook - Issue #1 - n.d., undated
Appearances Notebook - Issue #1 & 2 - n.d., undated
Appearances Notebook - Issue #2 - n.d., undated
Appearances Notebook - Issue #3 - n.d., undated
Appearances Notebook - Issue #3 & 4 - ca., 1978
Appearances Notebook - Issue #4 - ca., 1979-1980
Appearances Notebook - Issue #5 & 6 ca., 1980-1981
Appearances Notebook - Issue #8 - n.d., undated
Appearances Notebook - Issue #8 & 9 - n.d., undated
Appearances Notebook - Issue #9 & 10 ca., 1983
Appearances Notebook - Issue #10 - Layout-ca., 1983
Appearances Notebook - Issue #11, undated
Appearances Notebook - Issue #11 Ads - n.d., undated
Appearances Notebook - Issue #12, 13, 14 and Ads - n.d., undated
Appearances Notebook - Issue #13 Ads - n.d., undated
Appearances Notebook - Issue #13 Show - n.d., undated
Appearances Notebook - Issue #13 Ads - n.d., undated
Appearances Notebook - Issue #14 Ads - n.d., undated
Appearances Notebook - Issue #15 Ads; Show - Speed Limit 55 - n.d., undated
Appearances Notebook - Issue #16 Ads - n.d., undated
Appearances Notebook - Issue #14, 15, 16 - n.d., undated
Notebook -, 1974-1975
Notebook - ca., 1975
Notebook -, 1975-1976
Notebook - ca., 1980
Appearances - ca., 1981?
Appearances - ca., 1987
Show - Neo P. -, 1990
Notebook -, 1992-1993
Appearances - Financial -, 1978-1981
Loose Artwork, undated
Appearances full page ad - layout, Undated
Appearances - submissions, Undated
Series II: Correspondence
Scope and Contents note
The series consists of correspondence between Witz and others, both personal and professional. Organization is alphabetical.
Correspondence - A-F -, 1980-1996
Correspondence - G-N -, 1980-1988, 1997
Correspondence - O-W -, 1982-1996
Correspondence - Unidentified -, 1984-1991
Series III: Miscellaneous
Scope and Contents note
The series contains other materials collected by Witz including writings of his own and others, and additional notebooks apparently unrelated to Appearances.
Writings - Alan Ginsberg... -, 1995
Writings - Leaves of Grass II -, 1972
Writings - Quixote 10-Jul - ca., 1972
Publications by Others-Abstractions Per Se -, 1993
Publications by Others - I read it... -, 1980
Publications by Others - Quixote 2-Jun -, 1970
Publications by Others - Quixote 3-Jun - n.d., undated
Publications by Others - Quixote 6-Jun - n.d., undated
Publications by Others - Quixote 8-Oct -, 1976?
3 Small Spiral notebooks, undated
1 Large Spiral notebook, undated
Black Bound notebook, undated
Red Bound Notebook (1), 1985-1986, inclusive
Red Bound Notebook (2), Undated
Accretion 2009 - Series I: Appearances
Appearances - gallery / artist cards and flyers, undated
Concurrent - exhibition brochure, 2008
Notes, undated
Accretion 2009 - Series II: Correspondence
Letters and cards, 2008-2009; undated
Accretion 2009 - Series III: Miscellaneous
American Legion Junior Baseball Certificate of Eligibility, 1951
Series IV: 1997 Accretion, early 1960s-2008, inclusive
Scope and Contents
This accretion contains Bob Witz's sketchbooks (1974-1997), Stencil Novel (1978-1980), chapbooks (undated), submissions to Appearances Magazine, photographs, correspondence (1983-1997), newspapers (1970-1972), catalogues and ephemera from galleries (1983-1997). The accretion includes notes and writings by Bobby Joe Burbridge (late 1960s - early 1970s), and writing by Julie Gross.
Sketchbooks, Chapbooks, Photographs, Correspondence, Newspapers; Notes and Writings by Bobby Joe Burbridge, D.A. Levy and Julie Gross; Gallery Catalogues and Ephemera, Early 1960s-2008, inclusive
Sketchbooks, Photographs, Gallery Catalogues, Stencil Novel 1-4, and Beriah Wall Clay Tokens, 1977-2007, inclusive
Stencil Novel 5-15, Correspondence, Ephemera, and Sketches, 1979-1989, inclusive
Series V: 2005 Accretion, 1986-2005, inclusive
Scope and Contents
This accretion contains a copy of Paul Lamarre's EIDIA Manifesto printed on a napkin, Appearances Magazine correspondence, including catalogues and gallery ephemera (1986-2005), and personal correspondence (1988-1990).
Correspondence, Gallery Catalogues and Ephemera, 1986-2005, inclusive
Series VI: 2007 Accretion, Sketchbook, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
This accretion contains Bob Witz's sketchbook (undated).
Sketchbook, undated, inclusive
Series VII: 2008 Accretion, late 1960s-2008, inclusive
Scope and Contents
This accretion contains Bob Witz's drawings and sketchbooks (undated), correspondence including gallery catalogues and ephemera (1974-2008), press releases and writing by Witz (1989-1992).
Sketchbooks, Chapbooks, Photographs, Correspondence, Newspapers; Notes and Writings by Bobby Joe Burbridge, D.A. Levy and Julie Gross; Gallery Catalogues and Ephemera, late 1960s-2008, inclusive
Sketchbooks, Photographs, Gallery Catalogues, Stencil Novel 1-4, and Beriah Wall Clay Tokens, 1977-2007, inclusive
Drawings, Correspondence, and Printed Ephemera, 1981-1989, inclusive
Sketchbook, undated, inclusive
Sketches and Printed Ephemera, 1960-75, 1997, bulk; -1997, bulk
Series VIII: Undated Accretion(s), 1977-2010, inclusive
Scope and Contents
This accretion contains professional and personal correspondence (1977-2008), gallery catalogues and ephemera (1977-2008), submissions of writing and photographs to Appearances Magazine (undated, 1982, 1999, 2002-2010) and some Appearances production files, Appearances Press publications (1981-1986), a typescript of Don't Wait; Or, Wait, a novel by Robert Witz (undated), Bob Witz's sketchbooks (undated, 1990-2013) and some business records (circa 1980-1986) including Appearances certificate of incorporation (1983) and a list of subscribers (undated). There are also seven small flat round objects (1980s).
Photographs and Printed Epemera, undated, inclusive
Brooklyn Rail Magazine, June 2010
Shotsie Gorman Photographs and Printed Ephemera, undated, inclusive
Sketchbooks, Photographs, Gallery Catalogues, Stencil Novel 1-4, and Beriah Wall Clay Tokens, 1977-2007, inclusive
Sketchbooks, Gallery Catalogues and Ephemera, Notebooks, Newspapers, Correspondence, Poetry Books, Photographs, and Submissions to Appearance Magazine, 1985-2013, inclusive
Correspondence, Submissions to Appearance Magazine, Manuscripts, Gallery Catalogues and Ephemera, Books, and Photographs, 1996-2006, inclusive
Series IX: 2001 Accretion, 1984-2002, inclusive
Scope and Contents
This accretion contains Bob Witz's financial records, correspondence, exhibition and performance announcements and submissions to Appearances Magazine.
Financial Records, Correspondence, Exhibition/Performance Announcements, and Submissions to Appearance Magazine, 1984-2002, inclusive
Series X: 2014 Accretion, 1990-2014, inclusive
Scope and Contents
This accretion contains correspondence (2014), exhibition announcements (1990-2014), and gallery catalogues (2000-2014) particularly of Beatrice Caracciolo exhibitions.
