Peter Dougherty Collection
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Abstract
Peter Dougherty is a marketing professional with extensive international experience, including working with MTV from its early days. The Peter Dougherty Collection documents American and British punk rock and hip hop, in addition to Dougherty's work with MTV, and includes audiovisual materials, ephemera, flyers, production manuscripts, and promotional materials.
Biographical Note
Peter Dougherty was born in Queens, NY in 1955, and attended his first rock concert at Shea Stadium during the summer of 1966. After witnessing the madness of The Beatles he then saw Simon and Garfunkel the following summer, and from there, Janis Joplin, The Byrds, Sly and The Family Stone, The Allman Brothers Band, etc. By the mid 1970s, once he was old enough to gain admittance, he starting attending clubs such as Max's Kansas City, CBGB, and Club 82, and began recording these shows.
He later began working with his brother Paul and other friends videotaping bands, and as an assistant in the first 'video lounges' at Peppermint Lounge and Danceteria. In 1982 he started as a production assistant in MTV's creative/promotional department, and remained there until 1990 when he moved to London to become Creative Director of MTV Europe.
Arrangement
Paper materials are arranged either chronologically or alphabetically. The collection is arranged into the following five series:
Series I: Sound recordings
Series II: Video recordings
Series III: MTV and Music Business
Subseries A: Branding and Programming
Subseries B: Artist Files
Series IV: Ephemera, Flyers, Programs
Subseries A: Music
Subseries B: Art
Subseries C: Animation and Film
Series V: Personal
Scope and Content
The Peter Dougherty Collection contains audio and video recordings documenting British and American punk rock and hip hop. The collection is largely Dougherty's personal music-related collection, from the years before he became a marketing professional. The collection also preserves marketing literature, business manuals, production manuscripts for artists Beastie Boys and Run-D.M.C., and awards programs that document Dougherty's work with MTV Europe. The collection also includes Dougherty's personal collection of New York and London art, music, and film events ephemera and promotional materials from the late 1970s through the 1990s.
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
This collection is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use materials in the collection in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); Peter Dougherty Collection; MSS 213; box number; folder number or item identifier; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University Libraries.
Provenance
The collection was purchased by the Fales Library from Peter Dougherty in 2008. In September 2025, Paul Dougherty, on behalf of the Peter Dougherty Living Trust, transferred an accretion of correspondence, notebooks, photographs, and ephemera; the accession number associated with this accretion is 2025.021.
Audiovisual Access Policies and Procedures
Access to audiovisual materials in this collection is available through digitized access copies. Researchers may view an item's original container, but the media themselves are not available for playback because of preservation concerns. Materials that have already been digitized are noted in the collection's finding aid and can be requested in our reading room.
Audiovisual materials that have not been preserved may not be available to researchers. Materials not yet digitized will need to have access copies made before they can be used. To request an access copy, or if you are unsure if an item has been digitized, please contact [Fales Library, special.collections@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596] with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.
Born-Digital Access Policies and Procedures
Born-digital materials have not been transferred and may not be available to researchers. Researchers may request access copies. To request that material be transferred, or if you are unsure if material has been transferred, please contact NYU Special Collections (special.collections@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596) with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.
Appraisal
In May 2026, 1 audiocassette with commercial content was deaccessioned.
Separated Materials
Printed materials, including zines, have been removed from the collection and will be cataloged as part of the Fales Downtown Book Collection.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Decisions regarding the arrangement, description, and physical interventions taken on this collection prior to 2025 are unknown.
In November 2025, an accretion of correspondence, photographs, notebooks, and ephemera was rehoused in archival boxes and folders, described on the series-level, and inventoried on the box-level.
In May 2026 after digitization, audiocassettes in Boxes 5, 6, 7, and 8 were rehoused into cassette boxes. The audiocassettes are now housed in Boxes 5, 6, 7, 8, 89, and 90. The finding aid was updated to reflect these changes.
