Art Young Papers
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Abstract
Art Young was a cartoonist and socialist. The papers include correspondence, original drawings, cartoons, clippings, postcards, original writings, printed material and catalogs of exhibits by artists working with political themes.
Biographical Note
Art Young (1866-1943) was a leading socialist cartoonist and humorist whose work appeared in The Masses(1910-1917) and elsewhere. He was born in Monroe, Wisconsin, studied at the Academy of Design in Chicago, where he first illustrated news stories and saw his cartoons published in various newspapers. In 1895 Young moved to New York where his work was published in Life and where he became a socialist and, in 1910, one of the founding members of the artists and writers cooperative that produced The Masses, a socialist monthly. Young's work was among that cited by the U.S. government as being in violation of the World War I-inspired Espionage Act. Young's work also appeared in The Liberator(1918-1924), which he helped establish, his own radical humor magazine, Good Morning(1919-1921), the New Leader, the New Masses, The Nation, and elsewhere.
Arrangement
Folders for the original donation are arranged alphabetically. Materials in the 2023 have not been arranged by an archivist; original order is unknown.
Scope and Contents
The papers include correspondence (principally outgoing), clippings, pamphlets, sketches and cartoons by Young, printed material and catalogs of exhibits by artists working with political themes including Maurice Becker, Edmond McKenna, Archibald J. Motley, Jr. and Herman Rose some of these contain illustrations. The bulk of Young's letters are to Adelaide Schulkind, Meyer Friedkin and Arthur Spingarn. The collection also includes an unpublished manuscript in various stages. There is one letter each from William Gropper and Will Durant. The file on Young's death includes letters from John Haynes Holmes and Young's relatives. There are three original drawings, clippings from newspapers and periodicals, including the New Masses, containing cartoons by and articles about Young, a set of twelve postcards, How to Cure World-Unrest, New Year's cards (1936-39, 1941-44), an illustrated envelope (1943) designed to accompany an affixed poster-stamp by Gilbert Wilson, "Unity for Victory," on the theme of black-white unity, a typescript of Young's Thomas Rowlandson(1938), a biography of the 18th century cartoonist, publication correspondence for Young's autobiography, Art Young, His Life and Times(1939), including a letter from John Nicholas Beffel, and Young's last will and testament.
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Materials in this collection, which were created in 1891-1955, are in the public domain. Permission to publish or reproduce is not required.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Art Young Papers; TAM 046; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Adelaide Schulkind Frank and Anna Friedkin in 1971. The accession number associated with this gift is 1971.004. Additional materials may have been donation by Albert Boni in 1972. In 2016 an accretion to the collection was purchased from Argosy Book Store, Inc. and transferred to offsite storage; in March 2023 this accretion was accessioned as 2023.017.
Appraisal
Newspaper clippings from the 2023 accretion were appraised out of the collection.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Decisions concerning the arrangement, description, and physical interventions taken on this collection prior to 2023 have not been recorded. In March 2023, an accretion of materials purchased in 2016 was rehoused in archival boxes and folders and inventoried at the box-level.
