Berkshire Forum Records

Call Number

TAM.146

Date

1973-1990, inclusive

Creator

Berkshire Forum

Tauber, Kurt (Role: Donor)

Extent

14.5 Linear Feet

in 14 record cartons and 1 manuscript box.

Extent

286 audiocassettes

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Abstract

The Berkshire Forum (1973-1990) in Stephentown, NY was an independent left venue that held workshops for discussion of social and political issues. The collection contains files on programs held at the Forum, files on tours sponsored by the Forum, administrative files, photographs, and audio.

Historical/Biographical Note

The Berkshire Forum was an independent left venue where small groups met to discuss social and political issues. Guests stayed on the property and attended workshops on topics including United States social and political problems, international affairs, peace movements, and Communist countries. The Forum also held a radical writers retreat and sponsored tours to Cuba, the German Democratic Republic, Nicaragua, and the Soviet Union. Events were attended by both "old" and "new" leftists. Speakers included prominent activists and academics.

Herman (1912-2001) and Betty Liveright (1913-2008) founded the Forum in 1973 and headed it until 1989. The Liverights were lifelong social activists and had joined the Communist Party the year they married in 1936, but left in the mid-1950s. Herman Liveright refused to testify before Congress in a McCarthy-era investigation and was convicted of contempt of Congress; this was later overturned by the Supreme Court.

Arrangement

Materials in Series I: Records, Series III: Audio Recordings, and Series IV: Videos are unprocessed. Series II: Photographs is arranged alphabetically.

Files are arranged in three series:

Missing Title

Series I: Records.
Series II: Photographs
Series III: Audio Recordings.
Series IV: Videos.

Scope and Content Note

The collection contains files on the numerous workshops and other programs held at the Forum, whose topics included United States political and social problems, international affairs, peace movements, the Communist countries, and a radical writers retreat, administrative files (including board minutes) and files on tours sponsored by the Forum (including trips to Cuba, the German Democratic Republic, Nicaragua, and the Soviet Union). The collection also includes over a thousand photographs originating from seven photograph albums. Images mostly date from the 1980s and are mostly from Forum events, on grounds of the Forum, and from Forum tours. Additionally, the collection contains audio and video recordings of workshops.

Subjects

Organizations

Berkshire Forum

Genres

Audiocassettes.; Mailing lists.; Correspondence.; Press releases.; Photograph albums.

People

Liveright, Herman; Liveright, Betty; Tauber, Kurt (Role: Donor)

Topics

Socialism; Forums (Discussion and debate) |z New York (State) |z Stephentown.; Communism.; Workshops (Adult education) |z New York (State) |z Stephentown.

Places

Europe |x Tours.; Cuba |x Tours.; Stephentown (N.Y.); Communist countries -- Tours.; Central America |x Tours.

Donors

Tauber, Kurt

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open without restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by the Berkshire Forum in 1991 by Kurt P. Tauber. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from the Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive. Please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu.

Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form:

Identification of item, date; Berkshire Forum Records; TAM 146; box number; folder number;
Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012, New York University Libraries.

Location of Materials

Materials stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu at least two business days prior to research visit.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by Kurt P. Tauber, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Berkshire Forum, in 1991. Seven videos were donated by Betty and Herman Liverlight in 1992. The accession numbers associated with these gifts are 1950.212, 1991.004, 1991.007, NPA.1991.014, and NPA.1992.011.

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. 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 [repository contact information] with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.

Related Archival Materials

What's Left: Dialectable Recipes from the Berkshire Forum (PAM 7735) in the library's pamphlet collection.

Collection processed by

Peter Filardo, 2009. Edited by Bonnie Gordon to reflect the incorporation of nonprint, audio, and video materials, Nov 2013.

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-20 16:54:09 -0400.

Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Language: Description is in English

Processing Information

Photographs and videos were separated from this collection during initial processing and were established as separate collection, the Berkshire Forum Photographs (PHOTOS 052) and the Berkshire Forum Videos (VIDEOS 011). Additionally, audiocassettes were separated from this collection during initial processing. In 2013, the photograph, audio, and video collections were reincorporated into the Berkshire Forum Collection.

Repository

Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives

Series I: Records

Board minutes, 1990; Cuba tours, 1980-1982; Finished workshops, Abrash-Bloch, 1981-1990., 1981-1992, inclusive

Box: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Finished workshops, Oke-Sweezy, 1978-1989; Workshop attendance books, 1973-1979, 1973-1989, inclusive

Box: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Communist Parties workshop, 1990; Florida reunion, 1985-1986; Marge Greavett correspondence, 1987-1990; Video workshops, 1987; Workshop arranging, 1980s, Workshop attendance books, registration, 1980-1990; Workshop ideas, 1985-1986, 1985-1990, inclusive

Box: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Brochures, 1979-1986; Puerto Rico tour, 1982; Radical writers retreat, 1984-1990; Rentals (by other orgs.), 1975-1990, 1974-1990, inclusive

Box: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Cuba tours, 1983-1990; Housekeeping (cookbook, graphics); Press clippings, 1973-1975., 1973-1990, inclusive

Box: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Movie forum, 1986-1990; "Plaudits"; Press clippings, 1977-1990; Special workshops, including: Industrial crisis, Labor, Peace, Church, 1985-1988, 1977-1990, inclusive

Box: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Board Minutes, 1990; Board committees, including Property, Program, Finance, Staff, late 1980s; Committee of Consultants minutes, 1974-1989; Lease & Bylaws; Finished workshops, Bates-Byrd, 1975-1978., 1974-1990, inclusive

Box: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Finished workshops, Cameron-Cox, 1982-1990; Tours: Grenada, German Democratic Republic, Israel, Italy, Nicaragua, Soviet Union, 1981-1989, 1981-1990, inclusive

Box: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Finished workshops, Craig-Kwong, 1975-1990, 1975-1990, inclusive

Box: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Finished workshops, Laibman-Nolan, 1976-1989; Finished workshops, Tanglewood-Zipser, 1983-1990; Administrative, 1989-1990; Daily World advertising correspondence, 1970s-1980s; Fundraising, 1970s-1990; Guest book, 1981-1990; Mailing lists, 1989-1990; Press releases, 1978-1990; Schedules, 1970s-1990, 1976-1990, inclusive

Box: 10 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Correspondence and Flyer, 1988, inclusive

Box: 16, Folder: 13 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Graphic, undated

Box: Shared Tamiment 006, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Brochures, guestbook, fundraising records, 1980-1990, inclusive

Box: 11 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Series II: Photographs, circa 1983-1990, inclusive

10th Anniversary Album (I), 1983-1984, inclusive

Box: 16, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

10th Anniversary Album (II), 1983-1984, inclusive

Box: 16, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Berkshire Forum 10th Anniversary, 1983, inclusive

Box: 16, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

The Berkshire Forum Presents Album, undated

Box: 16, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Nicaragua Cuba et al Album (I), 1988, inclusive

Box: 16, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Nicaragua Cuba et al Album (I), 1988, inclusive

Box: 16, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

PDW Staff Photo from Berkshire Forum, 1976, inclusive

Box: 16, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Photograph Album #1 (I), undated

Box: 16, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Photograph Album #1 (II), undated

Box: 16, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Photograph Album #2, 1989-1990, inclusive

Box: 16, Folder: 10 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Photograph Album #3 (I), undated

Box: 16, Folder: 11 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Photograph Album #3 (II), undated

Box: 16, Folder: 12 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Series III: Audio Recordings, circa 1986-1990, inclusive

Box: 12 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Box: 13 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Box: 14 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Content Note

Series III: Audio Recordings contains approximately 250 audiocassettes, mostly recordings of workshops dating from 1986-1990. Speakers and topics represented include Bettina Aptheker, political prisoners, Rainbow Coalition, Labor/Peace/Church, Milton Terris, Gus Hall, corporate capitalism, Central America, and Germany. Also includes cassettes for one board meeting in August 1990. Most cassettes are labeled. There are also some tapes not produced by the Berkshire Forum, including two cassettes of music made by Tom Juravich.

Series IV: Videos, 1985-1989, inclusive

Box: 15 (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

Scope and Content Note

Series IV: Videos contains seven videotapes depicting workshops that took place at the Berkshire Forum in the late 1980s.