Scope and Content Note
The papers of Art Buchwald (1925-2007) span the years 1885 to 2007, with the bulk of the material dating from 1962 to 2000. The collection documents Buchwald’s career as a humorist and columnist, as well as many aspects of his personal life and relationships. The papers are organized into nine series: General Correspondence, Writings, Buchwald v. Paramount Pictures Corporation , Administrative File, Speeches, Personal File, Subject File, Digital File, and Oversize.
The collection extensively documents Buchwald’s work as a syndicated columnist in Europe (1949-1962) and the United States (1962-2006), as well as his work as an author, playwright, and public speaker. These papers primarily focus on Buchwald’s professional pursuits, especially his years in Washington, D.C., while working for the Washington Post, though evidence of his personal relationships with entertainers, political figures, print and broadcast journalists, musicians, literary figures, friends, and family members form a significant part of the collection. These papers further illustrate the many connections Buchwald made during his life in Paris, France, Washington, D.C., and summers in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Buchwald’s papers also broadly chronicle his youth and include material related to his childhood in the Hebrew Orphan Asylum and New York City’s foster care system, service in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, education at the University of Southern California, and his efforts to establish himself as a writer in Paris in the late 1940s and 1950s. Buchwald’s illnesses later in life, stay in hospice care, and death in 2007 are also documented in this collection. To a lesser extent, these papers reflect Buchwald’s lifelong struggle with depression. Though more minimally documented, this marks an important aspect of Buchwald’s life and character.
The collection’s series are listed and briefly described below. A fuller description of each series and a list of its contents can be accessed in the series descriptions within the container list.
The General Correspondence series is composed primarily of incoming letters Buchwald received from friends, colleagues, and relatives. The series is organized into three major groupings: VIP, Close friends, and Chronological. The “VIP” and “Close friends” designations were maintained as received and include letters from a wide variety of notable political and public figures.
The Writings series forms the largest portion of the collection and documents Buchwald’s work as a columnist, novelist, autobiographer, and playwright and documents his many articles, books, columns, memoirs, plays, and screenplays.
The Buchwald v. Paramount Pictures Corporation series chronicles a lawsuit Buchwald and producer, Alain Bernheim, filed against Paramount Pictures in 1988 for breach of contract in the development of a treatment for the film Coming to America.
The Administrative File largely pertains to Buchwald’s career management, finances, and public persona.
The Speeches series documents events and engagements for which Buchwald served as a speaker or master of ceremonies, was honored, or attended and includes remarks and scheduling information related to his many appearances at events, conferences, conventions, organizational meetings, charity benefits, award banquets, and commencements.
The Personal File chronicles Buchwald’s childhood in foster care in New York City, service in the United States Marine Corps during WWII, education at the University of Southern California, early career in Paris, France, family, health, and death.
The Subject File holds a wide range of files pertaining to Buchwald’s personal interests, organizations and charities he supported, and organizations in which Buchwald was indirectly or directly involved, among other topics.
The Digital File series contains the contents of a personal computer and word-processing disks created and used by Buchwald between 1987 and 2006.
The remaining series houses Oversize and unusually formatted material.