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Perry Miller Adato papers and films

Overview

Scope and Contents

Biographical Note

Detailed Description

Manuscripts

Audiovisual Materials



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Perry Miller Adato papers and films, circa 1968-1982 | Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

By UIUC RBML Staff

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Collection Overview

Title: Perry Miller Adato papers and films, circa 1968-1982Add to your cart.

ID: 01/MSS00001

Primary Creator: Adato, Perry Miller (1920-2018)

Extent: 457.5 Cubic Feet

Arrangement:

This collection is organized by type of material and then by production name or type of production.

Series 1: Manuscripts contains 21 subseries: 1.) Picasso: A Painter's Diary (1980); 2.) Carl Sandburg: Echoes and Silences (1982); 3.) Gertrude Stein: When This You See, Remember Me (1970); 4.) Georgia O'Keeffe (1977); 5.) An Eames Celebration - Several Worlds of Charles and Ray Eames (1973); 6.) Dylan Thomas - The World I Breathe (1968); 7.) Eugene O'Neill: A Glory of Ghosts (1968); 8.) Mary Cassatt - Impressionist From Philadelphia (1978); 9.) Frankenthaler - Toward a New Climate (1978); 10.) The Originals: Women in Art (1979); 11.) The Great Radio Comedians (1972); 12.) 10th Anniversary Celebration of Great Performances (1982); 13.) Early WNET Projects; 14.) Dateline 13; 15.) Business Records; 16.) Personal Papers; 17.) Art Programs; 18.) Film Programs; 19.) Rehoused Documents from Film Cans; 20.) Original Housing; and 21.) Original Cores.

Series 2: Audiovisual Materials contains 11 subseries: 1.) Picasso: A Painter's Diary (1980); 2.) Carl Sandburg: Echoes and Silences (1982); 3.) Gertrude Stein: When This You See, Remember Me (1970); 4.) Georgia O'Keeffe (1977); 5.) An Eames Celebration - Several Worlds of Charles and Ray Eames (1973); 6.) Eugene O'Neill: A Glory of Ghosts (1968); 7.) Mary Cassatt - Impressionist From Philadelphia (1978); 8.) Frankenthaler - Toward a New Climate (1978); 9.) The Originals: Women in Art (1979); 10.) The Great Radio Comedians (1972); and 11.) Other WNET/Thirteen Projects.

Manuscripts were generated either in tandem with specific productions or as research materials for Adato's work as a director/producer for WNET. Each manuscript box was shipped to UIUC during 1982-1984, together with corresonding audiovisual materials.  When analyzing the collection, it's important to consider the context in which they were created, as well as the phase of production that they were created in (pre-production, production, or post-production).

Subjects: Brassai, 1899-1984, Cassatt, Mary, 1844-1926, Eames, Charles, Eames, Ray, Frankenthaler, Helen, 1928-2011, Neel, Alice, 1900-1984, Nevelson, Louise, 1899-1988, O'Keeffe, Georgia, 1887-1986, O'Neill, Eugene, 1888-1953, Picasso, Pablo, 1881-1973, Saar, Betye, Sandburg, Carl, 1878-1967, Stein, Gertrude, 1874-1946, Thomas, Dylan, 1914-1953, Work of Charles and Ray Eames (Library of Congress)

Languages: English, Spanish;Castilian, French

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Perry Miller Adato papers and films collection document the work of New York documentarian, Perry Miller Adato (1920-2018), as a director and producer from 1970 to 1982. The collection contains original film production elements such as 16mm and 35mm film, production-related documents such as story boards, 35mm slides, stills, extensive research material, NEH grant proposals, scripts, broadcast master tapes, and correspondence with documentary subjects such as Georgia O'Keeffe and Paloma Picasso. Also included are a significant portion of manuscripts dedicated to the history of cinema in the United States; flyers and film programs from the underground and independent filmmaking movements of the late 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s; brochures for post-production vendors; and resumes of working artists.

Biographical Note

Perry Miller Adato (1920-2018, b. Yonkers, New York) was a prolific documentarian, whose work as a film researcher, distributor, producer, and director spanned roughly seven decades, beginning in the 1940s through the 2010s. Best known for her WNET/Thirteen documentaries exploring the interior lives of influential artists, poets, and writers of the 20th century, Adato's accomplishments have earned her numerous accolades. Notable achievements include an Emmy award for her directorial debut, Dylan Thomas - The World I Breathe in 1968 and a Most Outstanding Achievement in Documentary award in 1978 from the Director's Guild of America for Georgia O'Keeffe (1977). Adato was also the first woman in the history of the Director's Guild to win this prestigious designation.

She has also been cited as a major influence on the stylistic development of American documentary cinema. Her unique style choices to use narration and reenactment to propel the film narrative would go on to define contemporary documentary filmmaking practices that are canonized today by documentarians such as Kens Burns, who cites Adato as one of the major influences of his work. Adato's tireless career as a producer and director continued into her 90s, leaving behind dynamic artifacts that give us an intimate look at 20th-century legends such as Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso, Carl Sandburg, Georgia O'Keeffe, and the Eames among many others.

Subject/Index Terms

Brassai, 1899-1984
Cassatt, Mary, 1844-1926
Eames, Charles
Eames, Ray
Frankenthaler, Helen, 1928-2011
Neel, Alice, 1900-1984
Nevelson, Louise, 1899-1988
O'Keeffe, Georgia, 1887-1986
O'Neill, Eugene, 1888-1953
Picasso, Pablo, 1881-1973
Saar, Betye
Sandburg, Carl, 1878-1967
Stein, Gertrude, 1874-1946
Thomas, Dylan, 1914-1953
Work of Charles and Ray Eames (Library of Congress)


Box and Folder Listing


Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Manuscripts],
[Series 2: Audiovisual Materials],
[All]

Series 2: Audiovisual MaterialsAdd to your cart.
Sub-series 1: Picasso: A Painter's Diary (1980)Add to your cart.

1,239 Total Items

1 1" Videotape

131 1/4" Reel to Reel Tapes

1,052 16mm

11 35mm

26 Quadruplex Videotape

18 Umatic

Sub-series 2: Carl Sandburg: Echoes and Silences (1982)Add to your cart.

832 Total Items

75 1/4" Reel to Reel Tapes

723 16mm

5 35mm

29 Audio Cassettes

Sub-series 3: Gertrude Stein: When This You See, Remember Me (1970)Add to your cart.

1,000 Total Items

66 1/4" Reel to Reel Tapes

928 16mm

6 35mm

Sub-series 4: Georgia O'Keeffe (1977)Add to your cart.

390 Total Items

1 1/4" Reel to Reel Tape

388 16mm

1 35mm

Sub-series 5: An Eames Celebration - Several Worlds of Charles and Ray Eames (1973)Add to your cart.

165 Total Items

84 1/4" Reel to Reel Tapes

81 16mm

Sub-series 6: Eugene O'Neill: A Glory of Ghosts (1986)Add to your cart.

4 Total Items

1 1/4" Reel to Reel Tape

1 16mm

2 Flexi Disc

Sub-series 7: Mary Cassatt - Impressionist From Philadelphia (1978)Add to your cart.

305 Total Items

42 1/4" Reel to Reel Tapes

263 16mm

Sub-series 8: Frankenthaler - Toward a New Climate (1978)Add to your cart.

309 Total Items

4 1/4" Reel to Reel Tapes

303 16mm

2 35mm

Sub-series 9: The Originals: Women in Art (1979)Add to your cart.

83 Total Items

81 16mm

2 35mm

Sub-series 10: The Great Radio Comedians (1972)Add to your cart.

60 Total Items

60 1/4" Reel to Reel Tapes

Sub-series 11: Other WNET/Thirteen ProjectsAdd to your cart.

Includes items for:

Business Records: 1 1/4" Reel to Reel Tape

Dateline 13: 1 1/4" Reel to Reel Tape

Other WNET/Thirteen Projects: 6 1/4" Reel to Reel Tapes, 231 16mm, 2 35mm Film, 1 Audio Cassette, 42 Umatic

World In Action: 2 16mm


Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Manuscripts],
[Series 2: Audiovisual Materials],
[All]


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