The Philip J. Jaffe Collection of Leftist Literature
A large working collection of books, pamphlets, documents, and magazines was assembled by the American writer, editor, and propagandist, Philip Jaffe (1895-1980), who was active in these capacities from the 1930s through the 1950s. Notably, he was the editor of several publications devoted to Chinese affairs, and his information-gathering for one, Amerasia, led to his being charged with possessing classified government documents, to which charge he pled guilty. This case was an important early event in the Cold War.
The material in the collection is primarily political, economic, and social, with a special concentration on China and the Far East. Jaffe's views were decidedly left-wing, even radical, and his library reflects his interests; most of the publications he assembled were about communism, peace movements, civil rights, unions and labor, the working classes, and events in the Third World. His library has complete runs of two of the magazines he edited, Amerasia and China Today, as well as a wealth of material he used as sources for those publications.
The 15,000-volume library that Jaffe assembled was acquired by the Center in 1960. His archive is primarily at Emory University in Atlanta, and another significant group of manuscripts is at York University in Toronto.
Registration for the Flair Symposium, November 13-15, 2008, is now open. Registration is open to the public with a limited number of spaces available to students at a discounted price. Members of the Harry Ransom Center also receive a discount.
Watch broadcast journalist Mike Wallace's interviews from the television program The Mike Wallace Interview. Wallace donated the show's footage on 16mm kinescope to the Ransom Center in the early 1960s. Most episodes have not been seen since they aired.
Where do you live: Squaresville or Beatnik Boro? Sunnyville or Crazyville?
