Many thanks to Frances Negrón-Muntaner for sharing the news that the Jack and Irene Delano Archive is now open for consultation at Rare Book & Manuscript at Columbia University. [Below the description, see the links that Professor Negrón-Muntaner shared to facilitate research.]
Description: The collection consists of professional papers, correspondence, photographs, music, writings, and artwork of Jack and Irene Delano. Materials document their work with the Farm Security Administration (FSA), public television station WIPR, and Puerto Rican government educational agency DIVEDCO (División de Educación de la Comunidad; Puerto Rican Division of Community Education), as well as many personal projects inspired by Puerto Rican history and culture. The collection contains black and white photographic prints and negatives, drawings, publication designs, fine art prints, posters, musical scores, screenplays, exhibit catalogs, and ephemera. Works represented include photography books Contrasts/Contrastes and Puerto Rico Mío and illustrated books Sabios Árboles, Mágicos Árboles, Los Aguinaldos del Infante, Los Milagros en Metal y en Cera de Puerto Rico, Plenas, The Conquest of Puerto Rico, The Emperor’s New Clothes, En Busca de (In Search of) Maestro Rafael Cordero, and Coquí by Tomás Blanco. Also present are materials relating to documentary films by Jack Delano such as Los Peloteros, El Legado de Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, and La Gaceta.
- Series I: Puerto Rico, 1938-1997
This series consists of records related to Jack and Irene Delano’s professional life in Puerto Rico, including their work with WIPR-TV and DIVEDCO (División de Educación de la Comunidad; Puerto Rican Division of Community Education). Records reflect Jack Delano’s work on many notable WIPR programs, including Festival Casals, a festival honoring classical musician Pablo Casals, founded in 1956. Also included are correspondence and itineraries from Delano’s UNESCO-funded research trip to document contemporary filmmaking methods in other countries.
DIVEDCO materials document Delano films such as Los Peloteros, posters they designed, and the printing workshop Irene established, which included notable artists such as Rafael Tufiño and Lorenzo Homar as members.
Also included are plans for buildings, exhibits, and stage performances designed by Jack Delano.
- Series II: Photographs, 1913-1999
This series documents Jack Delano’s career as a photographer, including his work with the FSA in the 1930s to early 1940s, the Office of War Information (OWI) during World War II, and the Office of Information (La Oficina de Información) after he moved to Puerto Rico. This series also contains photographs from his UNESCO trip (1960), photographs of his exhibits, and personal photographs with family and friends.
Also included are photographs by others, such as Edwin and Louise Rosskam, Jack and Irene’s son Pablo Delano, and numerous participants in the Photographers of Playa Ponce Project, a program teaching photography to local youth. Irene designed calendars, and Jack designed an exhibit based on the project.
- Series III: Music, 1933-1996
This series consists of manuscript drafts and published musical scores by Jack Delano, and programs, photographs, and reviews of performances of Delano’s works. Some scores feature poetry and lyrics by Tomás Blanco. See also Series VIII for audio recordings of some of these works.
- Series IV: Published Works, 1838-1997, bulk 1941-1997
This series consists of writings, illustrations, book designs, and screenplays by Jack and Irene Delano.
Jack Delano’s individual work includes books of photographs such as Contrasts/Contrastes and Puerto Rico Mío ; illustrations for books such as Sabios Árboles, Mágicos Árboles; and films he wrote and directed such as El Legado de Arturo Alfonso Schomburg and La Gaceta.
Irene Delano’s individual work includes graphic design work for tourism materials and design work for Los Milagros en Metal y en Cera de Puerto Rico and Plenas.
Records also document books on which Jack and Irene Delano collaborated, including The Emperor’s New Clothes, En Busca de (In Search of) Maestro Rafael Cordero, The Conquest of Puerto Rico, and Los Aguinaldos del Infante, for which Irene provided illustrations and Jack composed music.
- Series V: Papers and Correspondence, 1862, 1919-1999
This series consists of Jack and Irene Delano’s professional and personal papers and correspondence. Materials include contracts, exhibition catalogs, interviews, essays, speeches, and papers related to Jack Delano’s military service during World War II and international UNESCO trip in 1960.
- Series VI: Artwork, 1940-2003
This series consists of artwork created by Jack and Irene Delano including posters, fine art prints, sketches, and drawings, as well as art by others, which was either gifted to or purchased by the Delanos for their personal collection. Artists include Rafael Tufiño, Lorenzo Homar, José M. Figueroa, Eduardo Vera Cortés, Ben Joseph, and Ben Shahn.
See also: Cartoons, sketches, and other original art that are associated with literary or film projects are in Series IV: Publications. Artwork published in a newspaper or magazine is in Series VII: Printed Material.
- Series VII: Printed Materials, 1731, 1925-2000
This series contains books, maps, essays, articles, and catalogs collected by Jack and Irene Delano. Materials include publications about Jack and Irene Delano, as well as reference material they collected for research purposes. This series also includes printed material containing work by the Delanos such as editorial cartoons (e.g., Island Times) and graphic design (e.g., Que Pasa). See also: Jack Delano’s cartoon sketches are located in Series IV: Publications.
- Series VIII: Audiovisual material, 1950s-1990s
This series contains audiovisual material, all of which has been digitized. Contents include films that Jack and Irene worked on; recordings of Jack’s musical works; other musical and film works; some personal recordings; recordings relating to Puero Rican culture and politics; and a set of recordings by the Vanguardia Revolucionaria Dominicana. Original formats include film, video, open-reel audio, and cassette tape.
For more information, see https://findingaids.library.columbia.edu/ead/nnc-rb/ldpd_12375965
Frances Negrón-Muntaner shares the following:
- a finding aid at https://findingaids.library.columbia.edu/ead/nnc-rb/ldpd_12375965
- and information about visiting the Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Columbia University at https://library.columbia.edu/libraries/rbml.html