Scope and arrangement
The Lincoln Kirstein papers, Additions (1907-1989) contain writings, correspondence, photographs, financial records, and contracts. The material primarily relates to Kirstein's art collection and interest in art; his charitable contributions; and his writing career. There are also letters and writings from Pavel Tchelitchew; photographs and memorabilia of Kirstein's father, Louis Kirstein; and Kirstein family photographs.
Correspondence primarily dates to the 1980s, and is arranged by correspondent or subject. The files include enclosures such as clippings and project proposals. There is not a large amount of correspondence with any one person. Subjects of the correspondence include the New York City Ballet; awards received by Kirstein; the deaths of Kirstein's siblings, George Kirstein and Mina Kirstein Curtiss; and museum exhibits, books, and other projects which Kirstein contributed to. There are a small number of letters from Curtiss dating to 1959. The New York City Ballet correspondence also includes a file on Kirstein's efforts to stage The Sleeping Beauty.
Writings by Kirstein include poems, articles, reviews, lectures, and notes, as well as contracts and correspondence related to his publications. Most of the writings are drafts of published articles; some have handwritten corrections. A small number of Kirstein's school writings from the 1920s are also present. The collection includes writings and a card file that were used in the preparation of Lincoln Kirstein: The Published Writings, 1922-1977, A First Bibliography. The card file contains bibliographic information and excerpts from Kirstein's writings. Bibliographic cards are also held in the Lincoln Kirstein papers, (S) *MGZMD 123, Series 3.
The collection contains a small number of writings about Kirstein. These include short biographies, a draft of a 1987 interview for Parabola, and reviews of Kirstein's 1967 play, White House Happening.
Financial and legal records consist of correspondence, invoices, receipts, legal agreements, and correspondence, primarily related to Kirstein's art collection and charitable contributions, including donations of artwork.
Kirstein's father, Louis Kirstein, was chairman of the board of directors at William Filene's Sons Company and sat on the National Labor Board. The collection contains a scrapbook of clippings created after his death in 1942; copies of articles he wrote; and memorabilia such as a program for a 1934 dinner celebrating the first anniversary of the National Recovery Administration (NRA). There is also a three-page draft of the Loss Limitation Provision of the NRA's 1933 Code of Fair Competition for the Retail Trade, in Franklin D. Roosevelt's hand.
The collection contains personal photographs dating from 1907 to the 1950s. The photographs are primarily of Lincoln Kirstein, Louis Kirstein, and other family members. The collection also contains photographic prints and negatives of artwork, mostly depicting subjects related to the history of dance. Some of these images were used in Kirstein's book, Movement and Metaphor: Four Centuries of Ballet. The Movement and Metaphor material includes some photocopies of reference material as well. There are also photographic negatives of works by William Rimmer.
Kirstein was friends with artist Pavel Tchelitchew, and also executor of his estate. Material related to Tchelitchew includes letters that he wrote to Kirstein; letters he wrote to Frederick Melton; notes on his life and art; correspondence about his estate; transparencies and photographic prints of his art; clippings; and drafts of a lecture he gave on Gertrude Stein.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in seven categories: Correspondence, Writings by Kirstein, Writings about Kirstein, Financial and Legal Records, Photographs, Louis Kirstein materials, and Pavel Tchelitchew materials. Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by correspondent or subject.