Writings

The Books series includes handwritten and typed drafts, page and plate proofs, correspondence, contracts, notes, lists, publicity, and printed materials pertaining to books written by or in collaboration with Josef Albers, including various editions of each. Books include the monograph Josef Albers by Eugen Gomringer, in the production of which Josef played a large part (note that this subseries contains nearly all of the subgroup’s correspondence between Eugen Gomringer and Josef Albers); Despite Straight Lines by Francois Bucher; Formulation: Articulation, a print portfolio included in this subseries due to extensive text by Josef; his most important publication and among his most important teaching contributions, Interaction of Color; Poems and Drawings; and Search versus Re-Search: Three Lectures by Josef Albers at Trinity College. This subseries contains a wealth of material demonstrating Josef’s commitment to art and art education.

This series contains writings by Josef Albers, with writings by others on Josef Albers, and writings by others on topics not related to Josef Albers. The bulk of the subseries is handwritten and typescript drafts and printed versions of poems, statements and general writings by Josef Albers. Often these writings appeared in various publications. Titles contained in brackets represent the first line of an untitled writing or the general topic. Highlights include the group of writings titled "I Remember," which contain various memories of Josef's and the group titled "My Book," which contains various writings put together by Josef for an unfinished book of writings; a facsimile score of Six Melodies for Violin and Keyboard (for Josef and Anni Albers) by John Cage; and an untitled statement on Walter Gropius for an unfinished book on Gropius by Xanti Schawinsky. Most handwritten and typescript versions of poems included in Poems and Drawings are in this subseries. There is a large number of loose leaves with fragments of writings and notes by Josef, both sorted and unsorted. Texts from the Black Mountain College period may also be found in Series IIa: Teaching.