MS 232
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Collection Summary | |
| Creator: | Reznikoff, Charles |
| Collection Name: | Papers of Charles Reznikoff, |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1916-1979 |
| Physical Description: | 3.75 linear feet |
| Abstract: | The Charles Reznikoff papers is comprised of his correspondence, manuscripts, poetry, plays, prose, biographical material, and copies of his works and translations. |
| Collection Number: | MS 232 |
| Repository: |
University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections University of Arizona PO Box 210055 Tucson, AZ 85721-0055 Phone: 520-621-6423 Fax: 520-621-9733 URL: http://www.library.arizona.edu/speccoll |
Charles Reznikoff was an American poet, author, and founder of the Objectivist School of Poetry. He was born on August 31, 1894, in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were Russian Jewish immigrants who had fled Russia after the assassination of Alexander II.
At the age of sixteen he spent a year studying journalism at Missouri State University; in 1912 he entered the law School of New York University and graduated in 1916. He practiced law briefly and entered officer training school in 1918 during World War I but never saw active duty.
Reznikoff worked for a time for his family's business as a hat salesman. He then worked for a legal publishing house where he wrote summaries of court records for legal reference books. In 1918, he privately published his 1st book of poetry, Rhythms.
From his teens, Reznikoff had been writing poetry, much of it influenced by the Imagists, and publishing it using a second-hand press, for which he set the type himself. Throughout his writing life, Reznikoff was always concerned to ensure that his work was published, even at his own expense.
In the 1930s, he gained recognition as one of the principal proponents of Objectivism. He helped to establish the Objectivist Press which published three of his books including the Waters of Manhattan in 1930. Unfortunately most of his work had little commercial success and the majority of his writings continued to be self-published.
The most comprehensive edition of Reznikoff's work is Poems 1918-1975: The Complete Poems of Charles Reznikoff(Black Sparrow Press, 1989). His other books of poetry include; Holocaust(1975) and Testimony, which are his most celebrated works, as well as Going To and Fro and Walking Up and Down(1941), Jerusalem the Golden(1934), Poems (1920), and Rhythms (1918).
In 1971, he was awarded the Morton Dauwen Zabel Prize by The National Institute of Arts and Letters. Later that same year, he also found a new publisher, Black Sparrow Press. In the years following his death Black Sparrow brought all his major poetry and prose works back into print.
Apart from his brief venture in the south and a year spent as a Hollywood screenwriter in the 1930, Reznikoff was a lifelong resident of New York City. He died on January 22, 1976.
The papers contain correspondence, manuscripts, poetry, plays, prose, biographical material, and copies of his published works and translations. Published materials by other authors are also present. Some are concerned with Jewish history and stories. Others are poetry books, including ones by Allen Ginsberg, Alfred Kreymborg, and Reznikoff's wife, Marie Syrkin. Articles, reviews, and one book are about Reznikoff and his work; the book is titled Charles Reznikoff: a Critical Essay, by Milton Hindus. The main correspondent is Albert Lewin, a Hollywood agent and personal friend. The letters, from 1916 to 1945, discuss their own work, as well as their opinions of other contemporary books and plays.
There are no restrictions on this collection.
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for the University of Arizona, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.
Papers of Charles Reznikoff (MS 232). Special Collections, University of Arizona Libraries.
| Series I: Correspondence 1916-1962 | |||||||||||
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| 1 | 1 | Correspondence, with outlines, notes, etc. CR and Albert Lewin. One letter (10/22/16) from Paul Reznikoff to Albert Lewin (see also 6, below). 1916-1924 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Correspondence, etc.: CR and Albert Lewin, 1916-1924 | |||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Correspondence, etc.: CR and Albert Lewin, 1934-1935. | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Correspondence etc.: CR and Albert Lewin, 1936-1945. | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Letters from CR to niece Camilla Resnikoff Wygan, 1958/1962. | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Letters to publisher John Martin: by Cr, 1974; by Paul Reznikoff, 1978 (see also 1, above). | |||||||||
| Series II: Books 1918-1977 | |||||||||||
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| 2 | 1A | RHYTHMS. Brooklyn, New York, privately printed,[1918] Stapled and sewn into stiff paper covers. Ownership signature, Marie S[yrkin] Resznikoff, on title-page. | |||||||||
| 2 | 1B | Rhythms II. Brooklyn, New York, privately printed, [1919]. Stapled without wrappers. Ownership signature, Marie S. Reznikoff,on title-page/cover. | |||||||||
| 2 | 2A | POEMS. New York, Samuel Roth, [1920]. Paper-covered boards. An edition of 250 copies. | |||||||||
| 2 | 2B | URIEL ACOSTA: A Play and A FOURTH GROUP OF VERSE. New York, privately printed, [1921]. Covered-paper boards. | |||||||||
| 2 | 3A | CHATTERTON, THE BLACK DEATH, AND MERIWETHER LEWIS, THREE PLAYS. [New York] privately printed. [1922]. Paper-covered boards. Inscribed to his publisher, John Martin on cover. | |||||||||
| 2 | 3B | CORAL and CAPTIVE ISRAEL: TWO PLAYS. [New York], privately printed. [1923]. Stapled into stiff paper covers. Inscribed to his publisher on the cover. | |||||||||
| 2 | 4 | NINE PLAYS. New York, Charles Reznikoff, [1927] Contents: URIEL ACOSTA ABRAM IN EGYPT CHATTERTON MERIWETHER LEWIS CAPTIVE ISRAEL THE BLACK DEATH CORAL RASHI GENESIS Hardbound, with dust wrapper. Type set by CR. 257/400. Inscribed to his publisher on second preliminary page. [p. iii]. | |||||||||
| 2 | 5 | FIVE GROUPS OF VERSE. New York, Charles Reznikoff, [1927]. Hardbound with dust wrapper; in slipcase. Type set by CR. 183/375. (Has enclosures; see 6, below.) | |||||||||
| 2 | 6 | Enclosures for 5, above various notes (for reading(s)?), laid inside front cover. | |||||||||
| 2 | 7 | BY THE WATERS OF MANHATTAN: An Annual. New York, Charles Reznikoff, [1929]. Contents: BY THE WATERS OF MANHTIAN, by CR. AUTOBIOGRAPHY, by Sarah Reznikoff. Editing and glosses by CR. Hardbound, with dust wrapper, 198/200. Inscribed to his publisher on front free endpaper. | |||||||||
| 2 | 8 | BY THE WATERS OF MAHATTAN. With an introduction by Louis Untermeter. New York, Albert and Charles Boni, 1939. Hardbound, with tissue paper. | |||||||||
| 2 | 9A | BY THE WATERS OF MAHATTAN, with an introduction by Louis Untermeter. New York, Albert and Charles Boni,1939. Paperback. Inscribed to poet Gerard Malanga on half-title. | |||||||||
| 2 | 9B | JERUSALEM THE GODLEN. New York, The Objectivist Press, [1934]. Hardbound with dust wrapper. Inscribed to his publisher on front free endpaper. | |||||||||
| 2 | 10A | IN MEMORIUM: 1933. New York, The Objective Press, [1934]. Hardbound with dust wrapper. Inscribed to his publisher on free end paper. | |||||||||
| 2 | 10B | TESTIMONY, with an introduction by Kenneth Burke. New York, The Objectivist Press, [1934]. Hardbound with dust wrapper. Inscribed to his publisher on front free endpaper. | |||||||||
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| 3 | 1A | TESTIMONY : THE UNITED STATES 1885-1890 Recitative, [New York]. New Directions-San Francisco Review, [1965] Paperbound page proof (advance reading copy). (Has enclosures; see 2, below.) | |||||||||
| 3 | 1B | Hardbound, with dust wrapper. Inscribed to his publisher on half-title. | |||||||||
| 3 | 2 | Enclosures for 1A. above: lists of poems, laid inside front cover. | |||||||||
| 3 | 3A | Testimony: The United States (1891-1900) Recitative. New York. Privately printed 1968. Paperback. Signed on cover. | |||||||||
| 3 | 3B | Testimony: The United States (1891-1900) Recitative. New York. Privately printed 1968. Paperback. Heavily revised by CR. | |||||||||
| 3 | 4 | Testimony: Volume I: The United States (1885-1915) Recitative. Santa Barbara, Black Sparrow Press, 1978. Paperback. | |||||||||
| 3 | 5 | Testimony: The United States (1891-1900) Recitative. New York. Privately printed 1968. Hardbound trade edition. One of 750 copies. | |||||||||
| 3 | 6 | Testimony: Volume I: The United States (1885-1915) Recitative. Santa Barbara, Black Sparrow Press, 1978. Hardbound with rage of manuscript typed in. 1/100. | |||||||||
| 3 | 7 | Testimony: Volume II: The United States (1885-1915) Recitative Santa Barbara, Black Sparrow Press, 1979. Paperback. | |||||||||
| 3 | 8 | Testimony: Volume II: The United States (1885-1915) Recitative, Santa Barbara, Black Sparrow Press, 1979. Hardbound trade edition. One of 750 copies. | |||||||||
| 3 | 9 | , Testimony: Volume II: The United States (1885-1915) Recitative Santa Barbara, Black Sparrow Press, 1979. Hardbound with page of manuscript tipped in. 1/100. | |||||||||
| 3 | 10 | Early History of a Swing-Machine Operator, by Nathan and Charles Reznikoff. New York, Charles Reznikoff, [1936] Hardbound, with dust wrappers. Inscribed to his publisher on front free end paper. | |||||||||
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| 4 | 1A | Separate Way. New York, The Objectivist Press [1936]. Hardbound, with dust wrapper. | |||||||||
| 4 | 1B | Going to and Fro and Walking Up and Down. New York, privately printed, [1941] Hardbound, with dust wrapper. | |||||||||
| 4 | 2 | The Lionhearted. Philadelphia, The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1944. With a colored dust wrapper. | |||||||||
| 4 | 3 | The Lionhearted. Philadelphia, The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1944. With tissue dust wrapper. (Has enclosures; see 4 below.) | |||||||||
| 4 | 4 | The Lionhearted; 2 letters, 1977, from B.L. Levinson, of The Jewish Publication Society of America, to John Martin laid inside front cover. | |||||||||
| 4 | 5 | The Jews of Charleston: A History of an American Jewish Community, by CR with the collaboration of Uriah Z. Engelman. The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1950 With a colored dust wrapper. | |||||||||
| 4 | 6A | Inscriptions: 1944-1956. New York, privately printed, 1959. Hardbound. with colored wrappers.(Has enclosure see 7, below.) | |||||||||
| 4 | 6B | Inscriptions: 1944-1956. With numerous revisions by CR. (Has enclosure ; see 7, below.) | |||||||||
| 4 | 7 | =Inscriptions: 1944-1956: part of a dust wrapper with 2 lines of verse crossed out; for 6B a typed note, probably for reading; both laid in as noted. | |||||||||
| 4 | 8A | By the Waters of Manhattan: selected verse. Introduction by C.P. Snow. [New York], New Directions –San Francisco Review, [1962]. Paperback. “Desk copy.” with one textual correction. An inscription on half-title has been crossed out. (Has enclosure; see 9, below.) | |||||||||
| 4 | 8B | By the Waters of Manhattan: selected verse. Introduction by C.P. Snow. [New York], New Directions –San Francisco Review, [1962]. Paperback, Second printing. Inscribed to his publisher on half-title. | |||||||||
| 4 | 9 | By the Waters of Manhattan: selected verse. Introduction by C.P. Snow. [New York], New Directions –San Francisco Review, [1962]; 6 notes (for reading?) written on backs of personal checks from the Amalgamated Bank of New York, laid in as noted. | |||||||||
| 4 | 10 | Family chronicle: Early History of a Seamstress, by Sarah Reznikoff. Early History y of a Sewing Machine Operator, by Nathan Reznikoff. Needle Trade, by Charles Resnikoll New York Charles Reznikoff, [1963]. Hardbound, with dust wrapper. Inscribed to his publisher on front free end paper | |||||||||
| 4 | 11 | Early History of a Seamstress, by Sarah Reznikoff. [London,] Norton Bailey [and Co. Ltd]. [1969] With a colored dust wrapper. | |||||||||
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| 5 | 1 | Early History of a Seamstress, by Sarah Reznikoff.. Introduction by Harry Golden. New York Universe Books , [1971]. With dust wrapper. | |||||||||
| 5 | 2A | By the Well of Living and Seeing and the Fifth book of the Maccabees. New York, privately printed. 1969.Paperback. Signed on wrapper. | |||||||||
| 5 | 2B | By the Well of Living and Seeing and the Fifth book of the Maccabees. New York, privately printed. 1969.“Office Copy,“ edited by CR. | |||||||||
| 5 | 3A | BooksBy the Well of Living and Seeing: New and Selected Poems 1919-1973. Edited with an introduction by Seamus Cooney. Los Angeles, Black Sparrow Press, 1974. Paperback. Unpublished 1st issue of 1st edition, with incorrect date (1919) on cover and title-page. Red and black title –rage. | |||||||||
| 5 | 3B | By the Well of Living and Seeing: New and selected poems 1918-1973. Edited with an introduction by Seamus Cooney , Santa Barbara, Black Sparrow Press, 1976. Paperback. “2nd edition. Corrected. “ Black title-page. | |||||||||
| 5 | 4 | By the Well of Living and Seeing: New and selected poems 1918-1973. Edited with an introduction by Seamus Cooney. Los Angeles, Black Sparrow Press, 1974. Hardbound in yellow half cloth. 2/250. 2nd issue, 1st edition. Red and black title-page. | |||||||||
| 5 | 5 | By the Well of Living and Seeing: New and selected poems 1918-1973. Edited with an introduction by Seamus Cooney. Santa Barbara, Black Sparrow Press, 1976. Hardbound in pale yellow half cloth. “2nd edition , corrected.” Black title-page. | |||||||||
| 5 | 6 | By the Well of Living and Seeing: New and selected poems 1918-1973. Edited with an introduction by Seamus Cooney. Los Angeles, Black Sparrow press, 1974. Hardbound. A/26. Signed on colophon. With holograph poem bound in. 2nd issue, 1st edition. | |||||||||
| 5 | 7 | HOLOCAUST. Los Angeles, Black Sparrow Press, 1975. Paperback. | |||||||||
| 5 | 7 | HOLOCAUST. Los Angeles, Black Sparrow Press, 1975. Paperback. | |||||||||
| 5 | 8 | HOLOCAUST. Los Angeles, Black Sparrow Press, 1975. Hardbound. 2/250. Signed on colophon. | |||||||||
| 5 | 9 | . HOLOCAUST. Los Angeles, Black Sparrow Press, 1975. 1/35. With holograph poem bound in. | |||||||||
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| 6 | 1 | Poems 1918-1936: Volume I of the complete poems of Charles Reznifoff. Edited by Seamus Cooney. Santa Barbara, Black Sparrow Press, 1976. Paperbound | |||||||||
| 6 | 2 | Poems, 1918-1936: Hardbound trade edition. | |||||||||
| 6 | 3 | Poems, 1918-1936 Hardbound. 5/25. Signed on the colophon. | |||||||||
| 6 | 4 | . Hardbound A/26. Signed on colophon. With holograph poem bound in. | |||||||||
| 6 | 5 | 5. Poems 1937-1975: Volume II of the complete poems of Charles Reznikoff. Edited by Seamus Cooney. Santa Barbara, Black Sparrow Press, 1977. Paperback. | |||||||||
| 6 | 6 | . Poems 1937-1975: Volume II of the complete poems of Charles Reznikoff. Edited by Seamus Cooney. Hardbound trade edition. | |||||||||
| 6 | 7 | Poems 1937-1975: Volume II of the complete poems of Charles Reznikoff. Edited by Seamus Cooney. Hardbound. 2/225. Signed on colophon. | |||||||||
| 6 | 8 | Poems 1937-1975: Volume II of the complete poems of Charles Reznikoff. Edited by Seamus Cooney. Hardbound. A/26. Signed on colophon. With holograph poem bound in. | |||||||||
| 6 | 9 | FIRST THERE IS THE NEED. SPARROW 52. [Santa Barbara], Black Sparrow Press, 1977. FIRST THERE IS THE NEED. SPARROW 52. [Santa Barbara], Black Sparrow Press, 1977. | |||||||||
| 6 | 10 | THE MANNER MUSIC. Introduction by Robert Creeley. Santa Barbara. Black Sparrow Press, 1977. Paperback. | |||||||||
| 6 | 11 | THE MANNER MUSIC. Introduction by Robert Creeley. Santa Barbara. Black Sparrow Press, 1977. Hardbound trade edition. | |||||||||
| 6 | 12 | THE MANNER MUSIC. Introduction by Robert Creeley. Santa Barbara. Black Sparrow Press, 1977. Hardbound. 1/200. | |||||||||
| 6 | 13 | THE MANNER MUSIC. Introduction by Robert Creeley. New York, Popular Library [1977]. | |||||||||
| Series III: Other published materials 1931-1964 | |||||||||||
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| 7 | 1 | Heart and Clock.” Allendale, Thomas Jefferson College. Broadside. no date | |||||||||
| 7 | 2A | Poetry. v.37, no. 5, February, 1931. “A Group of Verse,” I-VI, and “Sincerity and Objectification; with special reference to the Work of Charles Reznikoff,” by Louis Zukofsky. | |||||||||
| 7 | 2B | POETRY. V.4, No.4, January, 1933.“Winter Sketches,“ I-V. | |||||||||
| 7 | 3 | CONTEMPO. V. 3, No.1, October 25, 1932. “Sights and Sounds,” 1-11. | |||||||||
| 7 | 4 | STORIES AND FANTASIES FROM THE JEWISH PAST. By Emil Bernhard Cohn. Translated from the German manuscript by Charles Reznikoff. Philadelphia. The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1951. | |||||||||
| 7 | 5/6 | THREE YEARS IN AMERICAN, 1859-1862, by [I.J.] Benjamin. Translated by Oscar Handlin. 2 volumes. Philadelphia, The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1956. | |||||||||
| 7 | 7A/B | LOUISE MARSHALL, CHAMPION OF LIBERTY: SELECTED PAPERS AND ADDRESSES. Edited by Charles Reznikoff. Introduction by Oscar Handlin. 2 volumes boxed. Philadelphia, The Jewish Publication of America, 1957. | |||||||||
| 7 | 8 | MIDSTREAM, September, 1964. “American Jewry: 1790-1840,” a review of THE JEWS OF THE UNITED STATES, 1790-1840: A DOCUMENTARY HISTORY, edited by Joseph L. Blau and Salo W. Baron. | |||||||||
| Series IV: Manuscripts Undated | |||||||||||
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| 8 | 1 | Autobiographical writings: meeting Guido Bruno and Samuel Roth 2 pp. | |||||||||
| 8 | 2 | Autobiographical writings: visiting relatives in New England. 13 pp. | |||||||||
| 8 | 3 | Autobiographical writings: concerning “three mistakes I made in my life.” 14 pp. | |||||||||
| 8 | 4 | NOTES FOR AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, pp. 1-40. | |||||||||
| 8 | 5 | NOTES FOR AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, pp. 41-68. | |||||||||
| 8 | 8 | FIRST, THERE IS THE NEED. 1-12 PP. | |||||||||
| 8 | 9 | TESTIMONY: UNITED STATES (1885-1890). Outlines notes. | |||||||||
| 8 | 10 | CHARLES TOWN: A HISTORIAL NOVEL. 4pp. plus outlines, notes, prose. | |||||||||
| 8 | 11 | Various Poetry undated | |||||||||
| Includes poems Neighbors; The Holocaust, 2nd edition; Epilogue; By the well of living and seeing; Spring in New York; Just before the sun goes down; Free verse; Machine age; Walking in New York, | |||||||||||
| 8 | 12 | "In Memoriam: Julius (Judah) Rosenmann " 17 pp. d.1961 | |||||||||
| 8 | 13 | .Pocket notebook: thoughts, notes, quotes. 17 pp. Spring 1969 | |||||||||
| 8 | 14 | "Draft of talk on poetry?, with outline and note, see own article on versification," undated | |||||||||
| 8 | 15 | Sarah Reznikoff:"Why I like to live in America,"7 holograph pages in Yiddish, undated | |||||||||
| 8 | 16 | Draft of talk on poetry, undated | |||||||||
| Series V: Miscellaneous. 1916-1977 | |||||||||||
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| 9 | 1 | Interview: CR with L.S. Dembo, May 2, 1968. Offprint from CONTEPORARY LITERATURE, v.10, No. 2, Spring 1969. | |||||||||
| 9 | 2 | THE CONTEMPORARY WRITER: INTERVIEWS WITH SIXTEEN NOVELISTS AND POETS. Edited by L.S. Dembo and Cyrena N. Pondrom. [Madison], The University of Wisconsin Press, [1972]. The CR-L.S. Dembo interview from CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE. | |||||||||
| 9 | 3 | CHARLES REZNIKOFF: A CRITICAL ESSAY, by Milton Hindus, Santa Barbara, Black Sparrow Press, 1977. One of 400 hardbound copies. | |||||||||
| 9 | 4A | CHARLES REZNIKOFF: A CRITICAL ESSAY, by Milton Hindus, Santa Barbara, Black Sparrow Press, 1977. Paperback. | |||||||||
| 9 | 4B | . CHARLES REZNIKOFF: A CRITICAL ESSAY, by Milton Hindus,. London, The Menard Press, 1977. Paperback. The Black Sparrow Press edition printed for the Menard Press. | |||||||||
| 9 | 5 | Notices, reviews, appreciations of CR and his work. | |||||||||
| 9 | 6 | Obituary: "Charles Reznikoff, Poet, Dead: A Founder of Objectivist School," y Thomas Lask. New York, TIMES, Friday , January 23, 1976. | |||||||||
| 9 | 7 | THE LYRIC, edited by Samuel Roth. V.4, No. 1-2, July-August, 1919. Contains the long poem "Nustscha", by Samuel Roth with pencil-written annotations, comments, notes by CR. | |||||||||
| 9 | 8A | "MUSHROOMS: 16 RYTHMS," by Alfred Kreymborg. Bruno Chap Books, February, 1915. | |||||||||
| 9 | 8B | "O MY MOTHER: 10 RHYTHMS," by Alfred Kreymborg. Bruno Chap Books, April, 1915. | |||||||||
| 9 | 9 | SELECTED WORKS OF THE BRITISH POETS, edited by Dr. Aiken . Philadelphia, Thomas Wardle, 1831. Signed by CR on title page and dated 1910, year he purchased it. An underlined extract from "Early History of a Writer", explains the significance of the book. | |||||||||
| 9 | 10-11 | GLEANINGS: A DIARY IN VERSE, by Marie Syrkin. Santa Barbara, Rhythms Press (i.e. Black Sparrow Press), 1979. | |||||||||
| 9 | 12 | BIXBY CANYON/OCEAN PATH/WORD BREEZE. By Alan Ginsberg. New York, Gotham Book Mart, 1972. | |||||||||
| 9 | 13 | IRON HORSE, by Alan Ginsberg. New York. Gotham Book Mart, 1972. “Inscribed by CR by the poet on title page. | |||||||||
| 9 | 14 | 14 Miscellaneous: picture of CR as a young man. The Artistic Millinery Co., N. Reznikoff: sample piece of stationary. Federal Headwear Col, Inc.: advertising card with phone number, address, note on back. | |||||||||