Guide to the Sheldon Herman Ramsdell Papers,
1955-1996.

Collection Number: 7714

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cornell University Library

Contact Information:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
2B Carl A. Kroch Library
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
(607) 255-3530
Fax: (607) 255-9524
rareref@cornell.edu
http://rmc.library.cornell.edu
Compiled by:
Brenda J. Marston
Andrea Hektor
Date completed:
May 2004
EAD encoding:
Andrea Hektor, May 2004
EAD last modified:
RMC Staff, August 2011

© 2003 Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library

DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
Sheldon Herman Ramsdell papers, 1955-1996.
Collection Number:
7714
Creator:
Ramsdell, Sheldon 1935-1996.
Quantity:
1.4 cubic ft.
Forms of Material:
Correspondence, printed material, photographs, scrapbook.
Repository:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library
Abstract:
Files from Ramsdell's work with Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Plus, correspondence mainly with his parents; photographs from his career, including photos of Bette Midler and a photo of Herbert Hoover's headstone decorated with a pink triangle; a scrapbook of clippings, press releases, and press badges from his time on the McCarthy campaign, including flyers stating McCarthy's support for civil rights and clippings about the assassinations of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1968.
Language:
Collection material in English

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Photojournalist Sheldon (Shelly) Ramsdell, born on August 31, 1935 in Maine, served in the Navy, flying photograph missions over Indochina ca. 1955-58. He was honorably discharged in 1958. In 1967, he was one of the founders of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, one of the most influential anti-war groups of the era. In addition to photographing celebrities, Ramsdell served as chief press aide for Senator Eugene J. McCarthy's 1968 presidential bid, as well as for New York Congresswoman Bella Abzug. His photographs were published in periodicals including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Esquire, and Time. He was also an activist in the Democratic Party on labor union issues. Since the early 1980s, Ramsdell was an activist on behalf of people with AIDS, gay men and lesbians, and veterans. He died March 25, 1996 in San Francisco after a long battle with AIDS.
COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Files from Ramsdell's work with Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Also, correspondence mainly with his parents; photographs from his career, including photos of Bette Midler and a photo of Herbert Hoover's headstone decorated with a pink triangle; a scrapbook of clippings, press releases, and press badges from his time on the McCarthy campaign, including flyers stating McCarthy's support for civil rights and clippings about the assassinations of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. Framed photographs of Norman Mailer (when he was running for mayor of New York City in 1969), Helena Rubenstein, and Joel Grey in makeup for the stage production of Cabaret.
SUBJECTS

Names:
Ramsdell, Sheldon,1935-1996.
McCarthy, Eugene J., 1916-2005.
Midler, Bette.
Mailer, Norman -- Pictorial works.
Rubenstein, Helena -- Pictorial works.
Grey, Joel, 1932- -- Pictorial works.
Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

Subjects:
Gays in military service.
Photographers.
Veterans.
Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975--Protest movements.

Form and Genre Terms:
Photographs.

INFORMATION FOR USERS

Cite As:
Sheldon Herman Ramsdell papers, #7714. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
RELATED MATERIALS

The "Stacewicz, Richard VVAW interviews, 1992-1995" at the Wisconsin Historical Society contain a tape-recorded interview with Sheldon conducted by Richard Stacewicz in preparation for his book, "Winter Soldiers: An Oral History of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War" (1997). State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Archives Division, 816 State Street, Madison, Wis. 53706.
Related collection: Ramsdell, Sheldon Papers, (#1996-28). Files of his AIDS activism during his 12 years living in San Francisco are at the GLBT Historical Society, 657 Mission Street #300, San Francisco, CA 94105 Phone: 415.777.5455. Email: info@glbthistory.org
Collecting program: Human Sexuality Collection.
SERIES LIST

Series I. Personal Materials
Box 1
Series II. Military Service and Anti-War Work
Box 1
Series III. McCarthy Materials
Boxes 1-2
Series IV. AIDS Work
Box 1
Series V. Photographs
Boxes 1-4
CONTAINER LIST

Date
Description
Container
Series I. Personal Materials
Personal correspondence, 1968
Box 1 Folder 1
Correspondence with FBI, including copy of FBI file on Ramsdell, 1989
Box 1 Folder 2
Misc. correspondence, 1958-1996
Box 1 Folder 3
Misc. correspondence, 1973-1996
Box 1 Folder 4
Misc. personal correspondence, 1992
Box 1 Folder 5
Misc. personal materials, including news clippings, correspondence, etc.
Box 1 Folder 6
Sheldon Ramsdell obituaries, 1996
Box 1 Folder 7
Correspondence regarding Ramsdell's death, 1996
Box 1 Folder 8
Trolley Tour Guides
 Box 1 Folder 9
Postcards
 Box 1 Folder 10
What Does a Photographer Do?, by T.E. Mergendahl Jr. & Sheldon Ramsdell, 1965
Box 1 Folder 11
Series II. Military Service and Anti-War Work
Military materials from Bainbridge, MD, including ID card and "Welcome Aboard" packet
Box 1 Folder 12
Navy publications, including "Rights and Benefits of Navymen and their Dependents", "Going Back to Civilian Life", etc.
Box 1 Folder 13
2 issues of the US Navy's Desert News, sent by Ramsdell to his parents, 1956
Box 1 Folder 14
Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) info packet
 Box 1 Folder 15
VVAW publications, newsletters, flyers, etc.
 Box 1 Folder 16
VVAW 25th Anniversary materials
 Box 1 Folder 17
Sheldon Ramsdell letter to the editor re: Nixon and the War
 Box 1 Folder 18
Series III. McCarthy Materials
Correspondence from McCarthy campaing
 Box 1 Folder 19
McCarthy scrapbook
 Box 2
Series IV. AIDS Work
Correspondence and misc. materials regarding San Francisco CAN (Community Aids Network) and Prop 64, 1986
Box 1 Folder 20
Series V. Photographs
Photograph list labels
 Box 1 Folder 21
Hoover gravesite photo
 Box 1 Folder 22
Hoover gravesite photos
 Box 1 Folder 23
Misc. photos
 Box 1 Folder 24
Misc. photos and negatives
 Box 1 Folder 25
Les Brown
 Box 1 Folder 26
Misc.
 Box 1 Folder 27
Navy
 Box 1 Folder 28
Misc.
 Box 1 Folder 29
Misc. scenic
 Box 1 Folder 30
Misc. Navy photos/negatives
 Box 1 Folder 31
Bette Midler
 Box 1 Folder 32
AIDS Memorial photos from Dio de los Muertos (?)
 Box 1 Folder 33
Navy
 Box 1 Folder 34
Singing/dancing girls
 Box 1 Folder 35
Car crash
 Box 1 Folder 36
Poolside speaker
 Box 1 Folder 37
Poolside speakers
 Box 1 Folder 38
Girls walking around pool
 Box 1 Folder 39
Swimsuit girls
 Box 1 Folder 40
Advertisement photos (?)
 Box 1 Folder 41
"Highest Quality Metals" advertisement photo, by Ramsdell
 Box 2
1969
Abbie Hoffman photo by Ramsdell, New York City
Box 2
Unlabeled
 Box 3 Folder 1
August 1983
Belfast City; Dock, Maine
 Box 3 Folder 2
ca. 1992
Sheldon in San Francisco and Mexico
 Box 3 Folder 3
March with sign “Colin Powell is Afraid of Me!” and Harvey Milk memorial plaque design.
Box 3 Folder 4
San Francisco and DC, military contingent at a march, Vietnam memorial, ACT UP poster “Honoring AIDS activists murdered by Reagan-Bush 1980-92”
Box 3 Folder 5
Graves of Audre Lorde and Glyde Anderson Tolson
 Box 3 Folder 6
Leonard Matlovich grave, Congressional Cemetery, Washington DC
Box 3 Folder 7
Graves including Hoover
 Box 3 Folder 8
Benefit? Restaurant kitchen.
 Box 3 Folder 9
Babies, Sheldon
 Box 3 Folder 10
Sheldon’s parents?, Slides of Sheldon’s parents?, Sheldon’s Cannabis Buyers’ Club card, San Francisco
Box 3 Folder 11
Framed photographs by Ramsdell of Mme. Helena Rubinstein in her home 625 Park Ave., NYC; Author, Norman Mailor, NYC 1969, “Running for Mayor of NYC”; Joel Grey Cabaret.
Box 4