Sheldon Herman Ramsdell papers, 1955-1996.
Collection Number: 7714
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cornell University Library
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Title:
Sheldon Herman Ramsdell papers, 1955-1996.
Repository:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Collection Number:
7714
Abstract:
Files from Ramsdell's work with Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Plus, correspondence
mainly with his parents; photographs from his career.
Creator:
Ramsdell, Sheldon, 1935-1996.
Quanitities:
2.4 cubic feet.
Language:
Collection material in English
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.
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.
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.
INFORMATION FOR USERS
Sheldon Herman Ramsdell papers, #7714. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections,
Cornell University Library.
Names:
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
Williams, Tennessee, 1911-1983
Subjects:
Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Protest movements.
Veterans.
Photographers.
Gay military personnel.
Form and Genre Terms:
Photographs.
CONTAINER LIST
Container
|
Description
|
Date
|
|
Series I. Personal Materials
|
|||
Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Personal correspondence,
|
1968 |
Box 1 | Folder 2 |
Correspondence with FBI, including copy of FBI file on Ramsdell,
|
1989 |
Box 1 | Folder 3 |
Misc. correspondence,
|
1958-1996 |
Box 1 | Folder 4 |
Misc. correspondence,
|
1973-1996 |
Box 1 | Folder 5 |
Misc. personal correspondence,
|
1992 |
Box 1 | Folder 6 |
Misc. personal materials, including news clippings, correspondence, etc.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 7 |
Sheldon Ramsdell obituaries,
|
1996 |
Box 1 | Folder 8 |
Correspondence regarding Ramsdell's death,
|
1996 |
Box 1 | Folder 9 |
Trolley Tour Guides
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 10 |
Postcards
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 11 |
What Does a Photographer Do?, by T.E. Mergendahl Jr. & Sheldon Ramsdell,
|
1965 |
Box 5 | Folder 1 |
Gaysweek/Miami Heald Newspaper clippings
|
1972-1981 |
Scope and Contents
Contains articles by Ramsdell
|
|||
Box 5 | Folder 2 |
Correspondence, Articles on Ramsdell, Club and business cards
|
1968-1982 |
Box 5 | Folder 3 |
Misc. Artwork
|
1971 |
Box 5 | Folder 4 |
Correspondence, Newspaper Clippings
|
1992-1996 |
Box 5 | Folder 5 |
Key West Materials and Stories about Key West by Ramsdell
|
1977-1980 |
Box 5 | Folder 6 |
Material Relating to Key West
|
1978-1982 |
Scope and Contents
Contains material relating to Tennessee Williams
|
|||
Box 5 | Folder 7 |
Key West Magazines and Brochures
|
1976-1978 |
Box 5 | Folder 8 |
Articles regarding Ramsdell's death and memorial
|
1996-03-1996-04 |
Box 5 | Folder 9 |
Marginal Way Memorial
|
1993-07 |
Box 5 | Folder 10 |
Notes, Unlabeled Writings
|
Undated |
Box 5 | Folder 11 |
Newspaper Clippings, Correspondence relating to Politics
|
1981-1992 |
Box 5 | Folder 12 |
Newspaper Clippings Relating to 1992 Election
|
1992 |
Box 5 | Folder 13 |
Personal Correspondence
|
1981-1992 |
Box 5 | Folder 14 |
Correspondence with, Play by Robert Patrick
|
1979-1980 |
Box 5 | Folder 15 |
Newspaper Article: Phyllis Schlafly's Son Gay
|
1992-09-18 |
Box 5 | Folder 16 |
Correspondence with Shirley and Charles Suglia, Folder 1 of 2
|
1989-1992 |
Box 5 | Folder 17 |
Correspondence with Shirley and Charles Suglia, Folder 2 of 2
|
1990-1992 |
Box 5 | Folder 18 |
Oricha: Book with note to Ramsdell
|
1981 |
Box 5 | Folder 19 |
Newspaper: Everard Fire
|
1977-06 |
Box 5 |
McCarthy Staff Photo Stamps
|
Undated | |
Series II. Military Service and Anti-War Work
|
|||
Box 1 | Folder 12 |
Military materials from Bainbridge, MD, including ID card and "Welcome Aboard" packet
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 13 |
Navy publications, including "Rights and Benefits of Navymen and their Dependents",
"Going Back to Civilian Life", etc.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 14 |
2 issues of the US Navy's Desert News, sent by Ramsdell to his parents,
|
1956 |
Box 1 | Folder 15 |
Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) info packet
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 16 |
VVAW publications, newsletters, flyers, etc.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 17 |
VVAW 25th Anniversary materials
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 18 |
Sheldon Ramsdell letter to the editor re: Nixon and the War
|
|
Box 5 | Folder 21 |
Newspaper clips relating to Vietnam War
|
1992 |
Series III. McCarthy Materials
|
|||
Box 1 | Folder 19 |
Correspondence from McCarthy campaing
|
|
Box 2 |
McCarthy scrapbook
|
||
Box 5 | Folder 20 |
The Stone's at the bottom of the Hill - Jack Newfield
|
1968-06-13 |
Series IV. AIDS Work
|
|||
Box 1 | Folder 20 |
Correspondence and misc. materials regarding San Francisco CAN (Community Aids Network)
and Prop 64,
|
1986 |
Box 5 | Folder 22 |
Newspaper clippings and announcements relating to AIDS work
|
1992 |
Box 5 | Folder 23 |
Correspondence relating to AIDS work
|
1981-1992 |
Series V. Photographs/slides/negatives
|
|||
Box 1 | Folder 21 |
Photograph list labels
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 22 |
Hoover gravesite photo
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 23 |
Hoover gravesite photos
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 24 |
Misc. photos
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 25 |
Misc. photos and negatives
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 26 |
Les Brown
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 27 |
Misc.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 28 |
Navy
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 29 |
Misc.
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 30 |
Misc. scenic
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 31 |
Misc. Navy photos/negatives
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 32 |
Bette Midler
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 33 |
AIDS Memorial photos from Dio de los Muertos (?)
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 34 |
Navy
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 35 |
Singing/dancing girls
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 36 |
Car crash
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 37 |
Poolside speaker
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 38 |
Poolside speakers
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 39 |
Girls walking around pool
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 40 |
Swimsuit girls
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 41 |
Advertisement photos (?)
|
|
Box 2 |
"Highest Quality Metals" advertisement photo, by Ramsdell
|
||
Box 2 |
Abbie Hoffman photo by Ramsdell, New York City
|
1969 | |
Box 3 | Folder 1 |
Unlabeled
|
|
Box 3 | Folder 2 |
Belfast City; Dock, Maine
|
August 1983 |
Box 3 | Folder 3 |
Sheldon in San Francisco and Mexico
|
1992 |
Box 3 | Folder 4 |
March with sign "Colin Powell is Afraid of Me!" and Harvey Milk memorial plaque design.
|
|
Box 3 | Folder 5 |
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 6 |
Graves of Audre Lorde and Glyde Anderson Tolson
|
|
Box 3 | Folder 7 |
Leonard Matlovich grave, Congressional Cemetery, Washington DC
|
|
Box 3 | Folder 8 |
Graves including Hoover
|
|
Box 3 | Folder 9 |
Benefit? Restaurant kitchen.
|
|
Box 3 | Folder 10 |
Babies, Sheldon
|
|
Box 3 | Folder 11 |
Sheldon's parents?, Slides of Sheldon's parents?, Sheldon's Cannabis Buyers' Club
card, San Francisco
|
|
Box 4 |
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 5 | Folder 24 |
"Tough" Ansonia '73 NYC
|
Summer |
Box 5 | Folder 25 |
"Abby" Hoffman at News Conference at [illegible] (Chicago 8) NYC
|
1969-09-27 |
Box 5 | Folder 26 |
NYC Lincoln Center Park for Sen. Eugene McCarthy
|
1969 |
Box 5 | Folder 27 |
Photograph of NYC
|
Undated |
Box 5 | Folder 28 |
Key West Photographs
|
1973-1980 |
Box 5 | Folder 29 |
Photographs of Sheldon Ramsdell
|
Undated |
Box 5 | Folder 30 |
Unlabeled Photographs
|
Undated |
Box 5 | Folder 31 |
Photographs of Sheldon Ramsdell
|
1956-1969 |
Box 5 | Folder 32 |
Unlabeled Photo by Ramsdell
|
Undated |
Box 5 | Folder 33 |
Unlabeled Negatives Undated
|
Undated |
Box 5 | Folder 34 |
Dem. Con. Negatives
|
Undated |
Box 5 | Folder 35 |
Key West Negatives
|
1973 |
Box 5 | Folder 36 |
Florida Keys Negatives
|
Undated |
Box 5 | Folder 37 |
Key west Negatives
|
1978-03 |
Box 5A |
Hong Cong BBC
|
Undated | |
Box 5A |
Gene McCarthy
|
Undated | |
Box 5A |
Chicago, ILL, Sen. McCarthy, V.P. Humphrey, Sen. McGovern, Larry O'Brien, Jeff [illegible]
|
1968-08-01 | |
Box 5A |
Keywest [illegible] gallery, Albert [illegible]
|
1979-03 | |
Box 5B |
Unlabeled Slides
|
Undated |