Bernard Kassoy Papers

Collection Number: 6385

Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library

DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
Bernard Kassoy Papers,
Collection Number:
6385
Creator:
Kassoy, Bernard
Quantity:
5.3 linear ft.
Forms of Material:
Papers.
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library
Language:
Collection material in English

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Bernard (Bernie) Kassoy (1914-2008) graduated from the City College of New York and Cooper Union Art School and worked in a wide range of media as a painter, printmaker, photographer, sculptor and cinematographer. As a young artist, Kassoy began his career in the WPA New York City Federal Art Project in 1936 and was arrested under the name "Michelangelo Buonarotti" at the first sit-down strike against the WPA by the Artists Union. He was also a US delegate to the 1983 International Association of Artists conference in Finland.
In 1939 Kassoy was hired as a New York City high school fine arts teacher where he taught until he retired in 1972. He also taught adult education classes on cinematography at the High School of Music and Art. As a member of the American Federation of Teachers Local 5, he created cartoons for their publication "The New York Teacher News," directed the Teachers Union art gallery, and made stage sets for theatrical productions.
Bernie Kassoy's 136 editorial cartoons preserved by the Kheel Center were largely created in the 1950s at a time when many US policy makers were enthralled by the search for Communist Party members and sympathizers. In pithy cartoons he portrayed the struggles of New York City students and teachers, as well as the Teachers Union's response to these hardships. He accused school, city, and state officials of turning their attention away from funding shortfalls, classroom overcrowding, outdated texts, dilapidated buildings, teacher turnover, increasing teacher workloads, and stagnant wages, to focus on the question of whether any teachers appeared to be advocating Communism. Though Kassoy repeatedly criticized these manifestations of McCarthyism, he was never blacklisted. His work can also be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Public Library, and Fennimore House Museum.
INFORMATION FOR USERS

Access Restrictions:
Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a reference archivist for access to these materials.
Restrictions on Use:
This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet and Procedures for Document Use.
Cite As:
Bernard Kassoy Papers #6385. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
RELATED MATERIALS

Related Collections:
6385 F: Bernard Kassoy Films
6385 P: Bernard Kassoy Slides and Photographs
6386: Hortense Kassoy Papers
6386 P: Hortense Kassoy Slides and Photographs
CONTAINER LIST

Container
Description
Date
Box 1 Folder 1 1939-1949
Box 1 Folder 2 1950-1959
Box 1 Folder 3 1960-1964
Box 1 Folder 4 1965-1970
Box 1 Folder 5 1970-1973
Box 1 Folder 6 1974-1976
Box 1 Folder 7 1977-1979
Box 1 Folder 8 1980
Box 1 Folder 9 1981-1982
Box 1 Folder 10 1983
Box 1 Folder 11 1984
Box 1 Folder 12 1985
Box 1 Folder 13 1986
Box 1 Folder 14 1987-1988
Box 1 Folder 15 1989
Box 1 Folder 16 1990
Box 1 Folder 17 1991
Box 1 Folder 18 1991-1992
Box 1 Folder 19 1993-1996
Box 1 Folder 20 1996-1998
Box 1 Folder 21 1999-2000
Box 1 Folder 22 2001-2008
Box 1 Folder 23 2008-2009
Box 1 Folder 24 1985-2003
Box 1 Folder 25 1971-1990
Box 1 Folder 26 1962-2005
Box 1 Folder 27
Box 2 Folder 1 1945-1946
Box 2 Folder 2 1998
Box 2 Folder 3 1979-1980
Box 2 Folder 4 1935-1937
Box 2 Folder 5 1974
Box 2 Folder 6
Box 2 Folder 7
Box 2 Folder 8 1958
Box 2 Folder 9 1987
Box 2 Folder 10
Box 2 Folder 11 1975
Box 2 Folder 12
Box 2 Folder 13 1936-1999
Box 2 Folder 14
Box 2 Folder 15 1991
Box 2 Folder 16 1975
Box 2 Folder 17 1956
Box 2 Folder 18
Box 2 Folder 19
Box 2 Folder 20 2003-2007
Box 2 Folder 21 1975-2002
Box 2 Folder 22 1937
Box 2 Folder 23 1982-1984
Box 2 Folder 24 1985
Box 2 Folder 25 1939-1966
Box 2 Folder 26 1974-2003
Box 2 Folder 27 1987
Box 2 Folder 28 1992-1995
Box 2 Folder 29
Box 2 Folder 30
Box 2 Folder 31
Box 2 Folder 32 1996-1999
Box 2 Folder 33 1994
Box 2 Folder 34
Box 2 Folder 35 1993-1998
Box 2 Folder 36 1996
Box 2 Folder 37 1959-1971
Box 2 Folder 38
Box 2 Folder 39
Box 2 Folder 40 1978-2000
Box 2 Folder 41 1983
Box 2 Folder 42
Box 2 Folder 43
Box 2 Folder 44 1977
Box 2 Folder 45 1971
Box 2 Folder 46 1973-1978
Box 2 Folder 47
Box 2 Folder 48 1946-1947
Box 2 Folder 49 1959-1971
Box 2 Folder 50
Box 2 Folder 51 1987-1988
Box 2 Folder 52
Box 2 Folder 53
Box 2 Folder 54 1999-2008
Box 2 Folder 55 1967-1973
Box 2 Folder 56 1967
Box 2 Folder 57
Box 2 Folder 58 1936
Box 2 Folder 59 1936
Box 2 Folder 60 1987
Box 2 Folder 61
Box 2 Folder 62
Box 2 Folder 63 1956
Box 2 Folder 64 1996
Box 3 Folder 1 1993-2000
Box 3 Folder 2 1979-2001
Box 3 Folder 3 1977
Box 3 Folder 4
Box 3 Folder 5 1981-2002
Box 3 Folder 6 1971-2008
Box 3 Folder 7 1992
Box 3 Folder 8
Box 3 Folder 9 1990-2000
Box 3 Folder 10 1984-2002
Box 3 Folder 11 1974
Box 3 Folder 12 1987
Box 3 Folder 13
Box 3 Folder 14
Box 3 Folder 15 1979-1980
Box 3 Folder 16 1959-1981
Box 3 Folder 17 1975
Box 3 Folder 18 2009
Box 3 Folder 19 1998
Box 3 Folder 20 2000
Box 3 Folder 21
Box 3 Folder 22 2008
Box 3 Folder 23 1980
Box 3 Folder 24 1951-1959
Box 3 Folder 25
Box 3 Folder 26 1996
Box 3 Folder 27 1937-1962
Box 3 Folder 28 1986
Box 3 Folder 29 1967
Box 3 Folder 30
Box 3 Folder 31
Box 3 Folder 32 1988-1992
Box 3 Folder 33 1948
Box 3 Folder 34 1977
Box 3 Folder 35 1967
Box 3 Folder 36 1977
Box 3 Folder 37 1970-2007
Box 3 Folder 38 1998-2003
Box 3 Folder 39
Box 3 Folder 40 1936-1946
Box 3 Folder 41 1960-1969
Box 3 Folder 42 1970-1979
Box 3 Folder 43 1980-1989
Box 3 Folder 44 1990-1999
Box 3 Folder 45 2000-2007
Box 3 Folder 46 1964-1987
Box 3 Folder 47
No Date
Box 3 Folder 48 1975
Box 3 Folder 49 2008
Box 3 Folder 50 2008
Box 3 Folder 51 2008
Box 4 Folder 1
Box 4 Folder 2
Box 4 Folder 3
Box 4 Folder 4
(Loose in B1-3 Binder)
Box 4 Folder 5
Box 4 Folder 6
Box 4 Folder 7
Box 4 Folder 8 1980-1989
Box 4 Folder 9 1980-1989
Box 4 Folder 10 1990-1999
Box 4 Folder 11
Box 4 Folder 12 1975-2001
Box 4 Folder 13 1967-1982
Box 4 Folder 14
Box 4 Folder 15
Box 4 Folder 16
Box 4 Folder 17
Box 4 Folder 18
Box 4 Folder 19
Box 4 Folder 20 1960
Box 4 Folder 21 1962
Box 4 Folder 22 1982
Box 4 Folder 23 1982
Box 4 Folder 24 1985-1991
Box 4 Folder 25 1992-1994
Box 4 Folder 26
Box 4 Folder 27 1959-1995
Box 4 Folder 28 1967-1968
Box 4 Folder 29 1970-1972
Box 5 Folder 1 1973-1977
Box 5 Folder 2
Box 5 Folder 3 1971
Box 5 Folder 4 1973
Box 5 Folder 5 1976
Box 5 Folder 6 1979
Box 5 Folder 7 1980
Box 5 Folder 8 1981
Box 5 Folder 9 1982
Box 5 Folder 10 1983
Box 5 Folder 11 1984
Box 5 Folder 12 1985
Box 5 Folder 13 1986
Box 5 Folder 14 1987
Box 5 Folder 15 1988
Box 5 Folder 16 1989
Box 5 Folder 17 1990
Box 5 Folder 18 1993-1994
Box 5 Folder 19 1999-2000
Box 5 Folder 20 2002
Box 5 Folder 21 2003
Box 5 Folder 22 2004
Box 5 Folder 23 2005
Box 5 Folder 24 2006
Box 5 Folder 25 2007
Box 5 Folder 26 2008
Box 5 Folder 27 1928
Box 5 Folder 28
Box 5 Folder 29
Box 5 Folder 30
Box 5 Folder 31
Box 5 Folder 32
Box 5 Folder 33
Box 5 Folder 34 1939-1977
Box 5 Folder 35 1962-2004
Box 5 Folder 36
Box 6
Box 6 Folder 1 1986
Box
Box 6 Folder 2