Catherine Nicholson papers, 1897-2005 and undated, bulk 1974-2005

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Summary

Creator:
Nicholson, Catherine
Abstract:
Lesbian feminist writer and magazine publisher, resident of Durham (Durham Co.), N.C.; co-founder of SINISTER WISDOM, a multicultural lesbian literary and art journal. The Catherine Nicholson papers contain materials dating from 1897 to 2005, with the bulk of the collection dating from 1974 to 2005. Materials in the collection primarily document Nicholson's directing and theatre related activities, her work on Sinister Wisdom, and her membership in the group Old Lesbians Organizing for Change (OLOC). The collection comprises correspondence; personal and professional writings and supporting materials; photographic materials; publicity about theatre and of plays directed by Nicholson; audio recordings; and ephemera. Included are play scripts written by Catherine Nicholson and other playwrights, and scripts with directorial annotations by Nicholson.
Extent:
15.2 Linear Feet
10,528 Items
Language:
Material in English
Collection ID:
RL.00950

Background

Scope and content:

The Catherine Nicholson papers contain materials dating from 1897 to 2005, with the bulk of the collection dating from 1974 to 2005. Materials in the collection primarily document Nicholson's directing and theatre related activities, her work on Sinister Wisdom, and her membership in the group Old Lesbians Organizing for Change (OLOC). The collection comprises correspondence with family and friends; personal and professional writings; poetry; notes; clippings; photographic materials, including black and white and color photographs, color slides, and a cabinet card; audio cassettes; vinyl records; press kits and playbills; reviews about theatre and of plays directed by Nicholson; and ephemera. Included are play scripts written by Catherine Nicholson and other playwrights, and scripts with directorial annotations by Nicholson. The collection contains correspondence, artwork, journals, and receipts related to the publishing of Sinister Wisdom. In addition, the collection houses Nicholson's collection of audiocassettes and long-playing vinyl records, with the majority of albums related to women's music; many of these were published by Olivia Records. Printed materials have been removed and added to the Women and LGBT Rights Periodicals Collection. Use copies of audio recordings will need to be created before items can be accessed by researchers. Acquired as part of the Sallie Bingham Center for Women's History and Culture.

Addition (2010-0068) (28 items, .1 lin. ft.; dated 1984-1985 and undated) comprises letters and cards addressed to Harriet Ellenberger, primarily from Susan Thompson.

Biographical / historical:

North Carolina native Catherine Nicholson was born in 1922 in Troy, the seat of Montgomery County. She attended Flora Macdonald College to study English and History and received a Master's degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1945. Nicholson continued graduate studies at Northwestern University, earning a Master's degree in Theatre and Oral Interpretation, followed by her Ph.D. in Theatre in 1961. Nicholson spent her career in academia as a professor of drama, teaching and directing plays primarily in North Carolina and Virginia. Nicholson's interests in ancient Greece, Shakespeare, and feminism offered her rich and varied material to mine as a director and as a writer of plays, short stories, and poetry. Nicholson is best known as the co-founder of the lesbian feminist literary journal Sinister Wisdom. From 1976 to 1981, Catherine Nicholson and partner Harriet Ellenberger (also known as Harriet Desmoines) published and edited the journal, before passing control to Adrienne Rich and Michelle Cliff. Through the stewardship of several editors, Sinister Wisdom has continued into the twenty-first century, and as of 2009 is the oldest surviving lesbian literary journal. Nicholson retired to Durham, North Carolina, where she maintained involvement in lesbian activism and continued to direct plays through the 1990s.

Acquisition information:
The Catherine Nicholson Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift from 2005-2007, 2010.
Processing information:

Processed by Lindsay Matson, January 2009

Encoded by Lindsay Matson, January 2009

Accessions 2005-0087, 2006-0098, and 2007-0050 were merged into one collection and are described in this finding aid.

Updated by Alice Poffinberger, August 2010

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

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Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

Also, audio recordings in this collection are not immediately accessible, because they require further processing before use.

Please note that all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. The library may require up to 48 hours to retrieve these materials for research use.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

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The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Catherine Nicholson Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University