Hedi Bak Papers, 1941-2010

Contents and Arrangement

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Collection Overview

Title:

Hedi Bak Papers

Repository:

Manuscripts Division

Permanent URL:

http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/dcrn301c84f

Dates:

1941-2010

Size:

2 linear feet, 2 boxes

Storage Note:

ReCAP (scarcpxm): Boxes 1-2

Language:

English

Abstract: Consists of the personal and business correspondence, writings and drafts, promotional material, newspaper clippings, photographs, and sketches of the artist, Hedi Bak.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

Consists of personal and business correspondence; writings and drafts; promotional materials, such as newsletters, news releases, exhibition booklets, event postcards and flyers, etc.; newspaper clippings; photographs; and a small number of sketches and booklets of Bak's work. The materials pertaining to Bak's art document her exhibitions and working with galleries, managing her art studios, and teaching. Some of the materials are jointly addressed to, or jointly concern, both Hedi Bak and her husband Bronislaw Bak, and later on, after his death, her second husband, Charles Counts, as both men were also artists. Materials also include autobiographical documents concerning her family background, her experience as a child growing up under Nazi rule in Germany, her immigration to the U.S., and her later years living in Northern Nigeria.

Arrangement

Materials are arranged in the order in which they were received. They are organized in the following groupings: business and personal correspondence; chronological files; loose books, binders, and manuscripts.

Collection Creator Biography:

Bak, Hedi (1927-2010)

Born in Pirmasens, Germany, Hedi Bak was an artist, teacher, and writer throughout her career across several countries. She has had over 60 exhibitions in the US, Germany, and Nigeria, and her work is featured in collections such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Gutenberg Museum, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and several private collections. She has also managed art studios throughout her career, and worked on collaborative projects with Bronislaw Bak, her first husband, and Charles Counts, her second husband, both of whom were also artists.

Collection History

Acquisition:: Gift of Clemens Bak in 2023 (AM 2023-113).
Appraisal: No materials were removed from the collection during 2024 processing.
Processing Information: This collection was processed by Amy C. Vo in 2024. Original folder titles were used, with a few untitled folders given archivist-designated titles. Finding aid written by Amy C. Vo in 2024.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

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