Allen Ginsberg

Henry Schlactner, Kerouac’s friend Al Sublette by Peter Orlovsky. Foster’s Cafeteria S.F. 1955. Me on right.

Allen Ginsberg

1955, printed later

Gelatin silver print Accession ID 2009.103.11

Not on view

The photograph shows two men sitting at a diner counter. The man on the left has short, dark hair and is dressed in a suit and tie, while the man on the right has short, light-colored hair and is wearing a collared shirt with a sweater and jacket. In front of them on the counter are some out-of-focus objects, possibly cups or glasses. A bright, artificial light is reflected off the tabletop. The background includes a large mirror reflecting ceiling lights above, as well as partial views of restaurant signs and window-like structures.

Al Sublette, & Peter Orlovsky as I first knew him 1955 S.F.

Allen Ginsberg

1955, printed later

Gelatin silver print Accession ID 2011.146.2

Not on view

The image shows five individuals from the waist up engaging in playful interaction outdoors. On the left, a man in a white shirt and a wide-brimmed hat is holding a machete in his mouth, interacting with another man on the right wearing a light jacket and a hat, who is holding a machete towards him. Between them, a young boy stands next to an older man in a white shirt. Beside them, a woman stands with her hand on her hip, wearing a floral dress and smiling warmly. In the background, there is a thatched-roof structure with an open side showing palm fronds and the sky.

Mock machete battle with state agricultural advisor, American girl passing through watching, elder Antonio the family retainer & nephew, Finca Tacalapan de San Leandro a day’s travel by river & horseback from Salto de Agua Railroad stops into edge of Petén Rainforest to old family land of Karena Shields (first Jane in 30s Tarzan movies) who hosted me February thru May, we’d met at Palenque old Mayan ruins nearby, & lived in open thatchroof shelter, slept in Mosquito-netted hammocks, I wrote “Siesta in Xbalba”, Chiapas Mexico 1954.

Allen Ginsberg

1954, printed 1995

Gelatin silver print Accession ID 2012.118.86

Not on view

This is a photograph of a train with passengers hanging out of windows and standing on top. The image captures a bustling scene with a train and open countryside. Some passengers are standing on the roof and others are hanging out of the windows and climbing on the sides of train cars. The train is stopped on tracks bordered by grass and trees, and the sky is scattered with fluffy clouds. In the foreground, a few individuals with hats are partially captured in the frame. The photograph conveys a sense of movement and travel, with elements of human interaction and rural landscapes.

“…Hundreds gathered for trip in white dresses carrying cloth bags, pails, candles—going to inaccessible & most venerable religious festival of Tres Reyes…Train started 7 A.M. with a hundred in a box car, people hanging on steps of platform even—engine went off tracks like some great sad silent dead horse of iron at noon, usual occurrence.” (See Journals Early ‘Fifties Early ‘Sixties , N.Y., Grove, 1977, 1992, P.37.) Narrow-gauge railroad, Merida to Valladolid, Quintana Roo, Mexico, January 1954.

Allen Ginsberg

1954, printed later

Gelatin silver print Accession ID 2012.118.80

Not on view

This is a photograph of a domestic scene. The image shows a metal pot placed on a surface, and a person wrapped in a striped blanket seated. Various household items are visible in the living room setting, such as a glass bottle and plates. The composition suggests an informal moment, portraying everyday life. Handwritten text at the bottom of the photograph adds a personal and documentary touch, connecting to cultural or historical context.

Allen Ginsberg & Jack Kerouac practicing Mystical Alchemy in preparation for "New Vision" Consciousness alterations in Literature & American Heart Land, camera in W.S. Burroughs' hands, Lower East Side New York, Fall 1953.

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed later

Gelatin silver print Accession ID 2010.137.5

Not on view

The image shows a man standing on a street. He is dressed in a dark jacket and light-colored pants. In the background, there are parked cars, pedestrians, and tall buildings with signs for 'HOTEL,' 'ARCADE THEATRE,' and other businesses.

Downtown Jacksonville's main street December 1953, Allen Ginsberg hitch-hiking to visit W.S. Burroughs' parents in Palm Beach, stopover to visit Bill's friend Marker, thence to Cuba, Yucatan & bus & train up to U.S. West Coast, meet Neal Cassady in San Francisco.

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed later

Gelatin silver print Accession ID 2016.184.36

Not on view

This is a photograph of an urban street scene with a figure selling items from a cart. The photograph shows a busy city street lined with buildings featuring storefronts and signage. In the foreground, a cart filled with boxes and items, one marked "apples," is positioned on the sidewalk amongst scattered fallen leaves. A couple is walking away in the background, and a car is parked on the street nearby. The image includes handwriting along the bottom, describing a scene observed by the writer over 40 years ago.

The first shopping cart street prophet I'd directly noticed, fall leaves scattered on Tompkins Park sidewalk, Avenue A & St. Mark's Place, over 40 years ago. Leshko's Restaurant was cheap and popular as at present on the corner a block south, I had my snapshots developed at a drugstore near Park Center eatery across the street on S. W. Corner, & was living with W. S. Burroughs a few blocks away 206 East 7th street - working as copyboy on now-defunct "New York World Telegram," my apartment rent $29.00 a month, three small rooms. October, 1953.

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed later

Gelatin silver print Accession ID 2009.103.2

Not on view

The image depicts a man seated in an armchair, facing forward with his right arm resting on the armrest. He has distinct facial features and short, combed hair. The lighting creates a shadow across his face. He wears a light-colored, short-sleeved button-down shirt. The background includes a patterned wallpaper with floral designs, and a portion of artwork or a poster is visible on the left. Light from a window casts patterns on the wall and partially on the man.

Bill Burroughs was in love, you can see the pain in his eyes, the longing. Assembling Queer mss. 1953. 206 E 7 St N.Y.C., 1953

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed later

Gelatin silver print Accession ID 2008.131.11

Not on view

This is a photograph of an indoor scene with two individuals engaging in a dramatic pose with makeshift weapons. The setting appears to be a domestic interior with patterned wallpaper and traditional furnishings. The individuals exhibit exaggerated expressions, adding tension to the narrative. A handwritten caption at the bottom provides context attributed to Allen Ginsberg, dated September-October 1953.

Bill Burroughs and Jack Kerouac locked in Mortal Combat with Moroccan dagger versus broomstick clear on the couch—they had its hold still a full second which I steadied camera on back of chair. They’d known each other nine years by then. Jack came in from Richmond Hill he’d finished Maggie Cassady, Bill stayed with me in two room apartment consolidating Yage Letters, he’d sent over the year from Peru and Ecuador. 206 East 7th st. Apt 16 Manhattan, September-October 1953.

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed later

Gelatin silver print Accession ID 2011.146.8

Not on view

The image shows a man from the waist up, leaning against a brick wall. He stands sideways, looking to his right, and holds a cigarette near his mouth with one hand. The man has short, dark hair neatly combed back and a neutral facial expression. He is wearing a checkered shirt under a casual jacket, along with dark pants, and the jacket has large pockets. Around him, there is an industrial or urban setting indicated by the brick wall and the structure it supports. In the background, there are blurred outlines of buildings, suggesting an exterior environment.

Jack Kerouac, railroad brakeman’s rule-book in pocket, couch-pillows airing on fire-escape three flights up overlooking backyard clotheslines south. He’d already published The Town & the City and completed a treasury of half-dozen unprinted classic volumes including On the Road, Visions of Cody,_ Doctor Sax_, early books of Blues and Dreams, & had begun The Subterraneans’ adventurous love affair with Alene Lee, “Mardou Fox.” Alene typed for W. S. Burroughs then in residence editing Yage Letters and Queer mss., unpublishable that decade, censorship ruled. I scribed “The Green Automobile,” Gregory Corso visited that season, 206 East 7th Street near Tompkins Park, Manhattan, probably September 1953.

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed later

Gelatin silver print Accession ID 2009.103.7

Not on view

The image depicts the upper half of a man's body from the shoulders up. He is turned slightly to the side, with a contemplative expression. The man has distinct facial features, including a pronounced jawline. His dark hair is neatly combed back. He is dressed in a collared coat with a checkered pattern underneath. The background features a large wooden fence or wall, with the sky faintly visible above it. Some small objects or structures are visible above the wall. Handwritten text is included at the bottom of the image.

Jack Kerouac at Staten Island Ferry Wharf, we used to wander docksides under Manhattan’s bridges & thru truck parking lots along East River singing rawbone Blues, Leadbelly’s “Black Girl” or “Eli Eli,” chanting Poe’s “Annabelle Lee” & shouting Hart Crane’s “O Harp & Altar of the Fury fused!” or “Atlantis” to Brooklyn Bridge’s traffic spanned above. Time of his Doctor Sax & The Subterraneans, Burroughs was in town, up from Mexico, New York, Fall 1953.

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed later

Gelatin silver print Accession ID 2009.108.3

Not on view

The image shows a man lying on the floor with a pillow near a sofa. The man has a smile, short dark hair, and is wearing a dark-colored collared shirt. He is holding an open book in one hand. In the background, there is a table with a lamp and other objects, as well as a portion of a patterned couch or sofa.

Bill Burroughs, more friendly + open than I realized at the time - 1953 - really pleased!

Allen Ginsberg

1953, printed later

Gelatin silver print Accession ID 2013.145.27

Not on view

Allen Ginsberg

Henry Schlactner, Kerouac’s friend Al Sublette by Peter Orlovsky. Foster’s Cafeteria S.F. 1955. Me on right.

Henry Schlactner, Kerouac’s friend Al Sublette by Peter Orlovsky. Foster’s Cafeteria S.F. 1955. Me on right.

Al Sublette, & Peter Orlovsky as I first knew him 1955 S.F.

Al Sublette, & Peter Orlovsky as I first knew him 1955 S.F.

Allen Ginsberg & Jack Kerouac practicing Mystical Alchemy in preparation for "New Vision" Consciousness alterations in Literature & American Heart Land, camera in W.S. Burroughs' hands, Lower East Side New York, Fall 1953.

Allen Ginsberg & Jack Kerouac practicing Mystical Alchemy in preparation for "New Vision" Consciousness alterations in Literature & American Heart Land, camera in W.S. Burroughs' hands, Lower East Side New York, Fall 1953.

Downtown Jacksonville's main street December 1953, Allen Ginsberg hitch-hiking to visit W.S. Burroughs' parents in Palm Beach, stopover to visit Bill's friend Marker, thence to Cuba, Yucatan & bus & train up to U.S. West Coast, meet Neal Cassady in San Francisco.

Downtown Jacksonville's main street December 1953, Allen Ginsberg hitch-hiking to visit W.S. Burroughs' parents in Palm Beach, stopover to visit Bill's friend Marker, thence to Cuba, Yucatan & bus & train up to U.S. West Coast, meet Neal Cassady in San Francisco.

Bill Burroughs was in love, you can see the pain in his eyes, the longing. Assembling Queer mss. 1953. 206 E 7 St N.Y.C., 1953

Bill Burroughs was in love, you can see the pain in his eyes, the longing. Assembling Queer mss. 1953. 206 E 7 St N.Y.C., 1953

Bill Burroughs, more friendly + open than I realized at the time - 1953 - really pleased!

Bill Burroughs, more friendly + open than I realized at the time - 1953 - really pleased!

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