Ryan Evans
Scope and Contents
Edward Plunkett papers measure 4.2 linear feet and date from circa 1900-2006. Biographical material includes a hand-written biography, identification cards including a United States passport, and a series of autobiographical essays written by Plunkett in his later years at a retirement community in Madison, Wisconsin. The correspondence series is comprised heavily of mail art sent to Plunkett correspondents including Robert Delford Brown, Russell Butler (a.k.a. buZ blurr), Anna Banana, Buster Cleveland, Crackerjack Kid, Ken Friedman, John Held, Jr., E. F. Higgins III, Ray Johnson, Tim Mancusi, Carlo Pittore, May Wilson, William Wilson, and W. S. Stipe. The printed material series includes editioned mail art publications including Collective Farm, No. 3, Post-Office Dinner, 1982 (number 15/100), and unused source material for his mail and collage art. The photographic material series consists of some images of Plunkett, his earlier, more traditional artworks, and snapshots from his travels. The artwork series consists of traditional drawings, paintings, and collages on paper, in addition to a number of altered published books, miniature booklets, and collaged notebooks in various states of being finished. Many of the interleaved notebooks have not been glued to the paper.
Language
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated in 2019 and 2020 by Wendy Fern Hutton, niece of Edward M. Plunkett.
Processing Information
The collection was processed by Ryan Evans in 2021.