Descriptive Summary
Oreste F. Pucciani papers
circa
1890-1998.
1950-1985.
Coll2008-059
Pucciani, Oreste F.,
1916-1999
10 archive cartons + 1 archive
half-carton. 4.3 linear feet.
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives.
Los Angeles, California 90007
This collection contains materials relating
primarily to the private life of Oreste Pucciani (1916-1999), UCLA Professor of
French and Sartre scholar, documenting in particular his relationship with his
long-time lover, Rudi Gernreich, and his close friends, art director Jacques
Faure (1926-1986), poet Stanley Kuniholm (1912-1984), and Lionel Mailles (born
1951). The bulk of Pucciani's personal writings consists erotic short stories
written most probably between 1975 and 1980. The bulk of the materials relating
to Rudi Gernreich consists of condolence letters to Pucciani after Gernreich's
death, together with a small number of cards and letters addressed to
Gernreich, letters to Pucciani from Gernreich's mother, and a videocassette
recording of a talk given by Pucciani on his late partner in 1993. The bulk of
the materials relating to Faure, Kuniholm, and Mailles consists of letters
received by Pucciani; however, the Mailles files include copies of letters,
poems, and essays addressed by Pucciani to Mailles. The materials received from
Kuniholm include a large number of poems, short stories, and essays documenting
the poet's creative processes. The collection also contains a small number of
subject files, publications, and miscellaneous memorabilia and
ephemera. Languages represented in
the collection: French
English
Access
The collection is open to researchers. There are no access
restrictions.
Publication Rights
Researchers wishing to publish materials must obtain permission in
writing from ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives as the physical owner.
Researchers must also obtain clearance from the holder(s) of any copyrights in
the materials. Note that ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives can grant
copyright clearance only for those materials for which we hold the copyright.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain copyright clearance for
all other materials directly from the copyright holder(s).
Preferred Citation
Oreste F. Pucciani papers, Coll2008-059, ONE National Gay and Lesbian
Archives, Los Angeles, California.
Acquisition Information
Circumstances of acquisition unknown.
Processing Information
Formerly boxes 103-338, 103-339, 103-345, and 103-349. Collection
processed by Michael P. Palmer, November 4, 2008.
Biography
Oreste Francesco Pucciani was born in Cleveland on April 7, 1916, the
son of a candy manufacturer. He attended the Cleveland public schools and
graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Adelbert College, Western
Reserve University (now Case Western University) in 1939. He took his doctorate
in Romance languages from Harvard in 1943. In 1946-47, Pucciani studied in
France and Italy on a Sheldon Traveling Fellowship, meeting Sartre and his
companion Simone de Beauvoir. Returning to the United States in 1947, Pucciani
lectured at Harvard, before joining the faculty of the University of California
Los Angeles as an Assistant Professor of French in 1948. He was became an
Associate Professor in 1954, and a full Professor in 1960. He was chairman of
the French department from 1961 to 1966, and became emeritus in 1979.
Pucciani's scholarly interests were diverse. His doctoral dissertation
was devoted to the reception of Walt Whitman in France. The
French Theater since 1930 (1954) remains a
useful anthology of French theater in the years between the world wars. He also
published a well regarded translation of Racine's masterpiece
Phédre in 1961. But Pucciani is best known
as an interpreter of the philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre, and pioneered in
teaching courses on Sartre at UCLA before the philosopher's works were
translated into English.
In addition to his work on Sartre, Pucciani was well known as a theorist
on methods of language acquisition. He had studied with Emile B. de Sauzé at
Western Reserve in the 1930s, and was an ardent champion of Sauzé's "direct
method" of language teaching, in which all instruction, including explanations
of grammar and vocabulary, is given in the target language. In the late 1950s,
Pucciani pioneered in adapting the direct method (still little known outside
the Cleveland public schools) to the UCLA French Department's language program.
The highly successful and influential textbook,
Langue et Langage, published by Pucciani and
Jacqueline Hamel in 1967, described of the department's experience with the
direct method, and revealed the advantages of immediate and total immersion in
a foreign tongue.
For his services to French language and culture, Pucciani was awarded
the Knight's Cross of the Legion of Honor by the French government in 1965.
Pucciani was the long-time lover of fashion designer Rudi Gernreich. In
1988, after Gernreich's death, he established the ACLU Rudi Gernreich-Oreste
Pucciani Endowment Fund to support the fight for GLBT rights.
He died in Los Angeles on April 28, 1999.
Source:
1999, University of California: In Memoriam,
http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/view?docId=hb267nb0r3&brand=calisphere
(accessed November 2, 2008).
Scope and Content of Collection
This collection contains materials relating primarily to the private
life of UCLA Professor of French and Sartre scholar Oreste Pucciani,
documenting in particular his relationship with his long-time lover, Rudi
Gernreich, and several of his close friends. The collection is arranged in the
following series: 1. Oreste Pucciani; 2. Rudi Gernreich; 3. Friends; 4. Subject
Files; 5. Publications; 6 Audio Visual; and 7. Miscellanea. The bulk of
Pucciani's writings consists erotic short stories written most probably between
1975 and 1980. The writings also include a number of poems, possibly
translations of works by Stanley Kuniholm. The bulk of the materials relating
to Rudi Gernreich consists of condolence letters to Pucciani after Gernreich's
death. Other materials include a small number of cards and letters addressed to
Gernreich, and letters to Pucciani from Gernreich's mother. The Friends Series
documents in particular Pucciani's relationship with three men, Jacques Faure,
Stanley Kuniholm, and Lionel Mailles. The bulk of the materials consists of
letters received by Pucciani; however, the Mailles files include copies of
letters, poems, and essays addressed by Pucciani to Mailles. The materials
received from Kuniholm include a large number of poems, short stories, and
essays. The collection also contains a small number of subject files,
publications, a videocassette recording of a talk given by Pucciani on Rudi
Gernreich in 1993, and miscellaneous memorabilia and ephemera.
Arrangement
- Series 1. Oreste Pucciani
- Series 2. Rudi Gernreich
- Series 3. Friends
-
- Subseries 3.1. Jacques Faure
- Subseries 3.2. Stanley Kuniholm
- Subseries 3.3. Lionel Mailles
- Subseries 3.4. Other Correspondents
- Series 4. Subject Files
- Series 5. Publications
- Series 6. Audio Visual
- Series 7. Miscellanea
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this
collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Designers
Fashion designers
Faure, Jacques, 1926-1986
Gay erotic literature
Gay men's writings, American
Gay men's writings, French
Gays' writings, American
Gays' writings, French
Gernreich, Rudi,
1922-1985
Kuniholm, Stanley,
1912-1984
Mailles, Lionel, 1951-
Poets, American--20th century
Poets, French--20th century
Poetry
Pucciani, Oreste F.,
1916-1999
Short stories
Separated Materials
Additional papers of Oreste Pucciani constitute the Oreste Pucciani Papers (Collection 585), Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Collection Contents
Series 1.
Oreste Pucciani
circa
1947-1990 1 : 1-22 ; 2 :
1-14
0.6 linear foot.
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains writings by Pucciani, including his curriculum
vitae, a 1970 appreciation of the photographer George Hoyningen-Huene, a 1990
article on Jean Genet and Sartre, and a number of poems, probably translation
of works by Stanley Kuniholm (see below, Series 3, Subseries 2), published in
the French periodical
La Nef in 1947 and 1949. The majority of
the writings are erotic, undated, but most probably written between 1975 and
1980; two of the stories are in French, the remainder in English.
Biographical Information
circa 1987
1 : 1
Curriculum Vitae
circa 1987
1 : 1
Academic Writings
circa
1947-19901 :
2-4
The 'Infernal Dialogue' of Jean Genet and
Sartre
1990
1 : 2
George Hoyningen-Huene,
1900-1968
1970
1 : 3
Poems
no date
1 : 4
Probably translations of Stanley Kuniholm poems published in
La Nef, nos. 29 and 57 (1947,
1949)
Notes
no date
1 : 5
Erotic Writings
no date
1 : 6-22 ; 2 : 1-14
Bien
no date
1 : 6
Manuscript.
Daddy's Boy
no date
1 : 7
Manuscript.
Dear Jim
no date
1 : 8
Manuscript.
Dressing Room
no date
1 : 9
Corrected typescript.
A Drink of Water
no date
1 : 10
Manuscript.
Encounter
no date
1 : 11
Manuscript.
Feel It Up, Charlie!
no date
1 : 12
Manuscript.
Fraternity
no date
1 : 13
Manuscript.
High Fashion
1978
1 : 14
Manuscript.
Honey Ass
no date
1 : 15
Manuscript/typescript.
Hospital
1977
1 : 16
Manuscript/typescript.
Housemen
no date
1 : 17
Manuscript.
Initiatique
no date
1 : 18
French; manuscript.
Jeff & Yuki
no date
1 : 19
Manuscript.
Jock
no date
1 : 20
Manuscript.
Law and Order I
no date
1 : 21
Edited typescript.
Mike I, II, III
no date
1 : 22
Edited typescript.
Next Door
no date
2 : 1
Manuscript.
Night Shift (1)
no date
2 : 2
Manuscript.
Night Shift (2)
no date
2 : 3
Manuscript.
The Old, Old South
no date
2 : 4
Manuscript.
Old South
no date
2 : 5
Manuscript.
One Night Stand
no date
2 : 6
Manuscript.
Par Pitié!
no date
2 : 7
French; manuscript.
Paul--Lance
no date
2 : 8
Manuscript.
The Rig
no date
2 : 9
Manuscript.
Romance
no date
2 : 10
Corrected typescript.
Telefonata
no date
2 : 11
Manuscript.
Trucking
no date
2 : 12
Manuscript.
Untitled
no date
2 : 13
4 items, manuscript/typescript, found loose, possibly
incomplete.
Utopia
no date
2 : 14
Manuscript.
Series 2.
Rudi Gernreich
1959-1986
2 : 15-19 ; 3 : 1-7
0.5 linear foot
Series Scope and Content Summary
Rudi Gernreich (1922-1985), Pucciani's long-time lover, was born in
Vienna, and fled Austria at age 16, settling in Los Angeles. His first career
was as a dancer; he later became a fabric designer, before moving into fashion
design. He was known for pushing the boundaries of the "futuristic look" in
clothing in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, and is most notorious for inventing
the first topless women's swimsuit. However, most of Gernreich's creations
created a brief stir, and then quietly disappeared. Gernreich was also a gay
activist and a founder of the Mattachine Society. The small group of papers in
this series consists primarily of condolence letters sent to Pucciani after
Gernreich's death in April 1985. The series also contains a small number of
cards and letters addressed to Gernreich, papers relating to Pucciani's efforts
to obtain a parking variance for Gernreich's design studio, a handwritten
account by Gernreich of an injury to his hand, and a series of letters from
Gernreich's mother, Elisabeth, to Pucciani during one of his sabbaticals in
Europe.
Acceptance speech by Oreste Pucciani for the "Special
Tribute" award to Rudi Gernreich from the Council of Fashion Designers of
America
January 19,
19862 : 15
Condolence letters to Oreste Pucciani
April-May
19852 : 16-19 ; 3 :
1
5 folders.
Condolence letters to Oreste Pucciani
1986
3 : 2
Correspondence (letters to)
1982-1985
3 : 3-4
Design studio
1966
3 : 5
Injury to hand
February 7,
19823 : 6
Gernreich, Elisabeth. Letters to Oreste
Pucciani
October 1959-June
19603 : 7
Series 3.
Friends
circa
1890-1998 3 : 8-11 ; 4 :
1-12 ; 5 : 1-15 ; 6 : 1-10 ; 7 : 1-11 ; 8 : 1-13
2.25 linear feet
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains papers relating to several of Pucciani's
long-time friends, several of whom he supported financially in some degree.
Subseries 3.1.
Jacques Faure
1953-1986
3 : 8-11 ; 4 : 1-4
0.3 linear foot
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
Jacques Faure was born in Lyon, France, on May 22, 1926. His
family later moved to Paris, where he appears to have met Pucciani in 1946,
during the latter's year on the Sheldon Traveling Fellowship. The two began an
affair, and Faure moved to California to be with Pucciani. When the affair
ended in the early 1950s Pucciani remained a friend, both to Faure and to his
mother. In 1959, Faure took the position of art director at French Vogue,
published by Conde Nast, in Paris, marrying Patricia Enk a few days before
returning to France. He and his wife remained in France 12 years; their
daughter Zazu was born in 1965. Faure lost his position with Conde Nast and the
family returned to California in 1970; Faure and Patricia were divorced shortly
afterwards (Patricia later became a prominent Los Angeles art dealer). Faure
spent the rest of his life working as a free-lance designer, living next door
to Pucciani, who supported during hard financial times. He died in hospital in
Torrance, California, on August 1, 1986. The subseries includes letters to
Pucciani from both Faure and his wife during their years in Paris, drawings by
Faure separated from the letters in which they were originally sent, an account
by Patricia Faure of the deterioration of their marriage, a 1984 book
typescript by Faure, and papers relating to his last illness and estate, of
which Pucciani served as executor.
Letters to Oreste Pucciani
1953-1975
(bulk
1960-1968) 3 :
8
Diana Newman lawsuit
1986
3 : 9
Drawings
circa
1960-19693 :
10
Estate
1986-1987
3 : 11
Last Illness
1986
4 : 1
Miscellaneous
no date
4 : 2
The Red Star
1984
4 : 3
Taxes
1972-1983
4 : 4
Subseries 3.2.
Stanley Kuniholm
circa
1890-1984 4 : 5-12 ; 5 :
1-15 ; 6 : 1-2
0.75 linear foot
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
Stanley Kuniholm was born in Massachusetts on June 9, 1912, of
Scandinavian and New England ancestry. He graduated from Gardner High School in
1929, and appears then to have become a factory worker. He began writing poetry
seriously in 1932. He later attended Tufts College, where he was associate
editor of the college literary magazine,
The Tuftonian, in 1938, and
editor-in-chief in 1940. He later taught high school in North Brookfield and
later at Manter Hall School, in Cambridge. He fell in his apartment, and was
not discovered for several days, in July 1982; he never fully recovered, and
died in Boston in February 1984. Kuniholm and Pucciani met in the 1930s, and
remained close friends until Kuniholm's death; from at least the early 1950s
Pucciani also provided Kuniholm with financial assistance. The papers in this
subseries consist primarily of Kuniholm's letters to Pucciani from December
1951 to January 1953, and copies of Kuniholm's poems, short stories and essays
written between 1932 and 1954. Kuniholm's letters and essays give considerable
insight to his creative processes.
Correspondence
1950-1984
4 : 5-8
Letters to Oreste Pucciani
September
1950-January 19544 :
5
All but two letters date from December 1951 to January
1953.
Letters to Oreste Pucciani. Poems &
essays
September
1950-January 19544 :
6
Letters to Oreste Pucciani
1960-1982
4 : 7
Last illness
1983-1984
4 : 8
Poems
1936-1954
4 : 9-12 ; 5 : 1-9
Amanda
1939
4 : 9
Manuscript, composition book.
The Failure
no date
4 : 10
Typescript.
The Great Cave
1953-1954
4 : 11
Typescript.
The Living Mask
no date
4 : 12
Typescript.
The Murderer
1949
5 : 1
Typescript.
Romantic Landscape
1950
5 : 2
Typescript.
Uncollected Poems and
Papers
no date
5 : 3
Typescript.
The Unfinished God
no date
5 : 4
Typescript; 2 copies.
The Warlock
1948
5 : 5
Typescript; with other poems and
correspondence.
Untitled Collection
no date
5 : 6
Typescript.
First poem:
Hyla.
Untitled Collection
Sunday,
October 4, 1953 - Monday, October 4, 1954
5 : 7-8
Typescript. 2 folders.
One poem for each day of the year.
Miscellaneous Poems
no date
5 : 9
Typescript.
Found loose.
Essays & Short Stories
no date
5 : 10-15
The Classic
Americans
no date
5 : 10
Typescript.
Found loose.
The Divine Ship
1936
5 : 11
Typescript. 2 copies.
Jenny the Hawk
1953
5 : 12
Typescript.
Short Stories
no date
5 : 13
Typescript.
- The Funeral
- The Bachelor
- The Saint
- The Man of Decision
Through a Glass
no date
5 : 14
Typescript.
Untitled Essay
1953
5 : 15
Typescript.
Publications
1938-1940
:
Tuftonian
1938,
1940
6 : 1
Photograph
circa 1890
6 : 2
Subseries 3.3.
Lionel Mailles
1975-1998
6 : 3-10 ; 7 : 1-11 ; 8 :
1-3
0.86 linear foot
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
Lionel Mailles was born on November 19, 1951, and lives in 32170
Laas, France; he also maintains a website, telepathes.org, possibly using the
name "Lionel Oreste". He and Pucciani had an intense affair in the late 1970s,
often writing to each another several times a day. Pucciani also provided
extensive financial support for Mailles between from 1975 through 1977. The
papers in this subseries, all written in French, consist of Mailles' letters to
Pucciani from 1976 through 1979, with a few letters through the 1980s, and a
single letter from 1998; and of Pucciani's letters and other writings addressed
to Mailles from 1975 through 1977. The first three folders of Mailles' letters
to Pucciani and all folders of Pucciani's letters to Mailles retain the titles
given them by Pucciani. The majority of folders also retain Pucciani's original
reverse chronological order.
Mailles to Pucciani
1976-1989,
1998
6 : 3-10 ; 7 : 1-5
1976 Depuis Laas
April-June
19766 : 3
Found loose at front of binder.
1976 Depuis Laas
August
1976-March 19776 :
4
Binder.
Arranged in reverse chronological order.
1976 Depuis Laas
March 1977
6 : 5
Found loose in binder.
September-November 1976
6 : 6
February-May 1977
6 : 7
June-December 1977
6 : 8
January-March 1978
6 : 9
May-July
1978 6 :
10
August-September 1978
7 : 1
October-December 1978
7 : 2
1979
7 : 3
Philippe Fabrique
1982
7 : 4
1983-1989,
1998
7 : 5
Pucciani to Mailles
1975-1977
7 : 6-11 ; 8 : 1-3
Veilleur. Texte. 1
May
12-25, 19757 :
6
Arranged in reverse order.
Veilleur. Texte. 2
May
26-27, 19757 :
7
Arranged in reverse order.
Lionel
June
1975-April 19767 :
8
Poême pour Lionel
June 1976
7 : 9
Paris 22.vi.76 au 4 aôut 1976
June
22-August 4, 19767 :
10
Journal pour Lionel
August
10-25, 19767 :
11
Deuxième journal pour Lionel
September
1976-February 19778 :
1
Arranged in reverse order.
L[ionel] depuis Paris 1977
July-November
19778 : 2
Chronologie pour le 3 aôut '77
August 3,
19778 : 3
Subseries 3.4.
Other Correspondents
1970-1991
8 : 4-13
0.3 linear foot
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries contains letters and other materials from other
friends of Oreste Pucciani. The correspondents include graphic artist and
designer Paul Batoon, born in Texas of Filipino parents, who studied at UCLA
and became a protégé‚ of Rudi Gernreich; Viennese-born abstract expressionist
painter and graphic artist Lilly Fenichel; E. Dale Saunders (1919-1995),
professor of Japanese at the University of Pennsylvania, whose friendship with
Pucciani dated from their undergraduate days at Western Reserve; and French
artist Raymond Voinquel (1912-1994). The letters from Batoon to Pucciani are in
French.
Batoon, Paul
1997-1990
8 : 4-7
Letters to Oreste Pucciani
1977-1979
8 : 4
Letters to Oreste Pucciani
1980-1990
8 : 5
Fashion pictorials
1984
8 : 6
Photographs
1977-1980
8 : 7
Bauer, George, Jr
1987-1988
8 : 8
Fenichel, Lilly
1980-1985
8 : 9
Rezu, Luc-Olivier
1977-1978
8 : 10
Saunders, Dale
1970-1991
8 : 11
Voinquel, Raymond
1989-1990
8 : 12
Miscellaneous correspondence
1977-1990
8 : 13
Series 4.
Subject Files
circa
1971-1991 9 :
1-6
5 folders.
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains a small number of subject files formed from
miscellaneous materials found loose among Pucciani's papers.
ACLU Rudi Gernreich-Oreste Pucciani Endowment
Fund
1988
9 : 1
AIDS
1986-1988
9 : 2
DeBrier, Sampson
1987
9 : 3
Foucault, Michel
1977-1991
9 : 4
Gay literature
1988
9 : 5
Genet, Jean.
Le Balcon
post 1971
9 : 6
Series 5.
Publications
1937-circa
1971 9 : 7-9 ; 10 :
1-4
0.6 linear foot
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series includes several publications found among Pucciani's
papers. These include four yearbooks from Pucciani's alma mater, Adelbert
College, Western Reserve University; a copy of Whit and Hallie Burnett's
Things With Claws (1961), containing a
short story by Pucciani; uncorrected galley proofs of Gene Horowitz's
Mr. Jack and the Greenstalks sent to
Rudi Gernreich; and a typescript work on homosexuality and the church, title
and author unknown, possibly written in conjunction with the work of the
Metropolitan Community Church, with annotations possibly by Pucciani.
Burnett, Whit & Hallie, ed.
Things With Claws
1961
9 : 7
Contains short story
Butch by Pucciani.
Homosexuality and the Church
circa 1971
9 : 8
No title page, author unknown. Typescript with manuscript notes,
possibly by Pucciani.
Horowitz, Gene.
Mr. Jack and the
Greenstalks
1969
9 : 9
Uncorrected galley proof sent to Rudi Gernreich.
Nihon (Adelbert, Western Reserve
University yearbook)
1937-1939
10 : 1-4
1937
10 : 1
1938
10 : 2
Junior class.
1938
10 : 3
Upperclassmen.
1939
10 : 4
Series 6.
Audio Visual
November 7,
1993 11 : 1
1 videocassette ; 8 mm.
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains a single videocassette recording of a talk
Pucciani gave on Rudi Gernreich at ONE, Inc., on November 7, 1993.
Oreste Pucciani on Rudi Gernreich. ONE, Inc. 8mm
videocassette
November 7,
199311 : 1
1 videocassette ; 8 mm.
Series 7.
Miscellanea
circa
1946-1990 11 :
2-12
0.2 linear foot.
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains miscellaneous memorabilia and ephemera found
among Pucciani's papers. These include an address book from 1958; four
passports for Pucciani; a Christmas stocking designed by Paul Batoon; a "Hello"
card with a racy pickup line; a 1974 map of Paris and environs; and a notepad
itemizing Pucciani's financial support for Lionel Mailles from 1975 through
1977. Pucciani's relationship with Catherine and Joseph Icide may derive
ultimately from Patricia (Enk) Faure, whose father was also a drop forger.
Address book
1958
11 : 2
Batoon, Paul. Christmas stocking
circa
1977-1990 11 :
3
"Hello" card
no date
11 : 4
Icide, Catherine. Account book of Oreste Pucciani with
financial accounts for
July 1988-May
199011 : 5
Icide, Joseph. Identification card from International
Brotherhood of Blacksmiths, Drop Forgers & Helpers
circa 1946
11 : 6
Mailles, Lionel. Memo notepad of Oreste Pucciani with
notes on his financial support for
1975-1977
11 : 7
Paris. Michelin map of the environs of
1974
11 : 8
Scale 1 : 100 000.
Passports for Oreste Pucciani
1951,
1970,
1975,
1988
11 : 9-12