Research Material for Christo and Jeanne-Claude: A Biography
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Chernow, Burt
setName: label: See more items in
content: Burt Chernow papers
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 17.1 Linear Feet (Boxes 1-17, 23, OV 24)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1930-2002
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.cherburt, Series 1
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: This series is arranged as 9 subseries.

1.1: Biographical Materials, 1960-1995

1.2: Sound Recordings, 1977-1997

1.3: Transcripts and Subject Files, 1959-1998

1.4: Chronological Files, 1986-1997

1.5: Notes and Writings, 1988-2001

1.6: Business Records, 1968-2002

1.7: Printed Material, 1960-2002

1.8: Photographs, 1930-2001

1.9: Fabric Samples, 1983-1995
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: This series contains materials gathered and produced by Burt and Ann Chernow in the course of writing and publishingChristo and Jeanne-Claude: A Biography. Materials include photocopied personal documents of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, recorded interviews with Christo and Jeanne-Claude and their associates created by Chernow, recorded interviews and lectures by Christo produced by others, transcripts of those recordings produced by Chernow, clippings, photographs, and letters related to interview subjects, and files of research material arranged chronologically by Chernow as part of his writing process. Among the many significant interview subjects are Arman, Mary Bauermeister, Leo Castelli, Lynn Hershman, Ray Johnson, Allan Kaprow, Ivan Karp, Albert and David Maysles, Claes Oldenburg, Pierre Restany, Niki de Saint Phalle, Peter Selz, Harry Shunk, Holly Solomon, Saul Steinberg, and Sam Weiner.

Notes and writings include drafts of the biography written by Burt Chernow and drafts edited posthumously in a process overseen by Ann Chernow. Business records contain correspondence regarding the production and publication of the biography, including significant correspondence between the Chernows and the Christos. Photographs include personal photographs of the Christos and photographs of their projects, installations, and early exhibitions. Fabric samples are from the major projects spanning the years Chernow worked closely with the Christos, from 1983 to 1995. See series descriptions below for further details.

Because Chernow died before the biography could be completed, much of his research for the period between 1982 and 1997 is not included in the biography, but is rather summarized in an epilogue by the photographer Wolfgang Volz. When he died unexpectedly in 1997, Chernow had only completed work on chapters pertaining to Christo and Jeanne-Claude's lives before he knew them, up to 1982. Documentation of projects executed during Chernow's period of research, Surrounded Islands (1983), the Wrapped Pont Neuf(1985), Umbrellas (1991), and Wrapped Reichstag (1995) is particularly rich, and Chernow did not have a chance to write his chapters on this period before he died. He did, however, write a number of lectures on these subjects, and drafts of these lectures are found in series 2, Other Writings.