Arthur Kunkin / Los Angeles Free Press Collection

Collection

Identifier: SPC-2021-145

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Arthur Kunkin / Los Angeles Free Press Collection (1919-2020) contains 551 boxes and approximately 330 Linear feet of material that document Arthur (Art) Glick Kunkin’s career as an editor, journalist, socialist organizer, alchemist, and esotericist from his childhood in Bronx, New York to his passing in Joshua Tree, California in 2019. Though this collection covers the entirety of Art Kunkin’s professional, political and spiritual life, the surviving Los Angeles Free Press records documents the administration and the business operations of the newspaper from 1964-1973 and beyond. This includes correspondence with authors, letters to the editors, printing operation records, legal correspondence, case records, article manuscripts, and photographs as well other areas of interest to Kunkin and the Free Press. This collection includes 103 boxes of records from the Los Angeles Free Press. The collection consists of 17 Series and 49 Sub-Series.

Series I: Los Angeles Free Press Records (1964-2008) includes material related to the publishing and operations of the Los Angeles Free Press under Art Kunkin's ownership from 1964 to 1973 Material. This series is separated into nine sub-series. The material in this series includes financial records, business meeting minutes and notes, business notes, business correspondence along with internal correspondence and memos, letters to editors, advertisement records, telephone messages, manuscripts (14 boxes), notebooks of various authors, and legal documents including case summaries and correspondence. Beyond the Los Angeles Free Press records, this series also contains business records from other businesses (Free Press/Kazoo Bookstore, Contact Books, Alfred’s Mimeograph Company, Alfred’s Newspaper Printing Co., and Continuum Graphics) that Kunkin operated alongside the Free Press.

Series II: Los Angeles Free Press issues (1964-2020) contains volumes of the Los Angeles Free Press from its initial publishing run from 1964-1978. This series contains the majority of the issues from 1964 to 1973 when Kunkin served as publisher and owner. The series contains sporadic issues of the Free Press from 1974 to 1978 when the Los Angeles Free Press changed ownership multiple times. This series also contains the revitalized Los Angeles Free Press that Art Kunkin began republishing in 1999 to 2006 off and on. This series also contains a 2020 issue of the Los Angeles Free Press published after Art Kunkin's death in 2019 that was provided to the archives when the collection was acquired.

Series III: Personal Papers (1943-2019) contains personal papers and items pertaining to the life of Art Kunkin. Personal papers include material related to Kunkin's education, military service, businesses, and family, including his first wife Abby Rubinstein (Addis), his second wife (Valerie Porter Stancin), and his third wife (Elaine Wallace) as well as his daughters Anna and April. This series is arranged into three sub-series. Sub-Series A contains daily planners and the calendars of Art Kunkin along with notes from his work over the years ranging from socialist organizing and journalism to esoteric class notes. Sub-Series B contains general personal papers of Art Kunkin. Sub-Series C contains the financial records of Art Kunkin including bank statements and tax records. Sub-Series D contains biographical material on Art Kunkin. This includes articles written about Art Kunkin as well as some articles and biographies Kunkin wrote himself.

Series IV: Socialist Papers (1933-1964) contains material related to Art Kunkin's time as a Socialist organizer and editor within the Socialist Workers Party, The Johnson-Forest Tendency, and the Los Angeles Socialist Party This material includes: article manuscripts, book manuscripts, notebooks and research notes, newspaper clippings, correspondence and circulars among members of the Johnson-Forest Tendency as well as the Socialist Workers Party and Socialist Party – Social Democratic Federation.

Series V: Editorial / Publishing Files (1956-2006) contains material related to Kunkin's editorial, journalist, and publishing work beyond his work with the Los Angeles Free Press along side his teaching and other business endeavors. This series includes the manuscripts of Art Kunkin over the course of his life including the manuscripts and notes for an unpublished book on the history of the Los Angeles Free Press. This series also contains the business files of Kunkin's other editorial work including the short-lived LA Weekly News and Hollywood Daily News as well as his editorial work for Elysium Field's periodical Journal of the Senses and his work for the street newspaper The Big Issue. Series IV: Also contains the files from Kunkin's mimeography business before the Free Press, his teaching career at California State University Northridge, and his other smaller business endeavors that he did throughout his life.

Series VII: New Age Papers (1974-2019) contains material related to Kunkin's businesses related to his in spiritualism, esotericism, alchemy, and other New Age practices he studied and practiced in his life. This includes the business files of The Temple of Esoteric Science, a meditation group that Kunkin co-led with Andrew Da Passano, as well as the files of Kunkin's meditation classes and alchemical classes that he taught from the 1980s to the 2000s. This series also contains Kunkin's files from Paracelsus College where he studied alchemy in Salt Lake City and the records of his short-lived newsletter, Life Extension Newsletter. This series also contains Kunkin's files from his time serving as president of the Philosophical Research Society and the files of his work at the Institute of Mentalphysics, where he lived until he passed away in 2019. This series contains memo, business correspondence, manuscripts, drafts, flyers, mailers, marketing material, notes, and financial records.

Series VII: Personal Correspondence (1946-2010) contains the personal correspondence of Art Kunkin. Material in this series contains letters to and from Art Kunkin. Correspondents include family, friends, business colleagues and notable people throughout Kunkin's life. This series is arranged into three sub-series. Sub-Series A contains family correspondence, Sub-Series B contains correspondence with friends and notable people, and Sub-Series C contains general correspondence and letters.

Series VIII: Photographs (1928-2010) contains photographic prints, negatives, and slides. This series has been arranged into two sub-series. Sub-Series A contains the photographic material of the Los Angeles Free Press. Subject matter of these photographs includes demonstrations, concerts, political life, the Vietnam War, student demonstrations, and other material covered by the Free Press. This sub-series also contains promo photographs submitted to the Free Press and negatives of the newspaper. Sub-Series B contains Art Kunkin's personal photographs. Photographs range from Kunkin's early life to his final years in Joshua Tree.

Series IX: Audiovisual, Multimedia, and Hardware (1953-2007)organized by media type: Audio Tape Reel, 8mm Film Reel, Audiocassettes, VHS, U-Matic KC30, Sony Video Reel, Records, and Floppy Discs. The open reel audio tapes consist of recordings related to the Chicago Seven Conspiracy Trial, featuring detailed audio of trial proceedings and testimonies from key defendants including Bobby Seale, Jerry Rubin, Abbie Hoffman, Tom Hayden, and defense attorneys such as William Kunstler and Leonard Weinglass. The collection also contains a significant number of reels documenting the Russell Tribunal, an international people's tribunal on war crimes during the Vietnam War. Additionally, there are recorded interviews from figures such as Mark Lane, Timothy Leary, and Elridge Cleaver. The 8mm film reels contains footage of Alfred's Newspaper Printing and the operations of the Los Angeles Free Press, footage of Art Kunkin speaking at an event, and personal family films of Kunkin’s immediate family. The audio cassettes primarily consist of recordings relating to esoteric science, alchemy, spirituality, and New Age teachings. A large portion of the tapes consist of recordings from the Temple of Esoteric Knowledge (aka the Temple of Esoteric Science and/or the Way of the Magus) regarding stop aging, astral project, meditation, kundalini, and herbology. Other notable recordings include interviews of Thane of Prosperos, interviews of Mae Brussel, and lectures led by Andrew de Passano. Topics other than New Age material covered are Underground Press History, FBI, Organized Crime and Conspiracies. The VHS and U-Matic KC30 tapes primarily feature teachings by Art Kunkin, focusing on life extension, personal empowerment, alchemy, and ancient wisdom.

Series X: Subject File series (1877-2009) contains a wide range of topics that reflected Art Kunkin's interests, careers, and business ventures over his lifetime. The series includes esoteric and spiritual topics, such as alchemy, Tibetan Buddhism, astrology, and occultism. It also includes content related to self-improvement and self-realization, as well as organizations like the Erhard Seminars Training (EST) and the Philosophical Research Society. In addition, there are materials on communes, environmental and health issues, conspiracy theories, the Underground Press Syndicate, journalism, printing, and typography. The series includes material regarding several significant social movements, including the Civil Rights Movement, the New Age Movement, the Anti-War Movement, the Farmworkers' Movement, the Chicano Movement, and the Women's Rights Movement. The series also addresses religious, spiritual, and theological organizations and ideas such as Scientology, the Prosperos, Gnosticism, Hinduism, Mentalphysics, and Rosicrucianism. The series also contains materials on various political parties and ideologies, such as the Youth International Party (Yippies), the Black Panther Party, the Peace and Freedom Party, and the Green Party. Additionally, the series includes materials on notable figures such as Timothy Leary, Larry Flynt, Manly P. Hall, Mary Bauer Hall, John F. Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy. The materials within this series encompass a variety of formats, including memoranda, letters, news clippings, photographs, flyers, brochures, interview transcripts, pamphlets, newsletters, scrapbooks, magazines, books, booklets, and small press chapbooks, among other items.

Series XI: Underground/Alternative Publications (1948-2015) contains underground and alternative periodicals. The majority of the publications in this series are from the 1960s and 1970s but also contains publications from the 1940s to the 2010s. This series contains periodicals from the Underground Press Syndicate, countercultural periodicals, student periodicals, conservative and white supremacist periodicals, subculture periodicals, community periodicals, and alternative periodicals. This series has been arranged chronologically.

Series XII: Spiritual and Esoterica (New Age) Periodicals (1901-2007) contains periodicals that focused on spiritualism, esotericism, occultism, Eastern religions, or other topics that have been historically viewed as "New Age" within the context of 21st century United States. This series was originally named New Age Periodicals and arranged accordingly but was renamed due to the limited nature of labeling interests and beliefs as New Age. Subject matter of these periodicals include alternative health and medicine, alchemy, philosophy, religion, occultism, spiritualism, and alternative lifestyles such as nudism. This series contains periodicals that Kunkin served as editor. This includes Essentia, Whole Life Times. Life Extension, and Journal of the Senses.

Series XII: Socialist/Leftist Publications (1900-2007) contains periodicals and booklets published by Socialist, Communist, and other Leftist organizations. This series is arranged into two sub-series. Sub-Series A contains periodicals and Sub-Series B contains booklets and small press. Sub-Series A contains periodicals Kunkin served as editor on. This includes Correspondence and News and Letters, periodicals from the Johnson-Forest Tendency that Kunkin was an active member of.

Series XIV: Socialist Bulletins (1930-1973) series contains bulletins from various socialist and communist parties and tendencies. Some of these bulletins contain marginalia written by Kunkin. This series is arranged into sub-series by political parties.

Series XV: Street newspapers (1994-1999) contains periodicals produced for/by and sold by unhoused people. The periodicals in this series come from Art Kunkin's time while serving as a consulting editor of The Big Issue and when the revitalized Los Angeles Free Press was briefly housed at Dome Village in Los Angeles, California. This series only contains a brief volume range of the included street newspaper, many from the North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA).

Series XVI: Kunkin Publications (1973-1974, 1998) contains smaller periodicals that Kunkin served as editor that do not fit into underground/alternative periodicals, socialist periodicals, or spiritual periodicals.

Dates

1919-2020; Undated
Majority of material found within 1946-2010

Creator

Kunkin, A. (Art) (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Certain material is restricted from public access. Specific boxes are identified on the series level.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Biographical / Historical

Arthur Glick “Art” Kunkin – journalist and founder of the Los Angeles Free Press, was born on March 28, 1928 in Bronx, New York. He died on April 30, 2019 in Joshua Tree, California where he resided on the grounds of the Institute of Mentalphysics. Art was born to Irving Kunkin, a Lithuanian immigrant, and Bessie (Elizabeth) Glick Kunkin, daughter of Lithuanian-Russian immigrants. Art Kunkin attended The Bronx High School of Science and graduated in 1945. He also attended courses at The New School for Social Research, but he did not complete his degree. He also attended Frank Williams Trade School in Los Angeles as well as East LA City College to study history but did not graduate. Art Kunkin was married to Abby Rubinstein (Addis) (1928-), Valerie Porter Stancin, and Elaine Wallace Kunkin. Kunkin had two daughters with Abby Rubinstein.

As a young man, Art Kunkin became involved in socialist organizing. While attending The Bronx High School of Science, Art Kunkin joined a New York local group of Hashomer Hatzair, a Zionist-Socialist organization. At this time he was studying to be a geneticist at school while being trained to immigrate with the group to a Kibbutz (a collectivist agricultural community) in Palestine; however, he left the group following his protest of the organization’s treatment of Palestinians. While attending the New School for Social Research in 1945, he attended a course by Raya Dunayevskaya (1910-1987) on Marxism and joined the Johnson-Forest Tendency, a Trotskyist Tendency led by Raya Dunayevskaya and C.L.R. James (1901-1989) Around this time, the Johnson-Forest Tendency would join the Socialist Workers Party following disagreement with Worker Party leadership. After turning 18, Kunkin served in the Merchant Marines for two years (1946-1948) to avoid the draft, which became one of his first experiences with labor organizing with the maritime union. On return, Kunkin would serve as an organizer for the Tendency and work with the New York Youth group of the Socialist Workers Party and worked alongside Joseph Hansen as a business manager for The Militant, the Party's newspaper. Kunkin was also a member of the 1948-1949 New York City College Student Strike, a strike against anti-semetic faculty and one of the first student strikes of the United States.

In 1951, Kunkin was drafted and served as an Acting Sergeant in the US Army 6th Infantry Division, stationed at Ford Ord, California. During his service, Kunkin was assigned as a company clerk where he helped soldiers write letters, and in his own word, “helped people get out of the army.” During this era of Red Scare and McCarthyism, attempts were made to discharge Kunkin from the military due to false allegations of being a member of the Communist Party. Kunkin challenged these accusations at a military hearing with the support of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In the years following, He worked as a tool and die maker and machinist in the Los Angeles area after attending Frank Williams Trade School. Companies he worked for include North American Aviation, Ford Motor Company, and General Motors.

During his time as a machinist, Kunkin continued to work within the Johnson-Forest Tendency. While in Los Angeles, Kunkin continued to organize and served as an editor of The Correspondence, a newspaper published by the Johnson-Forest Tendency (Called the Correspondence Publishing Committee at this point) following the groups split from the Socialist Workers Party. He served as an editor until April 1955 when Raya Dunayevskaya and many members of the Johnson-Forest Tendency split from the Correspondence Publishing Committee to found News & Letters. Kunkin then served as an editor for News & Letters; however, in 1958, Kunkin left News & Letters due to disagreement with the management and political approaches of what would later described as the "Old Left." The same year, he joined the Socialist Party following the Socialist Party-Social Democratic Federation merger. He worked with East Los Angeles branch, where he served as an editor for their socialist newsletter. Within the Socialist Party, Kunkin served as the Los Angeles County Chariman while also a member of the National Action Committee. In 1961, he co-authored the bulletin, Realignment: One Year After the Party Convention, that critized the Socialist Party policies and action. While serving as local chairman, Kunkin held a public commentary on KPFK Radio with other local activist such as Dorothy Ray Healey (1914-2006) and Gene Turner.

In 1962, Kunkin returned to college and attended classes at East Los Angeles College intending to become a historian. Prior to this, Kunkin had studied American history extensively in the 1950s with his involvement the Johnson-Forest Tendency; and he was known to host his own study groups with classmates and activists from the East Los Angeles area during this time. While at college, Kunkin briefly wrote for Los Angeles Free Press had a circulation of 90,000 issues across the United States. During this time, Kunkin had established a small publishing empire in Los Angeles. Kunkin was also running a successful printing company named Alfred's Printing Company, a book publishing firm named Contact Books, a second printing company named Continuum Graphics, and most notable the Free Press Bookstore and Kazoo. Kunkin had started the bookstores in 1966 with Jeanne Morgan and by 1970 had three separate storefronts in Westwood, Fairfax, and Pasadena.

However, the success and growth of the Los Angeles Free Press would take a turn. On August 14, 1969, Kunkin along with journalist Jerry Applebaum published the names and addresses of narcotic agents from the Southern California area from a mailing list provided to Applebaum by a mail clerk from the Attorney General's office. The Free Press published this a week after Timothy Leary, LSD guru, (1920-1996) was arrested at a press conference for his California governor campaign that was being held at the Free Press parking lot. The printing of the agent names led to two lawsuits, one by the State of California for $20 million claiming property theft and the other by the narcotic agents themselves. Kunkin and Applebaum would be acquitted by the California Supreme Court in Kunkin V. California in 1973, but four years of legal battles put Kunkin in financial difficulties. During this time, Kunkin's Printing Company was also fighting a legal battle over obscenity charges after printing a sexually explicit newspaper, San Fransisco Ball. These lawsuits, and their accompanied fines and legal fees, along with the buildup of loan debt, Kunkin's purchase of an printing press, and his failure to pay employee taxes in 1970 led to the seizure of the paper and the eventual bankruptcy of Art Kunkin. This led to closure and selling of his various businesses over the next four years. Alongside the legal battles, some staff, led by Alex Apostolides, left to found the newspaper Tuesday’s Child soon after the narcotic case.

Due to bankruptcy and defaulting on loans, Kunkin lost ownership of the Los Angeles Free Press in 1970 to Barry Bernstein and eventually Marvin Miller, an adult entertainment publisher, under the title of Therapy Productions, Inc. Following Miller’s acquisition, the vast majority of the remaining staff as well as the Free Press’s main distributors left and founded The Staff in protest of Kunkin's business decisisions and Marvin Miller's takeover. Soon after taking ownership, Miller sold the newspaper to Troy Boal and Don Patrick; under their ownership, Kunkin served as the editor up until 1973 when he was fired. The Los Angeles Free Press eventually came under the ownership of Larry Flynt who ceased production of the newspaper in 1978.

Throughout its run, the Free Press served as a mouthpiece for the anti-Vietnam War movement, the Free Speech Movement, Civil Rights Movement, Chicano Movement, Feminist Movement, LGBT Movement, the psychedelic movement, and Sexual Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. The Free Press also served provided a space for experimental art, theatre, cinema, and music to be promoted and discussed along with the broader undeground culture of Los Angeles. At its peak, the Free Press would host its own concerts and festivals across Los Angeles. The Free Press hosted many notable staff members, journalists, columnists, and contributors throughout its span including such names as: Jack Anderson, John Bryan, Joseph Byrd, Ron Cobb, Anne Draper, Paul Eberle, Harlan Ellison, Clay Geerdes, Allen Ginsberg, Jerry Hopkins, Paul Krassner, Timothy Leary, Lawrence Lipton, Ron Ridenour, Liza Williams, and Gene Youngblood. The Los Angeles Free Press was also notable as a founding member of the Underground Press Syndicate, an alternative syndicate that grew to over 200 members and provided a network for news and activism to be disseminated.

Shortly after, Kunkin began the Weekly News which only lasted for nine months in 1973. In 1974, Kunkin served as editor for the short-lived Hollywood Daily News. From 1975-1977, Kunkn served as an adjunct faculty member of California State University, Northridge where he taught journalism. He also held many small jobs at the time including a brief time at The Realist with Paul Krassner, BookWest, and collaborated with Ed Lange of Elysium fields to publish Human Quest. But by this point, Kunkin had found interest in what is often called the New Age Movement. Throughout the late 1960s and into the 1970s, Kunkin had begun engaging with esotericism and spiritualism. This ranged from hypnotism and self-realization to astrology and tarot to Eastern religions such as Sufism and Tibetan Buddhism. Art Kunkin studied Tibetan Buddhism with Andrew De Passano, an Italian-Russian guru, in the 1970s and in 1978 founded the Temple of Esoteric Science (TES), a meditation group in the Los Angeles area. At this time, Kunkin's interest in alchemy began, and he studied it for the remainder of his life. In 1980, Art Kunkin moved to Salt Lake City to study alchemy at the Paracelsus College (Paracelsus Research Society) under Albert Reidel (who called himself Frater Albertus) and briefly served as editor for their periodical, Essentia”. At this time, Kunkin also helped establish the periodical, Catalyst, in 1982 and became associated with the Life Extension Research Institute (LERI) where he published a short-lived newsletter, Life Extension Newsletter. At this time he was also teaching writing classes at the local libraries.

In 1983, Kunkin began working for Larry Flynt publications with the goal of reviving the Los Angeles Free Press under the name the National Free Press, but the periodical never went to production. One year later in 1986, Kunkin and Paul Andrews purchased Whole Life Times, a new age holistic magazine. Kunkin served as editor for four years writing on spiritual, esoteric, and alternative health subjects that interested him. By 1990, Kunkin sold his share in the periodical to Abigail Lewis.

In the late 1980s, Kunkin had returned to the Los Angeles area and Art Kunkin moved to Topanga Canyon. There he became an active member of Elysium Fields, a nudist colony founded by Ed Lange (1920-1995) who was a close friend of Art Kunkin. Kunkin served as editor of Elysium’s quarterly periodical, Journal of the Senses, until the late 1990s following Ed Lange's passing. In 1991, Kunkin would become the president for the Philosophical Research Society where he taught alchemy and served as the editor for their periodical Ancient Wisdom for Modern Living.

In 1997, Art Kunkin revived the Los Angeles Free Press online along with the establishment of the World Wide Free Press at wwfreepress.com. And in 1999, the Los Angeles Free Press returned to print form which lasted until August 2000. Art Kunkin briefly ran the newspaper out of a few locations including Novel Cafe and Dome Village while working with Ted Hayes and John Bird, founder of The Big Issue. Kunkin collaborated with several organizations at this time including the North American Street Newspaper Association, the Los Angeles Alternative Media Network (and Los Angeles Bridge), and the Independent Media Center, which produced special editions of the Los Angeles Free Press covering the 1999 Seattle WTO protests. Another revival of the newspaper occurred from 2005 to 2007 with sporadic prints. In the early 2000s, Kunkin moved to Joshua Tree where he taught alchemy at the Institute of Mentalphysics and where he married Elaine Wallace and resided for the remainder of his life. On April 30, 2019, Kunkin passed away leaving beyind a legacy of socialist activism, alternative journalism, and New Age spiritualism.

Extent

348.7 Linear Feet

551 boxes

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection documents Art Kunkin’s career as a newspaper publisher, journalist, political activist, New Age advocate, esotericist, and alchemist. This collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, research notes, pamphlets, leaflets, flyers, programs, mailers, and other documents from his time as editor and publisher of the Los Angeles Free Press along with his other editorial work, his labor organizing, and his spiritual and esoteric practices and interests. Material authored by Kunkin includes drafts of manuscripts, articles, class material, and radio transcripts; as well as notes, revisions, and related research material. Though this collection covers the entirety of Art Kunkin’s professional, political and spiritual life, the surviving Los Angeles Free Press Records documents the administration and the business operations of the newspaper from 1964-1973 and beyond. This includes correspondence with authors, letters to the editors, printing operation records, legal correspondence, case records, article manuscripts, and photographs as well other areas of interest to Kunkin and the Free Press. Material collected is from organizations such as the Socialist Workers Party, Johnson-Forrest Tendency, Socialist Party – Social Democratic Federation, Students for Democratic Society, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Yippie Party, Black Panther Party, Peace and Freedom Party, and other Civil Rights and activist organizations; The material covers topics and subject material related to the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement, the Counterculture of the 60s and 70s, and the New Age Movement. Further material covers esoteric and spiritual subjects with a large portion on meditation, self-realization, spiritualism, alternative medicine, alchemy, and Eastern religions.

Arrangement

This collection is arrajged into 16 series and 49 sub-series.

Series I: Los Angeles Free Press Records (1964-2008)
Sub-Series A: Manuscripts and Press Releases
Sub-Series B: Letters to the Editor
Sub-Series C: Memos
Sub-Series D: Legal Records
Sub-Series E: Cartoons, Artwork, and Pasteups
Sub-Series F: Business Correspondence
Sub-Series G: Financial Records
Sub-Series H: Administrative Records
Sub-Series I: General Files
Sub-Series J: National Free Press Records
Sub-Series K: Worldwide Free Press / Los Angeles Free Press Records
Series II: Los Angeles Free Press issues (1964-2007, 2020)
Series: III: Personal Papers (1943-2019)
Sub-Series A: Planners, Notebooks, and Notes
Sub-Series B: General Personal Papers
Sub-Series C: Personal Financial Records
Sub-Series D: Biographical Material
Series IV: Socialist Papers (1936-1964)
Sub-Series A: Johnson Forest Tendency (SWP) Papers
Sub-Series B: Socialist Party Papers
Sub-Series C: Socialist papers, General
Series V: Editorial and Business Papers (1959-2006)
Sub-Series A: Manuscripts and Published Work
Sub-Series B: Arts Mimeography and Printing Invoices
Sub-Series C: LA Weekly News Files
Sub-Series D: Hollywood Daily News Files
Sub-Series E: California State University Northridge Files
Sub-Series F: Mining Milling Manufacturing Inc Files
Sub-Series G: Whole Life Times Files
Sub-Series H: Elysium Fields Files
Sub-Series I: The Big Issue Files
Sub-Series J: Business Records General Files
Series VI: New Age Papers (1974-2019)
Sub-Series A: Temple of Esoteric Science Files
Sub-Series B: Paracelsus College Files
Sub-Series C: Life Extension Research Files
Sub-Series D: Alchemical/Meditation Class Files
Sub-Series E: Philosophical Research Society Files
Sub-Series F: Institute of Mentalphysics Files
Series VII: Personal Correspondence (1946-2010)
Sub-Series A: Family Correspondence
Sub-Series B: Friends and Notable People Correspondence
Sub-Series C: General Correspondence
Series VIII: Photographs (1928-2010)
Sub-Series A: Los Angeles Free Press Photographs
Sub-Series B: Personal Photographs
Series IX: Audiovisual, Multimedia, and Hardware (1953-2007)
Series X: Subject Files (1800-2009)
Series XI: Underground/Alternative Periodicals (1948-2015)
Series XII: Spiritual and Esoteric (New Age) Periodicals (1901-2007)
Series XII: Socialist Periodicals and Publications (1900-2007)
Sub-Series A: Socialist/Leftist Periodicals
Sub-Series B: Socialist/Leftist Booklets
Series XIV: Socialist Bulletins (1930-1973)
Sub-Series A: Workers Party Bulletins
Sub-Series B: Johnson-Forest Tendency Bulletins
Sub-Series C: Socialist Workers Party Internal Bulletins
Sub-Series D: Socialist Workers Party Educational Bulletins
Sub-Series E: Socialist Workers Party Discussion Bulletins
Sub-Series F: Socialist Youth Bulletins
Sub-Series G: Socialist Party / Social Democratic Federation Bulletins
Sub-Series H: Communist Party USA and Spartacus Bulletins
Sub-Series I: Other Socialist and Communist Bulletins
Series XV: Street Newspapers (1994-1999)
Series XVI: Kunkin Publications

Boxes in each series were given their own series-specific numbering sequence.

Processing Information

The Art Kunkin Free Press Collection was acquired from Anna Kunkin in 2021 at the Institute of Mentalphysics in Joshua Tree, California. With the help of James Danky and John Durham, Greg Williams, Director of the CSU Dominguez Hills Gerth Archives and Special Collections, visited the grounds of the Institute in July 2021 to investigate and identify the location of important archival material. At the back of a tin shed, Greg Williams discovered the records of the Los Angeles Free Press nearly buried.

In August of 2021, The Gerth Archives staff spent two days packing and transferring the collection, in which a majority of the collection was discovered buried in the back of a tin shed and has experienced significant environmental damage from weather and infestation. The Gerth Archives received 388 record storage boxes of material. In April 2022, an initial triage was conducted by Simone Perkins and Lucas Madrigal to survey the scope of the collection, to assess material that needed conservation, and to develop an initial arrangement. In this triage, the collection was given a rough initial arrangement. It quickly became apparent that a large portion of the collection had no original order as a significant portion of the boxes contained piles of loose material. These boxes were surveyed to identify and appraise material of value.

Full-time processing of the collection began January 2023 by Lucas Madrigal. This collection was processed by Lucas Madrigal with oversight by Greg Williams. Processing endeavors have been supported by a variety of student workers, staff, and interns including: Jocelyn De Avila, Hector Jimenez Corpus, Noel Lopez, Simone Perkins, Felipe Proa, Anthony Rojos, Franke Sanchez, Deena Santos, Semy Tower, and Shawne West.

Approximately 5,000 digital scans have been produced of material from the Los Angeles Free Press records.

Funding for processing of the Art Kunkin Los Angeles Free Press Collection was provided by the Haynes Foundation and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). Digitization funds came from the NHPRC and the Cares Act.