Information and web resources for research on John Cage

There is an archive with very extensive holdings. There are copies of the music manuscript (the originals are held at the NY Public Library for the Performing Arts, see below). The Cage Trust has significant holdings in terms of its own library, Cage's personal library, an audio collection (published and archival), and lots of ephemera. There is also a significant art collection of works by Cage.
The Trust also deals with questions re permissions and specific materials (e.g. pictures of Cage)

'Includes autograph manuscripts of nearly all of Cage's musical works, as well as sketches and other pre-compositional materials.' [from http://www.nypl.org/research/lpa/mus/mus.majcoll.html; 11 July 2002]

The collection consists of two parts. One is the Cage correspondence and the other contains the "memorabilia". Although there are some earlier items, the bulk of the correspondence dates from the late 1960s onwards. Letters are kept in chronological order and they are not yet indexed (by people or subjects). The "memorabilia" contains all of the items John acquired, much of it not by choice but rather things that were sent to him, relating to the performing arts. These are also arranged chronologically. The "memorabilia" is not indexed.

100 cubic feet; 25 transfiles, 26 Paige, 1 lg. broadside, 1 sm. broadside, 2 paper-wrapped bundles, 1 poster tube, 14' books; NO INDEX, NO FINDING AID. [http://www.wesleyan.edu/libr/schome/colls.htm, 12 July 2002]

Other information
Reading room hours are Monday through Friday afternoons from 1:30 to 5 and by appointment. (In summer, Monday through Thursday 1:30 to 5 and by appointment.)

Who may use SC&A?
Anyone is welcome to consult materials in the care of Special Collections & Archives. Non-Wesleyan users must complete a registration form. Permission to examine original materials will be granted to researchers for specific purposes, upon completion of a registration form and an introductory interview with the librarian.