The William S. Wilson Collection of Ray Johnson, acquired by the Art Institute of Chicago in 2018, was partially exhibited by the museum in the exhibition Ray Johnson ℅ (November 26, 2021-March 21, 2022). The collection documents the life and career of Johnson, with particular strengths in the 1960s and 1970s. Assembled over six decades by Johnson’s longtime friend, collaborator, and self-proclaimed "archivist," William "Bill" S. Wilson III (1932-2016), the collection comprises the original archives of the New York Correspondence School, along with Wilson's later additions. It includes original collages, design flyers, mail art, letters, photographs, and more, most of which Wilson arranged in more than 170 3-ring binders.
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See also:
Other Ray Johnson Collections in the Art Institute Archives.
Sybil Shearer Collection of Ray Johnson
Collection access:
Collections may be accessed in the Franke Reading Room of the Research Center at The Art Institute of Chicago, by appointment only. For further information, consult the FAQ.
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Contact the Ryerson and Burnham Art and Architecture Archives:
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