Finding aid of the Martin F. Block Papers
Michael C. Oliveira
Revised ed.
Collection reprocessed June 5, 2008.
ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90007
Phone: (213) 741-0094
Fax: (213) 741-0220
Email: askone@onearchives.org
URL: http://www.onearchives.org
© 2006
ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives. All rights reserved.
Finding aid of the Martin F. Block Papers
Collection number:Coll2006-001
ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives
Los Angeles,
California
- Processed by:
- Michael C. Oliveira
- Date Completed:
- October 03, 2006 (revised June 5, 2008)
- Encoded by:
- Michael C. Oliveira
© 2006 ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives. All rights reserved.
Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant
from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Martin F. Block papers
Dates: 1935-1995
Bulk Dates: (bulk
1950-1955)
Collection number: Coll2006-001
Creator:
Block, Martin F., 1919-1995
Collection Size: 1 archive carton
0.2 linear foot
Repository:
ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives.
Los Angeles, California 90007
Abstract: Materials documenting Martin F. Block's
activities as a writer, founder and first editor of
ONE
Magazine
, and as a board member of the Celebration Theatre, Hollywood,
in the 1980s. The collection includes unpublished poetry and prose 1938-1953
and 1982-1984, by Block, Howard Griffin, and Ramon Mendez, as well as
correspondence, clippings, ephemera, and a transcript of an interview relating
to Block's career, personal life, and to the founding of ONE, Inc.
Languages: Languages represented in the collection:
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 & 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 & 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
Box #, folder #, Martin F. Block Papers, Coll2006-001, ONE National Gay
& Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California.
Acquisition Information
Date of acquisition unknown.
Processing Information
Formerly housed in boxes 103-18 and 103-73. Processed
October 03, 2006, and revised
June 05, 2008, by Michael C. Oliveira.
Processing this collection has been funded by a generous grant from the
National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Biography
Martin Fiddler Block was born on July 27, 1919. As a teenager he
delivered merchandise for a bookstore in New York City. After graduating from
high school he found employment as a buttonhole maker. He later worked for
Doubleday, Doran Book Shops becoming, upon completion of military service,
night manager for the firm's shop in Grand Central Terminal. He then obtained
employment in the publishing business. He moved to Los Angeles in the late
1940s, and in the early 1950s became one of the owners of the Studio Book
Store, Hollywood, California. In late 1949 or early 1950, Block was invited by
Rudi Gernreich to join the nascent Mattachine Society. By late 1952, an
increasing number of members believed the Mattachine should consider a more
public role. On October 15, 1952, at a regular meeting chaired by Block, the
publishing of a periodical for homosexuals was first proposed. The concept was
developed in a succession of weekly meetings, and on November 15, Block, Dale
Jennings, and Antonio Sanchez under the pseudonym Anthony Ryceman signed the
articles of incorporation for ONE. On November 29, at the first meeting of the
new organization, held in his Hollywood bookstore, Block was elected Chairman
of ONE, Incorporated. Block also served as the first editor of
ONE Magazine, the inaugural issue of which was
published in January 1953. However, the demands of his bookstore and family
matters compelled him to resign from his position as editor in June 1953. Block
remained active in the organization, although with increasing infrequency,
through the 1950s. Throughout his professional life Block reviewed books for
the
Los Angeles Daily News, the Saturday Review,
and the
New York Times Book Review. In the late
1950s, after his own store closed, he managed the book department of Robinson's
Department Store, in Pasadena. He also served as chairman of the Celebration
Theater during the early 1980s. He died in West Hollywood, California, on March
4, 1995.
Sources:
Martin F. Block Papers, Coll2006-001, ONE National Gay & Lesbian
Archives, Los Angeles, California.
Hansen, Joseph.
A Few Doors West of Hope: The Life and Times of
Dauntless Don Slater
. Universal City, CA: Homosexual
Information Center, 1998.
Marcus, Eric. "The Editor: Martin Block." In
Making History: The Struggle for Gay and Lesbian
Equal Right, 1945-1990; An Oral History
. New York: HarperCollins,
1992.
Scope and Content of Collection
The bulk of the collection consists of manuscripts by Block and others,
and appears to be derived from his activities as founding editor of ONE
Magazine in 1953, and from his involvement with the Celebration Theatre in the
1980s. Block's own writings include poetry and a self-assessment. Materials by
others that may relate to Block's involvement with
ONE Magazine include a synopsis for a play,
Behold Your Calling, by Ramon Mendez, and a
short story,
From a Soldier's Notebook: The Joy of
Lightning
. A contemporary note was penned on the title page, "Howard
Griffin c/o the Hon. Dorothy Brett, Taos, N.M.," suggests that the author may
have been John Howard Griffin (1920-1980), a southern writer with many
connections to the Taos area. Materials relating to the Celebration Theatre
include playbills, flyers, financial records, and the pamphlet
An Introduction to the Celebration Theatre,
which includes an essay by Block,
On the Nature of Gay Theatre. The
correspondence file contains correspondence relating to Block's career in
publishing, and to personal matters. It includes an acetate-covered cardboard
"voice-o-graph" disk, postmarked November 20, 1946, and marked "Coney Island."
The clippings file also contains materials concerning Block's career in
publishing, as well as other items of personal interest. A transcript of an
interview with Block provides information on his life and on the founding of
ONE, Inc. Materials in the ephemera file consist primarily of several
playbills, and flyers from Block's career in publishing. Charles D. Rowland
(1917-1990) was a long-time friend and as a producing director of the
Celebration Theatre, a colleague of Block: Rowland's file contains a copy of
his will (with Block named as executor) and tributes from his memorial
service.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this
collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Block, Martin F.,
1919-1995
Celebration Theatre (Los
Angeles)
Gay activists--Los Angeles
Gay dramatists--United States
Gay men's writings, American
Gays' writings, American
Griffin, John Howard,
1920-1980
Mendez, Ramon, d. 1953
ONE, Inc.
Rowland, Charles D.,
1917-1990
Container List
Unpublished Material, 1938-1984
Box : Folder 1 : 1
Martin F. Block
1938-1952
Box : Folder 1 : 2
Howard Griffin, "From a Soldier's Notebook: The Joy of
Lightning"
circa 1950
Box : Folder 1 : 3
Ramon Mendez, "Behold Your Calling"
1953
Box : Folder 1 : 4
Celebration Theatre
1983-1986
Box : Folder 1 : 10
Voice-O-Graph, acetate coated cardboard disk
1946
Box : Folder 1 : 9
Charles D. Rowland
1989-1990
