Ainars Ikstens collection, 1893-2007

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Summary

Creators:
Ikstens, Ainars
Abstract:
The collection is comprised of printed matter relating primarily to the history of Latvia in the 20th century, with a few titles dating from the 1890s. Consisting largely of monographs, pamphlets, and serial issues, the collection contains a considerable number of publications issued by the Latvian Communist Party (Latvijas Komunistiskăs Partija or LKP), its youth wing (Latvijas Sociăldemokrătiskă Strădnieku Partija), and other associated organizations. There are also a few serial issues in the collection relating to the Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party (Latvijas Sociăldemokrătiskă Strădnieku Partija). In addition, there are monographs and pamphlets published when Latvia was part of the Soviet Union, as well as a number of publications emanating from the Latvian diaspora.
Extent:
4 manuscript boxes, 2 oversize boxes (2.0 Linear Feet)
Language:
Mainly in Latvian
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Ainars Ikstens collection, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

The Ainar Ikstens collection is comprised of printed matter relating primarily to the history of Latvia in the 20th century, with a few titles dating from the 1890s. Consisting largely of monographs, pamphlets, and serial issues, the collection contains a considerable number of publications issued by the Latvian Communist Party (Latvijas Komunistiskăs Partija or LKP), its youth wing (Latvijas Komunistiskă Jaunatnes Savienība), and other associated organizations. There are also a few serial issues in the collection relating to the Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party (Latvijas Sociăldemokrătiskă Strădnieku Partija). In addition, there are monographs and pamphlets published when Latvia was part of the Soviet Union, as well as a number of publications emanating from the Latvian diaspora.

The collection has items from the tumultuous period surrounding Latvia's struggle for independence in the years 1917-1920, including a serial issue that published the decrees of the short-lived Soviet republic led by the Latvian communist Pēteris Stučka. The later Latvian Communist Party publications in the collection range from theoretical journals to bulletins distributed by regional sections of the party, as well as a circular issued by a factory committee in the Latvian capital, Rīga. Among the other rare and fugitive materials in the collection are a number of leaflets distributed by the LKP during the 1930s, when the party led a clandestine existence under the government of Kaārlis Ulmanis.

The underground leftist publications, pamphlets, leaflets, calendars, manuals, and ephemeral periodicals in this collection, which total more than one hundred items, cover the following main periods and topics, most of which are very poorly represented in academic libraries: publications of the 1917-19 turmoil in Latvia, underground leftist publications produced in Latvia or in the Soviet Union by the Communist International and directed against the Latvian government, brochures and periodicals from the first years of Soviet occupation, and selected Latvian ƩmigrƩ imprints.

The materials were obtained from Ainars Ikstens, a Latvian art historian and book collector. They are arranged according to physical form, and therein listed alphabetically by either author (monographs and pamphlets) or title (serial issues). When it is known, the Latvian name of the organization publishing a serial issue is also listed.

Biographical / historical:

Riga art historian and bibliophile.

Acquisition information:
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 2011.
Physical location:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Terms of access:

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Ainars Ikstens collection, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Location of this collection:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003, US
Contact:
(650) 723-3563
hooverarchives@stanford.edu
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