Guide to the Papers of Dennis Altman
MS 5402; MS Acc10.041; MS Acc16.020; MS Acc17.099.MS Acc22.063; MS Acc22.145
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Created: November 2023
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Altman, Dennis, AM, Professor
- Title
- Papers of Dennis Altman
- Date Range
- 1961 - 2021
- Collection Number
- MS 5402; MS Acc10.041; MS Acc16.020; MS Acc17.099.MS Acc22.063; MS Acc22.145
- Extent
- 4.79 metres (23 ms boxes + 1 archives box + 1 map folio + 2 folders)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- Special Collections (Manuscripts)
Introduction
Scope and Contents
The collection comprises papers documenting academic and gay right's campaigner Dennis Altman's career as a writer and his roles in Australian and international HIV/AIDS organisations. Includes correspondence to and from academics, publishers, politicians, leaders of homosexual movements and admirers.
Conditions Governing Access
Access conditions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2438746).
Conditions Governing Use
Conditions for copying and publishing of this collection may apply, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2438746).
Preferred Citation
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Dennis Altman, National Library of Australia, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Finding Aid Source
Please note: This finding aid may comprise or contain descriptive information provided by donors, researchers and/or volunteers.
Collection Retrieval Advice
Please note: each consignment in this collection has a separate box number sequence (i.e. there are multiple Box 1's). Please cite the relevant Accession number as well as the Box number when requesting retrieval of material from the collection.
Item Descriptions
Class MS 5402. Original Consignment received 1977, 1966 - 2009
This consignment comprises a notebook and manuscript of Homosexual: oppression and liberation; reviews; and, printed matter on gay liberation and other homosexual movements, including several issues of The Body Politic, CAMP Ink and Campaign. There is also correspondence to and from academics, publishers, politicians, leaders of homosexual movements and admirers, including Louie Crew, Gerry Hannon, Max Whitehouse, Leslie Bury (M.P.), Bill Hayden (M.P.), Harris Dienstfrey, Richard Walsh, Peter Bonsall-Boone, George Medenhall and Ralph Blair (2 boxes, 2 folders).
Class MS Acc10.041. Consignment received 2010, 1961 - 2016
This consignmentt comprises papers documenting Dennis Altman's career as a writer and his roles in Australian and international HIV/AIDS organisations. They include correspondence, reports, financial records, ephemera, publications, press cuttings, publishing contracts and drafts of several of Altman's books. The organisations represented in the papers include the Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men's Health Centre (VAD/GMHC), National Centre for HIV Social Research (NCHSR), Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) and the Global AIDS Policy Coalition (GAPC). Correspondents include Jonathon Mann and Jeff O'Malley of the Harvard School of Public Health, Ita Buttrose, Levinia Crooks and Nick Toonen. The ephemera includes publications on AIDS topics, largely of Asian origin (7 boxes).
Series. HIV/AIDS
Loose papers: correspondence relating to HIV/AIDS organisations (eg VAC/GMHC – Victorian AIDS Council / Gay Men's Health Centre) and activities. Correspondents include Ita Buttrose,Levinia Crooks, Nick Toonen, 1986-1995 (File) - Box 1 (MS Acc10.041)
File 'Supplementary papers': largely correspondence relating to VAD/GMHC and NCHSR (National Centre for HIV Social Research), 1990-1991 (File) - Box 1 (MS Acc10.041)
Series. International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP), 6th ICAAP, Melbourne, October 2001
Series. Miscellaneous papers
Ephemera, correspondence, programs etc relating to various events. Includes a transcript of a lecture by Altman, 1988, and a typescript of an address by Hon Michael Kirby, 1997, containing a tribute to Altman, 1986-2008 (File) - Box 2 (MS Acc10.041)
Series. AIDS printed material
Series. Paper ambassadors : the politics of stamps
Series. Digital Carriers from Box 7
8Th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific. Colombo 19-23 August 2007. Waves of Change, Waves of Hope., 19-23/08/2007 (Item NLA.MS-DM004537) - Digital-Carriers-Box 94
1 item, Imation 700Mb, Data CD (any content on recordable CD-R)Some detail on case
Class MS Acc16.020. Consignment received 2016, 1961 - 2016
This consignment includes correspondence, Altman's ASIO files, manuscripts of books, book reviews and notebooks; papers relating to Altman's involvement in HIV/AIDS groups and research; university work related materials; a small amount of ephemeral HIV/AIDS materials; materials related to Gore Vidal and a poster from the 1996 Salamanca Writers festival.
Series. General correspondence
Correspondence largely inward relating to publications over 40 years, 1971-2013 (File) - Box 1 (MS Acc16.020)
Copies of correspondence with publishers, esp. US; royalty & financial documentation.
Correspondence largely inward, 1972-2007 (File) - Box 4 (MS Acc16.020)
Across a range of general public/readership, professional/academic, editorial interest: gay politics, HIV/AIDS, books by Altman and publication; invitations re articles, talks; academic positions and tertiary education issues; State and Federal government policies human rights, equality. Local: politicians - Julia Gillard, Neal Blewett, Gordon Bilney, Laurie Brereton, Jenny Macklin; commentators/ academics - Geraldine Doogue, Philip Adams, Donald Horne, Hugh Stretton; Juan Davila
Series. Miscellaneous papers
Drafts, printouts, typescript, photocopies, print (mostly US - 26 items); Script, incomplete adaptation "Time goes by"; AIDS and the collapsing world order; The state of the family; the State and the Family; Into the Dark Ages: the decline of sexual politics; The post-Dawkins University; and others, 1980-2007 (File) - Box 2 (MS Acc16.020)
Series. Writing/Books
Gore Vidal's America: research material (File) - Box 8 (MS Acc16.020)
clippings, photocopies; photocopies of 19 x letters Gore Vidal to 'Bob' (Bob Carr), 2 x autograph cards signed Gore Vidal to Dennis Altman; DVD: Gore Vidal at D.G. Wills Books
Global Sex: publisher (University of Chicago), 1992-2004 (File) - Box 4, 10 (MS Acc16.020)
Includes publicity, royalty, correspondence; material relating to including the title in academic courses. Reviews, clippings
The Homosexualization of America: The Americanisation of the Homosexual, 1982 (File) - Box 10 (MS Acc16.020)
Uncorrected proofs; Wrappers
Homosexual: Oppression and liberation. Royalties, contracts, correspondence, 1972-75 (File) - Box 4 (MS Acc16.020)
Series. HIV/AIDS
Clippings, ephemera relating to AIDS; program for AIDS 2012 International AIDS conference; articles, letters, organisational material, ephemera. VHS '6th International Congress AIDS Asia Pacific Opening Ceremony', 1985-2012 (File) - Box 5 (MS Acc16.020)
AIDS Society of Asia and the Pacific (ASAP) - Dennis Altman involved in setting up ASAP. Correspondence, clippings, organisational material including attitudes within organisation regrading aspects of politics, constitution, etc. Photograph album, list attached, 1985-2011 (File) - Box 6 (MS Acc16.020)
Series. Academia and personal
Awards: Certificate of Recognition Natae Barney/Edward Carpenter Library; Gay Unicio, Inc. 1980 Theory Development Award, 1980 (File) - Box 1 (MS Acc16.020)
University of Tasmania: clippings (one Russian), photos; photocopy of Dennis Altman's ASIO file, 1959-1964; 1960s-1970s (File) - Box 2 (MS Acc16.020)
University and research related papers, 1969-2014 (File) - Box 7 (MS Acc16.020)
General correspondence, applications for professorial positions at other universities; notes from trips (mid-1990s), travel, material relating to retirement, position of Emeritus
Series. Obsolete carriers removed from MS Acc16.020
ALGA CD Disk 409. Keynote speeches from final day of 'After Homosexual: The Legacies of Gay Liberation' 2-4/02/2012, 2-4/02/2012 (Item NLA.MS-DM009151) - Digital-Carriers-Box 159
1 item, TDK DVD-R, Data CD (any content on recordable CD-R)Tasmania University Graduation Ceremony 17/12/2013, 17/12/2013 (Item NLA.MS-DM009152) - Digital-Carriers-Box 159
1 item, Verbatim, Data DVD (any content of recordable DVD-R)D G Wills Books presents Gore Vidal Disc 1 of 2 (Item NLA.MS-DM009153) - Digital-Carriers-Box 159
1 item, Unbranded, Data DVD (any content of recordable DVD-R)D G Wills Books presents Gore Vidal Disc 2 of 2 (Item NLA.MS-DM009154) - Digital-Carriers-Box 159
1 item, Unbranded, Data DVD (any content of recordable DVD-R)
Altman 'Rehearsals for Change', 16/09/2003, First Proof, 16/09/2003 (Item NLA.MS-DM003177) - Digital-Carriers-Box 66
1 item, Unbranded, Data CD (any content on recordable CD-R)Class MS Acc17.099. Consignment received 2017, 1987 - 2016
This consignment includes letters and other materials with a literary or professional component including contracts with publishers; correspondence with David Williamson and correspondence relating to Professor Michael Wilding. Papers of Brian Kiernan's wife, the editor of the Sydney Review are also included. Additionally, it includes correspondence relating to Dennis Altman's sabbatical leave in 1976 when he visited universities in Europe and had a semester in Yale.
International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific, Melbourne 2001. Final reports: community program, volunteer program ceremonies, cultural program, 2001 (File) - Box 1 (MS Acc17.099)
Organisational ephemera including conference papers; 1 x envelope photographic negatives (unlabelled); manuscript drafts; ICAAP News editions, 2001-2016 (File) - Box 2 (MS Acc17.099)
Class MS Acc22.063. Consignment received 2022, 1972-2021
This consignment comprises correspondence; slide transparencies; certificates; posters; assorted flyers, programs, articles, and press cuttings mainly from 2016-2021; plus publishing agreements from earlier periods.
Class MS Acc22.145. Consignment received 2022, 2017 - 2021
This consignment comprises printed drafts from various stages of Altman's writing of Unrequited Love : diary of an accidental activist and God Save the Queen : the strange persistence of monarchies, some with editorial corrections noted. The drafts demonstrate the development of the books.
Series 1. Unrequited Love : diary of an accidental activist, 2017-2019
Unrequited Love : diary of an accidental activist was published by Monash University Publishing in 2019.
Draft manuscript for Unrequited Love : diary of an accidental activist, undated (File 1) - Box 1 (MS Acc22.145)
Includes handwritten notes on draft manuscript, and 9 pages of editorial notes.
Draft manuscript for Unrequited Love : diary of an accidental activist, undated (File 2) - Box 1 (MS Acc22.145)
Includes handwritten notes on draft manuscript.
Draft manuscript for Unrequited Love : diary of an accidental activist, undated (File 3) - Box 1 (MS Acc22.145)
Includes handwritten notes on draft manuscript.
Draft manuscript for Unrequited Love : diary of an accidental activist, January 2019 (File 4) - Box 1 (MS Acc22.145)
Includes handwritten note on Introduction page "Jan '19".
Draft manuscript for Unrequited Love : diary of an accidental activist, March 2019 (File 5) - Box 1 (MS Acc22.145)
Includes handwritten notes on draft manuscript and a handwriten note on Introduction page "March '19".
Series 2. God Save the Queen : the strange persistence of monarchies, 2020-2021
God Save the Queen : the strange persistence of monarchies was published by Scribe Publications Pty Ltd, 2021.
Draft manuscript for The strange persistence of Monarchies [First edit], undated (File 8) - Box 1 (MS Acc22.145)
Includes handwritten notes on draft manuscript.