Lenny Bruce collection

The Lenny Bruce collection consists of photographs, writings and transcripts, correspondence, news clippings and articles, audio recordings and trial materials, all related to Lenny Bruce’s performances and life, as well as some materials relating to his family members. Of particular note is the large collection of photographs of Lenny Bruce, Honey Bruce (his wife), Kitty Bruce (his daughter), Sally Marr (his mother) and Myron Schneider (his father), among others. The photographs document not only his professional career but also his personal life with family and friends. Also of note are the audio recordings, which include excerpts or full recordings of some of Bruce's performances between 1958 and 1966. A small amount of these audio recordings are personal recordings made by Bruce, such as conversations with friends and family, between 1959 and 1960. The writings and transcripts offer transcripts of his performances as well as showcase screenplays he had written as well as ones written about him. The series Correspondence, Writings and transcripts, and News clippings and articles also have materials pertaining to Lenny Bruce previously gathered by a close friend named Ralph J. Gleason, who was a journalist for the San Francisco Chronicle and later, the founding editor for Rolling Stone Magazine. The materials range in date from the early 1920s to the 2000s, with the bulk of the items being created between 1958 and 1966.