File on Gurdjieff kept by Carl Zigrosser, 1923-1963, n.d.

Format:

Manuscript

Author/Creator:

Gurdjieff, Georges Ivanovitch, 1872-1949.

Contributor:

Gurdjieff, Georges Ivanovitch, 1872-1949.

Orage, A. R. (Alfred Richard), 1873-1934.

Salzmann, A.

Solon, Israel.

March, Louise.

Howarth, Jessamin.

Draper, Muriel, 1886-1952.

Benson, Rita Romilly.

Gurdjieff Institute.

Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man.

Language:

English

Physical Description:

93 items (312 leaves and 3 pamphlets)

Contained In:

Carl Zigrosser Papers, ca. 1891-1971. Folders 643-648.

Place of Publication:

1923-1963, n.d.

Summary:

There is no correspondence from Gurdjieff in this file. These files reflect Zigrosser's years of involvement with a Gurdjieff circle in New York City and his extensive study of Gurdjieff's teachings. Included are letters Zigrosser to his wife Florence King from France in 1927. At this

time, Zigrosser visited the Gurdjieff Institute and sent detailed descriptions of the compound and life there, including diagrams. The bulk of the material concerns the intellectual circle of Gurdjieff followers Zigrosser was involved with in New York City: meeting announcements, schedules for public readings, membership lists,invitations to movement classes, movement brochures, summary lecture and reading notes (1923-1933) kept by Zigrosser based on the teaching of Gurdjieff and Orage, and copies of brochures put out by the Institute. There are also circular letters from Gurdjieff and the Institute, and regular requests for funds.

There is a quantity of correspondence from members of the New York circle, detailing reaction to the frequent requests for money coming from Gurdjieff, problems within the circle and letters concerning events. There are letters from A. R. Orage, A. Salzmann, Israel Solon, Louise March, Jessamin Howarth, Muriel Draper, Louis Goepfert and Rita Romilly Benson.

Other material includes newspaper clippings, an obituary for Gurdjieff, clippings of Zigrosser's writings about Gurdjieff and a photograph of Gurdjieff taken by David Hare in 1932.

Notes:

Carl Zigrosser was a follower of the teachings of Georges Ivanovitch Gurdjieff. Zigrosser travelled to Gurdjieff's Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man at Fountainbleau in 1927; was a member of a Gurdjieff circle in New York that attended lectures, held classes and studied Gurdjieff's music and movement theories; and was in regular contact with A. R. Orage.