Work is in progress by the Gurdjieff Heritage Society, Inc. to continue the process started earlier by Dushka Howarth to transfer her archive materials to the research division of the New York Public Library. The archive includes materials related to the Gurdjieff Movements and music, since both Dushka Howarth and her mother Jessmin Howarth studied Movements directly with Mr. Gurdjieff during the earliest years and were widely known authorities on their original transmission.
A newer website at http:// www.GurdjieffHeritageSociety.org provides a link for on-line tax-deductible contributions for the much needed support for this effort, through an affiliated, supporting non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status.
The newer website at http:// www.GurdjieffHeritageSociety.org also has periodic updates regarding progress with the “Howarth Gurdjieff Archive.” Anyone interested in being informed when Dushka’s archive of Work materials has been situated for appropriate access for study purposes, please check either website periodically and join the Gurdjieff Heritage Society email list.
Your informing us of your interest in, any volunteer assistance for, this important archival Work resource is vital and needed support to the overall archive project.
Archive updates (after the death of Dushka Howarth in 2010), in reverse chronological order:
September 2011
The first transfer of archive materials to the New York Public Library occurred in September. Over 100 published books related to the Gurdjieff Fourth Way Work and its students, which NYPL did not already have in its existing collections, were sent to NYPL research division at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street. These books are being assimilated by NYPL, and are beginning to be available to the public as research materials. Many are rare, out-of-print, limited editions, private publications, and/or with notations by elders of the Work community.
You can see a list of the books sent to NYPL at http://www.GurdjieffHeritageSociety.org/pages/ghs-nypl1109-104books.html. You can also look for them in the NYPL on-line catalog at http://catalog.nypl.org. Use your imagination when searching the NYPL on-line catalog. Besides using “Author” and “Title” categories for your searches, you can also
(a) use “keywords” category to search authors and titles more broadly,
(b) use English titles and keywords to find non-English materials, and
(c) try alternate spellings. For example, P. D. Ouspensky is coded as “Uspenskiĭ, P D” by the NYPL.
December 2011
The future archive collection is expected to be established in the research division of the New York Public Library, under the name “Howarth Gurdjieff Archive,” with cross-references to materials already in NYPL about the Gurdjieff Work.
Much of the Howarth Gurdjieff Archive is intended primarily to serve as study materials for Gurdjieff Movements teachers and musicians. Other archive materials are of more general interest.
The Howarth Gurdjieff Archive is expected to be available according to NYPL policies for research collections, for visitors to the NYPL branches where the Howarth Gurdjieff Archive materials will reside (to be determined).
Establishing an archive collection at NYPL is a lengthy process, so please check back for further updates on either of our websites, as archive materials become available over time. If you wish to be added to the list of those who have requested email notifications, kindly join the Gurdjieff Heritage Society e-mail list as requested above**.
Thank you for your interest and patience. We hope you will make good and appropriate use of the archive materials as they become available, as Dushka wished.