Alan Levy Papers

Collection

Identifier: PCL-MS-0072

Staff Only

Collection Overview

Abstract

The Alan Levy papers consists of research, correspondence, and other manuscript material written and collected by Alan Levy.

Dates

Creation: 1952-1967, undated

Extent

36.6 Cubic Feet (75 archives boxes)

Creator

Levy, Alan, 1932-2004 (Person)

Scope and Contents

The Alan Levy papers consists of research, correspondence, and writings from the earliest part of Levy's career. It encompasses his work at the Louisville Courier-Journal and his freelance work in New York City for magazines such as Life and The Saturday Evening Post, up to his departure for Czechoslovakia in 1967. Notable subject and correspondents include members of The Beatles, Richard Nixon and his associates, Fidel Castro, and Elvis Presley. This collection also includes the typwritten versions of the news stories Levy wrote for the Louisville Courier-Journal on a regular basis.

This collection will be of interest to researchers of Alan Levy's work, as well as mid-20th century journalism and popular culture.

This collection is minimally processed but a detailed inventory exists for its contents. All boxes are available for research upon request.

Biographical / Historical

Alan Levy (1932-2004) was an American author and journalist. Educated at Brown and Columbia Universities, Levy spent seven years working at the Louisville Courier-Journal before moving to New York City to do freelance work for maazines such as Life, The Saturday Evening Post, and others. During his time in New York, he interviewed and profiled luminaries such as Richard Nixon, The Beatles, Fidel Castro, and Ezra Pound.

In 1967, Levy relocated his family to Prague, Czechoslovakia. There he covered the Soviet invasion of the country, leading to the book Rowboat to Prague. He and his family were exiled from the country in 1971 and settled in Vienna, Austria. From Vienna, he continued to freelance for many American magazines as well as European newspapers.

After the "Velvet Revolution" in Czechoslovakia in 1991, Levy moved his family back to the country, where he became editor of English-lanugage newspaper The Prague Post, a position he held until his death in 2004. The paper became an influential voice on English-speaking expatriates and those outside the country. Levy's 1993 book The Wiesenthal File, about Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal, was widely acclaimed and received several awards.

Conditions Governing Access

No known access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright and other restrictions may apply to the materials in this collection. Researchers using this collection assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright, and are responsible for securing permissions necessary for publication or reproduction.

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The materials in this collection were transferred to the Browne Popular Culture Library by Alan Levy beginning in 1967.

Processing Information

An initial inventory was created at an unknown date prior to 2021. Revised and input into ArchivesSpace by Tyne Lowe, Manuscripts Archivist, January 2024.