Scope and Contents
Research strengths include the history of military intelligence; World War II intelligence and propaganda; Pforzheimer's intelligence career, the formation and early history of the Central Intelligence Agency, and development of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Historical Intelligence Collection; book and manuscript collecting, and the development of Pforzheimer’s collections of military intelligence, Molière, French armorial bindings, and Frank Richard Stockton; postal history and stamp collecting; American twentieth century politics and government; and the Pforzheimer family.
Dates
- circa 1548-circa 2001 1940-1995
- Majority of material found within 1940 - 1995
Creator
Language of Materials
Conditions Governing Access
Boxes 111 and 229 (audiovisual material): Restricted fragile. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Boxes 56-59, 60 (Art), 141-143 (Art), 143a (Art), 141-144 (Art), 145-150, 151 (Art), 152, 153 (Art), 154-158, 159 (Art), and 161-162 (Cold storage): Restricted fragile material. For further information consult Access Services.
Boxes 160 and 165 (computer disks): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies are available. For further information consult Access Services.
Conditions Governing Use
Conditions Governing Use
Audiotapes, videotape, and microfilms in box 20: Use of originals is restricted. Reference copies may be requested. For further information consult Access Services.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Arrangement
Extent
133.50 Linear Feet ((148 boxes) + 9 broadside, 2 cold storage, 9 art, 1 roll)
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
Walter L. Pforzheimer (1914-2003)
Pforzheimer came from a family of book collectors: his father, also named Walter Pforzheimer (1883-1955), collected French armorial bindings and assembled a virtually complete collection of Molière; his uncle Carl H. Pforzheimer (1879-1957) collected Percy Bysshe Shelley and his circle. Pforzheimer inherited and augmented his father's collections, and assembled his own collection of American novelist Frank Richard Stockton. In addition to curating the CIA's Historical Intelligence Collection, Pforzheimer built a personal collection of books and manuscripts documenting the history of military intelligence. Elected to the Yale Library Associates board of trustees in 1936, Pforzheimer was a life-long trustee and donor to the Yale Libraries. He donated his book and manuscript collections of Molière, French armorial bindings, Frank Richard Stockton, and military intelligence to the Beinecke Library in 2001.
Sources:
Peake, Hayden B. "Walter Pforzheimer -- Lawyer, Intelligence Officer, Bibliophile." In: In the Name of Intelligence: Essays in Honor of Walter Pforzheimer (Washington: NIBC Press, c1994).
"Walter L. Pforzheimer, CIA's First Curator, Dies at 88." Washington Post (2003 February 12).
Processing Information
In 2011 December, the collection was reclassed under one call number, boxes and other containers were renumbered in a single sequence, and some restricted fragile materials were identified. Preliminary organization by acquisition was maintained, with the addition of several items (boxes 166-167) not included in preliminary processing. Series titles were revised to reflect the overlap of contents between acquisitions and subseries. Box and folder titles and folder notes assigned during preliminary processing were maintained, with some errors corrected. Box and folder titles were not verified against contents.
Based on a survey of contents conducted in 2011 December, access to the collection was restricted, pending full processing.
- Armorial bindings -- France
- Audiocassettes
- Audiovisual materials
- Autochromes (photographs) -- United States -- 20th Century
- Book collecting -- United States
- Book collectors -- United States
- Book collectors -- United States -- 20th Century
- Born digital
- Defense Intelligence College (U.S.)
- Electronic documents -- United States -- 20th Century
- Intelligence officers -- United States
- Intelligence officers -- United States -- 20th Century
- Manuscripts -- Collectors and collecting -- United States
- Medals -- France -- 17th century
- Military intelligence
- Military intelligence -- United States
- Molière, 1622-1673
- Negatives (photographic) -- United States -- 20th Century
- Oil paintings (visual works) -- United States -- 20th Century
- Pforzheimer family
- Pforzheimer, Walter L. (Walter Lionel), 1914-2003
- Pforzheimer, Walter L. (Walter Lionel), 1914-2003
- Photograph albums -- United States -- 20th Century
- Photographs -- United States -- 20th Century
- Postage stamps -- 20th Century
- Sound recordings -- United States -- 20th Century
- Stamp collecting -- United States
- Stereographs -- United States -- 20th Century
- Stockton, Frank R., 1834-1902
- United States -- Politics and government -- 1933-1945
- United States -- Politics and government -- 1945-1989
- United States. Army Air Forces
- United States. Central Intelligence Agency
- United States. Central Intelligence Agency. Historical Intelligence Collection
- United States. Office of Strategic Services
- Video recordings -- United States -- 20th Century
- Videocassettes
- World War, 1939-1945
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Military intelligence
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal narratives, American
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Propaganda
- Title
- Guide to the Walter L. Pforzheimer Papers
- Author
- by Beinecke staff
- Date
- 2007-05-15
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.