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Mainwaring Archive Foundation records, 1946-2010

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Mainwaring Archive Foundation (2000-2022) (Helena, MT); Mainwaring, A. Bruce, 1927-2022; Juergens, Ralph E., 1924-1979; Sizemore, Warner B., 1925-2017; Milton, E. R. (Earl R.), 1935-1999; De Grazia, Alfred, 1919-2014
Title
Mainwaring Archive Foundation records
Dates
1946-2010 (inclusive)
Quantity
8.75 linear feet, (21 boxes)
Collection Number
2723
Summary
The records of the Mainwaring Archive Foundation were amassed by Albert Bruce Mainwaring (1927-2022) and curated by his son, Scott Mainwaring. The Mainwaring Archive Foundation was a Helena, MT-based non-profit focused on collecting the papers of researchers inspired by the popular and controversial writer Immanuel Velikovsky. Beginning in 1950, Velikovsky published a series of books postulating that the Earth had been subjected to catastrophic extraterrestrial forces in historic times and that these events had been described in the folklore and myth of worldwide cultures. The papers contained in this collection include the research and correspondence of Ralph Juergens, Warner Sizemore, Earl Milton, Alfred de Grazia, Bruce Mainwaring, and Anthony Peratt.
Repository
Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

The Mainwaring Archive Foundation was a Helena, MT-based non-profit focused on collecting the papers of researchers inspired by the popular and controversial writer Immanuel Velikovsky. Beginning in 1950, with the publication of his book Worlds in Collision, Velikovsky proposed a theory that the Earth had been subjected to catastrophic extraterrestrial forces in historic times and that these events had been described in the folklore and myth of worldwide cultures. His subsequent books expanded on this theory and focused on how natural catastrophes impacted cultures in the ancient world. Worlds in Collision became a best seller, but despite its popularity it was widely criticized by the mainstream scientific community.

The Mainwaring Archive Foundation was founded by Albert Bruce Mainwaring, a businessman from Pennsylvania, who was interested in Velikovsky's research. Mainwaring had served on the board of the Velikovskian organization the Foundation for Studies of Modern Science (FOSMOS), which ran from 1968 to the early 1970s. The Mainwaring Archive Foundation collected the personal papers of several FOSMOS members, including Alfred de Grazia and Warner Sizemore, as well as other researchers interested in Velikovsky's work. In addition to personal papers, the Mainwaring Archive Foundation also collected books and periodicals inspired by Velikovsky's theories.

Mainwaring created the foundation in 2000, following a conference organized by David Talbott on Velikovskian theories. Prior to the conference, Mainwaring had discussed the creation of an archive dedicated to Velikovsky's theories with Alfred de Grazia, and the conference inspired Mainwaring to finally create the archive. Bruce Mainwaring's son Scott Mainwaring served as the organization's primary archivist, and for this reason, Mainwaring established the foundation in Helena, MT to allow Scott, who lived in the area, to care for the collection. The organization dissolved in 2022 following Bruce Mainwaring's death.

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Content Description

The records of the Mainwaring Archive Foundation were amassed by Albert Bruce Mainwaring (1927-2022) and curated by his son, Scott Mainwaring. The collection centers on the correspondence and publications of writers who were inspired by the theories of Immanuel Velikovsky. The papers contained in this collection include the research and correspondence of Ralph Juergens, Warner Sizemore, Earl Milton, Alfred de Grazia, Bruce Mainwaring, and Anthony Peratt.

The researchers featured in this collection have used data from space exploration, not available in Velikovsky's time, to further his interdisciplinary research. Their research draws on many fields of study including psychology, chemistry, physics, and anthropology. Researchers like Anthony Peratt, a plasma physicist, and Earl Milton, an astronomer, specialized in specific disciplines while other individuals featured in the collection were more broadly involved in Velikovskian research through their work publishing journals and supporting research endeavors.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in the order in which it was received from the donor. It has been subdivided into series by creator, but the arrangement of these files has not been altered by the archivist.

The collection is divided into the following series:

Series 1: Ralph Juergens Papers

Series 2: Warner Sizemore Papers

Series 3: Earl Milton Papers

Series 4: Alfred de Grazia Papers

Series 5: Bruce Mainwaring Papers

Series 6: Collected Files on Anthony Peratt

Acquisition Information

Gift of Mainwaring Archive Foundation, 2023.

Processing Note

Files in this collection have not been arranged by the archivist. They are in the original order in which they were received from the donor. Folder titles were derived by the creators, and have only been altered by the archivist to provide additional clarity on names and abbreviations. Most of the original folders have been retained and have only been replaced when they were damaged or hampered access to materials.

Files in Series 4: Alfred de Grazia papers have been cleaned for mold. Documents that were heavily mold-damaged have been photocopied, and the originals have been discarded. Although all surface mold has been removed, researchers using these files should take care, as mold may still present health hazards.

This collection was processed 2024 January 25.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Heather Mulliner
2023

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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