Public Figures, 1971-1972

The records of The Second Wave were donated as a part of the Women's Movement Archives, by the Cambridge-based Women's Center in November 1997. The folders are arranged alphabetically, except for the artwork, which is arranged topically.

The history file (Folder 25) contains a copy of the magazine's Articles of Incorporation and historical notes on both Female Liberation and The Second Wave. This material offers background information on the parent organization and the magazine. Additional background information can be found in the newspaper clippings and reviews from the early 1970s (Folder 31). The collective meeting minutes from October 1975 through May 1984 (Folders 9-14) and the office activity log books (Folders 28, 29) document the weekly concerns and responsibilities of the staff. An instruction booklet (Folder 26) for the in-house production of a magazine compiled by the collective at The Second Wave's office in Cambridge offers a more detailed description of the staff's job titles and responsibilities (Folder 27).

A financial statement for the 1976 fiscal year and operating budget for the 1977 fiscal year (Folder 23) convey a sense of the fiscal constraints that ultimately led to the magazine's demise.

The bulk of the correspondence (Folders 15-22) is from the early 1970s. Correspondence includes letters soliciting funds through benefits and lectures (Folder 15) and donations (Folder 17), letters to public figures (Folder 21), and subscriptions (Folder 22). A letter signed by Jane Fonda (Folder 21) explains that she was too busy to come to Boston for a Female Liberation/Second Wave fund-raising event. Other correspondence can be found in the advertising (Folder 1) and submissions (Folder 33) files.

The artwork related to the magazine (Folders 2-8) is a collection of photographs, negatives, drawings, and graphics. The photographs that were used in the magazine (Folder 3) and other related pictures are grouped together. Whenever possible, credit is noted on the back of the photograph with a reference to the issue and page it appears on. There are groups of photos depicting Women's Liberation Day (Folder 4), Boston Gay Pride March, and New York's Christopher Street March (both in Folder 5, all three ca. 1971).

The index compiled by Cambridge resident Susan Steinway (Folder 38), contains an introduction and subject, author, and review indices. The index is not comprehensive, as editorials, artists, and poets are omitted. The index covers every issue except the last (volume 6, #1.5). The copies of The Second Wave (Folders 39-59) consist of four issues per volume, except for volume six which includes only two issues: vol. 6, #1 and vol. 6, #1.5 (final issue, dated June 1983). There is no copy of volume 5, #3 in the collection.