The first ten folders contain writings by James Purdy, and are arranged chronologically. These are followed by seven folders of correspondence and about Samuel Steward's career, also arranged chronologically.
Donated by Melvon L. Ankeny, 2012 March
[identification of item], Melvon L. Ankeny Collection on Samuel Steward, SPEC.RARE.0171, Rare Books and Manuscripts Library, Ohio State University
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Processed by: Audrey Wimbiscus, 2017 November; Finding aid written by: Audrey Wimbiscus, 2017 November
Samuel Morris Steward (1909-1993) was a professor, author, and tattoo artist. His first professional position was as an English professor at the Ohio State University in 1932-1934, while finishing his PhD, and he followed this with several other university teaching positions. During this time, Steward associated with many influential authors and artists, such as Gertrude Stein, Alice Toklas, Thornton Wilder, Lord Alfred Douglas, Thomas Mann, James Purdy, Chuck Renslow, and Paul Cadmus. In 1949, Steward met sexual researcher Alfred Kinsey, and subsequently assisted in his research by allowing Kinsey access to his personal sexual records, introducing him to other gay men, and allowing Kinsey to film him engaging in homosexual BDSM scenes.
By the 1950s, Steward made the transition to a career as a tattoo artist in Chicago under the name Phillip Sparrow, where he mentored well-known tattoo artists Ed Hardy and Cliff Raven. He later tattooed in San Francisco, and was the official tattoo artist of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang. In 1990, Steward published a history of American tattooing during the 1950s and 1960s, titled
During all of this time, Steward was writing fiction often based on his sexual escapades, much of which was published in the Swiss magazine
James Purdy (1914-2009) was an American playwright, poet, short-story author, and novelist, who was renowned for his portrayals of outsiders, especially gay men and minorities.
As of 2017, Melvon Ankeny was a faculty emeritus member of the Ohio State University Libraries; he had previously been an assistant professor in the Information Services Department.
The Melvon L. Ankeny Collection on Samuel Steward contains Samuel Steward's correspondence with James Purdy and Melvon Ankeny, writings by James Purdy, and a collection of obituaries and memorials of Samuel Steward from after his death; these items date from 1968 to 1994.