[EDNOTE.  Michael Ravnitzky sends the following reminder and announcement.  -- SES]

 

VLADIMIR NABOKOV PAPERS TO BE UNSEALED ON JUNE 23, 2009

===
Please excuse if the Nabokov-L list is already aware of this impending
records set opening.  I hope this information is helpful.  Perhaps this will
lead to a resurgence of interest in Nabokov's published works.
===

 

According to the Library of Congress Manuscripts Division, which holds the
Papers of author Vladimir Nabokov, a set of sealed papers will be opened to
the public for the first time on June 23, 2009.

 

These are Containers 1-20 and OV-1.  Those containers had previously been
restricted to researchers with the permission of Nabokov's son, but all such
restrictions are lifted in two weeks.

 

In 2004, I asked the Library of Congress for a listing of all the manuscript
collection restrictions.  That list is posted here and mentions the Nabokov
sealed materials:

 

http://www.thememoryhole.org/loc_restricted_collections.htm

 

Nabokov, Vladimir    Containers 1-20 and OV-1 restricted to those with the
permission of Nabokov's son until 23 June 2009.

 

To view these records, simply contact the Library of Congress Manuscript
Division office and ask that they retrieve each of those previously
restricted boxes for use in the Manuscript Reading Room, on the first floor
of the LOC Madison Building.  Then you can just stop by and use the
materials.  Please register for a researcher identification card on the
first floor of the Madison Building.  It takes about 10 minutes to do this.

 

http://www.loc.gov/rr/mss/

 

Phone: (202) 707-5387
  Fax: (202) 707-7791

 

  Manuscript Division
  Library of Congress
  101 Independence Ave. SE
  Washington, D.C. 20540-468

 

Here is the data that was supplied by the Library of Congress several years
ago:

 

Dmitri Nabokov still controls access to those Vladimir Nabokov Papers in
the Library of Congress donated by the author.  According to the terms of
the Instrument of Gift signed by Vladimir Nabokov May 30, 1959, and by the
Librarian of Congress June 23, 1959, the author or his wife or son has
control of both access and copyright for fifty years, i.e. until June 23,
2009.  At that point, the collection will be open and the Nabokov writings
in it will be in the public domain.  Presently, Dmitri responds separately
to each detailed application for access submitted through the Manuscript
Division.  As you may know, those items acquired from persons other than
the author, located at the end of the collection, have no access
restrictions.