Skip to main content Skip to main navigation

Nancy Woolley/Montanna Houston Correspondence

Call Number

MSS.436

Dates

1975-2015, inclusive
; 1975-1985, bulk

Creator

Turner, Tommy, 1959-
Wojnarowicz, David
Kern, Richard, 1954-
Houston, M. (Montanna)

Extent

1.75 Linear Feet
in 1 manuscript box, 1 oversize box, and 1 oversize artwork.

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Abstract

Montanna Houston was a writer, artist and musician who lived in New York City and later in Houston, Texas. This collection includes 43 letters written by Montanna Houston between 1975-1985, sent to his friend Nancy Woolley in Dallas, Texas. In addition to letters, Houston sent a variety of artwork including over 50 drawings, as well as collages, poetry, and zines. From 1979 on he wrote from New York City, where he was involved with the East Village, downtown art scene. Some of the artwork includes collaboration with Richard Kern, Tommy Turner and David Wojnarowicz.

Biographical Note

Born Monte Hewson (circa 1952-1990), Montana Houston (which he also stylized as Montanna, Montini, and Montanna Hewston) was an artist, musician, writer, and contemporary of David Wojnarowicz, Richard Kern and Tommy Turner. Houston was raised by an adoptive family, whom he referred to as his step-family, and spent his childhood in Texas. After moving to New York in his mid-twenties, he met and became friends with Kern and Turner around 1979, and then later met Wojnarowicz through the two filmmakers. Houston acted in Kern's Stray Dogs (1985) as well as Where Evil Dwells (1985), an unfinished Turner and Wojnarowicz film, in which he was cast as Satan (Joe Coleman is also credited as this character). Houston also contributed to many of Turner and Kern's zines. For most of his adult life, Houston lived with mental health issues and severe substance use. He left New York in 1986 to return to Houston, Texas, where his adoptive family still lived, and checked himself into West Oak Hospital for treatment. The twelve-step program he took part in there was an important part to his recovery from addiction. Houston died by suicide in 1990.

Arrangement

The material is arranged chronologically, with oversize items listed at the end of the container list.

Scope and Contents

This collection comprises correspondence sent to Nancy Woolley from Montanna Houston during the decade between 1975 and 1985. Houston wrote from Houston, Texas; Boulder, Colorado; and New York City to Woolley in Dallas, Texas. The letters are written on a variety of paper: construction paper, brown paper bags, as well as the backs of xeroxes that sometimes include his collages of newspaper and magazine clippings. Houston often wrote to Woolley concerning his interest in Aleister Crowley, Buddhism, Minimalism, as well as the people in the Cinema of Transgression, New Wave, No Wave and Punk scenes with whom he was working, such as Richard Kern and Nick Zedd. Houston uses ink stamps as signatures in both his letters and on his artwork. He also stylized his name as well as Woolley's, which often appears as Woollette or Woolleyburger. Occasionally he refers to her as "Pharaoh Queen."

In addition to letters, Houston sent clippings from magazines and newspapers, xeroxed art, drawings done in ink, pencil and marker, collages, prayer cards and religious pamphlets, exhibit booklets, zines, poetry, as well as a few photographs, including one of Andy Warhol, 1 pressed leaf, and 1 poster for a New York performance entitled "Breaking the Mood, Stress Test II" for which he did the music. There are two issues of the zine done in collaboration with Richard Kern, Heroin Addict, a zine called How Magic Works with text by Houston and photographs by Kern, as well as one issue of Dumb Fucker, containing pieces by Kern, David Wojnarowicz, Tommy Turner and others. The drawings are mostly self portraits of Houston, but also include a character he called "The Prince of Darkness." The largest piece, "Montanna Reveals All," is a series of xeroxes of his body taped together to form a larger than life self portrait.

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open without restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

This collection is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use materials in the collection in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Preferred Citation

Identification of item, date; Nancy Woolley/Montanna Houston Correspondence; MSS 436; box number; folder number or item identifier; Fales Library and Special Collections, New York University Libraries.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection of letters and other materials sent from Montanna Houston to Nancy Woolley was donated by Woolley to NYU's Fales Library and Special Collections in May 2015. The accession number associated with this gift is 2015.436.

Born-Digital Access Policies and Procedures

Born-digital materials have not been transferred and may not be available to researchers. Researchers may request access copies. To request that material be transferred, or if you are unsure if material has been transferred, please contact Fales Library and Special Collections, special.collections@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596 with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.

Related Material at Fales Library and Special Collections

Amos Poe Papers
David Wojnarowicz Papers
Nick Zedd Papers
William Ryder Mathers Collection of David Wojnarowicz and Montanna

Collection processed by

Rhyannon J. Rodriguez and Sophie Glidden-Lyon

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-02-06 14:23:22 -0500.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Finding aid written in English

Processing Information

Decisions regarding arrangement, description, and physical interventions for this collection prior to 2021 are unknown.

In 2021, narrative description was revised in the biographical note to edit harmful language regarding mental health, addiction, and suicide. Some harmful language regarding addiction has been identified in select creator-supplied titles, but has been retained as they may be the terms with which the creators referred to themselves, as well as to convey important contextual information regarding time and place in which the documents and titles were created.

Revisions to this Guide

April 2021: Edited by Amy C. Vo to revise harmful language regarding mental health, addiction, and suicide

Repository

Fales Library and Special Collections
Fales Library and Special Collections
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10012