The collection mainly relates to Blair's writing and activities in behalf of
the Wisconsin Communist Party, and it includes correspondence, writings, subject files, and biographical material. The collection begins with a folder of biographical material, including clippings; campaign materials; transcripts of a 1976 interview chiefly concerning his attitudes toward the Vietnam War and a 1963 interview with David Thelen of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin concerning the general political situation; and “Old Comrades,” a 16mm print of a 1972 episode of WNET-TV's Great American Dream Machine series which concerned Blair's life. The correspondence, 1941-1979, is incomplete, containing no letters from the 1930's and only fragmentary exchanges from more recent years. The correspondence of the 1960's and 1970's is dominated by exchanges with Blair's sister Naomi and his sister and brother-in-law Grace and Emil Gardos who resided in Hungary, though there are numerous exchanges concerning political conditions in Wisconsin throughout.
The writings, 1934-1979, include copies of many of his poems, some present in more than one draft, and press releases, articles, and speeches, all apparently written as a result of his communist activities. It is not certain, however, that Blair is the author of all of the articles in the collection. The prose writings cover a wide variety of topics, though the majority pertain to Wisconsin politics during the 1940's and 1950's.
The subject files are made up of printed matter and clippings on a variety of topics that interested Blair. Most valuable here is the file on the Wisconsin Communist Party which contains materials issued by the party that were apparently not written by Blair. The clippings collected in this folder pertain to the Wisconsin Gentile League and to an advertisement placed in some Wisconsin papers by the party.
