Library Archives

An essential part of the Program's work is to help Stanford University Libraries expand their holdings on modern Iranian history and culture. Stanford's many libraries and archives offer a growing and unique collection of books, documents, films, audio recordings, manuscripts, posters, and private papers on modern Iran. Listed in descending order of date acquired by Stanford. 

Shahrokh Meskoob leaning over a balcony in 1950

Meskoob Archive - Green Library

The papers of Shahrokh Meskoob, one of modern Iran’s most respected and acclaimed public intellectuals, literary critics, memoirists, and Shahnameh scholar and commentator, were recently donated to Stanford. The collection includes hundreds of letters from some of Iran's most prominent intellectuals, thousands of pages of notes, and first drafts of many of his manuscripts.

Explore the archive and related material

Homa Sarshar

Sarshar Archive - Green Library

Homa Sarshar, one of the most prominent Iranian journalists of our time, kindly donated her archives to Stanford University. Her radio program, with almost forty years of continuous broadcasting, chronicles virtually every aspect of life in the Iranian diaspora, and includes interviews with some of the most prominent artists and public intellectuals on Iran. More information forthcoming. 

 

Watch a discussion with Ms. Sarshar about the Iranian women's movement

Zahedi Documents & Photos - Hoover Library & Archives

The archive includes several hundred boxes of diplomatic correspondence, government documents, personal letters, and never-before-seen photos, donated by Ardeshir Zahedi—the former Foreign Minister under Mohammad Reza Shah and Iran’s ambassador to the U.S. from 1971-1979. The archive also includes the papers of his father, Fazlollah Zahedi, a general who held the post of prime minister in the 1950s.

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Image of Houshang Golshiri next to handwritten document in Persian from the archive

Golshiri Collected Papers - Green Library

The collected papers of Houshang Golshiri, Iran’s acclaimed writer, were donated to Stanford's Green Library. This is one of the most substantial and important papers of any modern Iranian writer available in the United States, and indeed outside Iran. 

 

Watch the archive launch conference

archived film reels, VHS, and tapes from Allamehzadeh archive

Allamehzadeh Collection - Green Library

The film archives of Dutch-Iranian filmmaker Reza Allamehzadeh were donated to Stanford's Green Library. The collection includes hundreds of hours of never-seen interviews with some of Iran’s most important modern figures.

Read an interview with Mr. Allamezadeh (in Farsi) 

Section of formerly secret archival document from Pahlavi era U.S.-Iran relations

Pahlavi Iran Collection - Green Library

Stanford's Green Library includes extensive declassified material from the British, U.S., and German archives collected over the years by Dr. Abbas Milani in preparation for several of his books on modern Iranian culture and history.

 

Explore material at Green Library