This series contains biographical writings about Sun Ra, including interviews, critical essays, articles, and obituaries. Other biographical information includes a 1975 biographical statement, a postcard from the Hyde Park Art Center's "Pathways to Unknown Worlds" exhibition, a list of members of the Arkestra, and a map of Sun Ra's gravesite. Also included in this series are a small number of biographical writings about John Gilmore. Most of the writings in this series are in the form of clippings, photocopies, or sample copies of publications. This series is organized chronologically from 1966-2007, with undated material at the end of the series.

Autobiographical writings by Sun Ra are in Series V: Subseries 1. Discographies are in Series III: Subseries 2. Oversize materials, consisting of newspaper clippings, a scrapbook, a Buzzard comic book, and a poster for the Hyde Park Art Center's 2006 symposium "Sun Ra: The Astro Black and Other Solar Myths," have all been transferred to Series X: Subseries 1.

This series contains textual and graphic documents Sun Ra performances from 1966-1989, as well as performances by members of the Arkestra and other associated musicians from 1993-1998. Also included is material documenting the film Space is the Place. Materials include clippings, broadsides, handbills, programs, press releases, set lists, and tour itineraries. This series is chronologically by performance date. Performance dates are given as identified on the items. Undated items are at the end of the series.

Oversize broadsides, newspaper clippings, and posters (including several large-format posters for concerts and the film Space is the Place), been transferred to Series X; Subseries 2. Photographs, audio recordings, and film and video recordings of performances are in Series VIII. Some material in this series is duplicated in Series VI.

This series contains textual and graphic documents of audio recordings by Sun Ra and members of the Arkestra from 1955-1995. This series is organized into two subseries:

Subseries 1: Production and Promotion, is organized chronologically by item date or by recording release date. Item dates sometimes differ from release dates. Undated items are at the end of the series. Materials include catalogs, clippings, press releases, handbills, broadsides, advertising copy, radio playlists, drafts of track listings and liner notes, and production notes.

Subseries 2: Discographies, is organized chronologically by document date. This subseries contains discographies compiled by researchers of Sun Ra's work, as well as by Alton Abraham. Discographies are in the form of notes, lists, photocopied articles and printouts of computer files.

Oversize broadsides and posters, as well as a binder for the discography by Tilman Stahl, have been transferred to Series X: Subseries 3. Audio and audio-visual recordings are in Series VIII. Sample album jackets and other material related to album cover design are in Series IX. Some material in this series is duplicated in Series VI.

This series contains manuscripts of Sun Ra's music writing. Also included are music manuscripts prepared by others, and copies of original manuscripts. There are arrangements, compositions, sketches, lyrics, notes and fragmentary music notations. Peripheral material of Sun Ra and Alton Abraham, such as correspondence and notes, is also retained with the manuscripts, though it is not always related. Most manuscripts are undated, but generally range from the 1960s-1980s.

This series is organized into two subseries:

Subseries 1: Sun Ra Manuscripts, contains Sun Ra's manuscripts of his own music, as well as his arrangements of jazz standards. There are holograph manuscripts as well as copies that Sun Ra used to document copyright. Also included are untitled and fragmentary works, and a notebook containing a variety of Sun Ra's music writings.

Subseries 2: Manuscripts by Others, includes compositions by Alton Abraham, Walter Dunn, Ruth Lewis, Faith McBride, and unidentified composers. Some manuscripts may represent versions of Sun Ra's works that were transcribed by others, or works on which Sun Ra collaborated with others. Included are later manuscripts of songs recorded in the late 1950s by the Chicago R&B performer Yochanan. Materials are organized by size.

Manuscripts consisting primarily of lyrics and other verse writings are in Series V.

This series contains manuscripts, proofs, broadsides, pamphlets, notebooks and books by Sun Ra. It also includes notes, fragmentary works, and a small number of works by Alton Abraham and unidentified writers. Most items are undated, but generally span the 1950s-1980s. Correspondence of Sun Ra is retained with many of his writings. This series is organized alphabetically by title, subject or format.

One distinctive group of material is a collection of notebooks kept by Sun Ra and Alton Abraham. These contain a variety of content such as numerological figures, sketches, notes, and drafts of verse and prose. This series also contains several files related to The Immeasurable Equation, two volumes of Sun Ra's verse: This material includes manuscripts, proofs, sample copies and cover stock. There are other verse compilations including the unpublished The Magic Lie. Also of note are circa 1950s-1960s typescripts and broadsides in which Sun Ra articulated his beliefs during a formative part of his career. An unusual item is Sun Ra's application to an arts program operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Oversize proof sheets of pages of the Immeasurable Equation have been transferred to Series X: Subseries 4. Written music, including music with lyrics, is in Series IV.

This series contains records of the business operations of Saturn Records and other endeavors managed by Alton Abraham in collaboration with Sun Ra and others. The bulk of this material was kept by Alton Abraham, though he may have collected some items from Sun Ra, John Gilmore and others.

Alton Abraham's businesses operated under many different names and iterations. Business names are given as documented on items. Files are organized chronologically, with undated material at the end of the series. Materials date from 1939-1998, but relate mainly to business activities from the late 1950s through the mid-1990s. In addition to material related to the management of Sun Ra and members of the Arkestra, this series also documents Abraham's involvement with other performers and work as a dealer in occult books.

Material in this series includes legal agreements on matters such as recording, performance, record distribution and promotion; business forms and stationery; financial records, such as statements, invoices, reports, and receipts; ephemera, such as catalogs, broadsides, handbills, pamphlets, brochures and other promotional material; and instructional books and pamphlets related to music recording and production. General correspondence includes business mail, promotional material, customer orders and fan mail. Also included are notebooks kept by Alton Abraham: these contain a variety of content, including contact lists; draft promotional copy; notes on recordings and performances; and notes on personal matters.

Oversize financial records, correspondence, publicity material, notes and blank legal forms have been transferred to Series X: Subseries 5. Additional materials related to Abraham's hobbies and entrepreneurial interests are in Series VII. Additional documents of Sun Ra performances and recordings are in Series II and III.

This series documents Alton Abraham's education, employment, personal life, and outside interests. There is also some material related to Abraham's friends, associates and family members. This series is organized into six subseries.

Subseries 1: Spirituality and the Supernatural, contains books, periodicals and print ephemera reflecting Alton Abraham's interest in subjects such as religion, Egyptology, the occult, alternative medicine, extraterrestrials, and the afterlife. These materials span the years 1822-1988. This subseries is organized by format: There is a section of hardcover books; a section of paperback books; a section of periodicals; and a section of print ephemera. Each section is further organized alphabetically by author or organization.

Subseries 2: Science and Technology, contains material related to Abraham's lifelong interest in these subjects, as well as records of his education and employment in technical fields. Abraham collected material on a multitude of topics, such as nutrition, chemistry, psychology, communications technology, electronic surveillance, photography, agriculture, aerospace, and many more. Included are publications, printed ephemera, technical specifications, correspondence and notes. Files are organized chronologically from the 1920s-1993; undated materials are included at the end of the subseries.

Subseries 3: Politics and Society, contains publications and print ephemera on topics such as black nationalism, radical leftism, African society, and minority social issues. Files are organized chronologically from 1962-1992, with undated materials at the end of the subseries.

Subseries 4: Music Instruction, contains of Alton Abraham's collection of sheet music, songbooks, and instruction books. Files are arranged chronologically from 1923-1982, though most of the subseries consists of instruction books for popular music of the 1960s-1970s.

Subseries 5: Knights of Music, is a small collection of material documenting this African-American men's choral group, to which Alton Abraham belonged in the early 1950s. This subseries contains some of the group's concert programs and business records, as well as Abraham's certificate of membership and collection of choral music songbooks. This subseries also contains some related material that documents other unique aspects of African-American culture in mid-20th century Chicago: An invitation to the 1950 "Queen of May" frolic hosted by the Sepians, and an elaborate program for a performance of the Mildred B. Haessler Ballet Group. Material in this subseries dates from 1887-1953, but is concentrated in the early 1950s.

Subseries 6: Entrepreneurship, consists of correspondence, publications and printed ephemera dating from the 1960s-1980s. The majority of this material is direct marketing correspondence promoting pyramid capital schemes and other spurious business opportunities. Also included are correspondence and publications from the Bureau of Land Management, catalogs and correspondence from manufacturing concerns, and typescript excerpts of J.D. Borthwick's Three Years in California.

Subseries 7: Correspondence, Notes and Ephemera, contains material collected by Alton Abraham and his friends and family. Included are materials related to travel, book collecting, automobiles, employment, education, and civic affairs. This subseries also contains several files of notes and correspondence on a variety of personal subjects. Files are organized chronologically from 1929-1978, with undated material at the end of the subseries.

Oversize publications, clippings, sheet music and ephemera have been transferred to Series X: Subseries 6; among these items are several large-format posters and radical publications. Artifactual objects, such as decorative ornaments and other personal items, are in Series IX. Restricted materials, consisting of personal financial records, academic records, medical records, and identification and registration documents, have been transferred to Series XII.

This series contains photographs, audio recordings, and film and video recordings. Materials are organized by format into three subseries:

Subseries 1: Photographs, contains prints, contact sheets, transparencies and negatives. There are also photocopies and printed scans of photographs. Most photographs are in black and white, though some are in color. Many photographs are undated, but generally span the 1940s-1990s. Photographs of Sun Ra and the Arkestra include portraits, photographs of live performances, candid snapshots, and publicity stills for Space is the Place. Also included are photographs of Alton Abraham, photographs of travel in Egypt in elsewhere, and photographs of other performers. There are many unidentified photographs, particularly negatives.

Subseries 2: Film and Video, contains filmstrips and videocassette tapes. Most items are unidentified and undated, but generally date from the 1970s-1990s. Also included is an empty canister and box shipped in 1961.

Subseries 3: Audio, contains cassette tapes, reel tapes, and vinyl records. Included are recordings by Sun Ra and other performers, as well as test pressings and unidentified recordings. Inserts, correspondence and other accompanying material is found with some recordings. Materials span 1964-1999.

Text and graphic documents of Sun Ra performances and recordings are in Series II and III.

Materials in this series fall into two broad categories: Art and artifacts related to Sun Ra, Saturn Records, and music in general; and personal items that belonged to Alton Abraham. In the first category are sample album jackets; proofs and layouts of album covers, catalogs and advertisements; drawings, sketches and paintings; photographs of artworks; musical instruments and equipment; metal stampers for vinyl records; printing blocks and office supplies. In the second category are decorative ornaments and personal items such as a wallet and a briefcase.

Some items are matted or framed for display. These are organized together at the beginning of the series and arranged by size and format. The remaining items in the series are arranged by size. Most items are undated but generally span the late 1950s-1980s.

This series includes a wealth of material documenting the process of designing and producing album covers for Sun Ra recordings. For some albums, there is original artwork, layout designs, album cover proofs, and sample album jackets. There are some alternate album cover artwork that was not used, and some for unreleased or possibly hypothetical recordings. Also included are several job files compiled by printing companies that produced packaging for reissued Sun Ra records in the 1970s and 1980s. These files consist of negatives, proofs and job specifications. Another unusual group of materials consists of thousands of record labels for Sun Ra albums. There is also artwork and layout material for albums by Lacy Gibson and Lena McLin. Names of performers and recordings are as given on the artwork or artifact. Artist names are given when identified on items; many artworks with no attributed artist are probably by Sun Ra.