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Margot Wells Backas and James J. Backas papers

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Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]Bryn Mawr College Library, 101 N. Merion Avenue, Bryn Mawr 19010

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Bryn Mawr College. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
M136
Repository:
Bryn Mawr College
Extent:
1 linear ft. (2 document boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
Cite as Margot Wells Backas and James J. Backas papers, Special Collections Department, Bryn Mawr College Library.
Date:
1970-2004 (inclusive)
Creator:
Truitt, Anne Dean, 1921-2004
Abstract:
Margot and Jim Backas were strong supporters of the arts in the Washington, D.C./Baltimore area. They held numerous leadership and administrative positions in various arts organizations. Margot was artist Anne Truitt's literary executor and good friend. Included in this collection are letters from Truitt, newspaper clippings and advertisements for art exhibits.

Margot Wells Backas grew up in Pennsylvania, attending the Quaker boarding school, Westtown, located in West Chester, PA. She then attended Vassar College and went on to receive her MA in American cultural history from Harvard. Margot was a strong supporter of the arts in the Washington D.C. and Baltimore area. She was the humanities editor of the Johns Hopkins University Press, resurrected the New York publishing firm of Horace Liveright, and was an administrator at the National Endowment for Humanities. Backas joined the William Steinway Diary project at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in 2002 and continues to be a researcher there. Additionally, Backas has written book reviews for the Times of London and The Washington Post, among other publications. Backas serves as the literary executor of Anne Truitt's estate.

In 1973, Margot married fellow patron of the arts, James J. Backas (1926-2003) in 1973. Jim was an accomplished musician who received his doctorate of arts in 1999 from Oklahoma City University. Backas was the founding director of the American Arts Alliance in Washington, D.C. and executive director of the Maryland State Arts Council. While he loved classical music, Backas advocated for more funding of folk life and folk artists. Mr. Backas was a lecturer of music history at the Peabody Conservatory. He died of a heart attack at the age of 77 in his Georgetown home on June 25, 2003.

This collection consists mostly of letters sent to Margot and Jim Backas by artist Anne Truitt between the years of 1976 and 2004. There are some newspaper clippings, advertisements for Truitt's art exhibits and other incoming correspondence to the couple. Truitt writes regarding Margot Backas' role as her literary executer as well as personal correspondence.

Gift of Margot Wells Backas and James J. Backas.

People
Organization
Subject

Publisher
Bryn Mawr College
Finding Aid Author
Elizabeth Reilly
Finding Aid Date
2014 June
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

The Margot Wells Backas and James J. Backas papers are the physical property of Bryn Mawr College Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors' heirs and assigns.

Collection Inventory

Marsh, Caryl, 1986 April 19.
Box 1 Folder 1
ALS, 3701 Grant Road, N.W., Washington, DC.

1p. Thanks Margot for assisting in bringing Truitt's book, "Daybook," to fruition.

Pumroy, Eric, 2002 July 12.
Box 1 Folder 2
TL, 101 N. Merion Ave, Bryn Mawr, PA.

2p. Margot is copied on Eric Pumroy's response to Anne Truitt's letters dated June 25th and July 3rd of 2002. "To the best of my knowledge, no one has used your archives without your written permission. This includes Susanna Saunders...It has been a number of years since you authorized Mrs. Saunders to use your papers, so I am enclosing a copy of your letter to Leo Dolenski, the Manuscripts Curator at the time, so that you will have record of it...Part of our responsibility to the scholarly world is to publicize the availability of important archives such as yours." Truitt's letter to Dolenski is dated 7 Aug 1995.

Sundell, Michael G., 1996 March 27.
Box 1 Folder 3
TLS, P.O. Box 395, Union Avenue, Saratoga Springs, NY.

1p. President of Yaddo invites the Backas' to celebrate Truitt's new book, "Prospect: The Journal of an Artist."

General

All letters in this subseries are from Anne Truitt to Margot Wells Backas, unless otherwise noted.

TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1 p. Thanks Margot for offering support for her manuscript., 1976 September 21.
Box 1 Folder 4
ALS, Easton, Maryland Postcard from Easton, Maryland , 1976 November 23.
Box 1 Folder 4
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 3 p. Reactions to Margot's edits and expresses gratitude for her help, 1977 September 7.
Box 1 Folder 4
TLS, 7940 Norfolk Ave, Bethesda, MD. Typed card with handwritten note added on 21 July 1977., 1997 July 20.
Box 1 Folder 4
ALS, Captiva, FL. Postcard. Wishes Margot a happy New Year., 1977 December 23.
Box 1 Folder 4
ALS, Captiva, FL. Postcard. Tells Margot of her vacation and again wishes her happy New Year., 1977 December 27.
Box 1 Folder 4
TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1 p. Asks Margot's opinion on Don Congdon as an agent, 1978 May 19.
Box 1 Folder 4
ALS, Saratoga Springs, NY. 2 p. , 1978 June 23.
Box 1 Folder 4
TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Complains of going to the dentist and discusses manuscript., 1978 February 16.
Box 1 Folder 4
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C., postcard., 1978 May 3.
Box 1 Folder 4
ALS, Saratoga, Springs, NY. Postcard., 1978 July 4.
Box 1 Folder 4
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard, 1978 July 12.
Box 1 Folder 4
TLS, Saratoga Springs, NY. 1 p. tells Margot of her grandchildren and about her hobbies., 1978 July 19.
Box 1 Folder 4
ALS, Saratoga Springs, NY. 1p. , 1978 July 31.
Box 1 Folder 4
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1 p. , 1979 March 2.
Box 1 Folder 4
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard., 1979 April 2.
Box 1 Folder 4
TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1 p. formally thanks Margot for agreeing to be her literary executor of the Truitt estate., 1979 July 9.
Box 1 Folder 4
TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Tells Margot she will be included in Truitt's will., 1979 August 1.
Box 1 Folder 4
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Discusses manuscript critiques., 1979 August 14.
Box 1 Folder 4
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1980 February 13.
Box 1 Folder 5
ALS, 122 East 66th Street, NY. 1p. , 1980 March 2.
Box 1 Folder 5
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p., 1980 March 17.
Box 1 Folder 5
TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. Discusses her thoughts on Shirley Hazzard's novel, "Transit of Venus.", 1980 March 23.
Box 1 Folder 5
TLS, 1p. , 1980 May 10.
Box 1 Folder 5
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard., 1980 June 27.
Box 1 Folder 5
ALS, 122 East 66th Street, NY. 1p. Announces the birth of her grandson., 1980 June 13.
Box 1 Folder 5
TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p.Thanks Margot for her encouragement of Truitt's manuscript., 1980 June 25.
Box 1 Folder 5
ALS. Thank you note from Anne Truitt's daughter, Mary. , 1980 July 1.
Box 1 Folder 5
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard. , 1980 August 29.
Box 1 Folder 5
ALS, Bethany Beach, DE. Postcard., 1980 October 12.
Box 1 Folder 5
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 3p., 1980 October 18.
Box 1 Folder 5
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p., 1980 November 4.
Box 1 Folder 5
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p., 1980 December 27.
Box 1 Folder 5
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Sympathy for Margot's uncle's death., 1981 March 22.
Box 1 Folder 6
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 3p. Happy Easter note., 1981 April 20.
Box 1 Folder 6
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 3p. , 1981 May 24.
Box 1 Folder 6
ALS, 137 Elizabeth Street, Syndey, Australia. 4p. Wishes Margot a happy birthday and discusses her trip., 1981 June 8.
Box 1 Folder 6
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. , 1981 August 6.
Box 1 Folder 6
ALS, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. 5p. Discusses her art and thoughts about Yaddo., 1981 September 10.
Box 1 Folder 6
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. Discusses her emotions about her ex-husband's death., 1981 December 27.
Box 1 Folder 6
ALS, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Postcard. , 1982 January 8.
Box 1 Folder 7
ALS, Washington, D.C. 2p., 1982 February 17.
Box 1 Folder 7
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard. , 1982 February 28.
Box 1 Folder 7
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p., 1982 March 15.
Box 1 Folder 7
ALS,3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1982 March 17.
Box 1 Folder 7
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. , 1982 April 21.
Box 1 Folder 7
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. , 1982 June 29.
Box 1 Folder 7
ALS, Wilmington, DE. Postcard., 1982 July 18.
Box 1 Folder 7
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p., 1982 July 28.
Box 1 Folder 7
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1982 August 17.
Box 1 Folder 7
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p., 1982 November 1.
Box 1 Folder 7
Contents

Truitt laments that "Daybook: The Journal of an Artist" has only received one book review in a major newspaper. Included is the Boston Globe's book review titled, "An artist looks back with fine perceptions." The review was published October 15, 1982.

ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p., 1982 November 6.
Box 1 Folder 7
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p., 1983 January 15.
Box 1 Folder 8
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p., 1983 January 28.
Box 1 Folder 8
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p., 1983 March 11.
Box 1 Folder 8
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p., 1983 March 17.
Box 1 Folder 8
Invitation to Anne Truitt's "Paintings and Sculptures" exhibit at the Artemisia Gallery in Chicago, IL, 1983 June 2 - July 30.
Box 1 Folder 8
ALS, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. 3p. Wishes Margot a Happy birthday., 1983 June 15.
Box 1 Folder 8
TLS, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. 1p. Informs Margot of the reprinting of 1,000 copies of "Daybook.", 1983 June 23.
Box 1 Folder 8
ALS, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. 3 p. , 1983 July 6.
Box 1 Folder 8
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. , 1983 September 22.
Box 1 Folder 8
TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1984 January 18.
Box 1 Folder 9
ALS, Hotel de l'Universite, Paris, France. Postcard, 1984 February 2 .
Box 1 Folder 9
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1984 February 24.
Box 1 Folder 9
ALS, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. 4p., 1984 April 10.
Box 1 Folder 9
ALS, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. 3p., 1984 June 22.
Box 1 Folder 9
ALS, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. 1p., 1984 July 2.
Box 1 Folder 9
ALS, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. 2p. , 1984 August 2.
Box 1 Folder 9
ALS, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. 3p. Invites Margot to Yaddo., 1984 October 9.
Box 1 Folder 9
ALS, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. 2p. Expresses sympathy for Margot's father's death and again invites her to Yaddo., 1984 October 23.
Box 1 Folder 9
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p., 1985 January 12.
Box 1 Folder 10
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1985 January 16.
Box 1 Folder 10
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1985 March 21.
Box 1 Folder 10
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1985 August 25.
Box 1 Folder 10
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1985 November 15.
Box 1 Folder 10
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1986 January 11.
Box 1 Folder 10
ALS. 1p., 1986 July 22.
Box 1 Folder 10
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. , 1986 November 4.
Box 1 Folder 10
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p., 1986 November 28.
Box 1 Folder 10
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1987 January 6.
Box 1 Folder 11
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard. , 1987 January 27.
Box 1 Folder 11
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Thanks Jim for calling her son, Sam and employing him., 1987 February 5.
Box 1 Folder 11
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1987 February 15.
Box 1 Folder 11
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. , 1987 March 28.
Box 1 Folder 11
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. , 1987 May 19.
Box 1 Folder 11
ALS, Tucson, AZ. Postcard. , 1987 June 22.
Box 1 Folder 11
ALS, Tucson, AZ. Postcard. Informs Margot that Leo Dolenski (historian from Bryn Mawr College) is visiting her about the "papers.", 1987 June 27 .
Box 1 Folder 11
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1987 July 9.
Box 1 Folder 11
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 3p., 1987 July 16.
Box 1 Folder 11
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Discusses correspondence with Leo Dolenski., 1987 July 27.
Box 1 Folder 11
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. Discusses books they have read., 1987 August 31.
Box 1 Folder 11
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1987 September 1.
Box 1 Folder 11
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. , 1987 December 27.
Box 1 Folder 11
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard., 1988 April 18.
Box 1 Folder 12
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1988 April 28.
Box 1 Folder 12
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p., 1988 July 4.
Box 1 Folder 12
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Hopes Jim feels better., 1988 September 24.
Box 1 Folder 12
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1988 October 8.
Box 1 Folder 12
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. , 1988 December 30.
Box 1 Folder 12
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1988 December 31.
Box 1 Folder 12
ALS, ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Expresses sadness for the "catastrophe" at Margot's dinner. party. , 1989 March 14.
Box 1 Folder 12
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p., 1989 April 15.
Box 1 Folder 12
ALS, Bontonville Road, South Salem, NY. Postcard. Likes the "imaginative" image of Rip Van Winkle on the postcard., 1989 August 8.
Box 1 Folder 12
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1989 October 1.
Box 1 Folder 12
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p., 1989 December 14.
Box 1 Folder 12
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. Discusses religion and virtues., 1989 December 14.
Box 1 Folder 12
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Thanks Margot for her gift., 1991 January 8.
Box 1 Folder 13
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Thanks Margot for celebrating her birthday., 1991 March 19.
Box 1 Folder 13
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. , 1991 April 24.
Box 1 Folder 13
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1991 July 9.
Box 1 Folder 13
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Tells Margot of a close friend's death from a heart attack, 1991 July 19.
Box 1 Folder 13
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 3p. Tells Margot about how her son, Sam visited his father's grave., 1992 January 8.
Box 1 Folder 14
TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Asks Margot to help Pauline Hanson publish a book., 1992 January 23.
Box 1 Folder 14
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Thanks Margot for helping her son, Sam and friend, Pauline "Polly" Hanson., 1992 January 31.
Box 1 Folder 14
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1992 March 8.
Box 1 Folder 14
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1992 March 20.
Box 1 Folder 14
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Positive RSVP for a dinner party at the Backas'., 1992 May 25.
Box 1 Folder 14
ALS, South Salem, NY. Postcard. Tells Margot that she has been diagnosed with Lyme disease., 1992 August 4.
Box 1 Folder 14
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. Sympathy letter for Margot's mother's death., 1992 October 28.
Box 1 Folder 14
TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Talks about betraying Pauline Hanson's confidence in regards to Hanson's manuscript. , 1992 December 7.
Box 1 Folder 14
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. Talks about Christmas and the New Year., 1992 December 30.
Box 1 Folder 14
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard of a Vermeer painting that Truitt describes "even in reproduction, breath-taking.", 1993 January 28.
Box 1 Folder 15
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1993 February 7.
Box 1 Folder 15
TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Writes that her daughter Alexandra is HIV positive., 1993 February 11.
Box 1 Folder 15
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Thanks the Backas' for birthday gift., 1993 March 21.
Box 1 Folder 15
TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Birthday letter for Margot about a "special" gift. Greeting card also included., 1993 May 11.
Box 1 Folder 15
ALS, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. Postcard. , 1993 May 23.
Box 1 Folder 15
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1993 December 4.
Box 1 Folder 15
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1993 December 30.
Box 1 Folder 15
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p.

Thank you note for dinner.

ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Thank you note for dinner., 1994 March 27.
Box 1 Folder 15
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard thanking Margot for her encouragement., 1995 January 25.
Box 1 Folder 16
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard thanking Margot for reading her manuscript., 1995 March 13.
Box 1 Folder 16
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Compliments Margot's cooking., 1995 March 17.
Box 1 Folder 16
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Accepts Margot's invitation to a garden party., 1995 May 20.
Box 1 Folder 16
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Thanks Margot for guidance and friendship., 1995 May 30.
Box 1 Folder 16
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. Apologizes for leaving Margot's party early., 1995 June 5.
Box 1 Folder 16
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard. Thanks Margot for helping with manuscript edits., 1995 August 26.
Box 1 Folder 16
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Wishes Margot and Jim a happy New Year., 1995 December 26.
Box 1 Folder 16
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p.Talks about her Christmas., 1995 December 29.
Box 1 Folder 16
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Talks of her grandchildren's visit., 1995 December 31.
Box 1 Folder 16
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard. Thanks Margot and Jim for taking her to the Vermeer exhibition., 1996 January 23.
Box 1 Folder 16
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. Thanks Margot for her company. , 1996 April 24.
Box 1 Folder 16
ALS, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. Postcard. Explains that "Yaddo is as serene a place to work as ever.", 1996 July 19.
Box 1 Folder 16
ALS, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. Postcard. , 1996 August 10.
Box 1 Folder 16
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard. , 1997 August 10.
Box 1 Folder 16
Contents

References a poem from Julia Randall, possibly the one located in Box 2, Folder 7. Truitt credits Randall for putting her in touch with Margot: "I owe her an eternal debt of gratitude for putting us in touch with each other."

ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Thanks Margot for giving her Jane Austen's biography. , 1998 January 3.
Box 1 Folder 17
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard. Thanks Margot for following up with "the publisher.", 1998 February 15.
Box 1 Folder 17
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. Acknowledges Margot's acceptance of Truitt's Easter invitation., 1998 March 17.
Box 1 Folder 17
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 1998 October 6.
Box 1 Folder 17
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Wishes Margot and Jim a Happy New Year., 1999 January 4.
Box 1 Folder 17
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard. , 1999 March 4.
Box 1 Folder 17
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. , 1999 March 18.
Box 1 Folder 17
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Enjoyed a lecture together., 1999 March 22.
Box 1 Folder 17
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard. Thanks Margot for her baked goods., 1999 March 23.
Box 1 Folder 17
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Wishes her good health., 1999 April 12.
Box 1 Folder 17
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard. , 1999 August 1.
Box 1 Folder 17
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard. Thanks Jim for "conversing with Martia.", 1999 August 24.
Box 1 Folder 17
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard., 1999 September 13.
Box 1 Folder 17
ALS, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. Postcard. "Yes, do let's discuss the Greenberg when I return on Nov. 14th.", 1999 October 28.
Box 1 Folder 17
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Wishes Jim and Margot a Happy New Year. Thanks Margot for frames., 1999 December 30.
Box 1 Folder 17
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard., 2000 January 6.
Box 2 Folder 1
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 2000 March 31.
Box 2 Folder 1
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard. Talk of going to a birthday dinner. , 2000 April 29.
Box 2 Folder 1
ALs, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Postcard., 2000 May 10.
Box 2 Folder 1
TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Discusses literary executor duties., 2000 July 28.
Box 2 Folder 1
Contents

"She [Susanna Sanders] has not been in touch with me for some time, and I had - frankly - hoped that she had dropped the idea of writing about me; her intelligence, her un-derstanding of my work, seems to me faulty."

Truitt includes the letter she sent to the librarian at Bryn Mawr College's Canaday Library on 28 July 2000. "I write to ask if you would be kind enough to review the agreement under the terms of which I deposited - and have continued to deposit - an archive about my work in the Library...I am concerned with the matter of access."

ALS, 365.5 Garcia St, Santa Fe, NM. Postcard. Tells Margot that Santa Fe isn't artistically inspirational., 2000 October 14.
Box 2 Folder 16
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Wishes Margot and Jim a happy new year., 2000 December 28.
Box 2 Folder 1
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Heartfelt apology and asks Margot for forgiveness. , 2001 March 5.
Box 2 Folder 1
TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Thanks Margot for her forgiveness. Hopes to travel to Bryn Mawr soon. , 2001 March 12.
Box 2 Folder 1
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 3p. Thanks Margot for a travel gift., 2001 March 20.
Box 2 Folder 1
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 2001 March 25.
Box 2 Folder 1
Contents

Attaches a letter from Leo Dolenski dated 3/18/01. Hopes that she and Margot can meet with him when they travel to Bryn Mawr. Details from Dolenski's letter: "Margot Backas, since she is your literary executor, should indeed come to the College and see for herself just where, and perhaps more importantly, meet the new curator."

Card with Wayne Thiebaud's "Cake" painting, which Truitt discusses in her the card., 2001 May 9.
Box 2 Folder 1
ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 3p. Discusses flowers. , 2001 June 7.
Box 2 Folder 1
TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p., 2001July 19.
Box 2 Folder 1
Contents

Attaches a letter dated 19 July 2001 that she sent to Eric Pumroy. "It was a pleasure to talk the archive over with you. I trust that you can clear the matter of our contract with the Librarian, and I look forward to hearing from him also on its commitments. It seems to me that we might be wise to rewrite the whole contract, including Margot Backas clearly in its stipulations. My daughter Alexandra's name should simply read "Alexandra Truitt." In Truitt's letter to Margot: "Our time together on this visit meant much more to me than just the archive business. If I may say so, I feel closer to you on many levels, all of them important to me." She also thanks Margot for accompanying her to the archives.

ALS, Istanbul, Turkey. Postcard. Briefly describes her trip in Istanbul and again thanks Margot for accompanying her to Bryn Mawr., 2001 August 20.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. , 2001 August 31.
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Sends two letters to Margot. A letter dated 17 Aug 2001 from Hiram W. Woodward Jr. of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, MD. "I would like to invite you to discuss an installation project here at the Walters Art Museum. The project I have in mind should incorporate one or more of your works and a greater number of objects from the permanent collection of the Walters." In Truitt's letter, she tells Woodward that she would be interested in discussing the possibility.

TLS, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. 2p. , 2001 October 2.
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"I trust that you are home, safe and sound. I have thought of you and Jim so often, so far away from home when the terrorist attacks took place, and with the added worry about the safety of air travel. " Also, discusses how she is sad at Yaddo because she is not producing art as much as usual.

TLS, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. 1p. Glad that Margot and Jim are ok. Also discusses her manuscript. , 2001 October 23.
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ALS, Southern Maryland. 1p., 2001 November 15.
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ALS, Southern Maryland. 1p. Thanks Margot for gifts., 2001 December 31.
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ALS, Southern Maryland. 1p. , 2002 January 26.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. , 2002 March 23.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. Talks about her son's family., 2002 March 25.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. , 2002 May 16.
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TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 2002 May 30.
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Truitt sends a letter from her lawyer, Douglas L. Siegler, to Margot. The letter is addressed to Eric Pumroy at Bryn Mawr College and dated 28 May 2002. "I would like a copy of the Deed of Gift executed by Mrs. Truitt, as well as any related correspondence and copies of policies regarding access to the papers that is or will be in effect."

TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. , 2002 June 25.
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Truitt sends a copy of her letter to Eric Pumroy to 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Margot. "Because the archive was designed to be unusually complete, we stipulated that access to it be specifically confined as stated in our agreement, i.e., allowed only by way of written permission from me, or from Margot Backas or my children after my death. I have never so given permission, yet the archive has been open to examination, and to use – vide a Ph.D. dissertation which I recently received. I am distressed that my trust in the college has been breached."

TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. , 2002 July 14.
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Truitt copies Margot on a letter sent to Eric Pumroy. "My experience with this dissertation has lead me to reconsider the whole matter of my archive at the College. If we are to continue our association, I most strongly agree with you that clarification should be brought to bear on the matter of respect for privacy, as well as on respect for the scholarly interests that constitute the purpose of the archive." Yellow Post-it note is attached to the letter: "Dear Margot, Thank you, Thank you! Love, Anne"

ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 5p. , 2002 August 2.
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Thanks Margot and Jim for having her grandson, Charlie, over for a luncheon. Includes a thank you note to the Backas' from Charlie.

ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. , 2002 September 17.
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TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 5p., 2002 September 27.
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Copies Margot on a letter to Eric Pumroy, Susanna Sanders and notes on Sanders' dissertation. In Truitt's letter to Mr. Pumroy: "As a special courtesy to Susanna Sanders, I would be grateful if you would enable her to read my annotations if she wishes to do so. This permission is entirely personal, an exception, and does not give her the right to 'fair usage' of my annotations." In her letter to Sanders, she tells her that she sent the notes to Pumroy. From Truitt's notes on Sanders' disseration: "The annotations are self-explanatory. They particularly address two general aspects of the dissertation. The first is the plethora of factual errors...SS consistently attributes to me feelings and motivations that run the gamut from misunderstanding to assumption."

ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. Updates Margot on the situation with Bryn Mawr's library., 2002 October 1.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Season's greetings card., 2002 December 26.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. Thanks Margot and Jim for celebrating her birthday., 2003 March 23.
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TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. , 2003 June 13.
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Sends Margot copy of letter sent to Eric Pumroy: "I would like to make some changes in the biography and also to take some time to consider the legal Deed." In Truitt's letter to Margot: "I thought the matter over and concluded that I agree with you that the archive should be complete; also that I have reached the point of no return with Bryn Mawr: further thought on the whole sequence of events is simply egoistic churning."

ALS, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. 2p. Talks about losing sense of time while at Yaddo., 2003 October 4.
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ALS, ALS, Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. 3p. Refers to Yaddo as "a special place, as always.", 2003 October 13.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Writes about her poor health, 2003 November 28.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. Hopes for a happier year. , 2003 December 30.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 2004 March 24.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Wishes Margot a happy birthday., 2004 June 20.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. Card with what might be Truitt's own photograph of a building., 2004 August 19.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Margot for bringing her to the hospital. , 2004 September 15.
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TLS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., 2004 October 18.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. Thanks Margot for her friendship and support. , 2004 October 26.
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4 Birthday cards to Margot., undated.
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ALS, 1p. Happy New Year to Margot and Jim., January 1.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. Thanks Margot for reading manuscript., February 5.
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ALS, 1p., February 13.
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March 2.
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ALS, 1p., March 16.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 2p. "Topping all this, I thank you for years and years of tried and true friendship.", March 18.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 3p. Thanks Margot for help and ecouragement. , March 20.
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ALS, 1p., April 2.
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ALS, 1p. , April 7.
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ALS, 1p. Thank you note to Margot., April 13.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p. , March 20.
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ALS, 1p. Truitt is preparing for a trip., May 4.
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ALS, 4p. Truitt tells Margot of her children and grandchildren., May 22.
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ALS, 4p. Cancels a September exhibit. , May 22.
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ALS, 1p. "Sibley Hospital: procedure to enable Dr. Constantinople to see the situation around the left kidney.", May 23.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C. 1p., June 12.
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ALS, 1p., July 31.
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ALS, 1p. Thanks Margot for lunch., August 2.
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ALS, 1p. "I am exceedingly grateful to you for reading my manuscript.", August 12.
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ALS, 2p., September 8.
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ALS, 1p. , October 13.
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ALS, card., November 4.
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ALS, 1p. Informal invitation to Mary Truitt's wedding., November 4.
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ALS, 3p. Sympathy for the death of Margot's father. Contemplates death. , November 8.
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ALS, 1p. Happy thanksgiving note., November 27.
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ALS, 3506 35th St, N.W., Washington, D.C.1p. Merry Christmas note., December 12.
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ALS, 1p., Saturday AM.
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Christmas card to Margot and Jim., undated.
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ALS, card. Thank you note to Margot and Jim. , undated.
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Greeting card., Saturday.
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Yaddo, Saratoga Springs, NY. Postcard., undated.
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Greeting card., undated.
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Happy Thanksgiving card., undated.
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Greeting card complimenting Margot's faith and strength. , undated.
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Season's greetings card., undated.
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ALS, 1p. Mentions Leo Dolenski., undated.
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Expresses her gratitude for Margot's help., undated.
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ALS, 1p., Friday.
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ALS, 2p. "Andre Emmerich is giving a reception at the gallery to 'celebrate' Daybook's publication (publication date 1984 October 12), 1984.
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ALS, 1p. "There are no words eloquent enough to thank you for your time, knowledge and sensitivity.", undated.
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ALS, 1p., undated.
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"Call Soon!" note card. , undated.
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University of Maryland, Office of the Provost, 1986 January 2.
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TL, College Park, MD. 1p. "We gratefully acknowledge receipt of your statement concerning Anne Truitt." from the Special Research Assignment Committee.

Article on James Truitt's suicide, 1981 November 18.
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Invitation to reception for Truitt's "Recent Paintings" exhibit at the Osuna Gallery, Washington, D.C., 1986 October 25.
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Advertisement for Truitt's "Recent Paintings" exhibit at the Osuna Gallery, Washington D.C., 1986 October 25 - November 19.
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"Miss Truitt Plans Winter Wedding," New York Times., 1987 October 25.
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Notes made by Margot Backas after reading Susanna Sanders' dissertation on Anne Truitt's work., 2004.
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"General note: punctuation and grammar are troublesome throughout, too much so for me to comment on each occassion. Equally so, infelicitous writing style. Often subject and verb don't agree - per page 1 of Preface, for example. It is also repetitious."

"SCULPTOR," poem by Julia Randall for Anne Truitt, undated.
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TLS, 1p. Letter addressed to Anne and signed from Anne regarding her manuscript. , undated.
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