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Boris Blai Personal Papers
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Held at: Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center. 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
Boris Blai, born in Russia in 1894, took after his father who was a famous artist and architect. As Blai showed great artistic ability, he was sent to study under Auguste Rodin. In 1918, after serving in World War I in the French army, he came to the United States and quickly made a name for himself. Though he first arrived in New York, he did not like it and he left for Philadelphia soon after. Due to his work with Rodin, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, asked Blai "to repair some Rodin sculpture." Through his friendship with R. Tait McKenzie, who he met while in the army, and his emerging work, Blai started getting invited to Philadelphia social parties. He became friendly with wealthy families such as the Wideners, the Wassermans, the Gimbels, and others. Through these contacts, he taught private lessons out of his home.
The Oak Lane Country Day School hired him as their director and faculty member in 1927. His work there inspired him to attempt to start a school where art was an integrated part of the curriculum, not just another class. One of his wealthy pupils, Stella Elkins Tyler, knew of his ambition, and donated her estate in Melrose Park, to be used for this purpose. In 1935, Blai founded and became the dean of the Stella Elkins Tyler School of Art, later a campus of Temple University. Blai always believed that everyone should use their hands as a creative outlet.
In 1943, Blai started giving art classes to soldiers at Fort Dix, N.J. He believed before most how important the creative outlet is, and used this technique to help heal soldiers who were having various mental disorders from being at war. He had great success with these students and the classes grew by the soldiers' request. In addition to being a faculty member and dean of Tyler and showing his own work internationally, in 1948, Blai founded the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts & Sciences. This non-profit organization offers art classes and workshops for both children and adults in addition to exhibits of local and national artists.
Blai received many honors in his lifetime, according to him the most important one being the honorary degree (Doctor of Fine Arts) Florida Southern College bestowed upon him in 1950 along with Frank L. Wright. It was at this time that he and Wright became friends. In 1966, Blai founded the first graduate art school in New Jersey, The Boris Blai College of Contemporary Arts. Unfortunately, the college, located in Forked River, was not in existence long. Blai continued to teach and sculpt and show his work until he passed away in 1985.
This collection contains a significant amount of newspaper clippings detailing Blai's life as a sculptor and educator. It includes much of his personal correspondence, including a letter from Frank Lloyd Wright, who he recruited to design Beth Sholom Synagogue in Elkins Park, PA. Also included are several scrapbooks consisting of newspaper clippings, letters, and other miscellaneous printed material. Photographs also make up a considerable portion of this collection.
Series 2: Publicity, 1920-1989, undated
Series 3: Organization: Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences, undated
Series 4: Publications, undated
Series 5: Colleges and Schools, undated
Series 6: Blai's Papers, 1920-1966, undated
Series 7: Photographs, undated
Series 8: Photo Albums, 1951-1963
Series 9: Scrapbooks, 1915-1969, undated
Series 10: Books, 1925-1974, undated
Series 11: Oversize Materials, 1950, undated
Sculpture Bronze Portrait Bust "Carroll S. Wright 1895-1967" Kresge Science Hall 20"h x 9"w x 9"deep. Room 300
Sculpture Bronze Portrait Bust With Black Marble Base Kresge Science Hall "W. Wayne Babcock 1872-1963" Room 300 20"h x 8"w x 9"deep.
Sculpture Carved wood bust of a woman. 22"h x 17"w x 11"deep. Tyler Admin.
Sculpture Bronze Sculpture. Portrait Charles E. Beury. 30 x 30 x18 Beury Hall Lobby In Base. 36 x 25 x 45
Sculpture Bronze Sculpture. Portrait Russell Conwell. 21 x 15 x15 Mitten Hall Court 1934
Sculpture Bronze Sculpture. Portrait Bust Robert Livingston Johnson Traylor Building Storage 28"h x 24"w x 13"d.
Sculpture 2 Bronze Sculpture. Portrait Busts (1) Millard Gladfelter Traylor Building Storage 4th TU President (1953) (25x21x12) and (2) Dr. Paul A. Anderson 5th TU President (26x20x10) Approx. 3'tall.
Sculpture Bronze Sculpture. Portrait Head Russell Conwell. 3'6 x 2'3 (1953) Granite Base. Placed in Spring of 1968 Founders Garden off Berks Mall between Park Ave. and 13th St.
Sculpture Bronze Sculpture. Johnny Ring 5x3x2. 6 feet Granite Mitten Hall Garden Base. Placed in Mitten Hall Garden (north of Mitten Hall) in Fall of 1964. Dedicated April 30, 1965. Originally acquired as a gift to Tyler School of Art by the Class of '58, then moved to Main Campus in 1964.
Painting Oil/Canvas. Dr. Boris Blai, Founder Tyler School of Art. Paley Library Ground floor Lobby 36"h x 30" w. Artist: Constance Yaros in 1978.
Painting Oil/Canvas. Scene in Tyler Hall. 16.5"h x 20.5"w. 1938 Tyler Admin. Artist: William A. Hildebrandt. Historically important Scene in Tyler Hall depicting Dean Boris Blai, Mrs. Tyler and identifiable students.
Painting Oil/Canvas. Portrait of Boris Blai. 36"h x 24"w. Tyler Admin. Artist: A student.
Painting Oil/Canvas. Dean Boris Blai - Himself. Circa 1940. Tyler Admin. Located in Dean's Reception Room by the window with an overhead light. 15.75" x 14.5". Donated gift to Temple Artist: Morris Shatzkin.
Sculpture Bronze on Marble Base. Portrait bust of Boris Blai. 1979. Tyler Admin. Artist: Constance G. Yaros. Boris Blai was the founder of Tyler School of Art and its Dean from 1935-1960. 12"h x 7"w x 10"d.
Donated by Mrs. Bertha Blai, 1985.
Collection processed and finding aid prepared in June 2010 by Holly Beth Wilson. Finding aid revised according to contemporary archival standards in September 2017 by Katy Rawdon, Coordinator of Technical Services.
People
Organization
Subject
- Art -- Study and teaching -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
- Sculpture, American -- Pennsylvania
- Sculpture -- Exhibitions
Place
- Publisher
- Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center
- Finding Aid Author
- Machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan, Sky Global Services India (P) Ltd.
- Finding Aid Date
- January 2024
- Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
-
The Boris Blai Personal papers the physical property of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. Intellectual property rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for determining the identity of rights holders and obtaining their permission for publication and for other purposes where stated.
Collection Inventory
Series 1, Correspondence, includes correspondence from 1933-1983.
Series 2, Publicity, includes publicity for Blai's gallery openings, accomplishments, appointments, etc.
Series 3, Organization: Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts & Sciences, includes material chronicling the founding of the Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts & Sciences including publicity and considerable amount of photographs.
Series 4, Publications, includes Blai's publications from Tyler, his own exhibitions, and art catalogs.
Series 5, Colleges/Schools, consists of the colleges and schools that Blai either founded or was a part of in some way. Each of the folders includes publications, correspondence, publicity, and photographs related to that school.
Series 6, Blai's Papers, includes Blai's personal papers from the years 1920-1966.
Series 7, Photographs, includes a significant amount of photographs of Blai's sculptures and also Blai at various social events. Of interest, there is a photograph and letter from Frank Lloyd Wright in folder 3.
Series 8, Photo Albums, contains photo albums of LBI Foundation of the Arts & Sciences and Tyler School of Art functions.
Series 9, Scrapbooks, includes 10 scrapbooks made up of photographs and newspaper clippings.
Series 10, Books, includes an assortment of books owned by Blai.
Series 11, Oversize Materials, contains materials stored in an oversized box shared with the Boris Blai Additional Personal and Family Papers collection.