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Caro Ann Germann collection relating to Ashley Bryan
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Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]3420 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6206
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. 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
Ashley Bryan was born on July 13, 1923 in Harlem, New York to Antiguan immigrant parents Ernest Bryan and Olive (Carty) Bryan. Bryan earned degrees at Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art and Columbia University with a focus on sculpture, calligraphy, design, and book illustration, in addition to serving in the segregated 207th Port Company, 502nd Port Battalion as a stevedore during World War II. Bryan went on to become a celebrated artist and storyteller best known for his award-winning children's book illustrations with particular emphasis on African folktales and African-American spirituals. A longtime resident of Islesford, Maine, Bryan died on February 4, 2022 with his family in the Houston, Texas area.
Caro Ann and John J. Germann are Houston, Texas residents and former Kinkaid School faculty members, becoming friends and correspondents with Ashley Bryan as early as 1994 through Bryan's activities reading to and performing for young students at the Kinkaid School.
The Caro Ann Germann collection relating to Ashley Bryan includes correspondence from Ashley Bryan to Caro Ann and John Germann.
There are also pamphlets, brochures, flyers, and an article regarding Bryan's exhibitions and artwork.
Also included are an optical disk containing digital photographs of Ashley Bryan presenting for young school children and a DVD containing video of Ashley Bryan performing at the Kinkaid School in Houston, Texas.
This small collection will be of value to scholars interested in Ashley Bryan as an accompaniment to the larger and more substantial Ashley Bryan papers, 1823-2019 (bulk: 1928-2019), including further documentation regarding Bryan's vast network of friends and colleagues, in addition to his artwork, exhibition pamphlets and other printed material, and much more.
Gift of Caro Ann Germann, 2022.
- Publisher
- University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
- Finding Aid Author
- Sam Sfirri
- Finding Aid Date
- 2023 July 17
- Access Restrictions
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The bulk of this collection is open for research use, however, use of the physical computer media in Box 1, Folder 5 is restricted. The computer files originally stored on this computer media has been processed and are available for research use (see items described as "Digital Content (Reading Room Access Only)" along the right-hand side in the Collection Inventory). These computer files are reading-room access only on a dedicated computer in the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library.
- Use Restrictions
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Copyright restrictions may exist. For most library holdings, the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania do not hold copyright. It is the responsibility of the requester to seek permission from the holder of the copyright to reproduce material from the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts.