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Violette de Mazia papers, 1923-1988 (bulk) 1891-2013 (inclusive)

Extent:

50.0 linear feet

Abstract:

Violette de Mazia (1896-1988) was hired by Albert Barnes to teach at the Barnes Foundation in Merion, Montgomery Township, Pennsylvania in the mid-1920s. She worked closely with Barnes and many of his colleagues. In 1950, de Mazia was named the Barnes Foundation's Director of Education, and in 1951, after Barnes' death, she was appointed to its Board of Trustees. The Violette de Mazia papers, 1891-2013 (bulk 1923-1988), primarily consist of materials relating to Violette de Mazia's work at the Barnes Foundation on its campus in Merion (Montgomery County, Pennsylvania) as a teacher, the Director of Education, and a trustee. There is also a small amount of her personal papers in the collection. The collection is organized into series: I. Class materials, II. Letters and documents, III. Photographs, and IV. Resource materials.

Held at: Violette de Mazia Foundation [Contact Us]

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James and Lorah families papers, 1833-1954 (inclusive)

Extent:

12.0 linear feet

Abstract:

Oliver P. James (1815-1894) was a prominent doctor and community member in Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He, his wife Sarah (1824-1906), and their three children Oliver (1860-1890), Martha (1862-1918), and Sarah (1864-1954) lived at what is now known as the James-Lorah Memorial Home at 132 N. Main Street in Doylestown. In 1896, Dr. James' daughter, Martha, married George H. Lorah (1863-1945), a minister at the Doylestown Methodist Episcopal Church. Martha's sister, Sarah James was a charter member of the Village Improvement Association of Doylestown (VIA), and upon her passing in 1954, the family home and its contents and property, as well as a trust fund for maintenance were bequeathed to the VIA. The James and Lorah families papers, 1833-1954, consist of original manuscript documents from the James and Lorah families, primarily Dr. Oliver P. James (1815-1894), Sarah (Sallie) James (1864-1954), Martha (Mattie) James Lorah (1862-1918), and Dr. George Lorah (1863-1945). The...(see more)

Held at: Village Improvement Association of Doylestown [Contact Us]

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Violet Oakley Memorial Foundation Violet Oakley collection, circa 1882-1949

Extent:

50.0 linear feet

Abstract:

Violet Oakley (1874-1961) was a painter, muralist, and stained glass designer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the first American woman to receive a public mural commission. She is best known for the series of murals she completed for the Pennsylvania State Capitol and her Renaissance-revival style of art. The Violet Oakley Memorial Foundation Violet Oakley collection, circa 1882-1949, consists of artworks and preliminary works done by Violet Oakley beginning from the time she was a child and adolescent to her adult work; works done by other Oakley family members including Violet's sister, Hester Oakley; materials used for reference, including reference photographs and scrapbooks on books, book making, and illuminated manuscripts; copies of Oakley's books The Holy Experiment: A Message to the World from Pennsylvania (1922) and Law Triumphant: The Opening of the Book of Law (1933); materials used to make copies of the books; and printed matter...(see more)

Held at: Woodmere Art Museum [Contact Us]

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Woodmere Art Museum small collections of artists' papers, circa 1950s-2000s

Extent:

2.0 linear feet

Abstract:

Woodmere Art Museum, located in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was officially established in 1940 through the will of Charles Knox Smith and is dedicated to Philadelphia-area artists. Woodmere Art Museum small collections of artists' papers, circa 1950s-2000s, consist of small amounts of photographs and slides, sketches, exhibition materials and other documents related to artwork, memorials, and other materials from artists who have a connection to Philadelphia and Woodmere Art Museum. Artists represented in the collection include Walter Erlebacher, Betty W. Hubbard, Jerome Kaplan, Charlotte Schatz, and Leon Sitarchuk.

Held at: Woodmere Art Museum [Contact Us]

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Severo Antonelli papers, circa 1919-1980s

Extent:

4.5 linear feet

Abstract:

Severo Antonelli (1907-1995) was an internationally known Italian-American photographer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who is often associated with the futurist movement. In 1938, he founded the Antonelli Institute, a photograph and graphic design school, and remained its president until he retired in 1974. Antonelli was active in the Philadelphia arts community and his work is part of the permanent collection at Woodmere Art Museum. The Severo Antonelli papers, circa 1919-1980s, consist of photographs, printed matter and publications, letters, ephemera, artifacts and other materials relating to Antonelli's activities and work. There are also materials from the Antonelli School of Photography, now the Antonelli Institute.

Held at: Woodmere Art Museum [Contact Us]

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Benjamin D. Bernstein papers, 1930s-1980s

Extent:

2.0 linear feet

Abstract:

Benjamin D. Bernstein (1907-2003) was a businessman and art collector in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Heavily involved in the transportation and shipping industries, Bernstein had a passion for art collecting. Bernstein collected art from local Philadelphia artists, as well as works from several European artists, including those who were part of the avant-garde CoBrA movement. During his lifetime, Bernstein amassed a large art collection and donated several items to a number of institutions and organizations in Pennsylvania and New York. The Benjamin D. Bernstein papers, 1930s-1980s, consist of materials related to Bernstein's art collection and artists represented in his collection. This collection includes correspondence, exhibition catalogs and gallery programs, photographs, sketchbooks, newspaper clippings, materials related to appraisal and authentication for items in Bernstein's collection, artist files, and other materials. A large portion of materials relate to artist Julius...(see more)

Held at: Woodmere Art Museum [Contact Us]

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Woodlands Cemetery Company records, 1843-2008 (inclusive)

Extent:

80.0 linear feet

Abstract:

Woodlands Cemetery Company of Philadelphia was founded in 1840 to transform a mansion and grounds owned by William Hamilton into a "rural cemetery," with winding carriage-ways and highly individualized monuments. The cemetery is still active as of 2012. The bulk of the Woodlands Cemetery Company records, 1843-2008, is comprised of administrative and financial records of the organization; the collection also contains interment records and architectural drawings of the mansion and property. Most of the administrative and financial records date from the 1960s to 1990s, but the interment records span the life of the Woodlands Cemetery Company.

Held at: Woodlands Mansion and Cemetery [Contact Us]

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Israel R. Berry family papers, 1890-1940 (bulk) 1864-1940 (inclusive)

Extent:

2.0 linear feet

Abstract:

Israel R. Berry (born 1862) was an influential citizen of West Caln Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, known for his successful farm and involvement with the township school board. His father, Milton Berry (born in West Caln in 1825), was a carpenter who acquired a 47-acre farm, and was active in township government. The Israel R. Berry family papers, 1864-1940 (bulk 1890-1940), include a large amount of records of the West Caln Township School Board as well as assorted personal papers and family papers (principally from Israel Berry and his father, Milton Berry).

Held at: West Caln Township Historical Commission [Contact Us]

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Wharton Esherick family papers, 1920-1970 (bulk) 1895-1996 (inclusive)

Extent:

10.5 linear feet

Abstract:

Wharton Esherick (1887-1970) was a sculptor who worked primarily in wood, readily extending his unique forms to furniture, furnishings, utensils, interiors and buildings, creating sculptural environments. He has been called the link between the Arts and Crafts Movement and the resurgent interest in furniture making following World War II, the dean of American craftsmen, and the foundation of the current Studio Furniture Movement. The Wharton Esherick family papers, 1895-1996 (bulk 1920-1970), consist of correspondence, work documentation, financial papers, publicity clippings, photographs, and other materials that primarily document Esherick's work and to a lesser extent his personal life and the personal lives of his immediate family.

Held at: Wharton Esherick Museum [Contact Us]

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Susan R. Hinkel research files on Wharton Esherick, 1989-2000 (inclusive)

Extent:

1.75 linear feet

Abstract:

A friend of the Wharton Esherick family, Susan R. Hinkel began writing a biography about Wharton Esherick, the influential sculptor and craftsman, although she never finished the book. The Susan Hinkel research files on Wharton Esherick, 1989-2000, consist of materials that Hinkel compiled by while preparing the unfinished biography. The files are organized by subject and include chapter drafts, research-related correspondence, clippings and ephemera, and various other secondary-source materials. Of special interest are transcripts of oral histories that Hinkel conducted for the book, in particular interviews with Ruth Esherick and Mansfield "Bob" Bascom.

Held at: Wharton Esherick Museum [Contact Us]