Category: Finding Aids

NHPRC Grant | Kurt Wiese papers

This is one in a series of posts related to our NHPRC-sponsored project: Twentieth Century Children’s Literature: Exploring the Past, Understanding the Present. Previous posts can be found here.

Special Collections and University Archives is pleased to announce the publication of a newly revised finding aid for the Kurt Wiese papers (Ax 445). The finding aid is available on ArchivesSpace.

Illustration by Kurt Wiese for North America: The Land They Live in for the Children Who Live There by Lucy Sprague Mitchell (New York: Macmillan, 1931), circa 1931, Kurt Wiese papers, Ax 445, Box 1, Folder 8, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR.

The Kurt Wiese papers represent a major portion of Wiese’s body of work produced as an illustrator and author of American children’s literature. The collection is comprised of original children’s book production material and personal papers.

The children’s book production material series includes Wiese’s original artwork and related preparatory materials used in the creation of children’s books written by Wiese and other authors. The bulk of the artwork is comprised of ink and litho crayon illustrations on paper and board, but it also includes press-ready color-separated art on acetate, dummies, cover art, sketches, and proofs. It also includes typed manuscripts, as well as publisher and author correspondence.

The personal papers series includes personal and commercial artwork by Wiese not created for children’s books, as well as personal scrapbooks and photographs of Wiese. The original artwork is comprised of sketchbooks, drawings, paintings, and etchings, as well as some illustrations for magazines, periodicals, and greeting cards.

Cover sketch by Kurt Wiese for Freddy and Simon the Dictator by Walter Rollin Brooks (New York: Knopf, 1956), circa 1956, Kurt Wiese papers, Ax 445, Box 21, Folder 6, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR.

Kurt Wiese was born on April 22, 1887 in Minden, Germany. From 1909 to 1915, he worked and traveled throughout China and Southeast Asia. But at the outbreak of World War I, he was captured and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp in Australia. After being released at the end of the war, Wiese returned to Germany but the economy was so bad that he left for Brazil, where he began his career in illustration. In 1927 Wiese moved to the United States, where he married Gertrude Hansen in 1930 and they permanently resided in New Jersey. His first critical success in book illustration was Felix Salten’s Bambi in 1929. Wiese wrote and illustrated 20 children’s books and illustrated another 300 for other authors. He received the Caldecott Honor Book Award in 1946 for You Can Write Chinese and in 1948 for Fish in the Air. He also illustrated the Newbery Award winner Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze, and the Newbery Honor books Honk the Moose, Li Lun, Lad of Courage, and Daughter of the Mountains. Kurt Wiese died on May 27, 1974.

Creating Pathways to Oregon Historic Landscape Architecture Collections

Post by Liliya Benz, Special Projects Processing Archivist

Special Collections and University Archives is pleased to announce that access to previously unavailable material related to Oregon landscape architects Chester E. Corry, Barbara Fealy, Elizabeth Lord, and Edith Schryver is now available. Finding aids for each of the three collections can be found on ArchivesSpace:

Come explore the working lives of the superintendent of parks in Ashland, Oregon, the first woman to be elected fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), and the first women working in landscape architecture in Oregon. The Chester E. Corry papers, Barbara Fealy landscape architectural records, and Lord & Schryver landscape architectural records contain hundreds of newly processed landscape architectural designs, plans, and drawings; updated finding aids; and digitally accessible items available through Oregon Digital.

Landscape designs by Chester E. Corry for Phase III of an extension development of Lithia Park, Ashland, Oregon, entitled the “Proposed Root Park Extension Project,” circa 1960s.

Chester E. Corry (1906-1989) was an Oregon landscape architect who worked predominantly in southern Oregon and is best known for his work at Ashland’s Lithia Park. The Chester E. Corry papers contain landscape architecture plans for public areas and residential clients, some accompanying documentation for landscape projects, clippings, correspondence, and an autobiography. Most projects were conducted in Ashland and Medford, Oregon, however several other areas, including 17 cities and counties in Oregon, five cities in California, and one city in Massachusetts, can be found among the plans. Public projects of note include Corry’s designs for Lithia Park (Ashland, Oregon); several banks and schools in Ashland and Medford, Oregon; Yreka City Park (Yreka, California); and work commissioned by the Oregon Shakespearean Festival Association.

Barbara Fealy (1903-2000) was a landscape architect who primarily practiced in the Pacific Northwest. Fealy was the first woman to be elected as fellow to the ASLA in 1985 and received several honors and awards during the late 1980s and early 1990s for her work at Salishan Lodge, Timberline Lodge, and the Lewis Residence. The Barbara Fealy landscape architectural records include her firm’s architectural drawings, client files, and photographs. A variety of locations are present among the drawings including 65 unique areas in Oregon, 15 areas in Washington, two areas in California, and one area each in North Carolina, British Columbia, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

Landscaping plan for front of main building by Barbara Fealy for Timberline Lodge, Mt. Hood National Forest, Pacific Northwest Region, 1989 July 22.

Elizabeth Lord (1887-1976) and Edith Schryver (1901-1984) founded the Lord & Schryver landscape architecture firm in 1929 in Salem, Oregon. Working from Lord’s family home in Salem, Oregon, the pair designed gardens for locations throughout Oregon and Washington and were the first women working in landscape architecture in Oregon. The Lord & Schryver landscape architectural records contain landscaping plans and drawings, correspondence, office files, subject files, photographs, brief biographical sketches, and notes relating to Lord’s and Schryver’s work as landscape architects.

Suggested landscape treatment drawing for the grounds of the McLoughlin and Barclay Houses in Oregon City, Oregon by Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver, 1938 November.

These three collections were chosen as part of a LSTA-funded project entitled “Creating Pathways to Oregon Historic Landscape Architectural Collections.” The goals of the project were to process 47.1 linear feet of archival material never before accessible to the public, create remotely accessible digital surrogates of select large-format drawings and plans, and stabilize collection materials for long-term storage and preservation.

Landscape designs by Barbara Fealy in unstable rolls before preservation, and designs preserved in appropriately sized housing awaiting transport to storage.

 

NHPRC Grant | Edwin Tunis papers

This is the third of a series of blog posts highlighting our NHPRC-sponsored project: Twentieth Century Children’s Literature: Exploring the Past, Understanding the Present. Previous posts can be found here.

Special Collections and University Archives is pleased to announce the publication of a newly revised finding aid for the Edwin Tunis papers (Ax 776). The finding aid is available on ArchivesSpace.

Final illustration for The Young United States depicting a printing press, circa 1968, Edwin Tunis papers, Ax 776, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon.

The Edwin Tunis papers consist primarily of children’s book production material and correspondence. The production material for each book may include research sketches, original illustrations, outlines, holograph drafts, drafts, dummies, printer’s copies, galley proofs, page proofs, layouts, paste-ups, publicity materials, reviews, and sample book jackets. In most cases, the book publishing process is represented completely, from preliminary research materials to final galley proofs and page layouts. Some personal papers are also represented in the collection, which include articles, bookplate sketches, Christmas cards and biographical material.

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New Finding Aid | Edward Philip McKean-Smith collection of presidential autographs

Special Collections and University Archives is pleased to announce a newly published finding aid for the Edward Philip McKean-Smith collection of presidential autographs (CA M193). The finding aid is available on  Archives West. 

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Dr. Henry Waldo Coe, Edward Philip McKean- Smith collection of presidential autographs, CA M193, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon.

 

This collection was originally donated by Edward Philip McKean-Smith in 1956. A business man from Coos Bay, Oregon, McKean-Smith had personally purchased the majority of the collection. He chose to donate the letters to Special Collections and made further contributions as he acquired more signatures. Documents from the Wayne L. Morse papers (Coll 001) and William T. Faricy papers (Coll 030) were also combined into the collection (a process that Special Collections and University Archives no longer practices).

Letter from Harry S. Truman to Wayne Morse, Edward Philip McKean- Smith collection of presidential autographs, CA M193, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon.

Since their acquisition, the papers have never been available to researchers. Any person who wanted to work with the papers were instead given photocopies. The originals were often displayed in the Reading Room in time with presidential elections, appearing for the first time in 1976.

The collection is comprised of mostly personal correspondence, but also includes affidavits, certificates, and autographs. The dates for each document can range from all points in a president’s careers, from before their presidency, during, and after.

Items of note:

  • A letter from George Washington inquiries into discrepancies between two land deeds, dated during his time in office.
  • A signed affidavit from Abraham Lincoln from his time as a lawyer.
  • A letter from Theodore Roosevelt laments that, “Wilson has been the very worse President we have had since Buchanan; and I say this though I think that Taft was a very poor mad indeed.”
  • A personal letter from Warren G. Harding to his Aunt Pricilla about the poor health of their Aunt Clara.
  • A letter from Harry S. Truman to Wayne Morse, telling him to not worry about a drunk friend who had caused a commotion at a party they both attended. “We all have friends like that!”
  • A letter from Ronald Reagan congratulating UO President Paul Olum on his recent promotion to the position.
George Washington to John Brown, Edward Philip McKean- Smith collection of presidential autographs, CA M193, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon.

Because the collection had never been opened to the public before, there had been little work done to make it presentable and available to researchers. This required a full-scale processing plan.
Furthermore, the nature of the collection called for additional levels of processing. Because each document is uniquely important, it was essential to create an itemized description of each record. Given that not every president was not known for their penmanship, this could at times prove to be challenging. A considerable amount of time was spent deciphering script and researching the content of the letters.

-Paige Kosa, Special Collections Intern

NHPRC Grant | Kurt Werth papers

This is the second of a series of blog posts highlighting our NHPRC-sponsored project: Twentieth Century Children’s Literature: Exploring the Past, Understanding the Present. Previous posts can be found here.

Special Collections and University Archives is pleased to announce the publication of a newly revised finding aid for the Kurt Werth papers (Coll 100). The finding aid is available on Archives West.

A boy in a tiger costume walks down a suburban street at night.
Sketch for A Tiger Called Thomas, circa 1963, Box 13, Kurt Werth papers, Coll 100, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon.

The Kurt Werth papers represent a major portion of Werth’s body of work produced as an illustrator and author of American children’s literature. The collection is comprised of original children’s book illustrations and manuscripts, other artwork and manuscripts, personal papers, artifacts, personal and professional correspondence, and papers of his wife, Margaret Werth.

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