This subseries consists primarily of personal correspondence, including holiday cards and invitations, although letters related to commissions and exhibitions are scattered throughout.
This subseries includes the letters of W. Langdon Kihn, Alfred and Carrie Kihn (his parents), and Helen Kihn (his wife). Langdon Kihn's correspondence contains letters to his parents from his early trips out west, and drafts and fragments of letters to colleagues promoting his early exhibitions. There is also a selection of Christmas cards of his own design, which he sent to friends and family.
Notable correspondents, most of whom are also represented in the chronological correspondence, include the Canadian ethnographer, Marius Barbeau; well-known collectors, Dale and Maud Chester and Sir Henry Wellcome; artists Maynard Dixon and Guy Wiggins; French biophysicist and philosopher Pierre du Noüy; and military historian Captian Russell V. Steele, whose letters frequently include illustrations of soldiers in military uniforms.
Arrangement note:
Folders are arranged in alphabetical order by correspondent name. Letters and letter fragments with missing or illegible signatures have been filed in a folder titled "Unidentified," which is located at the end of this subseries.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
W. Langdon Kihn papers, 1904-1990, bulk 1904-1957. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
