Due to the small size of this collection, the papers are arranged as one series. Series 1: Elizabeth Catlett papers, 1957-1980 (Box 1, OV 2; 0.3 linear feet)
Access Note / Rights:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Summary:
The papers of African American painter, printmaker, and sculptor Elizabeth Catlett measure 0.3 linear feet and date from 1957 to 1980. The collection consists of printed material, such as project-related press; exhibition announcements, catalogs, and posters; publications featuring articles about Catlett; clippings; and cards featuring reproductions of Catlett's work.
Citation:
Elizabeth Catlett papers, 1957-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
The collection is available on 35 mm microfilm reel 2249 as part of the Archives of American Art's Texas project. The reels are only available through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of the material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
Funding:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.
Related Materials:
Elizabeth Catlett papers are also located at the Amistad Research Center, Tulane University.
Biography Note:
Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012) was an African American painter, printmaker, and sculptor. She was born and raised in Washington, D.C. and attended Howard University after being denied admission to the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) due to her race. At Howard she studied under Loïs Mailou Jones and Alain Locke. She later studied with Grant Wood and Henry Stinson while pursuing her masters of fine arts at the University of Iowa. When she graduated in 1940, she was one of the first three students, and the only African American woman, to earn that degree from the university.
Language Note:
The collection is in English and Spanish.
Provenance:
The papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Elizabeth Catlett in 1980. They were microfilmed as part of the Archives of American Art's Texas project in 1981.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
