The papers of painter and author Sylvia Fein measure 5.9 linear feet and date from 1936 to 2011. The papers primarily document her friendships with other artists from the Wisconsin-based Magic Realist group, including Dudley Huppler, John Wilde, Marshall Glasier, and Karl Priebe, as well as her career as a painter and her work on the books Heidi's Horse and First Drawings: Genesis of Visual Thinking. Documentation consists of scattered biographical material, extensive correspondence, project files, writings by Huppler and others, printed material, photographs, artwork by Wilde and Glasier, and scrapbooks.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of painter and author Sylvia Fein measure 5.9 linear feet and date from 1936 to 2011. The papers primarily document her friendships with other artists from the Wisconsin-based Magic Realist group, including Dudley Huppler, John Wilde, Marshall Glasier, and Karl Priebe, as well as her career as a painter and her work on the books Heidi's Horse and First Drawings: Genesis of Visual Thinking. Documentation consists of scattered biographical material, extensive correspondence, project files, writings by Huppler and others, printed material, photographs, artwork by Wilde and Glasier, and scrapbooks.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 8 series:
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1936-2010 (Box 1, 8; 10 folders)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1941-2011 (Box 1-3; 2.3 linear feet)
Series 3: Project Files, 1970-2011 (Box 3-4, 8; 1.2 linear feet)
Series 4: Writings by Others, circa 1940s-1994 (Box 4; 4 folders)
Series 5: Printed Material, 1941-2010 (Box 4-5; 0.7 linear feet)
Series 6: Photographs, circa 1940-2000 (Box 5; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 7: Artwork, 1941-1947 (Box 5; 3 folders)
Series 8: Scrapbooks, circa 1940-2010 (Box 5-7; 0.8 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
Sylvia Fein (1919- ) is a painter and author in Martinez, California. She is part of the Magic Realist Group of artists that originated at the University of Wisconsin.
Fein was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and from 1938 to 1942 she studied art at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. While there she became friends with fellow artists Marshall Glasier, John Wilde, Dudley Huppler, and Karl Priebe. In 1942 she married William Scheuber and briefly had a factory job in Milwaukee testing switches for naval planes. From 1944 to 1947 Fein lived and traveled throughout Mexico. Much of the work produced during this period was included in a solo exhibition of her paintings at the Perls Galleries in 1946. She and her husband then moved to northern California and had a daughter, Heidi. During the 1950s and 1960s, Fein continued to paint in her home studio.
In 1973 Fein decided to take a break from painting and published two books, Heidi's Horse (1976) and First Drawings: Genesis of Visual Thinking (1993). These works were greatly inspired by her friendship with art educator and researcher, Henry Shaefer-Simmern. In 2003 she resumed painting. She was featured in the group show, "With Friends: Six Magic Realists, 1940-1965" at the University of Wisconsin in 2005 and in a solo retrospective at the Bakersfield Art Museum in 2007. From 1970 to 2000 Fein was also active in the community of Pleasant Hill, California, as a member of several public services commissions.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 2011 by Sylvia Fein.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
The Sylvia Fein papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Correspondence, some illustrated, includes letters and postcards from friends and collegues Marshall Glasier, John and Shirley Wilde, Dudley Huppler, Karl Priebe, Helen Ashman, Lee Hoiby, Klaus Perls, and Henry Shaefer-Simmern among others. Most correspondence in this series is of a personal, rather than professional nature, and the bulk of these letters date from the 1990s-2000s. Of note are almost daily letters in the form of mail art from Fein's husband's oncologist, Randall Oyer. Researchers should note that additional correspondence is included within Series 8: Scrapbooks.
Arrangement note:
Letters have been arranged alphabetically by last name. Letters from individuals who had correspondence with Fein of four letters or less are found within the miscellaneous folders.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
The Sylvia Fein papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Sylvia Fein papers, 1936-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The Sylvia Fein papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Sylvia Fein papers, 1936-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The papers of Wisconsin painter, educator, and draftsman John Wilde measure 21.3 linear feet and 0.008 GB and date from 1935 to 2011. The papers consist of biographical material, correspondence, interviews, writings and notes, 27 journals, personal business records, exhibition files, two scrapbooks, photographic materials, six sketchbooks, artwork, and nearly 90 limited edition, letterpress artist collaboration books – many that include artwork contributed by Wilde.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Wisconsin painter, educator, and draftsman John Wilde measure 21.3 linear feet and 0.008 GB and date from 1935 to 2011. The papers consist of biographical material, correspondence, interviews, writings and notes, 27 journals, personal business records, exhibition files, two scrapbooks, photographic materials, six sketchbooks, artwork, and nearly 90 limited edition, letterpress artist collaboration books – many that include artwork contributed by Wilde.
Biographical materials include certificates and awards, a diploma from the University of Wisconsin, curriculum vitae, memorials, and membership files. Correspondence is with family and friends, and colleagues Karl Priebe, Gertrude Abercrombie, Sylvia Fein, Dudley Huppler, Marshall Glasier, Robert Cozzolino, Theodore Wolff, Peter and Helga Gardetto, Andrew Balkin Editions, Warrington Colescott, Tandem Press, Harvey Littleton, and others. Letters from Walter Hamady are access restricted and housed separately.
There are interviews with Wilde from Harry Bouras' radio show Critics Choice, as well as an interview with Gertrude Abercrombie by Studs Terkel's for Terkel's WFMT radio show broadcast in Chicago.
Wilde discusses his artwork and other topics in 27 journals spanning seven decades. Additional writings by Wilde include term papers, his thesis titled "A Survey of the Development of Surrealism in Painting and Its Chief Innovations with Special Emphasis on the Life and Work of Max Ernst," transcriptions for gallery talks and speeches, notes, and various other writings. Writings about Wilde are by Theodore Wolff, Michael Seefeldt, and other authors. Wilde's personal business records include account books, appraisals, donation papers, inventory books and lists, and a draft of Wilde's last will and testament.
There are exhibition files for Leaders in Wisconsin Art (1982), John Wilde: Drawings 1940-1984 (1984), Wildeworld: The Art of John Wilde (1999), John Wilde: Recent Work (2003), With Friends: Six Magical Realists (2005), and others.
Printed materials include art auction catalogs, calendars, clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements, invitations, magazines and journals, poetry booklets, press releases, programs, and an annual report. There are also two scrapbooks containing clippings and other printed materials compiled by Wilde. There are photographs of Wilde, his studio and estate, his close friends and fellow artists, and of works of art by Wilde and others. Few photographs are in digital format.
A series of nearly 90 artists collaboration books, many illustrated by Wilde, include Five Poems by Khatchik Minasian, Poems for Self Therepy by George Economou, Six Poems by J.D. Whitney, John's Apples by Reeve Lindbergh and 44 Wilde 1944, What His Mother's Son Hath Wrought (WHMSHW), The Story of Jane and Joan, and A Hamady Wilde Sampler/Salutations 1995. Other books are by Walter Hamady, Mary Laird Hamady, and others.
Six sketchbooks contain drawings and studies, as well as sketches of himself, his friends, and of his first wife Helen. Interspersed througout the sketchbooks are lists of artworks, accounting notes, and other notes and writings. Additional artwork includes files marked as preparatory drawings by Wilde, a large collage by Jerome Karidis titled Homage to the Queen Gertrude Abercrombie, and a few drawings by others.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 13 series.
Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1939-2006 (0.5 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1935-2011 (9.6 linear feet; Boxes 1-9, 21, 25-27)
Series 3: Interviews, circa 1959-circa 1975 (0.2 linear feet; Box 9)
Series 4: Journals, 1935-2006 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 9-11)
Series 5: Writings and Notes, 1936-2006 (0.5 linear feet; Box 11)
Series 6: Personal Business Records, 1940-2006 (0.5 linear feet; Box 12)
Series 7: Exhibition Files, 1963-2010 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 12-13)
Series 8: Printed Materials, 1940-2010 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 13-14, 21)
Series 9: Scrapbooks, 1948-1963 (0.4 linear feet; Box 21)
Series 10: Photographic Materials, circa 1940-2000s (3.5 linear feet; Boxes 14-17, 21, 0.008 GB; ER01)
Series 11: Artists Collaboration Books, circa 1970-circa 2000 (4.0 linear feet; Box 17-20, 22)
Series 12: Sketchbooks, 1940-1985 (0.2 linear feet; Box 20, 22)
Series 13: Artwork, circa 1943-circa 2000 (0.3 linear feet; Box 20, OVs 23-24)
Biographical / Historical:
John Wilde (1919-2006) was a painter, educator, and draftsman who specialized in silver point and was associated with Magic Realism. He lived and worked in Wisconsin.
Wilde was born near Milwaukee, Wisconsin on December 12, 1919. He lived his whole life in Wisconsin except when he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison for his bachelor and master degrees in art and art history. While at university, Wilde, along with Marshall Glasier, Sylvia Fein, Karl Priebe, Dudley Huppler, and Gertrude Abercrombie, formed a close-knit circle of friends who shared similar ideas on art and painted in the style of Magic Realism. They often met at Priebe's studio in Milwaukee or Abercrombie's house in Chicago. Wilde also met his first wife and fellow art student, Helen Ashman, during this time. Wilde later married Shirley Grilley after Helen's death in 1966.
Wilde completed artwork for several books published by Perishable Press, a publishing company owned by Walter Hamady. He contributed illustrations to John's Apples by Reeve Lindbergh, 1985- The Twelve Months by Hamady, and Five Poems by Khatchik Minasian. Wilde also wrote and illustrated 44 Wilde 1944, What His Mother's Son Hath Wrought (WHMSHW), The Story of Jane and Joan, and co-authored A Hamady Sampler, Salutations 1995 with Hamady. In addition to his collaborations with Perishable Press, Wilde worked with Warrington Colescott, Harvey Littleton, Tandem Press, and Andrew Balkin Editions on various projects.
The Elvehjem Museum of Art, now the Chazen Museum of Art, located at the University of Wisconsin in Madison where Wilde taught art for 35 years, held several exhibitions of Wilde's work including John Wilde: Drawings 1940-1984 (1984), Wildeworld: The Art of John Wilde (1999), and With Friends: Six Magical Realists (2005).
The Tory Folliard Gallery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin began representing Wilde in 1993 and continued to represent Wilde's work after his death in Cooksville, Wisconsin on March 9, 2006.
Related Materials:
An interview with John Wilde conducted in 1979 by Michael Danoff for the Archives of American Art and the collection, Maurice W. Berger correspondence with John Wilde, 1952-1959, are also found in the Archives of American Art.
Separated Materials:
Also avaialbe at the Archives of American Art are materials lent for microfilming (reel 5661 and 4710) including letters from Walter Hamaday. Lent material was returned to the lender and is not described in the collection container inventory.
Portions of the loaned material on reel 4710 were subsequently donated, but a comparison of the film and papers was not completed.
Provenance:
The John Wilde papers were donated incrementally between 1975 and 2015 by John Wilde and his estate. Portions were previously lent for microfilming. Additional letters from Walter Hamady were lent for microfilming by John Wilde in December 1999.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. Research Center. One box of letters from Walter Hamady is ACCESS RESTRICTED; use requires written permission. The Walter Hamady letters microfilmed on 2539a, 4710a, and 5661 are also ACCESS RESTRICTED.
Rights:
The John Wilde papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
The Perls Galleries records are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Perls Galleries records, 1937-1997. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Printed material consists of books, including two written by Sylvia Fein, magazines and news clippings documenting her activities, and a few exhibition catalog and announcements, primarily from her early career. Also found are files of printed material which Fein compiled to document the careers of her friends and fellow artists including Marshall Glasier, John Wilde, Dudley Huppler, and Karl Priebe. These files contain exhibition announcements, catalogs, and news clippings. Researchers should note that a large amount of printed material is also found within Series 8: Scrapbooks.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
The Sylvia Fein papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Sylvia Fein papers, 1936-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The Sylvia Fein papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Sylvia Fein papers, 1936-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The Sylvia Fein papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Sylvia Fein papers, 1936-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The Sylvia Fein papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Sylvia Fein papers, 1936-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The Sylvia Fein papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Sylvia Fein papers, 1936-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The Sylvia Fein papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Sylvia Fein papers, 1936-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The Sylvia Fein papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Sylvia Fein papers, 1936-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The Sylvia Fein papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Sylvia Fein papers, 1936-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The Sylvia Fein papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Sylvia Fein papers, 1936-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The Sylvia Fein papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Sylvia Fein papers, 1936-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The Sylvia Fein papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Sylvia Fein papers, 1936-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The Sylvia Fein papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Sylvia Fein papers, 1936-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The Sylvia Fein papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Sylvia Fein papers, 1936-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
