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Violet Oakley

Artist:
Robert Tait McKenzie, 1867 - 1938  Search this
Sitter:
Violet Oakley, 10 Jun 1874 - 25 Feb 1961  Search this
Medium:
Bronze bas-relief
Dimensions:
Other: 37.4 x 26.9cm (14 3/4 x 10 9/16")
Frame: 58.4 x 41.9 x 2.5cm (23 x 16 1/2 x 1")
Type:
Sculpture
Date:
1925
Topic:
Sculpture\Relief\Bas-relief  Search this
Violet Oakley: Female  Search this
Violet Oakley: Visual Arts\Artist\Portraitist  Search this
Violet Oakley: Visual Arts\Artist\Illustrator  Search this
Violet Oakley: Visual Arts\Art instructor  Search this
Violet Oakley: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter\Muralist  Search this
Violet Oakley: Visual Arts\Artist\Glass artist\Stained glass artist  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of the Violet Oakley Memorial Foundation
Object number:
NPG.83.12
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
Copyright:
© Robert Tait McKenzie
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition:
2022 Rehang of Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900
On View:
NPG, East Gallery 135
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm42b9bc8c5-4190-485e-b8e4-8be28c502c5a
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NPG.83.12

The voice of the Negro, 1919

Author:
Kerlin, Robert Thomas 1866-1950  Search this
Physical description:
xii, 188 pages 23 cm
Type:
Books
Place:
United States
États-Unis
Date:
1968
1920
Topic:
African Americans  Search this
Noirs américains  Search this
African American  Search this
Race relations  Search this
Relations raciales  Search this
Call number:
E185.61 .K39 1968
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_20507

Red Man's America; a history of Indians in the United States. Illustrations by Marianne Stoller

Author:
Underhill, Ruth 1883-1984  Search this
Physical description:
x, 395 pages illustrations 24 cm
Type:
Books
Date:
1971
[1971]
Topic:
History  Search this
Call number:
E77 .Un2
E77 .U45 1971
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_13755

CaliCo "League of Nations"

Collection Creator:
Korda, Ronald S., -1996  Search this
Korda, Catherine  Search this
Container:
Box 257, Folder M
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1990
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270

Use of this collection by researchers requires compliance with security procedures more stringent than those required for other collections in the Archives Center. This is due to the high value and rarity of some of the items in this collection. Autographed items, and cards valued at higher than $300 by Standard Catalog and Beckett's are stored separately, and may be seen only with special permission from the Reference Archivist, and then only in cases (such as photography or scanning) where it is deemed a necessity.

Color photocopies have been placed in sleeves where these items would normally be stored. When using card boxes, only six at a time may be requested from the Reference Archivist, and unlike other collections, may not be reserved in advance (i.e., on each separate research visit, a researcher must request boxes only for that visit.)

Card sleeves may be taken out of the binders for photocopying only with the permission and the supervision of the Archives Center staff. Cards may not be taken from sleeves, except with the permission and supervision of Archives Center staff. This may involve making advance arrangements with the Archives Center staff. These procedures are necessary for the preservation of this exceptional collection in perpetuity.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Ronald S. Korda Collection of Sports and Trading Cards, 1952-1996, Archives Center, National Museum of American History. Gift of Catherine Korda.
See more items in:
Ronald S. Korda Collection of Sports and Trading Cards
Ronald S. Korda Collection of Sports and Trading Cards / Series 2: Non-sports / 2.2: Educational cards / II-B-1: Geography and world history
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep85a889985-6d5f-428d-97ba-81f092fba8ee
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0545-ref5536

Lilian Swann Saarinen papers

Creator:
Saarinen, Lilian Swann, 1912-1995  Search this
Names:
Cambridge Art Center  Search this
Cranbrook Academy of Art -- Faculty  Search this
G Place Gallery (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Knoll Associates, inc.  Search this
Massachusetts Institute of Technology -- Faculty  Search this
Midtown Galleries (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Otava Publishing Company  Search this
Reynal & Hitchcock  Search this
Armitage, Merle, 1893-1975  Search this
Crosby, Caresse, 1892-  Search this
Eames, Charles  Search this
Eames, Ray  Search this
Koch, Carl  Search this
Kreis, Henry, 1899-1963  Search this
Milles, Carl, 1875-1955  Search this
Moholy-Nagy, László, 1895-1946  Search this
Moholy-Nagy, Sibyl, 1905-  Search this
Saarinen, Eero, 1910-1961  Search this
Saarinen, Eliel, 1873-1950  Search this
Saarinen, Loja  Search this
Venturi, Robert  Search this
Weese, Harry, 1915-1998  Search this
Extent:
9 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Blueprints
Diaries
Illustrations
Sketches
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Date:
circa 1909-1977
Summary:
The papers of Cambridge sculptor and illustrator, Lilian Swann Saarinen, measure nine linear feet and date from circa 1909 to 1977. The collection documents Saarinen's career through correspondence with artists, architects, publishers, and gallery owners; writings and notes, including manuscripts and illustrations for children's books and publications; project and teaching files; financial records; artwork, including numerous project sketches; and photos of Saarinen and her artwork. Saarinen's personal life is also documented through diaries and correspondence with friends and family members, including Eero Saarinen, to whom she was married from 1939-1953.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Cambridge sculptor and illustrator, Lilian Swann Saarinen, measure nine linear feet and date from circa 1909 to 1977. The collection documents Saarinen's career through correspondence with artists, architects, publishers, and gallery owners; writings and notes, including manuscripts and illustrations for children's books and publications; project and teaching files; financial records; artwork, including numerous project sketches; and photos of Saarinen and her artwork. Saarinen's personal life is also documented through diaries and correspondence with friends and family members, including Eero Saarinen, to whom she was married from 1939-1953.

Biographical material consists of resumes and biographical sketches, as well as a 1951 blueprint for the Eero Saarinen and Associates Office Building in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Correspondence documents Saarinen's personal and professional life through letters to and from Eero Saarinen and other family members, including six letters from Loja Saarinen; correspondence with artists and architects, including Merle Armitage, Charles and Ray Eames, Carl Koch, Henry Kreis, Carl Milles, Laszlo and Sibyl Moholy-Nagy, Robert Venturi, and Harry Weese; and friends and colleagues at the Cranbrook Academy of Art and Knoll Associates. Also documented is Saarinen's business relationship with Midtown Galleries and Caresse Crosby, and publishers and publications including Child Life, Interiors, Otava Publishing Company, and Reynal & Hitchcock, Inc.

Writings and Notes document Saarinen's work on several children's publications, including Picture Book Zoo (1935) and Who Am I? (1946), through correspondence, notes, manuscript drafts, and extensive sketches. This series also includes Saarinen's ideas for other publications and incorporates some early writings and notes, as well as typescripts of her reminiscences about Eliel Saarinen, the Saarinen family, and the Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Diaries consist of bound diary volumes, loose-leaf journal entries, and heavily annotated engagement calendars, documenting Saarinen's personal life, artistic aspirations, and career development from the 1930s-1970s. This material provides a deeply personal view of the emotional landscape of Saarinen's life, her struggles to balance her identity as a working artist with the roles of wife, mother, and homemaker, and the complex, and often competing, relationships within the renowned architectural family into which she married.

Project files document Saarinen's work on book cover designs, federal and post office commissions in Bloomfield, Indiana, Carlisle, Kentucky, and Evanston, Illinois, reliefs for the Crow Island School in Winnetka, Illinois, and other important commissions including the Harbor National Bank Clock in Boston, Massachusetts, the KLM Airlines installation at JFK Airport, the Fountain of Noah sculpture at the Northland Center in Detroit, Michigan, and the interior of Toffenetti's restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. Also documented is her role in designs for the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, with Eero Saarinen.

Teaching files document Saarinen's "Language of Clay Course" which she taught at Cambridge Art Center and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Financial records document exhibition and sales expenses for two exhibitions, including her show at G Place Gallery in 1944.

Printed material consists of clippings about Saarinen and her family, exhibition announcements and catalogs for herself and others, and reference files from the 1930s-1940s, primarily comprising clippings of animals.

Additional printed material documenting Saarinen's career can be found in one of two scrapbooks found in the collection. An additional scrapbook consists of clippings relating primarily to Saarinen's parents.

Artwork comprises extensive sketches, particularly animal and figure sketches, in graphite, crayon, ink, pastel, and watercolor. The sketches demonstrate in particular Saarinen's developing interest in and skill with animal portraiture from her childhood to the 1960s.

Photographs are primarily of artwork and Saarinen's 1944 exhibition at G Place Gallery. Also found are one negative of Saarinen, probably with Eero Saarinen, and a group photo including Lilian, Eero, and Eliel Saarinen with the model for the Detroit Civic Center, circa 1940s.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 11 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1930s-1960s (3 folders; Box 1, OV 12)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1920-1974 (1.9 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, 8, OV 12)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, 1920s-1973 (1.3 linear feet, Boxes 2-3, 8, OVs 13-16)

Series 4: Diaries, 1930-1973 (1.4 linear feet, Boxes 3-5, 8)

Series 5: Project Files, 1931-1966 (1.7 linear feet, Boxes 5-6, 8, OVs 17-19)

Series 6: Teaching Files, 1966-1970 (3 folders, Box 6)

Series 7: Financial Records, 1940s-1970s (2 folders, Box 6)

Series 8: Printed Material, circa 1930s-1970s (0.2 linear feet, Box 6)

Series 9: Scrapbooks, circa 1909-1974 (2 folders; Boxes 6, 9)

Series 10: Artwork, circa 1920s-circa 1960s (1.7 linear feet, Boxes 6-7, 9-10, OVs 20-27)

Series 11: Photographs, circa 1940s, 1977 (0.5 linear feet, Boxes 7, 11, OV 27)
Biographical / Historical:
Cambridge artist and sculptor, Lilian Swann Saarinen (1912-1995), studied at the Art Students League with Alexander Archipenko in 1928, and later with Albert Stewart and Heninz Warneke from 1934-1936, before moving to Michigan where she studied with Carl Milles at the Cranbrook Academy of Art from 1936-1940. Saarinen was an accomplished skier and a member of the 1936 US Olympic ski team.

At Cranbrook, Swann met architect Eero Saarinen, whom she married in 1939. She subsequently worked with Saarinen's design group on a variety of projects, including the Westward Expansion Memorial, which later became known as the "Gateway Arch" in St. Louis. Lilian and Eero had a son, Eric, and a daughter, Susie, before divorcing in 1953.

Saarinen, who had developed an affinity for drawing animals in childhood, specialized in animal portraits in a variety of sculptural media. In 1939, she exhibited her sculpture Night, which depicted Bagheera the panther from Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, at the World's Fair. The sculpture was placed in the Boston Public Garden in 1986. In the 1930s and 1940s Saarinen was commissioned to work on a variety of architectural projects, including reliefs for post offices in Bloomfield, Indiana, Carlisle, Kentucky, and Evanston, Illinois, and the Crow Island School in Winnetka, Illinois. She also executed commissions for the Harbor National Bank in Boston, KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) at JFK Airport, the Northland shopping Center in Detroit Michigan, and Toffenetti's Restaurant in Chicago.

Saarinen was a contributing author and illustrator for a variety of publications, including Child Life, Interiors and Portfolio: An Intercontinental Quarterly. In 1935 she illustrated Picture Book Zoo for the Bronx Zoo and in 1946 Reynal & Hitchcock, Inc. published Who Am I?, a children's book which Saarinen wrote and illustrated.

Saarinen taught ceramic sculpture to soldiers for the Red Cross Arts and Skills Unit rehabilitation program in 1945, served on the Visiting Committee to the Museum School at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, from 1959-1964, where she taught ceramics, and later taught a course entitled "The Language of Clay" at the Cambridge Art Center and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. One of Saarinen's private students at Cambridge was her cousin, Edie Sedgwick.

Saarinen died in Cohasset, Massachusetts, in 1995 at the age of 83.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds material lent for microfilming (reels 1152 and 1192) including a scrapbook containing clippings, copies of letters and telegrams received, and reproductions of Saarinen's work. There is a copy of Saarinen's book, "Who Am I?", and three albums containing photographs of Saarinen, photographs and reproductions of her work, a list of exhibitions, quotes about her, and writings by her about sculpture. Lent material was returned to the lender and is not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
Lilian Swann Saarinen donated the collection in 1975. She lent additional materials for microfilming in 1976.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
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.
Occupation:
Sculptors -- Massachusetts -- Cambridge  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Illustrated books, Children's  Search this
Gateway Arch (Saint Louis, Mo.)  Search this
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Illustrators -- Massachusetts  Search this
Art, Municipal  Search this
Women sculptors  Search this
Women illustrators  Search this
Function:
Art commissions
Genre/Form:
Blueprints
Diaries
Illustrations
Sketches
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Lilian Swann Saarinen papers, circa 1909-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.saarlili
See more items in:
Lilian Swann Saarinen papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw97f1e4305-3886-479a-9db7-48c98fd8d2dd
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-saarlili
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Online Media:

Scrapbook

Collection Creator:
Jones, William  Search this
Container:
Box 1
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
bulk 1943 - 1946
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection Citation:
William Jones World War II Scrapbook, NASM.2006.0067, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
William Jones World War II Scrapbook
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg23f73868a-00f4-461a-a95e-0c0109d6088f
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nasm-2006-0067-ref506
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[Marion Spencer Hall's Travel Diary]

Author:
Hall, Joseph Underwood, 1881-1936  Search this
Collection Creator:
Hall, Joseph Underwood, Jr.  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (8.5" x 7.1".)
Container:
Box 6, Folder 13
Type:
Archival materials
Diaries
Date:
1928 August 17 to 1928 September 14
1928
Scope and Contents:
Travel diary written by Marion Spencer Hall while on a trip across Europe in 1928..
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Travel -- Europe  Search this
Genre/Form:
Diaries -- 20th century
Collection Citation:
Dr. Joseph Underwood Hall Jr. Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
See more items in:
Dr. Joseph Underwood Hall, Jr. Papers
Dr. Joseph Underwood Hall, Jr. Papers / Series 2: Hall, White, and Montague Families
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep898004077-515d-446d-b890-662c0ae5107e
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-1317-ref94
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  • View [Marion Spencer Hall's Travel Diary] digital asset number 1
Online Media:

John Steuart Curry

Collection Creator:
Curry, John Steuart, 1897-1946  Search this
Container:
Box 1, Folder 12
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1918-1919
Collection Restrictions:
The bulk of the collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website. Access to undigitized portions 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:
John Steuart Curry and Curry family papers, 1900-1999. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
John Steuart Curry and Curry family papers
John Steuart Curry and Curry family papers / Series 2: Family Correspondence
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9f43d340e-a2d8-4798-bebd-67f7448c8b62
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-currjohn-ref1156
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Part diary, part excerpts

Collection Creator:
Craton, Forman H., 1902-1983  Search this
Container:
Box 1, Folder 5
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Forman H. Craton Collection, 1902-1983, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
See more items in:
Forman H. Craton Papers
Forman H. Craton Papers / Series 1: Memoirs
Archival Repository:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8bae24337-d973-4c4b-9c4f-d70692f1a418
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0454-ref255
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  • View Part diary, part excerpts digital asset number 1

Violet Oakley papers

Creator:
Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961  Search this
Names:
Pennsylvania State Capitol (Harrisburg, Pa.)  Search this
Extent:
56.4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Diaries
Glass plate negatives
Renderings
Scrapbooks
Sketchbooks
Visitors' books
Sketches
Date:
1841-1981
Summary:
The papers of painter, stained glass artist, and muralist Violet Oakley measure 56.4 linear feet and date from 1841-1981. Found within the papers are biographical materials; personal and business correspondence; writings, including essays, lectures, and project drafts; diaries and journals; financial material; artwork; printed material, including scrapbooks; and photographs, 3 albums, 322 glass plate negatives, and 1600 film negatives of Oakley, her family and friends, and her work.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter, stained glass artist, and muralist Violet Oakley measure 56.4 linear feet and date from 1841-1981. Found within the papers are biographical materials; personal and business correspondence; writings, including essays, lectures, and project drafts; diaries and journals; financial material; artwork; printed material, including scrapbooks; and photographs, 3 albums, 322 glass plate negatives, and 1600 film negatives of Oakley, her family and friends, and her work.

Biographical materials include certificates, family records, curriculum vitae, and identification cards, and studio guest books. About one-half of the collection is comprised of correspondence with family, friends, and business associates. Writings include Oakley's notes, essays and lectures, and writings related to 16 of her major artworks and publications, including her work on the Pennsylvania Capitol murals in Harrisburg. Diaries and journals include Oakley's travel notes and research on planned artworks.

Financial materials include a catalog of artworks and price lists, accounting records, and art supply receipts. Artwork includes early childhood juvenilia, a sketchbook, sketches of travel and friends, architectural renderings, and artwork by others. Printed materials include books, clippings, exhibition catalogs, programs, and reproductions of artwork by Oakley and others. Photographic materials include photographs, albums, and negatives depicting Oakley, her friends and family, her studio at Cogslea, and reproductions of artwork.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 8 series. A comprehensive index of individidual correspondents for the chronological correspondence is found in the first folder of the chronological correspondence in box 5, folder 41. Glass plate negatives are housed separately and closed to researchers, but listed where they fall intellectually within the collection.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1841-1970 (2.8 linear feet; Boxes 1-3, OV 69, OV 71)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1857-1979 (26.7 linear feet; Boxes 3-30)

Series 3: Notes and Writings, 1899-1976 (10.6 linear feet; Boxes 30-38, 58-64, OV 66, OV 70)

Series 4: Diaries and Journals, 1891-1958 (0.9 linear feet, Boxes 38-39)

Series 5: Financial Material, 1874-1977 (3.1 linear feet; Boxes 39-42)

Series 6: Artwork, 1883-1955 (0.7 linear feet; Boxes 43-43, 64, OV 67, OV 71)

Series 7: Printed Material, 1866-1981 (7.3 linear feet, Boxes 43-50, 65, OV 67)

Series 8: Photographs, 1890-1980 (5.3 linear feet; Boxes 50-57, 65, OV 68)
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, muralist, and stained glass designer Violet Oakley (1874-1961) lived and worked in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was known for her Renaissance-revival style of art and the series of murals she completed for the Pennsylvania State Capitol.

Born in Bergen Heights, New Jersey, to a family of artists, both of Violet Oakley's grandfathers were painters and members of the National Academy. In 1892, she began her art studies at the Art Students' League and traveled abroad a year later to study in Paris at the Academie Montparnasse, and in England with Charles Lazar. Upon her return to the states in 1896, she continued her studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and at Drexel Institute with Howard Pyle.

For fourteen years, Oakley shared her early studios at Red Rose Inn and Cogslea Estate with fellow artists and illustrators Elizabeth Shippen Green and Jessie Willcox Smith. These two studio homes were managed by their friend Henrietta Cozens in a cooperative arrangement which allowed all three artists to focus on their work as commercial artists. Early in her career, Oakley designed covers for magazines such as Collier's Weekly and Century Magazine, and also found work as a stained glass designer for the Church Glass and Decorating Company of New York. In 1900, she received her first major commission to design and execute two large murals and six stained glass pieces for the All Angels' Church in New York City.

In 1902 Oakley was approached by architect Joseph Huston to design 13 murals for the Governor's reception room in the new Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg. She eventually completed two additional mural commissions for the Capitol's Senate (1911-1920) and Supreme Court (1917-1927) chambers. Her studies of William Penn in connection with her murals for the State Capitol inspired Oakley to work for international peace and eventually led to the publication of a portrait folio depicting League of Nations delegates (1932). Other significant works include murals, panels, and stained glass commissions completed for the Vassar College Alumni house, Charlton Yarnall house (Philadelphia), and Cuyuhoga County courthouse.

While working as an established artist, Oakley also taught courses at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, arranged a yearly lecture series, and published folios and other writings on topics ranging from art history to Christian Science under the Coslea Studios imprint. Her later studio, Lower Cogslea, was shared by artist and lifelong companion Edith Emerson, who after Oakley's death in 1961, established a memorial foundation in her name.

Oakley was the first woman elected to the National Society of Mural Painters, was a recipient of the Gold Medal of Honor of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and was the first woman to receive the Gold Medal of Honor from the Architectural League of New York. Her writings include The Holy Experiment: A Message to the World from Pennsylvania (1922) and Law Triumphant: The Opening of the Book of Law (1933).
Related Materials:
Also found among the holdings of the Archives of American Art are the Violet Oakley Memorial Foundation records and the Violet Oakley autograph and photograph. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts holds the Violet Oakley Foundation Art Collection, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art holds the Violet Oakley Collection.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds material lent for microfilming (reels 1204, P12, 1187-1188, 1272, and 1194-1195).

Reel 1204 consists of two scrapbooks (circa 1896-1952) containing clippings from magazines of illustrations by Violet Oakley and her sister, Hester, and of Violet's murals for the State Capitol at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Reel P12 is of a scrapbook (1898-1936) containing a photograph of Oakely at her easel, clippings, and letters. Reels 1187-1188 consist of five scrapbooks (1920-1962) containing letters, clippings, exhibition announcements, catalogs, and awards. One of the scrapbooks is devoted to "The Holy Experiment", a limited edition publication by Oakley which commemorating William Penn, and which includes reproductions of Oakley's capitol murals in Harrisburg.

Reel 1272 contains two albums (circa 1900-1949) containing photos of Oakley working on murals in her studio, as well as her works of art, including stained glass windows at the Church of All Angels, New York; murals at the Harrisburg State Capitol; preliminary drawings and site photographs of "Dante's Window"; the lunettes and window for the Yarnall House; murals and preliminary drawings for the Cuyahoga Court House; the mural and dedication ceremonies for the Vassar Alumnae House; and photos and printed material on "Divine Presence--Christ at Geneva," "The Life of Moses," "Great Women of the Bible," and triptychs for the Army and Navy.

Reels 1194-1195 cobsist of photograph albums (circa 1870-1960) containing photographs of the Oakley and Swain families, of Violet Oakley, Edith Emerson, Jessie Willcox Smith, Elizabeth Shippen Green, friends, her home, Oakley's "Red Rose" studio in Villanova, Pennsylvania, her "Cogslea" studio in Philadelphia, and of her works of art, mainly portraits of her friends and of delegates to the League of Nations.

Lent materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
Violet Oakley first loaned the Archives of American Art materials for microfilming in 1959. Edith Emerson, Oakley's longtime friend and companion, donated and lent papers for microfilming in 1977 and 1984. The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, who had received the papers from Emerson's estate, donated two feet of materials in 1988.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' research center in Washington, D.C.
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.
Occupation:
Stained glass artists -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this
Muralists -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this
Topic:
Artists' materials  Search this
Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this
Mural painting and decoration -- United States  Search this
Painters -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women muralists  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Diaries
Glass plate negatives
Renderings
Scrapbooks
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Citation:
Violet Oakley papers, 1941-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.oaklviol
See more items in:
Violet Oakley papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9b49c7557-9383-438b-805d-d1f873587f95
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-oaklviol
Online Media:

Notes and Writings

Collection Creator:
Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961  Search this
Extent:
10.6 Linear feet (Boxes 30-38, 58-64, OV 66, OV 70)
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1899-1976
Scope and Contents:
Notes and writings consist of essays, event schedules, lectures and speeches, performances, literary writings, publication drafts, writings by others, and substantial chronological and miscellaneous writings. There are also project files containing writings and notes related to 16 of her major artworks, including her interest in historic figures ranging from William Penn to Jane Addams, her commissioned work for the Vassar Alumni and Charlton Yarnell houses, her work on the League of Nations portfolio, and writings related to her murals for the Pennsylvania Capitol Senate, Supreme Court, and Governor's reception chambers. These include multiple drafts and gallery proofs for her publications The Holy Experiment, The Law Triumphant, and The Geneva Drawings.
Arrangement:
Materials are arranged chronologically within document types.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' research center in Washington, D.C.
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:
Violet Oakley papers, 1941-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.oaklviol, Series 3
See more items in:
Violet Oakley papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9a1d9e6f7-a0d1-44cb-b70b-afe66dab5ea9
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-oaklviol-ref243

Projects, League of Nations

Collection Creator:
Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961  Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1919-1957
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' research center in Washington, D.C.
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:
Violet Oakley papers, 1941-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.oaklviol, Subseries 3.15
See more items in:
Violet Oakley papers
Violet Oakley papers / Series 3: Notes and Writings
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9abd8179a-6fcd-4f57-a216-a6e39d55fa0a
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-oaklviol-ref365

American Peace Plan

Collection Creator:
Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961  Search this
Container:
Box 32, Folder 35
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1920-1955
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' research center in Washington, D.C.
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:
Violet Oakley papers, 1941-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Violet Oakley papers
Violet Oakley papers / Series 3: Notes and Writings / 3.15: Projects, League of Nations
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93802c71b-a32a-4932-bddc-7af8b8a33ced
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-oaklviol-ref366

"League of Nations"

Collection Creator:
Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961  Search this
Container:
Box 32, Folder 36
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1920-1955
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' research center in Washington, D.C.
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:
Violet Oakley papers, 1941-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Violet Oakley papers
Violet Oakley papers / Series 3: Notes and Writings / 3.15: Projects, League of Nations
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw946f285ea-3c2f-4786-8ccd-88255ba43dac
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-oaklviol-ref367

Movement of Peace on Earth

Collection Creator:
Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961  Search this
Container:
Box 32, Folder 37
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1920-1955
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' research center in Washington, D.C.
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:
Violet Oakley papers, 1941-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Violet Oakley papers
Violet Oakley papers / Series 3: Notes and Writings / 3.15: Projects, League of Nations
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw924951830-748a-4ad3-afeb-d74044db1b59
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-oaklviol-ref368

League of Nations

Collection Creator:
Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961  Search this
Container:
Box 32, Folder 38
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1919
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' research center in Washington, D.C.
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:
Violet Oakley papers, 1941-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Violet Oakley papers
Violet Oakley papers / Series 3: Notes and Writings / 3.15: Projects, League of Nations
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw90c4efa27-a28c-424c-856e-500e9b5229b4
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-oaklviol-ref369

Geneva Calendar

Collection Creator:
Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961  Search this
Container:
Box 32, Folder 39
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1927
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' research center in Washington, D.C.
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:
Violet Oakley papers, 1941-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Violet Oakley papers
Violet Oakley papers / Series 3: Notes and Writings / 3.15: Projects, League of Nations
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw963209462-d1c8-4c52-b082-07cb001c5e73
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-oaklviol-ref370

Geneva Journal

Collection Creator:
Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961  Search this
Container:
Box 32, Folder 40-41
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1924-1927
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' research center in Washington, D.C.
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:
Violet Oakley papers, 1941-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Violet Oakley papers
Violet Oakley papers / Series 3: Notes and Writings / 3.15: Projects, League of Nations
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9704a54a2-0628-4a8c-9539-47995d42370a
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-oaklviol-ref371

Notes From a Journal de Geneve

Collection Creator:
Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961  Search this
Container:
Box 32, Folder 42
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1927
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' research center in Washington, D.C.
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:
Violet Oakley papers, 1941-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Violet Oakley papers
Violet Oakley papers / Series 3: Notes and Writings / 3.15: Projects, League of Nations
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw907aad7e0-221e-4879-8861-1f4930df7c9f
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-oaklviol-ref372

Journal de Geneve (Part 1)

Collection Creator:
Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961  Search this
Container:
Box 33, Folder 1-2
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1927
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' research center in Washington, D.C.
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:
Violet Oakley papers, 1941-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Violet Oakley papers
Violet Oakley papers / Series 3: Notes and Writings / 3.15: Projects, League of Nations
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c25fb162-b66d-4a49-ada2-9f740229e2ab
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-oaklviol-ref373

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