Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Edna Andrade Papers, 1917-circa 1986, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.andredna
Creators:
Andrade, Edna, 1917-2008
Dates:
1917-circa 1986
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
5.4 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of painter and educator Edna Andrade measure 5.4 linear feet and date from 1917 to circa 1986. The collection documents Andrade's career through biographical materials including a video recording, personal and professional correspondence, printed material, and photographs including five photo albums. Of note are examples of propaganda Andrade created for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of painter and educator Edna Andrade measure 5.4 linear feet and date from 1917 to circa 1986. The collection documents Andrade's career through biographical materials including a video recording, personal and professional correspondence, printed material, and photographs including five photo albums. Of note are examples of propaganda Andrade created for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II.
Personal correspondence includes letters exchanged between Andrade with her parents, husband C. Preston Andrade, and sister, Mary. Professional correspondence concerns the exhibition of her works of art and teaching career.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as 4 series.
  • Series 1: Biographical Material, 1917-circa 1986 (0.9 linear feet; Box 1, 6)
  • Series 2: Correspondence, 1925-1981 (1.6 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)
  • Series 3: Printed Material, 1930s-1970s (1.8 linear feet; Boxes 3-6, OV 7)
  • Series 4: Photographs, 1917-1980 (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 5-6)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Edna Andrade (1917-2008) was a painter and educator active in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was known for her optical illusion paintings.
Born in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1917, Edna Davis Wright began her study of art at the Barnes Foundation in Marion, Pennsylvania. Later, she studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and earned her degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1937. She won Cresson Scholarships to travel to Europe in 1936 and 1937. In 1941, she married architect C. Preston Andrade.
During WWII, Andrade worked under Eero Saarinen in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) where she designed propaganda. After the war, Andrade returned to Philadelphia, where she began a long teaching career at the Philadelphia College of Art from 1958 until her retirement in 1982. Andrade was part of the Op Art movement in the 1960s and also painted abstract landscapes.
Edna Andrade died in 2008 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Administration

Author
Jayna M. Josefson
Sponsor
Processing of this collection received federal support from the Collections Care Initiative Fund, administered by the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative and the National Collections Program
Existence and Location of Copies
Portions of the collection are available on 35mm microfilm reels 4225-4230 at Archives of American Art offices, and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Edna Andrade donated her papers to the Archives of American Art in 1987 and 2004.
Processing Information
The 1987 donation was microfilmed after receipt. The entire collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Jayna Josefson in 2021.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Conditions Governing Use
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.
Preferred Citation
Edna Andrade Papers, 1917-circa 1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Related Materials
The Archives of American Art also holds an oral history interview with Edna Andrade conducted 1987 April 1-29.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Painters -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Educators -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women painters Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women educators Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Optical art Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Video recordings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Andrade, C. Preston (Clarence Preston), 1912-1977 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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