Archives of American Art

Alphaeus P. Cole papers

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.colealph
Creators:
Cole, Alphaeus Philemon, 1876-1988
Dates:
1885-1988
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
4.5 Linear feet
(on 12 microfilm reels)
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Biographical material; diaries; correspondence, financial material; notes; writings; art work; printed material; and photographs
Scope and Contents
REEL D30 (fr. 420, 521, 542): Three letters from Bruce Crane, 1930, mentioning his election to the Allied Artists of America, from Will Hicok Low, 1930, concerning Cole's election into an art organization, and from Chauncey Foster Ryder, 1921, saying "You may count on me."
Scope and Contents
REEL 420 (fr. 453-652): Letters written by Timothy Cole, 1885-1928, primarily to Alphaeus and to painter Edward Ertz of Sussex, England, discussing engraving, work for the CENTURY, World War I, and personal matters; a letter to Alphaeus from sculptor John Angel, 1946, discussing Alphaeus' portrait of him; a poem and notes for a speech by Timothy Cole; writings by Alphaeus describing his engraving techniques and his recollections of his father; printed material, including a program for a dinner honoring collector Alexander Wilson Drake, 1913, an address by Timothy to the National Arts Club, 1916, 11 exhibition catalogs for Timothy, 1927-1931, and for Alphaeus, 1922-1952, a catalog from the Grand Central School of Art, and a few clippings; and 2 photos of Alphaeus, ca. 1912 and 1970.
Scope and Contents
REEL 3481 (fr.467-700): 64 letters, 1910-1927, and 2 sonnets from his father Timothy Cole and a letter to his future daughter-in-law regarding her upcoming marriage to Alphaeus; a letter to Timothy Cole from Calvin Coolidge thanking him for an engraved bookplate; 12 letters to Cole, 1931-1964, from Maurice Bloch, Paul Bransom, A. B. Butts, Will H. Low, Hermann Dudley Murphy, Hudson Strode, R. P. Tolman, and Mahonri Young; a typescript of an article by Cole on Charles C. Curran; 2 photographs of Cole at work, and a photograph of 26 members of the National Academy of Design, ca. 1925, including 19 autographs on the mat; and miscellaneous printed material and writings.
Scope and Contents
REELS 4783-4791: Biographical accounts and documents; 70 diaries, 1889-1982, containing accounts of Cole's daily activities and 7 photographs; correspondence, 1891-1988, including letters from his father, Timothy Cole, and other family members, 2 notes from Jean Paul Laurens and Benjamin Constant, comments by Cole about his colleagues in 1901-1902, Solon Borglum, Joseph Pennell, Edward Steichen, and a Mr. Yeats, and a description of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, 1902; receipts for art expenses and doctor bills; 4 income tax returns, 1936-1980; an address book, ca. 1933; 6 notebooks on the German language, travels in Orvieto, religious symbols in art, and art history, 1889-1898;
Scope and Contents
writings by Cole and others, including poems to Eugene and Anita Higgins; prints and drawings by Cole, 1899-1958, including a self-portrait and a portrait drawing of Jean Paul Laurens; 2 prints by John W. Evans, 1935, and Keith Shaw Williams; 26 prints of religious paintings by Italian masters; printed material, including clippings, exhibition catalogs for others, reproductions of art work, material concerning Anita Rio, a postcard album, 1901-1934, and picture postcards, and miscellany; and photographs of Cole, Anita Rio, family, friends, models, residence, travels, art work by Cole and others, and gallery installations.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Painter, portrait painter; New York, N.Y. Born in New Jersey, Cole was the son of wood engraver Timothy Cole. After studying under Isaac Craig in Italy, he began studies at the Academie Julian in 1892, under Jean Paul Laurens and Benjamin Constant. His painting of Dante was exhibited in the Paris Salon of 1900. He moved to England and married sculptress Margaret Ward Walmsley in 1903. They moved to the United States in 1911, where Cole joined the Salmagundi Club, 1918, and served as president of the New York Water Color Club from 1931 to 1941. He taught at Cooper Union, 1924-1931, and was elected a National Academician in 1941. A widower in 1962, Cole married Anita Rio, the widow of painter Eugene Higgins.

Administration

Existence and Location of Copies
35mm microfilm reels D30, 420, 3481, and 4783-4791 available at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Material on reel D30 donated 1955-1962 by Charles E. Feinberg, an active donor and friend of the Archives of American Art. Material on reels 420, 3481, and 4783-4791 donated 1965-1989 by Alphaeus Cole, in part through his nephew Orlando, and by his estate.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Portrait painters -- New York (State) -- New York Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Borglum, Solon Hannibal, 1868-1922 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Buffalo Bill, 1846-1917 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cole, Timothy, 1852-1931 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Benjamin-Constant, 1845-1902 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Curran, Charles C. (Charles Courtney), 1861-1942 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drake, Alexander, 1843-1916 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ertz, Edward Frederick, 1862-1954 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Higgins, Eugene, 1874-1958 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Laurens, Jean-Paul, 1838-1921 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Pennell, Joseph, 1857-1926 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rio, Anita, 1873?-1971 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Steichen, Edward, 1879-1973 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Tolman, Ruel P. (Ruel Pardee), 1878-1954 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Young, Mahonri Sharp, 1911-1996 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Angel, John, 1881-1960 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bransom, Paul, 1885- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Coolidge, Calvin, 1872-1933 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Crane, Bruce, 1857-1937 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Low, Will Hicok, 1853-1932 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Murphy, Hermann Dudley, 1867-1945 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ryder, Chauncey F., 1868-1949 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Strode, Hudson, 1892-1976 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
National Academy of Design (U.S.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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