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Archives of American Art
A Finding Aid to the Dorothy Bushnell Cole Papers, 1895-1977, in the Archives of American Art
Summary
- Collection ID:
- AAA.coledoro
- Creators:
-
Cole, Dorothy Bushnell
- Dates:
-
1895-1977
- Languages:
-
English.
- Physical Description:
-
0.8 Linear feet
- Repository:
The papers of collagist and teacher Dorothy Bushnell Cole measure 0.8 linear feet and date from 1895 to 1977. Found are appointment books, correspondence, a recording of a lecture, personal business records, photographs and slides, printed material and scattered writings and notes. The papers focus on Cole's career giving lectures around New York and New England on how to create collage and her works. Also found are letters between Cole's parents, Harry and Belle Hyman, to American-born Swedish suffrage activist Ruth Randall Edström and her husband industrialist Johannes Sigfrid Edström.
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
The papers of collagist and teacher Dorothy Bushnell Cole measure 0.8 linear feet and date from 1895 to 1977. Found are appointment books, correspondence, a recording of a lecture, personal business records, photographs and slides, printed material and scattered writings and notes. The papers focus on Cole's career giving lectures around New York and New England on how to create collage and her works. Also found are letters between Cole's parents, Harry and Belle Hyman, to American-born Swedish suffrage activist Ruth Randall Edström and her husband industrialist Johannes Sigfrid Edström.
Arrangement
Arrangement
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
Collagist and teacher Dorothy Bushnell Cole (1893-1990) was active in Chicago, Illinois and New York City, New York. She gave lectures and talks around New York and New England on creating collage.
Dorothy Bushnell grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Her sister, Elaine Hyman was also an accomplished artist who took the name Kyra Markham. Cole attended Vassar College and returned to Chicago where she married Laurence Cole, a Chicago lawyer, and together they had four children. Upon the death of Cole, she married Nathan Blumberg in the late 1930s.
In 1951, Cole traveled to Mexico on a convalescence trip where she learned to free-hand cut paper and photographs to create collage. Recognizing how it helped her own mental health, she taught a workshop at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago to help others. She moved to New York City and continued her workshops for women's groups, museums, and schools.
Cole died in New York City in 1990.
Administration
Author
Jayna M. Josefson
Sponsor
Processing of this collection received support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated 1977 by Dorothy Bushnell Cole.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Jayna Josefson in 2023 with support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative.
Using the Collection
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.
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.
Preferred Citation
Dorothy Bushnell Cole papers, 1895-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Keywords
| Keyword Terms | Keyword Types | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Women artists | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Sound recordings | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Collagists -- New York (State) -- New York | Occupation | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Collagists -- Illinois -- Chicago | Occupation | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Art teachers -- New York (State) -- New York | Occupation | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Art teachers -- Illinois -- Chicago | Occupation | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Markham, Kyra, 1891-1967 | Personal Name | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Archives of American Art
750 9th Street, NW
Victor Building, Suite 2200
Washington, D.C. 20001
Business Number: Phone: 202-633-7950
https://www.aaa.si.edu/services/questions
