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Archives of American Art
A Finding Aid to the Sylvia Shaw Judson Papers, 1911-1975, in the Archives of American Art
Summary
- Collection ID:
- AAA.hasksylv
- Creators:
-
Haskins, Sylvia Shaw Judson, 1897-1978
- Dates:
-
1911-1975
- Languages:
-
English.
- Physical Description:
-
4.3 Linear feet
- Repository:
The papers of sculptor Sylvia Shaw Judson measure 4.3 linear feet and date from 1911 to 1975. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, writings, professional activities files, personal business records, printed material, and photographs of works of art.
Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
The papers of sculptor Sylvia Shaw Judson measure 4.3 linear feet and date from 1911 to 1975. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, writings, professional activities files, personal business records, printed material, and photographs of works of art.
Biographical materials include resumes and scattered artwork by Judson and others. Correspondence is largely professional and is with artists, galleries, institutions, and museums around the Midwest and the rest of United States. Judson's writings include articles and lectures about art but also include literary writings from her high school years. Material relating to Judson's career as an educator, sculptor, and writer may include research notes, photographs, and business documents. Business records contain receipts and invoices for the production and for the sale of her works. Of note are lists which document the location of her sculptures. Printed materials document Judson's sculpture and art career, and include published books she wrote or illustrated. Photographs are of works of art.
Arrangement
Arrangement
The collection is arranged as 7 series.
- Series 1: Biographical Material, 1920-1960 (4 folders; Box 1)
- Series 2: Correspondence, 1920-1975 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1)
- Series 3: Writings and Notes, 1911-1963 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
- Series 4: Professional Activities Files, 1933-1968 (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)
- Series 5: Personal Business Records, 1923-1975 (0.4 linear feet; Box 2)
- Series 6: Printed Material, 1913-1970s (0.9 linear feet; Boxes 2-3, OV6)
- Series 7: Photographs, circa 1920s-circa 1970s (1.9 linear feet; Boxes 3-6, OV7-8, MGP1)
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
Sylvia Shaw Judson (1897-1978) was a sculptor and writer active in Chicago, Illinois. Her work Bird Girl received popular attention after her death.
Sylvia Shaw Judson, who went by Sylvia Haskins in her personal life, was the daughter of prominent architect Howard Van Doren Shaw and Frances Shaw. She studied with Albin Polasek at the Art Institute of Chicago and went to Paris in 1920 to continue her studies under Antoine Bourdelle at the Academy Grande Chaumiere.
Judson's sculpture often depicts children and animals. Notable works include Little Gardener which was included in Rachel "Bunny" Mellon's design for the White House Rose Garden, and Bird Girl in Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia.
As an adult, Judson joined the Society of Friends and became an active participant in the church. She died in 1978 in Lake Forest, Illinois.
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 1490-1495 and 4189-4190, at the 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.
Separated Materials
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming on reels 4189-4190, including biographical material, family and personal correspondence primarily between Sylvia Judson and her parents and husband, travel journals, writings, sketchbooks and sketches, printed material, and photos of sculpture study. The material was returned to the lender after microfilming and some was subsequently donated to the Chicago Historical Society. Loaned materials are not described in the collection container inventory.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Sylvia Shaw Judson papers were donated by her daughter, Alice Judson Ryerson in 1979. The material microfilmed on reels 1490-1495 was initially lent to the Archives for microfilming by the artist's daughter and subsequently given as a gift.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Jayna Josefson in 2020.
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.
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
Sylvia Shaw Judson papers, 1911-1975. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Keywords
| Keyword Terms | Keyword Types | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sculptors -- Illinois -- Chicago | Occupation | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Quaker women | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Women artists | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Women sculptors | Topical | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
| Drawings | Genre Form | Search Smithsonian Collections | Search ArchiveGrid |
Archives of American Art
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