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Archives of American Art
A Finding Aid to the F. Luis Mora Papers, 1891-1986, bulk 1891-1922, in the Archives of American Art
Summary
- Collection ID:
- AAA.moraflui
- Creators:
-
Mora, F. Luis (Francis Luis), 1874-1940
- Dates:
-
1891-1986bulk 1891-1922
- Languages:
-
The papers are in English.
- Physical Description:
-
1.7 Linear feet
- Repository:
The papers of painter and illustrator F. Luis Mora measure 1.7 linear feet and date from 1891 to 1986, with the bulk of material dating from 1891 to 1922. The collection includes biographical information, correspondence, 242 monthy pocket diaries by Mora, and printed and photographic materials.
Scope and Contents note
Scope and Contents note
The papers of painter and illustrator F. Luis Mora measure 1.7 linear feet and date from 1891 to 1986, with the bulk of material dating from 1891 to 1922. The collection includes biographical information, correspondence, 242 small monthly pocket diaries by Mora, and printed and photographic materials.
Biographical material includes one folder containing Mora's Rothschild Prize certificate.
The correspondence is primarily with galleries regarding sales, the value of artwork, and Mora's murals for the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. There is also correspondence with Mora's family and friends regarding his personal life and a family vacation in Cadiz, Spain. The collection also includes two Christmas cards, several illustrated letters and two invitations to Mora's solo art shows. Some of the correspondence is to and from Mora's first wife, Sophia Compton.
The majority of the writings consists of 242 monthly pocket diaries, which contain brief daily entries and some sketches. Mora writes about his work, memberships in the Salmagundi Club and the National Academy of Design, and teaching at the Art Student League. He also discusses his ideas about painting and his observations of the art scene, including his visit to the 1913 Armory Show. Also included is a handwritten "Editorial" by Mora, probably for election to the Lotos Club.
Printed material includes clippings, brochures, programs, advertisements, exhibition catalogs, books, and magazines. Two books, The Man that Corrupted Hadleyburg and Other Essays and Stories, by Mark Twain (1917), and Birthright, by T.S. Stribling (1922), both illustrated by Mora, are included, along with over a dozen magazines containing illustrations by Mora.
Photographs include black and white photographs and glass plate negatives of Mora, family and friends, students, and artwork. Black and white pictures of Mora's artwork include his "Thine is Glory" mural (1919), the "National Academy Jury of 1907" painting (1907) and an etching of his daughter, Rosemary. Glass plate negatives are of his first wife, Sophia Compton, her mother Emma, Mora's father Domingo, the painting "Dance of Salome" (1893), Mora's brother-in-law Alfred Compton, his Boston Museum and Chase School of Art classes, and the Perth Amboy Terra Cotta Company, where Mora's father worked.
Arrangement note
Arrangement note
The collection is arranged as 5 series. Records are generally arranged alphabetically by subject. Glass plate negatives are housed separately and closed to researchers.
- Series 1: Biographical Materials, circa early 1900s (Box 1; 1 folder)
- Series 2: Correspondence, 1900-1969 (Box 1; 3 folders)
- Series 3: Writings, 1899-1922 (Box 1; 0.4 linear feet)
- Series 4: Printed Material, 1895-1986 (Boxes 1-2 and OV 3; 0.8 linear feet)
- Series 5: Photographic Materials, 1891-1941 (Box 2, MGP 1, MGP 2; 0.4 linear feet)
Missing Title
Biographical/Historical note
Biographical/Historical note
Francis Luis Mora (1974-1940) was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. In 1877, he and his family moved to Catalonia, Spain and in 1880, they moved again to the United States where they eventually settled in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Both his father, Domingo, and his brother, Joseph, were also noted sculptors.
Mora studied at the School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and at the Art Students League of New York. He was a muralist, oil and watercolor portrait painter, and etcher, though he is best known for his illustrations in magazines such as Century, Harper's, and Ladies' Home Journal. He was a member of the Salmagundi Club and the National Academy of Design and taught at the Art Students League of New York and the Chase School of Art. He and his wife, Sophia ("Sonia") Compton, had a daughter, Rosemary, in 1918. After his wife's death, Mora married May Gosman Safford in 1932. Mora died at the age of 64 in 1940.
Administration
Author
Eden Orelove
Sponsor
Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Immediate Source of Acquisition note
The F. Luis Mora papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Cornelia Colton, the daughter of Mora's second wife, May Safford, in 1975. Additional papers were donated in 2008 by Gwen Compton, Mora's niece.
Processing Information note
The collection was processed by Eden Orelove in 2011 and fully digitized in 2012 with funding provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art. Glass plate negatives were re-housed in 2015 with a grant from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund.
Existence and Location of Copies note
The bulk of the collection was digitized in
2012
and is available via the Archives of American Art's website. Blank pages, duplicates, and blank versos of photographs have not been scanned. In most cases, the cover, title page, and individual relevant pages have been scanned from published materials.Using the Collection
Preferred Citation note
F. Luis Mora papers, 1891-1986, bulk 1891-1922. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Conditions Governing Access note
Use of original papers requires an appointment. Glass plate negatives are housed separately and not served to researchers.
Terms of 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.
Related Archival Materials note
Related Archival Materials note
Among the holdings of the Archives of American Art are the F. Luis Mora Art Works and Photographs (available on microfilm reel 5053) and a F. Luis Mora Letter to William John Wittemore (available on microfilm reel D30, frame 534.)
Keywords
Repository Contact
Archives of American Art
750 9th Street, NW
Victor Building, Suite 2200
Washington, D.C. 20001
https://www.aaa.si.edu/services/questions
