Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Don Seiler Papers, circa 1930-2020, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.seiledon
Creators:
Seiler, Don, 1928-2000
Dates:
circa 1930-2020
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
3 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of Don Seiler measure 3.0 linear feet and date from circa 1930 to 2020. The papers document Seiler's career as an artist through correspondence with family and friends; diaries containing recollections of his early life and time serving during World War II, and some recollections of Seiler by family and friends in the years following his death; and artwork consisting of sketches and sketchbooks.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of Don Seiler measure 3.0 linear feet and date from circa 1930 to 2020. The papers document Seiler's career as an artist through correspondence with family and friends; diaries containing recollections of his early life and time serving during World War II, and some recollections of Seiler by family and friends in the years following his death; and artwork consisting of sketches and sketchbooks.
Correspondence consists primarily of letters to family and friends, including Maria Seiler and Lance Seiler. Also included are letters to Ralph Knutsen and letters related to a book on OnaLand. Scattered among the correspondence are some photographs of sculptures and some sketches.
Diaries consist of some loose leaf diary entries and two diaries primarily written by Seiler but also includeing some recollections from friends and family. Some of the diaries contain entries in which Seiler reminisces on his time serving during World War II. Also included among the diaries is a biographical binder consisting of some correspondence, photographs of Seiler's artwork, documents related to Seiler's death, and some recollections on his life by friends.
Artwork consists of sketches and sketchbooks documenting Seiler's distinctive visual language for depicting human and animal figures. Included are preparatory sketches for significant public art projects including his statue of former NFL quarterback Y.A. Tittle sited at Atlantic High School in Port Orange, Florida and the statue of a swimmer commissioned by the International Swimming Hall of Fame to stand outside its Florida headquarters.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged into three series.
  • Series 1: Correspondence, 1971-2001 (1.1 linear feet; Box 1, 4)
  • Series 2: Diaries, 1974-2020 (0.4 linear feet; Box 2)
  • Series 3: Artwork, circa 1930-1996 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 3-7, OV 8-9)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Don Seiler (1928-2000) was a sculptor and painter in Miami and Ona, Florida. Seiler was born in Miami Beach, Florida in 1928. He began his studies at the Art Students League in 1945 before taking a hiatus to enlist in the Army's 11th Airborn Division that same year. Following World War II he completed his studies at the Art Students League, and he returned to Miami to open his studio. Seiler died in 2000.

Administration

Author
Ricky Gomez
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated in 2021 by Maria Seiler, Don Seiler's daughter-in-law.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Ricky Gomez in 2022.

Using the Collection

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.
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
Don Seiler papers, circa 1930-2020. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Sculptors -- Florida Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Painters -- Florida Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sketchbooks Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Diaries Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
World War, 1939-1945 Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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