Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Allen Townsend Terrell Papers, 1908-1982, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.terralle
Creators:
Terrell, Allen Townsend, 1897-1986
Dates:
1908-1982
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
4.5 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of New York, Rome, and Paris painter Allen Townsend Terrell painter measure 4.5 linear feet and date from 1908-1982. Included are biographical materials; detailed letters from Terrell to his parents; fourteen diaries describing European travels; scattered financial records; three sketchbooks and miscellaneous sketches; printed material; and photographs of Terrell, his colleagues, his home and studios, artwork, and exhibition installations.

Scope and Content Note

Scope and Content Note
The papers of New York, Rome, and Paris painter Allen Townsend Terrell painter measure 4.5 linear feet and date from 1908-1982. Included are biographical materials; detailed letters from Terrell to his parents; fourteen diaries describing European travels; scattered financial records; three sketchbooks and miscellaneous sketches; printed material; and photographs of Terrell, his colleagues, his home and studios, artwork, and exhibition installations.
Biographical material includes a passport, membership cards for miscellaneous organizations, brief biographical accounts, and a guestbook containing signatures from several exhibition openings. There are almost daily letters written by Terrell to his parents describing his travels and education in the arts while in Europe. Scattered letters are from friends and colleagues, including one from Albert Laessle.
Fourteen diaries describe daily events in Terell's European travels. Scattered financial material includes banking records and miscellaneous receipts.
Three sketchbooks contain several block prints and miscellaneous sketches by Terrell. Printed material includes clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs for Terrell and for others, as well as programs, and miscellaneous brochures. Photographs are of Terrell, and of his colleagues, studio, and artwork, in addition to albums containing photographs of his apartment, the Riverhead studio, commissioned projects, and exhibition installations.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is organized as 7 series; each series is arranged chronologically.
  • Missing Title
  • Series 1: Biographical Material, 1924-1978 (Boxes 1, 6; 3 folders)
  • Series 2: Letters, 1908-1978 (Boxes 1-3; 2.8 linear feet)
  • Series 3: Diaries, 1965-1978 (Boxes 3-4; 12 folders)
  • Series 4: Financial Material, 1925-1933 (Box 4; 7 folders)
  • Series 5: Artwork, 1925-1982 (Boxes 4, 6; 7 folders)
  • Series 6: Printed Material, 1911-1976 (Box 4; 15 folders)
  • Series 7: Photographs, 1925-1972 (Box 5; 15 folders)

Biographical Note

Biographical Note
Allen Townsend Terrell (1897-1986) was a painter and sculptor who worked in Paris, Rome, and New York. Terrell was born in Riverhead, New York and graduated from the Columbia University School of Architecture in 1921. He also studied painting and sculpture at the Art Students League with Edward McCartan and at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts with Albert Laessle. In 1924, he studied in France at the Conservatoire Américain de Fontainebleau with sculptor Charles Despiau, and at the Académie Julian in Paris.
Between 1924 and 1926, Terrell established a studio in Paris, later moving to Rome between 1928 and 1931. From 1934 to 1935, he taught watercolor and still life painting at the Parsons School of Design.
Among other exhibitions in Paris, New York, and Philadelphia, Terrell had a solo exhibition at the National Arts Club in 1975. He was a member of the American Watercolor Society and president of the Alumni of the American School at Fontainebleau.
Allen Townsend Terrell died on July 8, 1986.

Administration

Author
Jean Fitzgerald
Provenance
Allen Townsend Terrell donated his papers in 7 installments between 1975 and 1981.
Processing Information
The papers were processed in September 2007 by Jean Fitzgerald.

Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
Allen Townsend Terrell papers, 1908-1982. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Restrictions on Access
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
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.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Painters Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Travel -- Europe Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Artists' studios -- Photographs Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art -- Study and teaching -- France -- Paris Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sketchbooks Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Art -- Study and teaching -- Italy Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sketches Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Travel diaries Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Laessle, Albert, 1877-1954 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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