Archives of American Art

A Finding Aid to the Osma Gallinger Tod Papers, circa 1925-1993, in the Archives of American Art

Summary

Collection ID:
AAA.todosmag
Creators:
Tod, Osma Gallinger, 1895-
Dates:
circa 1925-1993
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
3.7 Linear feet
Repository:
The papers of weaver, author, and teacher Osma Gallinger Tod measure 3.7 linear feet and date from circa 1925 to 1993. The collection comprises biographical materials including photographs of Tod and writings about her by her daughter Josephine Couch Del Deo; files on Tod's numerous writing projects including typescripts, drawings, and samples; records documenting Tod's role as organizer and director of the National Conference of American Handweavers; and printed materials including a scrapbook of clippings, documenting Tod's career.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The papers of weaver, author, and teacher Osma Gallinger Tod measure 3.7 linear feet and date from circa 1925 to 1993. The collection comprises biographical materials including photographs of Tod and writings about her by her daughter Josephine Couch Del Deo; files on Tod's numerous writing projects including typescripts, drawings, and samples; records documenting Tod's role as organizer and director of the National Conference of American Handweavers; and printed materials including a scrapbook of clippings, documenting Tod's career.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged as four series.
  • Series 1: Biographical Materials, circa 1927-1993 (3 folders; Box 1)
  • Series 2: Writing Projects, circa 1925-1992 (2.8 linear feet; Boxes 1.3, 5)
  • Series 3: National Conference of American Handweavers, 1938-1957 (0.4 linear feet; Boxes 3-4)
  • Series 4: Printed Materials, 1927-1981 (0.4 linear feet; Boxes 4-5)

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Osma Gallinger Tod (1895-1983) was a weaver, teacher, and author active in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Tod was at the forefront of the reawakened American craft movement of the 1930s, and was the author of Basket Pioneering, Joys of Handweaving, The Shuttle Service, and numerous other instructional guides in the field of decorative art.
Tod was born Lucy Osma Palmer in Newark, New Jersey. She graduated from Wellesley College and married artist Frank Byron Couch with whom she had a daughter, Josephine Couch Del Deo. She developed a craft project known as Cromaine Crafts in Hartland, Michigan, which became a model for efforts in teaching residents of rural communities how to earn money at home. Couch died in 1928 and Tod married cabinet maker and craftsman Milo Oliver Gallinger. They owned a studio and loom factory in Guernsey, Pennsylvania, and established their own business, Creative Crafts. Oliver died in 1956.
After moving to Coral Gables, Florida, Tod established a studio in 1962 from which she taught weaving. The Coral Gables Library and the Weavers Guild of South Florida held a retrospective of her work in 1981. Along with writing and teaching, Tod organized and directed the National Conference of American Handweavers for over 20 years.
Tod died in 1983 in Centerville, Massachussetts.

Administration

Author
Sarah Mundy
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Osma Gallinger Tod papers were donated in 1993 and 1995 by Josephine Couch Del Deo, daughter of Osma Gallinger Tod, and in 2020 by Romolo Del Deo, Tod's grandson.
Processing Information
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Sarah Mundy 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
Osma Gallinger Tod papers, circa 1925-1993. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Arts and crafts movement Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women artists Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Drawings Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Scrapbooks Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Women authors Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Weavers -- Florida -- Coral Gables Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Teachers -- Florida -- Coral Gables Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Authors -- Florida -- Coral Gables Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Weavers -- Michigan Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Weavers -- Pennsylvania Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Authors -- Michigan Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Authors -- Pennsylvania Occupation Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
National Conference of American Handweavers Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Del Deo, Josephine Couch Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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