William Eisendrath Papers (MSS038), 1926-1960

Collection Overview

Title: William Eisendrath Papers (MSS038), 1926-1960

Predominant Dates:1926-1960

ID: MSS/MSS/038

Creator: Eisendrath, William

Extent: 65.0 Items

Date Acquired: 12/13/1966

Languages: English [eng], French [fre], Italian [ita]

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Includes correspondence from Alexander Calder; Jean Dubuffet; Franz, Prince of Bavaria; Fernand Leger; Marino Marini; Alfonso Ossorio; William Zorach; and William Troy to Eisendrath. Also includes a letter to Elizabeth de Charius from Antionio Frasconi, a Dubuffet lithograph, and clippings of reviews and articles by William Troy.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions: Open

Use Restrictions:

Users of the collection must read and agree to abide by the rules and procedures set forth in the Materials Use Policies.

Providing access to materials does not constitute permission to publish or otherwise authorize use. All publication not covered by fair use or other exceptions is restricted to those who have permission of the copyright holder, which may or may not be Washington University.

If you wish to publish or license Special Collections materials, please contact Special Collections to inquire about copyright status at (314) 935-5495 or spec@wumail.wustl.edu. (Publish means quotation in whole or in part in seminar or term papers, theses or dissertations, journal articles, monographs, books, digital forms, photographs, images, dramatic presentations, transcriptions, or any other form prepared for a limited or general public.)

Acquisition Source: Gift of William Eisendrath

Acquisition Method:

Accession number 794, December 13, 1966

Accession number 1399, May 1973

Preferred Citation: Name of the Collection, Washington University Libraries, Department of Special Collections

Processing Information: Processed March 1970 and January 1974

Box and Folder Listing

Series 1: Correspondence, 1935-1964

18 items

Folder 1

Item 1: Sandy Alexander Calder to Eisendrath. Tells him of his show in Paris and thanks him for a Washington University magazine, 1963: December 13: Autograph postcard, 1 page
Item 2: Sandy Alexander Calder to Eisendrath. Asks him to come to lunch, 1963: December 21: Autograph postcard, 1 page
Item 3: Sandy Alexander Calder to Eisendrath. Explains that Charles Nagel of the City Art Museum, St. Louis, is considering him to do a fountain, 1964: January 11: Autograph letter signed, 1 page

Folder 2

Item 1: Jean Dubuffet to Eisendrath. Gives his address and phone in Paris. States that the book La Metromanie is out of print but that Pierre Matisse has copies for $16.00 and that Eisendrath should write directly to him, 1951: January 18: Autograph letter signed, 1 page
Item 2: Jean Dubuffet to Eisendrath. Answers Eisendrath's invitation to dinner, mentions Pierre Matisse, director of Galerie Pierre Matisse, who will bring 12-14 paintings to Chicago for the Arts Club exposition. Dubuffet asks about others at the conference, says Mr. and Mrs. Matisse will also come to Chicago, 1951: October 30: Autograph letter signed, 1 page
Item 3: Jean Dubuffet to Eisendrath. Thanks Eisendrath for his dinner invitation and as Mr. and Mrs. Matisse and Alfonso Ossorio are also going to be in Chicago, Dubuffet asks if he may invite them also, 1951: Novmber 29: Autograph letter signed, 1 page
Item 4: Jean Dubuffet to Eisendrath. Receives his invitation for dinner. Says he is preparing the paper for his conference and will send Eisendrath and Mrs. Shaw a pre-copy. Says how much he, his wife, and Alfonso Ossorio have enjoyed their trip to Chicago, 1951: December 11: Autograph letter signed, 2 pages
Item 5: Jean Dubuffet to Eisendrath. Says Pierre Matisse is bringing with him 3 books with a number of lithographs and a small picture representing a Dialogue with a bird to replace Dialogue to birds which was omitted previously. Encloses a copy of notes for the conference at the Arts Club, explains that when he has more time he will talk about du manierisme et le mimetisme, which he consisders the two greatest factors of art denaturation, 1951: December 15: Autograph letter signed, 4 pages
Item 6: Jean Dubuffet to Eisendrath. States how much he and his wife enjoyed their stay in Chicago, 1951: December 30: Autograph letter signed, 1 page
Item 7: Jean Dubuffet to Eisendrath. States that it is now a year since he was in Chicago and that has saved wonderful souvenirs and memories, 1952: December 6: Autograph postcard signed, 1 page

Folder 3

Item 1: Prince Franz of Bavaria to Eisendrath. Explains that the catalogues of the May and Pulitzer collections had arrived, but he can't remember whether or not he thanked Mr. May and Mr. Pulitzer and asks Eisendrath to find out, 1964: March 7: Typed letter signed, 1 page

Folder 4

Item 1: Antonio Frasconi to Elizabeth de Charius. He is enclosing information about his new book A Whitman Portrait. Left top corner of envelope includes a series of Frasconi engravings, 1962: April 5: Autograph postcard, 1 page

Folder 5

Item 1: Fernand Leger to Eisendrath. Comments on an exhibit of his in New York in which notice was taken of his contribution to colour and subject. Mentions two films he saw at a conference in modern art and tells Eisendrath that perhaps he could have the conference and the films in Chicago. He also mentions that he would be at Eisendrath's disposal for this occasion, 1935: October 4: Autograph postcard, 1 page

Folder 6

Item 1: Marino Marini to Eisendrath. Marini declines to work for Eisendrath because of previous commitments, 1964: April 4: Typed letter signed, 1 page

Folder 7

Item 1: Alfonso Ossorio to Eisendrath. Ossorio explains that Dubuffet's books on Ossorio costs $6.00 but that he is sending Eisendrath a copy, 1952: January 22: Autograph letter signed, 1 page

Folder 8

Item 1: William Zorach to Eisendrath. Zorach thanks him for his kindness in St. Louis and that he has written to Mr. Calhoun telling him that he is preparing a drawing and also that he is working on some sketches, 1964: September 7: Autograph letter signed, 1 page

Series 2: Correspondence, William Troy to William Eisendrath, 1926-1938, 1956

41 items

Folder 9

Item 1: Explains his teaching position; consoles Eisendrath on move from Harvard and encourages his decision to go abroad, 1926: February 2: Typed letter signed, 2 pages
Item 2: Comments on teaching, attitude to graduate study; reviews his recent reading, 1926: March 29: Typed letter signed, 2 pages
Item 3: Announces arrangements to teach at New York University [Washington Square College]; comments on the artist in America, 1926: May 28: Typed letter signed, 2 pages
Item 4: Discussing his teaching, living arrangements, cultural life in New York, 1926: November 18: Autograph letter signed, 2 pages
Item 5: News of friends. Discusses his articles in The Figure in the Carpet; announces plan to go abroad for the summer, 1928: April 10: Typed letter signed, 2 pages
Item 6: Recovering from travels in Europe; news of friends, 1928: September 11: Autograph letter signed, 4 pages
Item 7: Thanks him for unidentified gifts, 1928: October 17: Autograph letter signed, 1 page
Item 8: Theater visits; has learned that Tree Tops has burned down, 1929: March 12: Typed letter signed, 1 page
Item 9: Thanks him for pleasant visit in Chicago and travel westward; discussed life in Grenoble; news of friends, 1929: August 1: Autograph letter signed, 4 pages
Item 10: Discusses his living situation, theater visits, readings, news of friends; his changed attitude to critical writing, his French literature interests, 1929: November 28: Typed letter signed, 4 pages

Folder 10

Item 1: Reports on his travels, his own attitude to his study and writing projects and feelings about the work of James Joyce, Richard Aldington, and Fitzgerald. Announces his plan to return to New York. News of Thomas McGreevy, 1930: March 7: Autograph letter signed, 7 pages
Item 2: Reports on six weeks of travel in England; comments on Thomas Wolfe; news of friends; arranges to meet in Chicago, 1930: July 11: Autograph letter signed, 2 pages
Item 3: News of friends; strenuous teaching, recent reading, 1930: October 8: Typed letter signed, 2 pages
Item 4: Thanks him for carrying out a favor; news of reading, 1930: November 8: Autograph letter signed, 2 pages
Item 5: Arranges to meet in Chicago during the holidays, 1930: December 12: Autograph letter signed, 1 page
Item 6: Invites him to visit; news of friends; recent theater shows and films attended, 1931: March 13: Typed letter signed, 1 page
Item 7: Arranges to meet in the summer; lists some French titles he would like to have, 1931: May 27: Typed letter signed, 1 page
Item 8: Thanks him for enjoyable Chicago visit; comments on his own health, teaching routine; news of friends, 1931: September 27: Typed letter signed, 2 pages
Item 9: Mentions some James books; notice of new apartment, 1931: October 20: Typed letter signed, 1 page
Item 10: Thanks him for sending James books, mentions teaching choices. Settled in new apartment; he is reviewing Virginia Woolf's new novel [The Waves], 1931: November 13: Typed letter signed, 1 page
Item 11: On board a short cruise to Bermuda. News of friends; reviews reading in French literature, 1931: December 30: Autograph letter signed, 3 pages

Folder 11

Item 1: Reports on visit to Ireland and Germany; summer school teaching, 1932: August 15: Typed letter signed, 2 pages
Item 2: Arranges to meet in Chicago during the holidays. Reviews recent theater visits and literary projects; news of friends, 1932: December 8: Typed letter signed, 2 pages
Item 3: Thanks him for enjoyable visit; apologizes for comments on Chicago and the midwest; discusses his review of D.H. Lawrence's letters in the Symposium and comments on his new cinema reviewing position on The Nation; other literary projects and recent entertainment, 1933: January 19: Typed letter signed, 2 pages
Item 4: Reports on his varied activities - teaching, reviewing, travel plans; disruptions of moving again; news of friends. Asks him to meet with Margaret Marshall of The Nation when she visits Chicago, 1933: May 25: Typed letter signed, 2 pages
Item 5: Thanks him for agreeing to meet with Margaret Marshall, 1933: May 29: Autograph letter signed, 1 page
Item 6: News of marriage to Leonie Adams, June 3rd, and obtaining a driver's license and car. News of friends, 1933: June 26: Autograph letter signed, 4 pages
Item 7: Invitation to visit at their new house, 1933: July 15: Typed letter signed, 1 page
Item 8: Regrets not seeing Eisendrath during the summer, 1933: September 22: Typed letter signed, 1 page
Item 9: Hopes to see him on his year's send visit to Chicago, 1933: December 16: Autograph letter signed, 1 page
Item 10: Changes date of arrival in Chicago, 1933: December 21: Autograph letter signed, 1 page

Folder 12

Item 1: Reports on travels and news of moving their house from one town to another and the resulting problems. Prepares to teach summer school and regrets that he will be unable to get to Chicago during the summer, 1934: July 18: Autograph letter signed, 4 pages
Item 2: Explains his extremely busy life and reviews current problems in tackling various projects. Discusses his efforts to reconcile his social conscience with literature and his intellectual life, 1934: December 2: Autograph letter signed, 7 pages
Item 3: Discusses his unhappiness with his teaching situation, and comments on the reorganization of The Nation and his work as reviewer. Reports on the progress of their house, 1935: May 8: Autograph letter signed, 4 pages
Item 4: Reports on the progress of the house and other news, 1935: August 6: Autograph letter signed, 2 pages
Item 5: Discusses the intellectual atmosphere of Bennington College, particularly the influence of Leigh, the President. Reports on his teaching, feelings about being away from New York and his journalism work, 1935: November 23: Autograph letter signed, 4 pages
Item 6: Arranges for a meeting in New York, 1935: December 14: Autograph letter signed, 1 page
Item 7: Regrets that they have lost touch. Disusses their mixes feelings about teaching at Bennington. News of friends; plans for the future, 1937: June 11: Autograph letter signed, 3 pages
Item 8: New Year's greetings, 1938: January 2: Autograph letter signed, 1 page
Item 9: Comments on their teaching, travels, particularly in Spain. Encloses autograph postcard from the Prado, 1956: January 17: Autograph letter signed, 2 pages
Item 10: Recounts his illness, including stroke in 1957, throat cancer and loss of voice. Notes varied literary activities of Leonie Adams, 1960: April 16: Autograph letter signed, 4 pages

Series 3: Ephemera

6 items

Folder 13

Item 1: Clippings. Reviews, articles by William Troy
Item 2: White Lightning. Hippolytus Temporizes by H.D. New Republic (August 24, 1927)
Item 3: Poetry in Vacuo. Contemporaries and snobs by Laura Riding. A Survey of Modernist Poetry by Laura Riding and Robert Graves. New Republic (no date)
Item 4: Lost Jehovah and Six Poets. The Bookman (no date)
Item 5: The Position of Liam O'Flaherty. The Bookman (March 1929)
Item 6: Stephen Dedalus and James Joyce. The Nation. Volume 138, Number 3580
Item 7: Rene Clair: Transition. The Nation. Volume 137, Number 3565