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Ruth A. Curtis art notebook

 Collection — Box: BW 57, Folder: 001
Identifier: MSS 16889

Content Description

This collection contains a single notebook of Ruth A. Curtis of Windsor, Connecticut. The notebook documents her studies in art, spanning two different groups of lessons from 1906-1909. There are encouraging notes from her instructor, Marshall T. Fry, and several examples of her art, including woodblock prints and two colorful drawings of flowers. Her notes include motive, arrangement, color, shape, value, intensity, design principles, and lecture notes. Curtis also copied a "Schedule of 10 lessons in design" by Frank Alvah Parsons of the Chase Art School in New York. Immediately following this schedule was a list of materials and their costs for a "Winter 1908-9" group of lessons with "Instructor Marshall Frye."

Dates

  • Creation: 1906-1909

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is minimally processed and open for research.

Biographical / Historical Description

Ruth Alden Curtis was born on December 31, 1878 in Massachusetts to Theodore and Ellen Curtis. She had two older brothers, Frederick and George. She died in Windsor, Hartford County, Connecticut on September 20, 1969 at the age of 90. Ruth was interred at Palisado Cemetery in Windsor, alongside her father, mother, and brother, Frederick, who died at 23 years old in 1887.

Extent

.03 Cubic Feet (1 folder (letter))

Language of Materials

English

Metadata Rights Declarations

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was purchased from Langdon Manor by the Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia on 18 April 2023.

Condition Description

Good. The last page has a signficant portion of the page torn out.

Source

Title
Guide to the Ruth A. Curtis art notebook
Author
Eric Willersdorf, Student Accessioning Archivist Assistant
Date
22 April 2025
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library Repository

Contact:
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
P.O. Box 400110
University of Virginia
Charlottesville Virginia 22904-4110 United States