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Donald De Lue Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University

Overview of the Collection

Creator: De Lue, Donald, 1897-1988.
Title: Donald De Lue Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1941-1965
Quantity: 3 linear ft.
Abstract: Papers of the American sculptor. Incoming and outgoing correspondence (1957-1964); photographs of work (1941-1965); published material by and about De Lue; and 3 sketches (circa 1954).
Language: English
Repository: Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
222 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010
https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Donald De Lue (1897-1988) was an American sculptor and medallist. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he studied at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and spent several years in Paris. He is perhaps best known for his 45-foot high sculpture of the "Rocket Thrower," commissioned for and exhibited at the New York World's Fair in the Plaza of the Astronauts. This figure is familiar not only to those who have visited the Fair but to people all over the world, as it was reproduced in the official World's Fair postage stamp.

De Lue lived in Leonardo, New Jersey for much of his career but maintained a studio in New York City. He taught at the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design in New York City during the early 1940s. He also did work for the Boy Scouts of America, Carnegie Technical Institute, the United States Naval Academy, and West Point Academy, and served as Advance Editor for American Artist Magazine and as Chairman of the Hall of Fame for Great Americans at New York University.

Over his career he received numerous recognitions, including a Guggenheim Fellowship from the National Institute of Arts and Letters and several gold medals, one from the Architectural League and one from the National Sculpture Association. In 1960 he won two Henry Hering Awards (given by the National Sculpture Society) for his Omaha Beach Memorial in Normandy, France and for the Stations of the Cross at the Loyola Jesuit Seminary in Shrub Oak, New York. In 1967, De Lue won the American Numismatic Society's Saltus Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Art of the Medal.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Donald De Lue Papers consist of correspondence, subject files, manuscripts, published materials and sketches.

Correspondence includes both incoming and outgoing. Subject files consists of a few dedications but mostly of photographs of Mr. De Lue and his work.

Manuscripts contain one paper written by Mr. De Lue. Published material includes books, magazine articles and newspaper clippings about Mr. De Lue and his work, magazine articles and a book review by him, pamphlets about his work and a postage stamp with his work represented on it. Sketches includes three pencil sketch studies on illustration board (circa 1954).

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Arrangement of the Collection

Correspondence is subdivided into incoming and outgoing; incoming is arranged alphabetically by author, outgoing is arranged chronologically. Subject files and Published material are arranged alphabetically by type, and then (where possible) in chronological order.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Persons

De Lue, Donald, 1897-1988.

Subjects

Art, American -- 20th century.
Sculptors -- United States.
Sculpture, American -- 20th century.

Genres and Forms

Articles.
Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence.
Photographs.
Sketches.

Occupations

Artists.
Sculptors.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Donald De Lue Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Donald De Lue.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: --
Date: Feb 1967
Revision history: 11 Apr 2008 - converted to EAD (MRC); 12 Dec 2012 - sketches added to inventory (MBD); 28 Nov 2016 - rehoused for SULF, box numbers updated (MRC)

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Inventory

Correspondence
Box 1 Incoming, H and N 1960 (2 folders)
Box 1 Outgoing 1957, 1964
Subject files
Box 1 Dedications 1957, 1960, 1964
Box 1 Photographs of 1941, 1947, 1958-1961
Box 1 Photographs of Studio Interiors 1959, 1961, undated
Photographs of work
Box 1 Brookgreen Gardens, South Carolina 1946
Box 1 Chapels at West Point and Arlington, Virginia undated
Box 1 Chemistry Building, University of Pennsylvania 1940
Box 1 Christian Herald Building, New York City 1946
Box 1 Edward Hull Crump Memorial undated
Box 1 Federal Court House, Philadelphia undated
Box 1 Federal Reserve Bank, Boston undated
Box 1 Federal Reserve Bank, Philadelphia undated
Box 1 Harvey Firestone Memorial 1950, undated
Box 1 Germantown Jewish Center, Philadelphia 1953
Box 1 Junior High School, New York City undated
Box 1 Interchurch Center, New York City undated
Box 1 Memorial Chapel, Virginia Polytechnic Institute undated
Box 1 New Orleans Civic Center 1960
Box 1 New York World's Fair 1964
Box 1 Portraits of others 1943, 1960, 1962, undated
Oversize 2 Relief frieze, unidentified
Box 1 Reliefs for medals 1945, 1961, undated
Box 1 Science and Engineering Building, Carnegie Technical Institute undated
Box 1 Sisters of St. Joseph, Toronto, Canada undated
Box 1 United States Cemetery Memorial, St. Laurent, Sur-mer-France undated
Box 1 United States Military Cemetery Memorial, St. Laurent, Normandy, France 1957, 1963, undated
Box 1 United States Naval Academy 1956, undated
Manuscripts
Box 1 "The Word of the Lord Endureth Forever, " about De Lue 1963
Published material
Books about 1955-1957
Transferred to Rare Books for cataloging. Please refer to the Classic Catalog to locate these items.
Box 1 Books by others: “Myself to Clarify – a saga in sements” by Hardwick Nevin, with drawings by Donald De Lue - self published book of poetry with inscription by the author to De Lue
Box 1 Book review by, in National Sculpture, v.8 no.3 1959
Box 1 Magazine articles by 1957, 1962-1963
AIA: Journal of the American Institute of Architects, v.28 no.3, July 1957; National Sculpture Review, v.12 no.3, Fall 1963; This Week, Jan 21, 1962
Box 1 Magazine articles about 1951, 1963-1964
American Artist, v.15 no.1, Jan 1951; v.15 no.9 Nov 1951; v.28 no.6, June 1964; National Sculpture Review, v.2 no.2, Spring 1953; Temas Revista Ilustrada, v.2, no.81, Junio 1951
Box 1 Magazine articles about others 1965
American Art and Stone, v.65 no.2, Feb 1965; Empire State Mason, v.9 no.6, Jan 1962
Magazines with reproductions of De Lue's art
Box 1 National Sculpture Review 1952-1964 (2 folders)
v.1 no. 3, June 1952; v.2 no.4, fall 1953; v.3 no.4, fall 1954 (2 copies); v.4 no.1, winter 1954/1955; v.4 no.2, spring 1955; v.4 no.4, winter 1955; v.5 no.3, fall 1956; [as National Sculpture Society Review] v.5 no. 4, winter 1955/1956; v.6 no.3, fall 1957; v.6 no.4, winter 1957/58; v.7 no.2, summer 1958; v.7 no.4, winter 1958; v.8 no.1, spring 1959 v.9 no.1, spring 1960 v.9 no.4, winter 1960/61 v.10 no.1, spring 1961 v.10 no.3, fall 1961 v.10 no.4, winter 1961/62 v.11 no.1, spring 1962 v.11 no.3, fall 1962 v.13 no.2, summer 1964
Box 2 Miscellaneous 1957-1964 (2 folders)
American Art in Stone, v.57 no.6, June 1957 & v.59 no.9, Sep 1959 American Artist, v.21 no.8, Oct 1957; American Mercury, v.87, Oct 1958 (cover only); Art News, v.63 no.4, summer 1964; Empire State Mason, v.9 no.6, Jan 1962, & v.11 no.5, Nov/Dec 1963; The General Magazine and Hiftorical Chronicle, v.58 nos.3/4, spring/summer 1956; Indiana Freemason, v.35 no.1, June 1957; Intercollegian, v.70 no.8, Apr 1953; National Geographic Magazine, v.111 no.6, June 1957; New Hampshire Churchman, v.10 no.3, Mar 1957; Techgram, v.37 no.18, June 15, 1960 (includes "Memorial Supplement" of De Lue’s Memorial Court at Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Oversize 2 Miscellaneous 1953, 1955
Buffalo Courier Express Pictorial, Sun Apr 3, 1955; Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine, Apr 3, 1955; Pioneer Magazine (St. Paul Sunday Pioneer Press), Apr 3, 1955; Sunday News, New York’s Picture Newspaper, June 7, 1953; Washington Star Pictorial Magazine, June 7, 1953
Oversize 2 Newspaper and magazine clippings about 1941-1947, 1950-1959, 1963, undated
Box 2 Pamphlets 1953-1954, 1960
Box 2 Postage stamp, New York World’s Fair 1964-1965 - U. S. Postage 5¢, on board with description of De Lue’s sculpture, with signature
Sketches
Oversize 1 Untitled sketch - Moses seated with tablets; graphite on trace paper mounted on illustration board, 12 x 23 in.
Oversize 1 Untitled sketch - Moses standing with tablets; graphite on trace paper mounted on illustration board, 13 x 23 in."first studies for VPI, Virgina", written on verso
Oversize 1 Untitled sketch 1954 - female figure with sword; graphite on illustration board, 6 x 19 in.
Box 2 Miscellaneous

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