Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Putnam, Brenda, 1890-1975.
Title:	Brenda Putnam Papers
Inclusive Dates:	1915-1965
Quantity:	2 linear ft.
Abstract:	Papers of the American sculptor and medalist. Died 1975.
Abstract:	The Brenda Putnam Papers consists of correspondence (1930-1959); drawings; photographs of Brenda Putnam and her work; printed material, including articles, clippings, exhibition catalogs, and reviews; reminiscences, and a sketchbook. Correspondence, predominantly incoming, includes that of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Robert A. Baillie, Paul Philippe Cret, William Adams Delano, Eli Lilly and Company, John Flanagan, the Folger Shakespeare Library, Ossip Gabrilowitsch, Lawrence Gilman, Grand Central Art Galleries, Walker Hancock, Anna Hyatt Huntington, Archer Milton Huntington, Gertrude K. Lathrop, the Library of Congress, the Liturgical Arts Society, Edward McCartan, Harold McCracken, the Medallic Art Company, the National Academy of Design, the National Sculpture Society, Ruth Nickerson, R.H. Norton, Joan Smit, Alexander B. Trowbridge, the U.S. Mint, the Work Projects Administration, Sidney Waugh, and Louis B. Wright.
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

Brenda Putnam was an American sculptor and author (1890-1975). The daughter of Herbert Putnam, a former Librarian of Congress, Brenda Putnam underscored the significance of her collection by providing not only brief annotations for various items, but often detailed reminiscences of her personal and professional life, thus establishing a context in which to view both her Papers as well as her artistic career.

Return to top

Scope and Contents of the Collection

Arranged chronologically from 1930 through 1959, the Correspondence includes incoming letters with holograph and typescript carbon copies of some of Brenda Putnam's outgoing responses. While illuminating her relationships with fellow artists (Robert A. Baillie, John Flanagan, James Earle Fraser, Gaetano Cecere, Walker Hancock, Anna Hyatt Huntington, Gertrude K. Lathrop, Lee Lawrie, Carl Miles, Ruth Nickerson, Henry J. Peck, Marion Sanford, Joan Smit, Carl Walters, Sidney Waugh), the Correspondence also reveals Brenda Putnam's associations with galleries and museums (Birmingham Museum of Art, Grand Central Art Galleries, New York University's Hall of Fame, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts); patrons and sponsors of sculpture competitions (the Architect of the Capitol, the Folger Shakespeare Library, Archer M. Huntington, Eli Lilly and Company, the Liturgical Arts Society, Inc., the Medallic Art Company, R. H. Norton, the United States Director of the Mint); and professional organizations (American Academy of Arts and Letters, the National Academy of Design, the National Sculpture Society); as well as some of the subjects of her work (Harold Bauer, William Adams Delano, Ossip Gabrilowitsch). A selected index to the Correspondence follows the box list.

Artwork encompasses original drawings, reproductions of Brenda Putnam's sculpture, and sketches. In designating her work, the terminology provided by the artist has been used in the arrangement of the collection. Drawings (1918-1950) include a series of mechanical draughting exercises for a class Putnam attended prior to a taking a job with Sperry Gyroscope Company, as well as four bone-shadow drawings executed from 1947 to 1948. Arranged by title, Sculpture includes photographs and printed reproductions of Brenda Putnam's two-and three-dimensional work. Putnam's subjects range from musicians (Harold Bauer, Pablo Casals, Wanda Landowska) to law-givers (Solon, Maimonides), admirals (Ernest J. King) to feminists (Susan B. Anthony, Amelia Earhart). Much of this material is also accompanied by letters, printed material, and/or Brenda Putnam's reminiscences concerning the circumstances surrounding the execution of a particular work. Architectural pencil Sketches document Putnam's sojourn in Europe during the 1920s.

Writings include reminiscences, speeches, and miscellaneous articles, reviews, and the text for a Samuel F. B. Morse exhibition catalog. Written in 1964 and 1965, Putnam's reminiscences provide insight into her early fascination with music and musicians ("TheBeethoven Association," "A Portrait Bust of Ossip Gabrilowitsch," "Sculptor at the Piano"), while highlighting her opinions concerning her work ("Bone Shadow Drawings," "A Competition," "The Lighting of Sculpture"), often with a touch of self-deprecating humor ("The Gorilla," "Dayton, Ohio").

Memorabilia features artwork by Edgar Davies, Paul Manship, and Wheeler Williams, awards, personal photographs, printed material, and the transcript of a 1932 radio broadcast delivered shortly after the installation of Brenda Putnam's "Puck" at the Folger Shakespeare Library. Printed material includes articles and newspaper clippings (1919-1957) about Brenda Putnam, an assortment of her exhibition catalogs and invitations (1931-1947), and publicity for and reviews of her books, A Sculptor's Way and Animal X-Rays.

Return to top

Arrangement of the Collection

The Brenda Putnam Papers begins with Correspondence (box 1) and is ordered by date. Artwork (boxes 1-2) follows and is grouped into the categories of drawings, sculpture and sketches. Writings (box 2) consists of reminiscences, speeches, and miscellaneous articles and reviews, all organized by date. Memorabilia starts in box 3 and is arranged alphabetically by category. A final oversized package contains some additional artwork and memorabilia (a scrapbook).

Return to top

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.

Return to top

Subject Headings

Persons

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Genres and Forms

Occupations

Return to top

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Brenda Putnam Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Brenda Putnam, 1964, 1968.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: KM
Date: 1992-10-21
Revision history: 21 Aug 2007 - converted to EAD (JPK); 16 Jul 2012 - LCNAF updates (MRC); 12 Sep 2016 - updates/corrections (MS)

Return to top

Inventory

	Biographical material
Box 1		Miscellaneous

	Correspondence
Box 1		General 1930-1959, undated (12 folders)

	Artwork
		Drawings
Box 1			General 1918, 1920 (2 items)
Oversize 1			Mechanical drawing exercises 1942 - preparation for job at Sperry Gyroscope
Box 1			"Bone-shadow drawings" 1947-1948 (4 items)
Box 1			General 1951 (1 item)
			"The Man from Skid Row" 1920 (1 item)
		Sculpture
Box 1			"Anatomical Figure for Students" 1937
Box 1			Anthony, Susan B. (New York University Hall of Fame)
Box 1			Bauer, Harold 1949
Box 1			"Blind Beggar of Florence"
Box 1			Bowker, Richard R.
Box 1			Brookgreen Gardens: Sculpture by Brenda Putnam 1937
Box 1			Casals, Pablo 1925
Box 1			"Charmides" 1917
Box 1			"The Child in the Vineyard" 1928
Box 1			"Christ, the Light of the World" 1942
Box 1			Cleveland Centennial Great Lakes Exposition Commemorative Half-Dollar 1936
Box 1			"Communion" - mother of Robert A. Baillie
Box 1			Delano, William Adams 1950
Box 1			"Diver"
			Earhart, Amelia
Box 1				Head (Syracuse University) 1933
Box 1				Medal 1941
Box 1			Gabrilowitsch, Ossip (Detroit Institute of Arts) 1933
Box 1			Genthe, Arnold 1933
Box 2			Gorilla 1944-1945
Box 2			Great Law-Givers 1949-1950 - U.S. House of Representatives plaques
Box 2			Italian boy 1927-1928 - mask
Box 2			"Joseph and Mary at Bethlehem" 1929
Box 2			King, Ernest Joseph 1945-1946 - medal
Box 2			Kirke-Porter (Henry) memorial 1931-1932
Box 2			Landowska, Wanda 1928
Box 2			Lilly, Eli 1948
Box 2			Manda (W. Albert) memorial (South Orange, NJ) 1935
Box 2			Mapother, John Rubel
Box 2			"Memorial to Anne Simon" (Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, DC) 1915
Box 2			"Memorial to the Women of Virginia (Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, DC) 1942
Box 2			"Midsummer" 1930
Box 2			"Nature Study in Bronze" 1929
Box 2			Noble, M. C. S. 1935
Box 2			O'Hara, Desmond 1925 - nephew of Brenda Putnam
Box 2			O'Hara, Jane - niece of Brenda Putnam
Box 2			Post office lunette (Caldwell, NJ) 1936
Box 2			Post office mural (St. Cloud, MN) 1936
Box 2			"Puck" (Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, DC) 1931
Box 2			Putnam, Herbert (Library of Congress, Washington, DC) 1922 - Father of Brenda Putnam
Box 2			Sea-horse sundial 1925
Box 2			"The Spear Dance" 1926
Box 2			"Two Kids" sundial (Brookgreen Gardens, SC) 1926
Box 2			"White Mouse with a Flea"
Box 2			Woolsey, Dwight Theodore 1931
		Sketches
Box 2			England, F rance 1922 (17 items)
Box 2			Florence, Italy 1927 (14 items)
Oversize 1			France, Italy 1927 (2 items)
Box 2			Sketchbook I 1927-1929
Box 2			Sketchbook II 1927-1929

	Writings
Box 2		Reminiscences 1923-1926, undated
Box 2		Speeches 1964-1965, undated
Box 2		Miscellaneous articles, reviews, etc 1928-1951 (2 folders)

	Memorabilia
		Artwork by others
Box 3			Davies, Edgar (7 pencil drawings)
Box 3			Manship, Paul (1 pencil drawing)
Box 3			Williams, Wheeler (1 pencil drawing)
Box 3			Unidentified (1 page pencil drawings)
Box 3		Awards 1935-1963 (2 folders)
Box 3		Re: Beethoven Association
Box 3		Financial, legal
Box 3		Photographs - personal
		Printed material
Box 3			Announcement, booklet, programs (3 programs, 1 each of others)
Box 3			Clippings 1919-1957, undated (6 folders)
Box 3			Exhibition catalogs, invitations 1931-1947, undated
			Publicity, reviews, miscellany
Box 3				Animal X-rays
Box 3				The Sculptor's Way
Oversize 1				The Sculptor's Way, photograph of front cover
Box 3			Reprints 1949-1952 - George A. Dondero speeches on communism and art from Congressional Record.
Oversize 1			Scrapbook 1926-1936, undated - newspaper clippings
				Photocopies only. For preservation purposes, damaged originals were discarded.
Box 3		Transcript 1932 - from radio broadcast about Brenda Putnam by Alice Hutchins Drake
Box 3		Miscellany

Return to top

Selected index to correspondence

• American Academy of Arts and Letters : 1939 Jul 21; 1945 Feb 1
• American Historical Association : 1954 Oct 22; 1954 Nov 1 (outgoing)
• Architect of the Capitol (Washington, D.C.) : see Artwork: Sculpture: Great Law-Givers: House of Representatives
• Baillie, Robert A. : 1945 Nov; 1947 Jul 25; see also Artwork: Sculpture: "Midsummer"
• Bauer, Harold : 1940 Aug 8; see also Artwork: Sculpture: Bauer, Harold
• Beaux-Arts Institute of Design : 1940 Dec 30; 1941 Jan 28
• Birmingham Museum of Art : 1952 Jul 22; 1952 Jul 31 (outgoing); 1952 Aug 5
• Burrill, Edgar : 1939 Aug 8
• Cecere, Gaetano : 1949 Oct 1 (outgoing); 1949 Oct 3; see also Artwork: Sculpture: Great Law-Givers: House of Representatives
• Cret, Paul Philippe : 1932 Mar 31; see also Artwork: Sculpture: "Puck"
• Delano, William Adams : 1950 Mar 24; 1950 Nov 10; see also Artwork: Sculpture: Delano, William Adams
• Eli Lilly and Company : 1948 May 24; 1948 Jun 29; 1948 Jun 30; 1948 Jul 22; 1948 Aug 6 (outgoing); 1948 Aug 13; 1948 Aug 25; 1948 Sep 4 (outgoing); 1948 Sep 13; 1948 Sep 24 (outgoing); 1948 Oct 4; see also Artwork: Sculpture: Lilly, Eli
• Flanagan, John : 1941 Jun 16; 1941 Jun 20; 1941 Jun 23
• Folger Shakespeare Library : 1946 Aug 1; 1950 Jun 28; 1950 Jul 2 (outgoing); 1950 Jul 5; 1954 Apr 18 (outgoing Shirley Putnam O'Hara, sister of B. Putnam); 1954 Apr 21; see also Artwork: Sculpture: "Puck"
• Franklin, Gilbert A. : 1949 Oct 31 (outgoing); 1949 Nov 1
• Fraser, James Earle : 1947 Mar 12
• Freigang, Paul : 1940 Jul 21
• Gabrilowitsch, Ossip : 1932 Jan 7; 1932 Mar 2; 1932 Mar 8 (outgoing); 1932 Oct 19; 1933 Mar 10; 1933 Jun 12; 1934 Mar 19; 1934 Oct 17; 1934 Oct 17 (secretary); 1934 Oct 19 (outgoing); undated (from Helen Brand to Ossip Gabrilowitsch); see also Artwork: Sculpture: Gabrilowitsch, Ossip
• Gilman, Lawrence : 1933 Feb 15 (to Mrs. [Shirley] O'Hara, sister of Brenda Putnam); 1933 Feb 18 (to Mrs. O'Hara); 1933 Feb 25
• Grand Central Art Galleries : 1939 Jun 6; 1952 Jul 17; 1958 Jul 1; 1958 Jul 6 (outgoing)
• Grolier Society Inc. : 1950 Dec 27; 1951 Mar 7; 1952 Oct 7
• Hall of Fame: New York University : see New York University. Hall of Fame
• Hancock, Walker : 1948 Aug 24; 1949 Nov 15; see also Artwork: Sculpture: "Christ, the Light of the World"
• Huntington, Anna Hyatt : 1947 Sep 29 (copy of Herbert Putnam letter to A. H. Huntington); 1947 Nov 14; 1948 Apr 4 (outgoing); 1948 Apr 6; 1948 May 29; 1949 Oct 11 (outgoing); 1950 Mar 24
• Huntington, Archer Milton : 1939 Jun 22; 1947 May 15; 1947 Sep 29 (copy of Herbert Putnam memorandum to A. M. Huntington); 1948 Apr 4 (outgoing)
• Jennewein, Carl Paul : 1949 Dec 27
• Johnson, Robert Underwood : 1934 Mar 14
• Lathrop, Gertrude K. : 1933 Jun 14; 1939 Jul 10; 1948 Apr 21 (outgoing); 1948 [Apr] (with previous letter)
• Lawrie, Lee : 1949 Oct 7; 1949 Nov 14; 1950 Mar 10 (outgoing); 1950 Mar 14; 1952 Apr 2; see also Artwork: Sculpture: Great Law-Givers: House of Representatives
• Library of Congress : 1931 Dec 23; 1932 Mar 11; 1932 Apr 5; 1951 Oct 12 (outgoing); 1951 Oct 24; see also Artwork: Sculpture: "Puck"
• Liturgical Arts Society, Inc. : 1941 Dec 17; 1942 Feb 21; 1942 Mar 4 (outgoing); 1942 Mar 17; 1942 Jul 23; see also Artwork: Sculpture: "Christ, the Light of the World"
• Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation : 1947 Nov 1 (outgoing); 1947 Nov 10
• Lynn, David (Architect of the Capitol, Washington, D.C.) : see Artwork: Sculpture: Great Law-Givers: House of Representatives
• Lyons, Bertha L. : see New York University: Hall of Fame
• McCartan, Edward : 1941 Aug 25; 1941 Aug 27 (outgoing)
• McCracken, Harold : 1949 Dec 19 (attached to undated outgoing)
• Medallic Art Company : 1941 Apr 16; 1942 Apr 9; 1950 Jan 4
• Miles, Carl : 1947 Feb 24
• National Academy of Design : 1935 Mar 9; 1941 Aug 25; 1941 Aug 27 (outgoing)
• National Arts Club : 1947 Nov 14
• National Sculpture Society : 1938 May 24 (copy of letter to Special Deputy Comptroller); 1951 Sep 13; 1952 Jan 21; 1953 Feb 13
• New York University. Hall of Fame : 1934 Mar 14; 1951 Dec 10 (outgoing); 1951 Dec 13; 1952 Jan 31 (outgoing); 1952 Jan 28; 1952 Feb 4; 1952 Apr 21; 1952 Apr 28; 1952 May 1; 1952 May 22; see also Artwork: Sculpture: Anthony, Susan B.
• Nichols, Hobart : 1947 Nov 1 (outgoing); 1947 Nov 10
• Nickerson, Ruth : undated; undated (fragment)
• Norton, R. H. : 1945 Sep 22 (outgoing); 1945 Oct 28 (outgoing); 1945 Nov 2; 1946 Jul 19; 1946 Sep 17; 1946 Sep 23 (outgoing); 1946 Nov 12; see also Artwork: Sculpture: "Midsummer"
• Peck, Henry J. : 1939 Oct 1
• Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts : 1940 Feb 21; 1940 Feb 26 (outgoing); 1940 Feb 28
• Sanford, Marion : 1948 Jan 15 (outgoing)
• Smit, Joan : 1950 Apr 15; 1950 Nov 25
• Society of Medalists : 1942 Nov 10
• Stewart, J. George : 1958 May 8; 1958 Jun (outgoing); 1958 Jun 17; see also Artwork: Sculpture: Great Law-Givers: House of Representatives
• Sullivan, Francis P. : see Artwork: Sculpture: Great Law-Givers: House of Representatives
• The Saturday Review : 1952 Mar 29 (outgoing)
• Trees, Clyde C. : see Medallic Art Company
• Trowbridge, Alexander B. : 1930 May 7; [1931] Oct 22; 1932 Apr 2 (to Herbert Putnam); 1932 Apr 14; see also Artwork: Sculpture: "Puck"
• United States. Director of the Mint : 1946 Aug 1; 1946 Dec 3; 1946 Dec 16 (outgoing); 1947 Jan 23; 1947 May 2; see also Artwork: Sculpture: King, Ernest Joseph (medal)
• United States. Work Projects Administration : 1940 Sep 26; 1940 Sep 27 (outgoing)
• Van Kirk, Florence M. P. : 1939 Oct 5
• Vanamee, Grace : 1939 Jul 21
• Walters, Carl : 1939 Jul 2
• Waugh, Sidney : 1946 Dec 4
• Wright, Louis B. : 1950 Jun 28; 1950 Jul 2 (outgoing); 1950 Jul 5; 1954 Apr 18 (outgoing Shirley Putnam O'Hara, sister of B. Putnam); 1954 Apr 21; see also Artwork: Sculpture: "Puck"

Return to top