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Letterio Calapai Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: KM
Date: Dec 1992

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Letterio Calapai Papers consists of correspondence, artwork, writings, and memorabilia of the Italian-American painter and printmaker (b. 1902). While revealing little of his personal life, the collection, spanning 1932 through 1977, documents Calapai's professional career as an artist and educator in Chicago and in New York City, where he had a studio and gallery for many years.

Predominantly incoming, the Correspondence covers 1932 to 1967 and includes a few of Calapai's outgoing holograph and typescript drafts of both his business and personal letters. Correspondents include artists (John Taylor Arms, Charles Burchfield, Alvin Dunkle, Thomas Fern, Charles Hopkinson, Karl Schrag, Benton Spruance, Lynd Ward); authors (Samuel Hopkins Adams, Aline Bernstein, Lorenz B. Graham, Codman Hislop, Clayton Hoagland, Franz Schoenberner, Mabel Wolfe Wheaton, John Hall Wheelock, Arthur Zaidenberg) curators (A. Hyatt Mayor, Arthur Heintzelman, Carl Zigrosser); and musicians (Lou Harrison, Max Rudolf). Organizational correspondence includes various educational institutions (Albright Art School, East Carolina College, Howard University, New School for Social Research, University of Buffalo); galleries and museums (Albright Art Gallery, George Binet Gallery, Brooklyn Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Norlyst Art Gallery, Riverside Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Ruth White Gallery); libraries (Boston Public Library, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, New York Public Library, Pack Memorial Public Library); and professional and cultural organizations (American Federation of Arts, American Institute of Graphic Arts, Artists for Victory, Inc., Audubon Artists, Inc., Society of American Graphic Artists, Inc.).

Calapai's Artwork is documented in a subject file which includes exhibition catalogs, invitations and other material; original artwork (two etchings, nine prints, and a cancelled copper plate for one of the etchings); a few photographs and reproductions of his work; and printed material relating to the Intaglio Workshop for Advanced Printmaking (New York, N.Y.) and the Workshop Gallery (Glencoe, Ill.), both of which Calapai founded and directed. Exhibition catalogs and invitations for his many one-man and group shows from the 1930s through the 1970s trace Calapai's artistic beginnings as a painter and watercolorist through his work in wood-engraving and subsequent exploration of innovative techniques in printmaking. Other exhibition material includes two catalogs for a Rockwell Kent exhibit at Calapai's gallery and receipts and jury reports for many of the shows in which Calapai participated.

Writings include holograph notes, a letter which was printed in the May 1968 issue of Art Scene, and a note on his philosophy of work. Defining the art of the printmaker, Calapai wrote in 1967: "This process involves the flights of his imagination, the power of his emotions, a striving for meaning and mystery, and the control over his tools."

Acknowledgements, awards and memberships, publicity, reviews and comments on Calapai's work, as well as materials relating to his education, foundation grant applications, teaching assignments, and appearances in print constitute Memorabilia. Printed material includes articles about (1948-1966) and newspaper clippings (1933-1968).

A selected index to correspondence is provided at the end of this finding aid.

Arrangement of the Collection

Alphabetical by type or topic. Correspondence is arranged chronologically.

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.

Related Material

The Syracuse University art collection contains a number of Calapai pieces. For more information see SU Art Galleries (http://museum.syr.edu) or call 315-443-4097.

Special Collections Research Center's Rare Books Collection has a number of books illustrated by Calapai, including a collection of Aesop's Fables (1973), Lorenz Graham's How God fix Jonah (1946) and Tales of Momolu (1946), Look homeward, angel (portfolio, 2003), and Mohawk by Codman Hislop (1948). For a complete listing, please refer to the Classic Catalog, and search on "Calapai, Letterio" in the Author field.

See also the Robert Smith Collection relating to Letterio Calapai.

Subject Headings

Persons

Arms, John Taylor, 1887-1953.
Bernstein, Aline, 1881-1955.
Burchfield, Charles, 1893-1967.
Calapai, Letterio, 1902-1993.
Graham, Lorenz B.
Harrison, Lou, 1917-2003.
Heintzelman, Arthur William, 1891-1965.
Hislop, Codman.
Hoagland, Clayton.
Hopkinson, Charles, 1869-1962.
Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971.
Mayor, A. Hyatt (Alpheus Hyatt), 1901-1980.
Rudolf, Max, 1902-1995.
Schoenberner, Franz, 1892-1970.
Spruance, Benton, 1904-1967.
Stasik, Andrew.
Ward, Lynd, 1905-1985.
Weisenthal, Morris.
Wheaton, Mabel Wolfe.
Wheelock, John Hall, 1886-1978.
Zaidenberg, Arthur, 1908-1990.
Zigrosser, Carl, 1891-1975.

Corporate Bodies

American Institute of Graphic Arts.
Artists for Victory, Inc.
Boston Public Library.
Brooklyn Museum.
Riverside Museum (New York, N.Y.)
Society of American Graphic Artists.

Subjects

Art, American -- 20th century.
Engravers -- United States.
Etchers -- United States.
Illustrators -- United States.
Italian Americans.
Painters -- United States.
Printmakers -- United States.
Wood-engravers -- United States.

Genres and Forms

Articles.
Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence.
Exhibition catalogs.

Occupations

Artists.
Engravers.
Etchers.
Illustrators.
Painters.
Printmakers.
Wood-engravers.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Letterio Calapai Papers,
Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Library

Acquisition Information

Gift of Letterio Calapai, 1968, 1977.

Table of Contents

Biographical material

Correspondence

Subject file: artwork

Writings

Memorabilia

Selected index to correspondence

Inventory

Selected index to correspondence