HOWARD CHANDLER CHRISTY PAPERS, 1873-2001

Series Descriptions

Series I. Correspondence of Howard Chandler Christy: 1912-1952

SERIES I. Correspondence of Howard Chandler Christy: 1912-1952 (4 record boxes; 4 linear feet) contains incoming manuscript and typescript letters collected by the artist and his wife, Nancy Palmer Christy.  Correspondence is primarily professional or social in nature, with a small percentage relating to personal matters.  All correspondence addressed to both “Mr. and Mrs. Christy” is filed within this series, while letters addressed specifically to Nancy Palmer Christy are filed within Series II.  Letters are arranged alphabetically by correspondent or corresponding agency’s name and then chronologically within each file.  If a letter was dated only by postmark on the envelope, this information was transferred in pencil to the upper right corner of the letter before the envelope was discarded.  Incoming correspondence includes letters, telegrams, invitations, and greeting cards.  Outgoing letters appear infrequently throughout the series as handwritten copies by the artist and are filed by addressee’s name.

The bulk of the letters date from the middle to later portion of Christy’s career (ca. 1930s-1952) and relate to his commissions as war-time poster artist and fundraiser, portrait painter, historic muralist, and New York City social figure.  This is the period when Nancy Palmer Christy acted as the artist’s secretary/manager.  Handling Christy’s correspondence was most likely one of her duties and many letters have been preserved thanks to her efforts.

The letters of this series document several aspects of Christy’s career in great depth, including the initial commissioning of artwork to the final reactions and praises received upon completion of the paintings.  This series is perhaps most valuable as a chronicle of Christy’s later career as a painter of portraits, posters, and large-scale historic canvases.  While illustration dating from later in his career is discussed within the correspondence files (i.e., program covers for athletic, social, and club events), material pertaining to his earlier career as magazine and book illustrator is sparse throughout the series.  This is probably due to the fact that much of the work of his earlier career was completed at The Barracks in Ohio.  Like many of the original drawings for these early illustrations, his correspondence with publishers did not survive the return to New York City in 1915.  Prior to his marriage to Nancy Palmer Christy in 1919, it does not appear that Christy retained much of his personal or professional correspondence.  If any of this earlier material does exist, it did not come to Lafayette College via the Hotel des Artistes studio.
 

Christy’s correspondence from prominent political, entertainment industry, and social figures of the time is quite rich, including Calvin and Grace Coolidge, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Douglas MacArthur, Eddie Rickenbacker, John D. Rockefeller, Amelia Earhart, Gene Autry, Jack Dempsey, W. R. and Millicent Hearst, Helen Astor, and Fannie Hurst.  Correspondence relating to Christy’s personal life can be found within the files of Nancy Palmer Christy (wife), Elise Ford (model and mother of Christy’s daughter, Holly), Natalie Christy (daughter from first marriage), and Carolyn Chandler (grand-daughter).

Significant amounts of correspondence can also be found within Series VIII, Scrapbooks.  These letters were arranged, pasted, and taped within the scrapbooks by Nancy Palmer Christy.  The scrapbooks follow no particular order, neither chronological nor alphabetical, so each page must be viewed in order to locate specific correspondents.
 

Series II. Correspondence of Nancy Palmer Christy: 1921-1976

SERIES II. Correspondence of Nancy Palmer Christy: 1921-1976 (3 record boxes; 3 linear feet) contains the incoming manuscript and typescript letters of Nancy Palmer Christy, the artist’s wife.  Letters are arranged alphabetically by correspondent or corresponding agency’s name and then chronologically within each file.  Incoming correspondence includes letters, telegrams, invitations and greeting cards.  Mrs. Christy retained very few outgoing letters in carbon copy. Many letters date from the 1930s and 1940s and document Mrs. Christy’s humanitarian and philanthropic work prior to and during WWII, her place in the New York City social scene, and her position as secretary/manager in Christy’s career.  A significant portion of this series dates from 1952 and includes letters, cards and telegrams of condolence received by Mrs. Christy upon her husband’s death.  Correspondence dating after 1952 is noteworthy because it often deals with the sale of Christy paintings.

The letters of this series are probably most valuable as record of the Christys’ social life together, their travels, and the friends and acquaintances they made as a result of the artist’s career.  These include noteworthy individuals such as W. R. and Millicent Hearst, Norman Vincent Peale, and Umberto, the Prince of Italy.  Many other letters from noted correspondents to Nancy Palmer Christy appear within the scrapbooks of Series VIII.  As noted in the Series I description, these scrapbooks must be viewed individually in order to locate letters to Mrs. Christy.
 
 

Series III.  Address Books, Date Books, and Guest Books: ca. 1909-1952

SERIES III. Address Books, Date Books, and Guest Books: ca. 1909-1952 (2 special format boxes; 1.5 linear feet) contains 20 books which are organized into Subseries 1. Howard Chandler Christy and Subseries 2. Nancy Palmer Christy.  These volumes were placed within Subseries 1 or 2 after analyzing the handwriting and determining the owner of the book (husband or wife).   Within each subseries, books have been labeled by type and date.  They are placed within the boxes based on size and preservation needs.  The Inventory for Series III does organize the books chronologically within each subseries.

The earliest volume of Subseries 1, a guest book for Christy’s home, The Barracks in Ohio, dates ca. 1909-1913, and is one of the few records in the collection which represents the early part of the artist’s career.  Other books within this subseries are primarily date books and address books, or a combination of the two in one volume.  These books date from the 1930s until Christy’s death in 1952.  They are extremely valuable for several reasons.  Date books record Christy’s appointments for portrait sittings, his travels to paint larger historic commissions, and his social calendar.  Researchers will be able to determine the duration of time Christy spent on individual paintings, or exactly when a work was executed.

Subseries 2 consists of date and address books maintained by Nancy Palmer Christy.  The bulk of this subseries dates from the mid to late 1920s, with one address book dating ca. 1941.  The early date books record much of the Christys’ travels, social and fundraising events, and appointments for sittings.  It is important to note that these years of work are not represented with the books of Subseries 1.  Nancy Palmer Christy’s entries provide a look at the artist’s daily schedule, which was probably due in part to Mrs. Christy’s efforts as manager.
 
 

Series IV. Financial and Legal Papers: 1908-1981

SERIES IV. Financial and Legal Papers: 1908-1981 (1 record box; 1 linear foot) primarily contains bank records, contracts, estate documents, income tax forms, and insurance policies of the artist and his wife.  The series is arranged alphabetically by document type and then chronologically within each file.  Any material dating later than Christy’s death in 1952 was retained only if it pertained to his life or work. The contracts of this series will be of greatest value to researchers, outlining the details for several of Christy’s larger commissions.  Estate papers of both Christy and Robert F. Conneen should be consulted when locations of Christy works after his death in 1952 are in question.

 

Series V.  Subject Files: 1896-1981

SERIES V. Subject Files: 1896-1981 (11 record boxes; 8.5 linear feet) contains a wide range of manuscript, typescript, and reproduction records pertaining to many aspects of Christy’s life and career.  Most images of Christy’s work appear in photocopy, photostat, or poster format; some are reproductions from publications such as journals and programs.  Due to conservation issues, photographic reproductions have been transferred to Series VI with a photocopy remaining in original locations and original artwork has been filed in Series VII.

The subject files are organized alphabetically within six subseries and then chronologically within each file.  Inclusive dates on folders refer to the dates of materials in the folder, not necessarily the date of commissions of art works.  The bulk of the materials in Series V date from the 1930s-1950s and document Christy’s work as painter of portraits, posters, and historical murals, as well as his volunteer work and membership in various social, arts, and political clubs.  Earlier material (ca. 1900-1920) pertaining to Christy’s illustration work also exists within Series V, although it is often in photocopy.

Subseries 1. General, contains the most diverse records of the series, spanning ca. 1900-1970s.  Arranged alphabetically by folder title, these files include a wide range of materials, including advertisements designed by Christy, information on his exhibitions, organizations he belonged to throughout his career, clipped or photocopied articles written by Christy or about Christy, photocopied newspaper clippings arranged chronologically, biographical information on the artist, and poetry and prose written by the artist.

Subseries 2. Illustration, contains both photocopies and clipped articles from journals featuring Christy illustrations, black and white proofs of illustration for publications, a small amount of color pages removed from books or calendars, and clipped magazine or newspaper cover pages.  These materials document some of Christy’s earliest work in the field of magazine illustration, including his commissions during the Spanish-American War.  Images in this subseries also offer a fragmented glimpse of the development of “The Christy Girl” in the artist’s early magazine illustration.

The bulk of this subseries dates 1898-1920 is primarily arranged in bibliography format with folder titles containing the fullest citation possible.  Folders are filed under author name, journal title, or illustration title, depending on the completeness of the citation.  Many folders are filed under “Christy, Howard Chandler” as illustrator.

This subseries was generated in part as a student intern project in Special Collections.  The intern researched the Christy illustration examples which came as part of the collection (primarily incomplete clippings from journals), created a bibliography of any other examples of Christy illustration discovered as part of this research, and produced photocopies from original journals or microfilm to add to the subseries in order to make it as complete and comprehensive as possible.  The container list for this subseries indicates which illustrations were added in photocopy, and it is expected that Subseries 2 will grow as further citations for Christy illustration are discovered and photocopies are produced.

Subseries 3. Paintings, contains documents pertaining to commissions and sales of many of Christy’s large-scale historic murals as well as some of his smaller landscapes.  Files are arranged alphabetically by painting title and then chronologically within each file.  The bulk of these records dates from Christy’s middle to late career, ca. 1930s through the early 1950s.

This subseries is rich as a visual record many of Christy’s major works.  Large-scale reproductions of paintings in poster format have been filed with other oversize material in the Special Collections Flat Files.  Photographs have been transferred to Series VI for appropriate conservation housing with a photocopy of the image left in its original location in the file.  In both cases, cross-referencing to alternate storage locations has been completed on original folders and the container lists.

Subseries 4. Portraits, is a valuable record of Christy’s work as a portrait artist from the late 1920s until his death in 1952.  Arranged alphabetically by sitter’s name and then chronologically in each file, this subseries offers a listing of many of Christy’s portrait commissions.  Files contain clippings and photocopies from newspapers as well as complete journals featuring articles on Christy portraits.  Records in this subseries also include notecards on portraits prepared by Jane Conneen in preparation for the Allentown Art Museum exhibition on Christy in 1977.  A small amount of correspondence relating to the portraits exists within these files; major correspondence containing details of the commissions or reactions to the finished portraits is located under sitter or their family members’ names in Series I and II.  Any photographs of individual portraits were photocopied for the file and then transferred to Series VI.

Subseries 5. Posters, contains examples of many of Christy’s World War I and II poster commissions with bulk dates from ca. 1917 to the mid 1940s.  Files are arranged alphabetically by poster title and then chronologically within each file.  Records primarily include photocopies of newspaper and journal articles concerning posters, photocopies of photographs of the posters placed in Series VI, and small-scale reproductions.  Actual full-scale posters have been placed with other oversize materials to the Special Collections Flat Files.  Cross-references remain on original folders and the container list for the subseries.  The posters of this series document one of the important patriotic aspects of Christy’s career and are a valuable record of American recruitment posters during the World Wars.

Subseries 6. Programs, documents the many program covers Christy designed for various social, arts, military, civic organizations throughout his career.  Files are arranged alphabetically by organization’s name and then chronologically by program year.  Records primarily include covers removed from programs featuring Christy’s artwork, although some complete programs do exist within the subseries.  Later reproductions of program covers are filed here, as well as photocopies of photographs transferred to Series VI.  The program covers span Christy’s career, with the bulk falling into the 1930s.  Some of the most noteworthy examples from this subseries include the frolicking nudes from “The Lambs” programs and the Army and Navy football program covers.
 

Series VI.  Photographic Material: ca. 1873-1952

SERIES VI. Photographic Material: ca. 1873-1952 (21 special format boxes; 2.5 linear feet) contains approximately 1,200 images in the form of photographs, negatives, and slides.  The primary format of the series is the black and white photograph, with color prints appearing infrequently throughout the folders. While some of the prints are dated, many are not.  The earliest images of the series are photographs of Christy as an infant.  The latest photographs date from the final years of Christy’s life.  This series is an excellent resource for researchers interested in the visual documentation of Christy’s career as an artist and his personal/social life.  The series is organized into ten subseries as follows:

Subseries 1. Paintings, 2. Portraits, 3. Posters, 4. Sculpture, 5. Illustration, and 6. Works by Other Artists represent approximately half of the photographic images in the series.  Most of these photographic materials were removed from Series I, II, or V and transferred to appropriate conservation storage systems in Series VI.  Photocopies of the transferred photographs remain in their original locations with cross-references to Series VI.

Subseries 1 - 5 are arranged alphabetically by title of work.  Supporting documents for each work, such as correspondence or clippings, can be located by title in earlier series.  These subseries offer a significant visual record of Christy’s artwork, including details and full views of the works.  Other photographs of note from these subseries include views of Christy working on the canvases or standing before a completed work, alone or with a sitter or model.

Subseries 1. Paintings and 2. Portraits are the most comprehensive groups of photographs in the series.  While the photographs of paintings in Subseries 1 include many titles already represented in records elsewhere in the collection, many untitled landscapes and nudes are located here as well.  Most of the notable portrait photographs in Subseries 2 are identified, although some remain unknown and are filed under unidentified men, women, children, and groups.  Many of the photographs of Christy portraits are inscribed to the artist and feature the sitter’s autograph.  While Subseries 3. Posters, 4. Sculpture, and 5. Illustration contain smaller amounts of photographs, they still offer an important visual record of Christy’s work. The bulk of the photographs from these subseries were produced in the studio of Peter A. Juley and Son of New York City, the primary photographers of Christy’s artwork.  Subseries 6. Works by Other Artists contains a small but interesting group of photographs collected by Christy and is organized alphabetically by artist’s name, if known.

Subseries 7. Individuals, 8. Groups, 9. Locations, and 10. Animals represents the second half of the photographs from this series.  They record the personal life of the artist, including the many social activities and functions attended by Christy.  Subseries 7. Individuals is arranged alphabetically by subject’s name and include many prominent people of the time, including, Grace Coolidge, Dorothy and Alfred DuPont, James A. Farley, Henry Ford, Will Hays, Prince Philip of Hesse, Douglas MacArthur, Mae Murray, Eddie Rickenbacker, Will Rogers, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Prince Umberto of Italy.  Many of these individuals were friends of the artist or portrait subjects and their photographs are inscribed to Christy or his wife, Nancy.  A large portion of this subseries includes individual photographs of the artist and Nancy Palmer Christy.  Other significant photographs of family members include Natalie Christy (daughter), Maybelle Thompson Christy (first wife), Harmon Smith (adopted son), and Elise Ford (model and mother of daughter Holly).

Subseries 8. Groups primarily features photographs of Howard Chandler Christy and Nancy Palmer Christy together: at home, vacationing, socializing with friends, and attending various functions.  These photographs are filed first within the subseries and provide a wonderful view of the Christys’ life together, including Nancy modeling for her husband and their activities New York society during the 1930s and 1940s.  Other miscellaneous groups of note include visitors at The Barracks in Ohio, ca. 1910, as well as unidentified people who may be relatives of Christy.

Subseries 9. Locations contains photographs of significant places from the artist’s life, including his birthplace and the Barracks in Ohio, William Merritt Chase’s studio Christy’s Hotel des Artistes studio in New York City, and various exhibition galleries featuring Christy’s work.  Finally, Subseries 10. Animals contains a small number of photographs of the Christys’ pets and their friends pets.
 

Series VII.  Original Artwork: ca. 1898-1944

SERIES VII. Original Artwork: ca. 1898-1944 (3 special format boxes; .75 linear feet) contains a small amount of material created by Christy, primarily undated and organized into three subseries.  Subseries 1. Sketches and Drawings houses individual works of art, primarily in pencil but also in ink and watercolor.  Some of these sheets appear to have been torn from sketchbooks, others simply executed on single sheets of paper.  These sketches and drawings have been arranged into three groups: figures, landscapes and objects, and works by other artists (arranged alphabetically by name). Some sketches resemble other large-scale Christy works and may have been created as studies for later posters, illustration, paintings, or program covers.  Subseries 2. Sketchbooks includes eight individual sketchbooks of varying sizes.

The earliest and most noteworthy contains sketches from the Spanish-American War, produced most likely as a result of his magazine commissions, and dates ca. 1898.  Another important early sketchbook features sketches for Christy’s World War I posters and dates ca. 1915.  The remaining sketchbooks involve topics such as the Foster Memorial, animals, opera costumes, and miscellaneous illustration.  Because the bindings of these sketchbooks are in such fragile condition, each volume has been wrapped in acid-free paper and tied to keep them intact.  Sketchbooks are labeled and stored flat within the same box.  Subseries 3. Paintings contains two small-scale oil paintings on canvas stored flat in the same box.  One is entitled “Peace Be - Unto You” and the other remains unknown.  Both appear to be very rough studies for larger works.

 

Series VIII.  Scrapbooks: ca.1919-1952

SERIES VIII. Scrapbooks: ca. 1919-1952 (16 special format boxes; 3 linear feet) contains 16 individual books created by Nancy Palmer Christy, the artist’s wife.  Scrapbooks contain clippings, photographs, correspondence, programs, menus and other miscellaneous small-scale memorabilia pertaining to the life and work of Howard Chandler Christy.  Some of the oldest items in the scrapbooks appear to be early photographs of Howard and Nancy Palmer Christy as well as newspaper announcements of their marriage in 1919.  Latest items include clippings from1952.  Scrapbooks generally do not follow a chronological order and do not contain materials related to a particular event.  An exception is Scrapbook No. 10, labeled “Zanesville, Ohio, 1947.”  For the most part, it appears that items were mounted in the scrapbooks randomly, with groups of pages occasionally focusing on a single topic or time period from Christy’s life.  Due to preservation concerns, the scrapbooks have been disbound, with pages trimmed, interleaved, foldered, and boxed.  For a complete description of this procedure, please see “Conservation Note.”

Scrapbook numbers reflect the original numbering system assigned by donor Jane Conneen during her research for the 1977 Allentown Art Museum exhibition on Christy.  This numbering system was maintained in order to prevent confusion for future researchers.  Notecards generated by Jane Conneen as part of her project have been preserved in Series XI, Related Collections.  A significant amount of these notecards refer to the scrapbooks by her original numbering system.  Researchers should also note that Scrapbook No. 13 does not exist within the papers.  No scrapbook with the number “13” was received as part of the papers and there are no references to this number in any of the notecards or inventories prepared by Jane Conneen.  Only Scrapbook Nos. 1 and 4 have detailed inventories of page contents generated by Jane Conneen, and these inventories have been stored with their corresponding volumes.

The scrapbooks provide a wonderful view into the social lives of the Christys, glimpses of their travels across country and abroad, and the many achievements of the artist.  While clippings from magazines and newspapers highlight all aspects of Christy’s life, they are perhaps most valuable as a record of public reaction to his portrait paintings and mural commissions.  Many of Christy’s portrait commissions are reviewed and celebrated in these scrapbooks.  Letters from many of Christy’s most notable correspondents are collected in these scrapbooks as well.
 
 

Series IX.  Films and Videotapes: ca. 1929-2001

SERIES IX. Films and Videotapes: ca. 1929 - 2001 (2 record boxes; 2 linear feet) contains twelve 16mm films in canisters and two VCR tapes.  VCR tapes No. 1 and 2 were donated in 2001 after the bulk of the Howard Chandler Christy Papers was already received from the Conneens.   Holly Chandler Longuski donated VCR tape No. 1, which was produced from original 16mm films taken by her parents, Howard Chandler Christy and Elise Ford.  The original home movies remain in her possession, as well and an additional copy on VCR tape.  Helen Copley provided Skillman Library with VCR tape No. 2, which is a copy of her taping of the Christy marker dedication in Morgan County, Ohio, in May of 2001.
 

Series X.  Miscellaneous Ephemera: ca. 1893-1950

SERIES X. Miscellaneous Ephemera: ca. 1893 - 1950 (2 record boxes; 2 linear feet) contains a variety of 3D objects collected during Christy’s lifetime.  Items include Native American Indian artifacts worn by models during the painting of Christy’s “Hiawatha’s Wooing” and “The Signing of the Treaty of Greene Ville.”  Other interesting ephemera from this series include several medals awarded to Christy during his career.  Two items bearing reproductions of Christy’s artwork include a “Velvee Rose Bath Salt” jar featuring a portrait of Nancy Palmer Christy and a Kentucky Colonels drinking glass with a Christy drawing etched on its surface.

Series XI.  Related Collections: 1970s-2001

SERIES XI. Related Collections: 1970s - 2001 (3 special format boxes, 1 record box; 3.5 linear feet) contains supporting material to the Howard Chandler Christy Papers at Lafayette College.  Unlike the Christy Papers, these records were not generated or collected by Christy or his wife Nancy.  The documents of Series XI are organized into two subseries as follows: Subseries 1. Jane Conneen Files contains notecards, correspondence, and miscellaneous research generated by Jane Conneen and her daughter, Mimi Miley, in preparation for the Allentown Art Museum exhibition on Christy in 1977.  Note cards remain in their original order as arranged by Jane Conneen, with major subject headings including mixed media, subjects, portraits, and chronology.  When Jane Conneen notecards were discovered within the Christy Papers and pertained to the accompanying documents, they were left in place.

Large groups of notecards which were found on their own are now stored in Series XI, Subseries 1.  Any miscellaneous correspondence and research material pertaining to the exhibition is stored in folders at the end of this subseries.

Subseries 2. Holly Chandler Longuski Files contains photocopies of records in the possession of Howard Chandler Christy’s daughter, Holly Longuski.  These records came to Lafayette College in two parts.  The first is a scrapbook of Elise Ford, Longuski’s mother and Christy’s longtime companion and model.  This volume dates ca. 1935-1949 and contains autographs, inscriptions, sketches, and bits of correspondence collected by Ford.  The second is a journal of Elise Ford, dictated to her by Howard Chandler Christy.  It contains extensive biographical information on Christy, from his youth in Ohio through his largest painting commissions.  Copies of photographs are filed at the end of the journal and include images of Elise Ford, Howard Chandler Christy, their Vermont vacation home, and their infant daughter, Holly.  A VCR tape containing home-movies of Ford, Christy, and Holly at this Vermont location is located with the films of Series IX.
 
 

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