Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961

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Muralist and illustrator, of Pennsylvania; 1896, student of Howard Pyle; d. 1961.

From the description of Violet Oakley papers, 1897-1985. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 70975899

Violet Oakley died on 25 February 1961.

From the description of Miscellaneous manuscripts, 1935-1950. (University of Pennsylvania Library). WorldCat record id: 122584716

Muralist, painter; Philadelphia, Pa.

From the description of Violet Oakley autograph and photograph, 1902. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122502857

Violet Oakley was born in New Jersey but spent most of her life in Philadelphia where she attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Drexel Institute. She is best known for a mural she painted in the Capitol in Harrisburg. Throughout her life she was active in international peace efforts.

From the description of Correspondence, 1918-1923. (Temple University Libraries). WorldCat record id: 122541726

Violet Oakley, an American artist, painted a series of murals depicting "William Penn's Holy Experiment" for the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg.

From the description of ADS, 1921 August 13 : Philadelphia [Pa.] to John Marshall Gest / Violet Oakley. (Haverford College Library). WorldCat record id: 46667756

Violet Oakley (1874-1961) was a Philadelphia-area artist who had been educated both in Europe and the United States. She was a student of Howard Pyle of the Brandywine School. Her works included heroic murals found in the Pennsylvania governor's mansion and in the State Capitol, featuring William Penn and the Quaker founding of the Commonwealth. She was also a portraitist, her sketch of Jane Addams being featured on the memorial calendar to Addams in 1943 published by the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. The League's fortieth anniversary in 1955 inspired Oakley to publish Cathedral of Compassion: Dramatic Outline of the Life of Jane Addams, 1860-1935. Oakley's artist companion of many decades, Edith Emerson, was instrumental in mounting an Oakley revival as an exhibition in 1979 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

From the description of Collection, 1933-1979 1933-1942. (Swarthmore College, Peace Collection). WorldCat record id: 28903277

Muralist, painter, stained glass designer, Philadelphia, Pa.

Born Bergen Heights, N.J. Both grandfathers were painters and members of the National Academy. She studied at the Art Students' League, the Academie Montparnasse, Paris, in England with Charles Lazar, at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and at Drexel Institute with Howard Pyle. She worked as an illustrator and stained glass designer in her early career. Her study of the life of William Penn in connection with her mural decoration of the State Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., inspired her to work for international peace and a series of portraits of the delegates to the League of Nations.

Her early studio "Cogslea" was shared by illustrators Elizabeth Shippen Green and Jessie Willcox Smith. Her later studio "Lower Cogslea" was shared by artist Edith Emerson, who after Oakley's death in 1961 established a memorial foundation in her name. Oakley was the first woman elected to the National Society of Mural Painters, was a recipient of the Gold Medal of Honor of the PAFA, and was the first woman to receive the Gold Medal of Honor from the Architectural League of New York. Her writings include The Holy Experiment- A Message to the World From Pennsylvania (1922), Law Triumphant-The Opening of the Book of Law, and the Miracles of Geneva (1933).

From the description of Violet Oakley papers, 1841-1981. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 81163236

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn William Henry Holmes artists' files Archives of American Art
creatorOf Day, Frank Miles, 1861-1918. Frank Miles Day architectural records and personal papers, 1882-1927. University of Pennsylvania, Architectural Archives
referencedIn Century Company records New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961. Violet Oakley letter to Dr. Bach, 1939. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas J. Watson Library
creatorOf Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961. Artist file : miscellaneous uncataloged material. Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
creatorOf Century Magazine letters Archives of American Art
referencedIn Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961. Artist file : miscellaneous uncataloged material. Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
creatorOf Hires, Harrison Streeter, 1887-1962,. Letters. : Additions. Haverford College Library
creatorOf Violet Oakley papers Archives of American Art
referencedIn Oakley, Horace Sweeney, 1861-1929. Horace Sweeney Oakley papers, 1881-1929. Newberry Library
referencedIn Violet Oakley Memorial Foundation records Archives of American Art
referencedIn Parrish, Maxfield, 1870-1966. Letter. April 7th, 1904, Windsor: Vermont, to Chapin. Haverford College Library
referencedIn Day and Klauder. Day and Klauder architectural records, 1895-1958 (bulk 1908-1938). University of Pennsylvania, Architectural Archives
referencedIn Cozens, Henrietta. Henrietta Cozens papers, 1889-1956 (bulk 1901-1938). Bryn Mawr College, Mariam Coffin Canaday Library
referencedIn Haywood, Carolyn, 1898-1990. Carolyn Haywood papers, 1884-1991. Free Library of Philadelphia, Parkway Central Library
creatorOf Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961. Collection, 1933-1979 1933-1942. Swarthmore College, Peace Collection, SCPC
referencedIn Emerson family papers, ca. 1840-1980 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961. ADS, 1921 August 13 : Philadelphia [Pa.] to John Marshall Gest / Violet Oakley. Haverford College Library
creatorOf Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961. Violet Oakley papers, 1897-1985. Delaware Art Museum
referencedIn Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania. Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania records, 1949-[ongoing]. Pennsylvania State University Libraries
creatorOf Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961. Miscellaneous manuscripts, 1935-1950. University of Pennsylvania Libraries, Van Pelt Library
referencedIn Gross McCleaf Gallery selected artists' files, Archives of American Art
referencedIn Citizens Committee for the Army, Navy, and Air Force records Archives of American Art
referencedIn Edith Emerson papers Archives of American Art
creatorOf Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961. Paintings-Watercolors-Pastels, 1894-1930. Temple University Libraries, Paley Library
creatorOf Sartain, Harriet, 1873-1957. Letters : from Thornton and Violet Oakley, Philadelphia, 1938 Jan. 30 and 1940 June 17. Bryn Mawr College, Mariam Coffin Canaday Library
referencedIn Marshall, Alice Kahler,. Women artists and sculptors graphics collection, 1836-1988. Penn State Harrisburg Library
referencedIn Thornton Oakley collection of Howard Pyle and his students, Bulk, 1887-1951, 1841-1992 Free Library of Philadelphia: Rare Book Department
referencedIn Miscellaneous art exhibition catalog collection Archives of American Art
creatorOf Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961. Correspondence, 1918-1923. Temple University Libraries, Paley Library
creatorOf Violet Oakley autograph and photograph Archives of American Art
referencedIn Oakley, Thornton, 1881-1953. Thornton Oakley collection of Howard Pyle and his students, 1841-1992 1887-1951. Free Library of Philadelphia, Parkway Central Library
creatorOf Morris, Anna Wharton, 1868-1957. Papers, 1729-1957. Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
referencedIn Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961 : [miscellaneous ephemeral material]. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thomas J. Watson Library
creatorOf Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961. Artist file. Brooklyn Museum Libraries & Archives
referencedIn Elizabeth Shippen Green Elliott papers Archives of American Art
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Oral history interview with Edna Andrade Archives of American Art
referencedIn Oral history interview with Estelle Gross Archives of American Art
Relation Name
associatedWith Andrade, Edna, 1917- person
correspondedWith Bancroft, Joseph, 1875-1936 person
associatedWith Bonnell, Mrs. person
correspondedWith Brincklé, Gertrude person
associatedWith Buehrmann, Elizabeth, b. 1886? person
associatedWith Carter, Mary Elizabeth. person
correspondedWith Century Company corporateBody
associatedWith Century illustrated monthly magazine. corporateBody
associatedWith Citizens Committee for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. corporateBody
associatedWith Citizens Committee for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. corporateBody
correspondedWith Cole, Bertha Bates person
associatedWith Cozens, Henrietta. person
associatedWith Day and Klauder. corporateBody
associatedWith Day, Frank Miles, 1861-1918. person
correspondedWith Dellenbaugh, Frederick Samuel, 1853-1935 person
associatedWith Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania. corporateBody
associatedWith Dodd, Helen, person
associatedWith Elliot, J. Mitchell (James Mitchell) person
associatedWith Elliott, Elizabeth Shippen Green. person
correspondedWith Emerson, Edith, 1888-1965 person
associatedWith Emerson, Edith, 1888-1981. person
associatedWith Emerson family family
associatedWith Gest, John Marshall, Judge, 1859-1934. person
associatedWith Gross, Estelle Shane, 1929-1992. person
associatedWith Gross McCleaf Gallery. corporateBody
associatedWith Haeseler (Firm: Philadelphia, Pa.) corporateBody
associatedWith Harris, Clayton Stone, person
associatedWith Haynes, Lawrence, Jr. person
associatedWith Haywood, Carolyn, 1898-1990. person
associatedWith Hires, Harrison Streeter, 1887-1962, person
associatedWith Holmes, William Henry, 1846-1933. person
associatedWith Jamison, T. S., person
associatedWith League of Nations Library. corporateBody
associatedWith Marshall, Alice Kahler, person
associatedWith Maynard, Florence, person
associatedWith Morris, Anna Wharton, 1868-1957. person
associatedWith Oakley, Horace Sweeney, 1861-1929. person
associatedWith Oakley, Thornton, 1881-1953. person
associatedWith Oakley, Violet, 1874-1961. person
associatedWith Parrish, Maxfield, 1870-1966. person
associatedWith Paul, Alice, 1885-1977. person
associatedWith Potts, Olive M., person
associatedWith Pratt Institute. corporateBody
associatedWith Pyle, Howard, 1853-1911 person
associatedWith Saint-Gaudens, Homer, b. 1880. person
associatedWith Sartain, Harriet, 1873-1957. person
associatedWith Schütze, Eva Watson, 1867-1935, person
associatedWith Smith, Jessie Willcox, 1863-1935. person
associatedWith Swarthmore College. Peace Collection. corporateBody
associatedWith Violet Oakley Memorial Foundation. corporateBody
associatedWith Violet Oakley Memorial Foundation. corporateBody
associatedWith Weil, Mathilde, person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
United States
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
United States
Subject
Art, American
Artists
Arts
Muralists
Mural painting and decoration
Mural painting and decoration
Mural painting and decoration, American
Painters
Painting
Painting, Modern
Peace in art
Portraits, American
Women and peace
Women artists
Women illustrators
Women painters
Women painters
Occupation
Women artists
Activity

Person

Birth 1874-06-10

Death 1961-02-25

Americans

Information

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SNAC ID: 16196137