DuPre, Grace Annette, 1894-1984. Grace Annette DuPre papers, 1901-1978.
Title:
Grace Annette DuPre papers, 1901-1978.
Letters, clippings, publicity, and photographs re her professional activities, including 27 letters, 1945-1948, from Mary Jane Truman; other correspondents include Edgar A. Brown, James F. Byrnes, Victor Kolar, Robert E. McNair, Sherman Minton, Archibald Rutledge, Thomas M. Scanlon, Strom Thurmond, Harry Truman, Albert Watson, William D. Workman, and others. Volumes include scrapbooks and albums with photographs of her paintings; places represented include Spartanburg, Columbia, Charleston, S.C.; Chicago; New York; and elsewhere. Correspondence with and related to the family of President Harry S. Truman includes: 27 letters, 24 July 1945 - 20 Mar. 1948, from Mary Jane Truman (sister of President Truman), re her activities and DuPre's visits to Missouri to paint Mrs. Truman; correspondence from President Harry S. Truman: letter, 9 Nov. 1945, from Harry S. Truman, thanking her for pictures of Truman's mother and sister; letter, 25 Apr. 1947, "I am not very favorable to the exhibition of pictures of myself while I am still alive"; and letter, 29 Nov. 1948, from James F. Byrnes, commending her on the sculpture of Martha Young Truman, the mother of President Truman. Letter, 26 Apr. 1949, from Edgar A. Brown re her appearance in the S.C. Senate; letter, 29 Apr. 1949, from Strom Thurmond, "it was a delightful pleasure to have you at the Mansion"; letter, 12 Mar. 1956, from Thomas M. Scanlon, re one of her portraits; and letter, 23 Nov. 1973, from Ella Ferguson to Nancy Dowdeswell, "I heard her whistle during WWI, but had no idea she had gone so far with it! To be a good fiddler, a fine tennis player, a super-fine whistler and a successful painter is almost too much good for one person." Later correspondence reflect her interest in conservative political causes, concern over social unrest of civil rights era, and support for candidates in the Republican Party: letters, 1960 and 1968, from Richard Nixon thanking DuPre for her support; letter, 14 Sept. 1956, from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sherman Minton, "I have not minded the designation of me as a conservative judge.... We who are the so called conservatives... are very often criticized and the cheers go to the so called liberals... I know I have not always been right but I have tried conscientiously to be so"; letter, 23 May 1965, from William D. Workman, "The peoples of South Carolina are awakening, bestirring themselves and showing a willingness to stand up and be counted - even if it means breaking with political tradition. I'm flattered that you are taking an interest in these goings-on and I'm grateful for your help"; letter, 16 May 1868, from Corenne La Mon (in Chicago), re the riots in Chicago during early April following the assassinationn of Rev. Martin Luther King on Apr. 4th: "The afternoon the riot started here, we began to get odds and ends of 'reports' over the phone and from people who dropped in at the clerk's office. Many offices closed early...." Matters of elections, politics, and social activism related to S.C. politics also appear in the collection: letter, 5 June 1969, from Robert E. McNair, re the lowcountry hospital workers' strike, "I appreciate very much your interest and support in the Charleston situation"; DuPre encouraged Albert Watson to enter the race for governor and later offered him advice: letter, 1 Sept. 1970, from Watson, "Your suggestion is very deeply appreciated, and I shall hence-forward make every effort to avoid the practice to which you refer.... nothing is more helpful than constructive criticism from friends." Three undated albums of photographs of DuPre's paintings, some of which include her comments, and 3 scrapbooks, 1923-1978, re DuPre's career [one filed in carton]; 27 slides of DuPre's works [filed in carton]; collection of printed booklets, magazines, bulletins, and catalogs documents exhibitions of her work, dedication ceremonies and unveilings of her paintings around the U.S.; includes copies of the Congressional Record, exhibition catalogs, ca. 1940s and 1950s, published by the Allied Artists of America, Inc., the Ogunquit Art Center in Maine, the 75th year catalog [1971] of the Catharine Lorillard Wolf Art Club (New York, N.Y.), with work by DuPre and an image of Anna Hyatt Huntington; and other organizations; and funeral programs honoring Charles Cecil Wyche, James Francis Byrnes, and others. Portraits documented in photograph albums include many leaders in government, industry, education and society, including S.C. Senator Edgar A. Brown; U.S. Secretary of State James F. Byrnes; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thomas Clark; Chinese Ambassador Dr. Hu Shih; the Rt. Rev. John James Gravatt; Gov. Robert McNair; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sherman Minton; Charleston mayor William G. Morrison; Gov. Strom Thurmond; President Harry S. Truman; his mother, Martha Young Truman; Judge Henry Hitt Watkins; Maj. James Benjamin White (Superintendent of the Citadel during the Civil War); Judge Charles Cecil Wyche; numerous judges in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago; and others.
ArchivalResource:
27 slides.
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