Manuscripts
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
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1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
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Manuscripts
This collection contains the papers of English art historian Katharine Ada Esdaile (1881-1950), with the bulk of the materials relating to her research and writings on British monumental sculpture, sculptors, and church monuments from the medieval period to 19th century. Material types include personal writings, diaries, correspondence, business papers, family papers and photographs, research files and research notebooks, and miscellaneous published and unpublished materials. Notably the collection includes more than 600 chiefly pre-World War II visitor booklets and pamphlets produced locally by British churches and approximately 3500 photographs taken or collected by Esdaile of sculpture, often funerary monuments in English churches. This collection provides a resource for viewpoints on monumental sculpture in the early 20th century (for instance as represented in book reviews by Esdaile) and for information about Esdaile's experience as a woman art historian in the early 20th century. Given the broadness of Esdaile's scope, from medieval to 19th century British monumental sculpture, the collection is less useful for specific information about monuments or sculptors. In addition, many of Esdaile's attributions in her notes appear to have been based primarily on her own instincts and do not have citations. Many of Esdaile's notes are handwritten on small scraps of paper or are fragments, sometimes making the information difficult to parse. The collection is chiefly Esdaile's files, but the dates on some items (such as post-1950 booklets) indicate the collection was added to and used after her death, presumably by Edmund Esdaile, who also made notes on items in the collection and appears to have done the preliminary organization of the papers after Esdaile's death. Personal and Professional Papers Boxes 1-3 contain Esdaile's personal and professional papers and include autobiographical writings, business documents related to Esdaile's publications, miscellaneous family photographs and ephemera, and reports, clippings documents reflecting Esdaile's preservation activities, chiefly during World War II. Family papers Boxes 4-7 contain family papers and consist chiefly of writings and correspondence by Esdaile's son Edmund Esdaile, including his own works on art and sculpture. In addition there are some papers of Esdaile's husband Arundell Esdaile and their son Martin Esdaile, and published essays by William Esdaile, presumably Arundell's father. Correspondence Boxes 8-15 contain over 3,000 pieces of correspondence chiefly to Katharine Esdaile from fellow enthusiasts of English sculpture, friends and family, publishers, and scholars, including 275 letters from historian Rupert Gunnis. While much of the correspondence to Esdaile concerns her research, the letters also offer information about her social and family life, World War II, and the arts and her work. There are only about 50 outgoing letters from Esdaile. Writings Boxes 16-29, 85, and 92-101 contain Esdaile's published and unpublished writing, chiefly about sculpture. Boxes 25-29 contain published versions of Esdaile's writing chiefly comprised of clippings and, to a lesser extent, full issues of periodicals (such as The Architect, Burlington Magazine and Country Life) containing her articles. Notebooks of Katharine and Edmund Esdaile Boxes 31-45 contain research notebooks kept by Katharine and Edmund Esdaile chiefly to make notes on British sculptures they viewed on trips throughout England. The notebooks often contain pencil drawings and brief notes or transcriptions, and they vary in their degree of legibility. Research material: printed booklets Boxes 46-68 contain more than 600 booklets, brochures, and pamphlets chiefly consisting of church visitor guides, travel brochures, and local histories provided to tourists. Research material: photographs, slides, illustrations, etc. Boxes 69-84 contain black-and-white photographs of sculptures and churches taken or collected by Esdaile, as well as some lantern slides and two casts of Epiphanius Evesham's signature. The photographs chiefly depict sculpture in British churches, ranging from large churches like Westminster Abbey to small rural parishes. The photographs are arranged in two separate series: by sculptor or by location, though there is overlap between the two series. While many locations are depicted, there are usually only a few images per location. Research material: miscellaneous printed publications and manuscript documents Finally, boxes 85-91 contain miscellaneous printed publications and manuscript documents (not by Esdaile) collected as research material.
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Manuscripts
24 letters to Katharine Esdaile consisting of: 8 May 1913 from Llandaff (Wales) - reporting on lecture given 1 April 1922 from Deene (?) family - matters 6 August 1926 from Aberystwyth (Wales) - family matters 11 August 1926 from Bath (?) - announcement of British Museum appointment (?) and family matters. 15 August 1926 from Leam's End 18 August 1926 from 86A(?) – home, discusses press enquiries about his new position 19 June 1929 from Rome – at conference – met the Pope and Mrs. Strong (subject of one of Edmund's stories about his mother) 28 September 1929 from Leam's End – family matters and financial 1 October 1929 from Leam's End – family matters; Katharine Esdaile in London(?) 14 June 1932 from France – seems to be on lecture tour 20 Sept. 1932 from "BM" (British Museum); getting Martin settled in school (Lancing College) 3 October 1933 from RMS Ansonia in "mid Atlantic" – en route to Canada and USA, first crossing 8 September 1937 from British Museum – statue of Alfred the Great 9 November 1940 from Leam's End 30 July 1944 from Liverpool – museum and family in WWII 14 September 1944 from York – lecturing again 2 May 1946 from Leams End – family matters (Katharine Esdaile on holiday) 5 May 1946 from Leams End – family matters 9 October 1946 from Leams End - family matters 30 March 1947 from Leams End (?) – family matters 24 June 1947 from Leams End – 40th Wedding Anniversary love note and family matters 7 September 1947 from Stockholm – notes on visit to Sweden Undated postcard (from Leams End?) - family matters Undated, unfinished letter from Albermarle Club (London?)
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Manuscripts
Typescript copy of Esdaile's September 24, 1944, will and three related documents.
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Manuscripts
4 photographs and a contact sheet of images of Arundell Esdaile; a pencil portrait by Una Paulet, 1938; and one photograph of Katharine Esdaile at fifty-nine, dated 1940
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Manuscripts
Pages of editorials and articles from The Architect, including unattributed articles probably by Esdaile. Includes the entire issue for October 7, 1921 and October 21, 1921. Articles consist of: "Studies of the English Sculptors from Pierce to Chantrey: V. Grinling Gibbons (1648-1721)" (Article, incomplete, pp. 191-192 only) "Studies of the English Sculptors from Pierce to Chantrey: VI. John Bushnell (d. 1701)" (Article, pp. 209-210 lacking) (October 7, 1921, full issue) "Studies of the English Sculptors from Pierce to Chantrey: VII Francis Bird (1667-1731)" (Article, portion of pp. 235-236 missing) (October 21, 1921, full issue) "A Change of Heart" (Editorial) (November 11, 1921)
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Manuscripts
18 letters.
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