Daniel Putnam Brinley and Kathrine Sanger Brinley papers, 1879-1984

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A Finding Aid to the Daniel Putnam Brinley and Kathrine Sanger Brinley Papers, 1879-1984, in the Archives of American Art, by Erin Corley

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Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Table of Contents:

• Biographical Information
• Overview of the Collection
• How to Use the Collection
• Detailed Description and Container Inventory

Biographical Information

Daniel Putnam Brinley (1879-1963) was a muralist and painter in New York City and New Canaan, Connecticut. Brinley was born in Newport, Rhode Island, and studied from 1900 to 1902 at the Art Student's League under Kenyon Cox and John Henry Twachtman. Influenced by Twachtman, he became an impressionist landscape painter for a time. In 1904, he married his childhood friend, writer Kathrine Gordon Sanger (1877-1966). For the next four years they traveled throughout Europe and lived in Paris, where Brinley studied art independently and became a member of the modernist circle of painters.

In 1908 the Brinleys returned to the United States and Daniel established a studio in New York City. During this period his work was heavily influenced by the modernist movement, with flattened forms and a deeper hued palette. Brinley had his first one-man show at Madison Avenue Galleries in 1910, exhibited at Alfred Stieglitz's gallery at 291, and helped organized the 1913 Armory Show. He was also a founding member of the Association of American Painters and Sculptors and the Grand Central Art Galleries. In 1914 the Brinleys built a home, Datchet House, in New Canaan, Connecticut, and spent part of each year there for the remainder of their lives.

In 1917 Daniel Putnam Brinley trained with the American Expeditionary Forces and went to France as the Director of Decoration for the Foyers Du Soldat (YMCA), remaining there until 1919. After returning to the United States he became a mural painter and received numerous commissions for memorials, office buildings, churches, and public spaces over the next forty years. Perhaps most notable of these commissions was the Liberty War Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri, for which Brinley painted 24 decorative maps showing the history of World War I. He remained active in the art community as a member of the Architectural League of New York, the National Academy of Design, and the Silvermine Guild of Artists, among others.

Kathrine Sanger Brinley was a writer and linguist who worked in Europe, New York City, and Connecticut. She lived in Europe from 1904 to 1908 where she studied the arts and crafts of the middle ages and became an expert on English writing and language of the 14th century. She published articles and books on these subjects and during the 1920s had a successful career touring as a dramatic recitalist of the works of Geoffrey Chaucer. From 1934 to 1938 the Brinley's spent their summers traveling throughout Canada, and Kathrine published four travel books which were illustrated by Daniel Putnam Brinley. Kathrine Sanger Brinley published and wrote professionally under the name Gordon Brinley.

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Overview of the Collection

Scope and Contents

The papers of painter and muralist Daniel Putnam Brinley and his wife, linguist and writer Kathrine Sanger Brinley, date from 1879 to 1984 and measure 14.3 linear feet. The Brinleys' careers and lives are documented in biographical materials, as well as extensive correspondence with one another, family, friends, art galleries, organizations, publishers, and others. Also found within the papers are writings by both, including 16 diaries (1 by Daniel Putnam Brinley and the rest by Kathrine), essays, manuscripts, typescripts, notes and notebooks, poetry, and various other writings. There are mural commission files, files for organizations of which the Brinleys were members, financial and legal records, exhibition catalogs, news clippings, and other printed material. Also found are photographs of the Brinleys, family, friends, travels, and artwork, and six sketchbooks and original artwork by Daniel Putnam Brinley.

Biographical material consists of biographical sketches and professional summaries for both Daniel Putnam Brinley and Kathrine Sanger Brinley, passports, personal mementos, award certificates, two radio interview transcripts, and military records documenting Daniel Putnam Brinley's service in the American Expeditionary Forces and the Camouflage Corps.

The papers contain extensive correspondence (4.6 linear feet) divided into family correspondence and general correspondence. Family correspondence includes letters between Daniel Putnam Brinley and Kathrine Sanger Brinley and with their parents and siblings. General correspondence primarily includes the Brinley's personal correspondence with friends and extended family. These letters discuss travel, mutual acquaintances, social events, and general news. Also found is professional correspondence regarding the exhibition and commission of artwork by Daniel Putnam Brinley and the publication of writings by Kathrine Sanger Brinley. Also discussed in the letters are the Brinleys' participation in art, social, and religious organizations. Correspondence of note is with Edwin Blashfield, Edward Bruce, William A. Coffin, Charles H. Davis, John Erskine, Anthony Euwer, Esperanza Gabay, Robert Henri, Hildreth Meiere, Ernest Peixotto, and Hugh Troy.

Writings and notes are by Daniel Putnam Brinley and Kathrine Sanger Brinley. Included among their writings are one diary by Daniel Putnam Brinley, 15 diaries by Kathrine Sanger Brinley, essays, notebooks and notes, manuscripts, and typescripts. Subjects of their writings include essays about religion, poetry, and autobiographical and travel essays. Also found among Daniel Putnam Brinley's writing are lecture notes, fictional stories and plays, essays about art, and historical research for his mural projects.

Mural commission files include correspondence, lists, contracts, financial agreements, notes, plans, sketches, and photographs for specific murals. There is extensive documentation on murals Brinley completed for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in New York and the Liberty War Memorial in Kansas City Missouri. Organization files document the Brinleys' participation in art and social organizations.

Scattered financial and legal records include receipts, account books, leases, estate and power of attorney documents, and records regarding their house and property in New Canaan, Connecticut. Printed material consists of published items documenting the careers, social activities and personal interest of the Brinleys, and includes books, exhibition catalogs and announcements, news clippings, newsletters, and items from their travels abroad.

Photographs depict Daniel Putnam Brinley and Kathrine Sanger Brinley, individually and with family and friends, and include photographs of Daniel Putnam Brinley working on mural commissions. Also found are photographs of their travels, their homes, Daniel Putnam Brinley's artwork, and reference photographs for his murals. Artwork in this collection includes six of Daniel Putnam Brinley's sketchbooks, primarily from his travels in Europe and Canada, loose drawings and mural studies, drawings by Albert Sterner and Reinhold Palenske, and a lithograph by John Steuart Curry.

Arrangement and Series Description

The collection is arranged into 9 series:

• Series 1: Biographical Material, 1879-1970s (Box 1, OV 16; 0.8 linear feet)
• Series 2: Correspondence, 1879-1984 (Box 1-6; 4.6 linear feet)
• Series 3: Writings and Notes, circa 1895-1964 (Box 6-9; 3.3 linear feet)
• Series 4: Commission Files, 1920-1979 (Box 9-10; 0.8 linear feet)
• Series 5: Organization Files, 1909-1964 (Box 10-11; 0.9 linear feet)
• Series 6: Financial and Legal Records, 1896-1965 (Box 11; 0.4 linear feet)
• Series 7: Printed Material, 1895-1979 (Box 11-13, OV 16-17; 1.8 linear feet)
• Series 8: Photographs, 1881-1971 (Box 13-14, OV 22; 0.8 linear feet)
• Series 9: Artwork, 1891-1950s (Box 14-15, OVs 18-21; 0.9 linear feet)

Subjects and Names

Provenance

The Daniel Putnam Brinley and Kathrine Sanger Brinley papers were lent for microfilming by their niece, Elizabeth Loder, in 1978-1979. Loder subsequently donated all but select family photographs in 1991 and additional material in 1992.

Separated and Related Materials

Originals of loaned material, including family photographs, were returned to Elizabeth Loder after microfilming. Loaned material is available on reel 1427 but is not described in the container listing of this finding aid.

Also found in the Archives of American Art is the Elizabeth Loder research material on Daniel Putnam Brinley, 1919-1990.

How the Collection was Processed

The entire collection was fully processed, arranged, and described by Erin Corley in 2008 and digitized in 2009 with funding provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

How to Use the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Use of original papers requires an appointment.

Ownership & Literary Rights

The Daniel Putnam Brinley and Kathrine Sanger Brinley papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Available Formats

The bulk of this collection was digitized in 2009 and is available via the Archives of American Art's website. Material not scanned includes routine financial records, a portion of the printed material, and photographs of works of art.

How to Cite this Collection

Daniel Putnam Brinley and Kathrine Sanger Brinley papers, 1879-1984. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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Detailed Description and Container Inventory

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1879-1970s (Box 1, OV 16; 0.8 linear feet)

This series contains biographical documents for both Daniel Putnam Brinley and Kathrine Sanger Brinley, including obituaries, handwritten and typed biographical sketches, chronologies, and biographical entries for Who's Who publications. Also found are two questionnaires from unidentified organizations, lists of artwork by Daniel Putnam Brinley, and several award certificates. This series also includes official documents such as passports and their marriage certificate, as well as personal mementos and items from their childhood, such as school records and a handwritten account of Brinley's birth by his mother. Other items of note are early versions of Daniel Putnam Brinley's will and records of his military service in the American Expeditionary Forces and the Camouflage Corps. There are two radio interview transcripts, including a 1942 interview of Kathrine Sanger Brinley and a 1945 interview of both Daniel and Kathrine Brinley.

The bulk of this series has been scanned. Admission tickets have not been scanned.

Series 2: Correspondence, 1879-1984 (Box 1-6; 4.6 linear feet)

Correspondence includes family correspondence and general correspondence. Family correspondence is primarily between Daniel Putnam Brinley and Kathrine Sanger Brinley, and with immediate family. Letters discuss their travels in Europe, Daniel Putnam Brinley's military service, and other family news.

General Correspondence includes the Brinleys' personal correspondence with friends and extended family and professional correspondence. Correspondence of note is with artists Edwin Blashfield, Edward Bruce, William A. Coffin, Charles H. Davis, Anthony Euwer, Esperanza Gabay, Robert Henri, Hildreth Meiere, Ernest Peixotto, Hugh Troy, and writer John Erskine.

The Correspondence series is arranged into 2 subseries:

• Subseries 2.1: Family Correspondence, 1879-1940s, 1971
• Subseries 2.2: General Correspondence, circa 1888-1984

Correspondence is arranged chronologically. The material has been scanned in its entirety.

Subseries 2.1: Family Correspondence, 1879-1940s, 1971

Much of the family correspondence is between Daniel Putnam Brinley and Kathrine Sanger Brinley during the periods that they were apart, especially the period before their marriage in 1904 and during the time that Daniel Putnam Brinley was in the American Expeditionary Forces in France from 1917 to 1919. These intimate, detailed letters discuss their travels and events in their everyday lives. Researchers should note that the Brinleys often addressed each other with nicknames such as "Jock" or "Put" for Daniel Putnam Briley, and "Kat" or "Dee Dee" for Kathrine Sanger Brinley. Also found are transcripts and partial transcripts of some of these letters. Additional family correspondence is between Kathrine Sanger Brinley and her sister Emma Sanger, often called "Gippie", "Gyppie", or "Gip", correspondence with her brother William Sanger, her parents William and Kate, and correspondence between Daniel Putnam Brinley and his mother. Within these letters the family discusses their travels, including the Brinley's extensive travels throughout Europe, and news of acquaintances and events. Also found here are a few of Elizabeth Loder's notes on the family correspondence.

Subseries 2.2: General Correspondence, circa 1888-1984

General correspondence includes Daniel Putnam Brinley and Kathrine Sanger Brinley's personal and professional correspondence, mostly incoming letters, for a period of over 75 years. The bulk of the letters are from friends and extended family and discuss travel, mutual acquaintances, social events, and other general news. Much of the personal correspondence does not include the sender's last name. Also found are many letters from Katherine's former priest, E. A. Bazett-Jones, who often addressed her as "daughter" in his letters, and other members the religious community in which the Brinley's were active members.

Professional correspondence discusses Daniel Putnam Brinley's art exhibitions, mural and painting commissions, the sale of his artwork, and his involvement in art organizations and events. Also included is Kathrine Sanger Brinley's correspondence with magazine and book publishers such as Craftsman magazine and Dodd, Mead & Company, regarding the publishing of her articles and travel books. The Brinley's maintained very little correspondence with other artists, but notable correspondents include the artists William Chadwick, Anthony Euwer, Charles H. Davis, Edward Bruce, Esperanza Gabay, Robert Henri (one letter, dated 1914), Hildreth Meiere, Edwin Blashfield, William A. Coffin, Ernest Peixotto, and Hugh Troy, as well as the writer John Erskine. This subseries also includes a small amount of Elizabeth Loder's correspondence with art organizations, galleries, and others regarding the Brinleys.

Researchers should note that additional correspondence can be found in Series 4: Commission Files and Series 5: Organization Files.

Series 3: Writings and Notes, circa 1895-1964 (Box 6-9; 3.3 linear feet)

Writings and notes are by both Daniel Putnam Brinley and Kathrine Sanger Brinley. These include one diary of Daniel's and fifteen of Kathrine's. There are also numerous notebooks, essays, prose, lecture notes, research notes, travel essays, notes about religion, autobiographical essays, and poetry. Among Kathrine Sanger Brinley's writings are numerous engagement calendars.

The Writings and Notes series is arranged into 2 subseries:

• Subseries 3.1: Writings and Notes by Daniel Putnam Brinley, circa early 1900s-1962
• Subseries 3.2: Writings and Notes by Kathrine Sanger Brinley, circa 1895-1964

Writings have been loosely grouped by type, format, and subjects. This series has been scanned in its entirety.

Subseries 3.1: Writings and Notes by Daniel Putnam Brinley, circa early 1900s-1962

There is one diary kept by Daniel Putnam Brinley while he was traveling to Paris in 1918 to work for the American Expeditionary Forces. Also found with the diary are transcripts and summaries of portions of the diary. Three notebooks include essays about his participation in the Foyers du Soldat, about religious art, and a fictional story called "Nightmare." There are additional essays about art and his travels in Canada. Also found are short stories, research notes for his murals, poetry, plays, lecture notes, autobiographical accounts, and miscellaneous notes. One item, "A Trip to Mount Washington," is illustrated.

Subseries 3.2: Writings and Notes by Kathrine Sanger Brinley, circa 1895-1964

Writings by Kathrine Sanger Brinley primarily document her daily life, travels, and thoughts on religion. Included are 15 diaries, some very small pocket-sized books, in which she recorded daily events and thoughts. Several of the diaries describe the period she and Daniel Putnam Brinley were living in Paris and Florence. The diary from 1908 also includes color illustrations by Daniel Putnam Brinley. Many of the later diaries contain loose items within the pages, such as postcards and news clippings. Within "A Diary of Private Prayer" Kathrine wrote her daily thoughts on her religious practice. Writings by Kathrine also include several notebooks, primarily from the period the Brinley's were living in Europe; travel notes from Europe written on the back of numerous postcards; travel essays about her travels in Bermuda in 1921; poetry; autobiographical essays; notes on religion; engagement calendars; and miscellanous writings and fragments.

Series 4: Commission Files, 1920-1979 (Box 9-10; 0.8 linear feet)

Commission files concern specific mural commissions of Daniel Putnam Brinley and may contain correspondence, specifications, lists, contracts, financial agreements and receipts, notes, publicity and clippings, plans, sketches, and photographs of the finished murals. Two commissions for which extensive documentation can be found are the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company murals in New York and the Liberty War Memorial in Kansas City Missouri. Detailed original mural studies for the Metropolitan Life Insurance commission is filed in Series 9: Artwork.

This series has been scanned in its entirety.

Series 5: Organization Files, 1909-1964 (Box 10-11; 0.9 linear feet)

Organization files document the Brinleys' participation and membership in arts and social organizations, and Daniel Putnam Brinley's executive and administrative positions in many of these organizations. Files may include correspondence, reports, bulletins, newsletters, invitations, exhibition catalogs, constitutions and by-laws, and member lists. Files for the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design and the Silvermine Guild of Artists also contain group photographs which include the Brinleys.

This series has been scanned in its entirety. For some published items, only the covers have been scanned.

Series 6: Financial and Legal Records, 1896-1965 (Box 11; 0.4 linear feet)

Financial and legal records include account books, expenditure notebooks, bills and receipts, leases, power of attorney documents, and scattered social security, stock, banking, and tax records. There are legal and financial records regarding Datchet House, the Brinleys' home in New Canaan, Connecticut, including documents concerning construction and the eventual sale of the house. Also found are publication agreements and royalty statements for the four travel books written by Kathrine Sanger Brinley. Additionally, this series contains estate settlement records for two of Daniel Putnam Brinley's relatives.

This series has been partially scanned. Items not scanned include bills and receipts, estate records, banking documents, earning statements, royalty reports, social security documents, tax records, and stock records.

Series 7: Printed Material, 1895-1979 (Box 11-13, OV 16-17; 1.8 linear feet)

Printed Material consists of published books, including Ruines de Guerre containing illustrations by Brinley of war damages in France published by the Y.M.C.A., exhibition catalogs and announcements; printed materials related to travel; event brochures, programs, and invitations; news clippings; religious publications; newsletters and reports from organizations; and magazines. There is an issue of Alfred Stieglitz's magazine Camera Work with a handwritten inscription to Brinley from Stieglitz.

Portions of this series have been scanned. Items not scanned include some books, travel publications, postcards, programs, religious publications, and reproductions of artwork. For some published items, only the covers have been scanned.

Series 8: Photographs, 1881-1971 (Box 13-14, OV 22; 0.8 linear feet)

This series contains photographs of Daniel Putnam Brinley, Kathrine Sanger Brinley, their travels, residences, and artwork. Portraits of Daniel Putnam Brinley depict him as a child and young man, and working on mural projects. Several portraits of Kathrine Sanger Brinley depict her as a young woman, in her wedding gown, and in costume. Also found are photographs of the Brinleys with, mostly unidentified, family and friends. Additional photographs are of Brinley in the military in Europe, and relatives of the Brinleys, including Daniel Putnam Brinley's mother and father, and Kathrine's brother Will Sanger and sister Emma Sanger. There is one photograph album of travels in California in 1902. Additional travel photographs are of trips to Canada, Bermuda, and Italy. Some photographs of Bermuda were taken in 1971 by Brinley's niece, Elizabeth Loder. Also found are photographs of the Brinley home, Datchet House, in New Canaan, Connecticut, their home in New York City, and an exterior photograph of John Erskine's studio. This series also includes a collection of reference photographs of artwork, murals, and frescoes from Churches in Italy, and a small number of photographs of artwork.

This series has been partially scanned. Items not scanned include reference photographs, photographs of artwork, and negatives.

Series 9: Artwork, 1891-1950s (Box 14-15, OVs 18-21; 0.9 linear feet)

This series contains artwork by Daniel Putnam Brinley and others, including six sketchbooks by Brinley. Three of the sketchbooks were used by Brinley while living in Paris and include ink and pencil drawings of landscapes, streetscapes, people, and animals. Sketchbook 4 was completed while he was working on Les Foyers Du Soldat in France and includes ink and pencil landscapes. Two additional sketchbooks, one which he titled "Away to Quebec," contain landscape sketches from his trips to Canada, including some watercolors. Additional loose drawings by Daniel Putnam Brinley include drawings for mural projects, landscapes, a drawing of a nude man, and sketches of "Willie's Operation." Also found in this series are several detailed mural studies for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company building in New York City. Artwork by others include a drawing of Brinley by Albert Sterner, a drawing by Reinhold Palenske, and a lithograph by John Steuart Curry.

This series has been scanned in its entirety.