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Prentiss Taylor Papers, 1885-1991

Image for Series 1: Biographical Material, 1918-1985, undated

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About the Prentiss Taylor Papers

All information on this page comes from A Finding Aid to the Prentiss Taylor Papers, 1885-1991, in the Archives of American Art by Jean Fitzgerald. (Printable Version of Finding Aid: PDF, 161 KB )

Biographical Information | Overview of the Collection | How to Use the Collection

Biographical Information [+]

Prentiss Taylor was born in 1907 at the Washington, D. C. residence of his maternal grandmother, his birth assisted by his grandmother's cook, affectionately known as Cookie Belle. READ MORE

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Overview of the Collection

Scope and Contents [+]

The collection measures 20.4 linear feet, dates from 1885 to 1991 (bulk dates 1908-1986) and documents the career of Harlem Renaissance lithographer, teacher, and painter Prentiss Taylor. The collection consists primarily of subject/correspondence files (circa 16 ft.), reflecting Prentiss' career as a lithographer and painter, his association with figures prominent in the Harlem Renaissance, notably Carl Van Vechten and Langston Hughes, his activities as president of the Society of Washington Printmakers and other art organizations, his work in art therapy treating mental illness, and his teaching position at American University. The subject files contain mostly correspondence, but many include photographs and printed material. Also included are biographical, financial, legal and printed material; several hundred photographs; notes and writings; sketchbooks, drawings and a few prints by Taylor; and scrapbooks dating from 1885-1956. READ MORE

The Langston Hughes files contain photocopies of letters from Hughes, greeting cards, ten original photographs of Hughes, and an autographed card printed with Hughes' poem, The Negro Speaks of Rivers. In addition, there is a contract between Hughes and Taylor, witnessed by Carl Van Vechten, forming the Golden Stair Press, through which many of Hughes' poems were printed with illustrations by Taylor. A rare edition of their first publication, The Negro Mother, is found here. Also found in this file is a 1932 final copy of Scottsboro Limited, another collaborative effort between Taylor and Hughes that focused on a case where nine black youths were falsely accused of raping two white women. The collection contains extensive correspondence about Taylor's lithograph of the same title and the printing of the publication. Other rare Harlem Renaissance publications found within Taylor's papers include Golden Stair Broadsides, Opportunity Journal of Negro Life, The Rebel Poet, and Eight Who Lie in the Death House, several of which were also illustrated by Taylor.

Prentiss Taylor's long association with Langston Hughes and other figures of the Harlem Renaissance stemmed from his early friendship with Carl Van Vechten. Taylor's papers contain correspondence with Van Vechten, autographed copies of Van Vechten's booklets, and numerous photographs of notable Harlem Renaissance figures, many taken by Van Vechten, including Zora Neale Hurston, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Eugene O'Neill, Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, Paul Robeson, and many others. Also found are period photographs of Charleston, South Carolina and Harlem street scenes.

95 letters from Rachel Field, 75 letters from Langston Hughes, 3 letters from Armin Landeck, 46 letters from Josephine Pinckney, 1 letter from Gertrude Stein, 7 letters from Alice B. Toklas, 1 postcard from Mark Van Doren, and 25 letters from Carl Van Vechten are photocopies. Originals of the Hughes and Toklas letters are located at the Yale University Library. Location of the remaining original letters are unknown.

The Prentiss Taylor papers offer researchers insight into the rich cultural documentation of the Harlem Renaissance and the development of twentieth-century printmaking as an American fine art. HIDE

Arrangement and Series Description

The collection is arranged into ten series. The largest series housing Subject Files is arranged alphabetically, primarily by name of correspondent, maintaining Taylor's original arrangement. The remaining series are arranged in chronological order. Oversized material from various series has been housed in Box 21 (Sol) and OV 22 and is noted in the Series Description/Container Listing Section at the appropriate folder title with see also/see references.

Subjects and Names

This collection is indexed in the online catalog of the Archives of American Art under the following index terms. People, families and organizations are listed under "Subjects" when they are the topic of collection contents and under "Names" when they are creators or contributors.

Subjects:
- Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967
- Hurston, Zora Neale
- Kahlo, Frida
- O'Neill, Eugene, 1888-1953
- Rivera, Diego, 1886-1957
- Robeson, Paul, 1898-1976
- Robinson, Bill, 1878-1949
- Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964
- American University (Washington, D.C.) -- Fine Arts Dept. -- Faculty
- Golden Stair Press
- Society of Washington Printmakers (Washington, D.C.)

Subjects-Topical:
- Art teachers -- Washington (D.C.)
- Art therapy
- Harlem Renaissance
- Lithography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)
- Lithographers -- Washington (D.C.)
- Painters -- Washington (D.C.)
- Printmakers -- Washington (D.C.)

Types of Materials:
- Drawings
- Photographs
- Prints
- Sound recordings
- Sketchbooks
- Scrapbooks
- Writings

Names:
- Field, Rachel, 1894-1942
- Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967
- Landeck, Armin, 1905-
- Pinckney, Josephine, 1895-1957
- Stein, Gertrude, 1874-1946
- Toklas, Alice B.
- Van Doren, Mark, 1894-1972
- Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964

Provenance

The Prentiss Taylor papers were donated in 1978 and 1984 by Taylor, and in 1992 and 2004 by his companion, Roderick S. Quiroz, for the estate of Prentiss Taylor. The material lent by Taylor for microfilming in 1978 on reel 1392 was not included as a later gift, and is not described in this finding aid. The collection contains photocopies of letters from Langston Hughes and Alice B. Toklas that Lawrence donated to Yale University Library.

Separated and Related Materials

Three notebooks detailing Taylor's lithographs; a gift and sale notebook; a guestbook; exhibition announcements; and a brochure were loaned to the Archives of American Art by Taylor in 1978 for microfilming on reel 1392. These materials are not described in this finding aid.

Prentiss Taylor papers are also located at the Yale University Library.

How the Collection was Processed

The papers were processed in May 2005 by Jean Fitzgerald, and microfilmed in 2005 with funding provided by the Judith Rothschild Foundation. The collection was digitized from the microfilm in 2008 with funding provided by the Terra Foundation of American Art.

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How to Use the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.

Ownership & Literary Rights

The Prentiss Taylor 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 collection was digitized from microfilm in 2008 and is available via the Archives of American Art's website. Researchers should note that the legibility of some materials is poor due to the microfilm quality; researchers may wish to request reels 5911-5935 through interlibrary loan.

Location of Originals

How to Cite this Collection

Prentiss Taylor papers, 1885-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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