Anna Richards Brewster papers, 1887-1964

Collection Information

Size: 0.8 linear ft. (partially microfilmed on 1 reel)

Summary: Certificates, letters, legal material, writings, sketchbooks, art works, photographs, printed material, and a scrapbook.

REEL 3796: A scholarship certificate for Cowles Arts School, 1888; a certificate for the National Academy of Design's Dodge Prize, 1890; 7 letters from Brewster's father William Trost Richards, in which he discusses his lodgings in Germany, Anna's paintings, the publication of A NEW ALICE IN WONDERLAND, illustrated by Brewster and written by her mother Anna Matlock Richards, and other matters; letters from Brewster's brothers and husband William; writings by Brewster; a book of poems by Anna Matlock Richards[?], and a book of poetry, LETTER AND SPIRIT: DRAMATIC SONNETS OF INWARD LIFE by Richards, illustrated by Brewster, published by George Allen, 1898 (57 p.); 3 poems by William Brewster;

sketchbooks, undated, one of which contains a photograph of a young woman; 19 pencil and ink illustration sketches; an etching of a stone gate; reproductions of Brewster's art work for A NEW ALICE IN THE OLD WONDERLAND and for miscellaneous greeting cards; clippings; THE HILLS OF MATUNUCK AND THE OLD POST ROAD by Carder H. Whaley, 1964; a photograph of Brewster; and 2 photographs of William T. Brewster.

Also included is a 7-page book LETTER AND SPIRIT: DRAMATIC SONNETS OF INWARD LIFE by Anna Matlock Richards, illustrated by Anna Richards Brewster (1898).

UNMICROFILMED: Marriage certificate, 1905; a passport affidavit, 1918; and a certificate of commendation from the French government, 1920; legal material concerning William Tenney Brewster, including a will, cremation certificate, estate papers, and copyright certificates, 1954-1961; correspondence with Brewster's father William Trost Richards, her husband William, William's brother Edwin, and other family members, 1887-1919; and fourteen letters concerning art related matters, including 3 thank you notes from Dwight Eisenhower (1919-1959); lists of recipients of Brewster's books; reviews of the William Trost Richards memorial exhibition;

8 clippings, 1955-1961; a scrapbook LIBER POKERI created for Brewster by her brother Herbert and her husband containing a drawing and clippings about poker; and a photograph album of Herbert Richards Brewster, 1906-1910.

Biographical/Historical Note

Illustrator, painter, writer; New York and Pennsylvania. Collaborated as an illustrator with her mother, poet and author Anna Matlock Richards. Brewster's father, William Trost Richards, was a well-known marine painter. Her brother Theodore William Richards was a professor of chemistry at Harvard and a Nobel Prize winner, and another brother, Herbert Maule Richards, was a professor of botany at Barnard College, Columbia University. Brewster lived nine years in London.

Provenance

Material on reel 3796 donated 1985 by Susan Brewster McClatchy, Brewster's grandniece except for fr. 5-75, which were returned to McClatchy. Donor of the 1986 gift, Martha Santiago, is the aunt of Susan Brewster McClatchy.

Location of Originals

• Reel 3796, frames 5-75: Originals returned to lender, Susan Brewster McClatchy, after microfilming.

Alternative Forms Available

Microfilm reel 3796 available at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.

Restrictions on Access

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.

How to Cite This Collection

Anna Richards Brewster papers, 1887-1964. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.