Collection Information
Size: 0.4 Linear feet
Summary: The scattered papers of art collector Elisabeth Commanday measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1949 to 1974. The collection relates to longtime friendships between Commanday and art historian Bernard Berenson, his sister Elizabeth Berenson, his companion Nicky Mariano, and Mariano's sister Baroness Alda von Anrep. The papers include correspondence, notes, photographs, and printed material.
Biographical/Historical Note
Art collector Elisabeth (Betty) Krieger Commanday (1891-1994) lived in New York City and Boston, Massachusetts. She travelled throughout Europe and maintained a correspondence with art historian Bernard Berenson.
Provenance
Donated 1993 by Maurice Commanday, son of Elisabeth Commanday. Commanday corresponded with Berenson for nearly ten years. At his death in 1959, Berenson's companion Nicky Mariano returned to Commanday all of her letters, which she discarded, except for the earliest letter written in April 1949.
Language Note
English .
Funding Note
Processing of this collection received support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative.