Robert Reid papers, circa 1880-circa 1930

There is one certificate is for the 1897 Clarke Prize presented to Robert Reid by the National Academy of Design for his painting Moonrise.

Letters are primarily from Robert Reid to his sister Sara Bigelow Reid and document a single year in Reid's life (1887) when he moved to Paris and traveled to Italy The letters serve as a diary of his activities through October of that year, and focus in particular on visits to Venice, and his preparations for and reactions to acceptance of his artwork by the Paris Salon, which he expresses in letters to his sister and in a letter to his Uncle, Alexander Napier. Additionally, the letters document his program of study in Paris, and his summer work in Étaples, France. Also found are three letters from Reid's cousin, Clara Field, who accompanied Reid to Naples and wrote to Sara Reid about their travels. In one 1930 letter from Whitney Warren to Sara Reid, Warren thanks her for sending her brother's sketchbook and letters to him.

Writings consist of an essay and journal entries entitled "Really Random Recollections of Charles D. Reid for Robert N. Reid" written by Robert Reid's brother Charles for his son Robert Newell Reid between 1918 and 1920. The writings relate family history and include journal entries relating to the end of the First World War through to October 1920.

Printed material about Reid includes several newspaper and journal articles, an announcement for Reid's figure painting class at Broadmoor Art Academy, and aSaturday Evening Post article in which an unidentified author shares personal recollections of Robert Reid. Other printed material includes an edition of the Harvard Lampoon.

Scrapbooks are dated by the estimated date of compilation but contain items that pre-date the folder dates. Scrapbooks 1 and 2 were compiled by Charles D. Reid for Robert Newell Reid and document Reid family history. They include family letters, photographs and news clippings, including several photographs of Robert Reid, three letters which the artist wrote to Robert N. Reid, a 1909 Reid exhibition announcement and a 1916 Reid exhibition catalog, as well as clippings about some of Reid's exhibitions and mural projects. The scrapbooks also include copies of a 1916 paper and related materials that Charles D. Reid wrote on "Early Transportation Conditions in New England." Scrapbook 3 consists primarily of correspondence between Charles D. Reid and various schools concerning his interest in vocational education and a 1913 paper he wrote on that subject. Scrapbook 4 has had most entries removed and is inscribed by Charles D. Reid's father "Jared Reid Jr., Hartford Ct., Jan. 1880." Charles D. Reid presumably removed the entries to place in Scrapbooks 1-3.

Photographs of Reid include a group of men (circa 1880s) with Reid in the back row; four photographs of Reid working on a mural, probably in the 1890s; and a 1927 portrait of Reid. Additional photographs of Reid can be found in the scrapbooks. Also found is a copy print of Reid's studio, photographs of Europe including Antwerp and Brussells in 1885 and Pas-de-Calais in 1888, photographs of works of art by Reid, and a photograph of the stage and crowd at an unidentified event.

Series is scanned in entirety with the exception of blank versos of photographs and a pamphlet on the Memorial Church at Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Only the cover, title pages and other relevant pages of this pamphlet have been scanned.