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Finding Aid Compiled by
Alison Oswald
Deborah Canzano
Kevin Glick
HTML encoding by Kevin Glick
May 2001
M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections & Archives
University Libraries / University at Albany / State University of New York
1400 Washington Avenue / Albany, New York 12222 / (518) 437-3935
ACQUISITION: All items in this manuscript group were donated to the University Libraries, M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, by Marcia Brown in 1987, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001.
ACCESS: Access to this record group is unrestricted.
COPYRIGHT: The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Whenever possible, the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives will provide information about copyright owners and other restrictions, but the legal determination ultimately rests with the researcher. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Head of Special Collections and Archives.
Box and Folder List:
Marcia Joan Brown was born on July 13, 1918, in Rochester, New York, one of three daughters of the Reverend Clarence Edward and Adelaide Elizabeth (Zimber) Brown. The family lived in many small towns in upstate New York including Cooperstown and Kingston as her father accepted new ministries. Raised in a family that supported artstic expression, she decided at an early age to become an artist. Because of the scarcity of positions during the depression, Brown enrolled at the New York State College for Teachers to pursue a teaching career for practical reasons. She received her B.A. from the NYSCT in 1940. While in college, Brown maintained her connection to the visual arts by contributing to the college's literary and humor magazines, and by studying painting under Judson Smith at the Woodstock School of Painting in the summers of 1938 and 1939.
After graduation Brown taught English and Drama at Cornwall High School, Cornwall, New York (1940-43), before moving to New York City. Brown studied at the Art Students League (NYC), and studied art at the New School for Social Research (under Yasuo Kuniyoshi and Stuart Davis), painting and literature at the graduate school of Columbia University, and Chinese calligraphy and painting at the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China (1985, 1987). She has taught a number of courses and workshops, including: puppetry at the extra-mural department of the University College of the West Indies, Jamaica (1953); a workshop on picture books at the University of Minnesota-Split Rock Arts Guild Program, Duluth, Minn. (1986); a workshop on Chinese brush painting for the Oriental Brush Artists Guild (1988); and sponsored Chinese landscape painting workshops with Zhuo HeJun (1988-89) of Zheijang Academy.
To support herself while she studied art at night and worked to establish her career as an author and illustrator, Brown worked as a librarian and storyteller in the Central Children's Room in the New York Public Library from 1943 to 1948.
Marcia Brown's career as a published illustrator began in 1937 when she joined the art staff of The State Lion, the NYSCT student humor magazine. The pages of that magazine contain many illustrations by Brown which give a strong indication of her future abilities as an illustrator. Her formal career as a childrens' illustrator/author/ translator began with the publication of The Little Carousel in 1946. That book, which she wrote and illustrated, has been followed by over thirty more during the next forty years. Of these, about twenty were written and illustrated, seven illustrated, and three translated and illustrated by Brown. Marcia Brown has been awarded the Caldecott Medal (the American Library Association's highest award for excellence in childrens' picture-book illustrations), for three of her books: Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper (1954); Once a Mouse (1961); and Shadow (1982), and six more of her books are Caldecott Honor Books.
As a result of her work in children's illustrations Brown has become well known for her woodcut prints. Her woodcut prints have been exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum, the Peridot Gallery, the Hacker Gallery, the Library of Congress, the Carnegie Institute, and the Philadelphia Print Club. Her prints and art works are in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, the Mazza Gallery, Findlay, Ohio, the deGrummond Collection, the University of Southern Mississippi, the Kerland Collection of the University of Minnesota, and in many private collections. Brown's Chinese brush paintings were exhibited at the Hammond Museum, North Salem, New York, the Zhejiang Academy, the Asiatic Society in New York City, and the Stamford and Wilton Libraries in Connecticut. Brown was also the author and photographer of a film strip, "The Crystal Cavern" (1974).
Marcia Brown has received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the SUNY Albany Alumni Association (1969), the Distinguished Service to Children's Literature Award from the University of Southern Mississippi(1972), The Regina Medal from the Catholic Library Association for service to children's literature (1977), has been the US nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award for illustration in 1966 and 1975, and has been a life member of the International Institute for Arts and Letters since 1961. Brown is a member of the Authors Guild, the Print Council of America, the Art Students League, the Oriental Brush Artists Guild, and the Sumi-e Society of America.
1. Sources: Resume of Marcia Brown, circa 1984,; "Marcia Brown," in Who's Who in America, 1990-91, p. 814; Janet A. Loranger, "Marcia Brown," The Horn Book Magazine (April, 1983), pp. 423-26; "Marcia Brown," [publishers advertising flyer] Charles Scribner's Sons, [ undated], all found in the Marcia Brown Folder, University Archives Alumni File. For more information about Marcia Brown and her work see: Commire, Anne, Something About The Author, vol 47. Detroit: Gale Research Company, pages 28-45. Estes, Glenn E. "American Writers for Children Since 1960: Poets, Illustrators, and Nonfiction Authors," Dictionary of Literary Biography, vol. 61. Detroit: Gale Research company, 1987, pages 7-14. Senick, Gerard J. Children's Literature Review vol. 12. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1987, pages 79-113.
The Marcia Brown collection provides an incredible look into the workings of a gifted artist and storyteller as well as showing the inner workings of the publishing trade. One can follow all the steps in creating an original piece of literature and art from early notes and sketches through the final artwork and the proof sheets and printing to the promotional material and reviews.
The collection is divided into 14 separate sections: autobiographical and biographical material, including directory entries, articles about Brown, interviews and photographs; certificates and citations; correspondence, both personal and business, as well as selected subjects with a separate section for correspondence by book project; writings, lectures, speeches and chalk talks, including writings and speeches related to specific awards (Caldecott, Regina Medal, Laura Ingalls Wilder Award) and dummies and loose sketches for chalk talks; speeches, writings and lectures by others; subject files for individuals (Anne Carroll Moore, Jean Charlot, Beatrix Potter, Hans Christian Andersen), bibliographies, conference and workshop material and miscellaneous memorabilia; projects by Brown which includes a separate listing for every book (published and unpublished) and filmstrip that she worked on and created as well as miscellaneous projects and artwork, such as sketches, drawings, wood cuts, wood block prints, sketchbooks, and writings that are unrelated to any specific project; projects by others which includes material bought or given to Brown; reviews, clippings and promotional material; audiovisual material by Brown; audiovisual material by others; the Helen Masten papers; duplicate material; and finally, a bibliography of all books donated by Marcia Brown as part of her collection and as part of the Helen Masten papers.
Each separate listing in the finding aid refers to an individual folder. Material listed in the finding aid can be found by going to the box number listed either at the top of each category or by each individual folder. A box list was created to be used in conjunction with the finding aid listing the folders contained in each box. The finding aid then provides a description of the contents of the folders. This collection was processed with the researcher in mind, as we hope that the Marcia Brown Collection will be used and appreciated by many students of children's literature, art, illustration, publishing and other schools of learning for many years to come as well as by interested museums and businesses. By using the series descriptions, the finding guide and the box list the researcher should be able to find most items of interest to him or her.
The following terms, as defined below, are used throughout this collection description.
ALTERNATE DRAWINGS: drawings of pages not used in final version of book.
BOOKS: refers to book donated with papers (to be processed into special collection); if only call number is given then refers to book already present in regular or special collection.
CONTACT SEPARATIONS PRINTS: the number of colors per picture
COLOR SEPARATIONS: The plates used in process color printing. Process color printing is halftone reproduction of full-color art or photographs through the use of several plates (usually four), each printing a different color. Process colors are cyan, magenta, yellow, and black
DUMMY: An unprinted or partially printed or sketched sample of a projected book, pamphlet, or bookcover to suggest the final appearance and size of the completed work. This includes hand-drawn mock-ups of book showing drawings and/or text or copies using cut out sections of proof sheets to denote drawing and/or text placement.
FINAL ART: refers to drawings of pages as they appear in book. usually matted or covered in plastic.
GOUACHE: technique of painting with opaque watercolors prepared with gum; most used color medium by Ms. Brown.
MANUSCRIPT FOR BOOK: refers to hand written or typed versions of text with few or no sketches on pages.
MANUSCRIPT FOR FILMSTRIP: refers to hand-written or typed version of narrative to accompany filmstrip.
NOTES ON PALETTE: listings of suggested colors, medium, etc to be used in drawings.
PRESS SHEETS: copy of book printed on one large (approximately 40 x 43 but may be larger) sheet of paper.
P-SLIP: A small slip of paper, normally 5 x 3 or smaller. P-slips are often made into pads.
PROOF SHEETS: And impression or reproduction made by the printer of the book in order that it may be altered and/or corrected before final printing.
REVIEWS: reviews of book from different sources
SKETCHBOOK: refers to a bound volume of sketches; may contain notes on text, palette, drawings, etc.
SKETCHES: refers to sketches, studies, unfinished drawings etc. related to project.
TRIAL PRINTS: refers to test prints of wood cuts. (may include color tests)
WORKING DRAWINGS: refers to drawings that are of recognizable pages in finished book.
Series I: Autobiographical/Biographical Material 1946-96
This series includes autobiographical material and items from current biographical directories. Articles about Brown are from August 1962, January 1963, and August 1983. It also includes undated photographs. There are clippings concerning Lt. Col. Helen E. Brown, Anne Carroll Moore (obituary), Roaul Dufy, and Pierre Bonnard. Interview material (1964-82) is included as well as biographical information supplied by the processors.
Series II: Certificates and Citations 1962-84
This series includes certificates from the Society of Illustrators, 1962; The Hans Christian Andersen Award, 1966 and 1976; the Arkansas Traveler, 1982; and from the English Speaking Union of the United State-Ambassador of Honor, 1984.
Series III: Correspondence 1946-92
This series is divided into a small amount of personal correspondence and a large amount of professional correspondence including selected subjects (Alice Dalgliesh, Bertha Miller, Rith Holl Viguers, Lee Kingman, Lee Anna Deadrick as well as collected letters from librarians, teachers, and school children).The largest amount of correspondence is arranged alphabetically according to specific publishing projects.
Series IV: Writings, Lectures, Speeches, and Chalk Talks 1940-94 as well as undated material
This series includes handwritten notes, typed pages, proofs and printed pages for lectures and writings. Material related to specific Caldecott Award winners (Cinderella, Once a Mouse, Shadow) as well as material related to the Regina Medal and the Laura Ingalls Wilder award are included, along with lecture notes and cards. Special note should be taken of the art work grouped with the material used in chalk talks, especially the dummies created for Cinderella, Dick Whittington, Henry's Island (Henry Fisherman), Once a Mouse, Puss in Boots, Skipper John's Cook, and Stone Soup.
Series V: Speeches, Writings and Lectures by Others 1946-78 as well as undated material
This series includes writings by Alice Dalgleish, Muriel Fuller, Ethel Heins, Selma Lanes, Hannah Miller, Ann Sperber, Roy Toothaker, Mellie Uyldert, Ruth Walter; essays by students; and a speech by Ann Atwood.
This series includes material specific to one particular individual (Anne Carroll Moore, Jean Charlot, Beatrix Potter, Hans Christian Andersen), place (Hawaii) or subject: technical information including articles of prints and printmaking, samples and notes; bibliographies; conferences and workshops, including announcements and programs; exhibitions catalogs; award announcements; programs for award luncheons and dinners; notable listings where Brown's books are chosen for excellence by different sources including The Horn Book Magazine and The ALA Bulletin.
Series VII: Projects by Brown 1942-95
This series is the heart of the collection and showcases the wide use of media and technique that Marcia Brown utilizes. Each one of her books is a separate and unique piece of art with it's own colors, design, and media to distinguish it. The series ranges from 1942 through to 1995 and covers all published children's books that Brown authored, translated, and/or illustrated, in chronological order, including her three Caldecott award winning books Stone Soup, Cinderella, and Shadow.
Each project indicates if there is a copy of the book in the University at Albany, SUNY Library (a. call numbers) or if a copy was donated by Brown (*). Page numbers always refer to this edition. Special note should be taken that most donated copies contain hand-done dedications and artwork. Material is then arranged within projects to mirror the publication process: drafts of manuscripts, sketchbooks, sketches, drawings, dummies of book, woodblocks, trial prints, original final artwork, color separations, proof sheets and press sheets. As much as possible, material has been identified by corresponding page number. Several non-published projects are also included as well as non-print projects such as filmstrips and a play for which Ms. Brown did both set and costume designs. At the end of the series are groupings of miscellaneous materials not related to any one project: sketche drawings, sketchbooks, wood and linoleum blocks, and woodblock prints in black and in color.
For ease of location these projects are listed below in alphabetical order. The number denotes the listing within the chronologlical order.
Series VIII. Projects by Others:
This series includes original art by: Elizabeth Olds; Elizabeth McKinstry; Roger Du Voisin; Susan Suba; Fritz Eichenberg; circa Lovat Fraser; Bill Haynes; Glen Rounds; Merle Bierberg; and large pieces of Japanese origami based on Three Billy Goats Gruff by an unknown artist. There is also printed artwork by Anne Carroll Moore and Fritz Eichenberg as well as a set of Italian stamps. Also included in this series are works by school children sent to Marcia Brown and a sketch and photo of Anne Carroll Moore's "Nicholas" puppet.
Series IX. Reviews, Clippings and Promotional Material:
This series includes all newspaper and magazine clippings, reviews, and other promotional material for most of Marcia Brown's published works as well as several of the audiovisual items. Material is arranged alphabetically.
Series X. Audio Visual Materials by Brown:
This series includes the slide carousels for Connections and The Crystal and the Rose as well as their accompanying speeches on index cards; the filmstrip for The Crystal Cavern and loose slides for Hans Christian Andersen. There are also filmstrips for Shadow, Cinderella, Puss in Boots, Stone Soup, and Three Billy Goats Gruff. Text booklets from Weston Woods are included as well as miscellaneous audio cassettes of interviews, Shadow acceptance speech and text for the "Hans Christian Andersen" filmstrip not produced.
Series XI. Audio Visual Materials by Others:
This series includes a set of boxed filmstrips and cassette tapes from
Lyceum Productions and loose set of filmstrips and cassettes also from Lyceum.
Artists represented include: Nancy Roberts; Elizabeth
Baldwin Hazelton; Ann Atwood; Lyn Lacy; and Gerald McDermott. There is also
an audiocassette with the Caldecott acceptance speeches of Leo and Diane
Dillon and the Newbery acceptance speech of Mildred D. Taylor.
Series XII. Puppet Theater Puppets and Accompanying Material:
This series brings together all materials associated with puppet theaters created by Brown, including scripts, musical scores, puppets, costumes, scenery, props, curtains, lights, and sets. Complete hand puppet theaters exist for Anansi The Spider Man, Dick Wittington and His Sensational Cat, Puss in Boots, and Tom Tit Tot.
Series XIII. Helen Masten Papers 193484:
The Helen Masten papers include correspondence, memorabilia, and original artwork by Marcia Brown and others. Correspondents include: Laura Beuet; Margery Bianco; Pamela Bianco; Robert Burch; James Dougherty; Ruth Durand; Roger Du Voisin; Marie Ets; Dorothy Lathrop; Katherine Milhous; Bertha Miller; Anne Carroll Moore; Glen Rounds; Frances Clarke Sayers; and Violette Verdy.
There are also listings of general material such as visiting cards, invitations, posters, and photographs and for material directly related to one of Marcia Browns projects. The projects are listed in chronological order. Original artwork by Marcia Brown such as watercolor sketches, cards, monotype from The Steadfast Soldier, a small handmade book is listed under gifts by Marcia Brown. A separate listing is made of giftsoriginal artwork by others and includes cards by Pamela Bianco, drawing by Addison Burbank, card by James Daugherty, card from Glen Rounds, hand colored book signed by Maurice Sendak, and small booklets, artists unknown.
This series merely lists duplicate items that were not included in the regular collection. These include numerous copies of a two-sided biographical sketch printed by Scribner's; 90 additional wood prints done for Dick Whittington and His Cat, proof sheets from Anansi The Spider Man, and Caldecott dinner favors from Cinderella.
Series XV: Marcia Brown's Library
The final series is a listing of all the books donated by Marcia Brown. This includes her own works as well as books by others with a separate listing of the books donated as part of the Helen Masten papers. Subjects covered include several books on Hawaii, Hans Christian Andersen (books both by and about him) and Children's literature. Books written, translated, and/or illustrated by Marcia Brown which were donated are also indicated within the finding guide under each individual project listing.
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Andersen, Hans Christian. Steadfast Tin Soldier. New York: Scribner's, 1953. (2 copies)
. Steadfast Tin Soldier
. The Wild Swans. New York: Scribner's, 1963. 2 copies.
Asbjornsen, P.C. and J. E. Moore. Three Billy Goats Gruff. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1957.
. Three Billy Goats Gruff. Japanese. Tokyo: Fukuinkan-Shoten, 1965.
. Three Billy Goats Gruff. Afrikaans. Oranjezicht:Anansi-Uitgewers, 1993. (2 copies)
. Three Billy Goats Gruff. Xhosa (Bantu language of Africa). Oranjezicht: Anansi Publishers, 1993.
Brown, Marcia. All Butterflies. New York: Scribner's, 1974.
. Backbone of the King. New York: Scribner's, 1966.
. Backbone of the King. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press Edition, 1984.
. The Blue Jackal. New York: Scribner's, 1977.
. The Bun. New York: Harcourt Brace Jananovich, Inc., 1972.
. The Bun. Japanese. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co., 1976. (2 copies)
. Dick Whittington and his Cat. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1950
. Dick Whittington and his Cat. Afrikaans. Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau, 1968. (2 copies)
. Felice. New York: Scribner's, 1958.
. Felice. Book with record (Talking Storybook), New York: Scribner's, 1958.
. Felice. Japanese. Tokyo: Tuttle-Mori Agency, Inc., 1988. (2 copies)
. The Flying Carpet. New York: Scribner's, 1956. (2 copies)
. Henry Fisherman. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1949.
. Listen to a Shape. New York: Franklin Watts, 1979.
. The Little Carousel. New York: Scribner's, 1946.
. The Neighbors. New York: Scribner's, 1967.
. Once a Mouse. New York: Scribner's, 1961.
. Skipper John's Cook. New York: Scribner's, 1951.
. The Steadfast Tin Soldier. New York: Scribner's, 1953. (2 copies)
. The Steadfast Tin Soldier. Japanese; combined with Puss in Boots.
. Stone Soup. English. New York: Scribner's, 1947. (2 copies)
. Stone Soup. Afrikaans. Mandini: Qalitas Uitgewers, 1975.
Adams, Ansel. An Introduction to Hawaii. Text by Edward Joesting. San Francisco: Five Associates, 1964.The Advocate. (periodical) Vol. 1, no. 3, Spring 1982.
Aesop. Twelve Fables of Aesop. Narrated by Glenway Westcott and illustrated by Antonio Frasconi. New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1954.
. Den lille Aesop. Copenhagen: Gyldendal, 1945.
. Fables of Aesop. According to Sir Roger L'Estrange. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1931.
AIGA Journal. (periodical) vol. III, no. 2
Album de Animales Mexicanos. Illustrated by Gabriel Fernandez Ledesma. Mexico: Ediciones de la Secretaria de Educacion, 1944.
American Library Association. Notable Children's Books 1940-70. Chicago: American Library Association, 1977.
Andersen, Hans Christian. The Little Mermaid, The Little Match Girl and The Wild Swans. undated (Japanese Edition)
. Fairy Tales and Legends by Hans Christian Andersen. London: Cobden-Sanderson, 1935. (Enclosures)
. (Translated by Mary Howitt) The Improvisatore. New York: Hard & Houghton, 1870.
. The Little Mermaid. 1951.
. The Snow Queen. Miller Brody Publications, 1975. (Read by Eva Le Galliene, Part I & Part II)
. Six Fairy Tales. Translated by Jean Hersholt and illustrated by Vilhelm Pedersen. Copenhagen: Det Berlingske Bogtrykkeri, 1955. (2 copies)
. Kate Greenaway's Original Drawings for The Snow Queen.
. Andersen's Tales for Children. London: George Bell & Sons, 1883.
. The Complete Fairy Tales & Stories of Hans Christian Andersen. New York: Doubleday & Co., Inc., 1974. (Translated by Erik Christian Haugaard)
. Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen. New York: Crown Publishers Inc., [1975?].
. Hans Andersen Forty-Two Stories. London: Faber & Faber, 1971.
. H.C. Andersen Eventyr OG Historier. Odense: Flensteds Forlag, 1961.
. Hans Andersen Fairy Tales. London: Frederick Warne & Co. undated (Translated by Mrs. H.B. Paul)
. Hans Christian Andersen: The Fairy Tale of My Life. New York: British Book Centre Inc., 1951
L'Art Du Livre. New York: Le Studio LTD., [1914?].
Atwood, Ann and Erica Anderson. For All That Lives. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1975.
Atwood, Ann. Fly with the Wind, Flow with the Water. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1979.
. The Little Circle. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1967.
. Haiku: The Mood of Earth. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1971. (2 copies)
Aldin, Cecil. An Artist's Models. London: H.F. & G. Witherby, undated This is number 288 of a signed edition series of 310 copies.Andersen, Hans Christian. Fairy Tales. New York: Charles scribner's Sons, 1869. With case.
Contemporary American Illustrators of Children's Books. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Art Gallery, 1974.
Dick Whittington and his Cat. New York: Holiday House, 1937.
14 Jamaican Short Stories. Kingston, Jamaica: Pioneer Press, 1950.
Horn Book Magazine. Volume XXV, number 5, September-October 1949.
Horn Book Magazine. Volume XXXVII, number 2, April 1961.
Horn Book Magazine. Volume XL, number 5, October 1964.
Ishii, Momoko. Seven Years of My Little History. Japanese. The Children's Libraries (?), 1965 (?).
. Folk Toys of Japan. Color Books. (With accompanying card "To Helen With warmest greetings! Momoko.")
Lane, Margaret. Hill Top Sawrey. London: The National Trust, 1947. (14 page booklet in color)
Lebedeff, Jean. Perrault: Histoires Ou Contes Du Temps Passe. Paris: A. Tallone, 1950. Hand printed with case.
Mother Shipton's Legacy or, A Favorite Fortune-Book, to which is given, a pleasing interpretation of Dreams: and a collection of Prophetic Verfes, Moral and Entertaining. York: Wilson, Spence, & Mawman, 1797.
Nisizawa, Tekiho. Japanese Folk Toys. Board of Tourist Industry, Japanese Government Railways, 1939.
Radlov, N. Rasskazy v kartinkakh. Leningrad, 1972.
Reed, Henry Hope. The New York Public Library: Its Architecture and Decoration. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1986.
Sackville-West, V. Nursery Rhymes. London: Dropmore Press, undated This is number 327 of a numbered series of 550 copies.
Shepard, Ernest H. Drawn From Memory. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd., 1957.
Shishido, Misako. The Folk Toys of Japan. Tokyo: Japan Publications Trading Company, 1963.
Spink, Reginald. Hans Christian Andersen and his World. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1972.
Tolstoy, L. N. Rasskazy. Illustrated by V. Fëdotava. Moscow, 1973.
Vildrac, Charles. Rose Island. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co., Inc., 1957.
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