Allen Tupper True and True family papers
name: label: Creator
content: True, Allen Tupper, 1881-1955
label: Names
content: Borglum, Gutzon, 1867-1941
label: Names
content: Brangwyn, Frank, Sir, 1867-1956
label: Names
content: Pyle, Howard, 1853-1911
label: Names
content: Wyeth, N. C. (Newell Convers), 1882-1945
topic: label: Occupation
content: Muralists -- Colorado -- Denver
label: Topic
content: Indians of North America -- Portraits
label: Topic
content: Mural painting and decoration, American
label: Topic
content: Works of art
label: Topic
content: Artists' studios -- Photographs
label: Topic
content: Illustrators -- Colorado -- Denver
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The Allen Tupper True and True family papers were donated in February and April 1988 by True's daughter Jane True Mueller and his son, Frank True.
creator: label: Creator
content: True, Allen Tupper, 1881-1955
setName: label: See more items in
content: Allen Tupper True and True family papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The Allen Tupper True and True family papers date from 1841 to 1987 and measure 8.2 linear feet. The collection presents a good overview of True's personal life and and his career as mural painter and illustrator specializing in Western themes.
bioghist: label: Biographical Note
content: Allen Tupper True (1881-1955) was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1881. He was a student at the University of Denver, and studied at the Corcoran School of Art, Washington, D.C. between 1901 and 1902. In 1902, he was accepted into Howard Pyle's classes in Chadd's Ford, Pennsylvania, and studied there until 1908, befriending classmates George Harding, Gordon McCouch, Thornton Oakley, and N.C. Wyeth. Through Pyle, True began his career as a magazine illustrator.

From approximately 1913-1915, True worked with British muralist Frank Brangwyn, assisting Brangwyn in the execution of murals at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, California.

After marrying Emma Goodman Eaton in 1915 (divorced 1934), True launched his career as a mural painter. His most notable works include the mural decorations in the state capitol buildings of Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wyoming, as well as murals for the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company Building and the Civic Center in Denver, Colorado. True specialized in depicting Western and Native American themes.

From 1934-1945, True acted as consultant for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, in charge of and designing all decoration and color schemes for the Boulder Dam power plant, Grand Coulee Dam, and the Shasta Dam, among others.

True was a Unitarian Mason, and a member of the Mural Painters of America, Beta Theta Pi, Cactus Club of Denver, and the Author's Club, London. He died in 1955.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 8.2 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1841-1987
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.truealle
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Sketches
label: Type
content: Diaries
label: Type
content: Drawings
label: Type
content: Christmas cards
label: Type
content: Illustrated letters
label: Type
content: Cartoons (working drawings)
label: Type
content: Sketchbooks
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into thirteen series according to material type. The contents of each series have been arranged chronologically. Glass plate negatives are housed separately and closed to researchers.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1895-1964, undated (box 1, 7 folders)

Series 2: Subject Files, 1873-1955 (box 1, 23 folders)

Series 3: Correspondence, 1841-1956 (boxes 1-4, 3.5 linear ft.)

Series 4: Business Records, 1903-1951 (box 4, 4 folders)

Series 5: Notes, 1902-1920 (box 5, 10 folders)

Series 6: Writings, 1896-1926 (box 5, 5 folders)

Series 7: Artwork, 1897-1923 (boxes 5, 10, and OV 11, 0.5 linear ft.)

Series 8: Project Files, 1912-1987 (boxes 5-6 and 10, 0.75 linear ft.)

Series 9: Photographs, 1859-1950 (boxes 6-7, 1.5 linear ft.)

Series 10: Scrapbook, 1934 (box 7, 1 volume)

Series 11: Printed Material, 1875-1981 (box 7, 21 folders)

Series 12: Artifacts, ca. 1863 (boxes 7 and 10, 9 items)

Series 13: Glass Plate Negatives, undated (boxes 8-9, 0.8 linear ft.)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed and the finding aid written by Jean Fitzgerald, February 28, 1994. The finding aid was modified by Stephanie Ashley in 2002 during EAD conversion.
altformavail: label: Alternative Forms Available
content: The collection is available on 35 mm microfilm reels 4891-4898 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of the material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Sketches
label: Genre/Form
content: Diaries
label: Genre/Form
content: Drawings
label: Genre/Form
content: Christmas cards
label: Genre/Form
content: Illustrated letters
label: Genre/Form
content: Cartoons (working drawings)
label: Genre/Form
content: Sketchbooks
scopecontent: label: Scope and Content Note
content: The Allen Tupper True and True family papers date from 1841 to 1987 and measure 8.2 linear feet. The collection presents a good overview of True's personal life and and his career as mural painter and illustrator specializing in Western themes. Through art work, project files, photographs, and printed material, the collection offers a rich resource, both textually and visually of True's research and work on documenting early twentieth century Native Americans cultural traditions. The papers also document True's childhood and his relationship with his family through various family papers, such as correspondence, genealogies, subject files, photographs, and a scrapbook. The collection is a particularly rich resource for the study of Allen Tupper True's work, as well as original documentation of the American West and Native American culture.