Ralph Soule Du Casse papers
name: label: Creator
content: Du Casse, Ralph Soule, 1916-
topic: label: Occupation
content: Painters -- California -- San Francisco
label: Occupation
content: Art teachers -- California -- San Francisco
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The Ralph Soule Du Casse papers were donated in 1979 by Ralph Soule Du Casse.
creator: label: Creator
content: Du Casse, Ralph Soule, 1916-
setName: label: See more items in
content: Ralph Soule Du Casse papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The Ralph Soule Du Casse papers measure 4 linear feet and date from circa 1892-1980. They illustrate his career through biographical materials, correspondence, writings, personal business records, printed and photographic materials, and artwork.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Ralph Soule Du Casse (1916-2003) was a painter who worked primarily in San Francisco, California.


Ralph Soule Du Casse was born in Kentucky and attended the University of Cincinnati in 1940 where he gained a bachelor's degree, and at the University of California in Berkeley where he obtained a master's in 1948. He also studied with Hans Hoffman and attended the California College of Arts in 1950 where he obtained an additional master's degree in fine arts. His early paintings ranged from a loose and gestural abstract style to a linear style rooted in cubism. 


During World War Two Du Casse served in the U.S. Army's cavalry corps and was honorably discharged due to demobilization. After the war he studied in Sorbonne in Paris. Du Casse taught at the University of California, Berkeley, the California College of Arts and Crafts, and the California School of Fine Art. Throughout the 1970s he was chairman of the art department at Mills College in Oakland.


Du Casse has had exhibitions at the Lucien Labaudt Gallery, the Rotunda Gallery, the Guggenheim Museum, the University of Illinois, the Syracuse Museum in New York, and many others. His work is housed in the collections of the Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Modern Art in Brazil, the museum of modern art in San Francisco, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. It also resides in the private collections of Vincent Price, Phyllis Wattis, and the Haas family collection in San Francisco. 


Ralph Soule Du Casse died on December 30, 2003 in the San Francisco Bay area.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 4 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1892-1980
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.ducaralp
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Drawings
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: This collection consists of seven series.

Series 1: Biographical Materials, circa 1892-1970 (.2 Linear feet: Box 1, OV 6)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1913-1976 (.2 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, circa 1908-1971 (.5 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 4: Personal Business Records, circa 1930-1977 (.3 Linear feet: Boxes 1-2)

Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1909-1977 (2.3 Linear feet: Boxes 2-4)

Series 6: Photographic Material, circa 1904-1980 (.4 Linear feet: Box 5, OV 7)

Series 7: Artwork, circa 1940-1980 (.1 Linear feet: Box 5)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: This collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared, by Allessandra Liberati in 2023.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Portions of the collection are available on 35mm microfilm reels 4023-4025 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Drawings
label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The Ralph Soule Du Casse papers measure 4 linear feet and date from circa 1892-1980. Biographical material consists of Du Casse's resume, materials regarding Du Casse's military records and career, and documents regarding genealogical records and family members. Correspondence is to and from Du Casse and includes family and business correspondence. Writings consist of a script for Du Casse's play "Route Order," a typescript of "West Coast School of Painting Since 1946", and other writings by Du Casse. Also present are writings by others including "Ralph Du Casse Exhibition" by Louise Ballard and a typescript of "The Bold Noo World of Ralph Soule Du Casse" by Annette Kazuko Kaide.

Personal business records consist of materials related to Du Casse's time as a teacher, lists of artworks and sales records, travel records, and other miscellaneous business records. Printed material includes a scrapbook compiled by Du Casse's father, Ralph R. Du Casse (1926-1960) and a disassembled scrapbook compiled by Du Casse containing letters, school records, four sketches, clippings, announcements, and photographs (1909-1967). Also included are various news clippings, press releases, exhibition announcements and catalogs for Du Casse and for others, brochures and pamphlets, and programs and other printed material. Photographic material consists of personal photographs of Du Casse and his family and friends, as well as his artwork. Artwork includes a folder of seven sketches.