Charles W. and Frances White letters and photographs to Melvin and Lorraine Williamson
name: label: Creator
content: White, Charles (1918-1979)
label: Creator
content: Williamson, Mel
label: Names
content: White, Frances Barrett
label: Names
content: Williamson, Lorraine, 1926-2018
topic: label: Occupation
content: Painters -- California -- Los Angeles
label: Occupation
content: Printmakers -- California -- Los Angeles
label: Occupation
content: Educators
label: Occupation
content: Art directors -- New York (State) -- New York
label: Topic
content: African American artists
label: Topic
content: African American painters
label: Topic
content: Interracial marriage
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The Charles W. and Frances White letters and photographs to Melvin and Lorraine Williamson were donated to the Archives of American Art in 2019 by Lisa Rosenburg, Melvin and Lorraine Williamson's daughter.
creator: label: Creator
content: White, Charles (1918-1979)
label: Creator
content: Williamson, Mel
setName: label: See more items in
content: Charles W. and Frances White letters and photographs to Melvin and Lorraine Williamson
abstract: label: Summary
content: The Charles W. and Frances White letters and photographs to Melvin and Lorraine Williamson measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1956 to 1961. The collection includes twenty-eight letters written by Charles and Frances White to Melvin (Mel) and Lorraine Williamson shortly after their arrival in California. Approximately half of the letters are written by Charles, the other half by Frances, and two letters are written jointly. Most are signed from "Chas & Fran." Also included in the collection are photographs that Charles and Frances sent the Williamsons of their home and Charles' studio, and printed material including clippings and exhibition brochures.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Painter, printmaker, and educator, Charles W. White (1918-1979) was a prominent figure in the Chicago Black Renaissance and became one of the most celebrated and influential African American artists of the twentieth century. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, White lived and worked throughout the country, settling in California in 1956. He taught at the Otis Art Institute from 1965 until his death. White's artwork was primarily figurative and depicted African American history, socio-economic struggles, and human relationships.

Charles and Frances Barrett White (1926-2000) married in 1950. They relocated to Los Angeles in 1956. Frances Barrett White was a social worker and educator who spent her early years in New York City. In 1994, she published a book, Reaches of the Heart: A Biography of Charles White.

Melvin Williamson (1923-1995) was an artist, author, and the art director of Viking Press. He attended the Art Institute of Chicago before moving to New York.

Lorraine Rosen Williamson (1926-2018) was an educator and a docent at the Jewish Heritage Museum in New York City.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 0.2 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1956-1961
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.willimel
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: This collection is arranged as one series.
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Rayna Andrews in 2019 with funding from the Henry Luce Foundation and digitized in 2021 with funding provided by the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: The collection was digitized in 2021 and is available on the Archives of American Art website.
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The Charles W. and Frances White letters and photographs to Melvin and Lorraine Williamson measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1956 to 1961. The collection includes twenty-eight letters written by Charles and Frances White to Melvin (Mel) and Lorraine Williamson shortly after their arrival in California. The letters refer to financial and personal struggles, as well career triumphs and current events. In addition to their shared Chicago background, both the Whites and Williamsons were interracial couples. The letters include references to racial and social dynamics, especially comparing California to New York. Approximately half of the letters are written by Charles, the other half by Frances, and two letters are written jointly. Most are signed from "Chas & Fran." 

The collection also contains photographs, negatives, and slides depicting Charles and Frances with friends, their home, and Charles' studio. Many photographs include explanatory notes. Also included are clippings and exhibition brochures for Charles White's 1958 exhibition at ACA Gallery, as well as Anton Refregier's Recent Paintings exhibition.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: The Archives of American Art also holds the Charles W. White papers, the Lucinda H. Gedeon research material on Charles White, and an oral history interview with Charles W. White conducted by Betty Hoag, March 9, 1965.