Mabel Alvarez papers
name: label: Creator
content: Alvarez, Mabel, 1891-1985
label: Names
content: Honolulu Academy of Arts
label: Names
content: Otis Art Institute
label: Names
content: San Joaquin Pioneer Museum
label: Names
content: Macdonald-Wright, Stanton, 1890-1973
topic: label: Occupation
content: Portrait painters -- California -- Los Angeles
label: Topic
content: Latino and Latin American artists
label: Topic
content: Women artists
label: Topic
content: Women painters
label: Topic
content: Art, Modern
label: Topic
content: Works of art
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The Mabel Alvarez papers were donated to the Archives of American Art in 1988 by Glenn Basset, art dealer and friend of Mabel Alvarez.
creator: label: Creator
content: Alvarez, Mabel, 1891-1985
setName: label: See more items in
content: Mabel Alvarez papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: The Mabel Alvarez papers measure 2.3 linear feet and date from 1898 to 1987. The papers include scattered biographical information, scattered letters, unpublished prose, printed materials, sketchbooks, expense books, notebooks, diaries and journals, address books, photographs, and scrapbooks documenting the life and career of Los Angeles painter Mabel Alvarez.
bioghist: label: Biographical Note
content: Mabel Alvarez (1891-1985) established her career as a portrait painter in California. Born in Hawaii, she moved to Los Angeles as a child and later studied with Stanton Macdonald Wright. Her early work was characterized by interests in Symbolism and Art Nouveau as well as the influences of Impressionism. Alvarez also studied with William Cahill at the School for Illustration and Painting which Cahill founded with John Hubbard Rich in 1914.

As a young woman, Alvarez was influenced by the philosophical writings of Will Levington Comfort, who espoused the principles of Theosophy and Eastern mysticism. She attended lectures and meditation sessions at Comfort's Highland Park home, experiences which fostered artistic experimentation and departure. Alvarez became part of the "Group of Eight" in 1922, a forward thinking artists collective which veered away from the predictable standards of the California Art Club. The members of the group were Henri de Kruif, Luvena and Edouard Vysekal, Donna Schuster, Roscoe Shrader, Clarence Hinkle and her former teacher, John Hubbard Rich.

Her work took a decisive turn when she met the painter Morgan Russel in 1927. At this time her paintings became more figurative rather than decorative or ambiguous, with delicate choices of color, a skill she mastered by the end of her career. Mabel Alvarez continued to paint through her sixties and seventies, and to exhibit regularly, including with the Women Painters West organization. She is noted for her important role in the emergence of Southern California Modernism and is remembered for her contribution to California Impressionism as well as to figure, still life and portrait painting.

Mabel Alvarez died on March 13, 1985 at the age of 93.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 2.3 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1898-1987
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.alvamabe
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Diaries
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Sketchbooks
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into eleven series based primarily on document type and chronological order.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1907-1970 (Box 1; 3 folders; reel 5672)

Series 2: Letters, 1909-1978 (Box 1; 1 folder; reel 5672)

Series 3: Writings, 1898, 1910-1935, undated (Box 1; 11 folders; reel 5672)

Series 4: Printed Material, 1917-1987, undated (Box 1; 10 folders; reel 5672)

Series 5: Sketchbooks, 1949-1950, undated (Box 1; 2 folders; reel 5672)

Series 6: Expense Books, 1914-1977 (Box 1; 1 folder; reel 5672)

Series 7: Notebooks on Exhibition and Paintings, 1921-1953 (Box 1; 1 folder; reel 5673)

Series 8: Diaries and Journals, 1909-1984 (Box 1-2; 15 folders; reel 5673-5675)

Series 9: Address Books, undated (Box 2; 2 folders; reel 5675)

Series 10: Photographs, 1905-1983, undated (Box 2; 5 folders; reel 5675)

Series 11: Scrapbooks, 1898-1984 (Box 3; 2 scrapbooks; reel 5675)
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: The collection was originally processed by Olivia Evens in 1991. A finding aid and reel/box inventory was completed by Rosa M. Fernandez in September 2000.
altformavail: label: Alternative Forms Available
content: The collection is available on 35mm microfilm reels 5672-5675 at 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: Diaries
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
label: Genre/Form
content: Sketchbooks
scopecontent: label: Scope and Content Note
content: The papers of Mabel Alvarez (1898-1985) measure 2.3 linear feet and date from 1898-1987. The collection documents both her painting career as well as her personal life through correspondence, original writings, sketches, printed material, diaries and journals, financial records, and scrapbooks.