Charles and Leta English Hess papers
name: label: Creator
content: Hess, Leta English, 1921-
label: Creator
content: Hess, Charles, 1921-
label: Names
content: Hess, Leta English, 1921-
label: Names
content: Macdonald-Wright, Stanton, 1890-1973
label: Names
content: Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
topic: label: Occupation
content: Painters -- California
label: Occupation
content: Art teachers -- California
label: Topic
content: Painting -- Study and teaching
label: Topic
content: Painting, American
label: Topic
content: Women artists
label: Topic
content: Women painters
label: Topic
content: Women educators
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated 1990 and 1997 by Charles Hess.
creator: label: Creator
content: Hess, Leta English, 1921-
label: Creator
content: Hess, Charles, 1921-
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Painters, art instructor; California.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 2.1 Linear Feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1895-1987
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.hessleta
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
altformavail: label: Existence and Location of Copies
content: Ten letters from Stanton Macdonald-Wright to Charles Hess (1954-1965) were microfilmed on reel 4386 and are available for use at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Biographical material, correspondence, photographs, writings, a scrapbook, and printed material document the Hess family and the painting and teaching careers of Leta English Hess and her husband Charles Hess.
label: Scope and Contents
content: Biographical materials (1921-1986) include birth and death certificates, documents pertaining to Leta Hess' father Joe English, a memoir written by her mother, Mae Serrano English (1975), diplomas, teaching certificates, awards, resumes, and her diary (1935-1939). Correspondence consists of letters received (ca. 1940-1980); files for individual correspondents, including Alan Bayles, Charles Hess, Leta's son Chuck Hess, Mimi Lawrence, and Frank Rivera; and files for the Corcoran Biennial Exhibitions (1956-1961) and the Leta and Charles Hess Retrospective Exhibition (1983-1986). Also found are ten letters from Stanton Macdonald-Wright to Hess (1954-1965) relating to his views of the relationship between patrons and artists, the 1956 Paris art scene, contemporary art criticism, the art market, and his break with the Duveen Graham Gallery.
label: Scope and Contents
content: Photographs show Leta Hess (1920s, 1940s), her paintings and exhibition installations (ca. 1942-1985), and family members, including Joe and Mae Serrano English, Charles Hess, and their children (1950s-1980s); and slides of Hess' work. Writings by Leta Hess include term papers, a statement of intent for her Master of Arts degree (1954), notes on painting (1960, 1975-1986), some written jointly with Charles Hess, and lecture notes (ca. 1953-1964). A scrapbook pertaining to her art and teaching contains a curriculum vitae, a 2 p. essay on painting, clippings of reviews, exhibition announcments, photographs of exhibitions, and copies of letters concerning awards and exhibitions.