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Finding aid for the Paul Outerbridge papers, 1915-1979 (bulk 1922-1958)
Finding aid prepared by Andra Darlington.
Finding aid for the Paul 870520 1 Outerbridge papers, 1915-1979 (bulk 1922-1958) ... Descriptive Summary Title: Paul Outerbridge papers Date (inclusive): 1915-1979 (bulk 1922-1958) Number: 870520 Creator/Collector: Outerbridge, Paul Physical Description: 16.5 linear ft.(17 boxes) Repository: The Getty Research Institute Special Collections 1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100 Los Angeles, California, 90049-1688 (310) 440-7390 Abstract: The Paul Outerbridge papers document the American photographer's artistic and professional life from his earliest art studies in 1915 through his varied career as an innovator in advertising photography, a pioneer in color photography, and a freelance writer. The archive includes correspondence, notebooks and diaries, typescripts, drawings and sketches, business records, scrapbooks, a portfolio, autobiographical and biographical statements, and intermittent clippings and ephemera. Request Materials: Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the catalog record for this collection. Click here for the access policy . Language: Collection material is in English Biographical/Historical Note American photographer Paul Outerbridge (1896-1958) was born in New York City. He studied anatomy and aesthetics at the Art Students' League of New York from 1915 to 1917 while working as a theatrical designer and illustrator, among other jobs. In 1917 he joined the Canadian Royal Flying Corps. Discharged after a minor crash, Outerbridge enlisted in the United States Army and gained his first photographic experience documenting materials and operations for the army at a lumber camp in Oregon. In 1921 he enrolled at the Clarence H. White School of Photography, New York, where he studied with White and Max Weber. Although he did not complete the program at the White School, Outerbridge demonstrated such proficiency that he was soon invited to teach there. His first published photograph appeared in Vogue in 1922, the same year he became acquainted with Alfred Stieglitz and studied sculpture with Alexander Archipenko. Through meticulous composition and manipulation of light, Outerbridge transformed everyday objects into formal abstractions of mass and line, light and shadow. His innovative photographs were widely praised and published in magazines such as Vanity fair, Harper's bazaar, and Vogue. As a freelance advertising photographer, he reinterpreted the ‘product shot' in his own visual language, as seen in the crisp precision and Cubist aesthetic of his Ide collar advertisement, first published in the July 1922 issue of Vanity fair (see series VI). Marcel Duchamp was reportedly so impressed with the image that he tore it from a magazine and tacked it to his studio wall. This landmark of early modernism in commercial photography led to more commissions, and Outerbridge had his first solo exhibition at the Art Center, New York, in 1924. Outerbridge interrupted his New York success by moving to Paris in 1925, then to Berlin three years later where he became briefly involved in filmmaking. In Paris he met Edward Steichen, with whom he developed a friendly rivalry while they both worked for the French edition of Vogue. Man Ray was a frequent companion and entries in Outerbridge's pocket diaries from the period mention encounters with numerous other artists, including Duchamp, Berenice Abbott, Kiki de Montparnasse, and Constantin Brancusi (see series II). Shortly after his return to the United States in 1930, Outerbridge moved to Monsey, New York. There he concentrated on his pioneering work in color photography, eventually perfecting his technique with the complex tri-color carbro process. As described in U.S. camera, "Technically his carbros are gems. Their color range, their flesh tones, their unbelievable fidelity make them the envy of all who see them" (no. 2, 1939, p. 80). The primary subject of his technical virtuosity was the female nude, often exoticized or fetishized with props, sometimes with menacing overtones. The full-color realism of the nudes shocked some viewers and resulted in scandal, to which Outerbridge responded, "What this country needs is more and better nudes" (Outerbridge, "The Nude," undated typescript, series III). Outerbridge's book, Photographing in color, was published by Random House in 1940. In 1943 Outerbridge moved from New York to California hoping to transition from photography to motion pictures. He never found work in the film industry, however, and instead earned an irregular livelihood as a portrait photographer and freelance writer, contributing articles and illustrations to photographic and travel magazines. From 1954 until his death he
Finding aid for the Paul 870520 2 Outerbridge papers, 1915-1979 (bulk 1922-1958) ... wrote the monthly column "About Color" for U.S. camera. Paul Outerbridge died October 17, 1958, in Laguna Beach, California. Access Open for use by qualified researchers. Publication Rights Contact Library Reproductions and Permissions . Preferred Citation Paul Outerbridge papers, 1915-1979 (bulk 1915-1958), Getty Research Institute, Research Library, Accession no. 870520 http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa870520 Acquisition Information Acquired in 1987. Scope and Content of Collection The Paul Outerbridge papers constitute the surviving body of documents relating to the American photographer's artistic and professional life from his earliest art studies in 1915 through his varied career as an innovator in advertising photography, a pioneer in color photography, and a freelance writer. Letters to and from Outerbridge document the acquisition, exhibition, and publication of his work, while professional records itemize prints sold and loaned. A large portion of the archive consists of Outerbridge's writings, which range from early poems to a draft and a proof of his book, Photographing in color (New York: Random House, 1940), to typescript drafts of articles. Among the articles are drafts of every issue, from 1954 until his death, of Outerbridge's monthly column "About Color" for U.S. camera. Also included are writings by others, primarily poems and brief excerpts, but also a typescript of a play by Alvan L. Barach. Monthly diaries for four years chronicle the details of Outerbridge's daily life in the 1920s and offer a glimpse of the artistic life of New York and Paris, the cities in which he lived at the time. Among many artists mentioned in these volumes are Alexander Archipenko, Man Ray, Edward Steichen, Marcel Duchamp, Berenice Abbott, Kiki de Montparnasse, and Constantin Brancusi. Preliminary sketches and drawings, a student notebook, and a teaching notebook provide insight into Outerbridge's creative process. Detailed notes, exposure records, and lighting diagrams document his work methods. The published results are contained in two large scrapbooks and a portfolio. With approximately 500 tear sheets from magazines and journals, the portfolio and scrapbooks together comprise a comprehensive collection of Outerbridge's published work. The archive also contains resumes, transcribed comments about Outerbridge's work, an incomplete autobiography (1929), and brief biographical and autobiographical statements written at different stages in his career. Materials collected intermittently by Outerbridge, including clippings, printed ephemera, and writings and drawings by others, point to his varied interests and associates. Although a substantial portion of the material is undated, the bulk can be situated between 1922, the year of Outerbridge's first published photographs, and his death in 1958. Also included are obituaries, correspondence regarding the final dispensation of his estate, and other materials collected by his widow, Lois (Weir) Outerbridge, after his death. Arrangement note The collection is arranged in eight series: Series I. Correspondence, 1915-1979 Series II. Writings, 1929-1958 Series III. Notebooks and diaries, 1915-1926 Series IV. Drawings and sketches, 1935-1938 Series V. Professional records, 1922-1958 Series VI. Portfolios, 1922-1956 Series VII. Autobiographical and biographical information, 1924-1973 Series VIII. Clippings and ephemera, 1923-1966 Subjects - Names Barach, Alvan L. (Alvan Leroy), 1895- Epstean, Arnold Allen Loomis, Maurine Man Ray, 1890-1976 Outerbridge, Paul Quinquela Martín, Benito, 1890-1977 Wood, Robert W. (Robert William), 1889-1979 Subjects - Topics Advertising photography
Finding aid for the Paul 870520 3 Outerbridge papers, 1915-1979 (bulk 1922-1958) ... Color photography Commercial art--United States Photographers--Correspondence Photography Photography, Artistic Subjects - Places New York (N.Y.)--Intellectual life--20th century Paris (France)--Intellectual life--20th century Genres and Forms of Material Color transparencies Correspondence Diaries Drawings (visual works) Photographic prints Photographs, Original Portfolios (groups of works) Sketches
Series I. Correspondence, 1915-1959, undated Physical Description: 0.52 linear feet(2 boxes) Scope and Content Note Includes approximately 300 business and personal letters arranged alphabetically by correspondent with unidentified correspondents at the end. Letters to and from individuals, art institutions, and publications pertain primarily to the acquisition, exhibition, and publication of Outerbridge's work. A 1942 letter from Beaumont Newhall, for example, recognizes the gift of three Outerbridge carbro prints as the Museum of Modern Art's first acquisition of color photography (March 6); the director of the Cleveland Museum of Art in a letter the following year requests on behalf of his museum's board that Outerbridge substitute "some other subject" for "the Nude" offered as a donation by Outerbridge's friend and collector Vivian Allen (January 13, 1943). Other topics include financial and legal matters, awards, memberships, and employment inquiries. Also included are condolences and correspondence with Outerbridge's widow, Lois, concerning the final dispensation of his estate. Arrangement note Arranged alphabetically by correspondent with unidentified materials at the end.
Box 1, Folder 1 Adam: la revue de l'homme, Paris, 1928 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 2 Advertising Club of New York, 1943 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 3 Allen, Vivian B., 1942-1948, undated Physical Description: 5.0 items
Box 1, Folder 4 Alshin, Edith, 1943, undated Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 1, Folder 5 Anna Rosenstock, Inc., New York, 1956 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Finding aid for the Paul 870520 4 Outerbridge papers, 1915-1979 (bulk 1922-1958) ... Series I.Correspondence, 1915-1959, undated
Box 1, Folder 6 ANSCO, New York, 1956 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 1, Folder 7 Appleby, Edgar, undated Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 8 Arkin, Harry and Sidney, 1948 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 9 Art Center School, Los Angeles, 1955 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 1, Folder 10 Arts et Métiers Graphiques, Paris, 1931 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 11 Authors Guild, New York, undated Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 12 Automobile Club of Orange County, 1945 Physical Description: 3.0 items
Box 1, Folder 13 Ayer Gallery, Philadelphia, 1931 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 1, Folder 14 Barrien, J. G., 1922 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 1, Folder 15 Batton, Barton, Durstine & Osborn, New York, 1931 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 16 Bennett, Ralph H., 1944 Physical Description: 3.0 items
Box 1, Folder 17 Boeck, William C., 1956 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 18 Brunoff, M. de, 1925 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 19 Butterworth, E. T., and S. C. Goff, ca. 1953 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 20 California Division of Real Estate, Sacramento, 1945 Physical Description: 3.0 items
Box 1, Folder 21 Camera Craft Publishing, San Francisco, 1956 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 22 Clarence H. White School of Photography, New York, 1922-1932 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 1, Folder 23 Cleveland Museum of Art, 1942-1943 Physical Description: 4.0 items
Finding aid for the Paul 870520 5 Outerbridge papers, 1915-1979 (bulk 1922-1958) ... Series I.Correspondence, 1915-1959, undated
Box 1, Folder 24 Condé Nast Publications, New York, 1935 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 25 Cunningham, L., 1944 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 26 Devean, Ross R., 1943 Physical Description: 3.0 items
Box 1, Folder 27 Drier, Hans [?], undated Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 28 Durege, Paul, 1958 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 1, Folder 29 Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, 1941-1958 Physical Description: 17.0 items
Box 1, Folder 30 Galin, Roland, 1931 Physical Description: 4.0 items
Box 1, Folder 31 Gamma Picture Agency, New York, 1955-1956 Physical Description: 13.0 items
Box 1, Folder 32 Graf Optical Co., South Bend, 1922 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 1, Folder 33 Greenberg Publisher, New York, 1956 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 1, Folder 34 H. A. Samuel Picture Framing, Laguna Beach, 1943-1944 Physical Description: 3.0 items
Box 1, Folder 35 Handelman, Dorothy, 1948 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 36 Henderson, Jack, undated Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 37 Holiday magazine, Philadelphia, 1950 Physical Description: 3.0 items
Box 1, Folder 38 Honigsberg, Michael, 1958 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 39 House beautiful magazine, New York, 1938 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 40 J. B. Lippincott Co., Philadelphia, 1932 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 1, Folder 41 Johnson, Nicholas, 1945 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Finding aid for the Paul 870520 6 Outerbridge papers, 1915-1979 (bulk 1922-1958) ... Series I.Correspondence, 1915-1959, undated
Box 1, Folder 42 Jones, Marc and Priscilla, undated Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 43 Julien Levy Gallery, New York, 1932 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 44 Kemnitzer, W. J., Mrs., 1944 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 45 Kestner Gesellschaft, 1929 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 46 L. W. Frohlich and Co., New York, 1956 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 1, Folder 47 Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 1958-1959 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 1, Folder 48 Life magazine, New York, 1941-1945 Physical Description: 7.0 items
Box 1, Folder 49 Los Angeles Museum, 1944-1945 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 1, Folder 50 M. S. Rau, Inc., New Orleans, 1955 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 51 MacGregor, Sophie L., 1943 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 52 MacPhee, Jack, 1958 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 53 Maloney, T.J., 1940-1941 Physical Description: 14.0 items Scope and Content Note See also U.S. Camera.
Box 1, Folder 54 May, Mrs., 1943 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 55 May Co., Los Angeles, 1944 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 56 Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 1957 Physical Description: 3.0 items
Box 1, Folder 57 McAlpin, David H., 1941 Physical Description: 4.0 items
Box 1, Folder 58 McCall Co., New York, 1931 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Finding aid for the Paul 870520 7 Outerbridge papers, 1915-1979 (bulk 1922-1958) ... Series I.Correspondence, 1915-1959, undated
Box 1, Folder 59 McManus, Austin, 1945 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 60 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1941 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 1, Folder 61 Minicam photography, Cincinnati, 1946 Physical Description: 8.0 items Scope and Content Note Includes a brief autobiography of Outerbridge (1946).
Box 1, Folder 62 Mohrenwitz, L., 1932 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 63 Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1942-1955 Physical Description: 6.0 items
Box 1, Folder 64 National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1958 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 1, Folder 65 National geographic magazine, Washington, D.C. 1956 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 66 Nevius, Brett & Kellogg, New York, 1940 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 67 New Yorker magazine, 1931 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 68 Newark Museum, 1940 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 69 Newton, Arthur F., 1958 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 1, Folder 70 Ohlson, David, 1956 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 71 Overseas Press Club of America, New York, 1958 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 72 Parsons, Louella, undated Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 73 Patacek, Martin F., 1955 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 74 Pennsylvania Museum of Art, Philadelphia, 1931-1933 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 1, Folder 75 Peters, Clinton, 1915-1919 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Finding aid for the Paul 870520 8 Outerbridge papers, 1915-1979 (bulk 1922-1958) ... Series I.Correspondence, 1915-1959, undated
Box 1, Folder 76 Peters, Rollo, undated Physical Description: 3.0 items
Box 1, Folder 77 Phillips, Dr., 1945 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 78 Photography magazine, New York, 1954 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 79 Ponder & Best, Los Angeles, 1956 Physical Description: 3.0 items
Box 1, Folder 80 Pousette-Dart, Nathaniel, 1945 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 81 Powers, James T., Mrs., undated Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 82 Quicke, Charles, 1931 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 83 R. H. Macy & Co., New York, 1932 Physical Description: 3.0 items
Box 1, Folder 84 Richardson, Alley & Richards Co., New York, 1931 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 85 Riggins, Marie, 1943 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 86 Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain, 1925-1931, undated Physical Description: 5.0 items
Box 1, Folder 87 Samuel Goldwyn Studios, Los Angeles, 1943 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 88 San Francisco Museum of Art, 1944-1945 Physical Description: 4.0 items
Box 1, Folder 89 Seilset, L., Mrs., 1944 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 90 Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C. 1958-1959 Physical Description: 16.0 items
Box 1, Folder 91 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, 1957 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 92 Spiratone, Inc., New York, 1955 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 93 Stafford Studios, Johannesburg, 1955 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Finding aid for the Paul 870520 9 Outerbridge papers, 1915-1979 (bulk 1922-1958) ... Series I.Correspondence, 1915-1959, undated
Box 1, Folder 94 Taylor, Jane, 1948 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 95 Technicolor Motion Picture Corp., Los Angeles, 1943-1944 Physical Description: 6.0 items
Box 1, Folder 96 Town & country magazine, New York, 1936 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 1, Folder 97 U.S. camera, New York, 1939-1958 Physical Description: 13.0 items Scope and Content Note See also series III.
Box 1, Folder 98 United States of America, Office of War Information, 1941-1942 Physical Description: 3.0 items
Box 1, Folder 99 Van Patton, John H., 1945 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 2, Folder 1 Vanity fair, New York, 1931 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 2, Folder 2 Verlag Ullstein, Berlin, 1931 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 2, Folder 3 W. H. S. Lloyd Co., New York, 1941 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 2, Folder 4 Walker, Patricia, 1945 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 2, Folder 5 Warren Imports, Laguna Beach, 1944 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 2, Folder 6 Weir, B. W., 1947 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 2, Folder 7 Winter, Inc., Los Angeles, 1944 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 2, Folder 8 Wolfe, Jose, 1956 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 2, Folder 9 World Wide Trading Co., Los Angeles, 1956 Physical Description: 1.0 item
Box 2, Folder 10 Wright, George B., 1957 Physical Description: 2.0 items
Box 2, Folder 11 Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, 1942 Physical Description: 4.0 items
Finding aid for the Paul 870520 10 Outerbridge papers, 1915-1979 (bulk 1922-1958) ... Series I.Correspondence, 1915-1959, undated
Box 2, Folder Unidentified, 1917-1958, undated 12-13 Physical Description: 48.0 items Scope and Content Note The names of some correspondents are unidentified or illegible; the following are identified by first name only: Constance, Thea, Dom, Ruth, Suzanne, Bill and Jon, Florence, Helen, Betty, May (or Mae), Reg, and Ada.
Series II. Writings, 1929-1958, undated Physical Description: 1.73 linear feet(4 boxes) Scope and Content Note Includes a typescript and a proof of Outerbridge's book, Photographing in color (New York: Random House, 1940), typescript drafts of articles, as well as poems, stories, essays and musings. Among the articles are drafts of all 56 issues of Outerbridge's column "About Color" in U.S. camera (1954-1958). The disparate topics for his other articles range from travel destinations to feminine beauty to individual artists. The article "How Are You Doing These Days?" (undated) about landscape painter Bob Wood is accompanied by black and white photographs of the artist at work; color transparencies that accompanied the article on Wood and an article on Argentine painter Benito Quinquela Martín (1951) have been moved to a separate box. Writings by people other than Outerbridge are located at the end of the series. The different types of writings are arranged chronologically with undated items at the end.
Box 2, Folder Typescript of Photographing in Color, ca. 1940 14-17 Box 2, Folder 14 Introduction and chapters 1-3 Box 2, Folder 15 Chapters 4-7 Box 2, Folder 16 Chapters 8-9 Box 2, Folder 17 Appendix Box 2, Folder 18 Proof of Photographing in Color, 1940 Box 3, Folder 1-11 Typescripts for U.S. camera column "About Color," 1954-1958 Box 3, Folder 1 Numbers 1-9, 1954 Box 3, Folder 2 Numbers 10-22, 1955 Box 3, Folder 3 Numbers 23-26, 1956 Box 3, Folder 4 Numbers 27-34, 1956 Box 3, Folder 5 Numbers 35-45, 1957 Box 3, Folder 6 Numbers 46-56, 1958 Box 3, Folder 7-10 Typescript drafts of articles, 1950-1956 Box 3, Folder 7 "Do You Like Amethysts and Topaz?" 1951 Scope and Content Note Drafts of an article on the Uruguayan amethyst and topaz industry.
Box 3, Folder 8 "Quinquela Martin," 1951 Scope and Content Note Drafts of an article about Argentine painter Benito Quinquela Martín; two accompanying color transparencies moved to box 13.
Box 3, Folder 9 "Maurine," 1954 Scope and Content Note Drafts of an article about celebrity photographer Maurine Loomis.
Box 3, Folder 10 Typescript drafts of miscellaneous articles, 1950-1956 Scope and Content Note Drafts of nine articles.
Box 4, Folder 1-3 Typescript drafts of articles, undated
Finding aid for the Paul 870520 11 Outerbridge papers, 1915-1979 (bulk 1922-1958) ... Series II.Writings, 1929-1958, undated
Box 4, Folder 1 "And They Both Lived Happily Ever After," undated Scope and Content Note Drafts of an article about marriage.
Box 4, Folder 2 "How Are You Doing These Days?" undated Scope and Content Note Drafts of an article about landscape painter Robert W. Wood accompanied by seven black and white photographs; nine accompanying color transparencies moved to box 13.
Box 4, Folder 3 Typescript drafts of miscellaneous articles, undated Scope and Content Note Drafts of nine articles.
Box 17, Folder 1 Accompanying color transparencies, 1951, undated Box 17, Folder 1 "Quinquela Martin," 1951 Scope and Content Note Two color transparancies (2.6 x 2.9 in.) that accompanied drafts of an article about Argentine painter Benito Quinquela Martín (1951), showing the artist at work.
Box 17, Folder 1 "How Are You Doing These Days?" undated Scope and Content Note Nine color transparancies (2.9 x 3.4 in.) that accompanied drafts of an article about landscape painter Robert W. Wood (undated), showing the artist at work.
Box 4, Folder 4-8 Creative writing, 1929-1944, undated Box 4, Folder 4 Poetry, 1929-1932, undated Scope and Content Note 35 leaves of poetry.
Box 4, Folder 5-6 Poetry, undated Scope and Content Note 69 leaves of poetry.
Box 4, Folder 7 Prose, 1930-1944, undated Scope and Content Note Stories, essays, musings, and a screen treatment (46 leaves).
Box 4, Folder 8 Notebooks of poetry and prose, 1929-1932, undated Box 4, Folder 8 "Prose and prose poems," 1929-1932 Scope and Content Note Binder of typed poems and prose (52 leaves) with 41 loose leaves enclosed in the back pocket; includes a 1 p. statement entitled "Why I work" (1932).
Box 4, Folder 8 Poetry notebook, undated Scope and Content Note Pocket notebook with handwritten poems (41 p.).
Box 4, Folder 9-10 Writings by others, 1922-1931, undated Box 4, Folder 9 Writings by others, 1922-1931, undated Scope and Content Note Poems, aphorisms and excerpts from books, transcribed or collected by Outerbridge (22 leaves).
Finding aid for the Paul 870520 12 Outerbridge papers, 1915-1979 (bulk 1922-1958) ... Series II.Writings, 1929-1958, undated
Box 4, Folder 10 "Office hour: a play in three acts," by Alvan L. Barach, undated Scope and Content Note Typescript of a play (66 leaves).
Series III. Notebooks and diaries, 1915-1926, undated Physical Description: 0.85 linear feet(2 boxes) Scope and Content Note Includes five notebooks and 48 pocket diaries. Three of the notebooks contain notes and sketches from distinct periods in Outerbridge's life: his studies in anatomy and aesthetics (ca. 1915); his training with the Canadian Royal Flying Corps (1917); and his first teaching assignment (ca. 1922). The fourth notebook is an almost blank address book (undated), and the fifth contains journal entries and recipes written by an unidentified young girl (undated). The diaries provide detailed accounts of Outerbridge's life and early career in New York and Paris in 1919, 1922, and from 1924-1926, including his work schedules, personal finances, travels, exhibitions, and social activities. The diaries also chronicle aspects of the artistic life of the two cities, with references to numerous artists, including Alexander Archipenko, Ralph Steiner, Man Ray, Kiki de Montparnasse, Marcel Duchamp, Berenice Abbott, and Constantin Brancusi.
Box 5, Folder 1-2 Notebooks, ca. 1915-ca. 1922, undated Box 5, Folder 1 Student notebook, ca. 1915 Scope and Content Note Sketches and notes on anatomy, aesthetics and compositional theory, probably from Outerbridge's studies at the Art Students' League of New York.
Box 5, Folder 1 Canadian Royal Flying Corps notebook, 1917 Scope and Content Note Notes and sketches from training in airplane engine mechanics, flight theory and practice, and aerial gunnery, among other topics.
Box 5, Folder 2 Teaching notebook, ca. 1922 Scope and Content Note Outerbridge's lecture notes and sketches made while an instructor at the Clarence H. White School of Photography, New York.
Box 5, Folder 2 Address book, undated Scope and Content Note Blank except for two hotel addresses and miscellaneous notes on three pages.
Box 5, Folder 2 Notebook of a young girl, undated Box 7 Diaries, 1919-1926 Scope and Content Note 48 diaries: one volume for 1919 and more extensive monthly diaries for 1922 and 1924-1926, except July 1926. The 1919 volume records only personal expenses. There are no entries for August 1922.
Finding aid for the Paul 870520 13 Outerbridge papers, 1915-1979 (bulk 1922-1958) ... Series IV.Drawings and sketches, 1935-1938, undated
Series IV. Drawings and sketches, 1935-1938, undated Physical Description: 1.41 linear feet(5 folders) Scope and Content Note Includes approximately 100 preparatory sketches and drawings for Outerbridge's photographic work. Most are undated preliminary pencil sketches, but the range extends to completed designs in colored crayon and watercolor. Annotations, explanations, variations and additions provide insight into Outerbridge's creative process. Also included are several drawings by other artists. Among them are portraits of Outerbridge (1938) and Man Ray (1937) by Arnold Allen Epstean, two caricatures of Man Ray with a halo and wings by Epstean (1937), and a silhouette of Outerbridge by Baron Scotford (1924), all signed and dated.
Box 6, 15* Drawings and sketches, 1935-1938, undated Box 6, Folder 1 1935-1938, undated Box 6, Folder 2-3 undated Box 15*, Folder 1 undated Box 15*, Folder 2 Drawings by others, 1924-1938, undated Series V. Professional records, 1922-1958, undated Physical Description: 0.48 linear feet(4 folders) General Physical Description note: 0.48 linear feet 4 folders Scope and Content Note Includes intermittent business and technical records from Outerbridge's career in photography, including lists of prints sold or loaned. Plans for a studio renovation project are documented with floor plans, equipment lists, and cost estimates (ca. 1933). Records from advertising assignments include cost analyses, lighting diagrams, and exposure and development records (1940-1942). Among the technical records are five "Photographic Exposure Calculator" notebooks detailing the date, time, film, light, subject, etc., of specific exposures (1922-1925). The first pages of two otherwise blank pocket diaries list photographic equipment (1944), and a pocket-size "Photo Data Book" published by General Electric provides technical information and exposure index tables for different kinds of film and photographic equipment (1946).
Box 5, Folder 3 Studio renovation project, ca. 1933 Scope and Content Note Floor plans, equipment lists and cost estimates.
Box 5, Folder 4 Advertising projects, 1940-1942, undated Scope and Content Note Cost sheets, lighting diagrams, and exposure and development records from approximately 20 advertising projects, many for A&P Grocery Store products.
Box 5, Folder 5 Professional records, 1931-1958, undated Scope and Content Note Miscellaneous records including cost sheets, receipts, and lists of prints sold or loaned for exhibition and publication.
Box 5, 7 Professional notebooks, 1922-1946 Box 5, Folder 6 Photographic equipment notebooks, 1944 Scope and Content Note Lists of photographic equipment on 1 p. each of two pocket diaries, labeled January and February, 1944.
Finding aid for the Paul 870520 14 Outerbridge papers, 1915-1979 (bulk 1922-1958) ... Series V.Professional records, 1922-1958, undated
Box 5, Folder 6 "Photographic data book," 1946 Scope and Content Note Pocket-size book published by General Electric with technical information and exposure index tables for different kinds of film and photographic equipment.
Box 7 "Photographic exposure calculator" notebooks, 1922-1925 Scope and Content Note Five pocket notebooks record the date, film, time, light, stop, exposure, and subject of specific exposures in 1922, Jan.-Apr. 1923, Oct.-Dec. 1923, and June-Nov. 1926. A volume for 1914 has no entries.
Series VI. Scrapbooks and portfolio, 1922-1956, undated Physical Description: 9.23 linear feet(7 boxes) Scope and Content Note Includes a two volume scrapbook and a portfolio, together containing approximately 500 tear sheets of Outerbridge's published work, some unattributed, from periodicals such as House beautiful, Vogue, Good housekeeping, Harper's Bazaar, Popular photography, American photography, and U.S. camera. Some images are labeled with typed captions and additional information. Also included are correspondence, miscellaneous printed material, 13 black and white photographs, four signed and dated ink drawings by Outerbridge (1934) and two layouts for magazine covers.
Box 8-12 Scrapbook, vol. I, 1922-1953, undated Scope and Content Note Volume I of the scrapbook was disbound due to poor physical condition. The cover is in box 8; the 88 scrapbook pages are arranged in order in boxes 9-12 with several loose items at the end. The original format of volume I was the same as volume II, which remains intact, though fragile.
Box 8* Cover, undated Scope and Content Note Painted on the front cover and spine: "Outerbridge / I."
Box 9*, Folder 1-5 Pages 1-20, 1923-1953, undated Scope and Content Note Includes a pastel layout for a cover of McCall's homemaking (p. 18).
Box 10*, Folder Pages 21-48, 1924-1943, undated 1-6 Scope and Content Note Includes eight black and white photographs of house interiors and exteriors (p. 34).
Box 11*, Folder Pages 49-74, 1922-1944, undated 1-6 Scope and Content Note Includes a photograph of Outerbridge in an airplane (p. 71).
Box 12*, Folder Pages 75-88 and loose items, 1922-1952, undated 1-5 Scope and Content Note Includes a copy of Outerbridge's Ide collar advertisement from the November 1922 issue of Vanity fair (loose item, folder 5).
Finding aid for the Paul 870520 15 Outerbridge papers, 1915-1979 (bulk 1922-1958) ... Series VI.Scrapbooks and portfolio, 1922-1956, undated
Box 13* Scrapbook, vol. II 1922-1956, undated Scope and Content Note Includes 108 pages and two loose inserts. In addition to tear sheets of Outerbridge's work, it contains a watercolor layout for a cover of House beautiful, a portrait photograph of Outerbridge, three contact prints of a woman in a bonnet, and four signed and dated ink drawings by Outerbridge (1934). Three of the drawings, entitled "The Clown," "The Acrobat," and "The Elephant," are from the "Circus" series. The fourth is entitled "The Great Northwest." Painted on the front cover and spine of the scrapbook: "Outerbridge / II."
Box 14*, Folder 1 Portfolio, 1922-1956, undated Scope and Content Note Includes tear sheets of Outerbridge's magazine work. Written in pencil on the cover: "Annoncement [sic]: Paul Outerbridge is now represented by Nathaniel Pousette-Dart."
Series VII. Autobiographical and biographical information, 1924-1973, undated Physical Description: 0.15 linear feet(2 folders) Scope and Content Note Includes resumes, bibliographies, transcribed comments about Outerbridge's work, an incomplete autobiography (1929), and brief biographical and autobiographical statements written at different stages in his career. Also includes a photographic baby portrait (matte collodion, undated), and a manuscript genealogy of the Outerbridge family from 1066-1675.
Box 5, Folder 7 Autobiographical and biographical information, 1924-1973, undated Box 5, Folder 8 Outerbridge family genealogy, undated Scope and Content Note Manuscript entitled "Genealogy of the most ancient family of Outerbridge of Co. Yorks, etc." traces the family history from 1066-1676, including family trees and coats of arms.
Series VIII. Clippings and ephemera, 1923-1966, undated Physical Description: 2.13 linear feet(8 folders) Scope and Content Note Includes invitations, event programs, exhibition catalogs, and magazine and newspaper clippings of illustrations and articles, some of which are by or about Outerbridge. Those dated after Outerbridge's death in 1958, including obituaries, were probably collected by his widow, Lois Outerbridge.
Box 5, Folder 9 Clippings and ephemera, 1923-1943, undated Scope and Content Note Includes printed invitations, programs, and exhibition catalogs, and miscellaneous magazine and journal clippings.
Box 15*, Folder 3 Clippings and ephemera, 1937-1960, undated Scope and Content Note Includes invitations, magazine clippings, a lithograph poster for a Greenwich Village, NY, block party called "Night of Stars," and the cover of House beautiful, October 1937.
Box 16*, Folder Newspaper clippings, 1926-1966, undated 1-3 Scope and Content Note Includes clippings of newspaper articles, some by or about Outerbridge.
Box 16*, Folder 1 1926-1959 Box 16*, Folder 2 1960-1966 Box 16*, Folder 3 undated
Finding aid for the Paul 870520 16 Outerbridge papers, 1915-1979 (bulk 1922-1958) ...