This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
The scattered papers of painter, etcher, and illustrator Nelly Littlehale Murphy, measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1846 to 1945. Biographical materials, printed materials, and photographs document Murphy's work as a painter and illustrator in the Massachusetts area.
California-born Nelly Littlehale Murphy (1867-1942) was a painter, illustrator, and etcher active in Massachusetts. She was noted for her watercolor paintings of landscapes and flowers.
Littlehale was married to Herman Daniel Umbstaetter from 1893-1913, and provided illustrations for
The collection was donated in 1985 by Alexander B. Samoiloff and Dudley D. B. Samoiloff, sons of Nelly Littlehale Murphy's stepdaughter, Caroline Bowles Murphy Samoiloff.
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
The Archives of American Art also holds the Hermann Dudley Murphy papers, circa 1878-1982.
Nelly Littlehale Murphy papers, 1846-1945. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The collection was processed, and a finding aid prepared by Jayna Josefson in 2022 with support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative.
Biographical materials include a pencil sketch of flowers and an original holiday card, price lists, and a writing entitled "The Land That Never Was" by Murphy. Photographs are of Murphy's works of art and a copy print of a photo of Murphy on a boat. Printed materials are comprised of reviews for Nelly Murphy and her husband, painter Hermann Dudley Murphy, and his 1945 obituary. The exhibition catalogs range from 1846 (National Academy of Design catalog inscribed to Murphy) to 1942 (her memorial exhibition).