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 papers of painter and writer Ethel Paxson measure 0.6 linear feet and date from 1903 to 1985. Found are biographical materials; correspondence between Paxson, her father, and Lilla Yale; an album and scattered photos of Paxson, Paxson's friends, and Paxson with her artwork in Weston, Vermont; printed material and a scrapbook of printed materials; and writings by Paxson.
The collection is available on 35mm microfilm reel 3832 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
Ethel Paxson (1885-1982) was a painter, illustrator, author, and educator active primarily in Connecticut. She began her art instruction with Charlotte Yale and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. After spending four years in Brazil, she returned to the United States where she exhibited her work and became a educator at the National Academy of Design.
Chester DuClos, Paxson's widower, donated the papers to the Archives of American Art in 1984.
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Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Ethel Paxson papers, 1903-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The papers were microfilmed upon receipt on reel 3832 and 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 awards, biographical sketches, gallery tags for exhibitions, and membership cards. Correspondence consists of letters between Ethel Paxson and her father, Walter Rhodes Easton and teacher, Lilla Yale. The bulk of the correspondence was written when Paxson and her husband were in Brazil. Scattered later correspondence is from organizations such as the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, Inc. and the National Association of Women Artists, Inc. A dismantled photo album includes annotations and photos from Paxson's time in Weston, Vermont. Found are photos of Paxson, of Paxson with friends and family, and of Paxson painting. Printed materials concern Paxson's career as a painter and a writer and include three printed works about her travel and poetry including