Beatrice Wood donated her papers in several accretions between 1976 and 2002. Additional material was donated by Francis Naumann in 1993 and the Beatrice Wood Personal Property Trust in 1999. Material from a 1977 loan was included in Wood's later donations. Additional papers were donated in 2022 by the Oceanside Museum of Art and by Wood's former studio manager, David VanGilder, in memory of his husband, Kevin Carey Settles. A final donation of Wood's scrapbooks and photograph albums was made in 2023 by the Beatrice Wood CEnter for the Arts via Kevin Wallace, Director.
The Archives of American Art holds two oral history interviews with Beatrice Wood completed by Paul Karlstrom in 1976 and 1992.
The bulk of the collection was digitized in 2011 and is available on the Archives of American Art's website. Personal tax returns, duplicate materials, and slides have not been scanned. Exhibition catalogs, published monographs, and miscellaneous printed material have had their covers and relevant pages scanned. Business papers of Wood's husband Stephen Hoag and papers created by Wood's aunt Esther Rosencratz were not scanned.
Portions of the collection received a preliminary level of processing for microfilming on reels 1236 and 3483-3500; these reels are no longer in circulation. Material loaned for microfilming in 1977 was later donated. All accretions, as well as three collections that were previously cataloged separately were fully integrated as one collection and processed by Diana Shenk and digitized in 2011 with funding provided by the Terra Foundation of American Art.
Beatrice Wood papers, 1906-1998, bulk 1930-1990. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
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 unprocessed addtion to this collection is currently closed for processing and digitization. Contact Reference Services for more information.
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
Beatrice Wood (1893-1998) was a ceramicist, painter, and writer who relocated to Ojai, California in 1948.
Beatrice Wood was born on March 3, 1893 in San Francisco to socially prominent and wealthy parents. In the late 1890s, the family moved to New York City where Wood was expected to begin the process of "coming out" in New York society. This process included boarding schools, a convent school in Paris, and frequent summer trips to Europe where she was exposed to museums, galleries, and the theater. Wood studied acting and dance in Paris until the outbreak of the war in 1914. She returned to New York and soon joined the company of the French National Repertory Theatre. From 1914 through 1916, Wood played over 60 parts as a stage actress.
In 1917, Wood met the writer Henri Pierre Roche, with whom she had a brief affair and a long friendship. Roche introduced her to the New York world of artists and writers and encouraged her interest in drawing and painting. During a visit to see the composer Edgard Varese in the hospital, Wood met Marcel Duchamp, with whom she had a love affair and who also had a strong influence in her development as an artist. Their long discussions about modern art encouraged Wood to show Duchamp a recent drawing entitled "Marriage of a Friend." Duchamp liked the drawing so much that he published it in
Through Duchamp and the Arensbergs, Wood was introduced to the world of the New York Dada. Following the formation of the Society of Independent Artists in 1917, Wood exhibited work in their
Throughout the 1920s, Wood continued to draw and paint, especially watercolors. Late in 1927, she moved to California to join the Arensbergs, who had been there since 1921. She also developed an interest in clay and took her first ceramics classes with Glen Lukens at the University of Southern California in the late 1930s. In 1940 Wood studied with Otto and Gertrud Natzler, Austrian potters who were known for their technical mastery and ability to throw almost perfectly formed pots. The Natzlers taught her how to throw pots and calculate glaze formulas.
Museums and galleries began to take an interest in her pottery and she held several shows in New York, San Francisco, and Phoenix. Several department stores, including Nieman Marcus and Gumps, also began to feature her pottery. During the 1940s, Wood began making figurative art in addition to more traditional pots. In 1947, for example, she included a large blue fish with white spots in an exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of History, Science, and Art. As her skills developed, Wood moved to a new home and studio in Ojai, California. By 1950, Wood was experimenting with luster surfaces, pottery with a metallic glaze that gives the effect of iridescence. These lusterware plates, in addition to her decorative figures and traditional ceramics, were sold at her studio, advertised with a sign out front that read "Beatrice Wood: Fine Pottery, Reasonable and Unreasonable."
In 1961, Wood visited India as a cultural ambassador, sponsored by the State Department. She toured the country and showed her work in fourteen cities. She became enamoured with Indian decorative arts and began to weave shimmering gold and silver threads into her palatte. Wood returned a second time in 1965 at the invitation of the Indian government. It was during this trip that she decided to adopt the sari as her style of dress, a style she continued until her death in 1998. She made her third and last trip to India in 1971. Her book,
Wood always enjoyed writing, recording her daily activities in a diary and creating stories about her experiences with friends and colleagues. She published her first book,
Wood considered her last 25 years as her most productive. In addition to her literary publications, Wood also had several successful exhibitions, including
The papers of California ceramicist Beatrice Wood measure 32.5 linear feet and date from 1906 to 1998, with the bulk dating from 1930-1990. There is extensive correspondence with gallery owners, fellow artists, clients, friends, and family. The collection also contains biographical materials, personal business records, writings, printed materials, photographs, and works of art. Of particular interest are the 28 diaries that Wood maintained from 1916 until her death in 1998 and 42 glazing formula notebooks dating from 1934-1997. Also found are documents of Steven Hoag and Esther Rosencranz, her husband and aunt respectively, that consist of correspondence, business records, and photographs given to the Archives of American Art as part of the Beatrice Wood papers.
Biographical material contains certificates, licenses, degrees, legal documents, and extensive interview transcripts, which describe her philosophy on art and her development as a ceramic artist.
Correspondence is particularly rich in documenting Wood's passion and dedication to her work as a writer and artist. The records reflect Wood's close professional and personal relationships with many friends and colleagues, including Henri-Pierre Roche, Marcel Duchamp, Anais Nin, Elizabeth Hapgood, and Walter and Lou Arensberg. Additional correspondence with editors and publishers is also included. Wood enjoyed illustrating her letters, as did many of her correspondents.
Personal business records include financial material, sales and consignment records, and correspondence with gallery owners, including Garth Clark Gallery, John Waller Gallery, and Zachary Waller Gallery.
Notes and writings extensively document Wood's second career as a writer. Edited drafts of her monographs and short stories are available, as well as her journal writings and notes. Drafts of
Twenty-eight detailed diaries contain information about studio sales, clients, and the economic uncertainties of being a self-employed artist. The diaries, arranged in one-year and five-year volumes, begin in 1916 and end just a few days before her death in 1998.
Forty-two glaze books record the formulas for the pottery glazes Wood developed throughout her career.
Printed material includes copies of Wood's published monographs as well as exhibition announcements and brochures. Also found are clippings about Wood, including numerous articles about her trips to India.
Photographic material includes photographs and slides of Wood, her friends, travels, and other events. Many of the photographs are identified by Wood.
Artwork includes original sketches, drawings, watercolors, lithographs and designs by Wood. The original illustrations from her books are included in this series.
The last two series contain records generated by her husband, Stephen Hoag and her maternal aunt, Esther Rosencrantz. Wood was married to Hoag from 1937 until his death in 1960. The bulk of the material contains Hoag's financial records, mostly receipts, from his early years as a engineer in the Pacific Northwest. Esther Rosencranz, a physician in San Francisco, collected book plates that are included in this series.
There is a 5.9 linear foot unprocessed addition donated in 2022 and in 2023 that includes address books, biographical material, artwork including sketchbooks and two sketches of Henri-Pierre Roche by Wood, scrapbooks, personal business records, printed material, personal and professional correspondence, notebooks and journals by Wood, writings by Wood, personal photographs, glaze recipes, and one pin "Beato for President". Also included are Beatrice Wood's scrapbooks and photograph albums. Four scrapbooks include scrapbook B, 1940-1955; scrapbook F, 1945; Wood's inspirational scrapbook, circa 1940s; and a scrapbook from the 1960s. Eight photograph albums include photograph album #1, 1908; photograph album #2 (Steve Hoag) 1911-1917; photograph album of Wood with friends and fellow theosophists, 1920s-1940s; photograph album #6 of Wood, others, events, 1920s-1960; Wood's pottery photograph album, 1955; photograph album I-3 (Indian trip) 1972; photograph album I-4, photographs for the 33rd wife of the Maharajah, undated; and photograph album # I-5 (India) compiled 1973. Also included are photographs of people, places and events in India, undated. Materials in this addition date from 1908-1996.
The collection is arranged as 12 series:
Biographical Material contains interview transcripts, estate documents, and ephemera documenting Wood's life and career. Also included are address lists, appointment calendars, honorary degrees, and census questionnaires. The estate documents for Wood's mother, Carrara Wood, are noteworthy for their description of the family properties in New York.
Materials are arranged by document type.
This series has been scanned in its entirety.
Address Book
Address Lists
Appointment Calendar
Census of Manufacturers of Stone, Clay, and Glass Products - Completed
Confirmation and Baptismal Certificates from The Liberal Catholic Church - New York
Dog Pedigree for Wood's Dachshund
Driver's Licenses and Exams
Honorary Degree from Otis School of Art and Design
Interment Instructions
Interview Transcript with Beatrice Wood
Interview Transcript with Beatrice Wood and Krishnamurti
Interview Transcript with Beatrice Wood and Andrea Simmons
Interview Transcript with Beatrice Wood and Nancy Jo Hoy
Interview Transcript with Beatrice Wood - entitled "Early Years,"
Interview Transcript with Beatrice Wood - entitled "Relationships,"
Interview Transcript with Beatrice Wood - entitled "Beatrice's Philosophy,"
Interview Transcript with Beatrice Wood - entitled "Art,"
Interview Transcript with Beatrice Wood - entitled "Middle Years,"
Interview Transcript with Beatrice Wood and Ron Strickland
Lawsuit involving Carrara Wood's Property in New York (Wood's mother)
National Roster of Scientific and Specialized Personnel - Completed Questionnaire
Will for Cararra R. Wood (Wood's mother)
Wills for Beatrice Wood
This series consists of Wood's incoming and outgoing correspondence. Wood often compiled transcripts and excerpts from letters of significance to her and these are found in separate folders in each of the subseries listed below. Researchers should note that the last folders in each subseries contain transcripts and excerpts from letters that were particularly significant to Wood.
Although the majority of the material is arranged chronologically, correspondence from several of her more frequent correspondents are arranged as separate subseries. The series is arranged into 7 subseries:
This subseries contains both personal and professional correspondence from the early years of Wood's career as an actress and artist until the end of her life. Included in this series are letters to and from friends, family, clients, other artists, gallery owners, museums, and editors. An an avid writer, Wood maintained lifelong relationships through her letters. Correspondents include John Estenza, Anna Bing Arnold, Ruth Maitland, Ruth Dayan, Reginald Pole, Anais Nin, Dorothy Liebes, Rue McClanahan, Elizabeth Reynolds Hapgood, Rupert Pole, Esther Rosencrantz, Michael Weightman-Smith, and Geesche Ninke. Wood also formed many personal and professional relationships with individuals she met during her three trips to India in 1961, 1966, and 1971. Among these correspondents are Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, N. Suri Ram, P. K. Vyas, Srimali Rukmini Devi, and N. Kumar Das.
Several art museums are represented in this subseries, including DeYoung Memorial Museum, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Pasadena Art Museum, Phoenix Art Museum, San Francisco Museum of Art, and Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
Material is arranged chronologically by date. Undated letters can be found at the end of the subseries, arranged by last name of correspondent. Note that Wood's correspondence with the galleries is found in Series 3: Personal Business Records. Additional correspondence with publishers is found in Series 4: Notes and Writings.
This subseries has been scanned in its entirety.
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General Corrrespondence A-B
General Correspondence C-D
General Correspondence E-G
General Correspondence H
General Correspondence J-L
General Correspondence M-N
General Correspondence O-P
General Correspondence - Esther Rosencrantz
General Correspondence S
General Correspondence T-V
General Correspondence W-Z
First Names Only
Parts of Letters Without a Date or Name
Transcripts and Excerpts of Correspondence with Beatrice Wood
Transcripts and Excerpts of Correspondence with Beatrice Wood
Excerpts of Correspondence between Beatrice Wood and Nell Ragan
98th Birthday - Post Card Series
98th Birthday - Post Card Series
This subseries contains Wood's letters to the Arensbergs while they were all living in California. Of particular significance are the letters that Wood wrote to Lou Arensberg during Arensberg's last illness in 1953.
Material is arranged chronologically by date.
This subseries has been scanned in its entirety.
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Transcripts and Excerpts of Correspondence with the Arensbergs
This subseries documents Wood's decades-long friendship with Jack Case and his wife Rhea. Although many of the outgoing letters are copies, they all include drawings done by Wood.
Material is arranged chronologically by date.
This subseries has been scanned in its entirety.
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Transcripts of Correspondence with Jack and Rhea Case
Duchamp (also known as Totor) and Wood met in 1918. At some point they were lovers and they remained friends until his death in 1968. This subseries contains correspondence from the years when Wood lived in California and Duchamp was in New York and Europe. The letters from 1940-1942 contain references to the war and occupation of France by the Germans. The letters from Duchamp are written in French.
Material is arranged chronologically by date.
This subseries has been scanned in its entirety.
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Transcripts and Excerpts of Correspondence with Marcel and Teeny Duchamp
This subseries documents Wood's professional and personal relationship with Naumann. The met in 1976 when Naumann was working on his dissertation about the Arensbergs and it continued until Wood's death in 1997. Much of the correspondence focuses on Naumann's involvement in several publications by Wood, including her autobiography
Material is arranged chronologically by date.
This subseries has been scanned in its entirety.
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The subseries includes only transcripts of love letters Wood and Ranjan, whom she met in India in 1962. The two wrote to each other several times a month from January 1962 until he visited Wood in September 1963.
Material is arranged chronologically by date.
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The majority of this subseries contains correspondence between Wood and the Roches from 1940 to 1952 and includes a few letters describing the effect of the war on Roche and his family. One particular letter discusses the German occupation of his house in Sevres and the safety of his Brancusis. From 1946 to 1951, Wood sent boxes of supplies, including clothing and food staples, to Roche in France. The letters describe these transactions and often contain brief lists of what the Roche family requested from Wood. Series 3: Personal Business Records contain the receipts from the shipment of these supplies. Many of the early letters from both Wood and Roche are in French.
Material is arranged chronologically by date.
This subseries has been scanned in its entirety.
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Transcripts and Excerpts of Corrrespondence with Henri-Pierre and Denise Roche
The majority of the records in this series document business transactions at the studio and showroom that Wood operated at her home in Ojai, California. This includes account books, general ledgers, cash books, receipts, financial reports, price lists, visitor's logs, tax returns, and inventories of her artwork. A particularly complete record of sales and consignments are also included in this series.
Exhibition files are also arranged in this series and contain extensive documentation of Wood's 1989 exhibition at the Oakland Museum. Although she was best known for her glazed pots, this exhibition featured figurative sculptures and wall pieces that Wood referred to as "sophisticated primatives." The files include correspondence, loan records, financial statements, lists of artwork for consideration, and catalog drafts.
Also contained in this series are correspondence and sales records for the galleries which represented Wood during her career, including Garth Clark Gallery, John Waller Gallery, and Zachary Waller Gallery
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
The bulk of this series has been scanned. Personal tax returns have not been scanned.
Account Book
Account Book
Account Book
Account Books
Oversized materials housed in Box 26, F1-11
General Ledger and Sales
Oversized material housed in Box 26, F12
Application for Employer Identification Number
Application for Renewal of Highway and Non-Highway Gas Rations
Attorney Files - Susan A. Grode
Attorney Files - Susan A. Grode
Attorney Files - Susan A. Grode
Bank Deposit Books
Blouse Pattern and Instructions
Oversized material housed in OV 31
Book and Film about Beatrice Wood
Book Inventories
Cash Book
Concessionee Lease for Town and Country Market
Contract for Film on Creation and Manufacturing of Ceramics
Contract with American Gallery
Copyright Forms for Wood's Monographs
Estate - Hermine L. Harlan (Wood's Aunt)
Estate - Hermine L. Harlan (Wood's Aunt)
Estate - Hermine L. Harlan (Wood's Aunt)
Exhibition - Oakland Museum - "Intimate Appeal: The Figurative Art of Beatrice Wood,"
Exhibition - Oakland Museum - "Intimate Appeal: The Figurative Art of Beatrice Wood,"
Exhibition - Oakland Museum - "Intimate Appeal: The Figurative Art of Beatrice Wood,"
Exhibition - Oakland Museum - "Intimate Appeal: The Figurative Art of Beatrice Wood,"
Exhibition - Oakland Museum - "Intimate Appeal: The Figurative Art of Beatrice Wood" - Artwork for Consideration
Exhibition - Oakland Museum - "Intimate Appeal: The Figurative Art of Beatrice Wood" - Artwork for Consideration
Exhibition - Oakland Museum - "Intimate Appeal: The Figurative Art of Beatrice Wood" - Draft of Catalog
Exhibition - Oakland Museum - "Intimate Appeal: The Figurative Art of Beatrice Wood" - Final Draft of Catalog
Exhibition - California State University, Long Beach
Expenses
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Anca Colbert Gallery
Garth Clark Gallery
Garth Clark Gallery
Garth Clark Gallery
Garth Clark Gallery
Garth Clark Gallery
Garth Clark Gallery
Garth Clark Gallery
Garth Clark Gallery
Garth Clark Gallery
Garth Clark Gallery
Zachary Waller Gallery
Zachary Waller Gallery
Zachary Waller Gallery
Zachary Waller Gallery
Zachary Waller Gallery
Zachary Waller Gallery
Zachary Waller Gallery
Zachary Waller Gallery
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Zachary Waller Gallery
Zachary Waller Gallery
Zachary Waller Gallery
Zachary Waller Gallery
John Waller Gallery
John Waller Gallery
John Waller Gallery
John Waller Gallery
John Waller Gallery
John Waller Gallery
Glaze Formulas
Happy Valley Foundation
Happy Valley School
House and Studio Construction Expenses - Ojai, CA
House and Studio Construction Expenses - Ojai, CA
House and Studio Construction Expenses
House and Studio Construction Expenses
House and Studio Construction Expenses
House and Studio Construction - Daily Ledger
House and Studio Construction
Insurance
Inventory - Exhibition of Indian Craft and Tribal Art at Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Inventory - Silver
Inventory - Wood's Art in Exhibitions
Inventory - Wood's Art in House and Studio
Inventory- Wood's Indian Crafts and Tribal Art Collection
Inventory- Figures Sold or Promised to be Released for Museum Shows
Kiln Purchase
List of Drawings Given to Francis Naumann
(contains hand-colored copies of drawings)
Loan - Duchamp's "Aeroplane (1912)" to Museum of Modern Art
Loan - Indian Crafts and Tribal Art to Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Museum and Library of World Folk Art
Museum and Library of World Folk Art
Frank Noyes
Photography Log Book and Visitor Log
Photography Log Book
Photography Log Book
Price List
Price Lists and Studio Visitor Log
Price List with Images
Real Estate
Real Estate
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Receipts
Receipts - Purchases for Henri-Pierre Roche and Family in France
Receipts - Purchases for Henri-Pierre Roche and Family in France
Receipts - Purchases for Henri-Pierre Roche and Family in France
Sale of Paul Klee Painting
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Sales Inventory for "I Shock Myself,"
Silent Auction to End AIDS
Stocks and Bonds
Stocks and Bonds
Studio and Equipment Design
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Studio Announcements
Visit to Europe
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Visit to India as Participant in International Educational Exchange Program
Visit to India as Participant in International Educational Exchange Program - Press Releases
Visit to Japan, India, and Western Europe
Visit to Japan, India, and Western Europe
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Visit to India
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Visitors' Log - Ojai Studio
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Oversized materials scanned with Box 9, F5
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Oversized material scanned with Box 9, F12
The series is arranged as 5 subseries:
This subseries includes both drafts of Wood's monographs and correspondence related to their publication. Drafts include:
Wood enjoyed writing in the evening and often rewrote drafts with only subtle changes between versions. Although she rarely dated her drafts, numbers have been added when it was possible to determine version sequence. Edited versions have also been identified.
Also included in this subseries is correspondence with publishers, editors, and friends. Much of the material centers on the logistics of publication, but there are also letters to friends describing the status of her writing or relaying stories that she intended to include in a particular publication. The letters reveal the personal satisfaction that Wood took from her writing.
Original drawings from the monographs can be found in Series 9: Artwork, but copies are included in this subseries.
Except for repetitive versions, incomplete repetitive drafts, and gallery proofs, this subseries has been scanned in its entirety.
Complete Draft - pgs. 1-60
Complete Draft - pgs. 61-116
Complete Draft - pgs. 117-153
Complete Draft - pgs. 154-194
Complete Draft - pgs. 195-231
Edited Incomplete Draft - pgs. 1-50
Edited Incomplete Draft - pgs. 51-105
Edited Incomplete Draft
Edited Incomplete Draft
Edited Incomplete Draft (Second Version)
Edited Incomplete Draft (Third Version)
Edited Incomplete Draft (Fourth Version - pgs. 4-60)
Edited Incomplete Draft (Fourth Version - pgs. 61-117)
Copies of Original Drawings for Book
Copies of Original Drawings for Book
Copies of Original Drawings for Book
Notes on Photographs and Illustrations for Book
Excerpts from Older Version
Short Summary
Passages about Krishnamurti
Correspondence
Correspondence
Correspondence
Correspondence
Original Draft
Edited Complete Draft
Complete Draft with Original Illustrations
Edited Draft with Hand-colored Copies of Illustrations - pgs. 1-75
Edited Draft with Hand-colored Copies of Illustrations - pgs. 1-75
Copies of Original Illustrations
Excerpts
(draft entitled
Correspondence
Correspondence
Letters to Steve Hoag
Letters to Steve Hoag
Draft with Original Illustrations - pgs. 1-105
Draft with Original Illustrations - pgs. 1-105
Draft with Original Illustrations - pgs. 1-105
Draft with Original Illustrations - pgs. 1-105
Edited Draft with Footnotes - pgs. 1-124
Edited Draft with Footnotes - pgs. 1-124
Edited Draft with Footnotes - pgs. 1-124
Hand-colored Copies of Illustrations
First Complete Draft
Early Complete Draft - pgs. 1-129
Early Complete Draft - pgs. 1-129
Handwritten Draft - pgs. 1-73
Handwritten Draft - pgs. 1-73
Draft with Illustrations - Part 1
Draft with Illustrations - Part 1
Draft with Illustrations - Part 2
Draft with Illustrations - Part 2
Draft with Illustrations - Part 2
Edited Draft - Parts 1-2
Edited Draft - Parts 1-2
Edited Draft - Parts 1-2
Correspondence
Correspondence
Correspondence
Correspondence
Correspondence
Correspondence
Correspondence about U.S. Edition
Agreement with Publisher
Copies of Photographs and Drawings Suggested for Book
Notes from 1966 Trip to India and Used for Book
Captions for Drawings and Photographs
Notes
Final Draft with Illustrations
Edited Draft
Handwritten Drafts (4 copies)
Correspondence
This subseries contains many of the stories Wood wrote throughout her life regarding her Theosophist philosophy, ideas about art, travels, experiences, friendships, and relationships with lovers.
These writings are arranged alphabetically by title. Original illustrations have been retained with the drafts because the text and illustrations are on the same paper.
All drafts have been scanned in their entirety, exact duplicate copies have not been scanned.
"Art if a Personal Thing"
"Beatrice Wood in the Orient: Incident at Banares"
"Birthday"
"Blind Man"
(copy of original)
"Books - An Essay"
"Oh, Break My Heart" (2 drafts)
"Bruno: A Story of the Inquisition"
"Bruno: A Story of the Inquisition"
"Cat Who Had His Noes Out of Joint"
"Color, Light, and Art"
Collection of Glazes and Notes from Glaze Journals
Comments for the Medical Profession (5 drafts)
"Creative Attitudes"
"Door That Did Not Close"
"Corridor E"
"Empty Armchair" (3 drafts)
"Empty Armchair" (2 drafts)
"European Episode"
"Few Words from an American Potter"
"For Thee: Adventures of a Virgin"
"From the Geisha With the Crimson Mouth"
(contains original watercolor sketches)
"Galka Scheyer" (3 drafts)
"Geisha"
"Hold Me Tight" - Prospectus (later called "No Longer Shy")
"Hold Me Tight" - Introduction and Ending (later called "No Longer Shy")
"Hold Me Tight" - Correspondence (later called "No Longer Shy")
"How
Ideas for a Documentary on the India Trip (3 drafts)
"I Discover Mr. Fugi"
"I Know How To Make an Invoice" (3 drafts)
(contains original sketches)
"Joey Kimball's Dog Fred"
"King and Three Lady Cats"
"Madame Lola's Pleasure Palace" - Final Draft with Drawings
"Madame Lola's Pleasure Palace" Correspondence
"Marcel"
"Mariage D'une Amie" in
(copy of original)
"Men in My Life" - Henri-Pierre Roche and Marcel Duchamp
(contains original sketches)
"Men in My Life" - Henri-Pierre Roche (4 drafts)
"Men in My Life" - Marcel Duchamp (3 drafts)
"Men in My Life" - Marcel Duchamp (4 drafts)
"Men in My Life" - Marcel Duchamp (edited draft with copies of illustrations)
"Men in My Life" - Marcel Duchamp (3 drafts of last chapter)
"Men in My Life" - Reginald Poole (4 drafts)
"Men in My Life" - Steve Hoag (4 drafts)
"Men in My Life" - Others, including Ram Pravesh Singh (7 drafts)
"Men in My Life" - Correspondence
"Miss Wood for President"
"Monogamy - A Will-o-the-wisp"
"My Kingdom for a Train" (5 drafts)
"Ode to Nepalnese Lovers"
(contains original illustrations)
"Of Attitude and Art"
"Picasso Cat: The Cat Who Obtained Liberation"
"Playing with Fire" (3 drafts)
"Reasonable and Unreasonable" (2 drafts)
"Sad Tale of the Geisha Who Could Not Write Poetry" (3 drafts)
"Song of the Geisha"
"Spanish Professor"
"Spiritual Aspecs of Falling in Love" in
"Story of the Girl Who Did Not Want To Be Raped"
"Story of Venus and Wonderboy"
"Talking Aloud"
"Thinking Aloud"
"Thinking Aloud"
"To Celebrate the Ignoble Passage of Time"
"Toby and the Old Man"
"Torch in the Sky" - Early Draft
"Torch in the Sky" - Final Draft
"Torch in the Sky" - Correspondence
"Torch in the Sky" - Play Performed in Ojai
"Touching Certain Things"
Oversized material housed in Box 27, F1
"Trip for Four" - Handwritten Draft
(contains original illustrations)
"Trip for Four" (5 drafts)
"Trip for Four" - Final Draft
(contains original illustrations)
"Tutti Frutti and India"
"Tutti Frutti and India"
"Tutti Frutti and India"
"Two Men and an Old Woman" (4 drafts)
"Two Potters in a Valley"
"Visit to Brancusi" (3 drafts)
(contains original illustration)
"Visit to Brancusi" - Correspondence
"What Pace Modernism: Notes on the Development in Realms of Art"
"With Love to India"
"Without Walls" (3 drafts)
Wood's Interest in Art
Recollections about Duchamp and the Arensbergs
Recollections about Duchamp and the Arensbergs
Writings Without Titles
Writings Without Titles
Oversized material scanned with Box 15, F31
This subseries contains writings that Wood maintained in periodic journals, which typically describe travel, dreams, and ideas about philosophy and art. In addition to Series 5: Diaries, Wood maintained writing journals of her travels to India in 1961, 1966, 1972 describing, in great detail, daily observations about life in India, including very specific descriptions of encounters with Indian colleagues, guides, and other artists.
Materials are arranged by document type.
This subseries has been scanned in its entirety.
Travel Journal - India
Travel Journal - India
Travel Journal - India
Travel Journal - India (with illustrations)
Oversized material housed in Box 27, F2
Travel Journal - Europe
Dream Journal and Notes on Annie Besant's Writings
Impressions
Poems Studied for Acting Lessons
"Record of How My Aging Body is Behaving"
Oversized material scanned with Box 15, F53
This subseries consists of unnumbered notebooks that annotate Wood's daily activities, meetings, finances, thoughts, and ideas about art projects and glazes. There are also lecture and teacher evaluation notes from the classes Wood taught at the local Happy Valley School in Ojai. The travel notes include information about expenses, in-country exhibitions, appointments, and travel routes. Diaries are arranged separately in Series 5.
Materials are arranged by document type.
This subseries has been scanned in its entirety.
General Notes
General Notes
General Notes
General Notes
General Notes
Lecture Notes
Notes on Theosophism and Annie Besant's Writings
Notes on Expenses, Addresses, Donations, and Recipes
Notes on India Expenses, Pottery, and Glaze Formulas
Notes on Theosophism and Glaze Formulas
Notes on Student Evaluations
Summary Notes on India Trip
Travel Notes - India
Travel Notes
This subseries contain writings by Wood's colleagues and friends, including several essays and biographies written about her. Also included are horoscope readings commissioned by Wood. Of particular interest is a typewritten, edited copy of Henri-Pierre Roche's unfinished 1957 manuscript entitled
Materials are arranged by document type.
This subseries has been scanned in its entirety.
Address Delivered at the World Crafts Council in New York - Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay
"Beatrice Wood: A National Treasure" by Francis Naumann
Essays and Biographies Written by Others about Beatrice Wood
"Gay Genius" by Texana Sipprell
"Grow Up Again with Novacaine" by Jean Grandpiece
"The Happy Valley Foundation" by Annie Besant
Horoscope Readings
Horoscope Readings
Poems about Wood's Dog
"Victor" by Henri-Pierre Roche - pgs. 1-42
"Victor" by Henri-Pierre Roche - pgs. 43-95
From 1915 until until a few days before her death in April of 1998, Wood maintained a diary. These 28 diaries record Wood's daily activities with references to professional appointments, social engagements, finances, health issues, exhibitions, interactions with colleagues and friends, and observations about her work.
The series is arranged as 2 subseries:
These 28 original diaries include both one year and five year volumes.
Diaries are arranged chronologically.
This subseries has been scanned in its entirety.
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
This subseries contains transcripts of Wood's diary entries, although they are not verbatim nor complete. Many entries also include detailed annotations written by Wood. These annotions contain additional information on the contents of the entry, focusing most specifically on personal feelings regarding individuals or events. Also contained in this subseries are edited versions of the transcripts and excerpts from diary entries that describe specific events in Wood's life. Examples include the the diary excerpts that describe her days with Marcel Duchamp, Henri-Pierre Roche, and the Arensbergs. In the mid-1990s, Wood hoped to write a book containing excerpts and notes from her diaries. Drafts of the book, tentatively entitled
Materials are arranged chronologically by document type.
This subseries has been scanned in its entirety.
Volume 1 - pgs. 1-58
Volume 1 - pgs. 59-130
Volume 2 - pgs. 131-178
Volume 2 - pgs. 179-228
Volume 2 - pgs. 229-254
Volume 3 - pgs. 255-306
Volume 3 - pgs. 255-306 (second draft)
Volume 3 - pgs. 307-376
Volume 3 - pgs. 307-376 (second draft)
Volume 4 - pgs. 377-401
Volume 4 - pgs. 402-452
(contains photographs)
Volume 4 - pgs. 453-500
Volume 5 - pgs. 500-541
Volume 5 - pgs. 542-600
Volume 6
Volume 6
Volume 7
Volume 7
Volume 8
Volume 8
Volume 8
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological (incomplete)
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological (second draft)
Chronological
Chronological (second draft)
Chronological
Chronological (second draft)
Chronological
Chronological (second draft)
Chronological
Chronological (second draft)
Chronological
Chronological (second draft)
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological (2 drafts)
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological (2 drafts)
Chronological (2 drafts)
Chronological (2 drafts)
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
List of Names from Diaries
Dates of Interest to Wood
Handwritten Draft
First Edited Draft
Second Edited Draft
Second Edited Draft
Second Edited Draft
Annotated Excerpts from 1924-1933 Diaries - Visits with the Arensbergs
Annotated Excerpts from 1937 Diary - "Scenario of an Operation,"
Annotated Excerpts from 1961-1975 Diaries - Entries Regarding Ram Singh
Excerpts from 1924-1928 Diaries - Miscellaneous Notes
Excerpts from Early Diaries - Days with Duchamp, Roche, and the Arensbergs
Excerpts from Early Diaries - Days with Duchamp, Roche, and the Arensbergs
This series contains detailed formulas for the glazes created by Wood and document the development of her skill as a cermacist. Wood achieved signifant acclaim for her lustre glazes, which are also documented in this series. Book 35 contains glazes created by ceramicist Frank Noyes, a colleague who worked with Wood in the early 1950s.
Glaze books are arranged in numerical order.
This series has been scanned in its entirety.
Glaze Formulas - Book 1
Glaze Formulas - Book 1
Glaze Formulas - Book 2
Glaze Formulas - Book 2
Glaze Formulas - Book 2
Glaze Formulas - Book 3
Glaze Formulas - Book 4
Glaze Formulas - Book 4
Glaze Formulas - Book 5
Glaze Formulas - Book 6
Glaze Formulas - Book 6
Glaze Formulas - Book 7
Glaze Formulas - Book 7
Glaze Formulas - Book 7
Glaze Formulas - Book 8
Glaze Formulas - Book 9
Glaze Formulas - Book 9
Glaze Formulas - Book 9
Glaze Formulas - Book 10
Glaze Formulas - Book 11
Glaze Formulas - Book 12
Glaze Formulas - Book 13
Glaze Formulas - Book 14
Glaze Formulas - Book 15
Glaze Formulas - Book 15
Glaze Formulas - Book 16
Glaze Formulas - Book 17
Glaze Formulas - Book 18
Glaze Formulas - Book 18
Glaze Formulas - Book 18
Glaze Formulas - Book 19
Glaze Formulas - Book 20
Glaze Formulas - Book 20
Glaze Formulas - Book 20
Glaze Formulas - Book 21
Glaze Formulas - Book 22 and 23
Oversized materials housed in Box 27, F3-4
Glaze Formulas - Book 24
Glaze Formulas - Book 25
Oversized material housed in Box 28, F1
Glaze Formulas - Book 26
Glaze Formulas - Book 27
Oversized material housed in Box 28, F2
Glaze Formulas - Book 28
Glaze Formulas - Book 29
Glaze Formulas - Book 30
Glaze Formulas - Book 31
Glaze Formulas - Book 31
Glaze Formulas - Book 32
Glaze Formulas - Book 33
Glaze Formulas - Book 34
Oversized material housed in Box 28, F3
Glaze Formulas from Noyes - Book 35
Glaze Formulas - Book 36
Glaze Formulas - Book 37
Oversized material housed in Box 28, F4
Glaze Formulas - 38
Oversized material housed in Box 29, F1
Glaze Formulas - Book 39
Glaze Formulas - 2 volumes
Oversized materials housed in Box 29, F2-3
Glaze Formulas - 1 volume
Oversized materials housed in Box 30, F1
Handwritten Copies from Numbered Glaze Books
Handwritten Copies from Numbered Glaze Books
Handwritten Copies from Numbered Glaze Books
Handwritten Copies from Numbered Glaze Books
Oversized materials scanned with Box 22, F6
Oversized material scanned with Box 22, F8
Oversized material scanned with Box 22, F10
Oversized material scanned with Box 22, F18
Oversized material scanned with Box 22, F21
Oversized material scanned with Box 22, F22
Oversized materials scanned with Box 22, F24
Oversized material scanned with Box 22, F25
This series contains published resources related to Beatrice Wood.
The series is arranged as 5 subseries:
This subseries contains copies of published monographs or books by or about Beatrice Wood, including
Materials are arranged by title.
The front cover and title page of each monograph has been scanned.
This series contains clippings about Beatrice Wood and her art. The majority of the papers and magazines were published in southern California.
Materials are arranged in chronological order.
This subseries has been scanned in its entirety.
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Catalogs are for individual and group exhibitions of Wood's artwork, some of which are annotated with prices and other information.
Materials are arranged in chronological order.
The bulk of this series has been scanned in its entirety. The front cover and relevant pages of exhibition catalogs have been scanned.
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Chronological
Oversized material housed in OV 31
Chronological
Other Artists
Oversized material scanned with Box 23, F26
This subseries contains art supply catalogs for kilns, glaze chemicals, clay, wheels, and tools.
Materials are arranged in chronological order.
This subseries has not been scanned.
Materials are arranged alphabetically by country.
This subseries has not been scanned.
This series contains photographs of Wood and her family and friends. Some photographs have been identified and dated by Wood. The India album contains photographs of her trips and includes candid shots of Indian people and their folk art. In addition to the India photograph album, this series includes two albums of slides and loose slides from her trips to India, Japan, and Israel. The slides are identified by year and location.
Materials are arranged by subject.
The bulk of this series has been scanned. The slide albums have not been scanned.
Single Images of Wood
Single Images of Wood
Single Images of Wood
Single Images of Wood
Single Images of Wood
Single Images of Wood
Copies of Photographs from One of Wood's 100th Birthday Parties
Wood with Friends
Lou and Walter Arensberg with Friends
Lou and Walter Arensberg with Marcel Duchamp
Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay
Srimali Rukmini Devi
Steve Hoag
Rosalind Rajagopal and Family
Family and Friends
Wood's Dogs
Interior of Lou and Walter Arensberg home on Hillside Avenue - Shows Brancusi's "Kiss"
Family Silver Tea Set
Works of Art
Works of Art By Other Artists
Blavatsky Center for Theosophy in Houston, Texas
Undentified House
Album - "India as Seen Through the Eyes of an Artist"
Oversized material housed in Box 30, F2
Oversized material scanned with Box 24, F23
Items in this series include sketchbooks, colored pencil drawings, watercolors, and lithographs designed by Wood. Of particular interest are the original illustrations for three of her published monographs.
Materials are arranged by artwork type.
The series has been scanned in its entirety.
Drawing of Brancusi and Wood entitled "Brancusi and Bea in New York"
Oversized material housed in Box 30, F3
Drawing of Brancusi and Wood
Oversized material housed in Box 30, F4
Colored Pencil Drawings
Oversized materials housed in Box 30, F5
Drawings for Book "33rd Wife of a Maharajah"
Drawings for Book "Pinching Spaniards"
Drawings for Book "Angel Who Wore Black Tights"
Drawings
Drawings for Pottery Ideas
Lithographs
Oversized materials housed in Box 30, F6
Sketchbook
Watercolors
Lithograph by Ray Bethers
Lithograph by George Biddle
Photograph by J. R. Baxter
Watercolors by Helene Huyler
Oversized material scanned with Box 25, F3
Oversized material scanned with Box 25, F4
Oversized materials scanned with Box 25, F5
Oversized materials scanned with Box 25, F12
Items in this series were generated by Steven Hoag, Wood's husband from 1936 until his death in 1960. They include military records, correspondence with family and friends, financial records, and photographs.
Materials are arranged by document type.
This series has not been scanned.
Items in this series were generated by Esther Rosencrantz, Wood's maternal aunt. Wood acquired the papers as a beneficiary of Rosencrantz's estate. The records include biographical materials, writings, and photographs. Also included are Rosencrantz's collection of book plates.
Correspondence between Rosencrantz and Wood can be found in Series I: Correspondence. Materials are arranged by document type.
This series has not been scanned.