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Willard Dryden Paddock photographs and papers

 Collection
Call Number: YCAL MSS 848

Scope and Contents

Collection of photographs and papers, chiefly from 1912 to 1941, which document the work of American artist Willard Dryden Paddock and his activities with his wife Charlotte Elizabeth Smith Paddock, as well as related material collected and created by his nieces Mary Steichen Calderone and Charlotte "Kate" Rodina Steichen from 1954 to 1988.

Photographic material in the collection includes a photograph album created by Charlotte Paddock and Kate Steichen that documents activities on a small farm owned by the Paddocks in South Kent, Connecticut, 1912-1936. Other photographs in the collection document sculptures created by Paddock, with many depictions of Sundial, Boy With Spider (1916-1918), an outdoor sculpture and functional sundial that depicts a boy sitting cross-legged with an open scroll in his lap and holding a twig with a spider affixed to the wire that acts as the gnomon.

A small quantity of papers in the collection document some of his sculptures and paintings, including an illustrated catalog of sculptures, as well as programs for exhibitions and dedications, circa 1929-1941. Other papers, 1978-1988, document his nieces' interests in his artwork and the home in South Kent, Connecticut.

Dates

  • 1902 - 1988
  • Majority of material found within 1912 - 1941

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Box 3 (photographic negatives): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.

Conditions Governing Use

The Willard Dryden Paddock Photographs and Papers is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Francesca Calderone-Steichen, 2014 and 2022.

Arrangement

Organized into three series: I. Photographs, 1912-1978. II. Papers, 1929-1988. III. September 2022 Acquistion, 1902.

Associated Materials

Edward Steichen, Photograph Albums of the Steichen Family (YCAL MSS 593). Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.

Extent

0.84 Linear Feet (4 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/beinecke.paddock

Abstract

Collection of photographs and papers, chiefly from 1912 to 1941, which document the work of American artist Willard Dryden Paddock and his activities with his wife Charlotte Elizabeth Smith Paddock, as well as related material collected and created by his nieces Mary Steichen Calderone and Charlotte "Kate" Rodina Steichen from 1954 to 1988.

Willard Dryden Paddock (1873-1956)

Willard Dryden Paddock was an American artist. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of John D. Paddock (born 1842) and Elizabeth C. Adams Paddock (born 1849). In 1893, Paddock began training with sculptor Herbert Adams (1858-1945) at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. In 1895, he earned a two-year scholarship to study in Europe, which included periods at the Académie Colarossi and Académie Julian in Paris.

In 1922, Paddock became an associate member of the National Academy of Design, and the following year he co-founded the Kent Art Association in Kent, Connecticut. Beginning in 1927, he was a member of the faculty at Pratt Institute.

His sculptural work ranged from small whimsical pieces and busts, usually for the Gorham Manufacturing Company in Providence, Rhode Island, to fountains and monumental structures. Paddock is known for his memorials to World War I, which include the War Memorial in Stratford, Connecticut, and a flagpole on the Pratt Institute campus. His other significant works include the Noah Webster Memorial Fountain for Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, and the Alfred Nobel Memorial at the United Engineering Societies Building in New York City. Paddock also produced a number of paintings.

In 1902, Paddock married Charlotte Elizabeth Smith Paddock (1874-1936), the daughter of John Randolph Smith (1836-1917) and Frances R. Keet Smith (1844-1939). Her younger sister was Clara Emma Smith Steichen (1875-1952), who was married to Edward Jean Steichen (1879-1973) from 1903 until their divorce in 1922. Around 1912, the Paddocks moved to a small farm at 28 Spooner Hill Road in South Kent, Connecticut, where he also maintained a studio. Their nieces Mary Steichen Calderone (1904-1998) and Charlotte "Kate" Rodina Steichen (1908-1988) would often visit the farm. After the death of his wife, Paddock returned to New York City, where he lived until his death.

Processing Information

Collections are processed to a variety of levels, depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived research value, the availability of staff, competing priorities, and whether or not further accruals are expected. The library attempts to provide a basic level of preservation and access for all collections, and does more extensive processing of higher priority collections as time and resources permit.

Title
Guide to the Willard Dryden Paddock Photographs and Papers
Author
by Matthew Daniel Mason
Date
2014
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository

Contact:
P. O. Box 208330
New Haven CT 06520-8330 US
(203) 432-2977

Location

121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511

Opening Hours

Access Information

The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.