Pavel Tchelitchew collection

The collection consists of correspondence, writings, photographs, and printed material that document the artistic pursuits and personal life of Russian-born painter, set designer, and costume designer Pavel Tchelitchew. The material documents Tchelitchew's assessment of his own work, the conception and execution of many of his paintings and his business dealings with collectors, galleries and museums. In addition to documentation of Tchelitchew's life as an emigre, some material relates to his early life in Russia. A memoir of Tchelitchew's sister Alexandra Zaoussailoff (unpublished during her lifetime) recounts their childhood and describes their family background and upbringing. A few official documents attest to Tchelitchew's noble ancestry and his early education.

Most of the correspondence in the collection is with close friends and family, documenting both personal relationships and business activity. A portion of the correspondence relates specifically to Tchelitchew's business dealings with collectors, museums and galleries. Among the writings are short autobiographical sketches and self-reflective essays examining his development as an artist. The printed material includes collected images from magazines, postcards or books that he saved for their influence on his work. Photographs date chiefly from the years prior to the Second World War, when Tchelitchew, Zaoussailoff and friends spent their summers in Guermantes, France.

In addition to the primary research interest of Tchelitchew's life and work, the collection documents several aspects of twentieth century art and history. Tchelitchew's correspondence documents the cosmopolitan nature of artistic society before and after the Second World War in Europe and the United States. Family correspondence throughout the collection and Zaoussailoff's memoir document the social history of a post-Revolutionary aristocratic Russian family.