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Harold L. Doolittle collection of art prints

 Collection
Identifier: 0032

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Scope and Content

Harold L. Doolittle's collection of etchings, engravings, and lithographs mostly comes from the first 50 years of the 20th century and represents a large number of artists, some more famous than others. Doolittle himself contributed more than 30 of his own etchings, all of which are landscapes. There are sketches of Yosemite, California hills, mountains and more. Other art in the collection, especially from the Chicago Society of Etchers and the Society of American Etchers, takes a similar approach. The oldest print dates to 1799 with Francisco Goya's “Ya es Hora," one of several 18th and 19th century works. Goya is joined by other well known artists including Gustaf Dalstrom, George Elbert Burr, Maxime Lalanne, Richard E. Bishop and Charles A. Platt.

Dates

  • Creation: 1799-1964, undated
  • Creation: Majority of material found in 1920s-1960s

Conditions Governing Access

Advance notice required for access.

Conditions Governing Use

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Biographical note

Harold L. Doolittle (1883-1974) was born in Pasadena, California. He was an etcher and civil engineer who studied at Cornell University (1903-1906) and Throop Polytechnic Institute (later California Institute of Technology). He served as President of the Pasadena Society of Artists in 1943, and Vice President of the Los Angeles Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1934. He worked for many years as chief design engineer for the Southern California Edison Company. Doolittle worked in all the graphic processes including photography and collotype, but he is most noted for his aquatints.

Extent

5 Boxes

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Prints by various artists, including John Taylor Arms and Arthur H. Heintzelman, from Harold L. Doolittle's collection; 41 prints from the Printmakers' Society of California (1922-64); about 150 prints by artists of the U.S. and Europe of the period 1915-1950; 38 original prints by Doolittle.

Genre / Form

Title
Finding aid for the Harold L. Doolittle collection of art prints
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Alex Shultz and Sue Luftschein
Date
2013 November
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Revision Statements

  • 202: Finding aid updated to include Miniature Print Society prints and additional unidentified, Benjamin Brown and Mildred Brooks prints.

Repository Details

Part of the USC Libraries Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Doheny Memorial Library 206
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles California 90089-0189 United States