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Summary


Title
Russell Babcock Collection
Collection Number MSS-0005
Inclusive Dates 1910-2001
Creator

Russell Babcock, Wanda Babcock, Philip C. Curtis
Extent

34.5 linear ft
Processed By Amy Reimann, Class of 2000; Rosemary Beyer, Class of 2002; Michael Hewitt, Class of 2005; Jennifer A. Thomas, Archivist
Finding Aid Prepared By Jennifer A. Thomas, August 2006
Abstract Two series from this collection are currently available in this finding aid: that of correspondence from surrealist artist Philip C. Curtis to his lifelong friend, Russell Babcock, as well as addenda materials that were located in a large book donation from Babcock to the Albion College Stockwell-Mudd Libraries. The other materials in the collection not yet available include Babock's collection of political science publications and his personal papers. Special Collections felt it necessary to make the Babock-Curtis materials in particular available as soon as possible due to their historical value.
Table of Contents
 

Summary, Access & Use, Biographies, Scope & Content, Series Description, Inventory, Bibliography
 

 

Acquisition Information

The majority of the collection was donated to Albion College as a part of the Russell B. Babcock Estate in 2001.  The Philip C. Curtis Materials in Series I of the collection were donated a year earlier during the summer of 2000 by Mr. Babcock previous to his death.
Access Restrictions None
Copyright The literary rights to this collection are assumed to rest with the person(s) responsible for the production of the particular items within the collection, or with their heirs or assigns. Researchers bear full legal responsibility for acquisition to publish from any part of said collection per Title 17, United States Code. The Albion College Special Collections Unit may reserve the right to intervene as intermediary at its own discretion.
Preferred Citation Item, Folder Title, Box No., Russell Babcock Collection, College Archives, Special Collections, Albion College.



Russell Babcock was born in Galien, Michigan on September 9, 1905. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Albion College in 1927 and his Masters degree in education from the Graduate Teachers College of Winnetka, Illinois. Babcock completed other graduate work at the University of Wisconsin, where he studied philosophy from 1927-28, Northwestern University, and the University of London, England.  From 1928 to 1931, he was an English teacher at Robert College in Istanbul, Turkey.

Following that experience and a year of graduate work at the University of London afterwards, Babcock returned to the United States and began teaching in the Winnetka Public School system in Illinois, where his pioneering work in sex education did not go unrecognized. He stayed at Winnetka for 9 years.

He served in the armed forces during World War II, and then in 1946 took a position as the Director of Education for the Chicago Department of Race Relations. He went to Liberia and West Africa, as a consultant to the former Secretary of State, Stettinius. When Babcock returned to Illinois, he served under Adlai Stevenson, until accepting a position as field director of the Illinois Council of Economic Education at Northwestern.

During the Depression years (1933-46) he was very active in the social reform movement (New America). Later, joining the Democrats in 1976, as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention for the nomination of Jimmy Carter.

In 1960 he moved to Galien, MI, where he worked as a teacher in the public school system he graduated from in 1922. He retired from Galien in 1968, and continued to live there with his wife, Wanda Taeschner (University of Illinois alumnus), until her death and, a few years later, his own. He was 96.

Babcock was a staunch supporter of Albion College. A member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, he was also a  star guard and one of the “Iron Men” on the College basketball team in 1926 and 1927. His 3 brothers, a cousin and several nephews and nieces have also attended Albion. In 1991, Babcock established the Philip C. Curtis Visiting Artist Endowment at Albion in honor of his friend, whom he had known, loved, and corresponded with for nearly 70 years.

Timeline for Philip C. Curtis

1907
  • Philip C. Curtis born in Jackson, Michigan

1923
  • Curtis falls through the ice, becomes ill with inflammatory rheumatism and is confined to bed for a year – consequently suffers from debilitating arthritis throughout his life

1926
  • Curtis enters Albion College and meets Russell Babcock (Class of 1927)

1930
  • B.A. from Albion College and University of Michigan in pre-law

 
  • Starts law studies at the University of Michigan Law School

1932
  • Starts at Yale University, School of Fine Arts

1935
  • Receives 4-year certificate from Yale

 
  • Supervisor of Mural Painting (assistant), WPA Art Project, New York City

1936
  • WPA sends Cutis to assist in the development of an art center in Phoenix, Arizona

 
  • Curtis is appointed Director of the Phoenix Art Center

1939
  • WPA sends Curtis to aid in developing the Des Moines Art Center

 
  • Consults with art-conscious groups in Portland, Oregon; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Raleigh, Chapel Hill and Winston-Salem, North Carolina

1941
  • Enters Harvard, intending to prepare for museum work

 
  • Enlisted to assist the Office of Strategic Services during World War II

1947
  • Curtis returns to Arizona, selects a home and studio in a renovated horse stable on the George and Rachel Ellis compound north of Scottsdale, Arizona on an old cattle trail

1949
  • “Philip C. Curtis”exhibit, San Francisco Museum of Art (Gouache)

1950
  • Group exhibition, Weyhe Gallery, New York City (Gouache)

1957
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Arizona State College, Tempe (Oil and the establishment of style)

1960
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Phoenix Art Museum

1961
  • Curtis Trust forms by Lewis J. Ruskin – members include Mrs. John C. Pritzlaff, Jr.; Mrs. Oliver B. James; Jerome H. Louchheim, Jr.; Mrs. Franz G. Talley; Thomas D. Darlington; Read Mullan; Edward Jacobson; Mrs. G. Robert Herberger; Walter Bimson

1963
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Phoenix Art Museum
1964
  • "Recent paintings by Philips C. Curtis" exhibit, Knoedler Art Gallery, New York City

1966
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Feingarten Gallery, Los Angeles, California

 
  • “[Four Paintings]” exhibit, Albion College, Albion, Michigan
 
  • "Philip C. Curtis" exhibit, California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, California

1967
  • “20-Year Retrospective Exhibition: The Art of Philip C. Curtis”, Northern Arizona University

 
  • “Paintings of Renowned American Artist Philip Curtis”, Flagstaff Summer Festival, Arizona

 
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Betty Thomen’s Gallery, Basel, Switzerland

 
  • Galerie Krugier et Cie becomes Curtis’ European representative

 
  • “The Philip C. Curtis Show”, Galerie Krugier et Cie, Geneva, Switzerland

1968
  • Educational Television taped interviews

 
  • “Music in Art” exhibit, Flagstaff Summer Festival

1969
  • “[Fourteen Paintings]” exhibit, Albion College, Albion, Michigan

 
  • Elected as Benjamin Franklin Fellow, Royal Society of Art, England

 
  • Terminates relations with M. Knoedler and Co.; Begins representation by Coe Kerr Gallery, Inc., New York City (E. Coe Kerr Jr. formerly president of M. Knoedler and Co.)

1970
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Arizona State University, Tempe

 
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, University of Arizona, Tucson

 
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Oklahoma Art Center

 
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Coe Kerr Gallery, New York City

 
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Amon Carter Museum of Western Art, Fort Worth, Texas

1971
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Palm Springs Desert Museum, Palm Springs, California

 
  • Receives honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Albion College

1972
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, University of California at Los Angeles

 
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Utah Museum of Fine Arts

 
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

1974
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Galerie Ariadne, Vienna, Austria
 
  • "The Time Freeze - Philip C. Curtis" movie by Jose Bermudez, Scottsdale Center for the Arts

1975
  • “Arizona Invitational ‘75”, Phoenix Art Museum

1976
  • Receives Distinguished Achievement in Art, Gold Medal, National Society for Arts and Letters, New York City

1977
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Santa Fe Festival of the Arts
1978
  • “Scottsdale Festival 9 and the Philip C. Curtis Retrospective Exhibition”, Scottsdale Center for the Arts

 
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.

 
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, C.M. Russell Museum, Great Falls, Montana

1979
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Ella Sharp Museum, Jackson, Michigan

 
  • Receives Distinguished Achievement Award, Arizona State University College of Fine Arts

1980
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Gallery 609, Denver, Colorado

1981
  • Receives honorary Doctor of Human Letters degree from Arizona State University

1982
  • “Curtis Gallery” permanent exhibit, Phoenix Art Museum

1983
  • Receives Governor’s Award, Artist of the Year, State of Arizona

1984
  • “Surrealist Paintings by Philip C. Curtis”, Fine Arts Center of Tempe, Arizona

 
  • Receives Cultural Contribution Award, City of Scottsdale Fine Arts Commission

1986
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Arizona Bank

 
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Northern Arizona University Art Gallery

 
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Plains Art Museum, Moorhead, Minnesota

1987
  • “Philip C. Curtis” exhibit, Nicolaysen Art Museum, Casper, Wyoming

 
  • Receives Cultural Contribution Award, City of Scottsdale Fine Arts Commission
1988
  • "Known and Unknown, A Retrospective Exhibition 1947-1987," Scottsdale Center for the Arts

1990
  • “Paintings 1962-1988”, Marilyn Butler Fine Art, Scottsdale, Arizona

 
  • “Paintings 1962-1988”, Marilyn Butler Gallery, Santa Monica, California

 
  • “Early Work” exhibit and honorary dinner, Phoenix Art Museum

1991
  • Inauguration of the Philip C. Curtis Visiting Artist Program established by Russell B. Babcock and Wanda T. Babcock at Albion College
 
  • "Philip C. Curtis - The Return" exhibit, Elsie E. Munro Gallery, Bobbitt Visual Arts Center, Albion College, Albion, Michigan

 
  • Receives Distinguished Alumni Award, Albion College, Albion, Michigan

1993
  • “Philip C. Curtis and Time Stood Still”, Riva Yares Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona

1994
  • “Philip C. Curtis and Time Stood Still”, Riva Yares Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico

1997
  • Philip C. Curtis Endowed Graduate Fellowship established at Arizona State University

1998
  • “A Procession: Paintings by Philip C. Curtis from Valley Collections”, Arizona State University Art Museum

1999
  • Curtis sustains serious neck injury

2000
  • Curtis dies at the age of 93

2001
  • “Ullman Center for the Art of Philip Curtis” opens, Phoenix Art Museum

 


Series I: Philip C. Curtis Materials

Subseries I: Russell Babcock/Philip Curtis Correspondence

A.   From Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock, 1928-1983

B.   From Russell Babcock to Philip Curtis, 1995, n.d.
 

Subseries II: 1930s-60s

A.   Correspondence, 1932-1968, n.d.

B.   Publications, 1963-1969

C.   Original Artwork, 1930

D.   Art Exhibition Materials, 1949-1969

1.   “Philip C. Curtis” – San Francisco Museum of Art, 1949

2.   “Philip C. Curtis” – Phoenix Art Museum, 1963

3.   “Recent Paintings by Philip C. Curtis” – Knoedler Art Gallery (NYC), 1964

4.   “Philip C. Curtis” – Feingarten Gallery (LA), 1966

5.   [“Four Paintings”] – Albion College, 1966

6.   “Recent Paintings by Philip C. Curtis” – California Palace of the Legion of Honor (San Francisco), 1966

7.   “The Philip C. Curtis Show” – Galerie Krugier (Geneva, Switzerland), 1968

8.   “The Art of Philip C. Curtis” – Flagstaff Summer Festival (Northern Arizona University Art Gallery), 1967

9.   “Music in Art” – Flagstaff Summer Festival (Northern Arizona University Art Gallery), 1968

10. [“Fourteen Paintings”] – Albion College, 1969
 

Subseries III: 1970s

A.   Correspondence, 1970-1978, n.d.

B.   Publications, 1970-1979

C.   Photographs, n.d.

D.   Art Exhibition Materials, 1970-1979

1.   “Philip C. Curtis” – Coe Kerr Gallery (New York City), 1970

2.   “Philip C. Curtis” – Arizona State University (Tempe), 1970

3.   “Philip C. Curtis” – University of Arizona (Tucson), 1970

4.   “Philip C. Curtis” – Oklahoma Art Center, 1970

5.   “Philip C. Curtis” – Amon Carter Museum of Western Art (Fort Worth, TX), 1970

6.   “Philip C. Curtis” – Palm Springs Desert Museum, 1971

7.   “Philip C. Curtis” – UCLA, 1972

8.   “Philip C. Curtis” – Utah Museum of the Arts, 1972

9.   "Philip C. Curtis” – University of Nevada (Las Vegas) 1972

10. “The Time Freeze – Philip C. Curtis” – Scottsdale Center for the Arts, 1974

11. “Scottsdale Arts Festival 9 and the Philip C. Curtis Retrospective Exhibition” – Scottsdale Center for the Arts, 1978

12. “Philip C. Curtis” – Phillips Collection (Washington, D.C.), 1978

13. “Philip C. Curtis” – Ella Sharp Museum (Jackson, MI), 1979
 

Subseries IV: 1980s

A.   Correspondence, n.d.

B.   Publications, 1981-1989

C.   Unpublished Items, 1984-1987

D.   Art Exhibition Materials, 1980-1988

1.   “Philip C. Curtis” – Gallery 609 (Denver, Colorado), 1980

2.   “Curtis Gallery” – Phoenix Art Museum, 1982

3.   “Surrealist Paintings of Philip C. Curtis” – Fine Arts Center of Tempe, 1984

4.   “Philip C. Curtis” – Arizona Bank, 1986

5.   “Known & Unknown, A Retrospective Exhibition 1947-1987” – Scottsdale Center for the Arts, 1988
 

Subseries V: 1990s – Present

A.   Correspondence, 1994-1997

B.   Publications, 1990-2000

C.   Art Exhibition Materials, 1989-1997, n.d.

1.   “Paintings 1962-1988” – Marilyn Butler Fine Art (Scottsdale, Arizona), 1990

2.   “Paintings 1962-1988” – Marilyn Butler Gallery (Santa Fe, New Mexico), 1990

3.   “Philip C. Curtis Paintings: 1935-1955” – Phoenix Art Museum, 1990

4.   “Philip C. Curtis - The Return” – Albion College, 1991

5.   “Philip C. Curtis and Time Stood Still” – Riva Yares Gallery (Scottsdale, Arizona), 1993

6.   “A Procession: Paintings by Philip C. Curtis from Valley Collections” – Arizona State University Art Museum, 1997

7.   “Philip C. Curtis” – West Valley Art Museum, Arizona, 2000

D.   Albion College Materials, 1991-1993

E.   Photographs, 1990, n.d.

F.   Unpublished Items, 1994-1996
 

Subseries VI: Interview of Russell B. Babcock, 2000

A.   Audio Recording

B.   Typed Transcription
 

Series II: Book Addenda
 

Series III: Political Science Publications 

 

 

Box

Folder

Series

Item ( * = Folder includes Typed Transcription )

1

1

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock] July 6, 1928*

1

2

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock] August 1, 1928*

1

3

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock] November 19, 1928*

1

4

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock] Tuesday, March 12 [1929]*

1

5

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock] June 3, 1929*

1

6

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock] February 28, 1930*

1

7

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock] August 2, 1931*

1

8

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock] April 28, 1932*

1

9

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock – October 1932]*

1

10

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock – January 1933]*

1

11

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock] April 23, 1933*

1

12

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock – August 1933]*

1

13

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock – September 1933]*

1

14

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock – August 1935]*

1

15

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock – September 1935]*

1

16

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock] November 3, 1935*

1

17

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock – November 1935]*

1

18

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock – December 1935]*

1

19

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock – January 1936]*

1

20

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock – April 1936]*

1

21

I:I

[Letter from Philip Curtis to Russell Babcock – October 1936]*

1

22