Collection Stored Off-Site
All or portions of this collection are housed off-site. Materials can still be requested but researchers should expect a delay of up to two business days for retrieval.
Subseries 6.5
Reference albums, 1937-2011
Boxes 138 - 150
Scope and Content Note
This subseries consists of reference albums compiled by Geoffrey Holder from circa 1937-2011. The albums offer insight into Holder's creative process and include booklets, magazine and newspaper clippings, photocopies of book pages, printed photographs, postcards, and posters collected as inspirational imagery and text for Holder’s work. There are also portrait, figure, and scenic drawings by Holder, as well as some portrait and landscape photographs taken by him. Postcards and greeting cards with correspondence from family and friends were seemingly collected for their cover imagery. Prominent subjects include city and domestic life, fashion and design, and religion and spirituality.
Some materials were compiled as reference for original projects by Holder such as Sister Alice in Wonderland (circa 1998-2008) with references collected circa 1990-2009, and Mr. Orpheus Black (circa 2005) with references collected circa 1985-2007. Panoramic images of various beaches in Haiti photographed by Holder for an unidentified project are also included.
The subseries includes reproductions of paintings and drawings from artists, such as Beverly Buchanan , Mary Cassatt, Leonardo da Vinci, Alexandre Louzada, Raymond Marsh, and Manuel Neri. There are several printed instructional figure drawings by Joseph Sheppard. Magazines and newspapers frequently clipped include The New York Times (New York), Vogue (New York, New York), Esquire (New York, New York), Look (Des Moines, Iowa), and several unidentified art magazines. There are also photocopies from books such as the series The Image of the Black in Western Art (circa 1979-2010).
There are a small number of collages Holder created using clippings, as well as pastel markings by Holder on some clippings. A few types of unused paper, such as cardstock and Letrafilm Mat, and a large flower stencil are also included.
Arrangement Note
Arranged in alphabetical order by subject.
Processing Note
Material from original portfolios were rehoused in archival folders in their original order to preserve context. Folders labeled “Art references, (date)” by the archivist were originally titled "art" by Holder and include mixed subjects and document types. Untitled folders were labeled by subject, if identifiable, or “Various subjects, (date).” File level scope and content notes reflect predominant subjects featured in the file, as well as notable material.
| Box | Folder | Content |
|---|---|---|
| 138 | 1 |
Art references, circa 1970-2008
Includes several figure drawings by Holder, copies of Live and Let Die posters and a headshot of Amanda Mason Warren with a note to Holder on the back. Some magazine clippings are marked with pen and marker. |
| 216 | 20 | Art references, circa 1971 |
| 148 | 1 |
Art references, circa 1978-1992
Includes collages of nude photographs and faces created by Holder and clippings of buildings, groups of people, landscapes, and cityscapes. |
| 141 | 1 |
Art references, circa 1978-2008 [1 of 2]
Originally titled "Crop for Art" by Holder. Includes bulk clippings of newspaper photographs and articles. Includes printed copies of fashion designs with written captions describing characters from an unidentified production. |
| 141 | 2 |
Art references, circa 1978-2008 [2 of 2]
Originally titled "Crop for Art" by Holder. Includes clippings of models and fashion and a postcard from Trina Parks. |
| 141 | 3 |
Art references, circa 1980-2003 [1 of 2]
Includes a birthday card to Geoffrey Holder from Marjorie Holder, and a Phenomenal Endurance Training booklet by Marco Lala (1986). |
| 141 | 4 |
Art references, circa 1980-2003 [2 of 2]
Includes "Thorns" postcards by Eugenia de Olazabal, a figure drawing by Geoffrey Holder, a telephone message from Carmen de Lavallade to Holder, and a "Society of Singers Honors Lena Horne" postcard. Includes figure drawings and paintings. |
| 141 | 5 |
Art references, circa 1983-2000
Includes correspondence from Joe (1994 March 5) and Susan (1999 October 22) and an African American History Month program (2000 February 9). |
| 216 | 21 | Art references, circa 1986-1993 |
| 138 | 2 |
Art references, circa 1987-2001
Includes a printed photograph of Carmen de Lavallade and Geoffrey Holder's home (1988 December 28), cityscapes, landscapes, portraits, and newspaper reviews. Includes an original photograph titled "Brooklyn Bridge, New York," 1998 by an unidentified artist. |
| 138 | 3 |
Art references, circa 1988-1996
Includes a sketch of two boxing figures by Geoffrey Holder and references for Sister Alice in Wonderland (circa 1998-2008). Includes "In Celebration of Patrick Kelly" printed material, with correspondence to Holder (circa 1996). |
| 141 | 5 |
Art references, circa 1992-1998
Includes a birthday card with correspondence from Katherine and Troy (1998 July 30), a photocopy of a hand, and a stage drawing of a "MTF" benefit performance (undated). |
| 138 | 4 |
Art references, circa 1994-2002
Includes two unsigned landscape drawings in marker, newspaper articles from The New York Times (circa 2001-2002), gold Letrafilm Mat and printed copies of cityscapes. |
| 138 | 5 | Art references, circa 1997-2009 |
| 141 | 6 |
Art references, circa 1998-2008
Includes clippings with pastel markings and a "Tamburini" print, edition 83 of 300 by "DLC" (2007). |
| 138 | 6 |
Art references, circa 2000-2002
Includes original photograph "Poet's Walk," (Central Park, New York, 2000) by an unidentified artist. |
| 139 | 1 |
Art references, circa 2006-2008 [1 of 2]
Includes several printed figure drawings by unidentified artists and Joseph Sheppard. |
| 139 | 2 | Art references, circa 2006-2008 [2 of 2] |
| 141 | 7 | Art references, circa 2006-2008 |
| 150 | 1 |
Art references, undated [1]
Includes printed copies of cityscapes and buildings and printed paintings by Beverly Buchanan. |
| 139 | 3 |
Art references, undated [2]
Includes printed copies of cityscapes and a painting by an unidentified artist. |
| 139 | 4 | Art references, undated [3] |
| 139 | 5 | Art references, undated [4] |
| 139 | 6 |
Art references, undated [5]
Includes three children's drawings and a copy of "Poet's Walk," (Central Park, New York, 2000) photograph by an unidentified artist. |
| 140 | 1 | Art references, undated [6] |
| 216 | 22 | Art references, undated [7] |
| 216 | 23 | Art references, undated [8] |
| 140 | 2 |
Art references, "city," circa 1937-2002
Includes Coca-Cola (Atlanta, Georgia) advertisement featuring Carmen de Lavallade (1957) and printed copies of an Apollo Theatre (New York, New York) Amateur Night comic. |
| 140 | 3 |
Art references, "city," 1998-2004
Includes faxed note and image from "Aboodi" (2004 June 4). |
| 140 | 4 | Art references, "city," 1999 |
| 141 | 8 |
Art references, various subjects on greeting cards and postcards, circa 1960-1989
Includes a costume drawing and pastel portrait on newspaper by Geoffrey Holder, a postcard from Christian Holder (undated), a card from Catherine Randolph (1985 December 13), photographs of Geoffrey Holder and friends (undated), some postcards with notes and telephone messages, and a Program Corporation of America (New York, New York) booklet titled "Minority Perspectives: Black, Hispanic, Native Americans" featuring short biographies of Carmen de Lavallade and Geoffrey Holder. |
| 141 | 9 |
Art references, various subjects on greeting cards and postcards, circa 1967-1988
Includes greeting cards, a birthday card with correspondence from an unidentified correspondent, and drawings by Geoffrey Holder. |
| 149 | 1 |
Beaches, reference photographs with captions, Haiti, undated [photographer: Geoffrey Holder] [1 of 2]
Photographs are stapled and taped to a folder. Some of the photographs were combined to create a panaromic image. |
| 149 | 2 |
Beaches, reference photographs with captions, Haiti, undated [photographer: Geoffrey Holder] [2 of 2]
Photographs are stapled and taped to a folder. Some of the photographs were combined to create a panaromic image. |
| 142 | 1 | "Black gods," photocopied from The Image of the Black in Western Art, edited by David Bindman and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., circa 1979-2010 [1] |
| 142 | 2 | "Black gods," photocopied from The Image of the Black in Western Art, edited by David Bindman and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., circa 1979-2010 [2] |
| 142 | 3 | "Black gods," photocopied from The Image of the Black in Western Artt, edited by David Bindman and Henry Louis Gates Jr., with captions, circa 1979-2010 [1 of 2] |
| 142 | 4 | "Black gods," photocopied from The Image of the Black in Western Art, edited by David Bindman and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., circa 1979-2010 [2 of 2] |
| 142 | 5 | "Black gods," photocopied from The Image of the Black in Western Art, edited by David Bindman and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., with captions, circa 1979-2010 |
| 142 | 6 | Bombois, Camille, prints of paintings, undated |
| 142 | 7 | Break dancers, printed photographs, undated |
| 143 | 1 |
"The Caribbean" and horses, circa 1987-2001 [1 of 2]
Includes a 1993 planner with landscape watercolor prints and printed black and white images of horses. |
| 143 | 2 |
"The Caribbean" and horses, circa 1987-2001 [2 of 2]
Includes Entertainment Design: The Art and Technology of Show Business (2001), Set Shop: Surfaces (2000), Rose Brand Theatrical Fabrications, Fabrics, and Supplies (1998-1999), and flower stencils. Includes some marker drawings, watercolors and original photographs of unidentified places by Geoffrey Holder [?]. |
| 143 | 3 | "Caribe Brazil," with printed watercolors of orishas, undated |
| 143 | 4 |
Cassatt, Mary and trees, circa 2000
Various subjects, with printed photographs of Holder as Baron Samedi. |
| 143 | 5 | Cityscapes, night, and nude portraits, with pastel drawing by Geoffrey Holder, circa 2000 |
| 150 | 2 | "Fashion, 1872," Tiffany & Co. (New York, New York), undated |
| 144 | 1 | Flowers, circa 1976-2003 |
| 144 | 2 | Food and Martinique, circa 2010 |
| 144 | 3 | Harlem (New York), circa 1940s-1950s |
| 144 | 4 |
Harlem (New York), undated
Bulk prints of paintings by Miguel Covarrubias. |
| 144 | 5 |
"Hell," with printed Sister Alice in Wonderland scenes, circa 1990-2009
Includes a sketched scene by Geoffrey Holder. |
| 148 | 2 | "Inspiration," circa 1971 |
| 144 | 6 |
"Jas"[Jazz?] and "New Orleans," Louisiana, undated
Some photographs may have been taken by Holder. |
| 149 | 3 | Jazz, undated |
| 144 | 7 | Jazz, New Orleans, Louisiana, circa 2005-2008 |
| 149 | 4 | "Kibeleza" drawings by Alexandre Louzada, portraits and "The Magnificent Black" inspiration images from The Image of the Black in Western Art, edited by David Bindman and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., circa 1984 [1 of 2] |
| 148 | 3 | "Kibeleza" drawings by Alexandre Louzada, portraits, and "The Magnificent Black" inspiration images from The Image of the Black in Western Art, edited by David Bindman and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., circa 1984 [2 of 2] |
| 145 | 1 | "Male nude art" and various subjects, circa 1993 |
| 145 | 2 | Mr. Orpheus Black, circa 1985-2007 [1 of 4] |
| 145 | 3 | Mr. Orpheus Black, circa 1985-2007 [2 of 4] |
| 149 | 5 | Mr. Orpheus Black, circa 1985-2007 [3 of 4] |
| 145 | 4 | Mr. Orpheus Black, circa 1985-2007 [4 of 4] |
| 145 | 5 | Mr. Orpheus Black, "New Orleans," Louisiana, circa 1985-2007 |
| 145 | 6 | Neri, Manuel, figure drawings and paintings, art references, circa 1957-1991 |
| 149 | 6 | New York (New York) and art references, circa 1979-1998 |
| 145 | 7 | New York (New York) and trees, circa 1990-2001 |
| 149 | 7 | Nude art, circa 1986 |
| 148 | 4 | Nude art, male, undated |
| 145 | 8 | Nude portraits by unidentified artists, undated |
| 146 | 1 |
Portraits and trees, with copies of building drawings by Geoffrey Holder, circa 1996-2000
Some photographs may have been taken by Holder. Some prints by unidentified artists. |
| 38 | 16 | Research material, "Job," 2008 |
| 146 | 2 | "Rousseau, Henri, art," with printed copies of paintings by various artists, undated [1 of 3] |
| 149 | 8 | "Rousseau, Henri, art," with printed copies of paintings by various artists, undated [2 of 3] |
| 146 | 3 | "Rousseau, Henri, art," with printed copies of paintings by various artists, undated [3 of 3] |
| 146 | 4 | Toulouse-Latrec, Henri de, printed copies of paintings, undated |
| 146 | 5 | Trees, undated [1] |
| 146 | 6 | Trees, undated [2] |
| 146 | 7 | Trinidad and Tobago, printed photographs, undated |
| 148 | 5 |
Various subjects, circa 1986-2002
Includes a figure drawing by Holder, domestic notes from Carmen de Lavallade to Holder, postcards from "Buela" and "Ardrena" and a Jet magazine (Los Angeles, California, 2002 June 3) |
| 148 | 6 | Various subjects, circa 1991-1997 |
| 216 | 24 | Various subjects, 1993-1997 [1 of 2] |
| 216 | 25 | Various subjects, 1993-1997 [2 of 2] |
| 147 | 1 |
Various subjects, circa 2008 [1]
Includes newspaper clipping titled "Beguine for Boscoe [Holder]: Dance tribute to the late artist at Queen's Hall," (2008 October 23) and a photograph of Léo Holder with a Barack Obama Time magazine (New York, New York) cover and a photograph of a white spine-like structure, both taken by Geoffrey Holder [?]. Several prints of paintings by Paul Gauguin. |
| 149 | 9 | Various subjects, circa 2008 [2] |
| 147 | 2 | Various subjects, circa 2009 |
| 147 | 3 |
Various subjects, circa 2009-2011 [1 of 2]
Includes newspaper clippings with pastel marking by Geoffrey Holder, correspondence to Holder from Peggy and Murray Schwartz about The Dance Claimed Me: A Biography of Pearl Primus (2011 February 7) and a deal memorandum for a McDonald's Corporation (Chicago, Illinois) McCafe radio spot. |
| 147 | 4 | Various subjects, circa 2009-2011 [2 of 2] |
| 149 | 10 |
Various subjects, circa 2011
Includes a Sister Alice in Wonderland contract (2008 May 1) and clippings marked with pastel by Holder. |
| 147 | 5 |
Various subjects, undated [1]
Includes printed drawings by Raymond Marsh and Joseph Sheppard and sports images. |
| 147 | 6 |
Various subjects, undated [2]
Includes figure drawings and portraits by Edgar Degas and unidentified artists. |
| 147 | 7 | Various subjects, undated [3] |
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