The collection is arranged as six series. Series 1: Correspondence, 1935-1988 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet) Series 2: Professional Files, 1932-1989 (Box 1, OV 4; 0.7 linear feet) Series 3: Gallery Records, 1940-1991 (Box 1-2; 0.4 linear feet) Series 4: Writings and Notes, circa 1940-1986 (Box 2-3; 0.2 linear feet) Series 5: Artwork, circa 1960-1970s (Box 3; 0.2 linear feet) Series 6: Photographic Materials, circa 1940-1986 (Box 3; 0.2 linear feet)
Access Note / Rights:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
Summary:
The papers of ceramicist and educator Laura Andreson measure 1.9 linear feet and date from 1932 to 1991. The collection is comprised of correspondence, professional files, gallery records, writings and notes, artwork, and photographic materials that document her pioneering work in ceramics.
Citation:
Laura Andreson papers, 1932-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Location of Originals:
Originals of scrapbook photocopies found in the collection remain in the possession of Andreson's nephew.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an interview of Laura Andreson conducted May 20, 1981 by Ruth Bowman, for the Archives of American Art.
Biography Note:
Laura Andreson (1902-1999) was a ceramicist and educator in Los Angeles, California. She received a bachelor's degree in education at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1932 and a master's degree in painting from Columbia University in 1937. She began her career in ceramics studying under the influential ceramicist Glen Lukens. In 1933 she founded the ceramics department at UCLA where she taught from 1933 to 1970.
Andreson was a pioneer in ceramics, experimenting and developing glaze and clay techniques during a time when equipment was limited and only a few books were available on ceramics. Her work has been widely exhibited, primarily after her retirement from UCLA in 1970. Andreson died in Los Angeles, C.A. in 1999.
Language Note:
The collection is in English.
Provenance:
The papers were donated by Laura Andreson and her companion Pauline Blank in 1991 and 1996.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001