Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America

Archives related to: Strange, Michael, 1890-1950

title	Wilhelm Reinhold Valentiner papers, 1860-1974.
repository	Archives of American Art
description	Diaries, writings, correspondence, scrapbooks, printed material, and photographs. REEL D31: Diary entries, 1914-1957, describing his service in the German army, 1914-1918, with the War Information Office in Berlin, the overthrow of the monarchy and German politics, relations between Germany and Russia and communist activity in Germany, the administration of Berlin museums and radical artists' activities, his work with the L.A. County Museum, Detroit Institute of Fine Arts, the North Carolina Museum of Art, and private collectors, impressions of friends, including Henry Ford, Carl Hamilton, the Hohenzollerns, Franz Marc, Rainer Maria Rilke, Walter Rathenau, Helen Wills, Benjamin Altman, J. Pierpont Morgan, and recollections of women art collectors, including Mrs. August Belmont, Rita Lydig, and Mrs. Leonard Thomas. REELS 272-276: Documents; correspondence with Valentiner's family, E. Colin Agnew, Chester Holmes Aldrich, William von Bode, Duveen Brothers, Max J. Friedlander, Walter Gropius, John Johnson, John McIlhenny, Erich Mendelsohn, M. Perzynski, Edi Redslob, the Rockefeller family, Maria Sarre, Albert Souvier, and C.F. Williams. Correspondence prior to 1920 concerns World War I and life in Germany; also included are essays and research notes on modern European artists; photographs of Valentiner and his family; and printed material. REELS 2140-2144: 26 diaries, 1904-1958; autobiographical writings; manuscripts and lectures by Valentiner; correspondence with family, friends, authors, museums, galleries, and dealers, including Harry Berotia, Charles Culver, Lyonel and Julia Feininger, Walter Gropius, Paul and Mary Weschler, and Morris Graves; and a scrapbook containing clippings, drafts of speeches, and invitations. REELS 3963-3967: Biographical material including a resume, a family history and family tree; correspondence with family, Kurt Bauch, Guy DeLauney, Walter Friedlaender, Henry Goldman, Liselotte Moser, Maria Sarre, Wolfgang von Eckardt, and Helen Wills; manuscripts of an autobiography, writings on art, and articles by Valentiner; notebooks and notes; diaries, 1884-1939; exhibition catalogs and clippings; scrapbooks; photographs, 1875-1965, of Valentiner, his family, Walter Friedlaender, Giacometti, Maria Sarre, Helen Wills, William von Bode, Diego Rivera, Harry Bertoia, and other artists and art work; and an etching of Heidelberg.
extent	6.3 linear ft. (on 16 microfilm reels) reels D31, 272-276, 2140-2144, and 3963-3967
formats	Correspondence Diaries Photographs Scrapbooks
access	Patrons must use microfilm copy.
record source	http://www.siris.si.edu/
finding aid	Finding aids for reels 2140-2144 and 3963-3967 are available at AAA offices.
acquisition information	Material on reels D31, 272-276 & 3963-3967, donated 1959. Material on reels 2140-2144 lent for microfilming by the North Carolina Museum of Art, 1974.
updated	03/16/2023 10:29:59
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title	Michael Strange papers, 1917-1925
repository	New York Public Library
description	The Michael Strange papers consist primarily of 218 autographed letters, many more then 2 pages in length, from her second husband John Barrymore. These span the years 1917-1925 and coincide with the end of her marriage to Leonard Thomas, as well as Barrymore's and Strange's courtship, marriage and divorce. Michael Strange was John Barrymore's second wife and the correspondence gives insight to the stormy nature of their relationship. Most of the correspondence is love letters which use personal terms of endearment and are almost always affectionate and sometimes sexually explicit. Of special note are certain pet names used interchangeably by John Barrymore and Michael Strange. These include Treacle, Fig and Dringal. The letters are often written in the third person and John Barrymore usually referred to himself as father and Michael Strange as "his mother". Much of the correspondence from late 1922 to early 1923 contains information on Barrymore's HAMLET which ran in New York during that time period. The correspondence also documents the 1925 London production of HAMLET. Other topics include some of his earlier theatrical works and discussions of events during motion picture filming in Hollywood and on location. His writing about his acting is at times introspective and gives glimpses of Barrymore's creative genius and troubled personality. Interesting aspects of the letters include drawings which Barrymore himself added to the correspondence. Other correspondence is from Michael Strange's admirer Terence, whose last name is never revealed, as well as correspondence from the critic John Jay Chapman. The collection also includes a manuscript copy of a play written by Michael Strange entitled THE DARK CROWN for which she was accused of plagiarism by Sophie Treadwell. Also included is ephemera such as clippings and gift cards. Biography Michael Strange, playwright and poet is probably best known as the second wife of John Barrymore. She was born Blanche Oelrichs in Newport, Rhode Island in 1890. After meeting John Barrymore in 1917, she divorced her first husband, Leonard Thomas and married Barrymore in 1920. Their marriage lasted until 1928. It was during this period that Barrymore acted in his greatest role as Hamlet. Blanche Oelrichs took the name Michael Strange at the beginning of her literary career. Known first as a playwright, she later was known for her poetry, some of which was published with illustrations done by John Barrymore. Among her works are, Clair de Lune based on Victor Hugo's work L'Homme Qui Rit, which opened with both John and Ethel Barrymore in the cast. The play was not a success and the reviews of the critics caused John Barrymore to send letters of rebuttal to the newspapers defending his wife's literary work. Her other well known works are primarily poetry and include: Selected Poems, Resurrecting Life and Poems. Her autobiography is entitled Who Tells Me True. Michael Strange died in 1950. Preferred Citation Michael Strange Papers, *T-Mss 1994-009, Billy Rose Theatre Collection, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
extent	1.25 lin. ft. (4 boxes).
formats	Correspondence Ephemera Manuscript
access	Original correspondence restricted. Photocopies available for research use. Library policy on photography and photocopying will apply. Advance notice may be required.
record link	http://digilib.nypl.org:80/dynaweb/ead/rose/thestrange/@Generic%5F%5FBookView
record source	http://catalog.nypl.org/record=b12018651~S1
finding aid	Indexes Finding aid available in repository and on Internet.
acquisition information	The Michael Strange Papers were donated to the Billy Rose Theatre Collection in June of 1994.
updated	11/12/2014 11:30:14
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