Finding Aid to the Cedric Wright Papers

Processed by Marie Byrne; finding aid completed by Rachael Durrett and Mary Morganti; edited and revised by Lara Michels.

The Bancroft Library

University of California

Berkeley, CA 94720-6000

bancref@library.berkeley.edu

URL: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/libraries/bancroft-library

Note

Arts and Humanities --Fine Arts --Photography Arts and Humanities --Performing Arts --Music History --History, California --History, Bay Area Geographical (By Place) --California --Bay Area

Language of Material: English

Contributing Institution: The Bancroft Library

Title: Cedric Wright papers

creator: Wright, Cedric, 1889-1959

Identifier/Call Number: BANC MSS 77/124 c

Physical Description: 4.5 linear feet (9 boxes, 5 oversize folders)

Date (inclusive): 1900-1958

Abstract: The Cedric Wright papers include correspondence, writings and notes, and family papers which provide a glimpse into the life of this artist, his circle, and the development of his work.

Language of Material: English

Physical Location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

Access

Collection is open for research.

Acquisition Information

The Cedric Wright Papers were given to The Bancroft Library by Ansel Adams, via the Sierra Club on July 20, 1976, with additions in March and April 1977.

Biographical Note

Born George Cedric Wright on 13 April 1889 in Alameda, Calif., Wright was a violinist, photographer, active Sierra Club member, and close friend and associate of Ansel Adams. During the Second World War he was a technical photographer at Berkeley's Radiation Laboratory, but he is known for his nature photography and Sierra Nevada landscapes. The Sierra Club published Cedric Wright: words of the earth, posthumously, in 1960.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Cedric Wright Papers, BANC MSS 77/124 c, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Scope and Content

The Cedric Wright Papers, 1900-1958, contains correspondence, writings and notes, and family papers which provide a glimpse into the life of this artist, his circle, and the development of his work. Although Wright's correspondence includes letters from many well-known individuals, it will be the small group of writings and notes that are of greatest interest to researchers. These may be the only documentation of the development of Wright's successive careers in music and photography, as well as evidence of his passion for the Sierras. The family Papers include legal and financial records, along with clippings and miscellaneous ephemera.

Materials Cataloged Separately

Photographs have been transferred to Pictorial Collections of The Bancroft Library.

Publication Rights

Copyright has not been assigned to The Bancroft Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the appropriate curator or the Head of Public Services for forwarding. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Bancroft Library 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 by the reader.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Wright, Cedric, 1889-1959

Series 1: General Correspondence 1908-1958

Subseries 1.1: Incoming 1909-1958

box 1, Folder 1

A miscellany 1929-49

box 1, Folder 2

Adams, Ansel, 1902- 1927-28, n.d.

box 1, Folder 3

Ali Shirazi, Kathleen (Goddard) 1929-34, n.d.

box 1, Folder 4

B miscellany 1929-54

box 1, Folder 5

Bacon, Analee 1940 undated

box 1, Folder 6

Bacon, Ernst, 1898 1929-1943

box 1, Folder 7

Bender, Albert M. (Albert Maurice), 1866-1941 1931-1940

box 1, Folder 8

Benson, Stelle, 1892-1933 undated

box 1, Folder 9

Blaisdell, Allen C. undated

box 1, Folder 10

C miscellany 1917-1951

box 1, Folder 11

Colby, Wm. E. (William Edward), 1875-1964 1929-1947

box 1, Folder 12

Crowe, Harold E. 1949

box 1, Folder 13

D miscellany 1929-1933

box 1, Folder 14

Damon, Bertha 1930-1939

box 1, Folder 15

Dawson, Ernst 1927-1931

box 1, Folder 16

E miscellany 1939

box 1, Folder 17

Edmonds, Bee 1917-1919

box 1, Folder 18

Erehjelan, Helen af 1933

box 1, Folder 19

Erskine, Dorothy 1920-1932

box 1, Folder 20

F miscellany 1929-1949

box 1, Folder 21

Field, Katherine (Mrs. James Ralston Caldwell) 1946

box 1, Folder 22

Field, Sara Bard, 1882-1974 1931-1943

box 1, Folder 23

Fliche, Arthur Davison 1928

box 1, Folder 24

G miscellany 1931-1951

box 1, Folder 25

Geisler, Margret (Baxton) 1923-1953

box 1, Folder 26

H miscellany 1927-1950

box 1, Folder 27

Ház, Nicholas 1937-1946

box 1, Folder 28

I miscellany 1915-1933

box 1, Folder 29

K miscellany 1913-1941

box 1, Folder 30

Keeler, Charles 1926

box 1, Folder 31

Kellogg, Saadi 1940-41

box 1, Folder 32

L miscellany 1936-1950

box 2, Folder 1

M miscellany 1931-1945

box 2, Folder 2

Marshall, Albert 1929-1943

box 2, Folder 3

Maybeck, Annie (White) 1935 undated

box 2, Folder 4

Mills College 1926-1950

box 2, Folder 5

Miss Ransom and Miss Bridges' School 1928-1929

box 2, Folder 6

N miscellany 1930-1949

box 2, Folder 7

O miscellany 1945-1950

box 2, Folder 8

P miscellany 1930-1950

box 2, Folder 9

Partridge, Roi 1929-1939

box 2, Folder 10

Peabody, Dean 1927-1931

box 2, Folder 11

Plehn, Carl C. (Carl Copping), 1867- 1929

box 2, Folder 12

R miscellany 1930-1950

box 2, Folder 13

Roosevelt, Nicholas, 1893- 1958

box 2, Folder 14

S miscellany 1921-1938

box 2, Folder 15

Sherry, David 1931-1932

box 2, Folder 16

Sierra Club, by Francis P. Farquhar and Richard M. Leonard 1934-1939

box 2, Folder 16

T miscellany 1929-1949

box 2, Folder 18

Tachet, Daniel 1929-1939

Scope and Contents

Includes letter to Ansel Adams.

box 2, Folder 19

U miscellany 1909-1937

box 2, Folder 20

W miscellany 1931-1949

box 2, Folder 21

Wall, Vivian and Bob 1930-1932

box 2, Folder 22

Wood, Charles Erskine Scott, 1852-1944 1933-1941

box 2, Folder 23-36

Unidentified 1910-1951

Subseries 1.2: Outgoing 1908-1954

box 3, Folder 1-5

To known individuals 1908-1954

box 3, Folder 6-7

To unidentified individuals 1930-1940

Series 2: Family Correspondence 1903-1954

Subseries 2.1: Incoming 1910-1946

box 4, Folder 1

Wright, George T. 1910-1932

box 4, Folder 2-3

Wright, Sophie (Landsberger) 1913-1931

box 4, Folder 4-9

Wright, Mildred (Sahlström) 1910-1937

box 4, Folder 10

Wright, Rhea Kathleen (Ufford) 1930-1939

box 4, Folder 11-13

Gerould, Alberta Wright 1927-1946

box 4, Folder 14

Wright, Joanne undated

box 4, Folder 15

Wright, David 1943

box 4, Folder 16

Landsberger family 1930 undated

box 4, Folder 17

Ufford family undated

box 4, Folder 18

Gerould family 1937-1943

box 4, Folder 19

Unidentified 1912-1939

Subseries 2.2: Outgoing 1903-1954

box 5, folder 1-2

to George T. and Sophie (Landsberger) Wright 1903-36, n.d.

box 5, Folder 3-4

to Mildred (Sahlström) Wright 1910-1954

box 5, Folder 5

to Rhea Kathleen (Ufford) Wright 1930-1954

box 5, Folder 6

to Alberta Wright Gerould 1927-1954

box 5, Folder 7

to Joanne Wright 1943

box 5, Folder 8

to David Wright 1954 undated

box 5, Folder 9

to miscellaneous family members, including 1907-1943

Scope and Contents

To Aunt Agnes, Aunt Flory, Aunt Birdie, and Grace (sister).

box 5, Folder 10-11

to family friends and various individuals approximately 1954

Subseries 2.3: Neither to nor from Cedric Wright 1907-1950

box 5, Folder 12

Wright, Mildred (Sahlström) undated

box 5, Folder 13

Wright, Rhea Kathleen (Ufford) undated

box 5, Folder 14

Wright, Alberta 1928-1944

box 5, Folder 15

Other family members 1907-1950

Series 3: Writings, Notes, and Announcements 1915-1955

Subseries 3.1: Notes

box 6, Folder 1-2, folder 1-2

Music: practice schedules and notes undated

box 6, Folder 5-6

Photography notes on exhibits and print making 1946

box 6, Folder 15

Notes: regarding breast feeding undated

box 6, Folder 16-19

Miscellaneous notes and writings 1929-1955

Subseries 3.2: Announcements

box 6, Folder 3

Advertisements and announcements regarding instruction and concert recitals by Cedric Wright approximately 1942

box 6, Folder 4

Announcements, programs and newspaper clippings of events in which Cedric Wright performed or participated 1915-1930

Subseries 3.3: Writings

box 6, Folder 7

"Trail Song, Giant Forest and Vicinity 1927" 1927-1928

oversize-folder 1B

"Trail Song, Giant Forest and Vicinity 1927" 1927-1928

box 6, Folder 8

"High Trip Gleanings" 1935

box 6, Folder 9

"Photographing the Sierra" / "Sierra Photography" undated

box 6, Folder 10

Unidentified portions of article(s) about photography undated

oversize-folder 2A

Unidentified portions of article(s) about photography undated

box 6, Folder 11

"Credo - First Addition" undated

Scope and Contents

Became both An Answer to a Letter and a section of Words of the Earth.

box 6, Folder 12

"An Answer to a Letter" undated

oversize-folder 3B

"An Answer to a Letter" undated

box 6, Folder 13

Words of the Earth / Exhibition undated

box 6, Folder 14

Poems 1937-1938

Series 4: Family Papers 1900-1952

Subseries 4.1: Legal and Financial Records 1917-1952

box 7, Folder 1-2

Wills

Scope and Contents

Cedric Wright, 1929-1943 and 1973 and Rhea Ufford Wright, 1933-1943.

box 7, Folder 3

Military service records 1917-1930

box 7, Folder 4

Divorce from Mildred Wright (Sahlström) 1928-1929

oversize-folder 4A

Marriage License, Cedric Wright and Rhea Ufford 1929

box 7, Folder 5

Miscellaneous legal papers 1930

box 7, Folder 6

Records regarding boat, Donna J 1950-1951

box 7, Folder 7

Insurance policies 1927-1952

box 7, Folder 8-11

Investment securities, real estate, and general banking records 1918-1951

Scope and Contents

Bank of California (1934-1951), Cochrane, Mehan and Ayer (1938), Landsberger and Son (1918-1922), and Wulff, Hansen and Company 91947-1949).

box 7, Folder 12-13

Taxes 1920-1950

box 7, Folder 14

Miscellany 1930-1949

box 8, Folder 1-11

Estate papers 1918-1949

Scope and Contents

Estate papers for the following: George T. Wright (1930-47); Sophie L. Wright (1918-1932); Albert H. Landsberger (1918-1920); Elizabeth Rose Landsberger(1947-1949); Florence Isabel Landsberger (1945); Henry M. Landsberger (1918-1942); Julius A. Landsberger (1941-1945); Martha S. Landsberger (1918-1920).

Subseries 4.2: Miscellaneous Papers 1900-1952

box 9, Folder 1-2

Childhood ephemera approximately 1900

box 9, Folder 3

United States, Citizens Defense Corps 1942-1943

box 9, Folder 4

Announcements and clippings regarding marriage to Rhea Ufford 1929

box 9, Folder 5-8

Children's miscellany 1917-1945 undated

Scope and Contents

Materials relating to Alberta, Joanne, and David.

oversize-folder 5A

Children's drawings

box 9, Folder 9

Family miscellany approximately 1932

box 9, Folder 10

Announcements, programs, and newspaper clippings of musical events 1905-1937

box 9, Folder 11

Newspaper clippings 1901-1952

box 9, Folder 12-13

Notes and fragments 1908-1938

box 9, Folder 14

Unidentified undated