Finding Aid to the Lena Stovall Blakeney Art and Personal Papers MSA.12
Holly Rose Larson
Library and Archives at the Autry
2012 July 2
210 South Victory Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91502
rroom@theautry.org
Contributing Institution:
Library and Archives at the Autry
Title: Lena Stovall Blakeney Art and Personal Papers
Creator:
Lena Stovall Blakeney
Identifier/Call Number: MSA.12
Physical Description:
14.6 Linear Feet
(12 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1890-1982
Date (bulk): 1890-1964
Abstract: Lena Stovall Blakeney (1878 October 16-1964 June 19) was an artist who lived and worked in southeastern Oklahoma from 1903
until her death in 1964. Her works excelled in close observations of people and landscapes of southeastern Oklahoma during
its transition from Indian Territory to statehood. The collection consists of drawings, paintings, sketches, watercolors,
and other works by Lena Stovall Blakeney from 1896-circa 1940, as well as personal papers and clippings from 1890-1982.
Language of Material:
English
.
- Series 1: Early works, 1896-circa 1911
- Series 2: Mature works, 1932-1938, undated
- Series 3: Personal papers, 1890-1982
Initial inventory, physical processing, and cataloging by Autry Museum of the American West staff. Additional processing and
finding aid completed by Holly Rose Larson, NHPRC Project Archivist, 2012 July 2, made possible through grant funding from
the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Donation from Garth W. Caylor, Jr., 2007 October 1; Carole Caylor Johnston, 2007 August 28; Diane Galloway, 2007 August 28;
Mr. and Mrs. James W. Caylor, 2007 August 27.
Lena Stovall Blakeney Art and Personal Papers, 1890-1982, Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles; MSA.12; [folder number] [folder title][date].
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from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Research Services and Archives. Permission for publication is
given on behalf of the Autry Museum of the American West as the custodian 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.
Lena Rivers Stovall Blakeney, born 1878 October 16, was an artist renowned for her portraits and landscapes in southeastern
Oklahoma during its transition from Indian Territory to statehood. Blakeney was born in Bethel Springs, Tennessee, and attended
The Ward Seminary for Young Ladies in Nashville, Tennessee, where she specialized in music and painting. In 1898, Blakeney
was the art director and creator of most of the illustrations for the school's yearbook
The Iris. Lena was a fan of contemporary artist Charles Dana Gibson, creator of the "Gibson Girl." Lena Rivers Stovall married Hooks
Blakeney in Jackson, Tennessee on 1902 January 22, and the couple moved to Ladonia, Texas. On 1903 March 14, the Blakeneys
moved to Hugo, Indian Territory, where Lena's brother D. A. Stovall lived. Lena Blakeney continued to develop as an artist,
and she began painting with oils. Blakeney also studied and painted the New Mexico landscape during trips made between 1933
and 1940. Blakeney developed a working relationship with painters and printmakers Doel Reed and Joseph Fleck.
Besides her visual artistry, Blakeney was a choir director at First Methodist Church in Hugo, Oklahoma and taught voice outside
of the church. Blakeney was a member of the Oklahoma Historical Society and the Joseph Ligon Chapter of the Daughters of the
American Revolution. Even after retiring to the Golden Age Home, Blakeney remained active in her community, writing a weekly
column about Golden Age Home activities for the Paris, Texas newspaper. Blakeney passed away 1964 June 21.
The collection consists of early and mature works by Lena Stovall Blakeney, as well as personal papers and ephemera collected
over the span of her life and after her passing.
The Early Works series spans 1896 to circa 1911 and includes drawings, sketches, and watercolors created by Blakeney while
attending the Ward Seminary for Young Ladies, including illustrations she did for the school's yearbook,
The Iris. The Early works series also includes works from Ladonia, Texas and Hugo, Indian Territory, which consist primarily of pen
and ink drawings, with some pencil sketches and some watercolors. Subjects of the works include portraits of African American
people and en plein air landscape studies of southeastern Oklahoma in all seasons. The Early Works series also includes illustrations
Blakeney did for a publication entitled
Scraplets. The tome was a collection of poems written by her father Ancil Walter Stovall in 1909.
The Mature Works series spans at least 1932-1938, although most items are undated, and features more mature works from Blakeney,
concentrating on depicting landscapes and working in oil paints. Also included in this series are pencil and colored pencil
sketches and watercolors. The locations where these works were created are primarily Hugo, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
The Personal Papers series consists of materials mostly from 1890-1964 and including correspondence, drawings, ephemera,
magazine and newspaper clippings, and a scrapbook. This series also includes photocopies of photographs and annotated articles,
with dates up to 1982.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
New Mexico
Hugo (Okla.)
Manuscripts
Clippings
Paintings
Watercolors
Oklahoma
Drawings
African Americans -- Portraits
Indian Territory
Women artists
Women painters
Scrapbooks
Correspondence
Ward Seminary (Nashville, Tenn.)
Early Works Series 1 1896-circa 1911
The Early Works series consists of three main sub-series. The first series includes watercolors, sketches, and pen and ink
drawings Blakeney created between 1896 and 1898 while attending The Ward Seminary for Young Ladies, including illustrations
she did for the school's yearbook,
The Iris.
The second sub-series contains works from Ladonia, Texas and Hugo, Indian Territory that Blakeney created from circa 1899-1911.
Formats for this series are primarily pen and ink drawings, with some pencil sketches and some watercolors. Subjects of the
works include portraits of African Americans and en plein air landscape studies of southeastern Oklahoma in all seasons, circa
1909-1911. The third Early Works sub-series consists of illustrations Blakeney did for a publication entitled
Scraplets. The tome was a collection of poems written by Blakeney's father, Ancil Walter Stovall, in 1909.
- Subseries 1.1: Ward Seminary, 1896-1898
- Subseries 1.2: Indian Territory,1899-circa 1911
- Subseries 1.3: Illustrations in Scraplets, circa 1909
Ward Seminary Subseries 1.1 1896-1898
Indian Territory Subseries 1.2 1899-circa 1911
Illustrations in Scraplets Subseries 1.3 circa 1909
Mature works Series 2 1932-1938, undated
The Mature Works series in the collection features more later works from Blakeney, comprised mostly of landscapes and oil
paintings. These works also include pencil and colored pencil sketches and watercolors. This series is split into two sub-series:
Works from Hugo and Works from New Mexico. The works from Hugo are mostly undated, with some items dated from 1932-1938.
The Works from Hugo sub-series also includes a study for a painting of the Wheelock Mission Church, Millerton, Oklahoma.
The New Mexico portion of the collection consists of oil paintings and charcoal sketches, circa 1933-1940.
- Subseries 2.1: Works from Hugo, 1932-1938, undated
- Subseries 2.2: Works from New Mexico, circa 1933-1940
Works from Hugo Subseries 2.1 1932-1938, undated
Works from New Mexico Subseries 2.2 circa 1933-1940
Personal Papers Series 3 1890-1982
The Personal Papers series consists of correspondence, drawings, ephemera, exhibition programs, newspaper clippings, notes,
postcards, a property deed, a scrapbook, song recital programs, and a copy of Blakeney's obituary from the "Paris News," Paris,
Texas, June 21, 1964. The scrapbook in this series is dated 1890 and includes the calling cards of family members and images
and advertisements, mostly featuring ladies in dress, children, cats, flowers, and landscapes. This series also includes
photocopies of photographs and annotated articles, including dates up to 1982.