Description
This collection consists of the personal correspondence of
American portraitist and landscape painter Orrin Peck (1860-1921) and his sister, Janet Peck.
The collection contains references to various artists, musicians, authors, and public figures chiefly from the
1890s-1910s.
Background
Orrin M. Peck (1860-1921) was born in Hobart, New York in 1860, the son of James and
Margaret H. Peck and brother to Helen P. Sanborn and Janet M. (Janet Moore) Peck (b.
1878). In 1862, on the steamship Sonora bound for San
Francisco from Panama, his mother, Margaret H. Peck, met Phoebe Apperson Hearst
(1842-1919) and took care of the then- pregnant bride. Orrin became a close friend
of Phoebe’s son, William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951), and was even the best man at
his wedding. With funding from Phoebe Apperson Hearst, Peck studied art in Munich
and collaborated with Carl von Marr (1858-1936) on some of his work. Peck became an
accomplished portrait and landscape painter and had his works exhibited in London,
Munich, and the United States. He was commissioned to paint portraits of Mrs. Hearst
and William Randolph Hearst. Peck traveled to San Francisco from Europe periodically
up until World War I and in 1912 he returned to San Francisco permanently. He was
with William Randolph Hearst in New York and Florida before being hired to design
the landscaping for his San Simeon home in California in 1920. Peck died suddenly in
Los Angeles in 1921.
Extent
3,547 pieces in 17 boxes and 1
oversize folder
Restrictions
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to
quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such
activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is
one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Availability
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services
Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.