Finding aid for the Selma Holo papers 5251
Sue Luftschein and Bo Doub
USC Libraries Special Collections
2019 October
Doheny Memorial Library 206
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, California 90089-0189
specol@usc.edu
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Special Collections
Title: Selma Holo papers
Creator:
Holo, Selma
Identifier/Call Number: 5251
Identifier/Call Number: /repositories/3/resources/2985
Physical Description:
14.44 Linear Feet
20 boxes and 2 oversize folders
Date (inclusive): 1937-2022
Date (bulk): 1980-2015
Abstract: The Selma Holo papers consists of publications, reports, photographs, and research notes created and collected by Selma Holo.
Included are the original typescript of Dr. Holo's dissertation; typescripts of two of her publications, "Beyond the Prado"
and "Managing Memory"; research files produced during trips to Mexico and Spain; research for the exhibition "Keepers of the
Flame"; and various personal and ephemeral items. Selma Holo received her doctorate from the University of California, Santa
Barbara, in 1980, and worked as a curator at the Norton Simon Museum of Art before joining USC to serve as the director of
the Fisher Museum of Art. She also serves as Professor of Art History in the Dornsife College.
Language of Material:
English
, Spanish; Castilian
.
Scope and Contents
The Selma Holo papers consists of publications, reports, photographs, and research notes created and collected by Selma Holo.
Included are the original typescript of Dr. Holo's dissertation; typescripts of two of her publications, "Beyond the Prado"
and "Managing Memory"; research files produced during trips to Mexico and Spain; research for the exhibition "Keepers of the
Flame"; and various personal and ephemeral items.
Selma Holo included the following message to future users of the collection when she donated an accrual to her papers in 2024:
"I am donating my archives so that there is evidence of the work that I did between about 1973 and my retirement in 2022.
The boxes include work and materials from before the time I came to USC in 1981 when I was formally employed at Art Center
College of Design; was doing research curating and publishing at the Getty (but not formally employed there); and the Norton
Simon Museum. It includes lots of independent projects, articles, catalogues, newspaper articles. Although I did donate
a great deal of material, I notice that this is by no means a complete history.
At the same time, there are some precious things in here, like letters handwritten from Jennifer Jones when I was curating
at Norton Simon, a typed note from Mike Nichols, and one from our Warren Bennis. Still, there are many things that are NOT
included here. There are many missing things, missing exhibitions, some of which can be pieced together by going to the USC
archives online. Also, go to Webcat for Fisher Gallery, known later as the USC Fisher Museum of Art. Other things that can
be found in the USC online archives are interviews (oral histories that I conducted and that I gave). I did lots of radio
work for KCRW; their archives or Google would be a place to locate them. I am working on my memoirs and will add them to
the archives when they are complete.
This is mostly professional but when you have a career such as I enjoyed, it is often impossible to separate the personal
from the professional: the artists who became friends; the work trips that imprinted my personality forever; the colleagues
at USC who remained in my life forever. Through it all: my family. Robbie and Chris, Sam and Jo; Josh and his children, Nelson
and Ghita. My mother Ghita Reuben Olit; my cousin Alice Berger. All of these people were a part of my life in art. Nothing
would have mattered without them. Thank you USC, Thank you Barbara Robinson, for accepting these archives."
Conditions Governing Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. Advance notice required for access.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian.
Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections 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.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Selma Holo, 2009, 2012, 2019, and 2024.
Related Materials
Fisher Gallery records, Collection no. 0271, University Archives, Special Collections, USC Libraries, University of Southern
California
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder no. or item name], Selma Holo papers, Collection no. 5251, University Archives, Special Collections, USC Libraries,
University of Southern California
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Art museum directors -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources
College art museums -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources
Exhibitions -- California -- Los Angeles -- Archival resources
Awards
Clippings (information artifacts)
Ephemera
Letters
Photographs
Posters
Publications (documents)
Reports
Holo, Selma -- Archives
USC Fisher Museum of Art -- Archives
Publications /repositories/3/archival_objects/588824
1980-2005
"Beyond the Prado" /repositories/3/archival_objects/588821
Box 6, Folder 3-4
"Beyond the Prado" /repositories/3/archival_objects/588825
"Beyond the Prado" photographs and reproductions /repositories/3/archival_objects/588807
Scope and Contents
Photographs and reproductions used for Dr. Holo's "Beyond the Prado" publication.
Box 1, Folder 1
Andalusian Center of Contemporary Art, La Cartuja Monastery /repositories/3/archival_objects/588784
circa 1990s
Box 1, Folder 2
Arco Art Fair, Madrid /repositories/3/archival_objects/588785
circa 1990s
Box 1, Folder 3
Army Museum, Madrid, Portrait of Franco /repositories/3/archival_objects/588786
circa 1990s
Box 1, Folder 4
Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art /repositories/3/archival_objects/588787
circa 1990s
Box 1, Folder 5
La Cartuja Monastery, Seville /repositories/3/archival_objects/588788
circa 1990s
Box 1, Folder 6
Catalan Museum of Art, Romanesque Apses, Barcelona /repositories/3/archival_objects/588789
circa 1990s
Box 1, Folder 7
Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Under Calatrava Bridge /repositories/3/archival_objects/588790
circa 1990s
Box 1, Folder 8
Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Under Construction /repositories/3/archival_objects/588791
1995
Box 1, Folder 9
Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Under Construction /repositories/3/archival_objects/588792
1996
Box 1, Folder 10
Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Maquette /repositories/3/archival_objects/588793
circa 1990s
Box 1, Folder 11
Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Postcard /repositories/3/archival_objects/588794
1998
Box 1, Folder 12
Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Christmas Card /repositories/3/archival_objects/588795
1996
Box 1, Folder 13
Juan March Foundation, Kandinsky Exposition /repositories/3/archival_objects/588796
1978
Box 1, Folder 14
Juan March Foundation Picasso Exhibition /repositories/3/archival_objects/588797
1977
Box 1, Folder 15
Juan March Foundation Georges Braque Exhibition /repositories/3/archival_objects/588798
1978
Box 1, Folder 16
Juan Miro Foundation Museum Entrance /repositories/3/archival_objects/588799
circa 1970s
Box 1, Folder 17
Montage Photograph, El Pais /repositories/3/archival_objects/588800
undated
Box 1, Folder 18
National Museum of Roman Art, Principal Nave, Meruda /repositories/3/archival_objects/588801
undated
Box 1, Folder 19
The Prado Museum /repositories/3/archival_objects/588802
undated
Box 1, Folder 20
Reina Sofia Museum, Guernica /repositories/3/archival_objects/588803
undated
Box 1, Folder 21
Santa Maria la Blanca, Toledo /repositories/3/archival_objects/588804
undated
Box 1, Folder 22
Sephardic Museum (Synagogue Del Transito), Toledo /repositories/3/archival_objects/588805
undated
Box 1, Folder 23
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid /repositories/3/archival_objects/588806
undated
Box 5, Folder 6, Box 6, Folder 1-2
Dissertation /repositories/3/archival_objects/588820
1980
Box 9
Neskayotl, Vol. 1, Nos. 2-3
/repositories/3/archival_objects/632590
1995-04
Language of Material: Spanish; Castilian.
Box 9
Voices of Mexico, No. 49
/repositories/3/archival_objects/632591
1999
Box 9
Equis, No. 27
/repositories/3/archival_objects/632592
2000-07
Language of Material: Spanish; Castilian.
Box 6, Folder 5-6, Box 7, Folder 1-2
"Managing Memory" /repositories/3/archival_objects/588826
Box 7, Folder 3
"Managing Memory" correspondence re permissions /repositories/3/archival_objects/588827
2003
Box 7, Folder 4
Articles and essays by Holo /repositories/3/archival_objects/588828
Box 1, Box 2
Spain notebooks /repositories/3/archival_objects/588808
1993, 1995
Scope and Contents
Notebooks kept by Dr. Holo during trips to Spain (1993 and 1995).
Box 3, Box 8
Interviews and exhibitions /repositories/3/archival_objects/588809
Scope and Contents
CDs, cassettes, and VHS tapes documenting interviews with and by Dr. Holo, exhibit openings, and Fisher Museum events.
Box 2, Box 3
Mexico /repositories/3/archival_objects/588810
1990s-2012, undated
Notebooks /repositories/3/archival_objects/588822
Scope and Contents
Notebooks kept by Dr. Holo during trips to Mexico in the 1990s.
Box 4
Photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/588823
Scope and Contents
Photographs and slides of artwork and artists in Mexico (Chiapas and Puebla).
Box 7, Folder 6
Aqui /repositories/3/archival_objects/588831
Box 7, Folder 7
Re/Mix Oaxaca /repositories/3/archival_objects/588832
2012
Box 7, Folder 8
Mexican artists' artwork /repositories/3/archival_objects/588833
Box 9, Folder 2
Los Claroscuros de un Siglo Arte Oaxaqueño Contemporaneo /repositories/3/archival_objects/631852
undated
Language of Material: Spanish; Castilian.
General
A typescript by Fernando Gálvez de Aguinaga with an inscription and introductory note to Selma Holo.
Box 5, Folder 1
Letters /repositories/3/archival_objects/588815
2012-2014
Box 5, Folder 3
Holo Publicity /repositories/3/archival_objects/588817
1999-2015, undated
Box 5, Folder 4
Harvard Museum Course /repositories/3/archival_objects/588818
1937-1938
Box 5, Folder 5
Other museum events and exhibitions /repositories/3/archival_objects/588819
1996-2015
USC /repositories/3/archival_objects/588829
1987-2015
Box 5, Folder 2
Fisher Gallery and Pacific Asia Museum ephemera /repositories/3/archival_objects/588816
1987-2014
Box 7, Folder 5
USC Media Coverage Report /repositories/3/archival_objects/588830
2015 March
Exhibits /repositories/3/archival_objects/588835
1979-1990
Box 8, Folder 1-2
"Keepers of the Flame" exhibit research /repositories/3/archival_objects/588834
1979-1990
Box 8, Folder 3
"Keepers of the Flame" slides /repositories/3/archival_objects/588836
Box 10
"Keepers of the Flame" photographs /repositories/3/archival_objects/588838
Box 8
Artworks /repositories/3/archival_objects/588837
Scope and Contents
CDs and computer disks of artworks.
Personal /repositories/3/archival_objects/588839
Box 8, Folder 4
Holo personal ephemera /repositories/3/archival_objects/588840
Box 9
Certificates and awards /repositories/3/archival_objects/588841
Oversize-folder 1
Posters from Spain, Germany, and Los Angeles /repositories/3/archival_objects/639252
1980-1995
Language of Material: English, Spanish; Castilian, German.
Scope and Contents
Approximately 16 posters. Most of the posters are from Spain, but a few are from Los Angeles and one is German. Many of the
posters were issued by museums regarding exhibitions.
Oversize-folder 2
Naualli-Guardianas - signed print by Marta Palau
/repositories/3/archival_objects/674820
1991
Creator: Palau, Marta, 1934-
Processing Information
This print had been framed by Selma Holo. The print was removed from its frame during processing.
Material added to the collection in 2024 [accession no. 2024-005] /repositories/3/archival_objects/679724
1958-2022
Processing Information
The material that Selma Holo donated from accession no. 2024-005 is minimally processed with box-level descriptive records.
Dr. Holo donated the material comprising this accrual with handwritten labels taped to the outside of each box. During accessioning
and re-boxing, the archivist re-used the previous box labels as the titles of this finding aid's box-level descriptive records.
Some of the box labels included more detailed descriptions beyond the record title, which the accessioning archivist transcribed
in the corresponding box-level record's Scope and Contents note.
General
Selma Holo included the following dedication when she donated the material from accession no. 2024-005 to the USC Libraries
in 2024:
"I dedicate this transfer of the Selma Holo papers to Fred Croton, my husband, Robert and Josh Holo, my sons, and Sam, Johanna,
Nelson and Ghita Holo: my heart."
General
Selma Holo included the following message to future users of the collection when she donated the material from accession no.
2024-005 to the USC Libraries in 2024:
"I am donating my archives so that there is evidence of the work that I did between about 1973 and my retirement in 2022.
The boxes include work and materials from before the time I came to USC in 1981 when I was formally employed at Art Center
College of Design; was doing research curating and publishing at the Getty (but not formally employed there); and the Norton
Simon Museum. It includes lots of independent projects, articles, catalogues, newspaper articles. Although I did donate
a great deal of material, I notice that this is by no means a complete history.
At the same time, there are some precious things in here, like letters handwritten from Jennifer Jones when I was curating
at Norton Simon, a typed note from Mike Nichols, and one from our Warren Bennis. Still, there are many things that are NOT
included here. There are many missing things, missing exhibitions, some of which can be pieced together by going to the USC
archives online. Also, go to Webcat for Fisher Gallery, known later as the USC Fisher Museum of Art. Other things that can
be found in the USC online archives are interviews (oral histories that I conducted and that I gave). I did lots of radio
work for KCRW; their archives or Google would be a place to locate them. I am working on my memoirs and will add them to
the archives when they are complete.
This is mostly professional but when you have a career such as I enjoyed, it is often impossible to separate the personal
from the professional: the artists who became friends; the work trips that imprinted my personality forever; the colleagues
at USC who remained in my life forever. Through it all: my family. Robbie and Chris, Sam and Jo; Josh and his children, Nelson
and Ghita. My mother Ghita Reuben Olit; my cousin Alice Berger. All of these people were a part of my life in art. Nothing
would have mattered without them. Thank you USC, Thank you Barbara Robinson, for accepting these archives."
Fisher exhibitions /repositories/3/archival_objects/679728
1980-2022
Box 14
/repositories/3/archival_objects/679729
1980-1989
Box 15
/repositories/3/archival_objects/679730
1989-1999
Box 16
/repositories/3/archival_objects/679731
2000-2022
Box 17
Museum Studies Program exhibitions /repositories/3/archival_objects/679732
1982-2005
Box 11
USC and Fisher miscellaneous /repositories/3/archival_objects/679725
Scope and contents notes from Selma Holo's box label
Mexico; Spain; Publications, programs, panels, conversations, juries (in English); articles written but not published; material
related to scholarly work; articles by or referencing Selma; personal, miscellaneous, press
Box 12
Museum Studies /repositories/3/archival_objects/679726
Scope and contents notes from Selma Holo's box label
This box is dedicated to materials on Museum Studies. Everything in here, I organized or contributed an essay to, or was in
a conference.
International Museum Institute (IMI).
My books:
Beyond the Prado,
Beyond the Turnstile,
Oaxaca at the Crossroads, and
Remix.
Box 13
Before USC: Norton Simon, Getty, and other /repositories/3/archival_objects/679727
Scope and contents notes from Selma Holo's box label
Before USC: Norton Simon / Getty / Chapters in journals outside USC / Advisory Councils / Miscellaneous certificates and articles
/ Fisher programs / Spain and Mexico: panels and programs
Box 18
Miscellaneous and personal / Norton Simon /repositories/3/archival_objects/679733
1958-2007
Box 19
Recognition certificates, diploma, and USC resolution signed by Carol Folt /repositories/3/archival_objects/679734
1972-2022
Box 19
El Alma de España published by the Albuquerque Museum
/repositories/3/archival_objects/679735
2005
Processing Information
This publication was separated from Box 11 during processing because of its size.
Box 19
Goya: Los Disparates by Selma Holo (Washington State University Press)
/repositories/3/archival_objects/679736
1976
Processing Information
This publication was separated from Box 11 during processing because of its size.
Box 20
Passports, audio recordings on cassette tapes, Norton Simon business cards, and 2004 CV on floppy disk /repositories/3/archival_objects/679737
1978-2006