Finding aid for the Alice Rahon Papers, 1859-2004, undated
2021.M.10
Beth Ann Guynn and Quin Fraley
Special Collections
2024
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles 90049-1688
Business Number: (310) 440-7390
Fax Number: (310) 440-7780
reference@getty.edu
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections
Title: Alice Rahon Papers
Creator:
Paalen, Wolfgang,
1907-1959
Creator:
Picasso, Pablo,
1881-1973
Creator:
Sulzer, Eva, 1902-1990
Creator:
Onslow-Ford,
Gordon
Creator:
Lamba,
Jacqueline, 1910-
Creator:
Varda, Jean
Creator:
Carrington, Leonora,
1917-2011
Creator:
Nin, Anaïs,
1903-1977
Creator:
Moro, César,
1903-1956
Creator:
Breton, André,
1896-1966
Creator:
Penrose,
Valentine
Creator:
Sekula, Sonja, 1918-1963
Creator:
Fitzgerald, Lionel Edward, 1916-1965
Creator:
Rahon, Alice (Alice Marie Yvonne), 1904-1987
Creator:
Miller, Henry,
1891-1980
Identifier/Call Number: 2021.M.10
Physical Description:
17 Linear Feet
(14 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1859-2004,
undated
Request Materials: Request access
to the physical materials described in this inventory through the
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Abstract: The Alice Rahon papers document the
life of the French Surrealist poet and artist. Rahon's early life in France as a poet as
well as her long career in Mexico as a painter are covered, although the preponderance of
material reflects her years in Mexico. Rahon had close relationships with many artists and
writers during her life. Her papers provide a close picture of the members of her Surrealist
circles and their relationships with one another, as well as her own artistic output through
writing and painting. As both poet and painter, Rahon's papers demonstrate the persistent,
close relationship between literature and art that characterizes surrealism in Latin America
while also providing an in-depth look at the thematic connectivity between her work in both
media.
Language of Material: Collection material is in French,
English, and Spanish.
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Alice Rahon Papers, 1859-2004, undated, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles,
Accession no. 2021.M.10.
http://hdl.handle.net/10020/archives2021m10
Scope and Content of Collection
The Alice Rahon papers document the life of the French Surrealist poet and artist. Both her
early life in France as a poet as well as her long career in Mexico as a painter are
covered, although the preponderance of material reflects her years in Mexico. Rahon had
close relationships with many artists and writers during her life and her papers provide a
close picture of the members of her Surrealist circles and their relationships with one
another, as well as her own artistic output through writing and painting. As both poet and
painter, Rahon's papers demonstrate the persistent, close relationship between literature
and art that characterizes surrealism in Latin America while also providing an in-depth look
at the thematic connectivity between her work in both media.
Series I Manuscripts and writings, comprises poetry, translations, and prose pieces by
Rahon. Of Rahon's oeuvre, there are handwritten drafts of works published in her lifetime;
pieces that were later published in
Shapeshifter (New York:
New York Review Books, 2021), a posthumous retrospective; and unpublished poems and
manuscripts. Present are numerous poems; the script of Rahon's ballet
Ballet d'Orion, and a story, "The History of a Little Red Man," illustrated with
sketches in the artist's hand. Several short pieces by others writing on Rahon and other
subjects are also found in the series.
Series II Photographs of artwork and exhibition material, includes photographic images of
the complete catalog of Rahon's paintings, present as either photographic prints,
transparencies, negatives, or slides. Also included are photographs of Rahon and her artwork
in her studio and home, or in other locations such as exhibition spaces. Rahon had numerous
solo shows in Mexico, the United States, and Europe. Notable venues included the Art of the
Century Gallery and Karl Nierendorf Gallery in New York, the Pasadena Art Museum and the
Stendahl Gallery in Los Angeles, and Galería de Arte Mexicano and the Museo del Palacio de
Bellas Artes in Mexico City. Exhibition-related materials include lists of Rahon's
exhibitions and related ephemera such as invitations , clippings, and articles about her
work which provide an understanding of the artist's production and critical reception. which
provide an understanding of the artist's production and critical reception. Gallery records
include lists of works and prices and lists of collectors.
Series III Correspondence, consists primarily of correspondence received by Rahon between
the late 1930s and the early 1980s, encapsulating her years in Paris and her life in Mexico
City. The letters explain relationships and aesthetic issues and evoke the Surrealist
bohemian life in the late 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s in France and Mexico. Correspondents
include André Breton, Pablo Picasso, Wolfgang Paalen, Eva Sulzer, Gordon Onslow-Ford, Anaïs
Nin, Valentine Penrose, Leonora Carrington, and Jean Varda with whom Rahon had an especially
extensive correspondence.
Also included are letters sent and received amongst Rahon's close friends and associates
including Rahon's first husband Wolfgang Paalen and her close friend and lover Eva
Sulzer.
Series IV Personal papers, consists of Rahon's legal documents, such as her birth
certificate and customs documents; business-related materials; notebooks; and a collection
of photographs from throughout her life. The series also includes miscellaneous notes and
documents from the artist's daily life, 12 books (mostly novels); and multiple notebooks,
including daily planners and address books.
Series V Jean Varda, comprises a small collection of documents from Rahon's close friend,
artist Jean "Yanko" Varda. Included are exhibition materials, correspondence, and several
photographs of his art.
Processing Information
The collection was processed by Quin Fraley in 2024 under the supervision of Beth Ann
Guynn. Fraley and Guynn wrote the finding aid in 2024.
Arrangement
Arranged in five series: Series I. Manuscripts and writings, 1936-1968, undated; Series II.
Materials documenting Rahon's artistic output, 1935-2004, undated; Series III.
Correspondence, 1936-1990, undated; Series IV. Personal papers, 1859-1989, undated; Series
V. Jean Varda, 1964-1987, undated.
Biographical Note
Alice Rahon (1904-1987), née Alice Marie Yvonne Philippot, was a French-born poet and
visual artist. She was a prominent figure in the Surrealist movement, with close personal
and working relationships with Surrealist writers and artists, both in Paris and in Mexico.
Her life and career can be separated into two periods: poetry in Paris and painting in
Mexico. She established herself first as a poet in France before relocating to Mexico City,
where she transitioned to producing visual art, primarily painting.
Rahon was born in Chenecey-Buillon, France in 1904 (her birth year is erroneously listed as
1924 on her Mexican passports and customs documents; see: Box 5, Folder 11). Numerous
injuries sustained as a child and as a young woman left Rahon immobile and isolated from her
peers for extended periods of time. During the lengthy recovery periods, Rahon occupied her
time with reading, writing, and drawing, developing the imagination and introspection that
influenced her artistic career. She and her sister, Georgette "Geo" Dupin, moved to Paris in
the 1920s where Rahon worked as a model and wrote poetry. She had already met and
collaborated with photographer Man Ray and fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli when she met
artist Wolfgang Paalen in 1931. Their marriage in 1934 introduced her to Paris's burgeoning
Surrealist community and its central figure, André Breton, co-founder and leader of the
movement. Breton supported Rahon's early career by financing her first two books of poetry
and publishing her work in Surrealist publications. She was the first woman to be published
by Éditions Surréalistes and her writings were illustrated by artists within the Surrealist
circle, including Pablo Picasso, with whom she had a brief affair. In all, she published
three volumes of poetry between 1936 and 1941.
Rahon's life pivoted when she and Paalen accepted an invitation from the Bretons and Frida
Kahlo to visit Mexico City in 1939. Rahon, Paalen, and photographer Eva Sulzer first
traveled down the west coast of North America, where Rahon was inspired by the artistic
styles of indigenous American art, before arriving in Mexico. The breakout of World War II
in Europe led the couple to suspend their return to Paris and wait out the war in North
America. After the war, Rahon and Paalen decided to remain in Mexico.
It was at the beginning of her life and career in Mexico that Rahon's primary medium
transitioned from poetry to painting. Her style was heavily inspired by prehistoric,
indigenous American, and Pre-Columbian iconography. She exhibited her paintings in group and
solo shows in Mexico and internationally and illustrated the poetry of other writers, as
Picasso had done for her in Paris. From 1942 to 1945, Rahon participated in the production
of
Dyn, the journal founded by Paalen, contributing poetry,
prose, drawings, and paintings.
Dyn 6 featured an analysis of
her paintings by Jacqueline Johnson, a writer and editor for the journal.
Rahon divorced Paalen in 1947 and thenceforth took her mother's maiden name, Rahon, as her
own. She married Canadian filmmaker Edward Fitzgerald that same year, but the two divorced
in 1960 after making the now lost experimental film,
Les
magiciens
.
The toll of lasting injuries and new ones led Rahon to spend her last years in relative
isolation, receding from the public eye and artist circles she had thrived in for a half
century. She died in September 1987 in Mexico City.
Sources Consulted:
"Alice Rahon Artist Overview and Analysis". [Internet]. 2024. TheArtStory.org Content
compiled and written by Alexandra Duncan. Edited and revised, with Summary and
Accomplishments added by Antony Todd. Available from:
https://www.theartstory.org/artist/rahon-alice/ First published on 08 Aug 2022. Updated and
modified regularly [Accessed 10 Apr 2024]
Alice Rahon Online Art Archive. "Biography"
Alice Rahon. Nd.
https://www.alicerahon.org/biography.
Alonso, Idurre (originally written by Annette Leddy), "Acquisition Approval Form for 'Alice
Rahon (French, 1904-1987),'" accession no. 2021.M.10, 23 December 2015.
Frérot, Christine.
Alice Rahon et le Mexique: La révélation de
l'art
. Paris: Riveneuve, 2021.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Acquired in 2021.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Gelatin silver prints -- Mexico -- 20th century
Correspondence -- 20th century
Women artists -- Archives
Surrealism -- Mexico
Chromogenic color prints -- Mexico -- 20th century
Photographs, Original
Women poets
Art--Mexico--20th century--Exhibitions
Surrealism--Poetry
Writings, Series I.
1936-1968,
undated
Physical Description: 1.3 linear
feet(1 box)
Scope and Contents
The series consists of poetry, translations, and prose pieces by Rahon. Of Rahon's
oeuvre, there are handwritten drafts of works published in her lifetime; pieces that
were later published in
Shapeshifter (New York: New York
Review of Books, 2021), a posthumous retrospective; and unpublished poems and
manuscripts. Present are numerous poems; the script of Rahon's ballet
Ballet d'Orion, and a story, "The History of a Little Red
Man," illustrated with sketches in the artist's hand. Several short pieces by others
writing on Rahon and other subjects are also found in the series.
Arrangement
Arranged topically by writing format and then by date.
Poems,
1936-1991,
undated
Scope and Contents
Eleven drafts and one published poem. The poetry comprises drafts of pieces Rahon
later published as well as unpublished works, including writings for specific friends
like Elizabeth Smart and Eva Sulzer.
box 1, folder 1
"Le désespoir, à Pablo Picasso,"
1936
Scope and Contents
One handwritten version of the poem published in
Noir
animal
.
box 1, folder 2
"Verbe-cage,"
1939
Scope and Contents
Two versions of the unpublished poem: one typewritten and one handwritten. There
are drawings at the end of the handwritten version.
box 1, folder 3
"Sablier de la femme couchée,"
1942
Scope and Contents
One handwritten draft of "The Sleeping Woman" first published in
Dyn.
box 1, folder 4
"À même la terre,"
1943
Scope and Contents
One typed poem.
À même la terre was the title of
Rahon's first published collection of poetry.
box 1, folder 5
"Le pays de Paalen,"
1960
Scope and Contents
Two handwritten versions of the poem: one in ink and the other in pencil. The
penned version is dated and includes the dedication: à Wolfgang / d'Alice.
box 1, folder 6
"Jacob's Ladder…,"
1962
Scope and Contents
Title continues: … or the Privilege to Love to the Bird Sinzonette [?]. Includes
two handwritten versions of the poem on scrap paper: one in English and one in
French. The English version has the contact information for Matthew Josephson on the
verso.
box 1, folder 7
"Worshipping the Wind,"
1962
Scope and Contents
One handwritten, unpublished poem with notes on Paris and New York below the
text.
box 1, folder 8
"Pour Eva (un poème Haiku),"
1968
Scope and Contents
One handwritten poem on the back of a receipt from the Galería de Arte Misrachi.
There is an illustration with another short poem, "Petit poète."
box 1, folder 9
"Betty,"
undated
Scope and Contents
One handwritten poem with the annotation: poème- portrait. "Betty" likely refers to
Elizabeth Smart who signed the poetry book she gave Rahon "Betty."
box 1, folder 10
"The Fool on the Hill,"
undated
Scope and Contents
One handwritten poem.
box 1, folder 11
"Varda Poem, For Yanko,"
undated
Scope and Contents
One typewritten poem. The poem was possibly written after Varda's death in 1971 and
was first published in
Shapeshifter (New York: New
York Review Books, 2021), a retrospective of Rahon's poetry.
box 1, folder 12
"Fougères en creux d'absence,"
1991
Scope and Contents
One illustrated pamphlet published by Éditions de l'Ebrasement. Edition 76 of 100.
The poem and illustration were originally published in
Dyn in 1941.
Translations of Rahon's poems,
after 1939, undated
Scope and Contents
Nine translations: three in English translated by Vanina Deler, four translations in
Spanish by Beatriz Urías Horcasitas, and two additional Spanish translations.
box 1, folder 13
Deler, Vanina,
undated
Scope and Contents
Three English translations of poetry published in
Noir
animal
in 1941: "Mercure natif" which was translated to " Native Mercury;"
"Mercure éteint" or "Mercury Extinct;" and "Mercure sublimé" or "Sublimated
Mercury." The translation of "Mercure sublimé" has an unrelated annotation on
verso.
box 1, folder 14
Urías Horcasitas, Beatriz,
after 1939
Scope and Contents
Six typed Spanish translations:"Les appelants," "Comme un rossignol dans le forêt,"
"Dans la nuit du commencement," "Il y a d'aveugles chemins," "Le sourire de la
mort," "Pour ces destins parallèles." The translations have the header: Alice Rahon
/ de [Name of original publication] / traducido por Beatriz Urías Horcasitas. "Les
appelants," "Comme un rossignol dans la forêt," and "Dans la nuit du commencement"
were published in
Noir animal in 1941. "Il y a
d'aveugles chemins" and "La sourire de la mort" have page numbers 24 and 25,
respectively and were published in
À même la terre in
1936. "Pour ces destins parallèles" was also published in
À
même la terre
, numbered: paginas 72-73.
box 1, folder 15
Unidentified translations,
undated
Scope and Contents
One typewritten, multi-page document with two translations: "Sablier de la femme
couchée" with the translated title "Relou de Arena Acostado" and "Muttra." The
translation of "Muttra" has handwritten annotations.
Prose writings,
1940-1951,
undated
box 1, folder 16
"Mieké, la fée,"
1940
Scope and Contents
One handwritten draft with annotations.
box 1, folder 17
"Ballet d'Orión,"
1946
Scope and Contents
One typewritten draft with handwritten annotations.
box 1, folder 18
Exhibition writings,
1951, undated
Scope and Contents
Six items including four versions of the same typewritten text, three English
versions and one in Spanish; and two drafts of a biography written in Spanish, one
handwritten and one typed. The written version has an annotation on the verso: Sr.
Bob Chalwick (?). The typed version of the biography has a timeline.
box 1, folder 19
"Clínica refugio para gatitos ciegos,"
undated
Scope and Contents
One handwritten text. Title continues: poète, prophète, peintre des mondes à
découvrir.
box 1, folder 20
"Story of a Little Red Man,"
undated
Scope and Contents
One handwritten draft with illustrations. Pages are numbered 1-20; page 19 is
lacking.
box 1, folder 21
"El Viento,"
undated
Scope and Contents
One typewritten text with a handwritten title page. Labeled by previous owner as
materials related to theater.
box 1, folder 22
"Wolfgang Paalen…,"
undated
Scope and Contents
One handwritten text. Title continues: poète, prophète, peintre des mondes à
découvrir.
Notebooks,
before 1941-1972, undated
Scope and Contents
Contains eight notebooks.
box 1, folder 23
Noir animal,
before 1941
Scope and Contents
Includes sketches and notes on
Noir animal, Rahon's
third poetry publication, including a draft of the book's dedication. The title is
derived by the archivist based on the notebook's content.
box 1, folder 24
Nevado,
ca. 1971
Scope and Contents
Title from notebook title. Includes miscellaneous notes and sketches.
box 1, folder 25
Notebook,
1971-1972
Scope and Contents
Scribe brand notebook with numerous untitled and titled writings including: "Pour
Marta Adams"; "Paalen"; "Huicho"; "El gato"; "Alpoeta viejo"; "Sobre al
comportamiento." There is a leaf included in the pages.
box 1, folder 26
Cahier notebook,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes miscellaneous writings.
box 1, folder 27
"L'âme,"
undated
Scope and Contents
A small notebook with only a few pages remaining. The first page has a quotation by
Jean Varda in Rahon's hand. The title is derived from the quotation.
box 1, folder 28
Libreta cervantes,
undated
Scope and Contents
Title from front cover of notebook. Includes untitled writings.
box 1, folder 29
"Pour Picasso,"
undated
Scope and Contents
Title written on front cover. The first half of the pages have been removed and the
writing begins again from the back of the notebook with notes on puppetry, possibly
relating to Rahon and Fitzgerald's film project
Les
magiciens
. See box 10 for stills from the production.
box 1, folder 30
"Voyage de platane vivré,"
undated
Scope and Contents
Title from poem on page 7. Includes untitled writings, the poem "Oiseau d'offrande"
that is struck through, and another short poem titled "Roseau entre pensées."
box 1, folder 31
Loose writings and notes,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes 45 writings on various supports, including envelopes, notebook pages, and 10
gallery invitations with written notes.
Writings by others,
1938-1942,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes 18 pieces of writing organized alphabetically by author. Rahon is the
subject of the majority of the works which often relate to an exhibition of her works.
Other items are possibly gifts to Rahon and pieces from Paalen and close friends.
box 1, folder 32
Bastien, Remy and Lisa,
undated
Scope and Contents
One text titled: "The Bamboo Flower: A Christmas Legend." Remy was a Haitian writer
and anthropologist.
box 1, folder 33
Deffebach, Nancy,
1986
Scope and Contents
Includes one typed retrospective on Rahon, possibly the speech Deffebach refers to
in her letter to Eva Sulzer (see: Correspondence box 4, folder 36).
box 1, folder 34
Fouchet, Max-Pol,
undated
Scope and Contents
Two typewritten texts on Rahon.
box 1, folder 35
Johnson, Jacqueline (Onslow Ford),
undated
Scope and Contents
Two drafts of a short text on Rahon's paintings.
box 1, folder 36
Moro, César,
1941-1944,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes five items: a newspaper clipping of an article on Rahon by César Moro and
texts titled "Vue sur la mer demontée;" "Lettre d'amour;" "La peinture-avenir;" and
"La pintura de Alice Paalen."
box 1, folder 37
Nelken, Margarita,
undated
Scope and Contents
One photocopied article on Rahon taken from a larger publication (the first page is
numbered 37). This text is possibly associated with one of Rahon's exhibitions at
the Galería Antonio Souza.
box 1, folder 38
Paalen, Wolfgang,
undated
Scope and Contents
One typewritten and annotated draft of the first of three parts of Paalen's
"Paysage totémique," published in the first edition of
Dyn
in April 1942. The latter two parts were published in the subsequent two
issues.
box 1, folder 39
Penrose, Roland,
1938
Scope and Contents
One typed poem titled "La route est plus large que longue: Journal d'un voyage dans
les Balkans."
box 1, folder 40
Smart, Elizabeth,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes one handmade poetry book with a photograph and illustrations titled
"Alice."
box 1, folder 41
Souza, Antonio,
undated
Scope and Contents
Holds three writings: two texts on Rahon (one typewritten, one handwritten) and one
handwritten text titled "Recouvrance."
box 1, folder 42
Unidentified,
undated
Scope and Contents
Contains one text of compiled comments on Rahon's work by herself and others.
Materials documenting Rahon's artistic output, Series II.
1935-2004,
undated
Physical Description: 6.67 linear
feet(3 boxes)
Arrangement
Arranged topically and then by date.
Scope and Contents
The series includes a nearly complete photographic catalog of Rahon's paintings,
present as either photographic prints, transparencies, negatives, or slides. Also
included are photographs of Rahon and her artwork in her studio and home, or in other
locations such as exhibition spaces.
Rahon had numerous solo shows in Mexico, the United States, and Europe. Notable venues
included the Art of the Century Gallery and Karl Nierendorf Gallery in New York, the
Pasadena Art Museum and the Stendahl Gallery in Los Angeles, and Galería de Arte
Mexicano and the Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. Exhibition-related
materials include lists of Rahon's exhibitons and exhibition-related ephemera such as
invitations and clippings and articles about her work which provide an understanding of
the artist's production and critical reception. Gallery records include lists of works
and prices and lists of collectors.
box 2, folder 1
Sketches,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes six sketches on scratch paper.
Photographs of artworks,
1939-1975,
undated
Scope and Contents
Included here are photographs of most of the paintings Rahon made over the length of
her career, represented in black-and-white and/or color images.
box 8
1941-1959
Physical Description: 93
items
box 9
1960-1975,
undated
Physical Description: 56
items
Transparencies, negatives, and slides,
1939-1969,
undated
box 13
1939-1966
Physical Description: 84
items
box 13
1967-1969,
undated
Physical Description: 45
items
box 14
Deteriorated negatives,
1947-1951,
undated
Scope and Contents
One negative is annotated: AR 18 (B?) 1947; one is annotated: 1951?, and the
other is annotated: Aflét [?] the Fête; Alice Rahon. Restricted.
box 9
Rahon in her studio,
undated
Physical Description: 36
items
Scope and Contents
Includes black-and-white and color photographs of Rahon in her studio and with her
artworks at other venues. Also included is one snapshot of a banner advertising
Rahon's exhibition at Galerie la Cour d'Ingres.
Works by other artists,
undated
box 9
Photographs,
Physical Description: 12
items
Scope and Contents
Includes black-and-white photographs of works by Picasso (dedicated to Rahon),
Paalen, Beatrice Grover, and unidentified artists. Also included are two copy
photographs of spreads of Miguel Covarrubias's article "Tlatilco: Archaic Mexican
Art and Culture," in
Dyn (vol. 4–5, (1943), pages
40–46).
box 9
Transparencies,
Physical Description: 9
items
Scope and Contents
Transparencies of paintings by Picasso, Varda, and unidentified artists. The
Picasso painting bears an inscription to Rahon.
Exhibitions,
1944-2004,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes exhibition and press materials for 41 shows, exhibition lists, and
miscellaneous newspaper clippings on Rahon.
box 2, folder 2
Exhibition lists,
undated
Scope and Contents
Seven lists: three handwritten and four typed. One of the handwritten lists begins
with a short biography likely prepared for her 1967 exhibition at the Galería de
Arte Misrachi.
box 2, folder 3
Galería de Arte Mexicano,
1944
Scope and Contents
Includes an exhibition catalog with handwritten annotations and a text by Carlos
Merida. Also includes an undated newspaper clipping on one of Rahon's three
exhibitions at the gallery.
box 2, folder 4
Abstractions, Stendahl Art
Galleries,
1945
Scope and Contents
Includes an exhibition brochure with a catalog and two newspaper articles pasted
onto a sheet of paper.
box 2, folder 5
Pasadena Art Institute,
1945
Scope and Contents
Includes four newspaper clippings.
box 2, folder 6
Art of This Century,
1945
Scope and Contents
Includes an invitation to the exhibition opening with a catalog with handwritten
annotations and two newspaper clippings.
box 2, folder 7
Nierendorf Gallery,
1946
Scope and Contents
Includes a photocopied exhibition invitation with a list of works.
box 2, folder 8
Willard Gallery,
1948
Scope and Contents
Includes an invitation to the exhibition opening with a catalog.
box 2, folder 9
American Contemporary Gallery,
1949
Scope and Contents
Includes an invitation to the exhibition opening with a catalog and a newspaper
clipping.
box 2, folder 10
Galería de Arte Mexicano,
1951
Scope and Contents
Includes an invitation to the exhibition opening and three newspaper clippings.
box 2, folder 11
Willard Gallery,
1951-1952
Scope and Contents
Includes an invitation to the exhibition opening with a catalog and a newspaper
clipping.
box 2, folder 12
San Francisco Museum of Art,
1953
Scope and Contents
Includes three newspaper clippings, including two copies of the same excerpt.
box 2, folder 13
Salón de la Plástica Mexicana,
1954-1955
Scope and Contents
Includes an invitation to the gallery opening with a catalog; eight newspaper
clippings, including an article from 7 April 1955 that mentions the exhibition from
the previous year; and a typewritten translation of an article.
box 2, folder 14
Paul Kantor Gallery,
1954
Scope and Contents
Includes one invitation to the gallery opening and two newspaper clippings.
box 2, folder 15
Galerie la Cour d'Ingres,
1955
Scope and Contents
Includes one gallery invitation; a second, ripped invitation; and three newspaper
clippings. The gallery invitations have the same text as the invitations to her 1962
exhibition at La Galerie Juliana Larsson.
box 2, folder 16
Willard Gallery,
1955
Scope and Contents
Includes an invitation to the exhibition opening with a catalog.
box 2, folder 17
Galería el Eco,
1956
Scope and Contents
Includes one newspaper clipping.
box 2, folder 18
Main Street Gallery, Chicago,
1957
Scope and Contents
Includes one newspaper clipping.
box 2, folder 19
Los Gatos, Galería Antonio
Souza,
1957
Scope and Contents
Includes six newspaper clippings, including one by Antonio Souza; a letter
concerning shipping paintings; and a catalog with a handwritten price list labeled
"Prix pour Alice." Other documents include a list of paintings held at the gallery
on Souza stationery and two typewritten receipts for sold paintings. One is dated 19
March 1957. The other is undated on Galería Antonio Souza letterhead, possibly from
this exhibition or from another exhibition at the gallery.
box 2, folder 20
Salón de la Plástica Femenina,
1958
Scope and Contents
Includes one photocopied newspaper article.
box 2, folder 21
Los pajaros, Galería Antonio
Souza,
1959
Scope and Contents
Includes two newspaper clippings; a letter on Souza stationery regarding painting
sales; a receipt for a painting sale; an invitation to the gallery opening with a
catalog; and a page from a magazine advertizing the show with information on another
exhibition on the verso.
box 2, folder 22
Galerías Excelsior,
1959
Scope and Contents
Includes one photocopied newspaper article.
box 2, folder 23
Últimos de Alice Rahon, Galería Antonio
Souza,
1960
Scope and Contents
Includes a photocopy of a gallery opening invitation with a catalog and newspaper
clipping.
box 2, folder 24
Galerías Romano,
1960
Scope and Contents
Includes one photocopied, partially cut out newspaper clipping.
box 2, folder 25
Galería Kampffer,
1960
Scope and Contents
Includes one newspaper article.
box 2, folder 26
Worth Avenue Galley,
1961
Scope and Contents
Includes three newspaper clippings, one gallery invitation, and one printed image
of one of Rahon's works (possibly an advertisement).
box 2, folder 27
Últimos de Alice Rahon, Galería Antonio
Souza,
1961
Scope and Contents
Includes a gallery opening invitation with a catalog and six newspaper clippings
(one of the clippings is a reprint of another included in the file).
box 2, folder 28
Óleos recientes de Alice Rahon, Galería
Antonio Souza,
1962
Scope and Contents
Includes an invitation to the exhibition opening with a catalog and a newspaper
clipping from
Excelsior.
box 2, folder 29
Galería Juliana Larsson,
1962
Scope and Contents
Includes a gallery invitation with an exhibition list and five newspaper clippings.
The gallery invitations have the same text as the 1955 exhibition at the Galerie La
Cour d'Ingres.
box 2, folder 30
Óleos recientes de Alice Rahon, Galería
Antonio Souza,
1963
Scope and Contents
Includes an invitation to the exhibition opening with a catalog and two newspaper
clippings.
box 2, folder 31
Les amantes, Galería Copenhague,
1963
Scope and Contents
Includes one invitation to the gallery opening with a catalog.
box 2, folder 32
Galería de Arte Turok-Wasserman,
1965
Scope and Contents
Includes one gallery opening invitation with a catalog.
box 2, folder 33
Institut français d'Amérique latine,
1965
Scope and Contents
Includes two invitations to the exhibition opening (one with a catalog and another
from the director) and a newspaper clipping.
box 2, folder 34
Galería de Arte Misrachi,
1967
Scope and Contents
Includes a gallery opening invitation, a handwritten note, ten newspaper clippings,
and a brochure.
box 2, folder 35
Galería Pecanins,
1969
Scope and Contents
Includes an invitation to Rahon's exhibition and a second invitation to another
opening on which there are notes about the Pecanins show.
box 2, folder 36
Berner Künstlerinnen,
1973
Scope and Contents
Includes one invitation and a newspaper clipping for a group exhibition featuring
Rahon in Bern, Switzerland. Both items have handwritten annotations.
box 2, folder 37
Museo de Arte Moderno,
circa 1974
Scope and Contents
Includes an exhibition catalog and insert with biographical information detailing a
multi-artist exhibition including Rahon, Frida Kahlo, Leonora Carrington, Diego
Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and others. The catalog is missing its cover and
identifying information.
box 2, folder 38
Galería de Arte Mexicano,
1975
Scope and Contents
Includes an exhibition catalog.
box 2, folder 39
Ficción Urbana,
1982
Scope and Contents
Includes one exhibition poster.
box 2, folder 40
18 artistas franceses en Mexico, Museo
Tamayo,
1983-1984
Scope and Contents
Includes one exhibition catalog.
box 2, folder 41
[Exhibition of Surrealist women],
circa 1984
Scope and Contents
Includes a photocopy of the body of the exhibition catalog (artist's biographies
and featured works), but lacks the front and back covers and numerous pages.
box 2, folder 42
Exposición Antológica,
1986
Scope and Contents
Includes two copies of an invitation to the show opening and a newspaper
article.
box 2, folder 43
Entramado de Sueños, Universidad Autónoma
Metropolitana,
2004
Scope and Contents
Includes one exhibition catalog.
box 2, folder 44
Newspaper clippings,
1949-1958,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes 23 clippings, including 12 on unspecified shows at the Galería Antonio
Souza; three undated articles referencing shows at the Willard Gallery; two
published in
Excelsior; one undated piece referring
to a show at the Galería de Arte Mexicano; one piece published in 1964; and four
undated clippings.
Gallery records,
1946-1986
Scope and Contents
Includes records from 40 museums and galleries where Rahon exhibited her works.
box 3, folder 1
San Francisco Museum of Art,
1946-1956,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes one handwritten price list and nine letters.
box 3, folder 2
Bignou Gallery,
1947
Scope and Contents
Includes one letter.
box 3, folder 3
International Rescue & Relief Committee, Inc.,
1948
Scope and Contents
Includes one letter notifying Rahon that one of her works was received from Wofgang
Paalen for an exhibition.
box 3, folder 4
Willard Gallery,
1948-1956,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes 35 items: 25 letters; three price lists; two handwritten lists of works;
three shipping documents; and two receipts.
box 3, folder 5
Zeitlin & Ver Brugge, Booksellers,
1949
Scope and Contents
Includes one letter and one receipt.
box 3, folder 6
American Contemporary Gallery,
1949-1950
Scope and Contents
Includes four letters.
box 3, folder 7
Copley Galleries,
1950,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes two letters.
box 3, folder 8
Carnegie Institute,
1952-1956
Scope and Contents
Includes seven letters from Gordon Bailey-Washburn.
box 3, folder 9
The Hanover Gallery,
1953
Scope and Contents
Includes two letters, one with an envelope.
box 3, folder 10
Galería Proteo,
1955,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes one loan receipt and a handwritten price list.
box 3, folder 11
Salón de la Plástica Mexicana,
1955,
1967
Scope and Contents
Includes four loan receipts and two price lists.
box 3, folder 12
Galerie la Cour d'Ingres,
1955
Scope and Contents
Includes three letters, one price list, one shipping receipt, and one typed
document accusing Rahon of illegal sales while in France.
box 3, folder 13
Galería Schneider,
1955
Scope and Contents
Includes one consignment receipt.
box 3, folder 14
Galería el Eco,
1956
Scope and Contents
Includes one price list.
box 3, folder 15
Galería Arte Contemporáneo, Lola Alvarez Bravo,
1956
Scope and Contents
Includes one letter.
box 3, folder 16
Arquitectura,
1957
Scope and Contents
Includes a list of works with a letter written below it.
box 3, folder 17
Société d'Art Saint-Germain des Prés,
1957,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes six handwritten letters and one envelope.
box 3, folder 18
Fogg Art Museum,
1958
Scope and Contents
Includes one letter.
box 3, folder 19
Galería Antonio Souza
1958
Scope and Contents
Includes one loan receipt.
box 3, folder 20
Unidentified Detroit exhibition,
circa 1958
Scope and Contents
Includes one list of works for an unspecified exhibition, possibly from her show at
the Little Gallery in 1958.
box 3, folder 21
Hilda Swarthe Little Gallery,
1959
Scope and Contents
Includes one letter.
box 3, folder 22
Little Gallery,
1960
Scope and Contents
Includes one letter.
box 3, folder 23
Galerie Juliana Larsson,
1961-1968,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes 37 items: one greeting card; 25 letters (regarding business and personal
matters); two shipping receipts; one list of works; four receipts; two price lists;
one inter-company correspondence from Mission Manufacturing Company; and one list of
addresses.
box 3, folder 24
D'Arcy Gallery,
1962
Scope and Contents
Includes one letter.
box 3, folder 25
Galería de los Contemporáneos,
1962-1963,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes four typewritten loan receipts; one letter; one handwritten loan receipt;
and one handwritten list of pieces with the heading: Galería Hilda (ex. Souza).
box 3, folder 26
Joan Crystal Louisiana Gallery,
circa 1962
Scope and Contents
Include four letters and one price list. The items are undated but were likely
produced when Rahon had a show at the gallery in 1962.
box 3, folder 27
The New Arts,
1962,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes three price lists, one item list, five letters, and one shipping
receipt.
box 3, folder 28
Galería Juan Martin,
1964
Scope and Contents
Includes one handwritten price list.
box 3, folder 29
Ankrum Gallery,
1964
Scope and Contents
Includes one letter.
box 3, folder 30
Alta Vista Galería de Arte,
1964
Scope and Contents
Includes one loan receipt.
box 3, folder 31
Millberry Hall,
1965
Scope and Contents
Includes one letter.
box 3, folder 32
Museo de Arte Moderno,
1967-1982
Scope and Contents
Includes four loan receipts, with one recording a loan of Wolfgang Paalen's
works.
box 3, folder 33
Galerie Françoise Tourné,
1973
Scope and Contents
Includes two handwritten letters with envelopes.
box 3, folder 34
Museo Universitario de Cienías y Arte,
1975
Scope and Contents
Includes a letter and loan receipt.
box 3, folder 35
Galería de Arte Misrachi
1977
Scope and Contents
Includes one handwritten loan list with prices.
box 3, folder 36
Amnistía Internacional, Museo Alvar y Carmen T. de Carrillo
Gil,
1978-1979
Scope and Contents
Includes a letter requesting Rahon's participation in the exhibition; a loan
receipt; a portion of the
Universal Declaration for Human
Rights
; and two pamphlets from the organization not related to the
exhibition.
box 3, folder 37
Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil,
1979-1985
Scope and Contents
Includes two loan receipts.
box 3, folder 38
Mujeres Artistas! Artistas Mujeres!
Dirección de Patrimonio Cultural,
1984
Scope and Contents
Includes one loan receipt.
box 3, folder 39
Galería Sloane Racotta,
1985
Scope and Contents
Includes one loan receipt.
box 3, folder 40
Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes,
1986
Scope and Contents
Includes four loan receipts with one multi-page record with handwritten
annotations.
box 3, folder 41
Lists of works and prices,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes seven price lists and six lists of works.
box 3, folder 42
Lists of collectors,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes four titled lists of Rahon's collectors; one record of Rahon's sales; 11
untitled lists of collectors; and five smaller papers with individuals' contact
information and/or their purchased works.
box 3, folder 43
Poetry publication:
Les feuillets de "Sagesse":
Anthologie de la poésie vivante publiée par Fernand Marc
,
1935-1939
Scope and Contents
Two copies of a pamphlet detailing the publication of a poetry anthology that
published Rahon (then Paalen). Printed in Paris. This material was filed with
exhibition material by the previous proprietor.
Correspondence, Series III.
1936-1990,
undated
Physical Description: 1.3 linear
feet(2 boxes)
Scope and Contents
The series consists primarily of correspondence received by Rahon between the late
1930s and the early 1980s, encapsulating her years in Paris and her life in Mexico City.
The letters explain Rahon's relationships and aesthetic issues and evoke the Surrealist
bohemian life in the late 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s in France and Mexico. Correspondents
include André Breton, Pablo Picasso, Wolfgang Paalen, Eva Sulzer, Gordon Onslow-Ford,
Anaïs Nin, Valentine Penrose, and Leonora Carrington. Letters to from Jean Varda to
Rahon make up a significant portion of this series. Letters received by Varda are in
Series V.
Also included are letters sent and received by Rahon's first husband Wolfgang Paalen;
her close friend and lover Eva Sulzer; and various other letters to or from close
friends and associates. One letter from Henry Miller to Eva Sulzer details the success
his article in the Surrealist journal
Dyn (1943) has
brought him.
Envelopes are not included in item counts and may be filed with correspondence to which
they do not originally belong.
Arrangement
Arranged by sender or receiver and then alphabetically by correspondent.
Alice Rahon letters received,
1936-1984,
undated
Scope and Contents
193 items including typewritten and handwritten letters, postcards, and greeting
cards from Rahon's family, close friends, collectors of her work, fellow artists and
writers, and others.
box 3, folder 44
Aguirre, Isadora,
1964-1965
Scope and Contents
Four typewritten letters.
box 3, folder 45
Airame, Jacqueline,
1971-1972
Scope and Contents
Includes three handwritten letters: one letter includes a unicorn, moon, and other
fantastic/mythical drawings, including on the envelope; another letter includes
drawings of animals; and the third has animal drawings and butterfly wings and,
taped to the back of the page, a small sack of dirt and pressed flowers.
box 3, folder 46
Antoine, Regis,
1984
Scope and Contents
One typewritten letter.
box 3, folder 47
Arout, Gabriel,
1961-1981
Scope and Contents
Fifteen handwritten letters, including a postcard, a greeting card, and another
small card with bird sketches.
box 3, folder 48
Arout, Renée
1982
Scope and Contents
One letter from the wife of George Arout, notifying Rahon of the writer's
death.
box 3, folder 49
Barr, David,
1975-1981
Scope and Contents
Seven handwritten letters, including a postcard.
box 3, folder 50
Blanche, Claude Pierre,
1966-1979
Scope and Contents
Three letters, including an invitation to the opening of Blanche's show
Les Forets Blanche at the Galerie Bodhi in Paris in
December 1979.
box 3, folder 51
Breton, André,
1939-1972
Scope and Contents
Two handwritten letters: a postcard and a letter on stationery from the Fédération
Internationale de l'Art Révolutionnaire Indépendant with a short note from
Jacqueline (Lamba) Breton written below the body of the letter.
box 3, folder 52
Breton, Elisa (Bindhoff Enet),
1945
Scope and Contents
One handwritten letter.
box 3, folder 53
Brigden, Florence and Arnold,
1949
Scope and Contents
One holiday card.
box 3, folder 54
Carrington, Leonora,
1946,
undated
Scope and Contents
Two handwritten letters.
box 3, folder 55
Dumas, Christine,
1970
Scope and Contents
One handwritten letter.
box 3, folder 56
Dupin, Geo,
1972,
undated
Scope and Contents
Eight handwritten letters.
box 3, folder 57
Ferreau, M.,
1973-1975
Scope and Contents
Five handwritten letters.
box 3, folder 58
Freeman, Carl M.,
1966
Scope and Contents
One typewritten letter.
box 3, folder 59
Grover, Beatrice,
1962
Scope and Contents
One Christmas card.
box 3, folder 60
Jodorowsky, Raquel,
1962-1965
Scope and Contents
Two handwritten letters and one postcard. One letter includes drawings of feet
leading to a following page and a stick-figure of a woman at the end of the
letter.
box 3, folder 61
Johnson, Jacqueline (Onslow-Ford),
1959-1975,
undated
Scope and Contents
Six handwritten letters.
box 3, folder 62
Josephson, Matthew,
1963
Scope and Contents
One typewritten letter telling Rahon that his most recent book had been published
in Spanish.
box 3, folder 63
Kuh, Katharine,
1955
Scope and Contents
Two typewritten letters on stationery from the Art Institute of Chicago.
box 4, folder 1
Manson, Anne,
1963-1968,
undated
Scope and Contents
Eight handwritten letters and one typewritten letter.
box 4, folder 2
Moore, Henry,
1954
Scope and Contents
One typewritten letter on Hoglands, Perry Green, Much Hadham Herts letterhead.
box 4, folder 3
Nin, Anaïs,
undated
Scope and Contents
One typewritten letter.
box 4, folder 4
Onslow-Ford, Gordon,
1959-1976,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes seven letters: three postcards with Onslow-Ford's artwork; three
handwritten letters, one with a sketch; and one cyanotype holiday card.
box 4, folder 5
Paalen, Wolfgang,
1955,
undated
Scope and Contents
Three handwritten letters.
box 4, folder 6
Penrose, Valentine,
1939-1931
Scope and Contents
Seven handwritten letters.
box 4, folder 7
Petrucci, Maria,
1952,
undated
Scope and Contents
Five handwritten letters.
box 4, folder 8
Picard, Olivier,
1973
Scope and Contents
One handwritten letter.
box 4, folder 9
Picasso, Pablo,
1936
Scope and Contents
One handwritten letter pasted onto support paper. Illustrated on pages 210-211 of
Shapeshifter (New York: New York Review Books,
2021).
box 4, folder 10
Pierre, José,
1982
Scope and Contents
One handwritten letter and one postcard.
box 4, folder 11
Renne, René,
1945
Scope and Contents
One letter written by a student in Marseille asking Rahon about her work for an
assignment.
box 4, folder 12
Rizh, Edouard,
undated
Scope and Contents
One handwritten letter.
box 4, folder 13
Schmitt-Loew (Blin), Melita,
1967-1969
Scope and Contents
Includes two handwritten letters both on letterhead, one from New York and the
other from Paris. The letters are likely from Mélita Schmitt-Loew, the third wife of
Maurice E. Blin. A "Mrs. Maurice E. Blin" and "Mrs. Arthur M. Loew, later Mrs.
Maurice E. Blin" donated a number of pieces to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New
York City in the 1960s.
box 4, folder 14
Sekula, Sonja,
1945-1961,
undated
Scope and Contents
Five handwritten letters. One letter posted on 30 November 1945 is written on
stationery from the Skytop Club in Pennsylvania and includes a small illustration.
There is also an annotation on the letter's envelope saying "contains some moss and
pine needles," but the material is no longer there. The letter posted August 1961
includes a haiku and an illustration on the bottom of the second page verso. An
undated letter is on stationery from the Timber Trails Inn in Sherman,
Connecticut.
box 4, folder 15
Soriano, Juan,
1971
Scope and Contents
One handwritten letter.
box 4, folder 16
Sulzer, Eva,
1946-1974
Scope and Contents
Four handwritten letters.
box 4, folder 17
Tamayo, Rufino,
1963
Scope and Contents
One postcard.
box 4, folder 18
Tourtelot, Madeline (Creative Films Studio),
1957
Scope and Contents
One typewritten letter.
box 4, folder 19
Tracol, Henri,
1972-1973
Scope and Contents
Two handwritten letters.
box 4, folder 20
Twardy, Henry,
1962
Scope and Contents
One typed letter on letterhead from Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, a San
Francisco-based architecture firm.
box 4, folder 21-22
Varda, Jean,
1954-1965,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes 31 handwritten letters and one printed party invitation. Of the
handwritten letters, there is one postcard and one short letter on Saint Andrew's
Priory (Valyermo, California) letterhead. An undated letter includes a drawing of a
ship and another letter has annotations made after the letter was written. An
undated letter includes a photocopy of a hand-written map with the title "Spring
Opera League / Floating House Tour / May 29, 1965 / Boats in Sausalito." Varda was
an early adoptee of the houseboat lifestyle. To see more materials relating to
Varda, see Series V.
box 4, folder 23
Wasserman, Marion,
1957
Scope and Contents
One typewritten letter.
box 4, folder 24
Wu Weakland, Anna,
1966
Scope and Contents
One typewritten letter.
box 4, folder 25
Unidentified,
1946-1981,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes 33 items: 23 handwritten letters; one typewritten letter; one handwritten
note with a typewritten post script; one print of
Snowflakes by E. Barnett, edition 6/6; six postcards including one letter
written on three cards from the Sydney Opera House's Shell National Folkloric
Festival; one small board with a short note to Rahon and a blue-painted verso; and
three envelopes not attached to specific letters (not counted in the item total).
One letter is written on letterhead from the Hotel Continental in Mexico City and
another is on letterhead from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations.
Wolfgang Paalen letters sent,
1940-1950,
undated
Scope and Contents
Five letters sent by Rahon's first husband, including letters he sent to Edward
Fitzgerald, Rahon's second husband, and Eva Sulzer.
box 4, folder 26
Fitzgerald, Edward,
1949-1950
Scope and Contents
Two handwritten letters.
box 4, folder 27
Peret, Benjamin,
1940
Scope and Contents
One handwritten letter.
box 4, folder 28
Sulzer, Eva,
1940
Scope and Contents
Includes a photograph of an artwork and envelope with no accompanying letter in an
envelop from the Julien Levy Gallery in New York.
box 4, folder 29
Von Buch, Max,
undated
Scope and Contents
Two letters, one handwritten and one typewritten.
Wolfgang Paalen letters received,
1940-1959
Scope and Contents
One letter and two cards received by Paalen, including one letter from Rahon's second
husband Edward Fitzgerald.
box 4, folder 30
Fitzgerald, Edward,
1950
Scope and Contents
One handwritten letter.
box 4, folder 31
Sagaón, Rocío and Georges Vinaver,
1959
Scope and Contents
One card announcing the birth of the couple's child with a short, handwritten note
on the verso.
box 4, folder 32
Unidentified,
1940
Scope and Contents
One postcard.
box 4, folder 33
Eva Sulzer letters sent,
1947,
undated
Scope and Contents
Two handwritten letters to unidentified recipients.
Eva Sulzer letters received,
1943-1990,
undated
Scope and Contents
Comprises 30 letters including correspondence from Gordon Onslow-Ford, Jacqueline
Johnson (Onslow-Ford), and the Champs des activités surréalistes.
box 4, folder 34
Brignoni, Serge,
undated
Scope and Contents
One envelope with annotations.
box 4, folder 35
Champs des Activités Surrealistes,
1987
Scope and Contents
Includes an order form for the surrealist publication
Pleine
Marge
with summaries of past editions and the forthcoming edition.
box 4, folder 36
Deffebach, Nancy,
1986
Scope and Contents
Two letters, one handwritten and one typewritten.
box 4, folder 37
Dupin, Georgette (Geo),
1988
Scope and Contents
One handwritten letter.
box 4, folder 38
Frei, L.,
1988
Scope and Contents
One greeting card.
box 4, folder 39
Hubert, Renee Riese,
1988
Scope and Contents
One handwritten aerogram.
box 4, folder 44
Johnson, Jacqueline (Onslow-Ford),
1959
Scope and Contents
One handwritten letter.
box 4, folder 40
Marin, Cecilia,
1988
Scope and Contents
One holiday card.
box 4, folder 41
Miller, Henry,
1943
Scope and Contents
One handwritten letter.
box 4, folder 42
Neufert, Andreas,
1990
Scope and Contents
One handwritten letter with an early draft of a biography of Wolfgang Paalen.
Neufert published a full-length biography on Paalen in 2015.
box 4, folder 43
Onslow-Ford, Gordon,
1959-1960
Scope and Contents
Two handwritten letters.
box 4, folder 45
Parmenter, Ross,
1962
Scope and Contents
One typewritten letter.
box 4, folder 46
Regler, Gustav,
1955-1959,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes seven items: one typewritten letter with a later annotation adding the
author's surname; four handwritten letters; and two postcards.
box 4, folder 47
Reichel, Hans,
1952
Scope and Contents
One handwritten letter with a colored illustration with the text "Alles Liebe."
Included in the letter is a postcard with a drawing by Reichel.
box 4, folder 48
Von Buch, Max,
1961
Scope and Contents
One typewritten letter on Von Buch's personal stationery.
box 4, folder 49
Westpfahl, Conrad,
1948-1962
Scope and Contents
Two letters: one typewritten letter with two envelopes (one with a handwritten
annotation), and one gallery invitation with a handwritten note on the verso. An
additional envelope is also present.
box 4, folder 50
Unidentified,
1948-1990
Scope and Contents
Includes five pieces of correspondence: two handwritten letters from "Graciela,"
two postcards, and a handwritten letter.
Other correspondents,
1947-1966,
undated
Scope and Contents
Three letters received by Rahon's close associates.
box 4, folder 51
Johnson, Jacqueline (Onslow-Ford)
1966
Scope and Contents
One handwritten letter recieved by Johnson that was possibly written by Rahon.
box 4, folder 52
Schuster, Jean to José Pierre,
1955
Scope and Contents
One pneumatic card (sent via a pneumatic system).
box 4, folder 53
Westpfahl, Conrad,
undated
Scope and Contents
One handwritten letter, possibly written by Sulzer.
box 4, folder 54
Unidentified,
1947
Scope and Contents
One typewritten letter.
Personal papers, Series IV.
1859-1989,
undated
Physical Description: 5 linear
feet(5 boxes)
Scope and Contents
The series consists of Rahon's legal documents, such as her birth certificate and
customs documents; business-related materials; notebooks; and a collection of
photographs from throughout Rahon's life. The series also includes miscellaneous notes
and documents from the artist's daily life, 12 books (mostly novels); and multiple
notebooks, including daily planners and address books.
Arrangement
Arranged topically, primarily by document type.
box 5, folder 1
Sulamith and Walter, bound illustrated poems,
1949
Scope and Contents
One handmade, bound volume of alternative versions of three poems: "À la claire
fontaine," "Las il n'a nul mal," and "Non, je n'irai plus au bois." The poems are
decorated with illustrations and there is a print adhered to the interior side of the
front cover.
box 5, folder 2
1940-1987
Scope and Contents
One small, leatherbound address book with a name card and an invitation to an
anniversary of the National College of Mexico, both with annotations.
box 5, folder 3
Tlaquepaque,
1947-1987
Scope and Contents
One address book labeled with Rahon's name and the address of her Tlaquepaque home,
two small scraps of paper with notes, and one multi-page list of contact
information.
box 5, folder 4
Notebook,
undated
Scope and Contents
One notebook with addresses, calendars, and sketches.
Appointment books and agendas,
1964-1976,
undated
box 5, folder 5
Appointment calendar,
1964
Scope and Contents
One agenda.
box 5, folder 6
Planner,
1975
Scope and Contents
One small leatherbound planner.
box 5, folder 7
Agenda INAH,
1976
Scope and Contents
One agenda published by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia.
box 5, folder 20
Miscellaneous addresses, business cards, and notes,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes 12 notes on various supports such as envelopes and business cards.
box 5, folder 8
Birth certificate,
1988
Scope and Contents
Photocopy of Rahon's 1904 birth certificate with an attached letter.
box 5, folder 9
Marriage certificate,
1989
Scope and Contents
Photocopy of Rahon and Paalen's 1934 marriage certificate.
box 5, folder 10
Certificate of residence,
1953
Scope and Contents
Rahon's certificate of residence in Mexico with a small photograph of Rahon stapled
to the page and an unattached identification slip.
box 5, folder 11
Passports,
1953-1973
Scope and Contents
Includes three Mexican passports; one border crossing card; one vaccination card from
her 1973 passport; and one cash receipt from the United States Department of State.
These documents have Rahon's birth year listed as 1924.
box 5, folder 12
Alice Rahon,
1987
Scope and Contents
Includes one newspaper page with an obiturary for Rahon giving her correct birth
year (1904).
box 5, folder 13
Wolfgang Paalen,
after
1959
Scope and Contents
One newspaper clipping of an article remembering Paalen by Pepe Romero.
box 5, folder 14
Customs documents,
1965,
undated
Scope and Contents
One completed customs document and six blank forms.
Travel diaries,
1936-1939
box 5, folder 15
India,
1936
Scope and Contents
One notebook from Rahon's trip with Valentine Penrose.
box 5, folder 16
Pacific West,
1939
Scope and Contents
One notebook from her travel with Paalen and Sulzer from Alaska down the Pacific
coast to Mexico.
box 5, folder 17
Receipts,
1962-1980
Scope and Contents
Seven receipts.
box 5, folder 18
Invitations,
1981-1983,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes three invitations, one to a gallery anniversary; one to a ballet; and one to
a kindergarten Christmas party annotated: Ivan.
box 5, folder 19
Newspaper and magazine clippings,
1944-1974,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes two newspaper and four magazine pages on events and activities of Rahon's
friends and peers, including Picasso and Oliver Picard.
box 5, folder 21
Exhibition ephemera not Rahon,
1966-1971
Scope and Contents
Includes a brochure for an exhibiton by Anna Wu Weakland and catalogs for a
retrospective on Wolfgang Paalen and the show
Dibujos de Arte
Prehispanico
at the Museo Universitario de Ciencias y Arte.
box 7, folder 3
Child's sketchbook,
1961
Scope and Contents
One handmade sketchbook with a child's illustrations.
Books,
1859-1984,
Scope and Contents
Includes 11 books from Rahon's personal collection including three works by Victor
Serge and a book by her friend, writer George Arout.
box 6, folder 1
Lamb, Dana,
Les vagabonds
enchantés
,
1953
Scope and Contents
Paris: René Julliard, 1953. The front free end paper has been excised.
box 6, folder 1
L'Abbé Pinard,
Évangile de la Jeunesse ou Lectures
dominicales
,
1859
Scope and Contents
Tours: Alfred Mame, 1859. There is a dedication written on the title page: To
Pachili / Mexico, Aug. 31- 1918 / R.
box 6, folder 2
Serge, Victor,
Le Tropique & le
Nord
,
1972
Scope and Contents
Montpellier: François Maspero, 1972. Written on front flyleaf: Alice Rahon.
box 6, folder 2
Serge, Victor,
Pour un brasier dans un
désert
,
1972
Scope and Contents
Montpellier: François Maspero, 1972.
box 6, folder 3
Serge, Victor,
Les Années sans
pardon
,
1971
Scope and Contents
Montpellier: François Maspero, 1971.
box 6, folder 4
Arout, Gabriel,
La Dame de
Trèfle
,
1953
Scope and Contents
Paris: Gallimard, 1953. Dedication written on flypaper by the author: À Alice plus
/ qu'amie très / affectueusement / Gabriel / 5-VII-56.
box 6, folder 4
Colette,
La Paix chez les bêtes,
1916
Scope and Contents
Paris: Georges Crès et Cie, 1916.
box 6, folder 5
De Nerval, Gerard,
Œuvres,
1968
Scope and Contents
Paris: Le Club français du livre, 1968.
box 6, folder 6
Pieyre de Mandiargues, André,
Deuxième
Belvédère
,
1958
Scope and Contents
Paris: Bernard Grasset, 1958. The chapter "Palenque" was marked with a
paperclip.
box 6, folder 7
Bradbury, Ray,
Chroniques
martiennes
,
1960
Scope and Contents
Paris: Éditions Denoël, 1960.
box 6, folder 7
Mansfield, Katherine,
Lettres,
1940
Scope and Contents
Paris: Éditions Stock, 1940.
box 6, folder 8
Ephemera found in books,
1984
Scope and Contents
Includes a postcard found between pages 258 and 259 in
Les
Vagabonds enchantés
; a newspaper clipping from the front pastedown and
front end paper of
Œuvres about the author of the
book; and a scrap of paper found between pages 196-197 of
Chroniques martiennes with an individual's contact information.
Personal photographs,
1910-circa 1980,
undated
Scope and Contents
Personal photographs cover the full range of Rahon's life and adventures, from her
childhood in France through her later years in Mexico. They record events such as her
trip to India with Valentine Penrose in 1936, including 15 snapshots of the two women
dressed in saris and interacting with local residents; her journey to Alaska in 1939
with Paalen and Sulzer; and her travels around Mexico with friends like the
Onslow-Fords. There are approximately 30 views taken in France during the 1930s.
Roughly half of the photographs are portraits of Rahon spanning from her childhood to
her prime, posing as a young and beautiful woman against various natural landscapes,
to her old age. A number of these are by studio or professional photographers while
others were taken by friends and unidentified photographers and include later color
snapshots. Also present are black-and-white portraits of friends and acquaintances
such as Frida Kahlo, Antonin Artaud, and Leonora Carrington.
Snapshots and portraits of Rahon,
Scope and Contents
Includes snapshots and professional portraits of Rahon spanning from a photographic
postcard taken at age six through her adult life. Images of Rahon with friends
include trips made in the 1930s to Spain (1933?), India (1936), the Loup river
(1939), and Alaska (1939). The six photographs from Alaska are most likely by Eva
Sulzer. Photographs taken in Mexico cover Rahon's arrival in the country in 1939.
Portraits are by Walter Reuter, Wolfgan Paalen, Antonio Souza, and other
unidentified photographers. Most images are black-and-white, although several later
snapshots are in color.
box 10
Prints,
Physical Description: 211
items
Scope and Contents
Most images are black-and-white, although several later snapshots are in
color.
box 13
Transparencies, negatives, and slides,
Physical Description: 22
items
box 10
Edward Fitzgerald,
circa
1940-1960
Physical Description: 15
items
Scope and Contents
Includes portraits of Fitzgerald and Rahon holding kittens, photographs of the
couple on the set of
Les magiciens as well as stills
from the film, and portraits of Fitzgerald including one behind the camera and one
with his first wife.
box 11
Rahon friends and family,
1930s-1980s
Physical Description: 67
items
Scope and Contents
Includes photographs of Rahon with friends, family, and acquaintances, photographs
of Rahon's friends, and photographs of other artists, mostly unidentified except for
Varda. Primarily comprises black-and-white prints although some color photographs
are present.
Jean Varda, Series V.
1964-1987,
undated
Physical Description: 1.7 linear
feet(3 boxes)
Scope and Contents
The series comprises a small collection of documents from Rahon's close friend Jean
"Yanko" Varda that was included with Rahon's material. Included are exhibition
materials, correspondence, and several photographs of his art.
Arrangement
Arranged topically.
Artisic output,
1964,
undated
Scope and Contents
Includes photographs of Varda's work and an exhibition invitation.
box 9
Images of works,
undated
Physical Description: 7
items
Scope and Contents
Seven photographs of Varda's collage pieces: six black-and-white photographs and
one color image.
box 5, folder 22
Exhibition invitation,
1964
Scope and Contents
An invitation to the opening of Varda's exhibition
The
Colors of Paradise
, October 15 to November 6, 1964 at the Millberry Union
at the University of California Medical Center, San Francisco.
Correspondence,
1970,
undated
Scope and Contents
Three occasion cards received by Varda.
box 7, folder 1
Birthday invitation,
1970
Scope and Contents
One oversized birthday invitation.
box 5, folder 23
Caples, Robert Cole and Rosemary,
1970
Scope and Contents
One holiday card with a leaf taped to an inner page.
box 5, folder 24
Unidentified,
undated
Scope and Contents
One holiday postcard.
box 7, folder 1
Limited edition poster,
after 1987
Scope and Contents
One limited edition poster commemorating Varda's life and the opening of the Varda
Cultural Center.
