Finding aid for the Verle and Elizabeth Annis papers 5266
Bo Doub and Barbara Robinson
USC Libraries Special Collections
2021 November
Doheny Memorial Library 206
3550 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, California 90089-0189
specol@usc.edu
Contributing Institution:
USC Libraries Special Collections
Title: Verle and Elizabeth Annis papers
Creator:
Annis, Verle Lincoln
Creator:
Annis, Elizabeth (1905-2000)
Identifier/Call Number: 5266
Physical Description:
23.46 Linear Feet
45 boxes
Date (inclusive): 1910-1978
Abstract: The Verle and Elizabeth Annis papers contain photographs, pamphlets, postcards, correspondence, architectural designs, and
other material created by Verle and Elizabeth Annis. Verle Lincoln Annis (1897-1983) was a scholar and professor of architecture
at the University of Southern California until 1962. Verle Annis wrote
The Architecture of Antigua Guatemala 1543-1773, published in 1968. Elizabeth Naomi Annis (née Reed) (1905-2000) was a writer, traveler, and supporter of libraries, having
served as a founding member of the Friends of the Library organization at the University of California, Irvine. The collection
consists of photographs, pamphlets, and postcards from the Annis' travels in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal; a photo index
of Latin American architecture on file cards; a few architectural designs; correspondence; travel journals; Verle Annis' course
materials; an unpublished manuscript by Elizabeth Annis; and other material dating from approximately 1910 to 1978.
Language of Material:
English
, Spanish; Castilian
, French
.
Scope and Contents
The Verle and Elizabeth Annis papers contain photographs, pamphlets, postcards, correspondence, architectural designs, and
other material created by Verle and Elizabeth Annis. Verle Lincoln Annis (1897-1983) was a scholar and professor of architecture
at the University of Southern California until 1962. Verle Annis wrote
The Architecture of Antigua Guatemala 1543-1773, published in 1968. Elizabeth Naomi Annis (née Reed) (1905-2000) was a writer, traveler, and supporter of libraries, having
served as a founding member of the Friends of the Library organization at the University of California, Irvine. The collection
consists of photographs, pamphlets, and postcards from the Annis' travels in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal; a photo index
of Latin American architecture on file cards; a few architectural designs; correspondence; travel journals; Verle Annis' course
materials; an unpublished manuscript by Elizabeth Annis; and other material dating from approximately 1910 to 1978.
Conditions Governing Access
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 Department of Special
Collections at specol@usc.edu. 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.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder no. or item name], Verle and Elizabeth Annis papers, Collection no. 5266, University Archives, Special Collections,
USC Libraries, University of Southern California
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Elizabeth Annis, 2000. The collection of glass plate photographs added to the collection as accrual no. 2023-007 was
transferred from the USC Architecture and Fine Arts Library on March 10, 2023.
Processing Information
The Verle and Elizabeth Annis papers used to be split into two separately described collections: one collection titled the
Verle Annis papers and the other the Elizabeth Annis papers. In 2021, the USC Libraries merged the two collections into a
single collection and described all of its contents under this finding aid. The collection titled Elizabeth Annis papers (the
smaller of the two) had been given the collection number 5166. After combining the collections, USC Libraries deleted the
collection record numbered 5166, which had never been published.
In 2023, the USC Architecture and Fine Arts (AFA) Library transferred a separate collection of Verle Annis' glass photographic
plates to the USC Libraries Special Collections. The AFA collection had not been documented in a finding aid prior to this
transfer.
The current combined finding aid divides the boxes in the collection into three series: (i) Verle Annis, (ii) Elizabeth Annis,
and (iii) Glass plate photographs transferred from the USC Architecture and Fine Arts Library. This division reflects the
previously separate collections. However, the Verle Annis series still contains material created by and/or belonging to Elizabeth
Annis and--to a lesser extent--the Elizabeth Annis series holds some of Verle's papers.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Architects -- California -- Los Angeles -- 20th century -- Archival resources
Architectural photography -- Archival resources
Architecture -- Guatemala -- Archival resources
Architecture -- Study and teaching -- Archival resources
Latin America -- History -- Archival resources
Latin America -- Study and teaching
Guatemala -- Description and travel -- Archival resources
Spain -- Description and travel -- Archival resources
Architectural drawings (visual works)
Architectural documents
Correspondence
Glass plate negatives
Negatives (photographic)
Photographic plates
Photographs
Postcards
Annis, Verle Lincoln -- Archives
Annis, Elizabeth (1905-2000) -- Archives
Verle Annis
Processing Information
The Verle and Elizabeth Annis papers used to be split into two separately described collections: one collection titled the
Verle Annis papers and the other the Elizabeth Annis papers. In 2021, the USC Libraries merged the two collections into a
single collection and described all of its contents under this finding aid. The collection titled Elizabeth Annis papers (the
smaller of the two) had been given the collection number 5166. After combining the collections, USC Libraries deleted the
collection record numbered 5166, which had never been published.
In 2023, the USC Architecture and Fine Arts (AFA) Library transferred a separate collection of Verle Annis' glass photographic
plates to the USC Libraries Special Collections. The AFA collection had not been documented in a finding aid prior to this
transfer.
The current combined finding aid divides the boxes in the collection into three series: (i) Verle Annis, (ii) Elizabeth Annis,
and (iii) Glass plate photographs transferred from the USC Architecture and Fine Arts Library. This division reflects the
previously separate collections. However, the Verle Annis series still contains material created by and/or belonging to Elizabeth
Annis and--to a lesser extent--the Elizabeth Annis series holds some of Verle's papers.
Box 5, Box 6
Black and white photographs
Box 1, Box 3
Course materials, photographs, correspondence, and other material
Box 7
Family photographs and correspondence
Box 4
Mounted photograph and rolled architectural designs
Box 10, Box 11, Box 12, Box 13
Photo index file cards (removed from drawers) relating to architecture in Latin America
Box 2
Photo index file cards (still in drawers) with photographic prints, negatives, and notes
Elizabeth Annis
Processing Information
The Verle and Elizabeth Annis papers used to be split into two separately described collections: one collection titled the
Verle Annis papers and the other the Elizabeth Annis papers. In 2021, the USC Libraries merged the two collections into a
single collection and described all of its contents under this finding aid. The collection titled Elizabeth Annis papers (the
smaller of the two) had been given the collection number 5166. After combining the collections, USC Libraries deleted the
collection record numbered 5166, which had never been published.
In 2023, the USC Architecture and Fine Arts (AFA) Library transferred a separate collection of Verle Annis's glass photographic
plates to the USC Libraries Special Collections. The AFA collection had not been documented in a finding aid prior to this
transfer.
The current combined finding aid divides the boxes in the collection into three series: (i) Verle Annis, (ii) Elizabeth Annis,
and (iii) Glass plate photographs transferred from the USC Architecture and Fine Arts Library. This division reflects the
previously separate collections. However, the Verle Annis series still contains material created by and/or belonging to Elizabeth
Annis and--to a lesser extent--the Elizabeth Annis series holds some of Verle's papers.
Box 18
1920s children's books from France, puppets, and other material
Box 16, Box 17
Correspondence, manuscripts, yearbook, travel journals, letters to publishers, and other material
Box 9
Pamphlets and ephemera from Latin America, correspondence, and other material
Box 14, Box 15
Postcards from Latin America, Spain, and Portugal
Box 19, Box 20, Box 21, Box 22, Box 23, Box 24, Box 25, Box 26, Box 27, Box 28, Box 29, Box 30, Box 31, Box 32, Box 33, Box 34, Box 35, Box 36, Box 37, Box 38, Box 39, Box 40, Box 41, Box 42, Box 43, Box 44, Box 45
Glass plate photographs transferred from the USC Architecture and Fine Arts Library
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Transferred from the USC Architecture and Fine Arts Library, March 10, 2023.
Scope and Contents
27 boxes of glass plate photographs of architecture, art, and other subjects by Verle Annis. Most of the photographs are black
and white glass positives, but there are also some glass negatives and color positives. There are approximately 80 slides
in each box. Most of the boxes are unlabeled and without a meaningful arrangement. A few of the boxes arrived with handwritten
labels: "Antigua / Peru"; "Architecture"; "Antigua / Mexico / Guatemala"; "Prints Italian Paintings"; "Architecture"; "Peru";
"Antigua"; "Guatemala Antigua"; "Guatemala / Antigua"; "Persian Paintings / French Prints."