Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Edwards, Gladys Brown and Edwards, Cecil L.
- Abstract:
- Gladys Brown Edwards was a noted equine artist and authority on the Arabian horse. She worked at the Kellogg Ranch for over a decade and was active in the Arabian horse community. Her husband, Cecil L. Edwards, was a respected horseman and Quartermaster General of the Pomona Remount Depot. The collection includes personal and business correspondence; photographs; business records; Gladys' extensive research materials; and examples of her artwork.
- Extent:
- 45.17 Linear Feet (61 boxes)
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
-
[Box/folder# or item name], Cecil and Gladys Brown Edwards Papers, Collection no. 0005, W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Library, Special Collections and Archives, University Library, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The collection includes Gladys Brown Edwards' research materials and writings on horses, dogs, and other topics; correspondence between Gladys and Cecil Edwards; correspondence sent to and from Cecil regarding the Pomona Remount; photographs taken by Cecil, Gladys' study photographs, scrapbooks, and photographs of her artwork; examples of her artwork in various media and assorted awards and military regalia.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Gladys Brown Edwards was born Gladys Melvina Brown in Portland, Oregon, on June 3, 1908. Gladys spent her early childhood in Oregon until her family moved to California in 1914, eventually settling in Los Angeles.
As a child, Gladys became fascinated with horses and carved tiny horse models. She attended Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles, where she was awarded an honor in art for "individual and excellent studies of the horse." After graduation, Gladys received a four-year scholarship to the Chouinard School of Art. At Chouinard, she studied under painter Millard Sheets and Arthur Millier, who was art editor for the Los Angeles Times. While still in art school, Gladys worked as a professional artist and contributed illustrations to Sportologue magazine.
Gladys began working as a secretary at the Kellogg Ranch in 1932. She was hired not for her clerical skills, but for her extensive knowledge of horses. At the Kellogg Ranch, she continued her studies of horse conformation and expression and soon became known as a master of equine anatomy. Many of her early works focused on the Arabian horse and she was recognized as an authority on the breed.
By 1941, the United States had entered World War II. Like many women at the time, Gladys contributed to the war effort and worked at Lockheed Aircraft Service. She returned to the Kellogg Ranch in 1943, which by then had been commandeered as a Remount Service Depot for the U.S. Army cavalry. It was during the Remount period that Gladys met Major Cecil L. Edwards, the Quartermaster General. Gladys and Cecil were married in May 1946.
Cecil was born in Salem, Oregon on November 20, 1906. His father, A.J. Edwards, was an agent for the American Remount Association. In 1933, Cecil began serving as secretary to Representative Otto K. Paulus of the Oregon state legislature and eventually rose to the position of secretary and Chief of Staff to Governor Charles Sprague. He joined the Army prior the outbreak of World War II and was stationed at the Pomona Remount in 1941, where he remained until the war's end.
Shortly after their wedding, Cecil formed the Horseman's Studio to market Gladys' artwork. In 1949, they moved to Oregon and became active members of the Arabian horse community. Gladys was soon a much sought-after horse and dog show judge and began breeding and showing Airedale terriers. By 1952, Gladys returned to Southern California. She and Cecil amicably divorced in 1955 and remained friends until her death.
Gladys' career flourished throughout her life. In addition to sculpture, she produced paintings, etchings, wood carvings, dry point engravings, drawings, and pastels. Her art found an audience beyond the horse community and has been featured in art galleries, museums, magazines, and multiple books. Gladys was also a prolific writer, contributing articles to horse magazines and authoring several books including Anatomy and Conformation of the Horse, The Arabian: War Horse to Show Horse, and A Photographic History of the Polish Arabian. She co-authored the book The Kellogg Arabians with Kellogg Ranch manager H.H. Reese and illustrated his books Arabian Horse Breeding and Horses of Today.
Gladys held wide and varied interests. She received her pilot's license in 1941 and co-owned a bi-plane, was part owner of a stud stallion called El Brilliante, and edited the newsletter The Lakelander. She was a voracious reader and researcher, and her extensive study of the Arabian horse took her to countries around the world. Gladys died in Riverside, California on January 28, 1989.
Cecil remained in Oregon after their divorce and returned to the state legislature as Chief Clerk of the House in 1963. He was appointed state legislative historian in 1975 and remained in that position until his retirement in 1993. He died on December 22, 1995 and the Oregon State Archives building was renamed in his honor.
- Acquisition information:
- The bulk of the collection was donated to the W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Library in 1989 by an anonymous donor. The Arabian Horse Breeders' Society of California scrapbook was donated by Bill Hughes in 1992. The prints, hood ornaments, and most statuettes were donated by Teresa Rogers between 2016 and 2019.
- Processing information:
-
The collection was processed in 2016 by Stella Castillo, Eilidh Cogswell, and Andrew Kopp. Additional artworks and realia were added to the collection and the finding aid updated by Alexis Adkins in 2020.
- Arrangement:
-
The collection is organized into the following series: Series 1. Correspondence; Series 2. Photographs, Negatives, and Slides; Series 3. Business, Financial, and Legal Materials; Series 4. Research Materials and Writings; and Series 5. Art and Realia.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Advance notice required for access.
- Terms of access:
-
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Box/folder# or item name], Cecil and Gladys Brown Edwards Papers, Collection no. 0005, W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Library, Special Collections and Archives, University Library, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
- Location of this collection:
-
3801 West Temple Ave.Pomona, CA 91768, US
- Contact:
- (909) 869-3775