Guide to the Warren Austin papers PA Mss 80

Finding aid prepared by Special Collections staff, 2011.

UC Santa Barbara Library, Department of Special Research Collections

University of California, Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara 93106-9010

special@library.ucsb.edu

URL: http://www.library.ucsb.edu/special-collections

2011

Title: Warren Austin papers

Identifier/Call Number: PA Mss 80

Contributing Institution: UC Santa Barbara Library, Department of Special Research Collections

Language of Material: English

Physical Description: 20.75 linear feet (10 document boxes, 1 oversize box, 2 small shoeboxes, 55 films)

Creator: Austin, Warren, 1911-1999

Date (inclusive): 1939-1999

Abstract: Papers of Warren Austin (1911-1999), owner of the Val Verde Estate in Montecito, California. Austin was a close friend of Dame Judith Anderson, a patron of the Lobero Theatre (Santa Barbara, California) and a personal physician to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

Physical Location: A portion of the collection is located at the Southern Regional Library Facility (SRLF).

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research. A portion of the collection is stored offsite. Advance notice is required for retrieval.

Use Restrictions

Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Research Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Research Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Research Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of Item], Warren Austin papers, PA Mss 80. Department of Special Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Nancy Oliva, March 2010.

Biographical Note

Dr. Warren R. Austin (1911-1999) was a personal physician to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor while the duke was governor of the Bahamas during World War II. After the end of the war, Dr. Austin moved to Montecito, California, where he established his practice in the Montecito Medical Center in 1948, and married Florence Heath Horton Austin (1915-1991) in 1956. In 1956, Dr. and Mrs. Austin purchased the Val Verde Estate in Montecito from Marjorie Buell. Val Verde, an Italianate mansion designed by Bertram Goodhue in 1893 for Henry Dater and added to by garden designer Lockwood de Forest for Wright Ludington, is considered one of the premier original Southern California estates. Dr. and Mrs. Austin expanded the estate from 9 to 17.4 acres. In addition to his medical career, Dr. Austin was deeply involved in theater and music in Santa Barbara, bringing many performances to the city as director of Val Verde Productions, including, among others, The Bernard Shaw Story (1966) starring Bramwell Fletcher, Dear Liar (1967) starring Sally Goldwater, and Hamlet (1970). In the course of these activities and as a patron of the arts in Santa Barbara, Dr. Austin struck up important friendships with Dame Judith Anderson, British Theater administrator Michael Hallifax, and Zoe Caldwell, famed for her performance alongside Dame Judith Anderson in Medea. Dr. Austin was involved in the Broadway Theatre League of Santa Barbara and a patron of the Lobero Foundation, where he was instrumental in establishing the Dame Judith Anderson Fund. Dr. Austin was the founder of the Canoe Island French Camp on Orcas Island, San Juan Islands, at which he served as camp physician.

Scope and Content

Much of this collection consists of documents relating to Dr. Austin's activities in drama and music as a patron of the arts and head of Val Verde Productions in Santa Barbara. Documents include clippings, correspondence, photos, flyers, programs, drafts of press releases written by Dr. Austin himself, notes, ledgers, and records of fund raising activities.

The rest of the collection comprises papers pertaining to the Val Verde Estate, including a map of the Ludington Tract, financial documents, photographs, and many documents relating to the Val Verde Trust from the 1990s, as well as records, clippings, photographs, and correspondence pertaining to Dr. Austin's Canoe Island French Camp.

Personal items include photographs, correspondence, and personal documents of both Warren Austin and Florence Heath Horton Austin.

Among the photographs are early images of Santa Barbara buildings, including the Lobero Theatre and the Montecito Fire Station, as well as photographs of Dame Judith Anderson and Zoe Caldwell.

The collection also includes 55 home movie film reels.

Arrangement

The collection has been divided into the following series: 1. Theater and Music, 2. Val Verde Estate, 3. Canoe Island French Camp, 4. Personal Items, 5. Correspondence, 6. Photographs, 7. Miscellaneous, 8. Oversize, 9. Home Movie Film Reels. Series 1., Theater and Music, has been subdivided by production name.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Clippings (information artifacts)

Correspondence

Film reels

Home movies

Photographs

Programs

Austin, Warren, 1911-1999 -- Archives

Anderson, Judith, 1897-1992

Austin Val Verde (Montecito, Calif.)

Series 1. Theater and Music

Alhecama Players 1965-1984

box-folder 1: 1

Clippings

box-folder 1: 2

Correspondence, ad copy, notes

box-folder 1: 3

Press releases

box-folder 1: 4

This Week in Santa Barbara

The Bernard Shaw Story 1966

box-folder 1: 5

Clippings

box-folder 1: 6

Flyers

box-folder 1: 7

Correspondence (Bramwell Fletcher)

box-folder 1: 8

Receipts

Boy Meets Girl 1965

box-folder 1: 9

Flyers, programs

box-folder 1: 10

Correspondence

Brasiliana 1968

box-folder 1: 11

Financial documents, receipts

box-folder 1: 12

Flyers

box-folder 1: 13

Photographs

Broadway Theatre League of Santa Barbara 1961-1962

box-folder 1: 14

Clippings

box-folder 1: 15

Correspondence

box-folder 1: 16

Mary Stuart--program

Dame Judith Anderson 1966-1990

box-folder 1: 17

Tribute and fund--clippings

box-folder 1: 18

Tribute and fund--programs, flyers, magazine feature

box-folder 1: 19

Tribute and fund-speech by Dr. Austin

box-folder 1: 20

Tribute and fund--correspondence

box-folder 1: 21

92nd birthday celebration-correspondence

box-folder 1: 22

Miscellaneous--clippings, notes to Dr. Austin

box-folder 1: 30

Jean-Pierre Giradoux--correspondence 1971

Dear Liar 1967

box-folder 1: 23

Clippings

box-folder 1: 24

Financial documents, notes

box-folder 1: 25

Programs, flyers

box-folder 1: 26

This Week in Santa Barbara

box-folder 1: 27

Photographs

box-folder 1: 28

Press releases, correspondence

box-folder 1: 29

Printer's plates

Ganna Walska 1962

box-folder 2: 1

Clippings

box-folder 2: 2

Notes to Dr. Austin

Hamlet 1970

box-folder 2: 3

Clippings

box-folder 2: 4

Correspondence, touring schedules

box-folder 2: 5

Financial documents, notes

box-folder 2: 6

Press releases

box-folder 2: 7

Photographs

box-folder 2: 8

This Week in Santa Barbara

box-folder 2: 9

Programs, flyers

Jose Molina Bailes Espanola 1966

box-folder 2: 10

Clippings

box-folder 2: 11

Correspondence, ledger sheet

box-folder 2: 12

Flyers

box-folder 2: 13

This Week in Santa Barbara

box-folder 2: 14

Press releases

Lion in Winter 1968

box-folder 2: 15

Clippings

box-folder 2: 16

Correspondence, Pasadena Playhouse flyer

box-folder 2: 17

Photographs

Lobero Theatre Foundation 1965-1990

box-folder 2: 18

This Week in Santa Barbara, Spotlight, Newspaper Clippings, Patsy Cline, Sid Caesar

box-folder 2: 19

Lobero Val Verde cocktail party guest list

box-folder 2: 20

Minutes of Annual Meeting of Members

box-folder 2: 21

Correspondence

box-folder 2: 22

Miscellaneous--Invitations, cards

box-folder 2: 23

List of Santa Barbara organizations

Madame Butterfly 1966

box-folder 2: 24

Clippings

box-folder 2: 25

This Week in Santa Barbara, Scope

box-folder 2: 26

Ledger

box-folder 2: 27

Slides, Printer's plate

Michael Hallifax 1986-1996

box-folder 2: 28

Correspondence

Metropolitan Opera Company 1965-1967

box-folder 2: 29

Clippings

box-folder 2: 30

Press releases

box-folder 2: 31

Tosca summary

box-folder 2: 32

This Week in Santa Barbara

box-folder 2: 33

Correspondence

box-folder 2: 34

Patron invitations list

Medea 1986

box-folder 3: 1

Clippings

box-folder 3: 2

Correspondence (Zoe Caldwell, Robert Whitehead)

box-folder 3: 3

Photographs

box-folder 3: 4

Speech by Dr. Austin

box-folder 3: 5

Press releases

Odd Couple 1968

box-folder 3: 6

Clippings

box-folder 3: 7

Flyers, programs

South Pacific 1966

box-folder 3: 8

Clippings

box-folder 3: 9

Programs, This Week in Santa Barbara

Val Verde Productions 1965-1988

box-folder 3: 10

Financial and legal correspondence, receipts

box-folder 3: 11

General correspondence

box-folder 3: 12

Miscellaneous--notes, lists, survey

Vienna Choir Boys 1965

box-folder 3: 13

Clippings

box-folder 3: 14

Programs, This Week in Santa Barbara

box-folder 3: 15

Correspondence

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf 1965

box-folder 3: 16

Clippings, This Week in Santa Barbara

box-folder 3: 17

Letter from Santa Barbara Women's Club, Correspondence

box-folder 3: 18

Photograph outside of Lobero, Flyer

You Can't Take It With You 1968

box-folder 3: 19

Clippings

Santa Barbara Summer Theater 1962

box-folder 3: 20

Production photographs of Make a Million and Roar Like a Dove

Series 2. Val Verde Estate

Photographs

box-folder 4: 1

Party for Michael Hallifax, with Dame Judith Anderson at Val Verde 1986

box-folder 4: 2

Bridge Day 1987

box-folder 4: 3

Coffman, Demers-Gray Wedding 1997

box-folder 4: 4

Gebhard Wedding undated

box-folder 4: 5

Brunch 1990s

box-folder 4: 6

Family photographs on estate undated

box-folder 4: 7

Bookplate--statue of Warren and Heath Austin undated

box-folder 4: 8

Mailbox by gate undated

box-folder 4: 9

Gardens and shrine 1992

box-folder 4: 10

Goodwin Harding photo shoot 1991

Conditional Use Permit

box-folder 4: 11

Correspondence 1993

box-folder 4: 12

Bridely--Val Verde Project narrative 1993

box-folder 4: 13

County documents 1997

box-folder 4: 14

Clippings 1997-1998

Miscellaneous

box-folder 4: 15

Correspondence--financial and legal 1959-1969

box-folder 4: 16

Documents undated

box-folder 4: 17

Guestbook 1991-1997

Series 3. Canoe Island French Camp

box-folder 5: 1

Clippings, Photographs undated

box-folder 5: 2

Welcome speech by Dr. Austin undated

box-folder 5: 3

Drawing of Dr. Austin undated

box-folder 5: 4

Arkadia notes, French Camp ad 1985

box-folder 5: 5

Brochures, postcards, camp directories undated

box-folder 5: 6

Meeting of the Board of Directors 1994

box-folder 5: 7

Correspondence 1972-1997

box-folder 5: 8

Correspondence, with photographs 1994-1996

box-folder 5: 9

Island of the Bones Griffin productions undated

box-folder 5: 10

George Kostyal slides undated

Series 4. Personal Items

box-folder 6: 1

Warren Austin--sketches 1971

box-folder 6: 2

Warren Austin-- Ascot gavotte undated

box-folder 6: 3

Warren Austin--general certificates, cards undated

box-folder 6: 4

Warren Austin--resumes, clippings undated

box-folder 6: 5

Warren Austin--Records 1988-1996

box-folder 6: 6

Warren Austin--Montecito Medical Center 1952

box-folder 6: 7

Warren Austin--medical certificates, cards 1960-1988

box-folder 6: 8

Warren Austin--St. Francis internship letter, UWA continuing education letter undated

box-folder 6: 9

Warren Austin--junior surgery notebook, UMI 1939

box-folder 6: 10

Warren Austin--last will and testament 1953

box-folder 6: 11

Warren Austin--Christensen flowershop, plan, letters 1970

box-folder 6: 12

Heath Austin--wedding clipping 1956

box-folder 6: 13

Heath Austin--Health update and Memorial speech by Dr. Austin at Orcas center 1993

box-folder 6: 14

Heath Austin--Death and birth certificates, death notice in S.B. News press 1992

box-folder 6: 15

Heath Austin--Certificates, cards 1982

box-folder 6: 16

Heath Austin--Chicago Bridge and Iron undated

box-folder 6: 17

Heath Austin--Horton Trust undated

box-folder 6: 18

Heath Austin--Cottage Hospital, Wade Eckert M.D. undated

box-folder 6: 19

Heath Austin--Sarah Lawrence Reunion 1935

box-folder 6: 20

Heath Austin--Notebook of poems undated

box-folder 6: 21

Card drawn by D.D. 1957

Series 5. Correspondence

box-folder 7: 1

Warren Austin--Letters 1950s

box-folder 7: 2

Warren Austin--Letters 1960s

box-folder 7: 3

Warren Austin--Letters 1970s

box-folder 7: 4

Warren Austin--Letters 1980s

box-folder 7: 5

Warren Austin--Letters 1990s

box-folder 7: 6

Warren Austin--Letters undated

box-folder 7: 7

Warren Austin--Letters undated

box-folder 7: 8

Heath Austin--Letters 1950s

box-folder 7: 9

Heath Austin--Letters 1960s

box-folder 7: 10

Heath Austin--Letters 1970s

box-folder 7: 11

Heath Austin--Letters 1980s

box-folder 7: 12

Heath Austin--Letters 1990s

box-folder 7: 13

Heath Austin--Letters undated

box-folder 7: 14

Mr. And Mrs George Terry Horton--Letters undated

box-folder 8: 1

Letters addressed to Warren and Heath Austin 1950s

box-folder 8: 2

Letters addressed to Warren and Heath Austin 1960s

box-folder 8: 3

Letters addressed to Warren and Heath Austin 1970s

box-folder 8: 4

Letters addressed to Warren and Heath Austin 1980s

box-folder 8: 5

Letters addressed to Warren and Heath Austin 1990s

box-folder 8: 6

Letters addressed to Warren and Heath Austin undated

box-folder 8: 7

Major Gray Phillips, empty envelopes undated

box-folder 8: 8

Major Gray Phillips undated

box-folder 8: 9

Major Gray Phillips 1947

box-folder 8: 10

Major Gray Phillips 1959

box-folder 8: 11

Major Gray Phillips 1960s

box-folder 8: 12

Major Gray Phillips 1970s

Series 6. Photographs

box-folder 9: 1

Unidentified boy in boat, possibly Warren Austin undated

box-folder 9: 2

Portraits undated

box-folder 9: 3

Warren Austin in Bahamas 1943

box-folder 9: 4

Warren Austin, Montecito Medical Center, medical partner undated

box-folder 9: 5

Santa Barbara, earthquake photos 1925

box-folder 9: 6

Santa Barbara, early photographs including Lobero theater, Montecito Fire Station 1947-1959

box-folder 9: 7

Western Chapter, International Shade Tree Conference at Lotus Land (photo plus ticket) 1965

box-folder 9: 8

Heath Austin and child at home (includes negatives) 1941

box-folder 9: 9

Heath Austin on horseback and relaxing by pool with friends undated

box-folder 9: 10

Heath Austin by fireplace undated

box-folder 9: 11

Parties, including Warren and Heath Austin at Fiesta gathering (includes negatives) undated

box-folder 9: 12

Animals undated

box-folder 9: 13

Art objects, artists (including exhibition of American Physicians Arts Association) undated

box-folder 9: 14

Dame Judith Anderson with Dorothy Austin, Christmas morning 1959

box-folder 9: 15

Signed photographs from unknown dramatic performance 1987

box-folder 9: 16

Travel--Austria, Netherlands, Paris, Scotland (slides) undated

box-folder 9: 17

Travel--Japan, Hong Kong 1964

box-folder 9: 18

Travel--cruise, one photograph undated

box-folder 9: 19

Travel--Spain, Rome (slides), Vienna (negatives) 1982

box-folder 10: 1

Travel--Paris, Spain, London (plus Oslo negatives) 1989

box-folder 10: 2

Travel--bullfighting undated

box-folder 10: 3

Travel--Sitmar Carribean cruise 1981

box-folder 10: 4

Travel--Sea Princess cruise (plus Canberra negatives) 1982

box-folder 10: 5

Travel--Canada, Seattle, Orcas Island undated

box-folder 10: 6

Child's birthday party undated

box-folder 10: 7

Houses--lawns, patios, walkways undated

box-folder 10: 8

Wine tasting undated

box-folder 10: 9

Miscellaneous, Warren and Heath Austin undated

box-folder 10: 10

Ranch and friend--slides undated

box-folder 10: 11

Holiday greetings undated

box-folder 10: 12

Austin gravestone 1991

box-folder 10: 13

Unidentified--friends and family undated

box-folder 10: 14

Negatives--not identified undated

box-folder 10: 15

Major Gray Phillips and Heath Horton Austin at Val Verde undated

Series 7. Miscellaneous

box-folder 11: 1

Val Verde Productions--patron cards undated

box-folder 12: 1

Val Verde Productions--Lobero Theatre tickets 1966-1967

box-folder 13: 1

Val Verde Estate--Map key undated

Series 8. Oversize

box-folder 14: 1

Photograph of George T. Horton undated

box-folder 14: 2

Survey of Ludington Tract 1942

box-folder 14: 3

Horton Trust

Series 9. Home Movie Film Reels

item V4832/F1

Prologue 1969

item V4833/F1

Camp One 1971

item V4834/F1

Parties dancing scenes undated

item V4835/F1

Dori's Easter 1960

item V4836/F1

Institut Francile Canoe Island Camps 1974

item V4837/F1

(13) Acapulco USA, (14) Arriving (15) Long Beach, (16) Back home 1969 December 9

item V4838/F1

Institut Francile Canoe Island Camps 1972

item V4839/F1

Camp Two 1971

item V4840/F1

CIC 1973

item V4841/F1

Last 1973

item V4842/F1

Late 1973

item V4843/F1

Nassau Lepers - FIRE (1st Lieut. Warren Austin) undated

item V4844/F1

Record 1: Michigan and PE, Lava Ponderay, Pattersons undated

item V4845/F1

Trip to England, Concordian Pacific etc. undated

item V4846/F1

Trip 2--Spain, Majorca, Italy (Genoa, Naples, Pompeii, Rome, Pisa, Florence) 1959-1960

item V4847/F1

Dori in Disneyland 1962

item V4848/F1

Miscellaneous 1940

item V4849/F1

War undated

item V4850/F1

April VE Day, Paris, Germany, Moselle-Rhine 1945

item V4851/F1

February Florida, Duncans 1940

item V4852/F1

Film 5-8, Jerusalem, Jordan, Egypt 1961

item V4853/F1

Film 13-16, Greek islands, Vienna 1961

item V4854/F1

MS Mississippi in Ensenada 1962

item V4855/F1

Goats, ducks, geese, animals etc. 1963

item V4856/F1

Sun Valley undated

item V4857/F1

Peru undated

item V4858/F1

Canadian Concert (box) undated

item V4859/F1

Fabrice, Fabienne, Dori 1976

item V4860/F1

Laying chateau foundations 1975

item V4861/F1

Karen goodbye 1975

item V4862/F1

Seaplane 1976

item V4863/F1

House, raccoons, ferry 1975

item V4864/F1

Beth goodbye 1976

item V4865/F1

Austin undated

item V4866/F1

Bastille and Parade Day (One) undated

item V4867/F1

Austin 1972

item V4868/F1

Camp, HF Bar Ranch, John and Alice Fish, Val Verde, Roses and cats 1970-1972

item V4869/F1

2, 3 Cannes train to Paris, Nice to Paris, Freighter (Maryland), Central America, Disneyland 1959-1960

item V4870/F1

End of trip undated

item V4871/F1

The Austins Abroad 1964

item V4872/F1

York, Conventry, Denmark, London, Dori undated

item V4873/F1

Institut Francile Canoe Island Camps undated

item V4874/F1

December, Peru, Panama 1967

item V4875/F1

London, Lisbon, the Equator 1967

item V4876/F1

Nassau montage undated

item V4877/F1

Dori, canoe, ferry 1969

item V4878/F1

Camp, parade, picnic 1969

item V4879/F1

Australia, Fiji, Monterey trip undated

item V4880/F1

Rio undated

item V4881/F1

No title (a) undated

item V4882/F1

No title (b) undated

item A26007/R7

No title (c) [Audio Open Reel Tape] undated

item V4884/F1

No title (d) undated

item V4885/F1

No title (e) undated

item V4886/F1

No title (f) undated

item V4887/F1

No title (g) undated