Collection Summary
Information for Researchers
Administrative Information
Biographical Information
Scope and Content of Collection
Collection Summary
Collection Title: Edward DeCelle papers,
Date (inclusive): 1969-2001
Collection Number: BANC MSS 2005/185c
Creators :
DeCelle, Edward Brooks
Extent:
Number of containers: 2 cartons
Linear feet: 2.5
Repository: The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California, 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-6481
Fax: (510) 642-7589
Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu
URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/
Abstract: The Edward DeCelle Papers, 1969-2001, includes the correspondence, transaction records and research files of art collector
and former San Francisco gallery owner Edward Brooks DeCelle.
Languages Represented: Collection materials are in English
Physical Location: Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information
on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Information for Researchers
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head
of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 94270-6000. Consent is given on behalf of The
Bancroft Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright
owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner. See:
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html .
Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research
and educational purposes.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Edward DeCelle Papers, BANC MSS 2005/185c, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
Alternate Forms Available
There are no alternate forms of this collection.
Separated Material
Photographs have been transferred to the Pictorial Collections of The Bancroft Library.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Barton, Crawford, 1943-
Mapplethorpe, Robert--Exhibitions
Tress, Arthur--Exhibitions
DeCelle, Edward Brooks--Archives
Art--Collectors and collecting--California--San Francisco
Art--Exhibitions
Art galleries, Commercial--California--San Francisco
Censorship--United States--History--20th century
Arts--Censorship
Gay artists--Exhibitions
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
The Edward DeCelle Papers were given to The Bancroft Library by Margaret DeCelle on February 17, 2005.
Accruals
No additions are expected.
Processing Information
Processed by Josh Schneider in 2005.
Biographical Information
Edward Brooks DeCelle was a gallery owner, curator, and fine art collector based primarily in San Francisco and Washington,
D.C. Perhaps best known for the curation of the 1979 exhibit at 80 Langton in San Francisco entitled "Censored" showcasing
the works of Robert Mapplethorpe, DeCelle was heavily influential in the gay renaissance of the 1970's and 1980's in San Francisco.
From 1972-1983, DeCelle ran the Lawson DeCelle Gallery in SF, which had a strong reputation as a waypoint for young, talented
gay artists. He was also a founding board member of 80 Langton (now New Langton Arts) in San Francisco. He later moved to
Washington D.C. and became highly involved in the art scene there. DeCelle donated countless works to galleries and museums
across the United States, including the Corcoran, Getty, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, National Portrait Gallery, and
the Whitney.
Other prominent artists represented by DeCelle include photographers Crawford Barton and Arthur Tress.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Edward Brooks DeCelle Papers, 1969-2001, includes the correspondence, transaction records and research files of art collector
and former San Francisco gallery owner Edward Brooks DeCelle.
Coverage of Robert Mapplethorpe's earliest West Coast exhibitions, including the surrounding controversy, is particularly
strong. As DeCelle was personally acquainted with many of the key players in that important moment in art history, an insider's
viewpoint is frequently revealed. Other notable correspondents include Arthur Tress, Crawford Barton, Thom Gunn, and San Francisco
socialite Katharine Cebrian.