Klauber (Alice E.) Papers, 1890-1938

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Summary

Title:
Alice E. Klauber Papers
Dates:
1890-1938
Creators:
Klauber, Alice Ellen, 1871-1951
Abstract:
This collection contains the personal papers of Alice E. Klauber, including numerous travel journals from her journeys through Europe and Asia, as well as diaries chronicling her life in California. It also contains pencil sketches and watercolors of landscapes, people, and architecture in addition to poetry, correspondence, and other personal and financial documents.
Extent:
1.0 Linear feet (3 boxes)
Language:
and Collection materials are in English, Italian, French, and Hungarian.
Preferred citation:

Alice E. Klauber Papers, MS 182, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains the personal papers of Alice E. Klauber dating from 1890 to 1938. This includes journals and writings chronicling her travel through Europe and Asia, as well as the East Coast of the United States. Several other journals chronicle her life in California during her residence both in San Diego and San Francisco. The collection contains two notable pieces of writing, a short story written by Alice during her trip to Asia, and a notebook containing several original poems. There are also numerous pencil sketches and watercolors of landscapes, people, and architecture. Some of the landscapes portray locations in San Diego County, including Lemon Grove and El Cajon. The collection also contains some correspondence, as well as address books and financial papers.

Biographical / historical:

Alice E. Klauber was an artist and an interior designer with a significant influence on the cultural development of San Diego. Born in San Diego on May 19, 1871, Ms. Klauber was the third of twelve children born to Abraham and Theresa Epsteen Klauber. Alice moved briefly to San Francisco with her family in 1885, returning to San Diego permanently in 1892.

Later, Ms. Klauber went on to study art under William M. Chase and Robert Henri. Much of her familiarity with different art forms and styles came from her travels throughout Europe and the “Orient.” Ms. Klauber traveled to Europe four times during her lifetime: in 1907 with Robert Henri, in 1912 with William Chase, in 1922 where she remained abroad until the end of 1923, and finally in 1934 through 1935. In addition to her extensive travels through Europe, Ms. Klauber traveled to several countries in Asia in 1929 including China, Japan, Java and Cambodia. Her travels through the Orient led to her accumulation of a large collection of Oriental Art, some of which she contributed to the Oriental Art collection of the Fine Arts Gallery. This led to her recognition as an Honorary Curator of Oriental Art in 1940.

Ms. Klauber was an active and respected member of the San Diego community, especially within the art world. She was a chairperson of the Art Department of the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego in 1915-1916, as well as helping provide the interior decoration for the Exposition, Y.W.C.A., and the Wednesday Club. Ms. Klauber was very interested in architecture, drawing numerous sketches of houses and floor plans of different architectural styles. She was considered an expert in Oriental Art and was often asked to speak at various events and for many organizations in the San Diego area. While she rarely admitted to being an artist herself, Ms. Klauber’s work was exhibited frequently in Southern California, especially during the 1920s and 1930s. Her work was displayed at both the 1915-16 and the 1935-36 Expositions in San Diego.

Ms. Klauber’s artistic influence extended beyond the interior design realm when in 1928 she wrote a book of poetry entitles Poems, which was published in Chula Vista. Further, she designed book plates for several prominent San Diegans and her paintings were awarded on several occasions. Ms. Klauber died in Lemon Grove on July 5, 1951.

Acquisition information:
Accession number 860110A.
Processing information:

Collection processed by Katrina White on August 11, 2011.

Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into six series:

Series I: Travel Journals

Series II: California Journals

Series III: Writings

Series IV: Art

Series V: Architecture

Series VI: Personal documents

Items within each series are arranged by subject and date.

Physical / technical requirements:

The binding on one sketchbook is partially undone and some pages are loose. (August 11, 2011)

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Katrina White
Sponsor:
Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.
Date Prepared:
August 11, 2011
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2012-02-09T16:32-0800

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.

Preferred citation:

Alice E. Klauber Papers, MS 182, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.

Location of this collection:
1649 El Prado, Suite 3
San Diego, CA 92101, US
Contact:
(619) 232-6203
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