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Guide to the Alice E. Klauber Papers
MS 182
MS 182
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Title: Alice E. Klauber Papers
Identifier/Call Number: MS 182
Contributing Institution:
San Diego History Center Document Collection
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
1.0 Linear feet
(3 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1890-1938
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.
creator:
Klauber, Alice Ellen, 1871-1951
Biographical / Historical Notes
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.
This collection is open for research.
The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.
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.
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.
Alice E. Klauber Papers, MS 182, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.
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.
Sketches transferred to Curatorial Department, November 27, 1990. Curatorial Accession Number SDH 86.83.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
The binding on one sketchbook is partially undone and some pages are loose. (August 11, 2011)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Accession number 860110A.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
American Federation of Arts.
Aymar, Zenobia Camprubi
Bancroft, Kate
Biennale di Venezia.
California Pacific International Exposition (1935-1936 : San Diego, Calif.).
Chase, William Merritt, 1849-1916
Fine Arts Society of San Diego (Calif.).
Hawkins, Margaret Scripps
Henri, Robert, 1865-1929
Japan Society of San Diego.
Jimenez, Juan Ramon, 1881-1958
Kalman, Feher
Klauber Wangenheim Co..
Klauber, Abraham, 1831-1911
Klauber, Alice Ellen, 1871-1951
Klauber, Edgar
Klauber, Theresa Epsteen
Lovell, Eleanor Klauber
Panama-California Exposition (1915 : San Diego, Calif.).
Panama-California International Exposition (1916 : San Diego, Calif.).
San Francisco Art Association.
Seeger, Alan, 1888-1916
Sessions, Kate Olivia, 1857-1940
Sherman, Elizabeth
Synge, J. M. (John Millington), 1871-1909
Wednesday Club of San Diego .
Young Women's Christian Association.
Art
Arts & Decoration
Austria
Balboa Park (San Diego, Calif.)
Berlin (Germany)
Budapest (Hungary)
Cambodia
China
Chula Vista (Calif.)
Colon (Panama)
El Cajon (Calif.)
House & Garden
Java
Kaukauna (Wis.)
Kobe-shi (Japan)
La Mesa (Calif.)
Lemon Grove (Calif.)
Linda Vista (Calif.)
London (England)
Los Angeles (Calif.)
Madrid (Spain)
Panama Canal (Panama)
Paris (France)
Phoenix (Ariz.)
Place de Etats-Unis (Memorial to American Volunteers)
Poetry
Poland
Prague (Czech Republic)
Rome (Italy)
Saint Paul (Minn.)
San Diego (Calif.)
San Diego Union
San Francisco (Calif.)
Santa Barbara (Calif.)
Spanish Village
Travel
Venice (Italy)
Writing