Collection Information
Size: 1.5 Linear feet
Summary: The papers of sculptor Bashka Paeff measure 1.5 linear feet and date from 1920 to 1981. The small collection documents her work as an artist in Boston, Massachusettes, through biographical material, two diaries, printed material, and photographs of Bashka Paeff and her artwork. Also found are an autograph book containing signatures and notes from MacDowell Colony members, one clippings scrapbook, and four photograph albums, including one from a trip to Europe in the 1920s.
Biographical/Historical Note
Bashka Paeff (1894-1979) was a sculptor in Boston, Massachusettes. Paeff was born in Minsk, Russia and moved to Boston with her parents when she was a year old. She studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, with Bela Pratt in 1914. Later she worked at the McDowell Colony and married Boston University professor Samuel M. Waxman. Paeff was known for realistic animal sculptures as well as war memorials, fountains, and portraits. Notable works include the Boy and Bird statue in the Boston Public Gardens, the Lexington Minute Men Memorial, and a statue of President Harding's pet terrier, Laddie Boy, which was cast from pennies collected by newsboys and became part of the Smithsonian Institution collection.
Provenance
Donated in 2012 by Don Richard Lipsitt, Bashka Paeff's nephew.
Language Note
Collection is in English.