Douglas Volk and Leonard Wells Volk papers, circa 1858-1965, 2008, bulk 1870-1935

Writings are primarily on art and historical events relating to Leonard Wells Volk's creation of the life mask and hands of Lincoln. They include what appear to be early versions and drafts of Volk's monograph "Art Instruction in Public Schools" (1894) and manuscripts on related ideas including "What should Children Draw?" (1897). Also found is a corrected newspaper copy of an address on the subject of art instruction in schools read before the Minnesota State Convention of Teachers (1886). Related to activities in Center Lovell are multiple partial drafts of writings entitled "Beauty Dethroned..," promoting the value of art and craftsmanship in an age when productivity was increasingly driven by automated processes and the use of machines.

Also found are manuscripts for eight dated lectures and addresses to schools and societies.

Notebooks contain lists and notes relating to Volk's daily business, scattered journal entries, scattered sketches, names and addresses, and some accounting information. The 1901-1905 notebook relates primarily to subscriptions to the Center Lovell community publication The Fire Fly: A Periodical of Fearless Endeavour.

Notes and other fragments and manuscripts include notes and annotated transcripts of letters and reviews relating to Leonard Wells Volk's Lincoln life mask. The notes and letters appear to have been used by Douglas Volk in various addresses and writings on his father's work.

Manuscripts for two plays and a fictional romance story can also be found in this series. Writings by others include Paul Dougherty's statement on Volk's portrait of William Macbeth (1917) that was given to the Brooklyn Museum, and an essay by Edgar Whitaker Work on Volk's Lincoln portrait, With Malice Toward None.

Manuscripts for what appear to be essays and/or monographs are followed by addresses and lectures, plays, and notes and notebooks. Writings by others are arranged at the end of the series.

Series is scanned in entirety with the exception of duplicate manuscripts with no annotations.