Henry Hudson and Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson papers, 1845-1985, bulk 1880s-1940s

Scope and Contents

The Henry Hudson and Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson papers measure 6.1 linear feet and date from 1845-1985, with the bulk of the material dating from the 1880s to the 1940s. The papers document the careers of sculptors Henry and Theo Kitson through scattered biographical material, family and some professional correspondence, scattered writings, personal business records including comission contracts, artwork consisting primarily of preliminary sketches, a dismantled scrapbook and printed material documenting the major accomplishments of both artists, and photographs and glass plate negatives of the Kitsons, family members, their homes and studios, and their artwork.

Biographical materials include family records, biographical and genealogy notes, awards, and certificates.

Personal and professional correspondence includes family letters as well as letters from other artists and from clients regarding commissions. A portion of the correspondence is between family friends who corresponded about the Kitsons after Henry Kitson's death in relation to Dorothy Cavanagh's research for a biography she was writing on the sculptor. These letters provide biographical details about the Kitsons and their relationships with other artists including Lee Lawrie and Milton Horn.

Writings include a poem and diary by Henry Kitson, and reminiscences by sculptor Lee Lawrie and Dorothy Cavanagh.

Personal business records include contracts for commissions by the Kitsons, receipts, real estate records, bank statements, and promissory notes.

Art works include sketches by Theo Kitson, an architectural rendering of a bas-relief designed by Henry Kitson, and sketches by Hiroshi Yoshida.

Printed material primarily consists of announcements for dedication ceremonies of monuments and other sculptures produced by the Kitsons and clippings documenting press coverage throughout their careers.

A dismantled scrapbook, 1888-1954, contains records which supplement multiple other series including letters and postcards, business records, clippings and other printed material documenting works executed by the Kitsons, copies of speeches given at a monument dedication, and photographs of the Kitsons, their children, and their artwork.

Photographs are of the Kitsons, their family, homes, studios, their work, and dedications of sculptures and monuments. The series includes copy prints, glass plate negatives, and various other vintage photographic formats.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was donated to the Archives of American Art by Dorothy P. Cavanagh, sister of the Kitsons' daughter-in-law Helen (wife of John Kitson), who was writing a biography on the Kitsons up until her death in 1986. Some unmicrofilmed material was donated by Cavanagh in 1973 and 1976. Cavanagh loaned additional papers for microfilming in June 28, 1982 and September 12, 1986. This material was donated upon her death by her nephew and executor, Paul Bennet.

Related Materials

The Archives of American Art also holds the Dorothy Cavanagh research material on Henry Hudson Kitson, 1888-1983. Additional Kitson letters also located at the New York Historical Society.

Processing Information

The collection was processed in 2024 by Stephanie Ashley.