Professional Records

Papers of Benjamin de Brie Taylor, artist and educator, including correspondence, personal records, professional files, and artwork. Personal correspondence includes letters from family and friends as well as business exchanges. Extensive correspondence with mother Gertrude de Brie and sister Alix contain substantial biographical and family information. Correspondence with mother and father over the 1940s could provide interesting perspectives on war time and postwar Europe- some with sketches or illustrations. Also of potential interest is Brie’s correspondence with John Eisenhower, son of President Dwight Eisenhower, and the rest of the family. A large number of postcards track Bries movements around Europe and acquaintances abroad, though dating is spotty. Note that many letters still have original envelops with postmarks and stamps. Little of the correspondence from Brie to others is included. Personal files mainly contain information on professional activities, including notes on teaching classes, receipts and correspondence concerning Brie’s artwork, exhibits, and files from educational positions. Some limited materials from high school and college years- mainly academic work. One file of military records. Also included are an assortment of diaries and planners: weekly planners, which are sparsely noted, grade books, which include notes on grades and student assignments, and personal diaries from the 1940s- 2000s. A series of personal journals were numbered, presumably by Brie, these have been left in that order, which is not exactly chronological. Files also include Brie’s writing projects, the bulk of which are related to the unpublished work based on his experiences in World War II titled “Follow Me” the full manuscript of this is also included, but includes some copyright restrictions on reproduction. Some other photographs and commendations from military services as well. Sketchpads include 66 sketchpads ranging from 4” x 6” to 24” x 36” in size, though most are 18” x 24”. Sketchbooks contain a range of subjects and mediums, and are mostly unlabeled and undated. A large collection of unframed artworks are arranged loosely by subject or medium. Most of the unframed artwork is wrapped in plastic and labeled with title, date, and dimensions. Framed artwork includes a mix of painting, figure drawing, silkscreen, water colors, and some sculpture- all have titles and dates attached.