Printed Material, circa 1947-1976, undated
Scope and Content Note
The Frances O'Brien Papers Relating to Georgia O'Keeffe contains materials collected by Frances O'Brien. The materials document the friendship between the two women from the mid-1940s to the early 1970s.
There are approximately one hundred original letters, postcards, and telegrams from O'Keeffe to O'Brien dating from 1947 to 1971. Additionally, there are photocopies of letters from O'Keeffe to O'Brien (only a few photocopies for which there is no original), as well as photocopies of letters from O'Brien to O'Keeffe. In these letters, O'Keeffe writes about work, her daily activities, and travel. O'Keeffe often misspells O'Brien's first name, Frances, as Francis. O'Brien and O'Keeffe make reference to the "salt mines", which is explained in an interview with Nancy Wall in March 1986 when O'Brien states "we called ourselves the salt miners because we were always working". Original letters have been transcribed.
The photographs in this collection exist only as low resolution digital images. The majority of the photographs were taken between 1949 and 1971 when O'Brien visited O'Keeffe in New Mexico or O'Keeffe visited O'Brien in Arizona.
Also included are interviews with Frances O'Brien conducted by Nancy Wall between 1986 and 1987. In these interviews, O'Brien covers a range of topics but mostly focuses on her friendship with O'Keeffe. The recordings are unedited. Additional audiovisual materials include an interview from 1987 with Dan Budnik conducted by Nancy Wall and raw video footage of an interview with O'Brien conducted by Catherine Busch-Johnson for "The Face of Wisdom: Stories of Elder Women".
Original letters, the photographs, and interviews with Frances O'Brien are available in digital format.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1947-1976, undated
Creator
- From the Collection: O'Brien, Frances, 1904-1990 (Artist, Person)
Access Restrictions
The collection is open to the public for research purposes.
Extent
From the Collection: 2.63 Linear Feet (6 boxes)
Language
English
Repository Details
Part of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum Repository
217 Johnson Street
Santa Fe NM 87501 US
505-946-1000