Irene Zelinski to Maria Chabot, 1955 October through 1963 February

File — binder: 25

Identifier: 1.7.1

Scope and Contents Note

From the Collection:

The Maria Chabot Papers contains materials collected by Maria Chabot. Included are personal records; diaries and travel diaries; extensive correspondence dating from 1933 to 2001 with colleagues, family, and friends; interviews with Chabot; photographs, slides, and negatives; notebooks, research notes, writings, brochures, photocopies, and other miscellaneous papers; as well as a small number of materials related to Chabot family history including family albums, histories, photographs and records. The bulk of the materials relate to Maria Chabot's research, writing, and literary work. There are more than 60 drafts or completed short stories, novels, and non-fiction materials that Chabot generated over the years, along with rejection letters she received from publishers; copies of the published articles on Indian arts and crafts that she wrote in the 1930s; and documents, notes, photographs, records and reports she generated when attending conferences, taking courses, and working on various projects. Chabot undertook significant projects in the 1930s and 1940s, including a photographic survey of Southwestern native and traditional arts and crafts with artist Dorothy N. Stewart; stewardship of the Los Luceros hacienda, deeded to her by museum founder Mary Cabot Wheelwright; and an unpublished book on her time as a companion of Georgia O'Keeffe at Ghost Ranch and the renovation of O'Keeffe's home in Abiquiu, New Mexico. The collection also contains books, newspaper and magazine clippings, art work, photographs, ephemera, and audiovisual materials of interest to Maria Chabot, which she collected over her lifetime.

Dates

Creation: 1955 October through 1963 February

Creator

From the Collection: Chabot, Maria, 1913-2001 (Person)

Language of Materials

From the Collection:

Materials predominantly in English.

Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public for research purposes. Select materials in this collection may be restricted for reasons of cultural sensitivity or for privacy. Materials related to the Christiane Gallet biography are restricted. Some materials in this collection were labeled "confidential" by Maria Chabot during the course of her lifetime; they do not necessarily have present-day restrictions on access. See the Archivist for more information. Some materials are fragile and may require handling by the Archivist.

Extent

From the Collection: 74.4 Linear Feet (62 Full Hollinger boxes (15.25" x 5" x 10.25"): 25.85 Linear feet. 71 Half Hollinger boxes (15.25" x 2.5" x 10.25"): 14.84 Linear feet. 8 11x14 boxes: 9.36 Linear feet. 8 9x12 boxes: 9 Linear feet. 6 16x20 boxes: 10.02 Linear feet. 1 20x24 boxes: 2 Linear feet. 8 5x12 boxes: 3.33 Linear feet. 164 total boxes.)

Additional Description

Overview

Thirty-eight letters and four postcards from Irene Zelinski to Maria Chabot, October 10, 1955 – February 11, 1963 are contained in this box. Four letters, Oct. 10 – 13, 1955, written by Zelinski from San Francisco to Chabot at Los Luceros, concern caring for Georgeanna Wight, whom she has taken from Santa Fe where Wight had a mental breakdown to San Francisco for psychiatric care. Four letters, Jan. 25, 1956 – Dec. 2, 1956, detail the difficulties Zelinski has caring for Wight. Her letter of April 21, 1956 contains comments by Zelinski on Chabot's short story, "The Curtain of Feeling." Six letters, Aug. 29, 1960 – March 9, 1961, were written from San Francisco where Zelinski has remained with Wight. The first letter is undated, but responds to Chabot's letter to her of Aug. 29, 1960 and concerns an inventory of Zelinski's possessions still at Los Luceros, which is to be sold in October 1960. Four letters and one postcard, March 15, 1961 – July 11, 1961, the first of which is written from Chicago where Zelinski has gone to visit her terminally ill brother, but otherwise are written from San Francisco, where she has taken a job. Beginning with the letter of May 1, 1961, a strain is shown in her relationship with Chabot, who has married Dana Bailey on Feb. 14, 1961. Six letters and one envelope without contents, Nov. 18, 1961 – Dec 31, 1961, are written from San Francisco. The letters posted Nov. 29 and Dec. 2, 1961 comment on the deterioration of Chabot's marriage. Eleven letters, Jan. 26, 1962 – Sept. 13, 1962, are written from San Francisco and three postcards, posted June 3 - 10, 1962, two of which are sent from Yosemite National Park and the third from San Francisco. Three letters, the first of which is written to Zelinski by Chabot and is dated Jan 15, 1963 with a handwritten notation by Zelinski at the bottom. It also has a copy of an earlier letter on the verso, dated July 1, 1962. All concern a gift to Zelinski of stock in Western Instrument Laboratories, a corporation established by Chabot. The other two letters are from Zelinski to Chabot, Feb. 2, 1963 and Feb. 18, 1963.