Anita O'Keeffe Young Papers | The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum

Anita O'Keeffe Young Papers, 1845-1989, undated

Collection primarily consists of letters from Georgia O'Keeffe to her sister Anita O'Keeffe Young dating from 1937 to 1976. Includes select other correspondents, photographic material, and clippings. Accruals consist of additional correspondence, photographs, legal documents, and ephemera.

Collection No.: MS.53
Dates: 1845-1989, undated
Quantity: 1.583 Linear Feet

Contents
Description

ARRANGEMENT

This collection is arranged into five series: Series I: Correspondence, Series II: Photographic Material, Series III: Ephemera, Series IV: Legal Documents, Series V: Clippings.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The bulk of the collection consists of handwritten letters from Georgia O'Keeffe to her sister, Anita O'Keeffe Young, dating from the 1940s to the 1970s. The letters largely relate to personal matters, daily activities, and the management of O'Keeffe's paintings. There is some correspondence between O'Keeffe and Robert R. Young, Anita O'Keeffe Young's husband, and his assistant Florence McCormick, related to financial matters. Additionally, there are five small photographs and one article clipping.

Accruals for this collection include additional correspondence, primarily of a business nature relating to Georgia O'Keeffe paintings in the possession of Anita Young and her estate. Also included are over 40 family photographs, over 100 photographs of O'Keeffe paintings, and some images of Ireland, as well as ephemera related to Isabel Dunham Wyckoff Totto (Georgia O'Keeffe's grandmother) and legal documents concerning O'Keeffe's lawsuit with Doris Bry and the settlement of O'Keeffe's estate.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL NOTE

Anita O'Keeffe Young (1891-1985), a younger sister of Georgia O'Keeffe, was a noted hostess and philanthropist. Young was married to Robert Ralph Young (1897-1958), a United States financier, industrialist, and railroad magnate. They had one daughter, Eleanor "Cookie" Young, who was known as a "Glamour Debutante". She was killed in a 1941 plane crash. Young purchased several paintings by O'Keeffe and kept them in her three residences: Montsorrel in Palm Beach, Florida; Fairholme in Newport, Rhode Island; and, a New York City apartment.

David W. Wallace (1924-2017), corporate attorney and philanthropist, was a friend and personal attorney of Anita O'Keeffe Young. At the request of Georgia O'Keeffe and Anita Young, he often consulted with Doris Bry over the planned disposition of Young's art collection, particularly the loaned and owned O'Keeffe paintings. David Wallace served in the 1st Infantry Division during World War II, received his bachelor's degree in Engineering from Yale, and later graduated from Harvard Law School. He was married to Jean McLean Wallace.

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Repository: Georgia O'Keeffe Museum
Language: English
Preferred Citation: Anita O'Keeffe Young Papers, 1845-1989, undated. Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.
Acquisition Information: Gift of Jean and David W. Wallace. Accruals: Gift of Jean and David W. Wallace Family.

The collection was donated to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum by Jean and David W. Wallace in 2016. Accruals to the collection were donated to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum by the Jean and David W. Wallace Family in 2022.
Processing Information: This collection was processed in 2017 by Pat Bacha and Elizabeth Ehrnst. Item-level processing and photography of original collection occurred in early 2022. Accruals were processed at the file level in late 2022 by Ashley Baranyk.

CONDITIONS GOVERNING ACCESS AND USE

Legal status note: This collection is the physical property of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. The Museum holds rights only for material created by Museum personnel or given to the Museum with such rights specifically assigned. The collection is subject to all copyright laws. The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply. Contact the Archivist for further copyright and publication information as it pertains to this collection.
Allowed Uses: Series II: Photographic Material and Series III: Ephemera contain some fragile materials. See Archivist for handling.
Series IV: Legal Documents is restricted until March 4, 2059. Access restrictions are consistent with the wishes of The Georgia O'Keeffe Foundation and the restrictions for The Georgia O'Keeffe Foundation and Georgia O'Keeffe's Legal and Litigation Records housed at the Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. See the Archivist for more information.
The remainder of the collection is open to the public for research purposes.
Copy and reproduction restrictions: Copies may be made for research purposes only.

RELATED MATERIAL

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Digitized

Transcribed

Correspondence

119 items
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Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young

102 items
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Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young and Robert Young1941-07-02

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1941-07-03

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1946-07-23

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1948-06-07

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Youngprobably 1949-09

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1950-04-09

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1950-05-23

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1950-09-15

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1950-10-29

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1951-01-13

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1952-01-01

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1952-07-19, 1952-10-07

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1952-11-21

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1953-03-08

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1953-07-13

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1953-10-09

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1955-01-20

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1955-02-17

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1955-03-05

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1955-04-27

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1955-05-17

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1955-06-15

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1955-08-11

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1955-10-24

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1955-12-26

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1956-01-19

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1956-02-16

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1956-03-04

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1956-03-13

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1956-07-07

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1956-07-24

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1958-01-18

Salita Door, Patio1956 or 1957

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1958-01-26

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1958-02-04

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1958-03-11

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1958-03-13

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1958-03-15

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1958-05-14

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1958-05-17

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1958-06-05

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1958-06-30

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1958-07-08

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1958-07-21

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1958-10-02

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1958-10-20

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1958-12-12

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1958-12-26

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1959-01-10

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1959-01-23

Claudia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young and Georgia O'Keeffe1959-06-06

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1959-06-25

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1959-06-27

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1959-07-20

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1959-09-18

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1960-10-18

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young, postcard1960-10-29

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1961-04-29

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1961-08-07

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1962-01-28

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1962-02-02

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1962-02-09

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young, itinerary1962-02-14

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1962-04-08

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1962-04-25

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1962-05-08

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1962-07-17

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1962-08-08

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1962-11-25

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1963-01-10

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1963-01-31

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young, postcard1963-03

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1964-01-20

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1964-05-23

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1964-06-10

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1964-10-27

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1965-01-01

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1965-06-26

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1965-08-21

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1965-09-27

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1966-03-26

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1966-05-02

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1966-05-17

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1966-10-31

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1967-01-27

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1967-08-09

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1967-08-24

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1967-11-30

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1967-12-25

Rachele Wall to Georgia O'Keeffe1968-03-06

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1968-05-06

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1968-07-20

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1968-07-27

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1968-12-12

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1969-03-03

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1969-08-11

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1969-10-26

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1970-01-16

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1970-10-20

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1971-05-18

Georgia O'Keeffe to Anita O'Keeffe Young1976-04-02

Georgia O'Keeffe and Robert R. Young

Includes letters to and from Florence McCormick, Robert R. Young's assistant.

16 items
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0
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Georgia O'Keeffe to Robert Young1937-08-15

Robert Young to Georgia O'Keeffe1937-08-18

Florence McCormick to Georgia O'Keeffe1937-08-31

Georgia O'Keeffe to Shearson, Hammill & Co., New York1941-12-16

Georgia O'Keeffe to Florence McCormick1943-07-23

Georgia O'Keeffe to Florence McCormick1943-09-25

Georgia O'Keeffe to Florence McCormickprobably 1946-07

Florence McCormick to Georgia O'Keeffe1946-08-20

Georgia O'Keeffe to Florence McCormick1947-05-26

Florence McCormick to Georgia O'Keeffe1947-06-11

Georgia O'Keeffe to Florence McCormick1947-07-22

Georgia O'Keeffe to Florence McCormick1947-11-25

Georgia O'Keeffe to Robert Young1948-05-24

Georgia O'Keeffe to Florence McCormick1948-06-16

Georgia O'Keeffe to Robert Young1948-07-23

Georgia O'Keeffe to Robert Young1948-08-28

Georgia O'Keeffe to Robert Young1948-09-22

Anita O'Keeffe Young to Claudia O'Keeffe

1 items
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0
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Anita O'Keeffe Young to Claudia O'Keeffe1959-08-23

Doris Bry, Anita O'Keeffe Young, David Wallace, and Georgia O'Keeffe

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Doris Bry, David Wallace, Sotheby's, and White & Case

0 items
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Catherine Krueger to Anita O'Keeffe Young

0 items
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0
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Edith Evans Asbury to Georgia O'Keeffe

0 items
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David Jorns to David Wallace

0 items
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0
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Photographic Material

5 items
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Family photographs

2 items
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0
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Alexis, Anita, Ida, Georgia, and Francis O'Keeffe1892 or 1893

Georgia, Ida, and Anita O'Keeffe1897 or 1898

Georgia Totto O'Keeffe1893

Anita O'Keeffe Young with Georgia O'Keeffe Painting, Petunia No. 21979 March

Anita O'Keeffe Young with Georgia O'Keeffe Painting, Winter Cottonwoods East Vbetween 1954/1985

Georgia O'Keeffe paintings

3 items
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0
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Anita O'Keeffe Young with painting1966-11-08

Georgia O'Keeffe painting1966-11-08

Georgia O'Keeffe paintingprobably 1966

Ireland

0 items
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Ephemera

Invitations, calling cards, and other ephemera, mostly related to Isabel Dunham Wyckoff Totto. Also includes one brochure for the Georgia O'Keeffe exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1988-1989.

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Ephemera

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Legal Documents

0 items
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O'Keeffe v. Bry Lawsuit

0 items
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Georgia O'Keeffe Estate Settlement

0 items
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Clippings

1 items
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Georgia O'Keeffe in the New Mexican1964-04-17