Series III. Address Books, Date Books, and Guest Books: ca. 1909-1952

SERIES III. Address Books, Date Books, and Guest Books: ca. 1909-1952 (2 special format boxes; 1.5 linear feet) contains 20 books which are organized into Subseries 1. Howard Chandler Christy and Subseries 2. Nancy Palmer Christy.  These volumes were placed within Subseries 1 or 2 after analyzing the handwriting and determining the owner of the book (husband or wife).   Within each subseries, books have been labeled by type and date.  They are placed within the boxes based on size and preservation needs.  The Inventory for Series III does organize the books chronologically within each subseries.

The earliest volume of Subseries 1, a guest book for Christy’s home, The Barracks in Ohio, dates ca. 1909-1913, and is one of the few records in the collection which represents the early part of the artist’s career.  Other books within this subseries are primarily date books and address books, or a combination of the two in one volume.  These books date from the 1930s until Christy’s death in 1952.  They are extremely valuable for several reasons.  Date books record Christy’s appointments for portrait sittings, his travels to paint larger historic commissions, and his social calendar.  Researchers will be able to determine the duration of time Christy spent on individual paintings, or exactly when a work was executed.

Box 9: III.2 Nancy Palmer Christy's date book documenting the Christy's visit to California to paint actress Norma Talmadge, 1925.
Box 9: III.2 Nancy Palmer Christy’s date book documenting the Christy’s visit to California to paint actress Norma Talmadge, 1925.

Subseries 2 consists of date and address books maintained by Nancy Palmer Christy.  The bulk of this subseries dates from the mid to late 1920s, with one address book dating ca. 1941.  The early date books record much of the Christys’ travels, social and fundraising events, and appointments for sittings.  It is important to note that these years of work are not represented with the books of Subseries 1.  Nancy Palmer Christy’s entries provide a look at the artist’s daily schedule, which was probably due in part to Mrs. Christy’s efforts as manager.