The Winterthur Library

 The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, DE  19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

 

 

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

 

Creator:          Sommer, Frank H.                               

Title:               Frank Sommer papers and research notes

Dates:             ca.1969-2006

Call No.:         Col. 831

Acc. No.:         08x54

Quantity:        23 boxes, 3 folders

Location:        40-41 L 1-2, map case 3, drawer 6

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

 

Frank Henry Sommer, III, was the head of the Winterthur library.  He was born in Newark, New Jersey, on July 30, 1922, the son of George Raymond and Abigail Woodruff Van Horn Sommer.  He earned his bachelor’s degree from Yale University in 1943 and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.  He was a graduate student at Yale and also studied at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University.   Sommer received his Ph.D. in archaeology from Yale in 1950.  He was a professor at the University of Delaware from 1948-ca.1956.  During this time, he helped develop the plans for the graduate program in early American culture which was jointly sponsored by Winterthur Museum and the University of Delaware, and he served as the first coordinator of the program.   Sommer entered the Jesuit order, where he was a novice and philosopher, but decided to return to academic life.  He was Keeper of Folk Art at the Winterthur Museum from 1958-1963 and then became director of the library division.  He discovered the Kershner House in Pennsylvania and was instrumental in acquiring several of its rooms for Winterthur.   He wrote a number of articles on the subjects of decorative arts and art history.  He was a member of the Grolier Club and other organizations.  He retired from Winterthur Museum in 1987 and died on October 20, 2006.

 

 

SCOPE AND CONTENT

 

Collection includes correspondence, diaries, notes, drafts of papers and books, note cards, and some drawings.  The “diaries” are actually a combination of notes and diaries, as Sommer wrote comments about what he was reading and comments on topics in which he was interested, in addition to recording his activities.   The collection contains notes and drafts for books on which

Sommer worked, one a book about art in the Palazzo Farnese entitled “Images of Virtue, Images of Love: Socrates in the Palazzo Farnese,” and the other a book about Inigo Jones entitled “The Jones Alternative: Five Variations on an Ionic Theme.”   In 1990, Sommer gave a paper about Thomas Jefferson and architecture at a conference at the University of Virginia; information about that conference and copies of the paper are part of this collection.  Also included in the collection is a list of books in Sommer’s private library (on note cards) and reading notes from classes he took or taught.  As well, the collection includes some drawings by Sommer, some unsigned drawings, reproductions of maps of Walden Pond, New Orleans and Paris, and glass slides of an unknown work.

 

 

ORGANIZATION

 

The papers were received in no particular order, and many of the groups of notes were not labeled.  No attempt was made to read the notes or put them into any sort of order.  Correspondence and diaries have been arranged chronologically. 

 

 

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

 

The materials are in English.

 

 

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

 

Collection is open to the public.  Copyright restrictions may apply.

           

 

PROVENANCE

           

Transferred from the Archives of American Art.

 

 

ACCESS POINTS

 

People:

            Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826 – Contributions in architecture.

            Jones, Inigo, 1573-1652.

 

Topics:

            Palazzo Farnese (Rome, Italy)

Architecture – Virginia.

            Art, Renaissance.

            Men – Diaries.

            Private libraries.

            Greenfield (Mass.) – Buildings.

            Bookplates.

            Diaries.

            Drafts (preliminary versions).

            Scholars.

           

 

 

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

 

Location: 40-41 L 1-2, map case 3, drawer 6

 

 

Box 1:

 

Folder 1:          Frank Sommer: curriculum vitae

 

Folder 2:          Frank Sommer: personal library

 

Folder 3:          articles by Sommer

 

Folder 4:          National Gallery fellowship application

 

Folder 5:          Caracciolo painting

 

Folder 6:          comparison of a drawing owned by Sommer with a painting by Vasari

 

Folder 7:          Furniture Library Association: certificate given to Sommer as a founder-director of the Furniture Library

 

Folder 8:          Winterthur library

 

Folder 9:          Correspondence: Andrews collection

 

Folder 10:        Correspondence: Warburg Institute

 

Folder 11:        Correspondence: 1969-1987 and no date

 

Box 2:

 

Folder 1:          Correspondence: 1988

 

Folder 2:          Correspondence: 1989-1990

 

Folder 3:          Correspondence: 1991

 

Folder 4:          Correspondence: 1992

 

Folder 5:          Correspondence: 1993

 

 

Box 3:

 

 

Folder 1:          Correspondence: 1994

 

Folder 2:          Correspondence: 1995

 

Folder 3:          Correspondence: 1996

 

Folder 4:          Correspondence: 1997-2002

 

Folder 5:          Correspondence: “The Learned Artist,” 1972-1987

 

 

Box 4:

 

Folder 1:          Bills: books stored at Iron Mountain

 

Folder 2:          Bills: objects in safe deposit box

 

Folder 3:          Bills: for prints purchased

 

Folder 4:          Bills: objects in apartment

 

Folder 5:          bill for metal object and an unrelated analytical report

 

Folder 6:          book plate for A. Edward Newton, Oak Knoll (C.G.O., del.; S.L.S., sc.);

Booklet: “A Private Treatise Addressed to Youth, Manhood and Old Age, on Diseases of the Nervous and Sexual System…,” issued by the Von Graef Medical Co., New York, 1888

 

Folder 7:          Slides

 

Folder 8:          Research reading notes II, July 22, 1981-October 4, 1982

 

Folder 9:          Diary/research notes: 1987, 2003

 

Folder 10:        Blue Book [diary/research diary]: January 1, 1987-March 3, 1987 and November 28, 1987-July 7, 1988

 

Folder 11:        Blue Book: April 17, 1987-November 18, `987

 

Folder 12:        Blue Book: August 18, 1988-March 14, 1989

 

Folder 13:        Notebook [diary]: February 21, 1995-August 16, 1996

 

 

Box 5:

 

Folder 1:          Notes: March 1996-

 

Folder 2:          Diary [also research and book notes]: August 29, 1997-November 1, 1997

 

Folder 3:          Continuation from research notes IV: January 31, 1999- January 29, [2000?]

 

Folder 4:          Journal and notes: February 15, 2000-September 9, 2000

 

Folder 5:          Journal and notes: September 9, 2000-August 18, 2001

 

Folder 6:          Journal and notes: August 18, 2001-November 6, 2001

 

Folder 7:          Diary, research, and writing notes: January 3, 2002-October 22, 2003

 

 

Box 6:

 

Folder 1:          Pad I (April-June 2003) and Pad II (June-September 11, 2003)

 

Folder 2:          Pad III (August 11-November 1, 2003) and Pad IV (November 4, 2003-January 9, 2004)

 

Folder 3:          Pad V (January 12-March 5 2004) and Pad VI (March 2-May 26, 2004) and Pad VII (May-July 12, 2004)

 

Folder 4:          Pad VIII (August-November 2004) and Pad IX (November-December 2004)

 

Folder 5:          Pad X (January-March 2005) and Pad XI (March 26-July 12, 2005)

 

Folder 6:          Pad XII (July 2-October 2005) and Pad XIII (October 13-December 29, 2005)

 

Folder 7:          Pad XIV (December 29, 2005-January 23, 2006) and Pad XV (January 24-March 2006)

 

 

Box 7:

 

Folder 1:          The Jones Alternative: Five Variations on an Ionic Theme: outline (1998)

 

Folder 2:          “The Jones Alternative: General Introduction” (February 2001) 

 

Folder 3:          “The Jones Alternative,” part III (2001)

 

Folder 4:          “The Jones Alternative,” part III, 2d version

 

Folder 5:          “The Jones Alternative,” part IV

 

Folder 6:          “The Jones Alternative,” part IV (2001)

 

Folder 7:          “The Jones Alternative,” appendices

 

Folder 8:          “The Jones Alternative,” penultimate version

 

 

Box 8:

 

Folder 1:          “The Jones Alternative,” illustrations for parts I-VI

 

Folder 2:          “The Jones Alternative,” illustrations for part VII

 

Folder 3:          “The Jones Alternative,” illustrations for part VII (April 25, 1999)

 

Folders 4-5:     Jones, Inigo: draft of a book

 

Folder 6:          Jones, Inigo: notes, draft of a book(?)

 

Folder 7:          “The Jones Alternative,” notes

 

 

Box 9:

 

Folder 1:          “The Jones Alternative,” notes for revision, November 10, 1998-

 

Folders 2-3:     Jones and banqueting houses (vol. II, part IV)

 

Folder 4:          “The Jones Alternative,” review of contents and diary, April 20-August 28, 1997

 

Folder 5:          “The Architecture and Principles of Inigo Jones”

 

Folder 6:          “Images” 1988 manuscript, Farnese

 

Folder 7:          “Images of Virtue, Images of Love: Socrates in the Palazzo Farnese,” March 1989 [also called “Camerino”]

 

 

Box 10:

 

Folder 1:          “Images of Virtue, Images of Love”: August 15, 1989 version

 

Folder 2:          “Images of Virtue, Images of Love”: August 1989 draft

 

Folder 3:          “Images of Virtue, Images of Love”: last drafts and notes

 

Folders 4-5:     “Images of Virtue, Images of Love”: plates and figures (photos)

 

Folder 6:          “Images of Virtue, Images of Love”: photos, iconography, Farnese

 

 

Box 11:

 

Folder 1:          “Images of Virtue, Images of Love”: notes to copy

 

Folder 2:          “Images of Virtue, Images of Love”: other drafts and notes

 

Folder 3:          Book 334: computer disk for Camerino and diagram of ceiling, August 25, 1989

 

Folder 4:          Images, post-Galleria, vol. II (1988)

 

Folders 5-6:     Camerino and Galleria: second draft

 

Folder 7:          The Galleria: drafts and notes

 

Folder 8:          Galleria: photos

 

 

Box 12:

 

Folder 1:          Galleria: rejects, July  29, 1988

 

Folder 2:          Camerino and Galleria: notes and drafts

 

Folder 3:          Architecture photos

 

Folder 4:          Articles

 

Folder 5:          Articles on architecture and art

 

Folder 6:          “Mrs. Willing’s World, 1727-1765”

 

Folder 7:          Drafts and notes

 

Folder 8:          Drafts of writings on architecture

 

Folder 9:          “An Introduction to the Metaphysics of Raphael’s ‘School of Athens’”

 

Folder 10:        “An Introduction to the Metaphysics of Raphael’s ‘School of Athens’” and other notes

 

Folder 11:        “The Mask of Medusa: A Medici Gem…,” manuscript by Sommer, 1988

 

Folder 12:        Photos and postcards of paintings and drawings

 

Folder 13:        “Stanza della Signatiere(?): mural IV”

 

Folder 14:        Vincenzo Danti: Il Primo Libro

 

Folder 15:        notes, etc., beginning March 12, 1993

 

 

Box 13:

 

Folders 1-2:     notes

 

Folder 3:          notes: New Sacristy

 

Folders 4-6:     notes [these three folders of notes all came from the same box but do not necessarily belong together, nor are they in any particular order; blank pieces of paper separate groups of notes from different notebooks]           

 

 

Box 14:

 

Folder 1:          “Thomas Jefferson and the Reform of Virginia Architecture: A Reinterpretation”

 

Folder 2:          “Thomas Jefferson and the Reform of Virginia Architecture: A Reinterpretation”

 

Folder 3:          Thomas Jefferson and architecture

 

Folders 4-5:     Thomas Jefferson: notes           

 

Folder 6:          University of Virginia lecture (1990): notes

 

Folder 7:          notes

 

 

Box 15:

 

Folder 1:          footnotes for “Images”

 

Folder 2:          notes on slides and other notes

 

Folder 3:          Notes on New England furniture characteristics study, 1956 class laboratory

 

Folder 4:          roll compiling some of information from New England furniture characteristics study  [see also Box 24]

 

 

Box 16:

 

Folder 1:          Life, March 31, 1961 (with an article about a church in Zweifalten, Germany)

 

Folder 2:          prints: crucifixion by Fra Angelico; “Madonna of the Rocks” by Leonardo; “The Parable of the Blind” by Peter Bruegel

 

Folder 3:          two small drawings, artist unknown (possibly by Sommer)

 

Folder 4:          microfilm copy and printout of Discours Historial de l’Antique et Illustre Cite de Nismes… par Jean Poldo d’Albenas, 1560 (from Houghton Library, Harvard University)

 

 

Box 17:           items purchased for Sommer or Winterthur library, but primarily for Sommer

 

Box 18:           items purchased for Sommer or Winterthur library, but primarily for Sommer;

                        Books purchased for Sommer’s collection

 

Box 19:           Books purchased for Sommer’s collection

 

Box 20:           items to be acquire for library and notes from reading;

                        Bibliography of unknown origin

 

Boxes 21-22:  reading notes (most from graduate work at Yale, used in teaching at University of Delaware)

 

Box 23:           glass slides of unknown work

 

Box 24:           2 rolls compiling some of information from New England furniture characteristics study  [see also Box 15];

                        Roll compiling characteristics of Kneeland and Adams chairs

                       

 

 

 

Map Case 3, drawer 6:

 

Folder 1:          drawings, some of which are signed and dated Sommer, 1941; and a tombstone rubbing

 

Folder 2:          reproduction print of crucified Christ;

a printed page about a 15th century woodcut;

reproduction of map of New Orleans and mouth of Mississippi, originally printed 1759;

reproduction of a bird’s eye view of New Orleans, originally printed 1885;

reproduction of a survey of Walden Pond, from original drawing by Thoreau, 1846;

four page reproduction of map of Paris, originally printed in 1739;

printed alphabet from Stinehour Press, Vermont

 

Folder 3:          copies of blueprints of Coleman-Hollister House, Greenfield, Franklin Co., Mass., original blueprints done as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey, includes sheets 1-2, 4, 6-7, 10, 13, 16-17, 19-20 of 20