Kitson Papers
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Abstract
The Kitson Papers consist of materials of various forms related primarily to the work of Henry Hudson Kitson, a sculptor of public monuments. The collection also contains papers of Kitson's first wife, Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson, who was also a sculptor. The bulk of the correspondence consists of letters to Henry Kitson from individuals and organizations who commissioned work from him. Legal documents, especially signed and unsigned contracts, are in the collection. Photographs, mostly unidentified but also including studies for known sculpture subjects, comprise a sizable portion of the collection. The collection contains rough sketches of works and details of works, also mostly unidentified as to subject. Some blueprints are included. Financial records in the collection consist most notably of invoices and receipts from contractors providing materials and services for the Kitsons' projects.
Biographical Note
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Henry Hudson Kitson (c. 1863 -- 1947) studied and excelled at stone-carving as a youth in Huddersfield, England. At the age of 13, he emigrated to New York City where he worked as a stone-carver in the shop of his older brother, Samuel James Kitson (1848 -- 1906). During the 1880s, Kitson moved to Paris to study his craft, exhibited his work in Europe and in the United States, was honored with awards, and received various prestigious commissions, including one for a bust of Queen Elizabeth of Rumania.
Kitson taught carving to a number of students, among them Theo Alice Ruggles (1871 -- 1932), from Brookline, Massachusetts, who would become his wife in 1893. Ruggles's early career as a sculptor also included further studies, sculpture exhibitions, and awards in Europe.
From the 1890s until their deaths, the Kitsons lived primarily in and around Boston, though they also spent time in New York City. Much of their work is found in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states, but also as far west as Iowa and as far south as Mississippi. They each developed their own reputations as sculptors and pursued their craft as individuals, but they also collaborated on works as well. They have been characterized as "among the most prolific of turn-of-the-century sculptors of public commissions, particularly monuments to public figures and to Civil War heroes." The works cited in the above chronology reflect this and are representative of Henry Kitson's projects: The Parker, Pilgrim Maiden, Conant, and Saltonstall works depict real or figurative individuals from New England's colonial and Revolutionary past; the H Company, Iowa and Lee memorials concern Civil War combatants; and Henry B. Endicott was a state and federal official in Boston during the World War I years. Wendell Endicott, the son of Henry B. Endicott, recommended Kitson for further public commission in Boston in his letter of July 15, 1921: "[E]verything that he has done brings out one particular point and that is, strength, manhood and life. All his work seems to be virile. Another point was the very plain way he approached the subject, and his evident desire to accomplish results that would be satisfactory all around. There was no pose with the man; he talked simply of his work, but talked in thorough confidence of what he could do."
Henry and Theo Kitson had two daughters and one son. After Theo's death, Henry married Maria Louisa Hobron, who died one month before he did.
Arrangement
The collection is comprised of the following series:
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- Series 1: Correspondence
- Series 2: Financial Records
- Series 3: Legal Documents
- Series 4: Notes
- Series 5: Ephemera
- Series 6: Pamphlets and essays
- Series 7: Clippings
- Series 8: Visual Materials
Scope and Content Note
The Kitson Papers consist of material relating to the work of sculptors Henry Hudson Kitson and his wife, Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson. However, most of the collection specifically documents the work of Henry Hudson Kitson. The collection includes letters, contracts, newspaper clippings, invoices, receipts, account statements, an account book, photographs, negatives, sketches, and blueprints.
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Access Restrictions
Open to qualified researchers.
Photocopying undertaken by staff only. Limited to twenty exposures of stable, unbound material per day. (Researchers may not accrue unused copy amounts from previous days.)
Use Restrictions
Permission to quote from this collection in a publication must be requested and granted in writing. Send permission requests, citing the name of the collection from which you wish to quote, to
Library Director
The New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as the Kitson Papers, the New-York Historical Society.
Provenance
Donation, John Kitson, 1947.