RUSSELL F. WHITEHEAD:
An Inventory of His Business Correspondence at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Whitehead, Russell F. (Russell Fenimore), 1884-1954, creator. | |
| Title: | Business correspondence related to the White pine series of architectural monographs. | |
| Dates: | 1915-1953. | |
| Language: | Materials in English. | |
| Abstract: | Business correspondence and miscellaneous records of Whitehead as editor of The White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs (1915-1931) and its successor, Pencil Points (1932-1940). | |
| Quantity: | 0.8 cubic feet (2 boxes). | |
| Location: | P2823: See Detailed Description for shelf locations. |
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Russell Fenimore Whitehead was born January 14, 1884, in Trenton, New Jersey, the son of William R. and Florence D. (Moore) Whitehead. He received a B.A. from Drexel Institute in 1903. After seven years as a draftsman, he was named editor of The Architectural Record in 1912. In 1913 he edited The Brickbuilder, which was based in New York City. In 1914 he began to edit The White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs, promoted by the White Pine Bureau, an organization of timber interests from the northern Midwest. In 1925 he became editor of Pencil Points magazine. He worked as an architect with the firm of Clark & Whitehead from 1924 until 1940. He also worked closely with the Weyerhaeuser Forest Products Company and other Weyerhaeuser timber interests. Whitehead died in December 1954 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs was created under the auspices of the White Pine Bureau, an association consisting primarily of Weyerhaeuser-related firms to encourage the use of white pine as a building material. The series, intended to be promotional, featured early American buildings made of pine. The high quality photographs (many by Julian Buckley) and the measured drawings of buildings made the series a popular success. In 1924, the White Pine Bureau ceased its support of the series, but the Weyerhaeuser Forest Products Company continued advertising support. In 1932, the series was absorbed into Pencil Points.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
In addition to Whitehead's correspondence as editor of The White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs and Pencil Points, materials include correspondence with architects, librarians and booksellers trying to purchase or complete sets of the publications; extensive correspondence with George F. Lindsay and C. L. Hamilton, representing the Weyerhaeuser timber interests in supporting and promoting the use of white pine as building material; and over 170 letters from Cass Gilbert, Electus D. Litchfield, Horace Trumbauer, Elizabeth Ayer, and other architects.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Whitehead, Russell F. Business Correspondence related to the White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 16,681
Processing Information:
Processed by: David B. Peterson, September 2012.
Catalog ID number: 990075649980104294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| Box | |||||||||||
| P2823 | 1 | Correspondence: | |||||||||
| General correspondence, 1915-1931. 14 folders. | |||||||||||
| Principally letters sent and received by Whitehead concerning the promotion of white pine as a building material, the production and distribution of The White Pine Series of Architectural Monographs, and the operations of the White Pine Bureau. Most of the correspondence is with George F. Lindsay of the Weyerhaeuser timber interests and C.L. Hamilton of the White Pine Bureau. | |||||||||||
| Miscellaneous correspondence, 1916-1929, 1931-1934, 1944-1953. 4 folders. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence with recipients of the White Pine Series regarding subscriptions and with librarians seeking to complete sets of the publication. | |||||||||||
| From booksellers/publishers, 1947-1951. | |||||||||||
| From book-related people, 1916-1920. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| P2823 | 2 | From architects, 1916-1952. 4 folders. | |||||||||
| Arranged alphabetically; includes some 170+ letters from architects throughout the United States, many discussing the use of pine as a building product or commenting on the White Pine series. Most of the letters are dated 1916-1923 and 1949-1952. A list of architect-correspondents is found in the first folder. | |||||||||||
| Annual white pine competition prize and honorable mention listings, undated and 1916. | |||||||||||
| Covers the second, third, seventh, eighth, ninth, and 1916 competitions. | |||||||||||
| Printed ephemera, 1916-1950. | |||||||||||
| File includes advertisements, fliers, and pamphlets, including White Pine as an Economical Home-Building Wood issued in 1916 by the White Pine Bureau. | |||||||||||
| Miscellaneous notes, undated. | |||||||||||
| Mainly unidentified notes. | |||||||||||
| Inventories of White Pine Series monographs, undated. | |||||||||||
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
- Topics:
- Architects -- United States.
- Architecture -- United States -- Periodicals.
- Building, Wooden -- United States -- Periodicals.
- White pine -- Periodicals.
- Persons:
- Hamilton, C. L.
- Lindsay, George F.
- Organizations:
- Weyerhaeuser Forest Products (Firm)
- White Pine Bureau.
- Titles:
- White pine series of architectural monographs.
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