Summary |
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| Creator: | Andrews, Virginia. |
| Title: | Virginia Williams Andrews Papers |
| Dates: | 1924-1999 |
| Size: | 2 boxes (2 linear feet) |
| Abstract: | Designs for magazine covers, book covers, greeting cards, and wrapping paper |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: |
University Archives, Special Collections Research Center Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Ave., Suite 600 Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center/university-archives |
Biography
Virginia Williams Andrews (1901-1965) was an American commercial artist and 1924 graduate of Syracuse University.
Born Ellen Virginia Williams in 1901 in Gainesville, Florida, Andrews grew up in Jacksonville. Her father owned a large drug store and her mother was active in Jacksonville’s social and cultural life. She was very proud of her Southern heritage and was a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.
Determined to go to college from an early age, Andrews studied hard and achieved good grades. A good friend, Ruth Sweet, convinced her to apply to Syracuse University, and when Andrews arrived at Syracuse she fell in love with the campus. She particularly enjoyed her membership in the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. However, she found the weather in Syracuse to be formidable since she had never seen snow before. Andrews graduated in 1924 with a Bachelor of Painting; years later her degree was changed to a Bachelor of Fine Arts after the University consolidated the Bachelor of Painting into the Bachelor of Fine Arts.
After Andrews graduated she moved to New York City. She became a commercial artist and was hired by Norcross, working on greeting cards and other projects in its Madison Avenue studio. Andrews loved city life and fully embraced the free-spirited flapper lifestyle in the 1920’s.
In 1926, Andrews met Arthur Earle Andrews and by 1927 the two of them were married. She continued to work at Norcross for several years, and in 1932 she submitted a cover design to The New Yorker. The design was accepted and appeared on the cover of the July 9, 1932 issue. Throughout her life she submitted several other cover designs, but none of them ever made it to print.
In 1935, Andrews gave birth to her son Duncan Andrews. Shortly after his birth, both she and her husband decided to move out of New York City to Scarsdale, New York. In 1938, Harper & Brothers published the children’s book High up in a Penthouse, written and illustrated by Virginia Andrews. The book received excellent critical reviews and was highly celebrated. She continued to work on literary projects for the rest of her life, occasionally submitting greeting card designs to Norcross. Andrews never repeated the success of High up in a Penthouse. However, she was able to publish a novel she wrote for older children, entitled Swampfire, before her death.
Virginia Williams Andrews died in 1965.
Scope and Content Note
The Virginia Williams Andrews Papers contain materials dating from 1924 to 1999 and is divided into two series.
The Personal Series includes greeting cards she made for her husband, a biographical note by Duncan Andrews, pins from the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and an article from the Scarsdale Library Review. There are several materials within the series that relate to Syracuse University. These items include a key from Kappa Kappa Gamma, her membership certificate for the Beta Tau House Association of Kappa Kappa Gamma, a drawing done while she was a student, and her diplomas.
The Professional Series includes various types of greeting cards, cover art for books and magazines, wrapping paper designs, and other designs and art materials. There are two copies of her children’s book High up in a Penthouse. In addition, there are several of Andrews’ works of fiction that were never published.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.
Use Restrictions
Written permission must be obtained from the Syracuse University Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
Selected Search Terms
Names
Types of material
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Virginia Williams Andrews Papers,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
The Virginia Williams Andrews Papers were donated to the Archives by Duncan Andrews in 1999.
Processing Information
All materials were placed in acid-free folders and boxes. Some of the more delicate materials were placed in Mylar sleeves.
Finding Aid Information
Created by: Edward L. Galvin
Date: 2000
Revision history: Processed and converted to EAD by Zachary Burnham, 2013.;
December 2019 - Revised to match style guide (NAW)
Inventory
| Professional | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Art design for Macy’s candies box undated Macy's Candies box design |
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| Box 2 | Artwork for proposed books undated | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Commercial work—napkin designs undated | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Commercial work—original artwork for greeting cards undated | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | High up in a penthouse 1938 Image of cover |
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| Box 1 | High up in a penthouse—with outer cover 1938 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Holiday greeting card designs undated | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Original artwork for greeting card designs undated Greeting card design Greeting card design |
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| Box 2 | Original Artwork for greeting card designs— democratic elephant undated | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Original Artwork for greeting card designs— republican donkey undated | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Pencil drawings—Fortmason undated | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Peppo the puppet undated | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Peppo the puppet cover art undated | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Proposed cover art for the New
Yorker undated Proposed cover art for The New Yorker |
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| Box 1 | Scarsdale library review December 3, 1946 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | The New York Times book review September 11, 1938 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | The New Yorker—magazine cover July 9, 1932 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | The New Yorker—original concept art for July 9, 1932 the New Yorker magazine cover undated | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | "The three unusual cats”—junior life August 5, 1950 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Virginia Andrews’ surviving fiction undated | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Western union—holiday telegram undated | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Wrapping paper designs undated Wrapping paper design |
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| Box 2 | Wrapping paper designs undated | ||||||||||
