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SUMMARY

BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL NOTE

Armin Scheler was born May 20, 1901, in Sonneberg-Thueringia, Germany, to George Scheler and Rosalie Stamm Scheler. In 1917, he completed his professional training from the State Art School and the State Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, Germany. In 1926, he moved to the United States where he worked in New York as a designer, then as an assistant sculptor. In 1936, he opened his own studio in New Rochelle, New York, as a free lance sculptor. He joined the art faculty of Louisiana State University in September 1942. In addition to teaching, Scheler exhibited sculptures in galleries throughout Louisiana and across the nation. He retired from teaching at LSU in 1971 and continued to produce sculptures until his death in May 1987. Scheler’s work includes architectural friezes for public buildings including the Government Printing Office in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Post Office in Evanston, Illinois, and the Federal Building in New Orleans, Louisiana. His sculptures have been exhibited at the National Academy of Design (1935 and 1936), the Paris Exposition (1937), and the Whitney Museum of American Art (1940 and 1952). Scheler married Ethel Lind of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in 1930. They had one son, George Scheler (b. December 1933).

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Armin Scheler papers are comprised of correspondence, drawings, photographs, printed items, slides, and writings related to Scheler’s activities as a professor and sculptor while living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Correspondence includes a letter to Grace Ramke with a corrected transcript from her 2006 interview about Scheler. Drawings consist of sketches related to Scheler’s sculptures. Photographs depict Scheler and his sculptures. Printed items consist of catalogs, clippings, and magazines related to Scheler, his sculptures, and his exhibitions. Slides depict sculptures by Scheler. Writings include documents written by and about Scheler. Three maquettes by Scheler were transferred to the LSU Museum of Art on September 25, 2007.

LIST OF SERIES

Series I. Correspondence, 1959-2006

Series II. Drawings, 1950, 1961, undated

Series III. Photographs, 1925-1983, undated

Series IV. Printed Items, 1941-1985

Series V. Slides, 1963-1984, undated Series VI. Writings, 1949-2007, undated

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Series I. Correspondence, 1959, 2006 (1 folder)

Correspondence includes a 1959 letter to Scheler from Dr. John F. Hayward, University of Chicago. It includes Hayward’s thoughts on Scheler’s sculptures. Also included is a letter to Grace Ramke, a student of Scheler, from the T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History at LSU. It pertains to a corrected transcript, which is included, of a 2006 interview with Ramke about Scheler. In the interview, Ramke discusses her friendship with Scheler as well as his sculptures. Arranged chronologically.

Series II. Drawings, 1950, 1961, undated (4 folders)

Drawings consist of sketches by Scheler. Some relate to sculptures such as Noah’s Boomerang and Phoenix. The drawing titled Compatibility was later developed into the sculpture Two Petals. Drawings for petal sculptures are also present. Arranged chronologically.

Series III. Photographs, 1925-1983, undated (3 linear feet)

Many photographs depict sculptures by Scheler. These include pieces such as: Cane Cutters, The Cradle, Cross, Dream of a Petal, Fledgling, Negation of Noah’s Boomerang, Noah’s Boomerang, Phoenix, The Prophet and His Seed, Sebastian, The Shrike, Two Petals, and Vogelsang. Photographs also depict Armin Scheler. This includes both candid images and portraits. This series also features photographs depicting sculptures by students of Scheler. See Writings series for a complete list of the photographs as prepared by Grace Ramke. Arranged by subject, then chronologically. Series IV. Printed Items, 1941-1985 (5 folders) Printed items consist of catalogs, clippings, and magazines. Catalogs are for exhibitions in Louisiana and Texas that feature sculptures by Scheler. Clippings include information on a Scheler exhibit as well as an interview with him. Magazines contain articles about Scheler and his sculptures. Arranged by genre, then chronologically.

Series V. Slides, 1963-1984, undated (0.25 linear feet) Slides depict multiple views of sculptures by Scheler. These include pieces such as: Ascending Bird nos. 1-3, The Cradle, Cross, Dream of a Petal nos. 1-5, Fledgling, Generation, Little Crane, Negation of Noah’s Boomerang, Noah’s Boomerang, Phoenix, Sentinel, Stations of the Cross, Triangle Cross, and Vogelsang nos. 1-3. Also included are slides depicting a 1965 Lake Charles art exhibit. A glass slide depicting a plaster model of Armin’s son is also present. See Writings series for a complete list of the slides as prepared by Grace Ramke. Arranged by genre. Series VI. Writings, 1949-2007, undated (8 folders) Writings include documents written by Scheler, such as: Biographical Data of Armin Scheler (1949), Sculptures of Plantlife (1950), Sculpture (1952), and Notes and Photographs of Work By Armin Scheler and His Students (undated). Also included are descriptions of his classes taught at Louisiana State University. This series also features documents written by Grace Ramke. These are titled: Outline (in broad strokes) of Armin Scheler’s Body of Work (2007), Notes on Noah’s Boomerang and The Negation of Noah’s Boomerang (2007), Other People and Places Who Own Armin Scheler Works (undated), and Slides of Sculpture By Armin Scheler (undated). Arranged chronologically.

INDEX TERMS

Materials relating to these people, places, and things can be found in the series indicated, as represented by their numbers.

CONTAINER LIST