Charles Allmond papers

The papers of Delaware artist Charles Allmond (1931-219) document over three decades (1981-2013) of his prolific career. The collection comprises 3 linear feet and oversize removals that include drawings, designs, slides, sculptures, as well as files of correspondence and documentation for exhibitions in which his work was included.

Series I. Sketches and preliminary drawings, documents Allmond's working designs, patterns, and ideas for his sculptures. This series is arranged in alphabetical order by the title of the sculpture, or by Allmond's labeling on a particular drawing. In some cases the design material for a particular piece of sculpture will follow a progression from preliminary sketches to the final scale drawings used to create the sculpture. An image of the final sculpture is available in Series III. Slides, which complements the first series by providing photographic images of all of Allmond's completed works. Digital copies of slides are available through the University of Delaware Library's Digital Collections website at ARTstor Commons.

Series II. Shows and exhibitions, includes material related to exhibitions of Allmond's sculptures in shows, as well as solo and group exhibitions. The types of material found in this series include correspondence, exhibition announcements, invitations, receipts, programs, posters, postcards, artists' statements, notes, magazines, and catalogs. Notable solo exhibitions represented are: Second Nature: The Sculpture of Charles Allmond , at The American Swedish Historical Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2008); Finding the Joy-The Animal Sculpture of Charles Allmond , at the Biggs Museum of American Art, Dover, Delaware (2003); Charles Allmond: Through the Mind's Eye , at the Delaware Division of the Arts, Wilmington, Delaware (2000); and Charles Allmond/Guy Coheleach: Point/Counterpoint , at the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum, Oradell, New Jersey (1998).

The correspondence in the second series deals primarily with Allmond's participation in various shows and exhibitions; however, the files also provide information about Allmond's role in the Society of Animal Artists (an international organization of painters and sculptors who depict living creatures in their work), his donations of his work for charitable causes, and the sale of pieces of his sculpture through various galleries.

Series III. Slides, contains approximately 700 color images of Charles Allmond’s sculptural works. The arrangement represents the artist’s original organization of the slides in two binders by general subject, including abstracts, jars and earthenware, and human subjects; birds; animals; fish, shells, and sea life; and a category Allmond described as "early work." Allmond worked in a variety of media, including stone, wood, and bronze. Each slide included the work’s title, medium, and dimensions. For many works, multiple views are available. The slides in these notebooks have been scanned and are available in digital format, and the slides have been returned to Mr. Allmond.

Series IV. Sculptures, comprises two original sculptures created by Charles Allmond. The first is a bronze piece titled "Love Birds," which was created in 2005 and is number 15 of 25. The second sculpture, "Northern Sphinx," which is number 6 of 8, was created in 1997 and is a representation of a polar bear in alabaster.

Series V. Biographical information and articles, provides information about Charles Allmond and his work through magazine articles, newspaper clippings, and press releases. Two additional items in the series are an article written by Allmond, titled "Gunning Bedford, Jr.," which appeared in Delaware Lawyer (1987), and a nineteenth-century notebook which belonged to Allmond's grandfather. The notebook contains his grandfather's notations and writings related to the Order of Masons, of which he was a 33rd degree Mason of a Delaware lodge.

This collection offers rich resources for the study a recognized contemporary American sculptor, whose work flows from the natural world, particularly showcasing birds, animals, and marine life.