Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
James Brownlee Rankin Research Collection : Charles M. Russell, 1910-1962
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Rankin, James Brownlee, 1900-1962
- Title
- James Brownlee Rankin Research Collection : Charles M. Russell
- Dates
-
1910-1962 (inclusive)19101962
- Quantity
- 2 linear feet of shelf space
- Collection Number
- MC 162
- Summary
- James Brownlee Rankin--a New York and San Bernadino, California, teacher and historian--collected information concerning Montana artist Charles M. Russell in preparation for a Russell biography and an illustrated catalog of his work. The collection consists primarily of correspondence concerning Russell's life and work as remembered by his friends, acquaintances, and art owners. The collection also contains photographs, clippings, and research notes. [Selected photographs transferred to the Photograph Archives.]
- Repository
-
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov - Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
James Brownlee Rankin was born in Denver, Colorado, January 31, 1900, the son of Reverend James Doig Rankin and Daisy Meloy Rankin. Rankin's father had been assigned to Denver to begin a mission. Eventually, he was to build and be pastor of the United Methodist Church in that city. Rankin and his sister attended schools in Denver, but soon were sent to their parents' original home, Chicago, to study in that city's Latin schools. At the age of ten, James Rankin and his sister were sent to Europe for four years and studied in schools in France, Spain, Italy, and Germany. Returning home at the outbreak of World War I, Rankin attended the Horace Mann School in New York City in preparation for entering Princeton. Mr. Rankin received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts from Princeton and subsequently a Master of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania. In his college years James Rankin developed a great love for books and for the rest of his life collected rare books and first editions. Somewhat later he also developed an interest in art, and particularly western art. This avocation led him to begin a collection of books illustrated by western artists, notably Charles M. Russell and Frederic Remington. Rankin's first employment after completing his education was a position at the Collegiate School for Boys in New York City. He remained at this school until 1939. With his summers free, Rankin could pursue his many interests: travel, book collecting, western art, and history. By 1936, he had developed a very strong interest in the work and life of Charles M. Russell, and that summer, he decided to research and write a biography of the artist and produce an illustrated catalog of all of Russell's known works. This was his primary goal and the object of all of his free time until 1940. He took advertisements in national and regional newspapers as well as pertinent magazines. From this, he developed a wide range of contacts who had known Russell or knew of or owned works by the Montana artist. He made extensive trips to interview individuals and to catalog Russell's art. Rankin moved to Pasadena, California, in 1939, to be closer to his father and to pursue his teaching and research interests. He married Josephine Crenshaw of New York City in 1940. He never lost his lifelong interest in Russell, but did not continue working on the biography/catalog after that year. Ultimately he destroyed his manuscript after the publication of a Russell biography by a friend who, Rankin believed, had plagiarized much of his earlier work. The one piece Rankin did publish on Russell is a bibliography of published works illustrated by the artist which appeared in American Book Illustrations in 1938. James Brownlee Rankin died at San Bernardino, California, August 2, 1962.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Research Collection. 1910-1969. 2 linear feet. The collection centers solely on Rankin's research on the life and work of Charles M. Russell. One series, General Correspondence, constitutes eighty percent of the collection. It also is the most valuable for research on Russell and on ranching and cowboy life in the open range era. Many friends and acquaintances of Russell corresponded extensively with Rankin, and their reminiscences would have been the basis of his book. Other correspondents discussed the Russell paintings and sculpture in their collections. The letters also reflect the provenance of much of the artist's work, kinds of shows that it appeared in, and methods by which it was acquired. The Research Notes series of the collection contains listings of paintings, notes on interviews, and transcriptions of letters of Russell and others. Also, there are several photographs of pieces of Russell's work owned by various institutions and individuals at that time. The collection is completed by a series of Clippings gathered by Rankin which generally concern Russell's life. Selected photographs were separated to the Photograph Archives.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection
General Correspondence Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1 / 1 | A [correspondents include E.
G. Abbott, Alex Aitken, Alice Albright, Edward L. Albright, P. G. Allard, D. W.
A. Allen, O. P. Andrews] |
1936-1940 |
1 / 2 | John R. and Leslie Foote
Barrows |
1936-1940 |
1 / 3 | C. A. Beil |
1936-1937 |
1 / 4 | James W. Bollinger
|
1936-1939 |
1 / 5 | H. E. Britzman |
1937-1944 |
1 / 6 | B [correspondents include
George C. Baer, C. L. Bartholomew, Jewel W. Beard, Theodore Bolton, C. F.
Bouldin, B. M. Bower, John Brendel, Walter C. Brenner, E. A. Brininstool, Ralph
Budd, A. J. Buel] |
1936-1939; 1946 |
1 / 7 | Grace Stone Coates
|
1936-1940 |
1 / 8 | Philip G. Cole |
1936-1939 |
1 / 9 | Bud Cowan |
1937 |
1 / 10 | C [correspondents include
Calgary Expedition and Stampede, M. S. Campbell, Rachel Campbell, Marion
Caming, Charles W. Carson, Frederick A. Chadbourn, Edland C. Clement, Irvin S.
Cobb, College of Great Falls, C. D. Conrad, Angelo B. M. Corrubia, C. M.
Cotton, L. D. Cram, Lucy R. Crenshaw, Irving S. Cutter] |
1936-1940 |
1 / 11 | I. F. "Finch" David
|
1937-1939 |
1 / 12 | J. Frank Dobie |
1937-1939 |
1 / 13 | D [correspondents include
Fred T. Darvill, C. Kier Davis, Mary Davis, Lee Dennis, Maynard Dixon, Dudley
R. Dobie, C. E. Dobson, Doubleday Doran and Company, A. G. Douglass, Ves Downs,
H. H. Durston |
1936-1942 |
1 / 14 | E [correspondents include
Fred Edmunds, C. J. Ellis] |
1936-1939 |
2 / 1 | Louise Fernald |
1937-1939 |
2 / 2 | F [correspondents include
Douglas Fairbanks Pictures, L. E. Falk, W. R. Felton, William A. Flower, Lee M.
Ford, F. E. French, C. Wellington Furlong] |
1930-1939 |
2 / 3 | Mrs. M. C. Goodell
|
1937-1938 |
2 / 4 | G [correspondents include
Great Falls Lodge No. 214 BPOE, Great Northern Railway Company] |
1936-1939 |
2 / 5 | Jake Hagenson |
1936-1937 |
2 / 6 | William S. Hart |
1936-1938 |
2 / 7 | Emma M. Henderson
|
1937 |
2 / 8 | N. B. Holter |
1938 |
2 / 9 | Lila M. Houston |
1936-1937 |
2 / 10 | Wallis Huidekoper
|
1936-1938 |
2 / 11 | H [correspondents include
Hiram Henry, Mrs. Roy Hopkins, C. E. Hubbard, Mrs. Frank V. Hurley]
|
1937-1942 |
2 / 12 | I [correspondents include
Will Irwin] |
1936 |
2 / 13 | J [correspondents include J.
W. Jackson, S. E. Johns, Sid W. Johns, Mrs. B. T. Johnson, Della Jones, Mrs. R.
O. Jones, A. M. Joys, J. Edward Jones] |
1930-1938 |
2 / 14 | Henry Keeton |
1937-1939 |
2 / 15 | Theodore A. Koetzli
|
1938-1939 |
2 / 16 | K [correspondents include
Kansas City Art Institute, Walter G. Kendall, Otillie Kraemer] |
1937-1939 |
2 / 17 | Reginald and Gladys Laubin
|
1938-1939 |
2 / 18 | Alexander Leggat
|
1937 |
2 / 19 | Walter Lehman |
1936-1941 |
2 / 20 | Frank B. Linderman
|
1936-1937 |
2 / 21 | L [correspondencts include
Tom Lea, Great Falls Leader, Earl LeFebure, J. B. Lincoln] |
1936-1939 |
2 / 22 | Mina Mathey |
1936-1939, 1944 |
2 / 23 | Edward Mead |
1938 |
2 / 24 | Fergus Mead |
1938-1939 |
2 / 25 | Churchill Mehard
|
1937-1939 |
2 / 26 | Mac, Mc [correspondents
include Helen R. Mackay, H. F. McDonald, Bessie MacGregor, Mary A. McGuire,
Lila B. McKinley, J. F. McNamara] |
1936-1941 |
2 / 27 | M [correspondents include J.
N. Major, H. E. Manville, Alice H. Marchand, Sam Martel, James W. Masterson,
Mrs. M. G. Meeks, Richard K. Mellon, Albert Milch, W. St. J. Miller, Grace A.
Miracle, Harry B. Mitchell, Montana Historical Society, Montana State
University--Missoula, Edith Ellis Morrison] |
1932-1951 |
3 / 1 | Alick C. Newton |
1937-1939 |
3 / 2 | N [correspondents include W.
W. Newton, C. Raymond Noyes] |
1936-1937 |
3 / 3 | O [correspondents include J.
D. O'Donnell, B. V. Older] |
1937 |
3 / 4 | James Pearson (includes
Charles Russell letter, non-illustrated] |
1937-1938 |
3 / 5 | Cassandra O. Phelps
|
1937-1939 |
3 / 6 | Con Price |
1936-1938 |
3 / 7 | P [correspondents include
Albert J. Partoll, Harry W. Peterson, Frank Phillips Ranch, City of Pittsburgh,
T. G. Portis] |
1936-1940 |
3 / 8 | Daisy M. Rankin |
1937 |
3 / 9 | Josephine Rankin
|
1940 |
3 / 10 | Charles Reymershoffer
|
1938-1939 |
3 / 11 | Vesta Robbins |
1936-1937 |
3 / 12 | Sophia Ruskin |
1937-1938 |
3 / 13 | Florence M. N. Russell
|
1937-1939 |
3 / 14 | Jack Russell |
1937, 1941 |
3 / 15 | Nancy C. Russell
|
1936-1940 |
3 / 16 | R [correspondents include K.
E. Rasmussen, Clara M. Reeder, William D. Reese, D. E. Riley, Mary Roberts
Rinehart, E. C. Robert, Ben R. Roberts, O. W. Robertson, C. V. Rubottom, Basil
G. Rudd] |
1928-1945 |
4 / 1 | James Willard Schultz
|
1936-1937 |
4 / 2 | Harry P. Stanford
|
1937-1939 |
4 / 3 | Allis B. Stuart |
1937, n.d. |
4 / 4 | Luke D. Sweetman
|
1937-1952 |
4 / 5 | S [correspondents include
Mary P. Sleicher, Coy P. Smith, C. Owen Smithers, E. T. Spencer, J. O. Spreen,
Charles R. Steedman, E. L. Stendahl, Robert E. Strahorn Agnes E. Sweet]
|
1933-1940 |
4 / 6 | Earl Talbott |
1936-1946 |
4 / 7 | Josephine Trigg |
1937-1940 |
4 / 8 | Mrs. Pat Tucker |
1936-1938 |
4 / 9 | T [correspondents include
Charles P. Taft, Robert Taft, Louise J. Thomas, Mrs. T. R. Thorn, Bernard Tomm,
Elizabeth Troyke] |
1936-1940 |
4 / 10 | U [correspondents include
Universal - International PIctures, Univesity of Washington Library]
|
1936-1954 |
4 / 11 | V [correspondents include
Ruth Van Meter, Virginia Historical Society, Jessie Wiley Voils] |
1936-1939 |
4 / 12 | Norma Linderman Waller
|
1937-1942 |
4 / 13 | Phil Weinard |
1937-1942 |
4 / 14 | Laura Whittemore
|
1938-1939 |
4 / 15 | Sid Willis |
1936-1938 |
4 / 16 | W [correspondents include
Rose M. Wadsworth, Eliza E. Walker, H. P. Webster, Mrs. John M. Wenneis, John
A. Willard, Eugene E. Wilson, Windsor Castle, Kathearine W. Winston, M. A.
Witofsky, Ted Worrall, Cushing F. Wright] |
1936-1945 |
4 / 17 | Y [correspondents include
Karl Yost, N. J. Young, Mrs. William A. Young] |
1936-1937 |
4 / 18 | Frank Zahn |
1936-1937 |
Clippings Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
5 / 1 | Charles M. Russell: art and
shows |
1926-1957, n.d. |
5 / 2 | Charles M. Russell:
memorials, publicicity, honors, etc. |
1939-1962 |
5 / 3 | Charles M. Russell:
reminiscences of Russell by acquintances |
1936-1939, n.d. |
5 / 4 | Charles M. Russell: reviews
of works concerning Russell |
1933-1957 |
5 / 5 | Charles M. Russell: statue
controversy |
1956-1957 |
5 / 6 | Charles M. Russell:
miscellaneous |
1926-1939, n.d. |
5 / 7 | Cowboy reunions |
1939-1940, n.d. |
5 / 8 | Montana history |
1934-1940 |
5 / 9 | Nancy C. Russell
|
1937-1940 |
5 / 10 | Rankin project |
1936-1940 |
Photographs Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
5 / 11 | Charles M. Russell works
owned by J. W. Bollinger |
n.d. |
5 / 12 | Charles M. Russell works
owned by Amon Carter |
n.d. |
5 / 13 | Charles M. Russell works
owned by Great Falls Elks Lodge |
n.d. |
5 / 14 | Charles M. Russell works
owned by William S. Hart |
n.d. |
5 / 15 | Charles M. Russell works
owned by Charles M. Joys (includes positive and negative photostats of one
drawing, "Young Louse"; of five untitled paintings; and of one writing, "The
Enemys Country") |
n.d. |
5 / 16 | Charles M. Russell works
owned by Newhouse Galleries |
n.d. |
5 / 17 | Charles M. Russell works
owned by Alick C. Newton |
n.d. |
5 / 18 | Charles M. Russell works
owned by Harry Stanford |
n.d. |
5 / 19 | Charles M. Russell works
owned by Phil Weinard |
n.d. |
5 / 20 | Charles M. Russell works
owned by various collectors |
n.d. |
5 / 21 | Charles M. Russell works
unidentified as to ownership |
n.d. |
5 / 22 | List of photographs
separated to the Photo Archives |
n.d. |
Research Notes Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
5 / 23 | Informational notes taken
from publications and interviews |
c. 1936-1940 |
5 / 24 | Listings and descriptions of
Charles M. Russell works in various collections |
c. 1936-1940 |
5 / 25 | Names and addresses of
contacts and informants |
c. 1936-1939 |
5 / 26 | Notebook containing art
collection descriptions, notes on history, trancripts of letters |
c. 1936-1939 |
5 / 27 | Notebook containing art
collection descriptions, information notes, source notes, book descriptions,
transcripts of letters |
c. 1936-1940 |
5 / 28 | Notes on sources
|
c. 1936-1940 |
5a / 1 | Drafts of bibliography of
published works illustrated by Charles M. Russell |
1938 |
5a / 2 | Drafts of first chapter of
Charles M. Russell biography |
c. 1938 |
5a / 3 | Items acquired in course of
research |
n.d. |
5a / 4 | Typescript copies of
articles and reminiscences |
1901-1937, n.d. |
5a / 5 | Typescript and photographic
copies of Charles M. Russell letters |
1910-1926 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- History--Research
- Ranch life
- Sculpture
- West (U.S.) in Art
Personal Names
- Russell, Charles M. (Charles Marion), 1864-1926
Geographical Names
- Great Falls (Mont.)
- Judith Basin County (Mont.)
- Lake McDonald (Glacier National Park, Mont.)