Collection is open for research.
Frederic Franklin Littman was born in Hidegszamos, Hungary (now Gilău, Romania) in 1907. He studied at the National School of Fine Arts in Budapest, and at the Académie Julian, the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts, and the Académie Ranson in Paris, France. In 1940, he and Marianne Charlotte Gold were married. That same year, the couple immigrated to the United States, and the next year they moved to Portland, Oregon. The couple divorced in 1949. From 1941 to 1945, Littman served as artist in residence at Reed College; from 1946 to 1960, he taught sculpture at the Museum Art School, now known as the Pacific Northwest College of Art; and from 1960 to 1973, he was a professor of art at Portland State University. He collaborated with several Portland architects, including Pietro Belluschi. He died in 1979.
Sources: "Frederic Littman (1909-1979)," by Mark Humpal,
Oral history interview with Frederic Littman, by Charles Digregorio, SR 9530, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
This oral history interview with Frederic Littman was conducted by Charles Digregorio at Littman's home in Portland, Oregon, on February 6, 1974, as part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's oral history program.
In this interview, Littman discusses his welded bronze sculpture called "Joy" located in Portland's Council Crest Park, and talks about sculpting with different materials. He discusses his art education and art career in Budapest, Hungary, and in Paris, France. He shares his reasons for leaving Europe during World War II, and talks about how he came to Portland, Oregon, in 1941. He briefly speaks about his career as an art professor at Reed College, at the Museum Art School, now known as the Pacific Northwest College of Art, and at Portland State University. He also talks about the art career of his former wife, Marianne Littman. He talks about his sculptures and artworks in public spaces in Portland, including the doors he designed for the Zion Lutheran Church. He discusses concepts for future artworks, talks about his artistic process, and reflects on his development as an artist. He also discusses his preference for sculpting female figures, talks about his attempts to express political ideas through his art, and closes the interview by sharing why he prefers to live in Portland over New York City or Paris.
Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and the estate of Frederic Littman. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Non-Commercial Use Permitted,