Title: S. Donovan Swann, Sr. Collection Collection dates: 1902-1950 Collection number: MS 46 Extent: 31 boxes, 35 linear feet Creator: S. Donovan Swann, Sr. Condition of access: Unrestricted, by appointment only Language: English Repository: Enoch Pratt Free Library Special Collections Contact Information: Enoch Pratt Free Library 400 Cathedral Street Baltimore, MD 21201 Phone: 443-984-4251 Email: [email protected] Source of Acquisition: The library began acquiring Don Swann’s etchings in April 1939, and continued to purchase them through the 40’s and 50’s, many through the Hutzler-Hochschild fund. A large portion consisted of material collected in connection with the production of the two volume Historic and Colonial Homes of Maryland (NA730.M3S8f v.1&v2) which was published in 1939. Biographical History: S. Donovan Swann, Sr. was born in Fernandina, Florida in 1899. The son of an old Virginia family, he moved to Baltimore as a child. His long and many-faceted career included aviation, and exploring as well as etching. Mr. Swann was one of the first men in Baltimore to fly an airplane and continued flying as a lieutenant during the First World War. Mr. Swann attended St. John’s College in Annapolis but left to attend the Maryland Institute to study art. He studied art in Munich and Paris and formed the Etchcrafters Art Guild in Baltimore. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Don Swann again volunteered for the army and became a major in the public relations section at Fort Belvoir where he served for three years. He traveled the state of Maryland researching, photographing and drawing historic colonial homes and produced one hundred etchings for his book. He developed and marketed the “Swann New Way Etching Outfit”, a kit for amateur etchers. He and his wife, Rita had three children; Francis S. Swann, Don Swann, Jr., and Lyn Swann Wagnon. After Don Swann, Sr. death in 1954, Don Swann, Jr. continued to produce prints from the original plates. Scope and Contents Note: The S. Donovan Swann Collection contains 18 boxes of correspondence from 1910-1945, the vast majority being letters and receipts for marketing the etchings. These include correspondence with department stores in Baltimore, New York, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, etc. A glimpse into his personal life occurs through his letters to ‘Uncle Ed’. There are 13 boxes of prints (etchings).

Series Descriptions: The Don Swann collection spans the years 1902-1950 with the bulk of the material from the 1930s and 40s. Series I are the papers of Don Swann and the Etchcrafters Art Guild and are organized chronologically. They consist mostly of correspondence and receipts for etchings. Box 1 contains biographical material and obituaries. Box 2 contains correspondence with “Uncle Ed” and is the most revealing of the personal life of the Swann family. Box 17 and 18 contain newspaper clipping and advertisements. Series II and III contains over 500 etchings. These are organized by size and then by subject/location. Boxes 29 and 30 in Series IV house the etchings of Colonial and Historic Homes of Maryland arranged alphabetically by county. Container List: Series I: Papers of S. Donovan Swann Sr. & Jr. and Etchcrafters Art Guild, 1902-64 Box 1 Folder 1 Biographical material Folder 2 Biographical material Folder 3 Undated lists Folder 4 Invitations Folder 5 Christmas cards Folder 6 Calendars 1938, 39, 42, 44 Folder 7 Miscellaneous catalogs Folder 8 Miscellaneous pamphlets Folder 9 Miscellaneous pamphlets and catalogs Box 2

Folder 10 Folder 11 Folder 12 Folder 13 Folder 14 Folder 15 Folder 16 Folder 17 Folder 18 Folder 19 Folder 20 Folder 21 Folder 22 Folder 23 Folder 24 Folder 25 Folder 26

Letters to “Grandpa”, 1902-1905 Letter from “Anne”, 1930 “Uncle Ed” correspondence, 1924-1930 “Uncle Ed” correspondence, 1931 “Uncle Ed” correspondence, 1932 “Uncle Ed” correspondence, 1943-45 Income tax returns, 1930-1933 Personal correspondence, 1936 Personal correspondence, 1937, 38 Personal correspondence, 1939 Personal correspondence, 1940 Personal correspondence, 1941, 42 Pratt Library re: Swann Collection, 1932 Pratt Library re: Swann Collection, 1945-65 Etching orders from US Naval Academy, 1930-34 Report card “Junior” (Francis) Don Swann, Jr. correspondence re: sales of etchings, 1963-64

Box 3

Folder 27 Folder 28 Folder 29 Folder 30 Folder 31 Folder 32 Folder 33 Folder 34 Folder 35 Folder 36

Papers, 1910-1925 Papers, 1931 Papers, 1932 Papers, 1933 Papers, 1934 Papers, January, February, 1935 Papers, March, April, May, 1935 Papers, June, July, August, 1935 Papers, September, October, November, 1935 Papers, December, 1935

Box 4

Folder 37 Papers, Undated, 1936 Folders 38-43 Papers, January – June, 1936

Box 5

Folders 44-49 Papers, July – December 1936

Box 6

Folder 50 Undated, 1937 Folders 51-55 Papers, January – May 1937

Box 7

Folders 56-62 Papers, June – December 1937

Box 8

Folder 63 Undated, 1938 Folders 64-69 Papers, January – June, 1938

Box 9

Folders 70-75 Papers, July – December, 1938

Box 10

Folders 76-81 Papers, January – June, 1939

Box 11

Folders 82-87 Papers, July – December 1939

Box 12

Folder 88 Papers, Undated, 1940 Folders 89-94 Papers, January – June, 1940

Box 13

Folders 95-100 Papers, July – December, 1940

Box 14

Folder 101 Papers Undated, 1941 Folders 102-113 Papers January – December, 1941

Box 15

Folder 114 Papers, January, February, March, 1942 Folder 115 Papers, April, May, June, 1942 Folder 116 Papers, July, August, September, 1942 Folder 117 Papers, October, November, December, 1942 Folder 118-129 Papers, January – December 1943 Folder 130 Papers, Undated, 1944 Folders 131-142 Papers, January – December 1944 Folder 143 Papers, Undated, 1940s Folder 144 Papers, January, February, 1945 Folder 145 Papers, March, 1945 Folder 146 Papers, April, May, 1945 Folder 147 Papers, June, 1945 Folder 148 Papers, July – December 1945 Folder 149 Papers, 1946 Folder 150 Papers, 1947 Folder 151 Papers, 1948-1950

Box 16

Box 17

Newspaper clippings/Ads and articles

Box 18

Newspaper clippings/miscellaneous pamphlets/World War II items

Series II: Etchings Box 19 Assorted small etchings Box 20

Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Section 4

Etchings of Delaware Etchings of North Carolina Etchings of Virginia Miscellaneous etchings

Box 21

Section 5 Section 6 Section 7 Section 8

Etchings of Baltimore City Etchings of Annapolis, MD Etchings of Maryland Etchings of Washington, DC

Box 22

Section 9 Section 10

Etchings of Princeton and Harvard Etchings of Washington, DC

Section 11 Section 12 Section 13 Section 14 Section 15

Etchings of New York Miscellaneous etchings Etchings by Duvall Etchings by Dano Jackley Etchings by John McGrath

Box 23

Etchings of Baltimore, Maryland

Box 24

Etchings of Virginia

Box 25

Section 16 Section 17 Section 18 Section 19

Box 26

Etchings of landscapes, seascapes, animals

House plans by county: Allegeny – Howard House plans by county: Garrett – Worcester Etchings of Western Maryland Etchings of Annapolis and the US Naval Academy

Series III: Large format etchings Box 27 Section 20 Etchings of Pittsburg and etchings by Gettier Section 21 Etchings of Baltimore, Maryland Section 22 Etchings of Washington, DC Section 23 Etchings of Maryland and Virginia Section 24 Etchings of ships, planes, landscapes Section 25 Etchings by Don Swann, Jr. Box 28

Section 26 Section 27 Section 28 Section 29

Etchings of Baltimore, MD Etchings of Washington, DC, Annapolis, Bay Bridge Etchings of Planes, ships, landscapes, miscellaneous Book of stock certificates for the Hilltop Theater in the Round, Inc. issued to S. Donovan Swann, Jr, 1950

Series IV: Etchings of Colonial and Historic Homes of Maryland Box 29 Section 30 Allegeny County Section 31 Anne Arundel County Section 32 Baltimore County Section 33 Calvert County Section 34 Caroline County Section 35 Carroll County Section 36 Charles County Section 37 Cecil County Section 38 Dorcester County Section 39 Frederick County Section 40 Garrett County Section 41 Harford County

Section 42

Howard County

Box 30

Section 43 Section 44 Section 45 Section 46 Section 47 Section 48 Section 49 Section 50 Section 51 Section 52

Kent County Montgomery County Prince Georges County Queen Anne’s County St. Mary’s County Somerset County Talbot County Washington County Wicomico County Worcester County

Box 31

Glass negatives and aluminum plates and negatives (list included)