IOWA WOMEN’S ARCHIVES
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA LIBRARIES
IOWA CITY, IOWA
JUDITH SUTCLIFFE (1941- )
PAPERS, 1957-1998
10 linear inches
|
ACQUISITION: |
The papers (donor no.
121) were donated by Judith Ann
Sutcliffe in 1994 and succeeding years. |
|
ACCESS: |
The papers are open
for research with the exception of the correspondence which is closed until
January 15, 2041. |
|
COPYRIGHT: |
Copyright has been retained by the donor and her heirs. |
|
PHOTOGRAPHS: |
In boxes 1 and 2. |
|
PROCESSED BY: |
Marnie Schroer, 1994, and
Natalie Brody, 1997. |
|
REVISION: |
Robert J. Jett, January 11, 1999, version WORD97 |
Biography
Judith Sutcliffe is an artist whose work includes
tile painting, printing letterpress books, and designing type. In 1946, at the age of five, she moved to
Audubon, Iowa, with her parents. She
later graduated from Audubon Community High School as valedictorian and then
majored in English and Chinese at the University of Iowa, graduating summa cum
laude in 1963.
In 1968, after working at a variety
of occupations elsewhere, Sutcliffe returned to Audubon and formed Greentree
Enterprises. Under the auspices of this
company, she collaborated with Joan Liffring-Zug on the hand-manufacture of
over seventy editions of Iowa Heritage Collectors plates. She also created, in conjunction with
Lorraine Larsen, limited editions of American Child Dolls. Their projects included designing and making
the Iowa First Lady Dolls, which are on permanent display in the State Capitol,
and dolls for the animated film, Raggedy
Ann and Andy.
Sutcliffe moved to Santa Barbara,
California, in 1978 and began a business painting tile murals (an activity she
had begun in Iowa). Her murals can be found in several public locations around
Santa Barbara including outside the courthouse. Soon after her move to California, Sutcliffe purchased two
letterpresses and began printing letterpress book editions with linocut
illustrations. In 1984, she purchased a Macintosh computer and expanded her
business to include designing type for the Macintosh. Thereafter, she divided her business activities between tile and
type. Sutcliffe moved back to Audubon
in 1996.
Sutcliffe has been involved in the
production of several books in addition to the letterpress volumes she prints
herself. She published her father's
autobiography, Memories of an Iowa
Veterinarian, and a book on tuberculosis which she co-authored with her
mother, Grandma Cherry's Spoon: A Story
of Tuberculosis. Sutcliffe also
published a coloring book of her nature drawings entitled California Wildflower Drawings.
Scope and
Content Note
The Judith Sutcliffe papers date from 1957 to 1998 and measure 10 linear inches.
The papers are arranged in six series: Correspondence,
Printing business, Publications, Unpublished writings, Tile murals business,
Newspaper clippings, and Photographs and slides. The bulk of this collection documents Sutcliffe's work as a
printer and tile artist in Santa Barbara; however, there are photographs and
newspaper clippings documenting earlier business ventures in Iowa as well as
correspondence from Sutcliffe's high school and college years. Many of the items have handwritten notes
from Sutcliffe explaining their significance.
The Correspondence series (1957-1964) contains two sets of
letters. The first includes letters
sent to Sutcliffe by her friend, John Niemeyer, during the period
1957-1960. It contains comments about
their attitudes towards rock and roll music and a continuing debate about
religion, especially Catholicism. The
second set in this series encompasses the letters sent to Sutcliffe by Grace
Ellis in 1963 and 1964. During her
senior year of college, Sutcliffe was charmed by a column Ellis wrote for a
weekly newspaper in Marengo. Sutcliffe
sent Ellis a few notes and drawings and they began the correspondence included
here. [CLOSED]
The Printing business series (1983-1995) contains materials dealing with
Sutcliffe's work as a publisher and printer.
It includes promotional pamphlets and samples of her font designs as
well as materials about Lotte Lehman (an opera singer about whom Sutcliffe
wrote and published) and mementos from her personal and professional
relationship with another printer and publisher, Roger Levenson.
The Publications series (1984-1997) contains bookcards and pamphlets
published by Sutcliffe. The series also
contains a design proposal for and issues of Noticias, a journal she redesigned and printed, and one copy of La Reata published by Sutcliffe. Additionally, an unpublished manuscript for
a book of poetry by Sutcliffe, "Beneath Patchwork of Bright and
Dark," a book of her poems, Iowa
Lyric, and a newsletter The Front
Porch, which is occasionally published by Sutcliffe on small town life are
also included. A series of five
hand-printed portfolio flower prints are shelved in closed stacks. Two books of family anecdotes as well as a
few books for which Sutcliffe functioned as illustrator are shelved in the
printed works collection. Memories of John W. Sutcliffe, written
and told by his friends as compiled after his death February 5, 1997 complete
series.
The Tile murals business series (1979-1990) contains materials relating
to Sutcliffe's work designing and creating tile murals in Santa Barbara. It consists primarily of postcards and
photographs of Sutcliffe's murals and some promotional pamphlets (printed by
Sutcliffe). Some related materials,
photographs of earlier tile designs done in Iowa, can be found in the
Photographs series.
The Newspaper
clippings series (1974-1989) contains clippings of articles written both
about Sutcliffe and by her.
The Photographs
and slides series (1969-1989) contains a number of photographs (many by
Joan Liffring-Zug) and some slides documenting Sutcliffe's work with Greentree
Enterprises. They primarily consist of
photographs of the Iowa Heritage Collectors plates as well as two photographs
of the dolls Sutcliffe co-created with Lorraine Larsen and some photographs and
slides of Sutcliffe's early tile work. The series also includes photographs of
then state senator Bill Winkelman (taken by Sutcliffe) and various personal
portraits.
Shelved in closed stacks:
Printing Business
Strange Happenings at Brandenburg Surf (1984) (illustrated and hand
bound by Sutcliffe)
Poems of Lotte Lehman (1987)
Lotte Lehman: An Opera Alphabet (1988)
American Type Designers (1995)
Publications
Portfolio flower prints,
1984 (5 portfolios)
Shelved in printed works
collection:
Publications
Family anecdotes
Grandma Cherry's Spoon: A Story of Tuberculosis (1991)
Memories of an Iowa Veterinarian (1990)
Illustrations and cover art
The Bodega War and Other Tales From Western Lore (1988)
Heroes, Villains and Ghosts (1984)
A Kayak Full of Ghosts (1987)
Sherlock Slept Here (1985)
Wolverine Creates the World (1993)
Young Wolf: The Early Adventure Stories of Jack London (1984)
Related
Collections
Joan Liffring-Zug papers (State Historical Society
of Iowa, Iowa City)
Sue
Reed papers
These papers contain material relating to the Iowa First
Ladies Dolls in Inaugural Gowns collection, a project that Judith Sutcliffe
participated in. See Box 1; Iowa
American Revolution Bicentennial Commission; Iowa First Ladies Dolls in
Inaugural Gowns album, 1977.
Box no. Description
Box 1
Correspondence (with John Niemeyer and Grace Ellis) [CLOSED: filed in box 3]
Printing Business
Lotte Lehman material,
1986-1991
Promotional materials and
sample work
1981-1991
1993 and undated
Roger Levenson, 1983-1987,
1992, 1994 and undated
Publications
Bookcards and pamphlets,
1985-1996 (scattered)
Journals, 1988, 1991, 1992,
1996
Box 2
Iowa Lyric, 1996
Memories of John W. Sutcliffe, 1997
Poetry (undated)
The Front Porch, No. 1, 1998
Tile murals business
Photographs and postcards,
1979-1990 and undated (scattered)
Newspaper clippings, 1974-1989, 1996
Photographs
Collectors plates, dolls,
and tile designs, 1969, 1973, 1977 and undated
Slides, 1973, 1977 and
undated [includes an accompanying letter from Joan Liffring-Zug]
Bill Winkelman, 1974 or
1975?
Joan Liffring-Zug, undated
(2 items)
Personal, 1988-1992 and
undated
Box
3
Correspondence (with John Niemeyer and Grace Ellis) [CLOSED] (5 folders)