Merle Armitage Collection, 1919-1971

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Summary

Abstract:
This collection contains correspondence, printed ephemera, articles, book designs, announcements, and other materials written by and about and designed by Merle Armitage. Most items relate to book design and the performing arts.
Extent:
3.3 Linear Feet (4 boxes)
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Merle Armitage Collection, Press coll. Archives Armitage, William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains correspondence, printed ephemera, newspaper clippings, magazine and journal articles, hand-drawn book designs, announcements, and other materials written by and about and designed by Merle Armitage. Most items relate to book design and the performing arts. Items are primarily paper and most date from the late 1920s to late 1950s.

Biographical / historical:

Merle Armitage was born in 1893 on a farm outside Mason City, Iowa. He had many jobs over the years, but began his career as an engineer on the Kansas City, Mexico, and Orient Railroad (later the Santa Fe Railroad, and now the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway). He later took a job as a graphic designer for the Packard Motor Car Company in Detroit.

His next career was as a set designer for New York theaters, which later turned into a long stint in the theater promotion business. Armitage also managed various performers and their concert tours. In 1924, he co-founded the Los Angeles Grand Opera Association and was its business manager for eight seasons. He then managed the Los Angeles Philharmonic auditorium, from 1933 to 1939, where he oversaw production of various plays and operas.

In addition to his theater work, Armitage was involved with writing and designing books, as well as serving as the art director for various magazines (including 'Quick' and 'Look'). Over one hundred books are attributed to him. He had a short career in the Army Air Forces, working in the Material Center, and was a regional chairman for the Public Works of Art project during the Depression. In 1951, he was the president of the American Institute of Graphic Arts.

Merle Armitage married four times and eventually retired to Yucca Valley, California, to a ranch he called Manzanita Ranch. He died March 15, 1975.

Acquisition information:
The provenance for this collection is not clear, though items may have been collected by the Clark Library over time. Some items were donated by Merle Armitage and Ward Ritchie. If a donor is known, their name is listed in the note associated with the item.
Processing information:

Processed by Jamie Henricks, November 2009.

Additional material added to finding aid by Rebecca Fenning Marschall, May 2025.

Arrangement:

The collection was arranged previously by another individual; it was rearranged in November 2009. Series are organized chronologically.

The collection is organized into the following series:

  • Series 1. Correspondence, 1950-1958
  • Series 2. Articles and Publications, 1932-1971
  • Series 3. Book and Ephemera Design, 1933-1957
  • Series 4. Speeches and Exhibits, 1929-1957
  • Series 5. Theater, Music, and Art, 1927-1947
  • Series 6. Miscellaneous, 1919-1962

Physical location:
This collection is stored at the Southern Regional Library Facility. Please contact Clark Library staff at least 2 weeks in advance if you would like to view the materials in this collection.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The Clark Library owns the property rights to its collections but does not hold the copyright to these materials and therefore cannot grant or deny permission to use them. Researchers are responsible for determining the copyright status of any materials they may wish to use, investigating the owner of the copyright, and obtaining permission for their intended publication or other use. In all cases, you must cite the Clark Library as the source with the following credit line: The William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Merle Armitage Collection, Press coll. Archives Armitage, William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Location of this collection:
2520 Cimarron Street
Los Angeles, CA 90018, US
Contact:
(310) 794-5155
clark@humnet.ucla.edu
Website