The Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, administered by the Library of Congress, announces the selection of Martha Jane Nadell, who recently completed a Ph.D. in the history of American civilization at Harvard University, to receive its 2001-2002 Swann Foundation Fellowship.
Ms. Nadell's project, "'The Old Negro': Race and Representation in Post Bellum America," is intended to form the beginning of a book that will emerge from her dissertation, which examines connections between the visual arts and literature by and about African Americans in the 1920s-1950s. In the new research she will explore images of the "Old Negro" in popular visual and literary culture. She plans to focus on 19th century representations of "blackness," especially caricatures and cartoons published as illustrations in books and magazines.
In the interest of increasing awareness and extending documentation of Library of Congress collections, Ms. Nadell is required to make use of the Library's collections and be in residence for at least two weeks during the award period. She will also deliver a public lecture on her work in progress during the award period.
New York advertising executive Erwin Swann (1906-1973) established the Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon in 1967. An avid collector, Swann assembled a large group of original drawings by 400 artists, spanning two centuries, which his estate bequeathed to the Library of Congress in the 1970s. Mr. Swann's original purpose was to compile a collection of original drawings by significant humorous and satiric artists and to encourage the study of original cartoon and caricature drawings as works of art.
The foundation's support of research and academic publication is carried out in part through a program of fellowships. The Swann Foundation awards one fellowship annually (with a stipend of $15,000) to assist continuing scholarly research and writing projects in the field of caricature and cartoon. The Caroline and Erwin Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon, is guided by an advisory board composed of scholars, collectors, cartoonists and Library of Congress staff members. Its activities support the study, interpretation, preservation and appreciation of original works of humorous and satiric art by graphic artists from around the world. Applications for the academic year 2002-2003 are due on Feb. 15, 2002.
More information is available through the Swann Foundation's Web site: www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/swannhome.html, by e-mailing: swann@loc.gov, or by calling Martha Kennedy at (202) 707-9115.