Scope and Contents note
The Madye Lee Chastain Papers comprised one final book manuscript, 31 scratchboard illustrations, and one photostat illustration. The manuscript is typed, 185 p., and contains handwritten notes.
Dates
- 1950-1951
Creator
- Chastain, Madye Lee, 1908-1989 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access note
Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.
Conditions Governing Use note
Property rights reside with Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs. All requests for permission to publish collection materials must be submitted to Special Collections and University Archives. The reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.
Biographical/Historical note
Madye Lee Chastain was born on December 15, 1908, in Texarkana, Texas. While her childhood was primarily spent in the city, Chastain’s summer vacations on her grandmother’s farm profoundly impacted her; the memories of those summers stayed with her through adulthood and became the inspiration for her one of her children’s books. Chastain would later say that her life experiences would infuse all of her creative work in some way.
After high school, Chastain’s family moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where she attended Oglethorpe University and the Art School of High Museum. After moving to New York City with her parents, Chastain continued her art studies at Grand Central Art School and Columbia University.
Art would play a major role in Chastain’s life. She married another artist, Henry Kurt Stoessel and worked as an artist for a period of six years. When her daughter Roxanna was born in 1939, Chastain became interested in the wealth of children’s books available, an interest that expanded into creating her own children’s stories for her daughter. The first book that she wrote was about Roxanna, an endeavor that launched Chastain into her career in children’s book writing and illustrating. Over the space of six years, Chastain wrote and illustrated ten books for children.
Extent
0.5 linear feet (1 container)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Madye Lee Chastain Papers comprise one final book manuscript, 31 scratchboard illustrations, and one photostat illustration.
Arrangement note
Collection is organized into the following series: Manuscripts.
Processing Information
Collection processed by staff.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
- Children and Youth Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Children's literature, American -- Authorship Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Children's literature, American -- Illustrations Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Illustrated children's books -- United States -- Specimens Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Literature Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Steamboats -- Juvenile literature Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Women Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Women authors, American -- 20th century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Women illustrators -- United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- Guide to the Madye Lee Chastain Papers
- Status
- Complete Description
- Date
- 2007
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in Englis
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Repository Details
Part of the University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives Repository
