Call Number:

Ms. Coll. 1435

Repository:

University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts

Extent:

1.5 linear feet (2 boxes)

Preferred Citation:

Thomas Waldman research collection on Nadar, Ms. Coll. 1435, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania

Date:

1972-2018 (inclusive)

Form:

Photographs, Autographs (manuscripts), Correspondence, and Research notes

Abstract:

Thomas G. Waldman (1938-2018) was a scholar of the history of Medieval France and an associate professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania. He envisioned a book and exhibit on photographer Felix Nadar's autograph album, called "Nadar and His World," that would bring together the subjects of Nadar's photographs, their autographs, and biographical sketches. While the project was not completed, Waldman's research is available through this collection.

Thomas G. Waldman was born in 1938 in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his BA and MA from Columbia University and went on to her his DPhil from Oxford University. Waldman spent much of his career at the University of Pennsylvania, serving first as a bibliographer of rare books and manuscripts, then as an adjunct associate professor of history from 1971 to 1975. In 1975, he shifted his attentions to fundraising and joined the staff of Development and Alumni Relation, as director of Corporate and Foundation Relations for the School of Arts and Sciences. He worked in that capacity until 2007 when he retired. Following his retirement, he continued his relationship with Penn, teaching medieval history as a visiting scholar. In addition to his career at Penn, Waldman co-founded the Delaware Valley Medieval Association and was a member of the Royal Historical Society.

Probably during his earliest work at Penn working with rare books and manuscripts, Waldman became interested in an autograph album created for noted French photographer, Felix Nadar (1820-1910), by the people who sat for his portrait photographs from 1853 to 1875. This album, donated to Penn by dentist, Thomas Evans, contains autographs of more than 400 prominent individuals who signed their names and often added a sketch, poem, bar of music, etc. The resulting album consists of a "who's who" of the literary, theatre, and music world in France from the 1850s to 1870s.

From the 1970s to the 1990s, Waldman researched Nadar and his sitters. He proposed a book and an exhibit which he intended to call "Nadar and His World." These records do not provide evidence that either was completed, although there is correspondence indicating that publishers were interested in a book. Regardless, Waldman compiled an enormous amount of valuable information about the individuals who Nadar photographed and created lists of autographs and transcriptions of the poems and sayings within the album. Waldman died on July 1, 2018. In addition to this small collection, Waldman also donated a significant collection relating to his interests in medieval France, in particular the history of the abbey of St. Denis (just outside of Paris, France).

This collection consists of Tom Waldman's research of Felix Nadar and his autograph album which was signed by individuals whom Nadar photographed. The collection is arranged in three series: I. "Nadar and His World" correspondence, lists and research notes; II. Research on photography and other art; and III. Reproductions of Nadar's photographs.

Series I. "Nadar and His World," correspondence, lists and research notes documents Waldman's efforts to edit a book and hold an exhibit called "Nadar and His World," which would feature Nadar's autograph album, biographical sketches of the individuals who signed the book and sat for portraits, and the actual portraits of those who wrote in the book. This series includes Waldman's prospectus for the project, which defines his ideas for the book, stating "the book I have in mind will do much more than simply reproduce Nadar photos. Nadar was a central figure in Parisian life in the middle of the nineteenth century, and one of the true representatives of "la vie de Bohème." To his studio in the rue St. Lazare came his friends, the writers, poets, and artists of the Latin Quarter. The Album and the photos together give a tableau of a social and intellectual milieu, and this study will help place the early photos of Nadar in their correct social context." (box 1, folder 1). This series also contains biographical research on individuals who signed the Album (arranged alphabetically), lists of the signers of the Album (with leaf number and typed transcription of their writings), correspondence about Waldman's efforts to publish and promote the project and acquiring prints of Nadar's photographs, and research on Nadar, Nadar's Pantheon, the autograph album, and the Thomas Evans collection.

The second series includes very general research, largely on photography (early and more modern) and other forms of art. For the most part, the material in this series includes articles, clippings, book advertisements, and a few exhibit brochures. In an article about the Album, Waldman stated that he was "very interested in the history of photography," (Pennsylvania Gazette, 1979 February, box 1, folder 20) and therefore it is possible that this research reached beyond Waldman's interest in his Nadar project. The final series, III. Reproductions of Nadar's photographs contains prints of more than 225 of Nadar's portraits, which were sent to Waldman from the National Fund for Historic Monuments and Sites Photographic Service in Paris. These photographs are protected by the Société de la Propriété Artistique et des Dessins et Modèles (S.P.A.D.E.M). Each photograph has a number (which can be linked to lists found in box 1, folder 14) and a handwritten name. In some cases, names have been crossed out, indicating that the lists of number may not always have been accurate. There are a small number of photographs that did not have a name listed.

Photographic prints are arranged alphabetically. While the bulk of the prints match the names of the individuals who signed Nadar's autograph album, there are some photographs of people not listed in the album, and there are a significant number of names of individuals in the album without photographic prints. Waldman states in his prospectus that some of the earliest autographs may relate to individuals who were sketched rather than photographed by Nadar.

This collection provides a researcher with many of the elements required to complete Waldman's plan to re-create "Nadar and His World." This collection should be used along with Nadar autograph album, 1853-1875 (Ms. Coll. 21).