Naomi Savage miscellaneous acquisitions collection

Materials in this collection are related to an ongoing St. Valentine’s Day correspondence between Naomi Savage and Jerry Uelsmann. Each year, from 1970 to 1994, the two photographers would exchange letters comprised of greetings written on the front and/or reverse of prints. Most of the notes are hand written, and there is often ephemera enclosed as well. There are three copies of a typewritten letter as well as one handwritten note sent from Savage to Uelsmann. The rest of the collection is comprised of material sent from Uelsmann to Savage. Savage’s photographic work is not represented. The photos vary in composition from family photos to landscapes to abstractions. Some are housed in frames or matted. Box 1 contains seven folders, six from Series 1 and one from Series 2.

FOLDER 1 contains all correspondence for each year between 1970 and 1979. This correspondence is comprised of hand written notes on photographs used as cards. In addition to the photographic correspondence there are ephemera, including a lapel button. The original envelopes and packing materials are housed behind each item with interleaving between them.

FOLDER 2 contains all correspondence from each year between 1980 and 1986. 1982 and 1984 are housed in Box 2. In addition to the photographic correspondence there are three copies of a typewritten note from Savage asking Uelsmann if he would consent to publishing their Valentine’s correspondence as a book. There is also a hand written note from Savage recognizing Uelsmann’s declination of the offer. The original envelopes and packing materials are housed behind each item with interleaving between them.

FOLDER 3 contains correspondence from 1987 and 1989. 1988 is housed in Box 2. In addition to the photographic correspondence the original envelopes and packing materials are housed behind each item with interleaving between them.

FOLDER 4 contains correspondence from 1990-1994, with 1992 housed in Box Two. In addition to the photographic correspondence the original packing and envelopes are housed behind each item with interleaving between them.

FOLDER 5 contains two photos which were not able to be dated. There is also one envelope in the folder with the postmark date obscured. Interleaving between each item

FOLDER 6 contains and accordion style folder which houses two sets of photocopies of all of the materials and images exchanged in the Valentine’s correspondence between Savage and Uelsmann and represented in this collection. In addition to the two sets of paper clipped photocopies are several dozen other photocopies of items and photographs which are not represented in this collection.

FOLDER 7 is the first and only folder of SERIES 2. It contains a copy of Photometro newsprint magazine featuring Uelsmann on the cover and an interview with Uelsmann inside.

BOX 2 contains oversized items sent in correspondence, including four large photographic prints and one sliding photo frame housing a photographic print. The original packing material is stored toward the bottom of the box with interleaving between each photographic item. The print from 1984 has a handwritten note from Uelsmann on the back declining Savage’s offer to create a book from their correspondence.