 W. Stanton Forbes papers
Collection DescriptionHistorical NoteWilliam Stanton Forbes (1912-1989), an Athens native, became interested in art and writing from a young age while studying under his aunt, the artist Lucy May Stanton. He pursued his interest in the arts and humanities by earning a Bachelor's in English from the University of Georgia and a Master's in English from Vanderbilt University. He then traveled to Italy in 1938-1939 to study fresco under Giovanni Colacicchi at the Royal Academies in Rome and Florence. From 1942-1945, he served with the US Army, 602nd Engineers Camouflage Battalion, earning five campaign stars for the European Theatre where his Battalion camouflage painted tanks, constructed road screens, concealed soldiers and vehicles in snow conditions, helped establish headquarters and bivouacs, and, in general, supplied camouflage material for men, equipment, and tactics.From 1950-1953, he studied History of Art and Applied Art at Mexico City College under Justino Fernandez, Lola and German Cueto, and Enrique Climent. He received a Master's Degree in History of Art and Applied Art in 1954. After a divorce from his first wife Ellen Endicott, he married Jean Reti-Forbes in 1963. In 1975, he wrote "Lucy M. Stanton, Artist," a biography of his aunt. He spent most of his adult life in the North Georgia mountains, writing and creating works of art. He also held annual exhibits of his paintings, prints, sculpture, weaving, pottery and furniture at his home in Athens, GA. He lived with his daughter, Lucy Shevenell, in Massachusetts for several years before then moving to a nearby nursing home where he died on September 12, 1989. Scope and ContentThis collection contains a variety of material related to W. Stanton Forbes, including his correspondence, artwork, and writing, as well as his collection of clippings, diaries, music compositions, official documents, house plans for "Still Waters," photographs, and other printed materials. The correspondence consists of letters between 1924 and 2007and are primarily from W. Stanton Forbes, Ellen E. Forbes, Lucy and Katherine Forbes, Frances Forbes Heyn, and Jean Reti-Forbes. The collection holds a significant amount of World War II letters between W. Stanton and his first wife, Ellen, covering 1942 to 1945 from W. Stanton's enlistment to his honorable discharge. The other large portion of the collection is the 1960s and 1970s, when W. Stanton wrote his daughters and sister almost every day. The official documents consist mainly of legal documents, exhibition programs, passports, military discharge papers, wills, and memorial service programs of W. Stanton Forbes and his second wife, Jean Reti-Forbes. The writings include W. Stanton Forbes' original music compositions, short stories, poetry, and longer prose including his Mexico City College master thesis, illustrated stories for his grandchildren, and a biography of his aunt artist Lucy Stanton. The newspaper clippings consist of obituaries, articles, and announcements focused on the professional work of W. Stanton Forbes and his loved ones, including his Mexico City College mentors, his relative Lucy Bates, his aunt Lucy M. Stanton, and Jean Reti-Forbes. Also included are four volumes notebooks and diaries filled with the creative and personal writings of W. Stanton Forbes and Jean Reti-Forbes as well as the guestbook from their residence Still Waters. The art series consists of a copper plate, ink prints, watercolors, pencil sketches, and ink drawings including Forbes' tribal artwork, often used in conjunction with texts written by his second wife, Jean Reti-Forbes. The photographs are of W. Stanton Forbes, his exhibitions, his loved ones, and Still Waters. Organization and ArrangementMaterials are arranged in eight series: 1. Correspondence. 2. Official Documents. 3. Writings. 4. Newspaper Clippings. 5. Notebooks and Diaries. 6. Printed Material. 7. Art. 8. Photographs. With the exception of Correspondence, which has been arranged chronologically, the materials are arranged by record type. Administrative InformationPreferred CitationW. Stanton Forbes papers, ms940, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries. Related Materials and SubjectsSubject TermsRelated Collections in this RepositoryRelated materials available in the following collections of this repository: W. Stanton Forbes collection, ms2081 ; Helen Forbes Ross papers, ms640 ; Walter T. Forbes papers, ms39 ; Jean Reti-Forbes papers, ms912 ; Lucy M. Stanton papers, ms392 ; Lucy M. Stanton collections, ms846 and ms3486; Lillian Smith papers, ms1283 and 1283a. | ||||||||||||||||||