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Del Walters Decil Papers 1957-2006

MSS-204

Biographical Note

Del Walters Decil, art director, commercial artist, and painter, was born Stella G. Smith on April 26, 1921 in Indianapolis, Indiana. She was raised in Phoenix but she returned to Indianapolis to complete her formal training at the Indianapolis Academy of Commercial Art and then at the John Herron Art Institute. She worked as a staff artist for the Indianapolis News and as art director for the Frank R. Jeleff Company (Washington DC), William H. Block Co. (Indianapolis), and Diamonds (Phoenix). She also worked as a freelance artist and her work was published in Brides Magazine, Southwest Art, the Saturday Evening Post, Phoenix Magazine and many other magazines and newspapers. Her works have been accepted to corporate collections in five states and private collections in twenty-two states.

Del Decil was known as Del Walters early in her career and she was primarily employed in art direction and commercial illustration for women's fashion advertisements. She worked as a staff artist at the William H. Block Company starting in 1945, was employed as art director for the Frank R. Jeleff stores of Washington D.C. in 1950, and returned to William H. Block as art director in 1952. In 1958 Decil was named Advertising Woman of the Year by the Indianapolis Advertising Club. Later she was named one of the top ten fashion artists in the United States by the American Merchants Association. Her work as an art director was unusual in that she created comprehensive layouts for other artists to follow rather than describing the work other artists would perform.

In 1962 Decil returned to Phoenix to serve as the first art director for Diamonds (now known as Dillards) Department Stores, but in 1968 she began her career as a gallery artist working in oils and watercolors. In 1973 she was awarded honorary membership in the prestigious Hoosier Salon of Indiana and she has mounted at least fourteen solo exhibits, taking several first and second prizes in various Arizona art competitions. She has served as a popular workshop instructor and juror in Arizona and New Mexico. Decil died in Prescott Valley, Arizona on July 28, 2009.

Scope and Content Note

The Del Decil Papers consist of original and printed fashion illustrations, layouts and other works of art, correspondence, biographical information, newsclippings, and printed matter extending from 1957-2006. The collection consists primarily of original and printed illustrations and advertisement layouts of women's fashion and furniture produced by Decil from the late 1950s to the late 1960s.

Series I: Diamond's Department Stores extends from 1962-1968 and includes original and printed illustrations of women's fashions.

Series II: William H. Block Company is not dated but was likely produced from 1957 to 1962. These original and printed illustrations primarily depict women's fashions and bridal wear.

Series III: Barrow's Furniture houses printed illustrations of home furnishings dating from 1968 to 1979.

Series IV: Casdell includes artwork for a planned china and decorative plate business in 1968.

Series V: Miscellaneous Works contains several original advertisement illustrations and designs for Television City (AZ), swimwear, women's fashions, and the state of Utah. Printed works in this series promote fishing lures, footwear, Mothers Day, Tri-City Mall (Mesa, AZ), Thomas Mall (Phoenix), women's fashions, and art galleries. An exhibit catalog entitled In Celebration of Women was not designed by Decil but includes one of her works.

Series VI: Miscellaneous Papers houses biographical information, newsclippings, correspondence (1978-1986), and a Decil essay written for this collection describing the roles of art directors and artists in working with print production processes of the 1950s and 1960s.

Arrangement

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

To view this collection, make an appointment at least five business days prior to your visit by contacting Ask an Archivist or calling (480) 965-4932. Appointments in the Wurzburger Reading Room at Hayden Library (rm. 138) on the Tempe campus are available Monday through Friday. Check the ASU Library Hours page for current availability.

Copyright

The Arizona Board of Regents retains copyright to this collection for and on behalf of the Arizona State University Library. Requests to publish, display, or redistribute information from this collection must be submitted via our online application.

Access Terms

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Del Walters Decil Papers, MSS-204, Arizona State University Library.

Provenance

The Del Walters Decil Papers were donated to the Arizona Collection by Ms. Decil in 2006 and 2007 (ACC# 2006-04026 and ACC# 2007-04056).

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