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Pál Kelemen Papers 1914-1981Kelemen (Pál) Papers

MS 9

Biographical Note

Pál Kelemen (1894-1993) was an archaeologist, art historian, and international art lecturer who helped bring a new perspective to Pre-Columbian artwork. He was one of the first to recognize the importance of Medieval Spanish Colonial artwork of the Americas. Later in his life, he became an international art expert, consultant and author of several books and published articles.

Born in Budapest, Hungary on April 24, 1894, he studied art history at the universities of Budapest, Munich and Paris with an emphasis in Impressionism before the 19th century. World War I interrupted his art studies as he served for four years as officer in the Hungarian Cavalry. After the war, he returned to his studies; however, his art interests had turned towards early Christian and Byzantium art. Kelemen conducted museum research in Budapest, Vienna, Florence, London, Madrid and Seville before coming to the United States in 1932. On May 2, 1932 he married Elisabeth Hutchings Zulauf and in 1939 he became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

During his long career, he carried out several cultural missions and survey trips to Latin America, some under the aegis of the Cultural Division of the U.S. Department of State. In addition, he conducted many art tours and lectures throughout the United States, Latin America and Europe. Kelemen received many honors, including the Order of Merit from the government of Ecuador and an honorary degree from the University of Arizona. He was one of the founding members of the Bibliophile Society of Hungary and a fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute, as well as, a member of several societies and art associations across the United States, Latin America, and Europe.

As an author he wrote numerous books concerning art history and studies. His first endeavor was Battlefields of the Gods: Aspects of Mexican History, Art, and Exploration (1937). His two-volume work, Medieval American Art: Masterpieces of the New World before Columbus (1943), initiated a new era in the appreciation and study of the artistic achievements of the aboriginal New World. Another equally prominent book was Baroque and Rococo in Latin America (1961). In addition, Kelemen had many published works covering the famous artist El Greco, such as El Greco Revisited: Candia, Venice, Toledo (1961) and El Greco Revisited: His Byzantine Heritage (1962). His last published book was titled, Vanishing Art of the Americas (1977). Additionally, he was a contributor for Encyclopedia Britannica and Stauffacher’s World Art History, as well as, many other leading periodicals in the United States, Latin America, and Europe.

Pál Kelemen died on February 15, 1993, just a few months shy of his 99th birthday, in La Jolla, California. The book titled, The Kelemen Journals: Incidents of Discovery of Art in the Americas, 1932-1964 was published in 2004 and includes autobiographical sketches by both Pál and his wife Elizabeth as they traveled and lectured worldwide in the name of art.

Scope & Content Note

This collection is arranged into eleven series and includes I) Correspondence, the largest series and the only one with a subseries, Appraisals & Gift Correspondence. The other main series include: II) Lecture Notes, Tours and Related Information; III) Published Book Projects; IV) Published Articles; V) Unpublished Articles & Other Projects; VI) Research and Survey Trips; VII) Exhibition Booklets & Information; VIII) Personal Journals; IX) Miscellaneous; X) Elisabeth Zalauf Kelemen’s Published Works and XI) Oversized Miscellaneous Items. Each series’ folders have been arranged alphabetically except for the I) Correspondence series, subseries Appraisals & Gift Correspondence and VIII) Personal Journal series, which have been arranged chronologically by year. The eleventh series, XI) Miscellaneous Oversized Items, only the first box, 30, is a standard legal-sized flip-top document box that has folders, which have been arranged alphabetically by subject. The other boxes in this series, 31 & 32 (16”x19 7/8”x3½” dimensions) do not have folders and the individual items, mostly oversized illustrations and posters, are not in any particular order. The last oversized folder/box in this series, 33 (23x17½x1½”), is in the original folder and arrangement when ASM acquired it from the Kelemens.

The majority of this collection consists of professional and personal correspondence that Kelemen had with colleagues, business associates, publishers, friends and family. The bulk of the papers in this collection are dated between 1932-1981, especially the correspondence section. Also, there are many folders and documents in the correspondence series that relate to Kelemen’s correspondence with his publishers, which include companies such as Allen & Unwin Publishing, Curtis Brown Ltd. International Publishing Bureau, The Macmillan Company and German publishing company, Paul List Verlag. In addition, many of the correspondence folders contain associated photographs or postcards, especially the art consultation letters.

This collection also contains notes that Kelemen took during his various research survey trips to Latin America. In addition, there are lecture tour notes and slide lists, book project notes and information on his published works, book reviews and associated news clippings, congratulations letters, published and unpublished manuscripts and unpublished articles. Additionally, the collection includes Kelemen’s personal journals (1914-1918), which he wrote in his native Hungarian language during WWI when he was a Hussar Calvary officer. Moreover, Kelemen collected a variety of art gallery booklets, exhibition programs, historical city guides, maps, as well as, books, magazines and newspaper clippings; most are related to Pre-Columbian, Latin American and Medieval Spanish Colonial artwork, architecture and artists. Original illustrations, some large-sized photographs, postcards, printed art reproductions, lecture posters, book jacket posters and other large oversized items can also be viewed. In addition, there are a few manuscripts written by Pal’s wife, Elisabeth Zalauf Kelemen, included in the collection.

There is one very unique item in the collection, a Master Roll or estate yearbook dated 1719-1723 for the town/province of Fagagna, Friaul, Italy (Box 33). This estate book is covered in some type of animal hide or vellum and is written in Italian. This was one of the towns Kelemen stayed in as an officer in the Hungarian Calvary during WWI.

Some other highlights that can be found within the collection include: 1) Kelemen’s personal correspondence with Sir Eric Thompson (i.e. Sir J. Eric S. Thompson), an English archeologist and Mayanist epigrapher and who was regarded as the pre-eminent mid-20th century scholar of the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization. 2) The research and information he collected for his first published book project Battlefield of the Gods . 3) The correspondence, original drawings, book illustrations, documents and bills associated with his Hussar’s Picturebook project. 4) His original drafts and manuscripts for his published books project Vanishing Art of the Americas – one of his last published books. 5) Kelemen’s personal journals written between 1914-1918 while he was an officer in the Hungarian Calvary during WWI – all are written in his native Hungarian language. 6) A pristine 1939 Life Magazine showing pre-and post- WWII Hungary, Kelemen’s native country. 7) A booklet titled, The Greek Origins of Christopher Columbus, which tells of Columbus’ Greek origins – a subject that interested Kelemen due to his interest in El Greco and Byzantine Art.

Kelemen was fluent in many languages and while most of the correspondence and notes are in English much is written in Spanish, German and Hungarian with a few letters in French and Italian. Most of the Spanish correspondence is with directors and leaders of art/museum institutions and agencies in Mexico, Central America and South America. Most of the German correspondence is with his German publisher, colleagues and friends.

In addition to the Kelemen paper and manuscript collection, the Arizona State Museum also has an extensive Kelemen photographic collection. This visual collection includes such items as negatives, slides and various sizes of black & white and color prints from the many Kelemen's research trips, which they took all over the world. Many of the images were shot by Elisbeth Kelemen.

Restrictions

Conditions Governing Access

None

Conditions Governing Use

The Arizona State Museum may not own copyright to all parts of this collection. It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for the University of Arizona, Arizona State Museum, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.

Controlled Access Terms

Administrative Information

Custodial History

There are several ASM Library and ASM Archive accession numbers and transfers associated with this collection including, AT 89-38, LA 83-27, LA 86-85 and ASM ACC 80-68, ASM ACC 84-86, and ASM ACCC 90-18. A memo by Alan Ferg, ASM Archivist, dated August 1, 1994, provides a detailed account describing the history of the collection. The first box of materials in the collection was received at the ASM Library/Archives on October 18, 1983. Various other accessions continued to arrive to the ASM Archives and ASM Library until November 22, 1993. During the late 1980s, a handwritten inventory, author unknown, was created listing all the envelopes and folder titles found within the eleven boxes of the collection. From September 2010-April 2011, this handwritten inventory was used by Intern Archivist, Brenda Taylor, to reorganize the collection’s series arrangement and process the collection to re-house the papers and other items into acid-free boxes & folders and create an electronic finding aid. In February 2011, ASM Archivist Ferg assigned a manuscript accession number, MS 9, to the collection.

Preferred Citation

Pál Kelemen Papers. MS 9 (Manuscript Series 9). Arizona State Museum. Archives.

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