Scope and Content Note
The papers of Erwin D. Swann (1906-1973) span the years 1949-1976, with the majority of the items concentrated in the years 1968-1973. Most of the papers pertain to Swann's business activities as a producer of art and cultural films, collector of caricature and cartoon art, and collector of modern art. Also interfiled throughout the collection are a few items of correspondence, business papers, and other material of his wife, Caroline Berg Swann. In addition, there are many items written by Allison Dodd, Swann's assistant and the curator of the Swann Collection of Caricature and Cartoon. The papers consist of four series: Financial and Legal Papers, Art Collection Files, Writings File, and Scheduling File.
The Financial and Legal Papers (1956-1976) constitute almost half of the collection and pertain chiefly to Swann's business activities from 1970 through 1973. This series is divided into three subseries: Swannsway Productions Ltd. Papers, General Papers, and Estate Papers.
The Swannsway Productions Ltd. Papers (1967-1976) document the activities of a corporation that Swann established to create, produce, and distribute art and cultural films. Designed to be both educational and entertaining, these films were produced to fill a gap between documentaries and commercial network programming. These papers relate primarily to two films: "Carmen," a backstage view of a 1972 Hamburg State Opera production, and an Indian art film entitled "My Hands Are the Tools of My Soul." The files pertaining to the latter film, however, were labeled by Swann's staff "Indian art film" and by the working titles "The Far North" and "Mask and Drum." "Carmen" received critical acclaim and was telecast as a Public Broadcasting System special on 3 March 1975. Other papers in this subseries concern ideas for new films and for marketing Swannsway productions. Additional information describing the type of films produced by Swannsway is located in the folder labeled "General."
The General Papers subseries (1956-1975) focuses on Swann's diverse business enterprises as gentleman farmer, securities investor, and theatrical producer. The majority of the papers consist of correspondence, bills, receipts, and financial reports. Some items from the 1950s and early 1960s pertain to Caroline Swann, including two pieces of correspondence in the miscellaneous folders exchanged between Mrs. Swann and Lyndon B. Johnson concerning the future president's 1960 vice-presidential nomination.
The Estate Papers subseries (1959-1976) contain documents related to tax and legal matters involving Erwin and Berg Swann's estates. Much of this material pertains to the appraisal and disposition of their art collections.
The Art Collection Files (1949-1976) reflect two areas that greatly interested the Swanns, cartoon and caricature art of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries, and modern art. These papers are divided into two subseries according to those interests: Swann Collection of Caricature and Cartoon; and General Files.
The Swann Collection of Caricature and Cartoon, founded by Erwin Swann, was a nonprofit and tax-exempt foundation established to acquire a definitive collection of original cartoon and caricature art. The papers (1962-1976) reflect Swann's efforts to collect, display, and exhibit this type of art. The majority of correspondence is between Swann and private collectors, rare book dealers, antique shop owners, and museum staffs. There are also a few letters between Swann and the following artists: Peggy Bacon, Frank Bajinski, Tom Darcy, Jeff MacNelly, Paul Peter Porges, and Mischa Richter. In addition to correspondence, the papers include material that Swann collected about cartoon and caricature art and financial records pertaining to the purchase, shipment, and display of the collection.
Papers in the General Files subseries (1949-1973) represent the Swanns' shared interest in French impressionism, modern European and American art, and Indic and Far Eastern art. The early papers indicate that Caroline Swann handled most of the art purchases, correspondence, and records relating to their collection until her death in 1964. Many of the papers document the Swanns' efforts to acquire pieces of art and to donate artworks to various museums.
The final two series of the Swann papers are the Writings File (1956-1970) and the Scheduling File. The Writings File (1966-1973) contains playscripts and correspondence concerning playscripts written by Swann. The bulk of the material pertains to his play "Red Squares," formerly entitled "Little Golden Calf" and "There Are No Squares Like Red Squares." In addition, there are several articles, television scripts, and miscellaneous writings by Caroline Swann written for a variety of television programs in the 1940s and early 1950s. The Scheduling File consists of calendars documenting Swann's personal and business engagements.
The most prominent and frequent of Swann's correspondents are Arbit Blatas, Oscar Dancigers, Richard Digby-Day, Frank Dunlop, Albert McCleery, Robert Nichol, Christopher Nupen, Harold Pinter, Barry Tomblin, and Audrey Wood.