Marybelle S. Bigelow Collection, 1953-2001

Special Collections

Library and Information Access

San Diego State University

5500 Campanile Drive

Administrative Information:

Extent
367 linear feet (20 boxes)

Provenance
The materials in this collection were donated by Andrea Cox.

Access Restrictions
Records are open for research.

Use Restrictions
The copyright interests in these papers/records have not been transferred to San Diego State University.  Special Collections and University Archives can only grant permission to publish materials for which it is the copyright holder.  For further information, please consult the section on copyright in the rules for using the collections or contact the United States Copyright Office at (202) 707-3000 or http://www.loc.gov/copyright.

Preferred Citation
Identification of item, folder title, collection name, Special Collections and University Archives, Malcolm A. Love Library, San Diego State University.

Provenance
The Marybelle S. Bigelow Collection was donated by Bruce Gibson to Special Collections and University Archives in 2003.

Processing Information
Processed by Holland Kessinger, January 2005.

Encoded by
Jossie Chavez, 2005

Contact Information
Special Collections and University Archives
Library and Information Access
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-8050

Email: scref@rohan.sdsu.edu
Phone: (619) 594-6791
Fax: (619) 594-0466

Biography

Marybelle Schmidt Bigelow, born in La Mesa, California on July 18, 1923 was a distinguished professor of fashion and costume history, an accomplished artist and a prolific writer and creator.  Bigelow received both her BA and MFA at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and went on to teach there for more than six years.  She was awarded the esteemed Prix de Paris for fashion design and illustration, and worked briefly for Vogue Magazine in New York as a staff designer.  In 1956, Bigelow was invited to join the staff of San Diego State University (SDSU), where she taught fashion illustration, costume history, and graphic communication courses in the art department for more than twenty years. During her tenure at SDSU, Bigelow was active on a variety of committees and was recognized as an Outstanding Educator in 1970, 1971 and 1972.

In 1967, Bigelow completed Alphabets and Design, which was later adopted as a text for graphics and communications classes by the University of Minnesota. She then went on to write and illustrate her seminal text on the history of fashion and costume, Fashion in History: Apparel in the Western World. The second edition was completed and published in 1979 and is still in publication.  Although she retired in 1980, Bigelow continued to remain very active in academic life at SDSU, and was editor of the retirement newsletter for more than 12 years.

In addition to her career as an art professor, Bigelow was an active artist and creator, exhibiting in numerous galleries and museums, including the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art and the San Diego Fine Arts Gallery.  She wrote numerous versions of her autobiography, Vichyssoise and 33 Commencements, authored her own personal newsletter and wrote and illustrated a number of short stories and children's books.  She died in 2003 at the age of 79.

Scope and Content Note

The Marybelle S. Bigelow Collection measures 367 linear feet and dates from 1953 to 2001.  The collection is arranged in two series, personal and professional. In addition, there is an oversized section, which contains materials from both series.  The collection includes correspondence, drafts and manuscripts, photographs, diaries, slides and other papers related to Bigelow's personal life and career as an art professor.

Series Description

The Personal series (1953-2001) includes biographical material, genealogy and family histories, notebooks, travel journals and personal correspondence.  A large portion of the correspondence illustrates Bigelow's long friendship and devotion to Mary Campbell, whom she met at Vogue Magazine after winning the Prix de Paris competition.  Bigelow went on to act as advertising and design consultant for Mary Campbell's store, the Kent Shop, creating hundreds of print ads, logos and patterns which are also organized within this series.  Bigelow also chronicled her friendship with Mary in a set of illustrated volumes, entitled MB Saga.

The Personal series also contains Bigelow's diaries, which exemplify her wit, creativity and struggle as an art professor for more than thirty years.  Bigelow's political and social commentary is presented in Contemporary Comments and The Pessimistic Philosopher, a series of illustrated volumes that Bigelow created in response to the daily print and television headlines.  This series also includes drafts and manuscripts of Bigelow's personal writings, including her autobiography, personal photographs, artwork, financial and legal papers, scrapbooks and artifacts.

The Professional series (1953-2001) includes professional correspondence, teaching materials, committee documents, exhibition announcements and awards.  A significant portion of this series is dedicated to the various drafts of Bigelow's published titles, including Alphabets and Design and Fashion in History: Apparel in the Western World.  Original illustrations and artwork created by Bigelow for Fashion in History: Apparel in the Western World are contained in this series, as well as drawings Bigelow created as teaching materials for her various fashion and costume history classes.  Also included in this series are slides used during class lectures, class notes, syllabi and some original work created by students in Bigelow's classes.

Subject Access Terms
Bigelow, Marybelle S.
Fashion and Art
Fashion Drawing
Fashion Illustrators
Fashion Illustrators - California
             Fashion in Art Costume in Art
Costume - History
Art - Study and Teaching
             College Teachers as Artists
Graphic Arts
             Advertising Layout and Typography

Related Collections

Old Globe Theatre collection
University Archives, College of Arts and Letters

References/Bibliography

Bigelow, M. (1967).  Alphabets and Design: A Text for Beginning Students in Graphic Design.  Minneapolis, MN: Burgess Publishing.

Bigelow, M. (1970). Fashion in History: Apparel in the Western World.  Minneapolis, MN: Burgess Publishing.

Bigelow, M. (1979). Fashion in History: Apparel in the Western World (2nd ed.).  Minneapolis, MN: Burgess Publishing.

Container List

Box no.              Description

Box 1
                     Series I: Personal

                     Genealogy and family histories

                     Diaries and notebooks

                     Correspondence

                     Personal Drafts and manuscripts

Box 12
                     Series II: Professional Drafts and manuscripts (cont.)

Box 13
                     Series II: Professional Drafts and manuscripts (cont.)

Box 14
                     Series II: Professional Committees and consulting

                     Exhibitions and awards

                     Miscellaneous

Oversized Box 15
                     Series I: Personal Photographs and artwork

Oversized Box 16
                     Series II: Professional Teaching materials (cont.)

Oversized Box 17
                     Series II: Professional Teaching materials (cont.)

Oversized Box 18
                     Series II: Professional Drafts and manuscripts

Search This Site

Send Feedback

This page http://infodome.sdsu.edu/about/depts/spcollections/archives/bigelow.shtml is maintained by Nicole Shibata. Please use our Feedback Form for your questions, comments, and suggestions.

File saved 12/03/07 10:00 PST