(ART.) Archive of the renowned animal sculptor F.G.R. Roth. 115 items (0.3 linear feet) in one box; condition generally strong but a few items worn. Various places, 1915-1927 and undated
Frederick George Richard Roth (1872-1944) was an award-winning sculptor who specialized in the animal form. He resided in Englewood, NJ. Three of his works appear in New York's Central Park, most notably his 1925 depiction of Balto, a heroic Alaskan sled dog. This archive of his personal working papers includes:
69 photographs of sculpture, most or all of it by Roth. The sizes and formats vary widely, and include both studio and outdoor shots. The count includes photos in two small portfolios of his "greatest hits," including an appearance of the famed Balto. A studio shot of the clay model for Balto is also present. The largest is a 12 3/4 x 9 3/4-inch photo of a tiger Roth made for Princeton University; most are about half that size. Roth's sculpture of a mounted George Washington in Morristown, NJ is well represented with at least 20 photographs. Roth can be seen at work in his studio in at least two shots.
A pair of Roth's sketchbooks, undated and uncaptioned, mostly in pencil but each with a few pages in ink. One is cloth-bound, [58] pages, 6 x 9 1/2 inches, with several leaves detached. The other is spiral-bound, lacking covers, [28] pages, 13 x 16 1/2 inches, with pieces cut out of 3 leaves.
10 pencil or ink sketches of sculptures, most or all by Roth. These are in a variety of conditions and sizes; two are signed by Roth.
A folder of 5 manuscript items includes Roth's signed 2-page account of the creation of the Balto monument; a certificate from the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915; and promotional correspondence from 1925 to 1927.
11 large family portrait photos. 4 show Roth (2 being duplicates), 5 apparently show his two young sons, and 2 may depict his parents.
15 pieces of printed ephemera including clippings, magazines and Columbia University alumni publications featuring Roth, and his son's 1926 prep school yearbook.
A signed drypoint engraving by Roth's contemporary New Jersey artist George O. "Pop" Hart, 12 1/2 x 16 3/4 inches.
Two signed woodcut prints by Roth, one of them titled "Ye Surlie Bear," each about 11 x 6 1/2 inches on larger mounts.
