Diana Vreeland papers

id
1509
origination
Vreeland, Diana
date statement
1899-2000 [bulk 1930-1989]
key date
1899
identifier (local_mss)
5980
org unit
Manuscripts and Archives Division
call number
MssCol 5980
b-number
b15996941
total components
410
total series
7
max depth
5
boost queries
(none)
component layout
Default Layout
Extended MARC Fields
false
Extended Navigation
false
created
2013-04-01 15:04:12 UTC
updated
2026-06-26 18:20:20 UTC
status note
(missing)
Display Aeon link
true

Description data TOP

physdesc
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"27 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear feet"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"67 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}], "supress_display"=>true}
unitid
{"value"=>"MssCol 5980", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"5980", "type"=>"local_mss"}
unitdate
{"value"=>"1899-2000", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1899/2000"}
{"value"=>"1930-1989", "type"=>"bulk", "normal"=>"1930/1989"}
date_inclusive_start
1899
date_inclusive_end
2000
keydate
1899
unittitle
{"value"=>"Diana Vreeland papers"}
repository
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library. <span class=\"subarea\">Manuscripts and Archives Division</span></span> <div class=\"address\"><span class=\"addressline\">New York, New York</span></div>"}
abstract
{"value"=>"The collection documents the professional, social and family life of Diana Vreeland (1903-1989), editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine and prominent celebrity in the fashion and publishing industry. Vreeland's career at Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, and the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is documented. The collection also contains personal and family papers."}
prefercite
{"value"=>"<p>Diana Vreeland Papers, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library.</p>"}
bioghist
{"value"=>"<p>Diana Vreeland, renowned editor-in-chief of Vogue, and fashion editor of Harper's Bazaar, was a dominant force in the fashion industry of the mid-twentieth century. She was born Diana Dalziel in Paris in 1903, the daughter of British stockbroker Frederick Young Dalziel and Emily Key Hoffman, an American. In 1924, she married Thomas Reed Vreeland (1899-1906), a banker and international financier. The Vreeland marriage produced two sons, Thomas Reed, Jr. and Frederick Dalziel.</p> <p>Although born into a wealthy and socially prominent family, Vreeland worked for most of her life. From the late 1920s to the mid-1930s, she ran a small lingerie business in London. After the Vreelands returned to the United States, she began writing a freelance column \"Why don't you?\" for Harper's Bazaar. In 1937, Vreeland was hired for the as fashion editor and she remained at Harper's Bazaar for twenty-five years. She resigned in March of 1962, disappointed that she was not asked to succeed Carmel Snow as editor-in-chief.</p> <p>Vreeland's next career move was to Vogue, the leading rival of Harper's Bazaar. In an article in the New York Times announcing Vreeland's appointment as associate editor, Carrie Donovan wrote, \"Mrs. Vreeland is the most respected editor in the fashion business today. Her appearance at a fashion show is a the highest accolade a designer can hope for. ... Along with the late Carmel Snow, editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar, Mrs. Vreeland is credited with shaping the image of the magazine and, in turn, the looks of thousands of women.\" (New York Times, March 28, 1962).</p> <p>At Vogue, she quickly rose to the position of editor-in-chief. She put her own personal stamp on the magazine and continued to make headlines in the fashion and business world. However, her personal style and extravagant spending conflicted with the priorities of the magazine's publisher. She was replaced as editor-in-chief in 1971, retaining the position of consultant.</p> <p>During the final stage in her very long career, Vreeland revived the dormant Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Under her guidance and patronage, the Costume Institute would launch several spectacular exhibits that attracted the social elite and received high profile publicity. Among her Costume Institute triumphs were \"The World of Balenciaga\" in 1972 and \"Romantic and Glamorous Hollywood Design\" in 1974.</p> <p>During the 1980s, Vreeland published two books, Allure (co-authored with Christopher Hemphill) and her autobiography, D.V..</p> <p>Vreeland died in 1989, in New York City after a long period of illness.</p>"}
scopecontent
{"value"=>"<p>The collection contains professional, personal and family papers documenting Vreeland's life and career as one of the most influential fashion editors and trendsetters of the 20th century. Included are her extensive correspondence with celebrities, society figures, prominent colleagues in the fashion industry, and with her extended family; personal diaries and datebooks; writings by and about her; and a variety of personal documents and memorabilia.</p> <p>Most of Vreeland's professional papers document her years as editor-in-chief of Vogue, 1962-1971. Included in the Vogue files are correspondence with designers, models, photographers, royalty, and writers as well as background files on proposed topics for Vogue articles, such as the Bal Orientale held in Paris in 1969 by Baron de Rede. Although the Vogue files included memoranda by Vreeland, the collection does not include the memos published in Visionaire #37 in 2002.</p> <p>The collection also includes files kept by Vreeland as consultant to the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1971-1989, and a small amount of material concerning her twenty-five years at Harper's Bazaar and her lingerie business in London during the 1930s. Among Harper's Bazaar material are a few letters from editor-in-chief Carmel Snow, and one from Nancy White who succeeded Vreeland as fashion editor.</p> <p>Vreeland's social network of friends, acquaintances and business contacts throughout the world was formidable. Correspondents in the collection include such notable individuals as Billy Baldwin, Cecil Beaton, Truman Capote, James Galanos, Giancarlo Giammetti, Bianca and Mick Jagger, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Rose Kennedy, Yves Saint Laurent, Mary McFadden, Elsa Peretti, Baron and Baroness de Rothschild, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.</p> <p>The collection also includes a great deal of correspondence from Vreeland family members, chiefly her sons, Thomas (\"Timmy\") Reed Vreeland, Jr., and Frederick (\"Frecky\")Dalziel Vreeland and their families.</p> <p>Vreeland's writings are represented by drafts and mock-ups of Allure, co-authored with Christopher Hemphill, and reviews letters, drafts, and galley proofs of D.V., Vreeland's autobiography. There are a few fashion articles and notes including Vreeland's research on Coco Chanel.</p> <p>Personal papers and documents in the collection include Diana Vreeland's diaries, address books, scrapbooks, birth certificate, marriage certificate, naturalization papers; and several awards.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Diana Vreeland papers are arranged in seven series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/5980#c135981'>Series I. Professional Correspondence and related files</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1929-1989</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series focuses on Vreeland's career in the fashion world It is arranged in four subseries that reflect Vreeland's chronological work history: A. European Business 1931-1934; B. Harper's Bazaar 1937-1962; C. Vogue 1963-1987; D. Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1970-1989.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/5980#c136129'>Series II. Social Correspondence</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1930-1989</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series is arranged chronologically. The letters are chiefly incoming, with some typewritten letters from Vreeland for the later years. They reflect the social activities of Vreeland, her friends, colleagues, and the celebrities with whom she was acquainted. Letters from England dominate the 1930s through the 1940s. Beginning in the 1950s, there is a greater number of letters from friends in the United States. The content of the letters consists of comments on her dinner parties, current news, family, health, remarks on special occasions, thank you notes for gifts, invitations and references. Correspondents in the United States and abroad congratulated her on her new position as Editor-in-Chief of Vogue. Prominent correspondents in this series include: Cecil Beaton, Truman Capote, James Galanos, Giancarlo Giammetti, Bianca and Mick Jagger, Rose Kennedy, Yves St. Laurent, Mary McFadden, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Elsa Peretti Baron and Baroness de Rothschild, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/5980#c136212'>Series III. Family Correspondence</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>c1930-1998</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series mainly contains the letters to Diana and Reed Vreeland from their two sons, Thomas Reed Vreeland Jr., and Frederick Dalziel Vreeland and their families.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/5980#c136243'>Series IV. Writings</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1970s-1980s</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains a sampling of Vreeland's professional writing. A draft, duplicate, mockups, notes and transparencies represent \"Allure\", the book of photographs of noted personalities that Vreeland co-wrote with Christopher Hemphill. There is also a bound volume with notes regarding the placement of photographs. Vreeland's autobiography \"D.V.\" is represented by reviews and letters, 1994-1985, Publicity material, notes, drafts and royalty statements are are also present. Other writings include research notes for a Coco Chanel article, a draft of an essay on Sonia Delauney, and research material concerning Jean Schlumberger.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/5980#c136260'>Series V. Address Books, Appointment Books, and Household Records</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The series is arranged in five subseries. 1. Address Books, 1930-1980s; n.d. 2. Pocket Diaries, 1950-1984. 3. Appointment Books, 1968-1972; 1982-1989. 4. House Books and Secretary's Records, 1940-1955. 5. Daily Record for Medications, 1985-1989. This series contains numerous compilations of names, addresses, and appointments, chiefly from 1950 until Vreeland's death. The Daily Record for Medication, 1985-1989, was kept by nurses or home care workers during Vreeland's illness, and provide much detail on her daily life during the period. The series also includes photographs of Vreeland's jewelry collection and response card to invitations to her memorial service.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/5980#c136329'>Series VI. Personal Papers and Memorabilia, 1903-1989</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series contains the tributes that Vreeland amassed over her lifetime and key documents such as her birth certificate, naturalization record, marriage certificate, and wills. Also included are juvenile memorabilia, recipes, clippings of articles about Vreeland, and note files she amassed on fashion and other topics.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/5980#c136372'>Series VII. Family Papers, 1899-1988</a></div>\n</li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
arrangement
{"value"=>"<p>The Diana Vreeland papers, 1899-2000 (bulk 1930-1989). are organized in the following series:</p> <ul> <li>Series I. Professional Correspondence and related files, 1929-1989</li> <li>Series II. Social Correspondence, 1930-1989</li> <li>Series III. Family Correspondence, c1930-1998</li> <li>Series IV. Writings, 1970s-1980s</li> <li>Series V. Address Books, Appointment Books, and Household Records</li> <li>Series VI. Personal Papers and Memorabilia, 1903-1989</li> <li>Series VII. Family Papers, 1899-1988</li></ul>", "supress_display"=>true}
acqinfo
{"value"=>"<p>Gift of Alexander and Nicholas Vreeland, October 2003.</p>"}
relatedmaterial
{"value"=>"<span class=\"archref\">. .</span>"}
origination
{"value"=>"Vreeland, Diana", "type"=>"persname"}
processinfo
{"value"=>"<p>Compiled by Valerie Wingfield.</p>"}
extent_statement
27 linear feet (67 boxes)
date_start
1899
date_end
2000
date_bulk_start
1930
date_bulk_end
1989

Update Collection TOP

Update from EAD XML File

Resources TOP

PDF finding aid



https://nyplorg-data-archives.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/collection/pdf_finding_aid/mss5980.pdf

File attachments

Title Filename Document type Description Index only

Repository Assets

No UUIDs attached.

Living at NYPL Archives

Sign in to add or edit a living at feature for this collection.

Export Collection to ArchivesSpace