Fundraising for the Portrait

Photograph of the portrait of Elisabet Ney, created by artist Adrian Lamb

Willie B. Rutland

The Ney's First Curator

Mrs. Willie B. Rutland served as the first curator of the Elisabet Ney Museum, from 1927 until her retirement in 1967. As the letters in the archive illustrate, Rutland devoted much of her life to preserving and promoting Elisabet Ney’s work and legacy. She was instrumental in raising donations to acquire the painting of Elisabet Ney done by Adrian Lamb, which the museum acquired in 1961 and paid for in subsequent years, and often consulted with researchers interested in undertaking work on Elisabet Ney and her husband, Edmund Montgomery.

During much of her time at the Ney, Rutland lived on-site, in the frame house at 305 E 45th Street, then and now part of the Elisabet Ney Museum property. Rutland also compiled many of Ney’s letters from her time in Texas and published them as an annotated collection entitled Sursum! Elisabet Ney in Texas.

Letters in the Archive

Many of the original correspondence in this digital archive revolve around Rutland's dedicated fundraising to secure Lamb's portrait of Ney. These letters represent some of the responses she received from those she reached out to, all of whom are enthusiastic about the cause and the museum, and most of whom congratulated the curator on her tireless work to this project.

Letter from Mary Smith to Willie B. Rutland on October 25, 1961: "We both wish you success in financing the purchase of the portrait and are so glad to have a small part in the project."

Letter from Max Starcke to Willie B. Rutland on October 27, 1961: "I think this would be a real acquisition and I would be glad to do something towards this purchase...We miss seeing you and of course still admire the fine work you are doing."

Letter from W. B. Sharp to Willie B. Rutland on October 30, 1961: "It is a real pleasure to send you a small check for the Elisabet Ney portrait fund, which, in the reproduction, is very beautiful."

Letter from Walter Long to Willie B. Rutland on November 6, 1961: "You are a real financier and certainly know how to write letters."

Letter from Denny Maybaum to Willie B. Rutland on November 17, 1961: "Should it not seem appropriate to bring the portrait to Dallas, I will continue my interest in the project and will certainly stop in for a visit the next time I am in Austin."

Letter from Hazel Begeman to Willie B. Rutland on December 3, 1961: "The painting looks lovely and I shall look forward to seeing it in color."

Letter from A. L. Moyer to Willie B. Rutland on March 23, 1962: "Please accept the small donation that is enclosed for the Portrait Fund. We are very happy to make it; we only wish it could be larger."

Letter from Margaret Okie to Willie B. Rutland on June 1, 1962: "The portrait is very beautiful and I hope the museum is able to acquire it."