Cynthia Weill Papers
Scope and Contents
This collection contains material from the book Ten Mice for Tet. The illustrations were commissioned by Weill from Vietnamese artists for the picture book, and were hand embroidered. The material consists of final artwork (embroideries), sketches, proofs, material used in the embroidery process, correspondence, photographs, woodcut stamps, and information about the artists and their craft. The embroidery "Mouse Wedding," was stitched by Ten Mice for Tet embroiderer Phạm Viết Đinh, and the mice in antique wood block were the inspiration for the illustrations. The collection includes Dong Ho-style paintings on rice paper, which inspired the style of art in Ten Mice, as well as early paintings by Tô Ngọc Trang, the book's illustrator.
The process for making the final embroidery illustrations consisted of photocopying artwork, placing tracing paper underneath and pricking holes along the outlines. After this step, the tracing paper was placed over linen and blue powder poured over the holes to transfer the outlines to the linen, for the embroiderer to follow.
Dates
- Before 2003
Creator
- Weill, Cynthia (Author, Person)
- Shea, Pegi Dietz (Author, Person)
- Tô, Ngọc Trang (Illustrator, Person)
- Phạm, Viết Đinh (Illustrator, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Open for use in the Elmer L. Andersen Library reading room.
Conditions Governing Use
This collection may be protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials. Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provision of the copyright law.
Biographical / Historical
Cynthia Weill was born in New York City in 1959. She is trained as an art historian and holds master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, Wesleyan University and Teachers College, Columbia University. Her first book was the award-winning Ten Mice for Tet which she coauthored with Peggy Deitz Shea. She has since written several books for Cinco Puntos Press as well. Weill has also worked as a Spanish teacher and in the field of humanitarian assistance, living in Asia, Europe, and North America. She currently lives in New York City.
Extent
1.47 Cubic Feet (4 Flat Boxes of Various Sizes, 1 Oversize Box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection contains production material and original artwork from the book Ten Mice for Tet.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Cynthia Weill
- Authors, American -- 21st century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Children's literature -- Illustrations Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Children's literature, American Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Drawings (visual works) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Embroidery (visual works) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Illustration of books -- 21st century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Illustrators -- Vietnam Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Vietnam -- Social life and customs -- Juvenile literature Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Vietnamese New Year -- Juvenile literature Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- paintings (visual works) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Title
- Cynthia Weill Papers, before 2003
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Kristell Benson
- Date
- October 4, 2018
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- June 2020: Description updated by Caitlin Marineau.
Collecting Area Details
Contact The Children's Literature Research Collections Collecting Area
