By Bob Roth and Marian Schlotterbeck
Title: Marcia Goldberg Papers, 1811-2005
Predominant Dates:1978-1999
ID: RG 30/228
Primary Creator: Goldberg, Marcia (1925-)
Extent: 1.2 Linear Feet
Date Acquired: 01/12/1993. More info below under Accruals.
Forms of Material: letters (correspondence), photographs - photographic prints, publications, research (document genres), speeches
Languages: English
The papers of Marcia Goldberg pertain mostly to her research and publications on art history, particularly the portraits of 19th century artist H. Alonzo Pease (d.1881). Goldberg created two volumes that extensively document Pease’s portraits of prominent figures in Oberlin’s early history. The collection also contains photographs of many of these paintings. There is a wealth of information pertaining to H. Alonzo Pease, his life, his family, and his work.
The collection does not contain many personal papers of Marcia Goldberg. The one exception is the folder on the “Ban the Can” Campaign in Oberlin in 1984, which successfully persuaded Oberlin voters to uphold the ban on non-returnable beverage containers in November 1984. The bulk of the collection, however, is composed of Goldberg’s professional interests, including information on exhibitions, publications, and projects. In addition to her work on H. Alonzo Pease, Goldberg also completed research on the works of Samuel Waldo (d. 1861) and William Jewett (d. 1874), who like Pease, painted a portrait of Charles G. Finney (d. 1875).
In her capacity as a research associate with the Oberlin College Archives and later as an Affiliate Scholar at Oberlin, Marcia Goldberg contributed greatly to the understanding of 19th century painting and Oberlin history.
The papers are arranged in the following record series: 1. Files relating to H. Alonzo Pease; 2. Clippings; 3. Miscellaneous; 4. Writings; 5. Photographs; and 6. Talks.
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
Series 1. Files relating to H. Alonzo Pease, c. 1811-1936, 1948-95, n.d. (19 folders, 2 binders)
This series consists of Marcia Goldberg’s research on the life and works of H. Alonzo Pease. Included are her notes and correspondence, 1979-95; two binders on Pease’s Portraits, 1842-81, including several of Oberlin College’s early presidents, Asa Mahan, Charles G. Finney, James H. Fairchild, plus prominent professor Rev. John Morgan.
Many of the documents Goldberg compiled in her research, now contained in this series, are photocopies or transcriptions of much earlier records. The dates of the original documents are placed in parentheses.
Series 2. Clippings, 1980, 1997 (2 folders)
This series contains clippings on the Andrew Foster portrait discovered in a New York City trash heap. Goldberg identified the painting as a Waldo and Jewett. The other file relates to the exhibition of 19th century portraiture titled “Ancestors,” which Goldberg curated at the Allen Memorial Art Museum in 1980.
Series 3. Miscellaneous, 1984-85, 1992 (4 folders)
Included in this series are the records of the Oberlin City Ban the Can Committee, 1984; the lecture notes from a talk on the Finney Portraits at Oberlin, 1992; information related to a Winter Term project directed by Goldberg in 1980 that concerned the restoration of antique frames for 19th century portraits, and materials from an exhibit on the Oberlin class of 1880 held in May 1980 in the Goodrich Room in Mudd Center.
Series 4. Writings, 1976-99 [span] (6 folders)
This series is divided into three subseries: 1. Writings by Marcia Goldberg; 2. Co-authored writings; and, 3. Writings by other authors. Goldberg’s published works frequently drew on local resources to cover a variety of topics related to art history and Oberlin history. Subseries 2 contains the reflections of the Oberlin College China Tour 1979, including those of Sam and Marcia Goldberg.
Series 5. Photographs, 1980, 1985 (2 folders)
This series includes photographs of Goldberg’s 1985 exhibition “The Art of the Silhouette” on display in the Oberlin College Archives, as well as a portrait of the Chandler Family. The additional photographs donated by Marcia Goldberg in 2000 were placed in the files of each individual in the photograph collection (RG 32).
Series 6. Talks, 2005
Consists of a transcript of a talk given by Marcia Goldberg titled “Adelia Field Johnston.” The talk was presented on Women’s Equality Day on August 27, 2005 at the Oberlin Inn.
Marcia Chinitz Goldberg was born December 11, 1925 in Atlantic, Iowa, the daughter of Esidor Chinitz and Anna Gelfand Chinitz. She was educated at the University of Iowa, earning a B.A. in French in 1948.
After graduation she moved to New York City where she worked in the field of magazine advertising and promotion in several capacities: advertising copywriter for Prentice Hall, Inc. (1950-51); publicity director for the Comptone Company (1951-52); and promotion manager for Modern Bride Magazine (1952-53).
In 1953 she married Samuel Goldberg (b. 1925), recently appointed assistant professor of mathematics in the Department of Mathematics, Oberlin College. Mrs. Goldberg was appointed the same year as secretary to the College Librarian and Professor of Bibliography Julian S. Fowler (d. 1975). A son David was born on February 13, 1955, which led Mrs. Goldberg to leave her secretarial position at the College Library. In addition to raising a family and maintaining a household, Marcia Goldberg was a member of the League of Women Voters and in the late 1950s served as an active member of the Housing Survey and Code Committee of the City of Oberlin. She wrote publicity articles in support of the Survey and Code Subcommittee. For more information on her role as a community activist, see Leadership in a Small Town (Totowa, N.J., 1964), by Aaron Wildavsky.
Mrs. Goldberg, who received an M.A. in art history from Oberlin College in 1973, was an active researcher in the field of art history. She published many articles in national art journals and several in conjunction with exhibitions at the Allen Memorial Art Museum and the College Library, both of Oberlin College. She served as a research associate with the Oberlin College Archives from 1975 to 1985, and also named one of the first affiliate scholars at Oberlin.
She and her husband, now retired, still live in Oberlin. Marcia Goldberg, in her own quiet way, continues to support local educational endeavors and a variety of social concerns.
Sources consulted
Marcia Goldberg provided editorial comments for the biographical sketch.
Repository: Oberlin College Archives
Accruals: Accession Nos: 1993/016, 1998/069, 2000/095, 2005/061, 2009/040 (not interfiled).
Access Restrictions: Restrictions noted on inventory.
Acquisition Method: The papers of Marcia Goldberg were received in four installments, 1993, 1998, 2000, and 2005 (1993/016, 1998/069, 2000/095, and 2005/061); the bulk was donated in 1998. Upon the request of Marcia Goldberg, the majority of the infrared photography prints made in 1980 (2000/095) were moved to the files related to each individual. Additional material was received from Marcia Goldberg in July 2009 (2009/040, unprocessed).
Related Materials: A Curriculum Vitae for Marcia Goldberg, which provides a full listing of her publications and exhibitions, may be found in the case file (30/228).
Finding Aid Revision History: Processed by Bob Roth and Marian Schlotterbeck, June 2003. Revised September 2005; July 2013.
Other URL: http://www.oberlin.edu/archive/archon_pdfs/Goldberg_Marcia_Inventory.pdf
H. Alonzo Pease (1820-1881)
Delana Parsons Pease (1826-1887)
