AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED by THORNTON OAKLEY with fine association, to fellow Brandywine artist & illustrator FRANK SCHOONOVER, about shipping VIOLET OAKLEY'S Triptych. by Oakley, Thornton (1881-1953). American illustrator - 1923.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 20, 1923., 1923.. Good. - Approximately 180 words neatly and boldly penned on both sides of his 10-3/4 inch high by 8-3/8 inch wide personal buff stationery with his name and Philadelphia address embossed at the top. Writing to his friend Frank Schoonover "Dear Schoonover", Thornton Oakley jumps in outlining his plans regarding shipping Violet's immense triptych: "Violet has the tryptich [sic] boxed & ready to ship.... The thing is much too large for me to handle in my small car." He notes that he'll be gathering other works "I am going to collect on Friday, the 30th.. and shall leave all the things with [the art dealer] Louis Grieumard". "Let me know what day your truck will come so Louis will expect it", Thornton continues. He goes on to list another 8 artists from whom he'll be collecting works "10, counting Violet & myself". The artists he'll be collecting works from, all from Philadelphia, consist of Mrs. Elliott, Miss Smitty, Sarah Stilwell Weber, George [Matthews] Harding, [Clyde O.] DeLand, Sam Palmer, Anna [Whelan] Betts, Ethel Bains [aka Ethel Franklin Betts]. All of the other works being smaller he ponders "Would it not be wise to get 2 things in the cases when they are small?" Signed "Thornton Oakley". Folded for mailing with short tears to the edges of the center fold, a tiny tear near the top and another short tear near the bottom of the left edge. There are minor creases to the corners and the edges are darkened with a spot of very light foxing to the bottom right corner. Good.

A fine association as Thornton Oakley, Violet Oakley and Frank Schoonover were all associated with the Brandywine School of Art.

The American artist & illustrator Thornton Oakley (1881-1953) was a student of Howard Pyle. He was deeply influenced by Howard Pyle's philosophy, saying in one of his lectures: "We never heard one word from our beloved teacher concerning tools and methods. His utterances were only of the spirit, thought, philosophy, ideals, vision, purpose." Oakley was a writer and illustrator for numerous periodicals, including Century, Collier's, Harper's Monthly, and Scribner's. He was in charge of the Department of Illustration at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art, taught drawing at the University of Pennsylvania and was a member of the jury selecting works for the San Francisco and also Philadelphia World's Fairs.