Inventory of the Lola K. Isroff Papers, 1942-1995

Biography of Biography or History

Lola Kovner Isroff was a self-taught professional folk artist and occasional writer who was born in New York City in 1909. She became a resident of Akron, Ohio after her marriage to Emanuel R. Isroff in 1961. Her artwork is primarily watercolor paintings depicting old historical landmarks and houses, many of which have received local, national, and international recognition. Lola Isroff traveled throughout the United States and Europe in search of historical landmarks to use as subjects in her paintings.

Although she did not receive a college degree, Isroff completed credits at various institutions across the country including New York University, Columbia University, and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). She held numerous positions in the publishing industry during her career including Associate Editor of The New Yorker magazine, published short story writer, columnist for King Features Syndicate, and contributor of articles and illustrations on Ohio landmarks of architectural interest to The Wonderful World of Ohio. Isroff was a member of the Society of Architectural Historians, the Western Reserve Architectural Historians, and the Authors League.

Lola Isroff completed a wide range of commissioned works, the most notable being Easter Eggs on Wood. This work was sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution for the 1985 White House American Artists Egg Exhibit and appeared at the Akron Art Museum in 1990 in an exhibit of her own work complete with commentary. Isroff also has works in major collections all over the globe including the Musee d'Art Naif de L'lle de France, the White House Visitors' Gallery in Washington D.C., and the Metro Health Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

Her published works include illustrations in "Old Houses of New York" from January 1952 as well as illustrations and text in The Wonderful World of Ohio including "Zoar" (October 1966), "Hale Homestead" (September 1967), and "Ohio City" (January 1974).

Lola Isroff was featured in a variety of solo exhibitions ranging from 1958 to 1989 including local shows in the Akron Public Library, the Summit County Historical Society, and the Akron Art Museum. She also had local group shows at the Akron Art Museum in 1985 and 1988, as well as the Emily Davis Gallery at The University of Akron in 1986.

Isroff won various honors and awards throughout her lifetime including the Merit Award in 1950 and 2nd place winner of Hallmark's National Design Contest in 1983. Additionally, she was represented in UNICEF's 1976 calendar and in "American Folk Art of the 20th Century." Her most notable representation was in the world famous collection of folk art in the Musee d'Art Naif L'lle de France. She passed away in the year 2000.

Scope and Content

The papers of Lola K. Isroff include biographical information, photographs, artwork, writings by and about the artist, and materials documenting her travels. They are divided into the following six series:

Series I: Biographical Information contains notes and information about Lola Isroff's career as a professional folk artist and writer. The materials include information on and lists of her art commissions, works of art in major collections, published works, selected solo exhibitions and major group shows, as well as her awards and honors. The art profile of Isroff is located in this series and outlines her introduction to painting. Some articles and correspondence regarding her work also are located in this series in addition to a file concerning her membership in the Author's Guild and her certificate of ordination from the Universal Life Church, Inc.

Series II: Travel Notes and Materials consists of files from Lola Isroff's trips to Spain, Morocco, Portugal and the Orient including travel brochures and travel notebooks containing her notes and trip itineraries. Photographs taken during these trips were moved to Series III.

Series III: Photographs is a combination of photographs from other series including vacation photographs, photographs of artworks and exhibitions, and images of Lola Isroff.

Series IV: Artwork consists of newspaper clippings, correspondence, artwork descriptions, exhibition announcements, Christmas cards, and detailed information regarding artwork made by Lola Isroff. The series is divided into five sub-series: 1. Christmas Cards Designed by Lola K. Isroff 2. Exhibition Materials 3. Didactic Materials 4. Exhibition Announcements and Invitations 5. Christmas Cards Designed by Other Artists

Series V: Writings is divided into three sub-series: 1. Writings, Short Stories, and Magazine Articles by Lola K. Isroff, which contains short story publications and scripts written by Isroff as well as her novel titled "I'll Never Be Frightened Again." 2. Correspondence, which includes correspondence regarding art exhibitions and publications in addition to cards sent by friends and family and newspaper letters to the editor. 3. Articles Written by Others about the Work of Lola K. Isroff, which mostly consists of magazine articles.

Series VI: Collected Materials consists of a variety of miscellaneous items collected by Lola Isroff including calendars designed by other artists, art magazines, and advertisements. This series also includes a scrapbook of materials concerning the life of Lola Isroff and her achievements, which contains photographs of her paintings.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions may apply. Permission to reproduce or publish materials in this collection must be secured in writing from Archival Services, University Libraries, The University of Akron.

Restrictions on Access

No restrictions on access; except not available through interlibrary loan. Copyright restrictions may apply. Permission to reproduce or publish materials in this collection must be secured in writing from Archival Services, University Libraries, The University of Akron.

Greater Akron Arts Federation / Akron Area Arts Council

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

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Preferred Citation

[Identification of Item], Lola K. Isroff Papers, Archival Services, University Libraries, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio.

Processing Information

Processed by: Adrienne Browning, Archival Services Student Assistant, and Mark Bloom, 2014

Detailed Description of The Collection