Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
RG4.B37.AD10 |
Object Name |
Oral History Interview |
Scope & Content |
Title: S.B. Speight Interview (1996) Description: Interview between Sarah Blakeslee Speight (narrator), her daughter Elisabeth Speight, and HYS historian Priscilla Waggoner. -- The transcript for this recording can be found in the attached media for this entry. Below is a summarized synopsis: This interview, occurring on March 21, 1996, with Sarah Blakeslee Speight, her daughter Elisabeth, and historian Priscilla Waggoner provides a glimpse into Sarah's life and artistic journey. Born in 1912 in Evanston, Illinois, Sarah recounts her early years, including her family's frequent moves due to her father's work with the International Harvester Company. She developed an early love for drawing, which led her to study art at various schools, including the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts' Country School at Chester Springs. Sarah talks about her time at the academy, her instructors, and the school's unique environment, which was both unstructured and focused on life drawing. Notably, she mentions her husband, Francis Speight, a teacher at the academy, and their shared connections to the art community, such as their mutual acquaintance with artist Daniel Garber. The interview also touches on Sarah’s personal memories of life at Chester Springs, including the time spent with fellow students and staff like Mr. and Mrs. Stedman. The discussion provides rich insight into Sarah’s artistic development and the vibrant community at the Pennsylvania Academy’s Country School. Sarah recalls walking through rural landscapes, including a farmhouse where she became acquainted with neighbors such as the Stegers, and talks about the schoolhouse down the road. She mentions fellow students and instructors, including Paul West, who helped supervise students during outdoor painting sessions, and Allison Farmer, a fellow student who later married Paul West. The conversation also touches on the presence of life models, such as Monaco Pinton, and the occasional group art outings led by teachers. Sarah reflects on the lack of diversity at the school, mentioning the absence of Black students in her time, though Roswell Widener later recalls a few. The interview concludes with a discussion of alumni exhibitions, including one in 1977 at Chester Springs, where both Sarah and Virginia McCall (a friend of Sarah's) participated. -- Media is recorded on cassette tape in physical archives. digitized version was created by recording cassette tape recording onto the ReShow Cassette Converter and the Sound Recorder App that is standard on Windows, and then the audio recording was cleaned and optimized using Adobe Podcast Studio software. Digital file is attached in an mp3 form. |
Title |
S.B. Speight Interview (1996) |
Collection |
HYS Cassette Collection |
Caption |
S.B. Speight Interview AD Visual |
Date |
03/21/1996 |
People |
Conley, Cara McCall, Virginia Speight, Elisabeth Speight, Sarah Blakeslee Waggoner, Priscilla |
Lexicon sub-category |
Documentary Artifact |