Collection Summary
Gertrude Quastler and Henry Quastler Papers
1895-1965
1940-1963
1895-1965
1940-1963
MSS65683
Quastler, Gertrude, 1909-1963
Quastler, Henry, 1908-1963
1,025 items
4 containers plus 1 oversize
2 linear feet
English
German
French
Albanian
Collection material in English and German, with French and Albanian
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Gertrude Quastler, painter and printmaker;
and her husband, Henry Quastler, radiologist known for applying information theory to
the field of biology. Correspondence, photographs, biographical material, notes, price
lists, receipts, clippings, and printed matter pertaining to Gertrude’s art and
exhibitions, Henry’s medical career and research activities, and their personal
lives.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Diebenkorn, Richard, 1922-1993--Correspondence.
Greene, Balcomb, 1904-1990--Correspondence.
Quastler, Gertrude, 1909-1963.
Zimmerman, Johanna, 1917-1998--Correspondence.
Organizations
Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Subjects
Art--Exhibitions.
Art--New York (State)--Upton--Exhibitions.
Painting, American--20th century.
Prints, American--20th century.
Radiology.
Titles
Gertrude Quastler papers
Henry Quastler papers
Occupations
Artists.
Printmakers.
Radiologists.
Acquisition Information
The papers of Gertrude Quastler were given to the Library of Congress by Johanna S.
Zimmerman in 1987 and 1988. Additional material, primarily documenting Henry Quastler,
were given by Lynn Rubin in 2002.
Processing History
The papers of Gertrude Quastler were arranged and described by Michael Spangler in 1995.
An addition was processed and the finding aid revised by Rachel McNellis in 2023. At
this time, the collection name was changed to reflect the increased proportion of
material documenting Henry Quastler's career.
Other Repositories
Correspondence between Henry Quastler and Sidney Dancoff is located in the Niels Bohr
Library and Archives at the American Institute of Physics as part of the Sidney Dancoff
Papers. The Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress houses woodcuts
and monotypes by Gertrude Quastler.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Gertrude Quastler and Henry
Quastler are governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The papers of Gertrude Quastler and Henry Quastler are open to research. Researchers are
advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are
stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research
use.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information:
Container number, Gertrude Quastler and Henry Quastler Papers, Manuscript Division,
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Notes
Gertrude Quastler
Date
Event
1909, Feb. 10
Born, Vienna, Austria
1934
Married Henry Quastler (died 1963)
1934
1939
Resided in Tirana, Albania
1939
Emigrated to the United States
1940
Applied for United States citizenship
Began painting
1940s
Studied art at Columbia University, University of Illinois, and Chicago
Institute of Design
1950
First solo exhibition, Palmer House Galleries, Chicago, Ill.
1950
1961
Exhibited widely in the United States
1951
Began printmaking
Counterpoint
, a woodcut, acquired by the Museum of Modern Art, New York,
N.Y.
1956
Moved to Brookhaven Village, N.Y.
1960
1962
Arranged art shows at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, N.Y.
1963, July 8
Died, Blue Point, Suffolk, N.Y.
Henry Quastler
Date
Event
1908, May 21
Born, Vienna, Austria
1932
M.D., University of Vienna
1934
Married Gertrude Panek (died 1963)
1934
1939
Radiologist, General Civic Hospital, Tirana, Albania
1939
Emigrated to the United States
1940
Applied for United States citizenship
1941
Radiologist, New Rochelle Hospital, N.Y.
1942
Radiologist, Carle Clinic, Urbana, Ill.
1947
1955
Faculty, Control Systems Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana
circa 1949
1951
Worked with Sidney Dancoff on applying information theory to
biology
1953
Edited
Essays on the Use of Information Theory in Biology
. Urbana: University of Illinois Press
1956
Organizer, Symposium on Information Theory in Biology, Gatlinburg,
Tenn.
Researcher, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Ill.
1956
1963
Researcher, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, N.Y.
1962
1963
Visiting Professor of Theoretical Biology, Yale University
1963, July 8
Died, Blue Point, Suffolk, N.Y.
1965
Publication of
The Emergence of Biological Organization
. New Haven: Yale University Press
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Gertrude Quastler and Henry Quastler span the years 1895-1965, with the
bulk of the material concentrated between 1940 and 1963. The correspondence file is
comprised of general and personal correspondence, including a significant number of
letters exchanged between Gertrude and Henry. The exhibition files encompass exhibitions
of Gertrude's own artwork, as well as her activities arranging annual art shows at
Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York. Notable items include letters from
artists Richard Diebenkorn and Balcomb Greene. Price lists, receipts, clippings, notes,
and photographs also document Gertrude’s career as a painter and printmaker.
The 2023 Addition is comprised of biographical material, correspondence, photographs,
and subject files, with the bulk documenting Henry's life and career. The biographical
material includes Gertrude and Henry’s passports, membership cards, and other personal
material pertaining to their marriage and emigration to the United States. Report cards,
record books, credential letters, licensure paperwork, and diplomas document Henry’s
schooling and medical career. The correspondence consists predominantly of letters Henry
wrote to Gertrude. Additional personal correspondence is comprised of letters friends
and family wrote to Gertrude and Henry, both individually and as a couple, and Henry's
half-sister Johanna Zimmerman. The subject files include correspondence, contracts,
syllabi, notes, and proposals related to Henry’s teaching and research activities.
Arrangement of the Collection
This collection is arranged alphabetically by type of material or subject, followed by
an addition.
Container List
Container
Contents
1
Correspondence
1
General, 1939-1963, undated
1939-1963,
undated
(2 folders)
1
Personal, 1920-1963, undated
1920-1963, undated
(3 folders)
1
Subject file
1
Biographical material, 1952-1963,
undated
1952-1963,
undated
1
Birthday poems and drawings, 1936-1963,
undated
[
See also Oversize
](birthov1)
1936-1963,
undated
(3 folders)
1
Exhibitions
1
By Quastler
1
Elizabeth Nelson Galleries, Chicago, Ill.,
1952, undated
1952,
undated
1
Francis Miller's Studio, New York, N.Y.,
1960-1961, undated
1960-1961,
undated
1
Kraushaar Galleries, New York, N.Y.,
1950-1960, undated
1950-1960,
undated
2
Palmer House Galleries, Chicago, Ill.,
1950-1952, undated
1950-1952,
undated
2
Retrospective exhibit, 1963
1963
2
Ruth Dickins Gallery, Chicago, Ill.,
1951-1952
1951-1952
2
Showcase, Northport, N.Y.,
1958-1959, undated
1958-1959,
undated
2
Weyhe Gallery, New York, N.Y.,
1951-1961
1951-1961
2
By various artists
2
Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton,
N.Y., 1960-1962
1960-1962
(3 folders)
2
Diebenkorn, Richard, 1954-1965,
undated
[
See also Oversize
](diebov1)
1954-1965,
undated
2
Greene, Balcomb, 1958-1960,
undated
1958-1960,
undated
2
Miscellany, 1895-1965
1895-1965
2
Notes, undated
undated
2
Photographs
2
Art, 1957, undated
1957,
undated
2
Family, 1905-1962, undated
1905-1962,
undated
(2 folders)
2
Portraits, 1933, 1963, undated
1933, 1963,
undated
2
Price lists, 1949-1962, undated
1949-1962,
undated
2
Printed matter
2
Clippings, 1948-1964, undated
1948-1964,
undated
3
Miscellaneous, 1939-1963,
undated
1939-1963,
undated
3
Receipts, 1940-1962, undated
1940-1962,
undated
3
2023 Addition
3
Biographical
3
Awards, 1944-1948
1944-1948
3
Medical credentials, 1931-1941
1931-1941
3
Medical examination and
license, New York, 1940
1940
3
Medical school, University
of Vienna, 1927-1932
1927-1932
3
Membership cards, 1941,
1956-1964
1941, 1956-1964
3
Passports, 1939, 1955,
1960
1939, 1955, 1960
3
Personal documents, 1932-1939
1932-1939
3
School report cards and
awards, Henry Quastler, 1914-1927
1914-1927
3
United States citizenship,
1939-1943
1939-1943
3
United States draft, 1942-1943
1942-1943
3
Correspondence
3
General, 1934-1962
1934-1962
3
Personal, 1923-1945, 1953-1962,
undated
1923-1945, 1953-1962, undated
3
Quastler, Henry to Gertrude
Quastler, 1945,
1955-1957
1945, 1955-1957
4
Quastler, Henry to Gertrude
Quastler, 1958-1962,
undated
1958-1962, undated
(2 folders)
4
Zimmerman, Johanna, 1963-1964
1963-1964
4
Miscellany, 1934-1963,
undated
1934-1963, undated
4
Photographs
4
Art exhibits,
undated
undated
4
Family and friends, circa 1900-circa
1960
circa 1900-circa 1960
4
Quastler, Gertrude,
undated
undated
4
Quastler, Henry,
undated
undated
4
Slide rule and slide adder,
undated
undated
4
Subject files
4
Argonne National Laboratory,
1949-1950
1949-1950
4
General Civic Hospital,
Tirana, Albania, 1934-1939
1934-1939
4
Radiobiology Research Group,
1949
1949
4
University of Illinois,
Urbana, 1947-1955
1947-1955
4
Yale University, 1962
1962
OV 1
Oversize
OV 1
Subject file
OV 1
Birthday poems and drawings,
1943-1961, undated (Container 1)
1943-1961,
undated
OV 1
Exhibitions
OV 1
By various artists
OV 1
Diebenkorn, Richard,
1961 (Container 2)
1961