Orson Welles as Family Man: Son, Husband, Father is showcased in a current exhibit at the Hatcher Gallery at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
This exhibit, currently scheduled through April 29, provides a unique glimpse into Welles’ private life through images and correspondence.
According to the university, unlike previous U-M Library exhibits that focused on Welles at work, this display shows him in informal and familial environments, “revealing a depth and complexity of character that are often overshadowed by his fame and professional achievements. The photographs and documents displayed showcase a variety of emotional tones — warmth, humor, tenderness, and passion. Candid and relaxed more than posed, they are similar to most people’s pictures in old family albums.”
The items on display are culled from the Orson Welles-Beatrice Welles materials that are part of the Mavericks & Makers Collection within the U-M Library’s Special Collections Research Center. Each photo or letter tells a story of a connection Welles held dearly. The materials included are from two periods: the late 1920s and early 1930s, when Welles was a teenager, and the mid-1950s to early 1960s, during the early years of his marriage to his third wife, Paola Mori.
It should be noted that Welles’s personal life was messy at best. Other collections housed at U-M that include personal materials related to Welles document his first and second marriages, including the Welles-Feder Collection and the Wilson-Welles Collection. The items on display here were saved by his third and final child, Beatrice Welles, and reflect her childhood memories of her parents.
In addition to The Orson Welles – Beatrice Welles Collection and Orson Welles – Chris Welles Feder Collection, the University of Michigan’s impressive holdings include The Alessandro Tasca di Cutò – Orson Welles Collection from the personal papers of Welles associate Alessandro Tasca, which were purchased at auction in London; and The Orson Welles – Oja Kodar Collection and The Richard Wilson – Orson Welles Collection.
For more information on the current exhibit, visit https://events.umich.edu/event/115811
__________
Post your comments on the Wellesnet Message Board.