ROBERT HOFSINDE PAPERS

de Grummond Children's Literature Collection
The University of Southern Mississippi

	Creator:	Robert Hofsinde (Gray-Wolf)
	Title:	Robert Hofsinde Papers
	Dates:	1957 - 1978
	Dates:	[bulk 1957 - 1967]
	Quantity:	1.80 cubic feet (3 boxes)
	Identification:	DG0469

Biographical Note

Robert Hofsinde was born in Denmark in 1902 and came to the United States twenty years later. He settled in Minneapolis, where he took a job making scientific drawings for the Minnesota Academy of Science. On a painting trip in the north woods of Minnesota, Hofsinde came upon a young Ojibwa (Chippewa) Indian boy who had fallen into a pit trap and severely broken his leg. Hofsinde rescued the boy, set his leg, and carried him back to his village on a sled. In gratitude, the boy's family adopted Hofsinde and gave him the name Gray-Wolf.

Time spent with the Ojibwa Indians changed the direction of Hofsinde's career. He began to sketch the Indians and became so interested in their culture that for three years he stayed with the Ojibwa people. Over the next decade Hofsinde visited and studied Indian villages throughout the West and Southwest, painting and writing magazine articles about Indian culture. In the 1940s he and his wife Geraldine (whose Indian name was Morning-Star) began performing an Indian lore program for school children around the nation.

In the mid-1940s Hofsinde took his drawings to Morrow Junior Books, hoping to become a book illustrator. An editor suggested he write a book to supplement his own illustrations. The result was the well-received The Indian's Secret World (1955). Hofsinde followed up with Indian Sign Language, and eventually wrote and illustrated thirteen more books over the next twenty years. Rather than write about specific Indian peoples, Hofsinde explored themes in Indian life such as hunting, music making, games and crafts, or warrior traditions. Hofsinde died in 1973.

Sources:
Something About the Author, v. 21, pp. 69 - 70
Illustrators of Children's Books, 1946 - 1956, p. 128
Third Book of Junior Authors, pp. 135 - 36

Scope and Content Note

The Robert Hofsinde Papers contain original illustrations or dummies for seven books written between 1957 and 1967. The papers also include photographs and publicity materials for two Indian lore programs performed by Hofsinde and his wife. The material is organized into three series: books, personal papers, and letters sent.

The materials in the book series include original pen and ink illustrations on illustration boards, two book dummies, and color separations of two dust jackets. The materials are arranged alphabetically by title. Since the drawings on the illustration boards are rarely drawn in the order in which they appear in the published works, boards with fewer drawings have been arranged before those with more illustrations. Drawings have been further arranged by earliest page number order. Non-illustration materials are arranged chronologically in order of creation when known.

The series of personal papers contains two photographs: one an 8x10 inch autographed photo of Robert Hofsinde in western-style clothing, the other a 15x19 inch publicity photograph of Robert and Geraldine Hofsinde in full Indian regalia. Also included is a copy of the publicity photo for the Hofsinde's 'Old Glory' program, a bookplate, two copies of a small publicity poster for 'The American Indian of Yesterday' program, and 'An Indian's Conception of the Twenty-third Psalm' leaflet illustrated by Robert Hofsinde.

The letters sent series contains two letters sent to the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection by Robert or Geraldine Hofsinde in 1969 and 1978. These letters have been selected and photocopied from the de Grummond Collection correspondence file because they contain information regarding Hofsinde's Indian costume as well as the location of other Hofsinde production materials.

Restrictions

Restrictions on Use

Noncirculating; available for research.

Copyright Restrictions

The collection is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). Reproductions can be made only if they are to be used for "private study, scholarship, or research." It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials, other than that noted above.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item and cite the series), Robert Hofsinde Papers, de Grummond Children's Literature Collection, University of Southern Mississippi Libraries.

Provenance

These papers were donated to the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection of the University of Southern Mississippi Libraries by Robert and Geraldine Hofsinde between 1969 and 1978.

Processing Information

Processed by C. Alder, December 2001. Encoded into EAD Version 1.0 by Danielle L. Bishop. This finding aid is the product of a grant funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Container Listing

Contact:
The de Grummond Children's Literature Collection
The University of Southern Mississippi
118 College Drive, #5148
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
(601) 266-4349
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