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Richard Welling Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MS-Welling

Scope and Content

The collection consists of drawings and prints of Hartford by Richard Welling. Some large artwork is framed and stored separately.

Dates

  • 1966-1992

Access Restrictions

The records are stored in a restricted area and therefore may not be available on a same-day basis.

Use Restrictions

See Hartford History Center’s Collection Use policy. Permission to publish from the Richard Welling Collection must be obtained in writing from the Executive Director of the Hartford History Center, and a copy of the published work may be requested by the Hartford History Center. The Hartford History Center reserves the right to refuse permission to publish, etc. to those who have not complied with its policies. Use of the collections will normally not be permitted for the purpose of promotion of commercial products and services or political campaigns. Hartford History Center at Hartford Public Library reserves the right to limit the number of photographic prints/captures and to restrict the use or reproduction of rare, fragile, or valuable objects.

Biographical Note

Richard Welling (1926-2009) was born in Hartford and spent most of his life documenting the changing appearance of his native city. Welling graduated from Hall High School in West Hartford in 1944 and enlisted in the Army in November of that year. On his return, he attended Parsons School of Design in New York City. He spent the next few years working in advertising. During these years he developed a fascination with drawing buildings, filling sketchbooks with pictures of cityscapes and construction sites. The 1960s was a period of great change in Hartford, and Welling was on the spot to capture the construction of Constitution Plaza and the Hartford Civic Center and the demolition of landmarks such as the Heublein Hotel and the old Y.M.C.A. in iconic line drawings. Welling claimed that he made a new panoramic drawing of the Hartford every year, beginning in 1976. The drawings depict the transformation of the city into a modern metropolis with a skyline of skyscrapers encircled by interstate highways.

In 2010, the Hartford History Center at the Hartford Public Library mounted a posthumous exhibit and tribute to Richard Welling, including drawings, prints and memorabilia lent by the Richard Welling family. The Richard Welling family subsequently donated a large collection of reproductions of Richard Welling drawings of Hartford to the Hartford History Center. To view images of the Welling drawings and prints, see the Welling Collection in the Hartford History Center Digital Repository.

Extent

100 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Drawings and prints of Hartford by artist Richard Welling

Physical Location

Hartford History Center Manuscript Stacks

Processing Details

Collection was processed by Nancy Finlay in 2016.

EAD Finding Aid created in 2017.

Title
Richard Welling Collection
Subtitle
A Guide to the collection at the Hartford History Center
Date
March 2017
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Hartford History Center Repository

Contact:
Hartford History Center
Hartford Public Library
500 Main St
Hartford CT 06103 USA
860.695.6297