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Finding Aids to Personal Papers and Special Collections in the Smithsonian Institution Archives

Record Unit 7337

Tasev, Atanas

Atanas Tasev Collection, 1949, 1952, 1956, 1976

Repository:Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu.
Creator:Tasev, Atanas
Title:Atanas Tasev Collection
Dates:1949, 1952, 1956, 1976
Quantity:0.58 cu. ft. (1 tall document box)
Collection:Record Unit 7337
Language of Materials:English
Summary:

These papers consist of three Tasev sketches of NZP animals drawn in 1949, 1952, and 1956. Also included is a 1976 book entitled Washington Zoo, a collection of Tasev's animal sketches.

Historical Note

Atanas Tasev (1897-1991) was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, where he studied painting and had his first exhibition at age 23. He continued his education at the Academy in Prague and eventually made his home there for twenty-seven years, painting portraits, landscapes, and city street scenes. In 1946, he left Czechoslovakia for Sweden and came to the United States in 1948.

Tasev continued his portrait work in Washington, D.C., and in New York. Between 1948 and 1958, he frequently visited the National Zoological Park (NZP) in Washington and drew pencil sketches of the animals for relaxation. He was a good friend of William M. Mann, NZP Director from 1925 to 1956, and they often had tea together in Mann's Washington apartment.

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Descriptive Entry

These papers consist of three Tasev sketches of NZP animals drawn in 1949, 1952, and 1956. Also included is a 1976 book entitled Washington Zoo, a collection of Tasev's animal sketches.

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This collection is indexed under the following access terms. These are links to collections with related topics, persons or places.

Name

Subject

Physical Characteristics of Materials in the Collection

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Preferred Citation

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7337, Atanas Tasev Collection

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Container List

Box 1

Folder 1 "Jungle Cat," 1949

Box 1 of 1

Folder 2 "Lion's Cubs," 1952

Box 1 of 1

Folder 3 "Lion's Cubs," 1956

Box 1 of 1

Folder 4 Washington Zoo by Atanas Tasev, 1976

Box 1 of 1

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