Guide to the May L. Joynt auction records, 1933-1983

Redwood Library and Athenaeum
50 Bellevue Avenue
Newport, RI 02840
Tel: (401) 847-0292
Fax: (401) 841-5680
email: redwood@redwoodlibrary.org

Published in 2015

Collection Overview

Title:	May L. Joynt auction records
Date range:	1933-1983
Creator:	Joynt, May L.
Extent:	0.21 linear feet (1 half document case)
Abstract:	Correspondence, financial records and photographs that document the purchase of silver at auction by Mrs. May L. Joynt.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	Redwood Library and Athenaeum
Collection number:	RLC.Ms.043

Scope & content

The records are comprised of photographs, receipts, correspondence, tax forms, shipment notifications, and invoices from auction houses and moving companies to May Joynt. The records for specific items typically include a photograph of the piece purchased. There are numerous item photographs without records attached, and those have been sorted out and stored in their own folders.

Also found within these records are documents relating to purchases made by Mr. M. A. Lepley, the proprietor of M.A. Lepley Decorative Arts of Alexandria, Virginia.

Access Points

Subject Organizations

• C.G. Sloan & Company.
• James Graham & Sons.
• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
• Parke-Bernet Galleries.
• S.J. Shrubsole Corp.
• Samuel T. Freeman & Co.
• Tiffany and Company.

Subject Topics

• Antique auctions
• Decorative arts
• Silver

Document Types

• Financial records
• Letters (correspondence)
• Photographs

Subject Topics

• Art

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in chronological order.

Biographical note

May Joynt married Howard Joynt in 1932. The couple lived in the Benjamin Dulaney House in Alexandria, Virginia beginning in 1936. The Joynts became very active in the decorative arts and antiques communities during their lifetimes, focusing primarily on the seventeenth and eighteenth century. In 1945, Mr. and Mrs. Joynt had an article published in Antiques Magazine, about the restorative work done in their home. In January 1990, Christie’s of New York had an auction of the Joynt’s large and varied decorative arts collection.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	Access is open to members and researchers at the Redwood Library and Athenaeum.
Use of the materials:	This collection is owned by the Redwood Library and Athenaeum. Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the Special Collections Librarian of the Redwood Library and Athenaeum.
Preferred citation:	May L. Joynt auction records, RLC.Ms.043, Redwood Library and Athenaeum.
Contact information:	Redwood Library and Athenaeum 50 Bellevue Avenue Newport, RI 02840 Tel: (401) 847-0292 Fax: (401) 841-5680 email: redwood@redwoodlibrary.org

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	Gift of Roberta Carpenter, 2013 Oct 31.
Custodial history:	The relationship between Mrs. Ralph Carpenter and Mrs. Joynt is unknown. It is unclear how or why Mrs. Carpenter came to own this collection, but it was in her possession when she gave it to the library in 2013.
Processing information:	Upon processing in 2014, metal paper clips were removed and replaced with archival standard paper clips. Purchase records for specific pieces of silver were separated from the item photographs without records.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Chelsea Ordner
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2015-01-30
Descriptive rules:	Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Bibliography:

Christie, Manson. The Collection of May and Howard Joynt, Alexandria, Virginia. New York, N.Y.: Christie's, 1990. Nowell, Margaret. "Bringing an Old House Back to Life." Antiques, February 1, 1945.

Inventory

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Box 1, Folder 1

Auction records

1933-1983

Box 1, Folder 2-3

Photographs

1933-1983