I put off reading the last two years of postcards that Karl Priebe wrote to Dudley Huppler. After reading through the previous postcards dating back to 1943, I didn’t want their postcards and their relationship to end. Their friendship had a tenderness to it, writing each other about what flowers are in bloom, what birds they see, and the books that they recommend and the ones they don’t. Knowing the inevitable is coming, and down to the exact date, was not something I was prepared for when I started down this path.

This was one of the many pen pals that Dudley kept throughout his life. He ran in the highest level of literature and artist circles corresponding with famous artists, Gertrude Abercrombie, John Wilde, Slyvia Fein to composer Lee Hoiby, poet Marianne Moore, photographer George Platt Lynes, and many more. These letters, postcards, art flyers, and photos were kept preserved during Dudley’s life and long after it.  

Last year, The Smithsonian Archives of American Art added Dudley's papers to their archive and recently shared the documents during their Unboxed Lunch with Dudley Huppler. 

Click here to watch!