Consuelo Berkman Papers

Collection

Identifier: SC-MS-290

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Consuelo "Connie" Berkman was an artist and photographer in Wilmington, North Carolina and the adopted daughter of well-known artist, Jack Berkman. The Consuelo Berkman Papers contain artwork, correspondence, personal journals, photographs, yearbooks, and other materials dating from 1968 to her death in 1996. The bulk of the collection is comprised of Berkman's photography and includes thousands of prints, slides, negatives, and contact sheets documenting daily life in and around the Wilmington area. Of note in this collection are photographs of local surfing contests including the Record Bar held in Wrightsville Beach in the 1980s; sea and shore birds on nearby local beaches; and documentation of Wilmington geography, nature, buildings and daily life during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Dates

Creation: 1968 - 1996

Creator

Berkman, Consuelo, 1949-1996 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research use.

Copyright Statement

Copyright retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Biographical / Historical

Consuelo "Connie" Berkman was born in New Mexico in 1949 and adopted by the regionally reknowned artist, Jack Berkman, and his wife. She spent much of her time in Greensboro and Wilmington, NC and obtained her Bachelors and Masters of Fine Arts from UNC Greensboro focusing on drawing, painting, and sculpture.

Connie spent most of her career in Wilmington and the surrounding areas. She taught children's art classes at Wilmington's Community Art Center in 1974-1975 and took photography classes at Cape Fear Technical Institute in 1977. By 1978 Connie was attending 40 Art Shows a year. In the 1980s her attention shifted from drawing and painting to photography, focusing primarily on the sea and shore birds of New Hanover County.

Consuelo was an enthusiast of astrology, horoscopology, palm reading, and tarot cards. She was an avid surfer, and a portion of the photograph collection documents local surfers and major surfing events in Wrightsville and Carolina Beaches during the 1980s and 1990s. Also an animal lover, there are many prints of the local wildlife including Alligators, Raccoons, and Cats. Connie Berkman passed away August 22, 1996 from cancer at the age of 47 and is buried at Oakdale Cemetary in Wilmington, NC.

Extent

141 Containers (Contains 39 document boxes, 3 bankers boxes, 24 oversize boxes, 73 slide storage boxes, 1 oversize folder, and 1 map case folder.)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in 6 series as follows:

Series 1: Personal Papers

This series contains Connie's personal journals, correspondence between friends and family, horoscope and tarot reading materials, family and personal papers, and various sketchbooks and reciepts from art sales.

Series 2: Newspapers and Publications

This series contains newspaper clippings focusing on Connie's art shows, Jack Berkman's art shows, and various events around Wilmington and Greensboro, North Carolina.

Series 3: Media

This series contains VHS-C home video recordings by Connie Berkman of her art subjects.

Series 4: Ephemera and Artifacts

This series contains art show ribbons and decorative signage from Connie Berkman's businesses.

Series 5: Photographic Material

This series contains photographic slides, negatives and contact sheets, photo albums, and prints in various sizes.

Series 6: Artwork

This series contains color drawings, chalk drawings, and paintings by Connie Berkman.