George Mylonas Papers

COLLECTION OVERVIEW

Collection Number: GR ASCSA GM 005
Name(s) of Creator(s): George Mylonas (1898 -1988)
Title: George Mylonas Papers
Date [bulk]: 1925-1980
Date [inclusive]:
Language(s): English, Greek
Summary: The collection contains correspondence (including posthumous letters to his wife Lela), newspaper clippings and photos mostly from 1952 to 1988, but also from Mylonas's early life in Izmir, essays about G. Mylonas; and index cards concerning his classes at the Washington University of Saint Louis.
Quantity: 3 linear meters
Immediate Source of Acquisition: Lela Mylonas 1989-1990; Richard Radford, 2010.
Information about Access: The collection has been catalogued and is available for research after consultation with the ASCSA Archivist.
Notes: The finding-aid was prepared by Alexis Malliaris, 2017.
Cite as: American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Archives, George Mylonas Papers (Αμερικανική Σχολή Κλασικών Σπουδών στην Αθήνα, Τμήμα Αρχείων, Αρχείο Γεωργίου Μυλωνά)

For more information, please contact the Archives:
The American School of Classical Studies at Athens
54 Souidias Street, Athens 106 76, Greece,
phone: 213-000-2400 (ext. 425)
Contact via E-mail

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

George E. Mylonas was born in Smyrna, Turkey (1898) and began his studies in archaeology at the University of Athens. Just after World War I, he joined the Greek army and was captured during the Greek campaign against Turkey. Escaping from a Turkish prison camp, he returned to Athens a penniless young refugee. Fluent in both Greek and English, young Mylonas was hired by the ASCSA initially as a translator for Stuart Thompson, the architect for the Gennadius Library, which was under construction at that time. He then served the School as the first Bursar between 1926-1928.

Following the war, he returned to his studies (he had been awarded his B.A. from the International College in Smyrna in 1918) and earned a doctorate from the University of Athens in 1927 with a dissertation entitled The Neolithic Period in Greece. About this time he also worked as bursar at the American School for Classical Studies at Athens. In 1928, he emigrated to America to study at Johns Hopkins University and from that institution received a second Ph.D. the following year. At Johns Hopkins he was a student of David Moore Robinson. He was married to Lella, both of them having been born in Asia Minor. Before being naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1937, Mylonas began teaching at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSL) where he would remain from 1933 to 1968. There he was the founding chair of the Department of Art History and Archaeology. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago, and during the Second World War he worked for the Greek War Relief Association.

For many years Mylonas directed Washington University's excavations at Mycenae. Mylonas is also known for his fieldwork at Olynthus, and Eleusis. He also directed the underwater investigation of a shipwreck found off Cape Artemision, in collaboration with archaeologists G. Dontas and C. Karouzos, and also dug with Carl Blegen at Pylos. After his retirement from Washington University in 1968 Mylonas returned to Greece permanently. In 1970 he was elected a member of the Academy of Athens, and served a term as its president. He also served as Secretary General of the Archaeological Society of Athens and managed the dig at Mycenae until his death. In these later years he was very active in efforts to protect the Athenian Acropolis from environmental pollution. President also of the Archaeological Institute of America, he received the Institute’s Gold Medal in 1970.

Mylonas was awarded the Archaeological Institute of America's Gold Medal for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement in 1970. Mylonas's publications include: The Balkan States: An Introduction to Their History (1946) -- written in response to what he felt were inaccuracies being taught to his son at school; Mycenae: The Capital City of Agamemnon (1957); Eleusis and the Eleusinian Mysteries (1961); Mycenae and the Mycenaean Age (1966); Grave Circle B of Mycenae (1972); Mycenae: A Guide to Its Ruins and Its History (1981); and Mycenae Rich in Gold (1983).

George Mylonas died in Athens in 1988.

[Source for the Biographical Note: ASCSA Newsletter no. 22, Fall 1988. See also: N. Vogeikoff-Brogan, "The Spirit of Saint Louis Lives in Athens, Greece"; and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_E._Mylonas

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The collection has been organized into six series. Series I includes incoming correspondence (but alos to his wife Lella after Mylonas's death) which is arranged alphabetically. Series II contains newspaper clippings and photos from 1952 to 1988, arranged in scrapbooks by George and Lella Mylonas. Most extensive is Series III with photographs from his school years in Smyrna, the U.S., and Greece (Athens, Mycenae). Series IV includes essays by G. Mylonas and in honor of G. Mylonas. Series V contains index cards with notes from his classes at WUSL, given to the School by Richard Radford. Finally, Series VI refers to his and Lella's personal collection of paintings, including works by Martyl Langsdorf, Wallace H. Smith, Titta Fasciotti, Joseph D. Murphy, and Millard Sheets. (About Mylonas's art collection, see also N. Vogeikoff-Brogan, "The Spirit of Saint Louis Lives in Athens, Greece")

CONTENT LIST

SERIES I: CORRESPONDENCE

BOX 1

Folder 1
Archaeological Society – Washington University, 1 invitation, n.d.
Adderton, Wally, 1 letter, n.d.
Boisseau, Marvin, 1 letter, 1967
Βοβολίνης, Κ., 1 telegram, 1962
Baer, Howard, 1 letter, 1976
Danforth, William, 2 letters, 1986-1987
Clay, Didkin, 1 letter, n.d.
Edamoto, Hideki (Iwanami Productions), 1 letter, n.d.
Eliot, Thomas, 4 letters, 1966, 1968, 1987
Hestia Neas Smyrnis, 1 letter, 1977
Flance, Rosemary, 1 letter, n.d.
Flegga, Eirini, 1 telegram, 1969
Fred, 1 card, n.d.
Grossman, Edwin, 1 letter, 1969
Hall, Mary, 1 letter, n.d.
Harris, Allen, 1 letter, 1969
Hamscher, Ann, 1 letter, n.d.
Henderson, Grace, 1 letter, 1969
Huntsinger, M., 1 letter, 1965
Jacobs, Jane, 1 letter, 1969
Loy, Margaret, 1 letter, n.d.
Lamy, Julia, 1 letter, 1963
Lynde, G. and A., 1 card, n.d.
Institute of Christianity and Culture-Humanities Division, 1 letter, 1968
Kiwanis Club 0f University City-Missouri, 1 certificate, 1940
Marsh, Edward, 1 letter, 1969
Marsh, Therese, 1 letter, 1969
May, Morton, 1 letter, 1969
McCabe, Robert, 1 letter, 1972
McCarthy, Louise, 2 letters, 1964, 1969
Merikas, G., 1 letter, 1980
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1 letter, 1955
Ministry of National Education, 1 telegram, 1969
Moutsopoulos, N., 1 card, 1985
Mylonas, George, 1 letter, 1969
Nixon, Richard, 1 letter, 1968
Perkins, Carol, 1 letter, 1984
Robins, M., 1 letter, 1969
Schulz, William, 2 letters from George Mylonas to Schulz, 1936-1937 (Acc# 2022-04)
Selfe, John, 1 letter, 1977
The Massachusetts General Hospital, 1 letter, 1970
Torini, Rudolph, 1 letter, 1968
Tsatsou, Ioanna and Konstantinos, 1 letter, 1986, 1 telegram, 1987
Xyla, Stamatia, 1 letter, 1987

Folder 2
Letters to his wife Lella Mylonas
Ann, 1 letter, n.d.
Aziza, 1 letter with a photo of G. Mylonas at the Theater of Epidaurus, n.d.
Chatzikyriakos – Ghikas, N., 1 letter, [1988]
Dakaris, S., 1 letter, 1988
Grossman, E., 1 letter, 1988
Jean, 1 letter, 1984
Kallias, Konstantinos, 1 letter, 1988
Karamanlis, Konstantinos, 1 letter, 1988
Langsdorf Martyl, 1 letter, 1966
Lois, 1 letter, 1971
Maritsa, 2 letters, 1988
Mylonas, Lella, 1 letter, 1968
Skarpalezos, Spyros, 1 letter, 1988
Schweig, Mrs., 1 letter, 1969
Pallantios, Menelaos, 1 letter, 1988

Folder 3
Letters of condolences to Lella Mylonas (1988)

Folder 4
Letters and reports about the excavation at Mycenae, 1970-1985; also photocopy of Mylonas's excavation diary (1958), plus list of workmen and expenses.
Letters of G. Mylonas to Merl Huntsinger (Missouri), 1970; Melina Merkouri, Minister of Culture, n.d.; Archaeological Museum at Nafplion; and a telegram to G. Mylonas from the Ministry of Culture, 1985
Handwritten reports by G. Mylonas

Folder 5
After the death of G. Mylonas:
A note about the illness of G. Mylonas, funerary addresses and speeches in memory of G. Mylonas (1988, 1989), a letter from Princeton University to Ione Mylonas Shear (1988), a letter from the Department of History and Archaeology (University of Athens) about the Archeaological Society (1988), and pamphlets about donations and lectures in memory of G. Mylonas (1988, 1989)

Folder 6
Unknown senders

Folder 7
Letters and newspapers clippings about archaeological cruises with the participation of G. Mylonas (1964, 1966, 1968, 1969)

Folder 8
A manuscript text in German written by W. Dörpfeld to G. Mylonas or to David Robinson (1 sheet, Oct. 27, 1932) [delivered by I. Shear, 16/8/1990]

SERIES ΙI: NEWSPAPERS CLIPPINGS ABOUT AND PHOTOS OF GEORGE MYLONAS IN SCRAPBOOKS

BOX 2

Folder 1: 1919-1955
Folder 2: 1952-1962
Folder 3: 1955-1961 [digitized ]
Folder 4: 1961-1967
Folder 5: 1965

Access to the digitized files of the George Mylonas papers is given strictly for teaching and historical research. Permission to publish, as well as for any other information concerning the George Mylonas Papers, must be obtained by the researcher(s) from the Department of Archives of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.

BOX 3
Folder 1: 1961-1966
Folder 2: 1965-1968

BOX 4
Folder 1: 1967-1970
Folder 2: 1979-1981 (letters and photos are included)

BOX 5
Folder 1: 1981-1987
Folder 2: 1988 (photos are included)

SERIES ΙII: PHOTOGRAPHS

BOX 6
Folder 1: George and Lela’s Washington University archaeological cruise, 1966 (Athens, Mycenae, Mount Athos, Cavalla, Philippi, Delphi, Arachova, Osios Loukas, National Archaeological Museum-Athens)
Folder 2: Hellenic Humanistic Society (Ελληνική Ανθρωπιστική Εταιρεία): photos from the celebration for the 10th anniversary of the Society dedicated to G. Mylonas by Konstantinos Vourveris (Κων/νος Βουρβέρης), president of the Society, Athens 1969
Folder 3: Hestia Neas Smyrnis, Athens 1969 (?)

BOX 7
Folder 1: Academy of Athens, lecture by academician G. Mylonas 1974 (?)
Folder 2: Photos, newspaper clippings, invitations and letters, 1970-1979
Folder 3: “Memories of Mycenae, August 1972”
Folder 4: Museum of Mycenae, 1981

BOX 8
Folder 1: International Congress, Antiquities and Cultural Inheritance of Eleusis, 6-8 September 1985
Folder 2: G. Mylonas as a member of the Academy of Athens [1970]
Folder 3: Academy of Athens, lecture by G. Mylonas and awards ceremony [1974?]

BOX 9
Award "Olympia" from the Onassis Foundation to the Archaeological Society, Palaia Vouli – Athens, June 15, 1987

BOX 10
Folder 1: Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Archaeological Society (Αρχαιολογική Εταιρεία), Athens, Archaeological Society, February 25, 1987
Folder 2: Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Archaeological Society, lecture by G. Mylonas, Athens, Archaeological Society, March 29, 1987
Folder 3: Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Archaeological Society, Athens, Odeum of Herodes Atticus, September 24, 1987

BOX 11
A lecture by G. Mylonas at the Archaeological Society, Athens 1980?

BOX 12
Mylonas awarded by Municipality of Eleusis (Elefsina). Performance at the ancient theater of Eleusis by Karolos Koun, 1980?

BOX 13
Album with loose photos of G. Mylonas (USA, Greece-Academy of Athens, Greece-Hellenic Humanistic Society (Ελληνική Ανθρωπιστική Εταιρεία) and photos without indication of place and date compiled by the cataloguer

BOX 14
Album with loose photos of G. Mylonas: Greece – dedication of the Melathron of Mycenae (1969), model of the archaeological site of Mycenae, the museum of Mycenae, Akropolis of Athens (1986), Mycenae (1988), excavations at Eleusis, underwater investigation at Cape Artemision (1951-52). Constantinople – with the patriarch Athinagoras. Family photos

BOX 15
Album with loose photos of G. Mylonas: Greece – Academy of Athens (15/01/1981), with Fred Cooper and Melina Merkouri minister of Culture (03/04/1983), Archaeological Society (Αρχαιολογική Εταιρεία 24/03/1983), Hestia Neas Smyrnis (in honor of Ioanna Tsatsou, 11/02/1981), in a reception with president C. Karamanlis and prime minister A. Papandreou (17/03/1983), Hestia Neas Smyrnis (celebration of the 50 years [1980]), Hestia Neas Smyrnis (G. Mylonas speaking at the event on the contribution of immigrants from Asia Minor to the development of Athens, 10/12/1984), Academy of Athens (with the president of the Greek republic Chr. Sartzetakis, 13/11/1987), Archaeological Society (Αρχαιολογική Εταιρεία 02/12/1987), Eleusis, family photos. At the end of the album: 26 slides from a lecture on G. Mylonas’s life by William D.E. Coulson (documents and photos)

BOX 16 (Flat storage)
Album with loose photos: Asia Minor – Smyrna (Izmir) G. Mylonas with his colleagues of the Evangeliki Scholi (1915), with two friends at Eleusis (1930?), portraits of G. Mylonas (Martin Schweig, Saint Louis), G. Mylonas speaking at the Washington University, three photos of G. Mylonas with the indication «Έδρα Γενικής Ιστορίας της Τέχνης – Εθνικό Μετσόβιο Πολυτεχνείο – Φωτογραφικό Εργαστήριο».
[A photo of G. Mylonas holding a vase attached with a newspaper clipping from St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Sunday Morning, December 16, 1956 with an article about G. Mylonas entitled “Face to Face with a Distant Past” on BOX 2, folder 2]

A folder with loose photos of other persons: Chrysostomos, Metropolitan of Smyrna; David M. Robinson; Athinagoras, Patriarch of Constantinople; Anastasios Orlandos, Alexander MacLachlan, Alessandro Pertini, Arturo Rivera, Dorothy Hodgkin, and Franca Sciuto.

SERIES IV: ESSAYS BY G.MYLONAS AND ESSAYS IN HONOR OF G. MYLONAS

BOX 17
Folder 1: “The finest proto-attic vase and the oldest Greek Textile: unique discoveries from the cemetery of Eleusis”, The illustrated London News, n. 6030, vol. 225, November 13, 1954
Folder 2: “Archaeologists whose discoveries have made the past live again in the pages of The Illustrated London News: Recent contributors from many countries, Dr. G. Mylonas”, The illustrated London News, n. 5984, vol. 223, December 26, 1953
Folder 3: “George Emmanuel Mylonas, 1899-1988”, Newsletter, American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Fall 1988, n.22
--Entry for G. Mylonas written by Yannis Sakellarakis (missing first part)
--Announcements of lectures by G. Mylonas, 1954, 1965, 1966, 1971
Folder 4: Handmade album dedicated to G. Mylonas entitled “The Travels of Pausanias modern edition revised and edited 1951 Summer Session Manual, American School of Classical Studies, Loring Hall Inc. Publisher 1951” with texts in honor of G. Mylonas (4 photos also included)
Folder 5: Handmade album dedicated to G.Mylonas in honor of his sixtieth birthday and twenty-fifth anniversary at Washington University entitled ‘Tribute to Professor George E. Mylonas”, December 9, 1958
Folder 6: Two invitations of lectures in memory of Professor G. Mylonas, USA, 1988
--Scholarship competitions in the College of Arts and Sciences, Washington University, G. Mylonas Scholarship, 1988-1989

SERIES V: INDEX CARDS FROM G. MYLONAS'S CLASSES AT WUSL

Two folders given by Richard Radford (Acc. # 2011-01)

BOX 18
Folder 1: Cards containing notes about topography, vase painting, monumental painting, numismatics, seals, American archaeology, etc.
Folder 2: Cards containing notes about history of art (Greece – Rome), mosaic pavements, reliefs-sarcophagi, etc.
Folder 3: Exercises of tests and final examinations, typescript, 1953-1965

SERIES VI: WORKS OF ART

Titta Fasciotti, Oil, Untitled [Seascape] - (ASCSA P 2002.16)

Martyl Langsdorf, Oil, Untitled [Mountains in Blue] - (ASCSA ART P 95.16)
Martyl Langsdorf, Ink, Untitled [Trees] - (ASCSA ART P 95.17)

Joseph D. Murphy, Watercolor, "The Lion Gate, 1250 B.C., entrance to the Citadel of Mycenae - home of Agamemnon"; Sept. 8,1978 - (ASCSA ART 2001-26)

Millard Sheets, Untitled, [Landscape with mountain, farm, and two horses] - (ASCSA ART P 2001.71)

Wallace H. Smith, Oil, Untitled [Seaside resort scene] - (ASCSA ART P 95.15)

About Mylonas's art collection, see also N. Vogeikoff-Brogan, "The Spirit of St. Louis Lives in Athens, Greece"