Constance La Lena papers

Collection

Identifier: C MSS WH2337

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Collection documents La Lena's interest in Trinidad, Colo., history and historic preservation; especially related to Trinidad based architects: Issac Hamilton Rapp (1854-1933), William Mason Rapp (1863-1920), and Charles William Bulger (1851-1922). Also includes Isaac Family genealogy (1893-1913), Rosenwald family history, Jewish history, and info on Temple Aaron.

Dates

1915-1999
Majority of material found in 1980-1999

Creator

La Lena, Constance,1934- (Person)
Stettner, Arianthe C., (Person)

Language of Materials

Material is in English unless otherwise noted.

Conditions Governing Access

Contact Western History/Genealogy Dept., Denver Public Library, Denver, Colorado.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is retained by the author of the items in this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Biographical / Historical

Constance La Lena was born in Ind. in 1934. She first learned how to sew by watching her mother mending clothes. La Lena learned how to weave from Her third grade teacher, Miss Lyons. While in college, she studied painting, drawing, print making, photography, and fashion design. After college, La Lena opened a weaving studio (1971). where she formulated her own dyes from industrial powders, yielding over 500 reproducible colors of high light- and wash-fastness for wool and silk. She also formulated an additional 500 reproducible colors for cotton, rayon, and linen. A collection of her hand-woven fashion clothing was selected for inclusion in the Craft Multiples exhibition at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution. The exhibtion opened in Washington D.C. in 1975 and later toured the U.S. until 1979.