Patti Bell, of Cortez, Colorado, is looking for a manuscript on Spanish armor and costume with over 400 pen-and-ink drawings by Aileen O’Bryan (other names: Mary Aileen O’Bryan, Aileen Obrian, Aileen Nusbaum). Aileen was married to Jesse Nusbaum, southwestern archaeologist and superintendent at Mesa Verde National Park (they divorced in 1939), whose biography Bell is writing with co-author Kathy Fiero. According to Bell, Aileen described her manuscript in letters to Frederick W. Hodge, Southwestern Museum, Los Angeles in 1954. In these letters she states that, Dr. Zimmerman, president of University of New Mexico, had asked her to undertake for pay the study of Spanish armor and costumes of the 15-17th centuries. She conducted her research in Europe in the Spring of 1937. When her work was completed (which took 4 1/2 months) and she was about to submit it, she was told that although they would be glad to have the three volumes they could not pay her since they did not have a written contract. So she kept the work. Aileen also noted that the University of Arizona was interested having her three volumes, which contained over 400 pen-and-ink drawings and text, however, there is no record at the UA Library, Special Collections, nor the Arizona State Museum having the manuscript or drawings. If someone reading this has any ideas on where the elusive manuscript might be located, please contact Patti Bell at cortezpattib@yahoo.com.
