The University of Iowa Libraries

Alice Kipp was born in 1918 in Ogden, Iowa, and grew up on a farm where she climbed trees and made playhouses. Swanson attended the Swede Valley Lutheran Church and graduated from Ogden High in 1935. After working as a phone operator, she was a ward attendant at Woodward Hospital for twelve years. She bought her first paper cutting pattern at the Art Center in Des Moines, Iowa, circa 1957. Kipp became known by friends and family for making cards, crocheting, quilting, cross-stitching, and beading.

The Alice Kipp papers date from 1986 to 2003 and measure 2.5 linear inches. The papers are arranged alphabetically and contain detailed calendars for the years 1986, 1987, and 1988; paper cutting samples Kipp made; and correspondence from Kipp's friend, Bernice Wolfe.

The paper cutting samples are intricate designs cut out of paper using patterns as a template. The cuttings are mostly done in black and pasted on a white background, though several are done in multiple colors. The designs include floral patterns, farm animals, and silhouettes of children at play.

Kipp wrote the reminiscence as a Christmas greeting to friends and family and based it on her paper cuttings. In it, she tells of her rural childhood in Iowa. The crocheted baby cap belonged to Kipp's mother-in-law. The tatting on the handkerchief was done by an elderly gentleman in the 1940s.

Access: The papers are open for research.

Use: Copyright held by the donor has been transferred to The University of Iowa.

Acquisition: The papers (donor no. 847) were donated by Alice Kipp in 2002 and 2003 and subsequent years.

Preferred Citation: Alice Kipp papers, Iowa Women's Archives, The University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City.

Repository:	Iowa Women's Archives
Address:	100 Main Library University of Iowa Libraries Iowa City, IA 52242
Phone:	319-335-5068
Curator:	Kären Mason
Email:	lib-women@uiowa.edu
Website:	http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/iwa

This collection is indexed under the following subject terms.

Personal Names:
Kipp, Alice, 1918-
Wolfe, Bernice

Dates:
1980-1989
1990-1999
2000-2009

Topics:
Twentieth century
Rural women
Rural girls
Paper work
Handicraft
Farm life

Occupations:
Hospital ward clerks

Geographic Names:
Ogden (Iowa)

Genre/Form of Materials:
Archives
Personal papers
Cultural artifacts
Correspondence
Memoirs

Browse:
Rural and Farm Women
Autobiographical Resources: Diaries, Memoirs and Oral Histories