Small Manuscript Collections, Leitner Family Records, Photographs

Fredonia (Fidonia) H. Leitner was born on August 8, 1876, in Brunswick, Georgia. Born as Nanny Fredonia Hall, Fidonia went by Anna until 1920, when she became an artist alongside her husband, Leander Leitner. While her husband spent most of his time writing poetry, Fidonia researched and produced pageants for the local Arden, Delaware community. Mrs. Leitner was also an active community member alongside her husband in social societies such as the Brooklyn Poetry Society, People’s Chorus of New York, and the Women’s Peace Society in Brooklyn, New York. She died on June 14, 1964, and is buried with Leander in Newark Union Cemetery in Wilmington, Delaware.

This series features photographs and photographic postcards, primarily focusing on pageants created by Fidonia H. Leitner. Many images show scenes and costumes from the Pageant of Peace and the Pageant of Education. The pageants were primarily held in the outdoor theater in Arden, Delaware. The series also includes portraits of Fidonia Leither and her husband, Leander. Other figures in this series include Harry Rich, Marcus Aurelius Renzetti, David Karsner, and the French violinist Jacques Thibaud. Photographs of Leander Leitner’s paintings and other artworks are also included in this series.