The collection is arranged as four series: Series 1: Biographical Material and Other Papers, 1853-1959 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1, OV 3) Series 2: Correspondence, 1828-1966 (0.3 linear feet; Boxes 1-2) Series 3: Printed Material, 1857-1961 (0.2 linear feet; Box 2, OV 3) Series 4: Photographs, circa 1890-circa 1950 (0.1 linear feet; Box 2)
Access Note / Rights:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Summary:
The papers of portrait and genre painter Lilly Martin Spencer, measure 0.9 linear feet and date from 1828-1966. The collection includes biographical material, scattered lists, notes, receipts, and legal documents relating to Spencer's life and work, Spencer's business and family correspondence, printed material, a lithograph, photographs of Spencer and others, and photographs of Spencer's artwork.
Citation:
Lilly Martin Spencer papers, 1828-1966. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
The bulk of the collection was digitized in 2022 and is available on the Archives of American Art website. Items not digitized include the full text of some catalogs and other publications, for which only the title pages and relevant pages have been digitized.
Funding:
The collection was digitized in 2022 with funding provided by the Lichtenstein Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art
Use Note:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also has microfilm (reel 132) of the Martin family papers and Campus Martius Museum records regarding Lilly Martin Spencer. Originals are located at the Campus Martius Museum, Ohio Historical Society. The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming on reel 131 including family history; biographical material; circa 50 photographs of Spencer and her paintings; M.A. thesis, "Lilly Martin Spencer: American Painter of the Nineteenth Century," by Ann Byrd Schumer; articles about Spencer's life and work, 1959; and a list of paintings owned by her granddaughter, Lillian Spencer Gates. Loaned materials were returned to the donor and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Biography Note:
New York and Ohio painter Lilly Martin Spencer (1822-1902) was known for her popular portrait paintings and humorous domestic genre scenes.
Language Note:
English .
Provenance:
The collection was donated to the Archives of American Art in 1971 by Lillian Spencer Gates, Spencer's granddaughter.
Digitization Note:
This site provides access to the papers of Lilly Martin Spencer in the Archives of American Art that were digitized in 2022, and total 1,101 images.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
