The papers of illustrator and painter Dahlov Ipcar measure 11.7 linear feet and date from 1906 to 1993. The bulk of the papers consists of personal and professional correspondence relating to Ipcar's career, and the careers and legacies of her parents, William and Marguerite Zorach. Also found are scattered biographical materials which include writings, sketches, and photographs, and printed material.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of illustrator and painter Dahlov Ipcar measure 11.7 linear feet and date from 1906 to 1993. The bulk of the papers consists of personal and professional correspondence relating to Ipcar's career, and the careers and legacies of her parents, William and Marguerite Zorach. Also found are scattered biographical materials which include writings, sketches, and photographs, and printed material.
Correspondence is with family members, including Adolph, Charles, and Robert Ipcar, and Marguerite, Peggy, Tessim, and William Zorach. Other correspondents include George Biddle, Emma Friendlander, Milton Garb, Caroline Pratt, and Forbes Watson. The letters comment on Ipcar's longstanding personal friendships and relationships with family members.
Additional correspondence is found within Ipcar's professional files which also include printed material and scattered business records, and reflect the original order of the papers. Files in this series also pertain to a scholarship in sculpture given by Dahlov and Adolph Ipcar to the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in memory of William and Marguerite Zorach.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 4 series.
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1906-1978 (1.8 linear feet; Boxes 1, 12, RDs 13-14)
Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1930s-1993 (6.0 linear feet; Boxes 1-7)
Series 3: Professional Files, 1939-1991 (2.8 linear feet; Boxes 7-10)
Series 4: Printed Material, 1939-circa 1980s (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 10-12)
Biographical / Historical:
Dahlov Ipcar (1917-2017) was a painter and illustrator active in Robinhood, Maine. She was the daughter of artists Marguerite and William Zorach.
Ipcar was born Dahlov Zorach in Vermont, to William and Marguerite Zorach. Dahlov's sculptor father and her textile artist mother painted and encouraged her to paint from an early age. She attended progressive schools, including Oberlin College in Ohio, but dropped out after one year. She married Adolph Ipcar at the age of nineteen and moved with him to Maine where the couple took over a farm once owned by her parents.
At the age of twenty-one, Ipcar showed her work in a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. By the 1940s and 1950s, her artwork was heavily influenced by her rural life, and often depicted farm workers with their animals. She created murals for the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture during the Great Depression. Later in life, Ipcar began to illustrate children's books and began to write and illustrate her own books, which were often about animals or featured animal illustrations.
Dahlov Ipcar died in Maine in 2017.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds the The Zorach Family papers, 1900-1987 and the Elizabeth Hertz letters from William and Marguerite Zorach, 1943-2006.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming on reels 1519, 5136. The reels include Correspondence, 1930-1979, including letters from William Zorach and Robert Tristam Coffin; and three scrapbooks, 1936-1979, containing clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements. Also found on the microfilm are letters from Ipcar's parents to Ipcar and her husband, Adolph Ipcar, ca. 1939 and 1951-1968, concerning family affairs with some references to art; two scrapbooks, 1979-1990, containing portions of Ipcar's autobiography, exhibition announcements, clippings and other printed material on Ipcar's work and her community service [note: the first half of the first scrapbook was previously filmed on reel 1519, fr. 336-446, and has not been refilmed]; and Robinhood Snooper, writings referred to as "wall newspapers," written by Dahlov and Adolph Ipcar, 1934-1938 and undated, pertaining to family and local "gossip." Also present are photocopies of works of art by other artists, 1942 and 1965, including a sketch of Marguerite Zorach. The material was returned to the donor afer microfilming and is not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
Dahlov Ipcar loaned a portion of her papers for microfilming in 1979 and 1996. She donated additional material between 1979 and 1997.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
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.
Dahlov Ipcar papers, 1906-1997. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Processing of this collection received federal support from the Collections Care Initiative Fund, administered by the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative and the National Collections Program
Elizabeth Hertz letters from artists measure 0.21 linear feet and date from 1943-2006. Thirty-five letters and cards, mainly from William and Marguerite Zorach, document daily activities, visits, and reference art exhibitions and lectures. Also included are a few cards and letters from Tessim and Peggy Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, and one letter from the Dayton Art Institute where Zorach lectured in 1951, for which the visit was facilitated by Elizabeth Hertz.
There is a 12 item unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2023 that includes twelve letters from Stanton Macdonald-Wright to Elizabeth Hertz. Materials date from 1967-1969.
Scope and Contents:
Elizabeth Hertz letters from artists measure 0.21 linear feet and date from 1943-2006. Thirty-five letters and cards, mainly from William and Marguerite Zorach, document daily activities, visits, and reference art exhibitions and lectures. Also included are a few cards and letters from Tessim and Peggy Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, and one letter from the Dayton Art Institute where Zorach lectured in 1951, for which the visit was facilitated by Elizabeth Hertz.
There is a 12 item unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2023 that includes twelve letters from Stanton Macdonald-Wright to Elizabeth Hertz. Materials date from 1967-1969.
Arrangement:
Series 1: Elizabeth Hertz letters from William and Marguerite Zorach, 1943-2006 (Box 1; 0.2 linear ft.)
Series 2: Unprocessed Addition, 1967-1969 (Folder 2; 12 items)
This collection is arranged as two series.
Biographical / Historical:
(Grace) Elizabeth "Beth" Hertz (1920- ) is an artist and was a student of William Zorach's at the Art Students League in New York. Hertz maintained a relationship with William and Marguerite, as well as with their children Tessim and Dahlov. Following her time as Zorach's student, Hertz visited their summer home at Robinhood Farm in Georgetown, Maine, where she assisted in daily chores while receiving critiques on her artwork. Into the 1950s, visits were more infrequent but Hertz still looked to Zorach for advice on her art career and frequently exchanged news about their families and careers. In 1951 Elizabeth Hertz facilitated William Zorach's guest lecture at the Dayton Art Institute Commencement Dinner.
Hertz also studied the work of Stanton Macdonald-Wright and wrote her MFA thesis "The Continuing Role of Stanton-MacDonald Wright and Synchronism in Modern Painting, "Ohio University, 1968.
Related Materials:
Also found at the Archives of American Art are the Zorach Family papers, 1900-1987 and the Stanton Macdonald-Wright papers, 1890-2008.
Provenance:
The Elizabeth Hertz letters from artists, 1943-2006, was donated by Leah Hertz, daughter-in-law of Elizabeth Hertz, in 2017 and 2023.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
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.
William and Marguerite Zorach with their children Tessim and Dahlov, and Bertram Hartman in Robinhood Cove, Maine, 1929. The Zorach family papers, 1900-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Photograph of Marguerite Zorach in her 57th St., New York studio, 1913. The Zorach family papers, 1900-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
John D. Schiff. William Zorach working on a portrait bust, 1948. The Zorach family papers, 1900-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The Zorach family papers measure 4.4 linear feet and consist of materials relating to the lives and careers of sculptor and painter William Zorach, his wife painter and weaver Marguerite, and their children, painter and multi-media artist Dahlov Ipcar and collector and art dealer Tessim Zorach. The bulk of the papers consists of letters to Tessim regarding his parent's artwork. Additional materials include scattered letters to William Zorach; writings and notes by William, Marguerite, and Tessim; a sketchbook and drawings by William; prints by Marguerite; Marguerite's scrapbook; printed materials; and photographs of the Zorach family and of William Zorach in his studio and at work.
Scope and Content Note:
The Zorach family papers measure 4.4 linear feet and consist of materials relating to the lives and careers of sculptor and painter William Zorach, his wife painter and weaver Marguerite, and their children, painter and multi-media artist Dahlov Ipcar and collector and art dealer Tessim Zorach. The bulk of the papers consists of letters to Tessim regarding his parent's artwork. Additional materials include scattered letters to William Zorach; writings and notes by William, Marguerite, and Tessim; a sketchbook and drawings by William; prints by Marguerite; Marguerite's scrapbook; printed materials; and photographs of the Zorach family and of William Zorach in his studio and at work.
The majority of correspondence is between Tessim Zorach and various museums and galleries concerning exhibitions and donations of his parents' works of art. There are scattered letters to William Zorach among the correspondence. Business records consist of materials relating to the Collection of the Zorach Children, including lists of works of art by the Zorach's, a file relating to an exhibition of Zorach artwork at the Brooklyn Museum, and photographs of works of art considered for donation.
Writings and Notes include a typescript of an article written by Marguerite Zorach, writings by William Zorach, a typescript of Young Poems by William and Marguerite, as well as articles written by others about the Zorachs. Artwork by Marguerite Zorach includes two prints and a tracing. Also found is one sketchbook, and additional drawings by William Zorach. There is one unsigned lithograph.
The majority of exhibition announcements, catalogs, and clippings concern William and Marguerite Zorach although there are two announcements for Dahlov Ipcar. There is one scrapbook of clippings about Marguerite.
The papers include photographs of Marguerite and William Zorach, their parents, baby photos of Tessim and Dahlov, family pictures of the Zorachs, and of Marguerite and William in their studios. There are several folders of William Zorach working in his studios and additional photos of him carving a relief sculpture and a sculpture for the Southwest Bank. Most of these photographs contain detailed annotations written by William Zorach about the work. There is one folder of photographs of William in France in 1910-1911, including one of Zorach in Roi Partridge's studio. There is one photograph of Zorach taken by Ansel Adams in Yosemite, a photo of Zorach working by Arnold Newman, and several taken by Imogen Cunnigham.
Other photographs are of works of art, most of which depict William's works.
Artifacts include Marguerite's batik tools and approximately fifty commercially made printing blocks.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 9 series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Information, circa 1907-1969 (Box 1, 6; 3 folders)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1922-1982 (Box 1-2; 1.75 linear feet)
Series 3: Business Records, 1967-1971, circa 1960s-1970s (Box 2-3; 0.3 linear feet)
Series 4: Writings and Notes, circa 1930s-1973, 1987 (Box 3; 8 folders)
Series 5: Artworks, 1900-circa 1920s (Box 3, 6; 12 folders)
Series 6: Scrapbooks, 1922-1953 (Box 3; 1 folder)
Series 7: Printed Material, 1912-1982 (Box 3; 0.25 linear feet)
Series 8: Photographs, 1908-1966 (Box 3-5; 1.0 linear feet)
Series 9: Artifacts, circa 1910s, circa 1950s (Box 4; 0.5 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
William Zorach (1887-1966) was a modernist painter and sculptor working primarily in New York city, along with his wife Marguerite (1887-1968) who worked as a fauvist painter, printmaker, and textile artist. Their children were painter Dahlov Ipcar (1917-) and art collector Tessim Zorach (1915-1995.)
Born in Lithuania, William Zorach immigrated to the United States where his family settled in Cleveland, Ohio. An early interest in art led to a printmaking apprenticeship. He then moved to New York City and enrolled in the National Academy of Design where he studied painting and drawing. In 1910, Zorach traveled to Paris to study and where he met his wife Marguerite Thompson at the La Palette art school. Marguerite grew up in Fresno, California and studied art at Stanford University. Both artists were heavily influenced by the fauvist and cubist art movements.
Returning to America, Marguerite and William married and both continued to create and experiment with varied media. Their paintings were featured in the 1913 New York City Armory Show and they are credited with being among the first artists to introduce European modernist styles to American modernism. The Zorachs were very close both as a couple and as working active artists.
In the 1920s, Marguerite began to experiment with textiles and created large, fine art tapestries and hooked rugs. Also, she used batik dying techniques on fabrics. William also expanded his genre by creating direct sculpture in 1918, which would become his primary medium.
In 1915, William and Marguerite started a family with their son, Tessim. Two years later, their daughter Dahlov was born. The Zorachs divided the year and lived in New York City, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. In 1923, the family bought a farm on Georgetown Island, Maine where they lived, worked, and entertained friends.
Dahlov and Tessim were exposed to art from an early age. Dahlov showed artistic promise as a child and her parents supported her creativity by allowing her to express herself without formal training. Dahlov pursued painting and later became an illustrator for children's books. Additionally, she wrote fantasy novels and short stories. Dahlov married Adolf Ipcar in 1936. Like the rest of his family, Tessim Zorach developed an interest of art and along with his wife Peggy, he amassed a large private collection of ancient to modern art.
William and Marguerite continued to sculpt and paint until their deaths in 1966 and 1968, respectively.
Together, Dahlov and Tessim established the Collection of the Zorach Children which coordinated donations of their parents' art to many museums throughout the United States and the world. The artwork of both artists is found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, Delaware Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Farnsworth Art Museum, Portland Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art, National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Philips Collection, and educational institutions such as Colby College, University of Vermont, Williams College, Bowdoin College, and the University of Virginia. In addition William has works associated with many public buildings, among them: Radio City Music Hall, New York City Municipal Court, the U.S. Post Office in Washington D.C. as well as Farleigh Dickinson University.
Related Material:
The Archives of American Art holds the Dahlov Ipcar papers, 1906-1997. Also found is one oral history interview with William Zorach conducted by by John D. Morse on April 2, 1959 and an oral history interview with Dahlov Ipcar conducted by Robert F. Brown on November 13, 1979.
The bulk of William Zorach's papers are held by the Library of Congress.
Separated Material:
The Archives of American Art also holds material lent for microfilming on reels NY59-1-NY59-4 and NY59-19. Loaned materials were returned to the lender and are now held by the Library of Congress, Manuscript Division. This material is not described in the collection container inventory or finding aid.
Provenance:
William Zorach lent papers for microfilming to the Archives of American Art in 1959. Tessim Zorach donated materials between 1976-1987.
Restrictions:
Use of originals requires an appointment.
Rights:
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.
Occupation:
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
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.
Collection Citation:
The Zorach Family papers, 1900-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
(Depicts the stages of Zorach carving a relief sculpture; many of the photographs are annotated by Zorach)
Collection Restrictions:
Use of originals requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
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.
Collection Citation:
The Zorach Family papers, 1900-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
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.
Collection Citation:
The Zorach Family papers, 1900-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
(Depicts the stages of Zorach creating a sculpture for the Bank of the Southwest; many of the photographs are annotated by Zorach)
Collection Restrictions:
Use of originals requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
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.
Collection Citation:
The Zorach Family papers, 1900-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
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.
Collection Citation:
The Zorach Family papers, 1900-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
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.
Collection Citation:
The Zorach Family papers, 1900-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
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.
Collection Citation:
The Zorach Family papers, 1900-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art