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Ferargil Galleries records, circa 1900-1963

Creator:
Ferargil Galleries  Search this
Subject:
Miller, Barse  Search this
Lucioni, Luigi  Search this
Parsons, Lloyd  Search this
Parrish, Maxfield  Search this
Platt, Dan Fellows  Search this
Pike, John  Search this
Sample, Paul  Search this
Price, F. Newlin (Frederic Newlin)  Search this
Van Soelen, Theodore  Search this
Sawyer, Wells  Search this
Willams, Lois  Search this
Van Vleck, Natalie  Search this
Bliss, Lizzie P. (Lizzie Plummer)  Search this
Käsebier, Gertrude  Search this
Carlsen, Emil  Search this
Arkell, Bartlett  Search this
Benton, Thomas Hart  Search this
Davies, Arthur B. (Arthur Bowen)  Search this
Diedrich, Hunt  Search this
Dabo, Leon  Search this
Davey, Randall  Search this
Lawson, Ernest  Search this
Lowrie, Agnes Potter  Search this
Type:
Photographs
Prints
Drafts (documents)
Gallery records
Scrapbooks
Sketches
Citation:
Ferargil Galleries records, circa 1900-1963. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Art, American -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Gallery owners  Search this
Theme:
Art Gallery Records  Search this
Art Market  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)8905
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211090
AAA_collcode_feragall
Theme:
Art Gallery Records
Art Market
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211090
Online Media:

Lowery Stokes Sims papers

Creator:
Sims, Lowery Stokes  Search this
Names:
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Studio Museum in Harlem  Search this
Catlett, Elizabeth, 1915-2012  Search this
Colescott, Robert, 1925-2009  Search this
Lam, Wifredo  Search this
Pousette-Dart, Richard, 1916-1992  Search this
Extent:
34 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Interviews
Video recordings
Date:
1967-2019
Summary:
The papers of African American art historian, curator and arts administrator, Lowery Stokes Sims, measure 34.0 linear feet and date from 1967 to 2019. The collection documents Sims's career, and her work towards the inclusion of women artists and artists of color into the mainstream art world. The collection comprises biographical materials, datebooks, correspondence, writings, notebooks, exhibition files, professional files that include Sims's files from the Studio Museum in Harlem, Metropolitan Museum of Art records, research files, files on Robert Colescott, printed materials, photographic materials, and unidentified audiovisual and born-digital materials.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of African American art historian, curator and art administrator, Lowery Stokes Sims, measure 34.0 linear feet and date from 1967 to 2019. The collection documents Sims's career, and her work towards the inclusion of women artists and artists of color into the mainstream art world. The collection comprises biographical materials, datebooks, correspondence, writings, notebooks, exhibition files, professional files that include Sims's files from the Studio Museum in Harlem, Metropolitan Museum of Art records, research files, files on Robert Colescott, printed materials, photographic materials, and unidentified audiovisual and born-digital materials.

Biographical materials contain address books, awards, interviews with Sims, and resumes. Fifty datebooks highlight Sims's daily activities for over four decades. Personal and professional correspondence is with Audrey Flack, Za, Betye Saar, Hale Woodruff, Susan Schwalb, Margo Machida, William McKnight, and others.

Writings include drafts and typescripts on Alma Thomas, Elizabeth Catlett, Romare Bearden, Wifredo Lam, African American and women artists; a transcript of a conversation between Sims and Maren Hassinger; and born digital material of presentations. Also in the collection are 60 notebooks containing personal and professional notes and journal entries.

Exhibition files consist of correspondence, budget records, writings about the exhibition and for the catalog, clippings, exhibition announcements, loan forms, artist biographies, and artwork lists for Living Space: An Exhibition on Low Income Housing (1977), Art as a Verb (1988), Next Generation: Southern Black Aesthetic (1990), and Richard Pousette-Dart, 1916-1992 (1997).

Professional files document Sims's memberships, conferences, projects, and teaching activities, as well as her work at the Studio Museum of Harlem. The Metropolitan Museum of Art records consist of research on the museum's collection of works by African American artists, program and staff files, and snapshots of Sims with colleagues on a trip to Patagonia.

Research files contain printed materials, notes, 32 audiovisual recordings and nine born digital discs, and biographical material on artists Frederick Brown, Elizabeth Catlett, Stuart Davis, Maren Hassinger, Edgar Heap of Birds, Al Loving, Faith Ringgold, Jaune Quick-To-See Smith, Kara Walker, and others. The files on Robert Colescott include a book proposal, artwork lists, exhibition files, four sound recordings of an interview between Colescott and Sims, and research material on related topics.

Printed materials consist of clippings featuring Sims, posters, event programs, a few newsletters and magazines, exhibition catalogs that include essays written by Sims, and three documentary recordings. Photographic materials include prints, negatives, transparencies, photograph albums, and slides of Sims, colleagues and friends, exhibitions and professional events, Russ Thompson and Benny Andrews, Beverly Buchanan, Rick Powel, Vaclav Havel, Jeff Donaldson, Samella Lewis, and others.

The final series consists of nine sound recordings and one born digital disc (CD) that could not be placed into a series as the material is either unlabeled or the labels are illegible.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 13 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1980-circa 2005 (0.5 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Datebooks, 1975-2017 (4.0 linear feet; Boxes 1-5)

Series 3: Correspondence, 1971-2018 (1.0 linear feet; Boxes 5-6)

Series 4: Writings, circa 1970s-2018 (2.6 linear feet; Boxes 6-8, OV 33)

Series 5: Notebooks, 1975-2016 (2.6 linear feet; Boxes 39-42)

Series 6: Exhibition Files, 1967-2017 (1.6 linear feet; Boxes 9-10, OV 36)

Series 7: Professional Files, 1969-2018 (6.3 linear feet; Boxes 10-16, OV 34)

Series 8: Metropolitan Museum of Art Records, 1972-2008 (6.0 linear feet; Boxes 16-22, OV 38)

Series 9: Research Files, circa 1970-2017 (6.0 linear feet; Boxes 22-28, OV 35)

Series 10: Files on Robert Colescott, 1971-2019 (1.6 linear feet; Boxes 28-30)

Series 11: Printed Materials, 1970s-2017 (1.8 linear feet; Box 30, OV 37)

Series 12: Photographic Materials, 1970s-2018 (0.8 linear feet; Boxes 31-32)

Series 13: Unidentified Audio and Born Digital Material, circa 1985-2009 (1 folder; Box 32)
Biographical / Historical:
Lowery Stokes Sims (1949-) is an African American art historian, curator, and arts administrator. Sims began her career at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1972 where she became the museum's first African American curator. She left the Met in 1999 for the Studio Museum in Harlem where she served as Executive Director, President, and then Adjunct Curator of the Permanent Collection from 2000 to 2007. From 2007 to 2015, she was curator for the Museum of Art and Design.

Sims was born in Washington D.C. but moved to New York when she was 2 years old. She graduated from Bishop Reilly High School in Queens, N.Y. in 1966. She went on to receive a bachelor of arts degree in art history from Queens College in 1970 and a master of arts degree in art history from Johns Hopkins University in 1972. In 1995, Sims completed her dissertation, published as Wifredo Lam and the International Avant-Garde, 1923-1982 in 2002, to receive her doctoral degree from The Graduate Center, City University of New York.

Sims is a member of the College Art Association, the International Committee of Art Critics, Art Matters Foundation, and has served on the boards of Just Above Midtown (JAM) Gallery, Caribbean Cultural Center, National State Council on the Arts, and the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, among others. She was awarded the Frank Jewett Mather Award for Distinction in Art Criticism in 1991, a Leadership by Example Award from the New York coalition of 100 Black women in 1997, and a Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award from the Queens Museum of Art in 1998. Sims has also lectured at Queens College, the Institute of Fine Art at New York University, the Studio Museum in Harlem, Rutgers University, and Bard College.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview of Lowery Stokes Sims conducted on July 15 and 22, 2010 by Judith Olch Richards, for the Archives of American Art's Elizabeth Murray Oral History of Women in the Visual Arts project, at Sims' home, in New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 2019 by Lowery Stokes Sims as part of the Archives' African American Collecting Initiative funded by the Henry Luce Foundation.
Restrictions:
Notebooks in Series 5 are access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
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 historians -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Arts administrators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art museum curators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
African American artists  Search this
African American art  Search this
African American art museum curators  Search this
Women art historians  Search this
Women museum curators  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Video recordings
Citation:
Lowery Stokes Sims papers, 1967-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.simslowe
See more items in:
Lowery Stokes Sims papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9a66e8319-d9c1-4f8d-b005-08f8bc7cf659
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-simslowe
Online Media:

Ferargil Galleries records

Creator:
Ferargil Galleries  Search this
Names:
Arkell, Bartlett  Search this
Benton, Thomas Hart, 1889-1975  Search this
Bliss, Lizzie P. (Lizzie Plummer), 1864-1931  Search this
Carlsen, Emil, 1853-1932  Search this
Dabo, Leon, 1868-1960  Search this
Davey, Randall, 1887-1964  Search this
Davies, Arthur B. (Arthur Bowen), 1862-1928  Search this
Diedrich, Hunt  Search this
Lawson, Ernest, 1873-1939  Search this
Lowrie, Agnes Potter  Search this
Lucioni, Luigi, 1900-1988  Search this
Miller, Barse, 1904-1973  Search this
Parrish, Maxfield, 1870-1966  Search this
Parsons, Lloyd  Search this
Pike, John, 1911-1979  Search this
Platt, Dan Fellows, 1873-1938  Search this
Price, F. Newlin (Frederic Newlin)  Search this
Sample, Paul, 1896-1974  Search this
Sawyer, Wells, 1863-1960  Search this
Van Soelen, Theodore  Search this
Van Vleck, Natalie, 1901-1974  Search this
Willams, Lois  Search this
Photographer:
Käsebier, Gertrude, 1852-1934  Search this
Extent:
18.7 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Prints
Drafts (documents)
Gallery records
Scrapbooks
Sketches
Date:
circa 1900-1963
Summary:
The Ferargil Galleries records date from circa 1900-1963 and document the activities of this New York gallery that dealt primarily in American contemporary art from shortly after its 1915 founding by Frederic Newlin Price (1884-1963) to it's closure in 1955. 18.7 linear feet of records include incoming and outgoing correspondence with artists, dealers, schools and colleges, and museums and other art institutions; artist files; estate and legal records including papers relating to the Arthur B. Davies estate; gallery business and financial records; printed material; scrapbooks; scattered personal papers of Price; artwork; and photographs of artists, exhibitions and artwork.
Scope and Content Note:
The Ferargil Galleries records date from circa 1900-1963 and document the activities of this New York gallery that dealt primarily in American contemporary art from shortly after its 1915 founding by Frederic Newlin Price (1884-1963) to it's closure in 1955. 18.7 linear feet of records include incoming and outgoing correspondence with artists, dealers, schools and colleges, and museums and other art institutions; artist files; estate and legal records including papers relating to the Arthur B. Davies estate; gallery business and financial records; printed material; scrapbooks; scattered personal papers of Price; artwork; and photographs of artists, exhibitions and artwork.

Correspondence is both incoming and outgoing and documents the day-to-day activities of the galleries, primarily from the 1920s to the 1950s. Significant correspondence with, or relating to, many of the artists represented by Ferargil Galleries can be found here including correspondence with Bartlett Arkell, Thomas Hart Benton, Randall Davey, Hunt Diedrich, Ernest Lawson, Agnes Potter Lowrie, Luigi Lucioni, Barse Miller, Maxfield Parrish, John Pike, Paul Sample, Wells M. Sawyer, Theodore van Soelen and many others.

Artist files consist primarily of material compiled about artists represented by Ferargil Galleries, including biographical information, press releases for exhibitions, and scattered price lists and information about individual works of art.

Estate and legal records include estate inventories for the estates of Lizzie P. Bliss, Arthur B. Davies, and Dan Fellows Platt, and document several legal actions involving Ferargil Galleries. Of particular significance are the records documenting Price's involvement with the estate of Arthur B. Davies, including correspondence with Davies's wife, Virginia, and sales and inventory records for Davies's artwork at Ferargil Galleries and elsewhere.

Business and financial records date primarily from the 1920s and document inventories, sales, insurance, shipping, and taxes for the bulk of the gallery's operating years.

Printed material contains Ferargail Galleries exhibition catalogs and announcements from 1918 to the 1950s in addition to scattered printed material from other galleries and one folder relating to Arthur B. Davies.

Scrapbooks provide a more comprehensive and detailed history of the gallery's exhibitions, through multiple news clippings of press coverage, in addition to catalogs, announcements, and photographs. Of particular note is a circa 1908 photograph of Arthur B. Davies taken by Gertrude Kasëbier.

Scattered personal records of Frederic Newlin Price document Price's work with the Benjamin West Society at Swarthmore College and further reveal Price's interests through an inventory of his art collection and drafts and copies of his writings on artists such as Arthur B. Davies, and on changing trends and tastes in the art world.

A small series of artwork includes 6 pencil sketches, a print, 3 plans, and an Arthur B. Davies exhibition catalog mock-up with pencil sketches, all by unidentified artists.

Gallery photograph files include some photos of artists such as Emil Carlsen, Leon Dabo, Lloyd Parsons, Natalie Van Vleck and Lois Williams, in addition to 13 folders of photos relating to collections and exhibitions, and photographs of artwork.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 9 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Correspondence, 1920s-1963 (Boxes 1-15; 6.0 linear ft.)

Series 2: Artist Files, circa 1920s-1950s (Boxes 16-17; 0.7 linear ft.)

Series 3: Estate and Legal Records, circa 1925-circa 1939 (Boxes 17-18; 0.3 linear ft.)

Series 4: Business and Financial Records, 1919-1956 (Boxes 18-21; 1.2 linear ft.)

Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1900-1956 (Boxes 21-22; 0.7 linear ft.)

Series 6: Scrapbooks, circa 1920s-1950s (Boxes 23-34, 40, OV 41; 5.4 linear ft.)

Series 7: Frederic Newlin Price Records, 1920s-1950s (Box 34; 6 folders)

Series 8: Artwork, circa 1920s-circa 1950s (Box 34, OV 41; 2 folders)

Series 9: Photographs, circa 1920-1950s (Boxes 35-39, OV 40; 4.4. linear ft.)
Historical Note:
Frederic Newlin Price (1884-1963) opened Ferargil Galleries in 1915 at 24 East 49th Street and 607 Fifth Avenue in New York City. Art critic W. Frank Purdy (1865-1943)was the President of the Art Alliance of America in 1918 and director of the School of American Sculpture worked at the galleries as director of sculpture.

Named from a combination of "fer" (ferrous-iron) and "argil" (clay), Ferargil Galleries dealt in wrought iron, sculpture, paintings and prints, and focused on exhibitions of work by American artists such as George Bellows, Thomas Hart Benton, Emil Carlsen, John Steuart Curry, Arthur B. Davies, W. Hunt Diederich, Thomas Eakins, Edward Hicks, Ernest Lawson, Albert P. Ryder and Grant Wood. Ferargil was also known for its representation of a group of contemporary watercolorists including Charles Dickinson, Phil Dike, Hardie Gramatky, Barse Miller, and Paul Sample.

In 1927 the business moved to 37 East 57th Street (later 63 East 57th Street) and housed a print room, a sculpture gallery with a fountain, and the main painting galleries.

In 1931 Price became the Director of the newly-formed Benjamin West Society at his alma mater, Swarthmore College. There, he promoted the arts at Swarthmore through annual lectures and exhibitions by contemporary artists and also acquired artwork for the college, primarily by Benjamin West. Price served as President of the American Art Dealers Association in the early 1930s and published a number of books and articles on artists including Arthur B. Davies, Walter Griffin, Eric Hudson, Ernest Lawson, Arthur P. Ryder and Horatio Walker.

Price closed Ferargil Galleries in 1955.
Separated Material:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming (reels D321-D322, and N68-14-N68-15) including personal and business correspondence with artists and other records. Lent materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
In 1958, Frederic Newlin Price donated circa 70 letters to the Archives of American Art and loaned material for microfilming on reels D321-D322. The remaining records were donated anonymously in 1968.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers 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.
Topic:
Art, American -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Gallery owners  Search this
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Prints
Drafts (documents)
Gallery records
Scrapbooks
Sketches
Citation:
Ferargil Galleries records, 1900-1963. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.feragall
See more items in:
Ferargil Galleries records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93168e3a9-3aa5-43c5-8811-da96c9975228
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-feragall
Online Media:

Charles FitzGerald scrapbooks, circa 1901-1918

Creator:
Fitzgerald, Charles, 1873-1958  Search this
Type:
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Charles FitzGerald scrapbooks, circa 1901-1918. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Art criticism -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Theme:
Research and writing about art  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)8177
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210348
AAA_collcode_fitzchar
Theme:
Research and writing about art
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210348
Online Media:

Fairfield Porter papers, 1888-2001, bulk 1924-1975

Creator:
Porter, Fairfield, 1907-1975  Search this
Subject:
Schuyler, James  Search this
Schloss, Edith  Search this
Rivers, Larry  Search this
Porter, Ruth W.  Search this
Padgett, Ron  Search this
O'Hara, Frank  Search this
Myers, John Bernard  Search this
Vasilieff, Nicholas  Search this
Stankiewicz, Richard  Search this
Shapiro, David  Search this
Lichtenstein, Roy  Search this
Giardelli, Arthur  Search this
Guest, Barbara  Search this
Evergood, Philip  Search this
Frielicher, Jane  Search this
Downes, Rackstraw  Search this
Elmslie, Kenward  Search this
Button, John  Search this
Day, Lucien B.  Search this
Morse, Carl  Search this
Koch, Kenneth  Search this
Laning, Edward  Search this
Katz, Alex  Search this
Hartl, Léon  Search this
Hess, Thomas B.  Search this
Burkhardt, Rudy  Search this
Brainard, Joe  Search this
Tibor de Nagy Gallery  Search this
Hirschl & Adler Galleries  Search this
Type:
Travel diaries
Sketches
Sketchbooks
Photographs
Citation:
Fairfield Porter papers, 1888-2001, bulk 1924-1975. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Works of art  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- Southampton  Search this
Painting, Modern -- 20th century  Search this
Poets  Search this
Lithographers -- New York (State)  Search this
Theme:
Diaries  Search this
Sketches & Sketchbooks  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)8946
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211133
AAA_collcode_portfair
Theme:
Diaries
Sketches & Sketchbooks
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211133
Online Media:

Aline and Eero Saarinen papers, 1906-1977

Creator:
Saarinen, Aline B. (Aline Bernstein), 1914-1972  Search this
Subject:
White, Stanford  Search this
Saarinen, Eero  Search this
Type:
Photographs
Motion pictures (visual works)
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Aline and Eero Saarinen papers, 1906-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Architecture -- United States  Search this
Architects -- Michigan -- Bloomfield Hills  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- United States  Search this
Women architectural critics  Search this
Women art critics  Search this
Women art historians  Search this
Theme:
Architecture & Design  Search this
Research and writing about art  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)5589
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211237
AAA_collcode_saaralin
Theme:
Architecture & Design
Research and writing about art
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211237
Online Media:

Kenyon and Louise Cox papers, 1876-1977

Creator:
Cox, Kenyon, 1856-1919  Search this
Subject:
Cox, Louise Howland King  Search this
Type:
Photographs
Illustrated letters
Citation:
Kenyon and Louise Cox papers, 1876-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painting, American  Search this
Works of art  Search this
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9410
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211608
AAA_collcode_coxkenyl
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211608
Online Media:

Martin Birnbaum papers

Creator:
Birnbaum, Martin, 1878-1970  Search this
Names:
Fogg Art Museum  Search this
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Philadelphia Museum of Art  Search this
Scott & Fowles (Firm)  Search this
Beardsley, Aubrey, 1872-1898  Search this
Beaux, Cecilia, 1855-1942  Search this
Bruce, Edward, 1879-1943  Search this
Bufano, Beniamino, 1898-1970  Search this
Chanler, Robert Winthrop, 1872-1930  Search this
Choate, Mabel, 1870-1958  Search this
Clark, Stephen C. (Stephen Carlton), b. 1882  Search this
Cœdès, George  Search this
Davis, Edmund  Search this
Davis, Reginald  Search this
Despiau, Charles, 1874-1946  Search this
Diederich, William Hunt, 1884-1953  Search this
Dillingham, Louise  Search this
Douglas, Norman, 1868-1952  Search this
Dulac, Edmund, 1882-1953  Search this
Fernández, Luis, 1900-1973  Search this
Haseltine, Herbert, 1877-1962  Search this
Hoffman, Malvina, 1887-1966  Search this
Hoowij, Jan, 1907-  Search this
Jacobs, Leonebel  Search this
John, Augustus, 1878-1961  Search this
Jones, Lois Mailou, 1905-1998  Search this
Kester, Lenard, 1917-  Search this
Manship, Paul, 1885-1966  Search this
McIlhenny, Henry P.  Search this
Melchers, Gari, 1860-1932  Search this
Nadelman, Elie, 1882-1946  Search this
Parmelee, James  Search this
Parrish, Maxfield, 1870-1966  Search this
Potterton, Alfred B.  Search this
Richter, Gisela Marie Augusta, 1882-1972  Search this
Ricketts, Charles S., 1866-1931  Search this
Rock, Joseph Francis Charles, 1884-1962  Search this
Rothenstein, William, Sir, 1872-1945  Search this
Sargent, John Singer, 1856-1925  Search this
Scott, Stevenson  Search this
Scudder, Janet, b. 1873  Search this
Sinclair, Upton, 1878-1968  Search this
Sprinchorn, Carl, 1887-1971  Search this
Stein, Leo, 1872-1947  Search this
Sterne, Maurice, 1878-1957  Search this
Sterner, Albert, 1863-1946  Search this
Werntz, Carl N. (Carl Newland), 1874-1944  Search this
Wilson, Stanley  Search this
Winthrop, Grenville Lindall, 1864-1943  Search this
Extent:
3.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sketches
Etchings
Photographs
Date:
1862-1967
bulk 1920-1967
Summary:
The papers of New York art dealer, critic, and author Martin Birnbaum measure 3.2 linear feet and date from 1862-1967, with the bulk of the material dating from 1920-1967. The papers document Birnbaum's association with the firm of Scott & Fowles, the lives and activities of his friends and colleagues, and his literary work, through biographical material, correspondence, writings and notes, business records, printed material, a scrapbook, scattered artwork, and photographs of Birnbaum, friends and colleagues, and artwork.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of New York art dealer, critic, and author Martin Birnbaum measure 3.2 linear feet and date from 1862-1967, with the bulk of the material dating from 1920-1967. The papers document Birnbaum's association with the firm of Scott & Fowles, the lives and activities of his friends and colleagues, and his literary work, through biographical material, correspondence, writings and notes, business records, printed material, a scrapbook, scattered artwork, and photographs of Birnbaum, friends and colleagues, and artwork.

Correspondence, primarily letters received by Birnbaum in New York, and throughout Europe from 1917-1960s, reflects Birnbaum's association with Scott & Fowles, particularly Stevenson Scott, and includes many details about the lives and activities of his correspondents, among them: artists Edward Bruce, Cecilia Beaux, Beniamino Bufano, Stephen C. Clark, Louise Dillingham, William Hunt Diedrich, Luis Fernandez, Herbert Haseltine, Jan Hoowij, Malvina Hoffman, Leonebel Jacobs, Lenard Kester, Lois Mailou Jones, Paul Manship, Gari Melchers, Maxfield Parrish, Charles S. Ricketts, William Rothenstein, John Singer Sargent, Janet Scudder, Carl Sprinchorn, Maurice Sterne, Albert Sterner, Carl N. Wertz, and Stanley Wilson. Also found is correspondence with art collectors and patrons including Mabel Choate, Edmund Davis, Reginald Davis, Henry P. McIlhenny, James Parmalee, Edith Wetmore, and Grenville Windall Linthrop, and museums including the Fogg Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and then curator Gisela Marie Augusta Richter, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Correspondence with scholars, writers, and publishers including George Coedes, Edmund Dulac, Joseph Francis Charles Rock, Upton Sinclair and others, documents aspects of Birnbaum's literary and scholarly work.

Writings include drafts of The Last Romantic, including Upton Sinclair's revision, and some of Birnbaum's early published and unpublished writings, as well as notes on Aubrey Beardsley.

Business records include financial records such as bills, receipts, canceled checks and statements for sales of artwork, and scattered legal records.

A small amount of printed material primarily consists of programs for musical events which evidence Birnbaum's early success as a violinist, as well as scattered news clippings, 2 exhibition catalogs, and announcements for the publications of Angkor and the Mandarin Road and The Last Romantic. Additional printed material about Birnbaum can be found in the dismantled scrapbook, 1960-1961.

Artwork includes 2 etchings and a sketch by Birnbaum, bookplates by various artists, circa 10 sketches by other and unidentified artists, and 3 cards with original artwork.

Photographs include snapshots and portraits of Birnbaum and artists and friends, among them: Robert Chanler, Charles Despiau, Norman Douglas, Luis Fernandez, Herbert Haseltine, Augustus John, Paul Manship, Gari Melchers, Elie Nadelman, Albert Sterner, Stevenson Scott, and Grenville Lindall Winthrop. Also found is a photo of Birnbaum with Edward Bruce, Alfred Potterton, Leon Stein, and Maurice Sterne, circa 1915-1916, and photographs proposed for use in The Last Romantic, travel snapshots, and photos of artwork.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged as 8 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1890-1950s (0.3 linear feet; Box 1, OVs 4-5)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1862-1967 (1.7 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, circa 1890-circa 1960 (0.45 linear feet; Box 2)

Series 4: Business Records, 1918-1967 (0.15 linear feet; Box 2)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1895-circa 1960 (0.15 linear feet; Box 3)

Series 6: Scrapbook, 1960-1961 (1 folder; Box 3)

Series 7: Artwork, circa 1890-circa 1960 (0.15 linear feet; Box 3)

Series 8: Photographs, circa 1900-circa 1960s (0.3 linear feet; Box 3)
Biographical / Historical:
New York art dealer, critic, and author Martin Birmbaum (1878-1970) was the manager of the American branch of the Berlin Photographic Company in New York City from 1910–1916, and a longtime partner in the art firm Scott & Fowles. He spent the later part of his career building the Grenville Lindall Winthrop Collection, now at the Fogg Museum.

Birnbaum immigrated to the United States from Hungary as a child. He was an accomplished violinist who studied at City College of New York, and graduated with a law degree from Columbia University in 1901, but developed a life-long interest in art during visits to Europe. As manager of the Berlin Photographic Company he had great success in staging art exhibitions at the company's New York galleries, which led him to a junior partnership in the Fifth Avenue firm of art dealers, Scott & Fowles. Birnbaum traveled widely and built relationships with many of the prominent artists and art collectors of his day and, in addition to the Grenville Lindall Winthrop collection, was influential in developing other important art collections including those of Edward Davis, Reginald Davis, and Henry P. McIlhenny.

Birnbaum wrote widely about his experiences and encounters in the world of wealthy socialites, literary salons, artists, art patrons, and collectors in publications such as Aubrey Vincent Beardsley (Berlin Photographic Co., 1911), Oscar Wilde: Fragments and Memories (J.F. Drake, Incorporated, 1914) , Vanishing Eden:Wanderings in the Tropics (New York: William E. Rudge's Sons, 1942), Angkor and the Mandarin Road (Vantage Press, 1952), and The Last Romantic (Twayne Publishers, 1961). He died in 1970 at the age of 92.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming (reels N698, N698A-N698B) including correspondence, bookplates, sketches, newspaper clippings, and a list of books containing ornamental drawings and illustrations. Loaned materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
Material on reels N698, N698A-N698B were lent for microfilming by Martin Birnbaum in 1967. The rest of the collection was donated in an anonymous gift in 1970 and by Martin Birnbaum's great-nephew, Jerome Ziegler, in 1975.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
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 critics -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Authors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sketches
Etchings
Photographs
Citation:
Martin Birnbaum papers, 1962-1967, bulk 1920-1967. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.birnmart
See more items in:
Martin Birnbaum papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ca6df438-53dd-472f-9ab1-0be16d9545eb
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-birnmart
Online Media:

Michèle Cone papers

Creator:
Cone, Michèle C., 1932-  Search this
Extent:
7.3 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1959-2020
Summary:
The Michèle Cone papers measure 7.3 linear feet and date from 1959 to 2020. The collection documents Michèle Cone's professional activities as an art critic, educator, and scholar through biographical material, personal and professional correspondence, recorded interviews and interview projects, AICA-USA files, professional files with recorded lectures and discussions, writing projects, curatorial projects, teaching files, and photographic materials.
Scope and Contents:
The Michèle Cone papers, 1959-2020, measure 7.3 linear feet and document Michèle Cone's professional activities as an art critic, educator, and scholar through biographical material, personal and professional correspondence, recorded interviews and interview projects, AICA-USA files, professional files with recorded lectures and discussions, writing projects, curatorial projects, teaching files, and photographic materials.

Biographical materials include curriculum vitaes and planning drafts for Cone's website, among other personal materials. Personal and professional correspondence is with arts publications and magazines, museums and galleries, and artists and colleagues, with much written in French. Letters and postcards are from Miguel Cervantes, David Diao, Albert Féraud, Anna Belle Geiger, Francoise Gilot, Grace Glueck, Joseph Nechvatal, Archie Rand, Pierre Restany, Sandy Skoglund, and Maro Gorky and Matthew Spender, among others. Interviews and interview projects include interview transcripts and 28 recordings with artists and colleagues, including Vito Acconci, Leo Castelli, Christo, Robert Gober, Red Grooms, Peter Halley, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Roy Lichtenstein, Allan McCollum, Cady Noland, Pierre Restany, Richard Rogers, Daniel Spoerri, Haim Steinbach, Ben Vautier, and others.

Michèle Cone's time spent as a member of the board of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA-USA) is represented through AICA-USA files, and professional files document Cone's varied professional activities. Cone attended and presented at conferences; gave lectures at galleries, universities, and other organizations; and organized and participated in panel discussions, roundtables, and symposia. Some were recorded on sound cassette and include Roland Barthes, John Cage, Anne D'Harnoncourt, Michel Foucault, Harold Rosenberg, Philippe Sollers, and others. Critical reviews and articles, book projects, essays, museum catalog contributions, an unfinished memoir project, and other scholarly writing activities are found among writing projects, and curatorial projects document planned and proposed exhibitions. Teaching files primarily document Cone's time instructing at the School of Visual Arts in New York, with some material for NYU, and various slides and snapshots of events and artworks are found with photographic materials. The collection also includes assorted unidentified video recordings and born digital files. Researchers should note that some of Michèle Cone's projects continued to evolve into additional projects, speaking engagements, curatorial endeavors, and writings.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 10 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1972-2019 (8 folders; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1965-2020 (0.5 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Interviews and Interview Projects, 1969-2019 (0.8 linear feet; Boxes 1, 7-8)

Series 4: AICA-USA Files, 1989-2009 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 5: Professional Files, 1974-2013 (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, 7-8)

Series 6: Writing Projects, 1959-2019 (2.7 linear feet; Boxes 2-5, OV 9)

Series 7: Curatorial Projects, 1990-2014 (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 5-6, OV 10-11)

Series 8: Teaching Files, 1988-2010 (0.2 linear feet; Box 6)

Series 9: Photographic Materials, circa 1970-1992 (5 folders; Box 6)

Series 10: Unidentified Video Recordings and Born Digital Files, circa 1980s-circa 1990s (0.3 linear feet; Box 6)
Biographical / Historical:
Michèle Cone (1932- ) is a French-born art critic and scholar of 20th century art, especially the art of France under Vichy and Nazi occupation. Cone taught at New York's School of Visual Arts from 1980 to 2008 and received her PhD from NYU in 1988. In addition, she received a Chateaubriand Fellowship in the 1980s to conduct research for her PhD in Paris; was the New York editorial coordinator for the Italian magazine Flash Art; and is also a former board member of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA-USA).

Cone's publications include three books: The Roots and Routes of Art in the 20th Century (Horizon Press, 1975); Artists under Vichy: A Case of Prejudice and Persecution (Princeton University Press, 1992), which is a revised version of her doctoral thesis, "Art and Politics in France, 1940-1944" (UMI, 1988); and French Modernisms: Perspectives on Art before, during and after Vichy (Cambridge University Press, 2001). In addition, she has published numerous critical reviews; contributed to anthologies and museum catalogs; written essays for various arts publications; planned and led lectures, panel discussions, roundtables, and symposia; conducted interviews with artists for publication, television programs, and oral history projects; and curated exhibitions.
Related Materials:
The Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Library also holds the Michèle C. Cone collection of Artists under Vichy.
Provenance:
The Michèle Cone papers were donated in 2021 by Michèle Cone.
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. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
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 critics -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Women art critics  Search this
Women art historians  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Michèle Cone papers, 1959-2020. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.conemich
See more items in:
Michèle Cone papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98ae149f1-a6ca-46fb-82ab-5beccf3e8a8c
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-conemich

Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers

Creator:
Parsons, Betty  Search this
Names:
Betty Parsons Gallery  Search this
Bess, Forrest, 1911-1977  Search this
Congdon, William, 1912-1998  Search this
Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956  Search this
Reinhardt, Ad, 1913-1967  Search this
Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970  Search this
Extent:
61.1 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sketchbooks
Interviews
Video recordings
Drawings
Date:
1916-1991
bulk 1946-1983
Summary:
The Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers measure 61.1 linear feet and date from 1916 to 1991, with the bulk of the material dating from 1946-1983. Records provide extensive documentation of the gallery's operations from its inception in 1946 to its closing in 1983 and of the activities of Betty Parsons as one the leading art dealers of contemporary American Art in the latter half of the twentieth century, particularly the work of the Abstract Expressionists. Over one third of the of the collection is comprised of artists files containing correspondence, price lists, and printed materials. Additional correspondence is with galleries, dealers, art institutions, private collectors, and the media. Also found are exhibition files, exhibition catalogs and announcements, sales records, stock inventories, personal financial records, and photographs. Betty Parsons's personal papers consist of early curatorial files, pocket diaries, personal correspondence, and evidence of her own artwork, including sketchbooks, and files documenting her personal art collection.
Scope and Content Note:
The Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers measure 61.1 linear feet and date from 1916 to 1991, with the bulk of the material dating from 1946-1983. Records provide extensive documentation of the gallery's operations from its inception in 1946 to its closing in 1983 and of the activities of Betty Parsons as one the leading art dealers of contemporary American Art in the latter half of the twentieth century, particularly the work of the Abstract Expressionists. Over one third of the of the collection is comprised of artists files containing correspondence, price lists, and printed materials. Additional correspondence is with galleries, dealers, art institutions, private collectors, and the media. Also found are exhibition files, exhibition catalogs and announcements, sales records, stock inventories, personal financial records, and photographs. Betty Parsons's personal papers consist of early curatorial files, pocket diaries, personal correspondence, and evidence of her own artwork, including sketchbooks, and files documenting her personal art collection. Personal papers also include personal photographs.

Artists files, the largest and most extensive series, consist of a wide variety of documents, including biographical materials, correspondence with or related to the artist, exhibition catalogs and announcements, sales and expense invoices, clippings, price lists, and photographs of the artist, exhibitions, and artwork. The files reflect Parsons's close personal relationships with certain artists, particularly Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Clyfford Still, and Barnett Newman. Extensive documentation is also found for Forrest Bess, William Congdon, Paul Feeley, Thomas George, Alexander Liberman, Seymour Lipton, Richard Pousette-Dart, Jesse Reichek, and Jack Youngerman. Historians and researchers will find these files to be an invaluable resource both in tracing Betty Parsons's role in promoting Abstract Expressionism and researching individual artists.

Exhibition files primarily document the gallery's infrequent group or themed exhibitions. Of particular note are the files on The Ideographic Picture, which was organized by Barnett Newman and included his work, as well as that of Pietro Lazzari, Boris Margo, Ad Reinhardt, Mark Rothko, Theodoros Stamos, and Clyfford Still. Price lists, artist biographies and exhibition schedules are housed in the general exhibition files. Loan exhibition files provide documentation of artwork borrowed by other galleries or institutions for exhibitions, as well as shows outside of the gallery that were organized by Betty Parsons. Also found are gallery exhibition guest books, and announcements and catalogs.

Gallery correspondence is primarily with galleries and dealers, museums, arts organizations, and collectors. Scattered letters from artists are also found, although the bulk of the artists' correspondence is filed in the Artists Files. Also found here are memoranda and letters between Betty Parsons and her staff that contain detailed information concerning Parsons's schedule and gallery activities. Similar correspondence is found amongst the correspondence files within the series Betty Parsons papers.

Appraisal and conservation files include correspondence, appraisal invoices, forms, and appraisal requests and other information from the Art Dealers Association of America, and conservation invoices and reports. The majority of the appraisal records contain information about the specific works of art, including artist, title, date, current owner and the estimated value at the time of the request. Conservation records document conservation treatments undertaken by outside conservators to gallery stock.

Sales, purchases, stock and inventory are well documented in the sales and inventory records. The records provide detailed information about individual sales, prices of individual pieces of artwork, consignments, and loans. Most sales records also include detailed information about the buyer and are a valuable resource for provenance research. Files documenting the general administration, routine business operations, and financial transactions (not individual sales) of the gallery are housed in the general business and financial records. These records include ledgers, receipts, tax records, and banking records. There is some limited information about works of art scattered amongst the receipts and in the "in/out slips" files. Legal records house general legal documents and those concerning specific lawsuits. Of particular note is the file detailing the lawsuit between Betty Parsons and Sidney Janis over the fifth floor of 24 West 57th Street.

The remainder of the collection consists of Betty Parsons's personal papers which document her career prior to opening her own gallery, her work as an artist, and her personal art collection.

Some information about Parsons's work prior to opening her own gallery is found in the early curatorial files she retained from her curatorial and administrative work at the Wakefield Gallery and the Mortimer Brandt Gallery. Clippings, correspondence, announcements, exhibition lists and exhibition files are found. For both positions, she kept only the exhibition files for a small group of exhibitions organized around a specific theme, the most notable being the exhibition of Pre-Columbian Sculpture at the Wakefield Gallery.

Biographical materials include copies of her biography, family genealogies, photographs of Parsons, interviews with Colette Roberts and WYNC radio, memberships, photographs, and ephemera, including a collection of programs and invitations from events that she attended. Throughout her life Parsons gave generously of her time to various cultural and charitable institutions and was awarded for her contributions. There are also a number of files that document her speaking engagements, her participation as a juror in numerous juried exhibitions, charitable work, and awards that she received.

Parsons's personal correspondence files reflect how deeply Parsons's life was intertwined with the gallery. There are letters from museum directors, dealers, artists seeking representation, and personal letters from artists with whom she had close personal relationships, most notably Larry Bigelow, Alexander Calder, William Condon, and Ad Reinhardt. There are also letters from the English artist Adge Baker, with whom Parsons was romantically involved. Correspondence also includes several files of postcards and Christmas cards.

Pocket diaries and engagement calendars, spanning from 1933-1981, record social engagements, meetings, vacations, and telephone numbers. Also found are circa two linear feet of notebooks and sketchbooks, many of which are annotated with addresses, poetry, journal entries, and other observations of people, places, and travels. Writings by others include writings about Betty Parsons or the Betty Parsons Gallery, such as Lawrence Alloway's unpublished typescript titled "An American Gallery" and other topics.

Printed material consists of exhibition announcements and catalogs, art magazines, and newspaper and magazine clippings about Betty Parsons, her family and acquaintances, artists, and other art related topics, coupled with a miscellaneous selection of clippings, and a video recording, on topics that presumably captured Parsons's attention.

Personal art work records document Betty Parsons's career as an artist through inventories, group and solo exhibitions files, price lists, appraisals, sales and consignment invoices. Photographs are primarily reproductions of her works of art, although there are scattered photographs of exhibition installations.

Betty Parsons's private art collection files document her extensive personal collection of art that included works by Jackson Pollock, Agnes Martin, Romare Bearden, Barnett Newman, and Mark Rothko, in addition to Amlash sculpture from ancient Persia and primitive sculpture from New Hebrides. These files include inventories, lists, exhibition records, sales and purchase invoices, and photographs. There are also files for donations and loans from Parsons's personal collection to museums and fund raising auctions for several non-profit institutions.

Finally, the personal financial records provide information about the Parsons's family finances and her personal financial success as an art dealer. In addition to her own investments, Parsons inherited shares in family investments through the estates of her parents, J. Fred Pierson, Jr. and Suzanne Miles Pierson, and younger sister, Emily Rayner. Real estate files include correspondence, utility bills, receipts, area maps, and land plots for houses in Sheepscot, Maine and St. Maartens, Netherlands Antilles. Tax returns, ledger worksheets, receipts, banking statements, deposit slips, and cancelled checks are among the other financial records.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as seven series. Many of the series are further divided into subseries.

Missing Title

Series 1: Artists Files, 1935-1983 (19.4 linear feet; Boxes 1-18, 51, 55-56, OVs 53, 65)

Series 2: Exhibition Files, 1941-1983 (2.9 linear feet; Boxes 18-21, 51, 55, OVs 54, 66)

Series 3: Correspondence Files, 1941-1983 (3.9 linear feet; Boxes 21-24, 52, 56)

Series 4: Appraisal Files, 1954-1983 (0.7 linear feet; Box 24)

Series 5: Sales and Inventory Records, 1946-1983 (3.9 linear feet; Boxes 25-28, 51)

Series 6: General Business and Financial Records, 1946-1983 (9.3 linear feet; Boxes 28-38, 51, 56)

Series 7: Betty Parsons Personal Papers, 1916-1991 (21 linear feet; Boxes 38-51, 55-64, OVs 65-67)
Historical Note:
Betty Parsons (1900-1982) was one of the leading art dealers in New York City specializing in modern art, particularly the work of the Abstract Expressionists, and an abstract painter and sculptor in her own right. She opened Betty Parsons Gallery in 1946 at 15 E. 57th St., later moving to 24 W. 57th St.

The history of the Betty Parsons Gallery is inextricably bound to the life and experiences of its founder. Betty Parsons was born Betty Bierne Pierson on January 31, 1900 in New York City. She enjoyed a privileged childhood, which included vacation homes in Newport and Palm Beach. Her only formal education was a five-year stint at the prestigious Chapin School from 1910-1915, where she met many of the women who would become life-long friends and supporters. In the spring of 1920, she married Schuyler Livingston Parsons from one of New York's oldest families. The marriage ended after only three years and the couple traveled to Paris where they could obtain a divorce on the grounds of incompatibility. She retained her married surname and purchased a house on the rue Boulard in Paris, where she remained for ten years, pursuing studies in painting and sculpture.

Financial constraints forced Parsons to return to the United States in 1933. She first traveled west to California, but it was her return to New York in 1935 that marked the start of her career as an art dealer. Her first opportunity to connect with the New York art world came after a successful exhibition of her watercolors at the Midtown Galleries where the owner, Alan Gruskin, noted Parson's faithful and wealthy group of supporters and offered her work installing exhibitions and selling paintings on commission. Her work for the Midtown Galleries led to a second position in the Park Avenue gallery of Mary Sullivan, one of the founders of the Museum of Modern Art. Here, Parsons learned the business of running a gallery. By 1940 Parsons was ready to take on more independent responsibility and agreed to manage a gallery within the Wakefield Bookshop. In this job, she exercised full curatorial control by selecting artists and organizing exhibitions. She championed then unknown contemporary American artists and the gallery's roster soon included Saul Steinberg, Hedda Sterne, Alfonso Ossorio, Joseph Cornell, Walter Murch, and Theodore Stamos. Although the majority of the exhibitions were solo shows, there were a few group shows and themed exhibitions, such as Love in Art (1941) and Ballet in Art (1942). Under Parson's direction, the gallery hosted an important exhibition of Pre-Columbian sculpture, curated by Barnett Newman.

When the owners of the Wakefield Bookshop decided to close the gallery late in 1944, Mortimer Brandt, a dealer who specialized in Old Master paintings and drawings, offered her a position as head of the newly created contemporary section of his gallery. Many of the artists who had shown with Parsons at the Wakefield Gallery followed her to her new gallery, where they were joined by Ad Reinhardt, Boris Mango, and Hans Hofmann. While the exhibitions garnered attention from the press and the interest of contemporary artists, the contemporary section was not a financial success and Brandt opted to close his gallery in 1946.

Using $1000 of her own money and an additional borrowed $4000, Parsons sublet the space that previously housed Mortimer Brandt's contemporary section, on the fifth floor of 15 East 57th Street, and opened the Betty Parsons Gallery.

In many respects the early years of the Betty Parsons Gallery were the most vital, as it was during the period of 1947-1951 that the gallery became linked with the Abstract Expressionists and the history of post-WWII American Art. In an unpublished history of the gallery, noted art critic Lawrence Alloway stated that the significance of the gallery's early exhibitions ranks with Durand-Ruel's Impressionists exhibitions or Kahnweiler's shows of the Cubists. Betty Parsons Gallery quickly became one of the most prestigious galleries in New York City associated with new American Art of all styles. Her close friend Barnett Newman organized the gallery's inaugural exhibition of Northwest Coast Indian Art and he soon began to exhibit his own work at the gallery. When Peggy Guggenheim's Art of This Century Gallery closed, Jackson Pollock, Clyfford Still, and Mark Rothko joined Parsons' growing stable of artists. Although Parsons continued to promote and exhibit many of the artists whom she had previously discovered, these four artists dominated this period. Newman, Pollock, Still, and Rothko worked closely together, holding themselves apart from the other artists somewhat. They were actively involved in the curatorial process and often hung their own shows. For these artists, the exhibition itself was an artistic act of creation.

Parsons provided a supportive environment and allowed her artists enormous freedom in planning and designing their exhibitions. She was not, however, an aggressive salesperson. During this early period the gallery ledgers document sales to an impressive array of museums including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago, as well as important collectors such as Edward Root and Duncan Phillips. Nevertheless, the art that the gallery promoted was not yet widely accepted. Sales were few, prices were low and the business would not turn a profit for several years. Meanwhile, there was mounting pressure from Pollock, Newman, Still, and Rothko to drop some of the other artists from Parsons' stable and focus all resources on them. They wanted to be promoted to a larger audience and have their work sold at higher prices, but Parsons enjoyed discovering new artists and did not want to be restricted in this endeavor. The year 1951 marks the last time that Pollock's drip paintings or the monumental works of Newman, Rothko or Still were shown at the Betty Parsons Gallery.

In the following years the Betty Parsons Gallery continued to attract a diverse group of talented artists. Ellsworth Kelly, Richard Tuttle, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jack Youngerman had their first New York exhibitions at the Betty Parsons Gallery. Parsons opened Section Eleven in 1958, a short-lived annex to the main gallery, so that she could promote younger, less well-known artists. It closed in 1960 due to the administrative difficulties in running two essentially separate galleries.

In 1962, Sidney Janis, another prominent art dealer, started proceedings to evict Parsons from the floor that they shared on 15 East 57th Street. The Betty Parsons Gallery moved to 24 West 57th Street in 1963, where it remained until it closed in 1983, following Parsons' death the preceding year. Throughout the gallery's history, Parsons continued to promote faithful artists such as Hedda Sterne and Saul Steinberg, who had been with her from the beginning and to seek out new talent, both for her main gallery and for other venues, such as the short-lived Parsons-Truman Gallery, which she opened in 1974 with former Parsons Gallery director Jock Truman to show works on paper by emerging artists.

In addition to being an art dealer, Betty Parsons was a respected artist and collector. With her connoisseur's eye and connections, Parsons amassed an impressive private collection of art. She bought her first piece while an art student in Paris in the 1920s, a small gouache by Zadkine, but did not begin acquiring works in earnest until she was established as an art dealer. Partial inventories of her personal collection show that the majority of her collection contained works by artists associated with the gallery. Mark Rothko, Hans Hofmann, Ad Reinhardt, Agnes Martin, and Kenzo Okada were among the artists represented. Many were gifts from the artists, such as an ink drawing by Jackson Pollock, inscribed "For Betty." Selections from her collection appeared in small museums across the United States, including a traveling exhibition organized by Fitch College, New York, in 1968. In her role as a promoter of contemporary American art, Parsons lent generously from her collection, particularly to the federal Art in the Embassies Program. Throughout her life she also donated works to a variety of museums, most notably, the Whitney Museum of American Art, Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark.

Parsons frequently claimed that her desire to pursue a career as an artist stemmed from a visit to the Armory Show when she was thirteen. In her late teens, after pressuring her father for art lessons, she studied with the sculptor Gutzon Burglum of Mount Rushmore fame. In Paris, she continued her studies first with Antoine Bourdelle, whose sculptures she had admired at the Armory Show, and later with Ossip Zadkine. The first exhibition of her work, figurative watercolors and sculptures, took place in Paris in 1927. As she matured as an artist, her art became more abstract. Her late works were painted wood sculptures that she pieced together from wood that she found near her studio in Long Island. Parsons's work was exhibited in more than thirty solo exhibitions, including, Betty Parsons; Paintings, Gouaches and Sculpture, 1955-1968, at the Whitechapel Gallery in London. During her lifetime, she would not allow her works to be shown in her own gallery. Shortly after she died of a stroke in 1982, In Memoriam, Betty Parsons: Late Sculptures, opened at the Betty Parsons Gallery.
Related Material:
Also found in the Archives of American Art are oral history interviews with Betty Parsons, June 4-9, 1969, by Paul Cummings, and June 11, 1981 by Gerald Silk.
Separated Material:
Some of the material originally loaned for microfilming in 1968 and 1969 was not included in later donations and can be viewed on microfilm reels N68/62-N68/74 and N69/105-N69/106. Loaned materials are not described in the container listing in this finding aid.
Provenance:
The gallery donated some records in 1974, many of which had been loaned earlier for microfilming. The bulk of the collection was donated in 1984 and 1986 by William Rayner and Christopher Schwabacher, executors of the Estate of Betty Parsons. Additional material was donated by William Rayner in 1998 and Christopher Schwabacher in 2017. Additional material was donated in 2018 by the Lee Hall estate via Carolyn Crozier and Deborah Jacobson, co-executors. Hall was Parsons's biographer and had the material in her possession at the time of Parsons's death. An additional photograph of Parons and Marie Carr Taylor by Henri Cartier-Bresson was donated in 2021 by Mary Carpenter, who inherited the photograph from her mother, Nan Thorton Jones, who received it as a gift from Taylor.
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.

Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
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:
Gallery owners -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
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
Topic:
Women art dealers  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Abstract expressionist  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sketchbooks
Interviews
Video recordings
Drawings
Citation:
Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers, 1916-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.parsbett
See more items in:
Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw956c1036f-b673-4dc1-8c1b-cde0bd641c60
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-parsbett
Online Media:

Dodie Kazanjian papers

Creator:
Kazanjian, Dodie, 1952-  Search this
Extent:
14.1 Linear feet
0.546 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1949-2017
bulk 1980-2017
Summary:
The papers of writer and art critic Dodie Kazanjian measure 14.1 linear feet and 0.546 GB, and date from 1949-2017, bulk 1980-2017. The collection is comprised of writings, interviews, and research material related to Kazanjian's career as an art writer for Vogue and House and Garden magazines. Included are manuscripts, correspondence, notes, printed material, photographs of artwork, and interviews with various artists and art world figures. The interviews were conducted by Kazanjian as part of her research process and were recorded on over 230 sound cassettes found in the collection. Many of the interviews are also transcribed. A small amount of born-digital material includes images of artworks and artists and audio recordings of interviews.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of writer and art critic Dodie Kazanjian measure 14.1 linear feet and 0.546 GB, and date from 1949-2017, bulk 1980-2017. The collection is comprised of writings, interviews, and research material related to Kazanjian's career as an art writer for Vogue and House and Garden magazines. Included are manuscripts, correspondence, notes, printed material, photographs of artwork, and interviews with various artists and art world figures. The interviews were conducted by Kazanjian as part of her research process and were recorded on over 230 sound cassettes found in the collection. Many of the interviews are also transcribed. A small amount of born-digital material includes images of artworks and artists and audio recordings of interviews.
Arrangement:
Due to the content of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.

Series 1: Writing Project Files and Interviews, 1949-2017, bulk 1980-2017 (Boxes 1-14, OVs 15-16, RD 17, 14.1 linear feet; ER01-ER05, 0.546 GB)
Biographical / Historical:
Kazanjian is a writer and art critic in New York City. She is a contributing editor to Vogue magazine and director of Gallery Met at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. She is married to Calvin Tomkins, long-time critic for The New Yorker.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is the Dodie Kazanjian and Calvin Tomkins research material on Alexander Liberman.
Provenance:
Donated to the Archives of American Art by Dodie Kazanjian, 2001-2017.
Restrictions:
This collection is access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Access, with permission, to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Researchers interested in accessing, with permission, born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
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 critics -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Authors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Dodie Kazanjian papers, 1949-2017. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.kazadodi2
See more items in:
Dodie Kazanjian papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9209faa02-4b38-4e36-a73d-f786ab1e5fe1
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-kazadodi2

Rose Slivka papers

Creator:
Slivka, Rose  Search this
Names:
American Craft Council  Search this
Craft Horizons  Search this
Craft International  Search this
World Crafts Council  Search this
De Kooning, Elaine  Search this
Guston, Philip, 1913-1980  Search this
Kunitz, Stanley, 1905-2006  Search this
Larsen, Jack Lenor  Search this
Nevelson, Louise, 1899-1988  Search this
Slivka, David, 1913-  Search this
Voulkos, Peter, 1924-2002  Search this
Interviewee:
Cage, John, 1912-1992  Search this
Extent:
20.8 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Diaries
Sound recordings
Video recordings
Date:
circa 1947-2006
Summary:
The papers of craft expert Rose Slivka, an editor, writer, critic, and educator, measure 20.8 linear feet and date from circa 1947-2006. The papers reflect Slivka's work with associations and universities to encourage the recognition of crafts as an international and broadly defined art form. The routine business of publishing Craft Horizons magazine and the founding and operation of Craft International magazine are documented by correspondence and subject files. Correspondence is mainly professional with some scattered personal letters. Subject files concern various organizations, individuals and events related to Slivka's work and interests. Among the writings are manuscripts, notes, and research materials for her book about Peter Voulkos; also included are shorter writings on a variety of topics, poems, 2 diaries, lectures and talks. There are many interviews with craftspeople and artists conducted by Slivka and others, some undertaken as research for articles. Photographs include views of Slivka, craftspeople she observed when traveling abroad, and artwork.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of craft expert Rose Slivka, an editor, writer, critic, and educator, measure 20.8 linear feet and date from circa 1947-2006. The papers reflect Slivka's work with associations and universities to encourage the recognition of crafts as an international and broadly defined art form. The routine business of publishing Craft Horizons magazine and the founding and operation of Craft International magazine are documented by correspondence and subject files. Correspondence is mainly professional with some scattered personal letters. Subject files concern various organizations, individuals and events related to Slivka's work and interests. Among the writings are manuscripts, notes, and research materials for her book about Peter Voulkos; also included are shorter writings on a variety of topics, poems, 2 diaries, lectures and talks. There are many interviews with craftspeople and artists conducted by Slivka and others, some undertaken as research for articles. Photographs include artwork, views of Slivka, and craftspeople she observed when traveling abroad.

Interviews with craftsmen and other artists were conducted by Rose Slivka and others. Peter Voulkos is espcially well-documented. Among the artists interviewed are: Elaine de Kooning, Philip Guston, Jack Lenor Larsen, Louise Nevelson, and David Slivka. Also found are intereviews with John Cage, Stanley Kunitz, and Rose Slivka.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 7 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1947-2005 ( Box 1; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1950-2004 (Boxes 1-4: 3.6 linear feet)

Series 3: Interviews, 1974-2001 (Boxes 5-6; 1.6 linear feet)

Series 4: Writings, Notes, and Related Research, 1954-2001 (Boxes 6-11, OV 23; 4.8 linear feet)

Series 5: Subject Files, 1958-2004 (Boxes 11-18, 22, OV 23; 7.4 linear feet)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1952-2006 (Boxes 18-20, OV 23; 1.9 linear feet)

Series 7: Photographs, circa 1947-1990s (Boxes 20-21; 1 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Crafts expert Rose Slivka (1919-2004) was an editor, educator, and critic in New York City and East Hampton, NY. Slivka edited Craft Horizons magazine from 1957-1979, and then founded Crafts International, which published its first issue in 1980.

Rose Slivka was very active in the American Crafts Council and World Crafts Council, and promoted crafts by participating in conferences around the world, acting as a juror of competitions, writing, and teaching. The author of books and articles about crafts, including the entry on "Handicrafts" in the 1961 edition of Encyclopedia Britannica, Slivka was tireless in her search for information pertaining to crafts of all nations. Her study of the subject was integrated into a strong, far-reaching campaign to include sculpture as a craft and promote crafts on a par with fine art. She was also interested in poetry and taught courses in art criticism at New York University and the New School for Social Research.

Many of Slivka's articles on craft, painting and sculpture have been published in periodicals such as Art in America, Architectural Digest, and The New York Times. Books and exhibition catalogs include The Crafts of the Modern World (1964); The Object as Poet (1976), Renwick Gallery, Washington, DC; Peter Voulkos: A Dialogue in Clay (1978); California Clay (1979), Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; and The Book as Art and Artist (1979), Elaine Benson Gallery, Bridgehampton, NY. Slivka's writings have been translated into at least 7 languages.

Slivka was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Critics Fellowship in 1976 and between 1980 and 1982 conducted a research project on "Criticism and Scholarship in Modern Craft" also sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. She was awarded The Rhode Island School of Design President's Fellows Award in 1982, and its highest honor, the Athena Medal. In addition, she served on the boards of directors for several New York City organizations including Clayworks Studio Workshop, New York Experimental Glassworks, and Center for Book Arts.

Following her career as a magazine editor, international speaker on crafts, writer, and educator, Slivka moved to East Hampton, Long Island, where she continued to write poetry and was art critic for The East Hampton Star newspaper.

Rose Slivka's was married to sculptor David Slivka; the couple had 2 children and eventually divorced. She died of heart failure in Southampton, NY, on September 2, 2004.
Provenance:
The Rose Slivka papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Slivka's daughter, Charlotte Slivka, in 2008 and 2012.
Restrictions:
Use of original materials requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington D.C. research center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
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:
Editors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art critics -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Interviews  Search this
Women authors  Search this
Women art critics  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Diaries
Sound recordings
Video recordings
Citation:
Rose Slivka papers, circa 1947-2006. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.slivrose
See more items in:
Rose Slivka papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e61796b1-d82d-43f5-bf61-c595421a8fd0
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-slivrose

Emily Genauer papers

Creator:
Genauer, Emily, 1910-2002  Search this
Names:
Aronson, David, 1923-2015  Search this
Bishop, Isabel, 1902-1988  Search this
Carnegie, Dorothy  Search this
Chagall, Marc, 1887-1985  Search this
Dalí, Salvador, 1904-1989  Search this
Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964  Search this
Graham, Martha  Search this
Guggenheim, Harry Frank, 1890-1971  Search this
Pereira, I. Rice (Irene Rice), 1902-1971  Search this
Still, Clyfford, 1904-  Search this
Tamayo, Rufino, 1899-1991  Search this
Wright, Frank Lloyd, 1867-1959  Search this
Extent:
11.4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Essays
Lectures
Transcriptions
Speeches
Photographs
Date:
circa 1920-1990
Summary:
The papers of art critic Emily Genauer measure 11.4 linear feet and date from circa 1920 to 1990. Found within the papers are correspondence with artists, gallery owners, and friends; extensive writings; research and reference files; personal business records; and photographs. Notable correspondents include David Aronson, Mrs. Max Beckman, Isabel Bishop, Dorothy Carnegie, Marc Chagall, Salvatore Dali, Stuart Davis, Martha Graham, Harry F. Guggenheim, Irene Rice Pereira, Clyfford Still, Rufino Tamayo, and Frank Lloyd Wright, among many others.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of art critic Emily Genauer measure 11.4 linear feet and date from circa 1920 to 1990. Found within the papers are correspondence with artists, gallery owners, and friends; extensive writings; research and reference files; personal business records; and photographs.

Notable correspondents include David Aronson, Mrs. Max Beckman, Isabel Bishop, Dorothy Carnegie, Marc Chagall, Salvatore Dali, Stuart Davis, Martha Graham, Harry F. Guggenheim, Irene Rice Pereira, Clyfford Still, Rufino Tamayo, and Frank Lloyd Wright, among numerous others. Extensive writings consist largely of drafts of columns written by Genauer and supporting research notes, as well as essays, speeches, lectures, book manuscripts, and memoirs. Research and reference files include source material for columns and essays. Personal business records document Genauer's work on committees and arts organizations, juries, awards, honors and also include interview transcripts and other personal scattered files. There is material regarding her leaving the New York World-Telegram. Printed material includes two of Genauer's books, magazines, newspaper clippings, and exhibition catalogs. Photographs are portraits of Genauer and of artwork.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as 6 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Correspondence and Letters, 1938-1991 (Box 1, 12, 0.8 linear feet)

Series 2: Writings, circa 1930s-1990s (Box 1-3, 2.5 linear feet)

Series 3: Research and Reference Files, circa 1920s-1990s (Box 4-6, 2.6 linear feet)

Series 4: Personal Business Records, 1933-1992 (Box 6-7, 0.8 linear feet)

Series 5: Printed Materials, circa 1920s-1990s (Box 7-9, 12, 1.6 linear feet)

Series 6: Photographs, circa 1930s-1970s (Box 9-11, 12, 1.8 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Emily Genauer (1911-2002) was a modern art critic and columinst working in New York City from 1932 until well into the 1980s. In 1974, she won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished art criticism.

Genauer was born in 1911 in Staten Island. She attended Hunter College and Columbia University, majoring in Journalism. She began her writing career in 1929 with the New York World, which later became the New York World-Telegram. She became a strong advocate for modern art and sculpture and introduced modern artists like Marc Chagall and Diego Rivera to the newspaper audience. She also followed lesser known artists and often visited their studios, and they, in return, regularly read her articles and reviews of their shows.

Genauer left the New York World-Telegram in 1949 after a dispute with the owner who accused her writing as overly sympathetic to "Communists and left-wingers" and told her she could no longer write about Picasso. She immediately went to work as the art critic for the New York Herald Tribune, where she worked until 1967, when it folded. She then wrote a regular column for the Newsday Syndicate until the mid-1970s. She also worked for Harper's and in television and served on the council for the National Endowment for the Humanities from 1966 to 1970. Genauer was the author of a number of books, including The Best of Art, Chagall at the Met, and Rufino Tamayo.

Genauer passed away in 2002 in New York City at the age of 91.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming (reel NG1) including 300 letters, photographs, and printed material. Loaned materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
Emily Genauer lent letters on reel NG1 for microfilming 1959. Constance Roche, daughter of Emily Genauer, donated additional papers in 2000 and 2003.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. Contact Reference Services for more information.
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 critics -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Gallery owners -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Women art critics  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Essays
Lectures
Transcriptions
Speeches
Photographs
Citation:
Emily Genauer papers, circa 1920s-1990s. Archives of American art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.genaemil
See more items in:
Emily Genauer papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9fe4ef839-12c1-4272-b2a9-b443c96d360a
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-genaemil
Online Media:

Lucy R. Lippard papers

Creator:
Lippard, Lucy R.  Search this
Names:
Addison Gallery of American Art  Search this
Alliance for Cultural Democracy  Search this
Art Workers Coalition  Search this
Heresies Collective, Inc.  Search this
Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Political Art Documentation/Distribution (Organization)  Search this
Printed Matter, Inc.  Search this
Studio International (Firm)  Search this
University of Colorado -- Faculty  Search this
Women's Caucus for Art  Search this
Andre, Carl, 1935-  Search this
Chicago, Judy, 1939-  Search this
Darboven, Hanne  Search this
Edelson, Mary Beth  Search this
Hammond, Harmony  Search this
Henes, Donna  Search this
Johnson, Ray, 1927-  Search this
Judd, Donald, 1928-  Search this
LeWitt, Sol, 1928-2007  Search this
Pearson, Henry, 1914-2006  Search this
Stevens, May  Search this
Extent:
88.9 Linear feet
0.454 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Sound recordings
Interviews
Photographs
Date:
1930s-2010
bulk 1960-1990
Summary:
The papers of New York and New Mexico writer, art critic, and curator, Lucy R. Lippard, measure 88.9 linear feet and 0.454 GB and date from the 1930s to 2007, with the bulk of the material dating from the 1960s to the 1990s. Over half of the collection consists of correspondence files documenting Lippard's professional relationships with artists, writers, galleries, art institutions, and political organizations, and her interest in conceptual and minimalist art, feminism and political activism. Also found are Lippard's notes and writings including sound recordings and interviews, teaching and exhibition files, printed and digital material, several works of art, and photographs of artwork and artists. Scattered throughout the collection are a small number of records concerning Lippard's personal life. An addition of 3.0 linear feet donated 2015 includes subject files on feminist and conceptual art as well as land use, development, and local politics and history in New Mexico.

There is a 35.4 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2015, 2021 and 2023 that incudes research files (press clippings, notes, correspondence, ephemera) related to the publications 'Lure of the Local' and 'Undermining' are a significant portion. In addition there are approximetley numerous notebooks ranging from 1965-1996, containing notes and daily tasks. Printed material and ephemera includes promotional materials for talks and public engagements, as well as press clippings of reviews and other news items featuring Lippard. Another significant portion of the addition is labeled "miscellaneous professional correspondence." Materials date from circa 1965-2010.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of New York and New Mexico writer, art critic, and curator, Lucy R. Lippard, measure 70.5 linear feet and 0.454 GB and date from the 1930s to 2007, with the bulk of the material dating from the 1960s to the 1990s. Over half of the collection consists of correspondence files documenting Lippard's professional relationships with artists, writers, galleries, art institutions, and political organizations, and her interest in conceptual and minimalist art, feminism and political activism. Also found are Lippard's notes and writings including sound recordings and interviews, teaching and exhibition files, printed and digital material, several works of art, and photographs of artwork and artists. Scattered throughout the collection are a small number of records concerning Lippard's personal life. An addition of 3.0 linear feet donated 2015 includes subject files on feminist and conceptual art as well as land use, development, and local politics and history in New Mexico.

A small amount of biographical material comprises resumes and an address book.

Correspondence files document all aspects of Lippard's professional life including her relationships with artists such as Carl Andre, Judy Chicago, Hanne Darboven, Ray Johnson, Sol LeWitt, and Henry Pearson; feminist artists including Mary Beth Edelson, Harmony Hammond, Donna Henes, and May Stevens; political and art-related activist groups such as Alliance for Cultural Democracy, Art Workers Coalition, Political Art Documentation/Distribution, Printed Matter, and Women's Caucus for Art; galleries and museums including Addison Gallery of American Art and the Museum of Modern Art, and publishers including Art International and Art Forum. The series also traces the development of Lippard's involvement in activist causes including censorship and the rights of artists, Central America and the impact of U.S. policy on the region, and equality and reproductive rights for women, as well as her interest in conceptual and minimalist art. The series includes scattered artwork and photographs of artists.

Writings are primarily by Lippard and include correspondence, manuscript drafts, extensive notes, and publication records for some of her best-known books such as The Graphic Work of Philip Evergood (1966), Six Years: The Dematerialization of the Art Object (1973), Eva Hesse (1976), Ad Reinhardt (1985), and Mixed Blessings: New Art in a Multicultural America (1990), as well as essays for publications such as Art Forum and Studio International and contributions to exhibition catalogs. Also found are edited transcripts from conferences, symposia and interviews conducted by and of Lippard, some audio recordings of interviews and symposia, including an interview with Donald Judd, and notes and typescripts for lectures and speeches.

A small number of files document Lippard's teaching work during the 1970s and 1980s, primarily at the University of Colorado, Boulder where she taught several courses and seminars.

Exhibition files document Lippard's involvement with exhibitions she helped to organize or curate such as A Different War: Vietnam in Art (1989-1991) 557,087 and 955,000 (1969, 1970), 2,972, 453 (1971) c.7,500 (1973-1974) and those for which she wrote catalog contributions.

Printed material includes a collection of articles written by Lippard and a small amount of material concerning events, such as speaking engagements, in which Lippard was involved. Other printed material reflects Lippard's wide range of artistic, political and activist interests and documents exhibitions and performances and the activities of art-related and political groups. Material includes many exhibition catalogs, announcements, invitations, printed posters, news clippings, journal articles, brochures, pamphlets and other publications.

Artwork includes sixteen items by unidentified artists, including two by children. Photographs consist primarily of photographs of works of art in addition to a small number of photos of exhibition installations.

There is a 35.4 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2015, 2021 and 2023 that incudes research files (press clippings, notes, correspondence, ephemera) related to the publications 'Lure of the Local' and 'Undermining' are a significant portion. In addition there are approximetley numerous notebooks ranging from 1965-1996, containing notes and daily tasks. Printed material and ephemera includes promotional materials for talks and public engagements, as well as press clippings of reviews and other news items featuring Lippard. Another significant portion of the addition is labeled "miscellaneous professional correspondence."Materials date from circa 1965-2010.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as nine series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1960s-circa 1980s (Box 1; 2 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1950s-2006 (Boxes 1-28, 51, OVs 54-63; 28.8 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings, 1930s-1990s (Boxes 28-41, 51-52, OVs 64-66; 13.24 linear feet, ER01; 0.454 GB)

Series 4: Teaching Files, 1966-1993 (Boxes 41, 52; 0.76 linear feet)

Series 5: Exhibitions, 1960s-1990s (Boxes 42-45, 52, OVs 67-68; 4.2 linear feet)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1940s-2007 (Boxes 45-49, 52, OVs 69-77; 5.3 linear feet)

Series 7: Artwork and Ephemera, circa 1960s-circa 1990s (Boxes 50, 53; 4 folders)

Series 8: Photographs, 1950s-circa 1990s (Boxes 50, 53, OV 71; 1.0 linear foot)

Series 9: Unprocessed Addition, circa 1965-2010, (Boxes 78-113; 35.4 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
New York and New Mexico writer and art critic, Lucy R. Lippard, is the curator of numerous exhibitions and the author of over twenty-four books and other writings that trace the emergence of minimalist and conceptual art and document Lippard's commitment to feminism and political activism.

Born in New York City in 1937, Lippard earned a B.A. from Smith College in 1958 and an M.A. in 1962 from New York University's Institute of Fine Arts. In the 1960s she began writing art criticism for the journals Art International and Artforum. In 1966 she curated the landmark exhibition Eccentric Abstraction at the Fischbach Gallery in New York City. Lippard then curated the first of four defining conceptual art exhibitions that became known as her "numbers" shows, each titled after the populations of the cities in which they took place, with catalogs in the form of a set of 10 x 15 cm index cards. Opening at the Seattle Art Museum in 1969, 557,087 was followed by 955,000 in Vancouver, Canada, a few months later. 2,972,453 was held at the Centro de Arte y Comunicacíon in Buenos Aires in 1971 and c.7500 opened in Valencia, California, in 1973-1974 before traveling to several other venues in the United States and Europe.

Lippard's first book, The Graphic Work of Philip Evergood was published in 1966, followed by Pop Art the same year, and a collection of her early essays, Changing, in 1971. Six Years: The Dematerialization of the Art Object (1973) and From the Center: Feminist Essays on Women's Art (1976) documented the emergence of conceptual art and the early years of feminist art respectively. In 1976 Lippard published her seminal book on the life and work of Eva Hesse.

Between 1977 and 1978 Lippard lived on a farm in Devon, England, and worked on a novel, The First Stone, about the role of politics in the lives of three generations of women. During her walks across the English countryside she became interested in landscape art and conceived of her book Overlay: Contemporary Art and the Art of Prehistory which was subsequently published in 1983. Other books include Get the Message?: A Decade Of Art For Social Change (1984), Ad Reinhardt (1985), and Mixed Blessings: New Art in a Multicultural America (1990). Lippard has also written regular columns on art and politics for the Village Voice, In These Times and Z Magazine, and has been a contributing editor of Art in America.

Lippard was radicalized during a trip to Argentina in 1968 when she was invited to be a juror at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires. On her return to the United States she became heavily involved in anti-war activities and the Art Workers Coalition. She is a co-founder of several feminist and artist organizations including the feminist collective Heresies, which produced Heresies: A Feminist Journal on Art and Politics from 1977-1992, Ad Hoc Women Artists, Alliance for Cultural Democracy, Artists Call Against U.S. Intervention in Central America, Women's Action Coalition, and Women's Art Registry. In 1976 she was a founder of Printed Matter, a New York nonprofit dedicated to producing artists' publications. She also worked closely with Franklin Furnace, an artist-run space devoted to the promotion of artists' books, installation art, and video and performance art, and served on the organization's International Committee.

Lippard has been a visiting professor at the School of Visual Arts, the University of Colorado, Boulder, and the University of Queensland, Australia, and was Eminent Artist in Residence at the University of Wyoming Department of Art in 2015. She has received honorary doctorates in fine arts from Maine College of Art, the Massachusetts College of Art, Moore College of Art, San Francisco Art Institute, and others, and awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship, two National Endowment for the Arts grants in criticism, the Smith College Medal, the ArtTable Award for Distinguished Service to the Visual Arts, and the Bard College Center for Curatorial Studies Award for Excellence.

Lippard has lived in New Mexico since 1992 and works as a freelance writer and speaker.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Lucy Lippard conducted in 2011 March 15, by Sue Heinemann, for the Archives of American Art's Elizabeth Murray Oral History of Women in the Visual Arts project, funded by a grant from the A G Foundation.
Provenance:
Lucy R. Lippard donated her papers in several increments between 1972-1995, 2006, 2015, 2021 and 2023.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. Contact Reference Services for more information.
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:
Curators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Authors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art critics -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Artists -- Political activity  Search this
Art criticism  Search this
Feminism and art  Search this
Women authors  Search this
Women art critics  Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century  Search this
Conceptual art  Search this
Minimal art  Search this
Women museum curators  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Photographs
Citation:
Lucy R. Lippard papers, 1930s-2007, bulk 1960s-1990s. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.lipplucy
See more items in:
Lucy R. Lippard papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9101c6a69-dde9-42ed-94cc-d03650c249ed
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-lipplucy
Online Media:

About Lippard

Collection Creator:
Lippard, Lucy R.  Search this
Container:
Box 45, Folder 38
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1950s-circa 1990s
Scope and Contents:
Oversized material housed in Box 52, Folder 5
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. Contact Reference Services for more information.
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:
Lucy R. Lippard papers, 1930s-2007, bulk 1960s-1990s. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Lucy R. Lippard papers
Lucy R. Lippard papers / Series 6: Printed Material / 6.1: Lippard Printed Material
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9155f6f2b-1299-4add-8241-be9c27f5863f
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-lipplucy-ref2954
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Barbara Rose papers

Creator:
Rose, Barbara  Search this
Names:
Adams, Ansel, 1902-1984  Search this
Andre, Carl, 1935-  Search this
Bannard, Walter Darby, 1934-  Search this
Bellamy, Richard  Search this
Bierman, A. K., 1923- (Arthur Kalme)  Search this
Bladen, Ronald, 1918-1988  Search this
Bowles, John  Search this
Castelli, Leo  Search this
Davis, Jim, 1901-1974  Search this
Davis, Ron, 1937-  Search this
De Forest, Roy, 1930-2007  Search this
Di Suvero, Mark, 1933-  Search this
Dzubas, Friedel, 1915-  Search this
Flavin, Dan, 1933-  Search this
Frazier, Charles  Search this
Geldzahler, Henry  Search this
Hare, David, 1917-1992  Search this
Hopps, Walter  Search this
Judd, Donald, 1928-  Search this
Karp, Ivan C., 1926-2012  Search this
Kauffman, Craig, 1932-2010  Search this
Krasner, Lee, 1908-1984  Search this
LeWitt, Sol, 1928-2007  Search this
Lefebre, John  Search this
Lichtenstein, Roy, 1923-1997  Search this
Locks, Seymour, 1919-  Search this
Lye, Len, 1901-1980  Search this
Mack, Heinz, 1931-  Search this
McCracken, John, 1934-2011  Search this
McShine, Kynaston  Search this
Meier, Richard, 1934-  Search this
Morris, Robert, 1931-2018  Search this
Motherwell, Robert  Search this
Mundt, Ernest Karl, 1905-  Search this
Murray, Robert, 1936-  Search this
Myers, John Bernard  Search this
Oldenburg, Claes, 1929-  Search this
Padovano, Anthony  Search this
Piene, Otto, 1928-  Search this
Poons, Larry  Search this
Rauschenberg, Robert, 1925-2008  Search this
Rexroth, Kenneth, 1905-1982  Search this
Rose, Barbara  Search this
Rudolph, Paul, 1918-  Search this
Sandler, Irving, 1925-  Search this
Segal, George, 1924-2000  Search this
Stella, Frank  Search this
Taylor, Edward Silverstone  Search this
Wasserman, Tamara E.  Search this
Wesselmann, Tom, 1931-2004  Search this
Extent:
1.4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Transcripts
Sound recordings
Lectures
Date:
1962-circa 1969
Summary:
The Barbara Rose papers date from 1962 to circa 1969 and measure 1.4 linear feet. Papers include letters, writings, printed material, interviews with artists, panel discussions, and lectures relating to Barbara Rose's research as an art historian.
Scope and Contents:
The Barbara Rose papers date from 1962 to circa 1969 and measure 1.4 linear feet. Papers include letters, interviews with artists, panel discussions, lectures, writings, and printed material relating to Barbara Rose's work as an art historian and critic.

Letters consist of responses to queries and questionnaires Rose and Irving Sandler sent to contemporary artists as research for writing projects. Questionnaires were sesnt in preparation for an article in Art in America on artists' sensibility of the 1960s, with responses from Robert Motherwell, Robert Craig Kauffman, Len Lye, Robert Morris, George Segal, David Hare, and others. A separate query asked sculptors for their assessment of contemporary sculptor's needs and the potential for patronage, and responses are found from Carl Andre, Charles Frazier, Robert Murray, Anthony Padovano, Ron Bladen, Roy Lichtenstein, Len Lye, Sol LeWitt, Heinz Mack, Otto Peine, Dan Flavin, and Donald Judd.

Interviews conducted by Rose between 1965 and circa 1969 are found with Richard Bellamy, Leo Castelli, James E. Davis, Henry Geldzahler, Ivan Karp, Lee Krasner, John Lefebre, John Myers, Donald Judd with Frank Stella, and Tom Wesselmann. All interviews include original sound recordings, and the Judd and Stella, Krasner, and Myers interviews include transcripts. Panel discussions and lectures include sound recordings and transcripts of seven events on a variety of contemporary art and architecture subjects held between 1962 and 1968. Sound recordings are present for five of the events on 10 sound tape reels, and transcripts are present for all events. Participants in the panel discussions and lectures include Barbara Rose, Ronald Davis, Dan Flavin, Robert Kauffman, John Harvey McCracken, Friedel Dzubas, Ansel Adams, Arthur Bierman, Kenneth Rexroth, Edward Taylor, Ernst Karl Mundt, John Bowles, Roy Dean De Forest, Seymour Locks, Walter Hopps, Mark Di Suvero, Donald Judd, Robert Morris, Kynaston McShine, Walter Darby Bannard, Donald Judd, Larry Poons, Robert Rauschenberg, Richard Meier, Paul Rudolph, Claes Oldenburg, and Robert Murray.

Writings include photocopied typescripts of "Myth, Symbol, or Me," by Emily Wasserman and "Excerpts from a Work Journal on Flying Sculpture," by Charles Frazier. Printed material consists of two copies of the premiere issue of the 57th Street Review, from Nov. 15, 1966.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as 4 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Letters (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Interviews (0.6 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Panel Discussions and Lectures (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)

Series 4: Writings and Printed Material (0.1 linear feet; Box 2)
Biographical / Historical:
Barbara Rose is an American art historian and critic who has published widely in the field of modern American art. Born in 1938 in Washington, DC, Rose studied at the Sorbonne, Smith College, Barnard, and finally, Columbia University under Meyer Shapiro. Rose became immersed in the New York-based circle of modernist artists and curators in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and made her substantial contribution to the discourse on contemporary art with the insider's perspective this afforded her. In 1961, she married the painter Frank Stella and they had two children before their divorce in 1969.

Rose taught at Yale University, Sarah Lawrence, University of California at Irvine and San Diego, and the American University Art in Italy program, and was senior curator at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, from 1981-1985. A prolific writer, Rose is the author of American Art Since 1900 (1967), The Golden Age of Dutch Painting (1969), American Painting: The 20th Century (Skira, 1969), and monographs on the artists Magdalena Abankawicz, Helen Frankenthaler, Robert Rauschenberg, Alexander Liberman, Larry Rivers, and others, as well as dozens of exhibition catalog essays. She held editorial positions at Art in America, Vogue, Artforum, Partisan Review, and Journal of Art, and her writing has also appeared in Art International, Studio International, Arts Magazine, and ARTnews, among many others.
Related Materials:
Barbara Rose papers, 1940-1993 (bulk 1960-1985) are located at The Getty Research Institute Special Collections.
Separated Materials:
Additional papers of Barbara Rose are held by The Getty Research Institute.
Provenance:
Donated 1971-1977 by Barbara Rose.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
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 historians -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art critics -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Transcripts
Sound recordings
Lectures
Citation:
Barbara Rose papers, 1962-circa 1969. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.rosebarb
See more items in:
Barbara Rose papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94ba999c5-8b4b-480e-ae02-6477a9b5920f
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-rosebarb

J. B. Neumann papers

Creator:
Neumann, J. B. (Jsrael Ber)  Search this
Names:
Artlover  Search this
Gehenna Press  Search this
New Art Circle  Search this
Albers, Josef  Search this
Baskin, Leonard, 1922-2000  Search this
Beckmann, Max, 1884-1950  Search this
Kandinsky, Wassily, 1866-1944  Search this
Morrison, Helen Balfour, 1901-1984  Search this
Namuth, Hans  Search this
Rattner, Abraham  Search this
Schmid, Elsa, 1897-  Search this
Photographer:
White, Clarence H., 1871-1925  Search this
Extent:
2.1 Linear feet (4 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Etchings
Date:
1905-1967
Summary:
The papers of gallery director, art dealer and publisher Jsrael Ber Neumann (1887-1961) measure 2.1 linear feet and date from 1905 to 1967. The papers document Neumann's career as the director of galleries in Berlin and Munich, Germany (1910-1924) as well as the New Art Circle gallery in New York City (1924-1952). Neumann was a respected art dealer, publisher of Artlover periodical, founder of Gehenna Press, and frequent lecturer. Found within his papers are correspondence with artists and museums, writings, printed materials mostly comprised of exhibition catalogues, artwork, and photographic materials.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of gallery director, art dealer and publisher Jsrael Ber Neumann (1887-1961) measure 2.1 linear feet and date from 1905 to 1967. The papers document Neumann's career as the director of galleries in Berlin and Munich, Germany (1910-1924) as well as the New Art Circle gallery in New York City (1924-1952). Neumann was a respected art dealer, publisher of Artlover periodical, founder of Gehenna Press, and frequent lecturer. Found within his papers are correspondence with artists and museums, writings, printed materials mostly comprised of exhibition catalogues, artwork, and photographic materials.

Correspondence is between Neumann and friends, colleagues, and museums. There is also correspondence with notable artists, including Josef Albers, Leonard Baskin, Max Beckmann, Wassily Kandinsky, and Abraham Rattner, among others. There are also condolence letters from friends and colleagues to Elsa Schmid, Neumann's wife.

Scattered writings consist of typescript drafts of Neumann's speeches and one article on expressionism. There is also one speech written by curator Richard Klein.

Printed materials comprise the bulk of the collection and include a bound gallery guest register, a disbound scrapbook, exhibition catalogs and announcements, brochures, magazines, posters, and news clippings. There are many exhibition catalogs from Neumann's galleries in Berlin and Munich as well as from the New Art Circle gallery in New York. Artwork consists of two etchings and one drawing by an unknown artist or artists.

Photographic materials include black and white photographs and negatives, including notable portraits of Neumann by photographers Helen Balfour Morrison, Clarence White, and Hans Namuth.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as 5 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Correspondence, 1925-1961 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Writings, 1919, 1954-circa 1960 (5 folders; Box 1)

Series 3: Printed Materials, 1910-1967 (1.7 linear feet; Box 1-4)

Series 4: Artwork, 1919-circa 1960 (3 folders; Box 3-4)

Series 5: Photographic Materials, 1905-circa 1950 (0.2 linear feet; Box 3-4)
Biographical / Historical:
J. B. (Jsrael Ber) Neumann (1887-1961) was a gallery director, art dealer and publisher. After immigrating to the U.S., Neumann founded the New Art Circle Gallery in New York City. Before then, he had art galleries in Berlin, Munich, Dusseldorf and Bremen, Germany.

J. B. Neumann was born in Austria in 1887. His father was an oil and lumber dealer. Neumann initially studied business but later apprenticed to a book and picture dealer when he was nineteen. While working as a clerk in a large bookstore in London, Neumann had the opportunity to work at the rare book dealer's table in the British Museum. The job allowed him to assess and handle fine and rare books, starting a lifelong passion, and Neumann went on to amass a substantial personal library.

In 1910, Neumann returned to Berlin, Germany and in 1911 opened a book and art shop where he exhibited the work of Edvard Munch and others. Neumann had many friends who were artists and in 1915-1916 he was secretary to the Berlin Secession, a prominent German artist association. By 1922 Neumann had branch offices in Bremen, Dusseldorf and Munich.

Neumann immigrated to America in 1923 and left the Berlin gallery to the directorship of Karl Nierendorf and the Munich gallery to Günther Franke. Neumann settled in New York City and one year later he opened a 57th Street gallery and bookshop, first called J.B. Neumann's Print Room and later the New Art Circle gallery. He supported numerous artists, including Wassily Kandinsky, Max Beckmann, Paul Klee, and Georges Rouault. Elsa Schmid, Neumann's wife, was an artist who worked in mosaics.

Neumann also worked as a publisher. He created the printing company Gehenna Press and published a series of periodicals including Bilderhefte (Berlin, 1920-1922) and Artlover (New York, 1926-1945, 1959). The New Art Circle gallery closed circa 1952 and, after working as its director for nearly three decades, Neumann became a consultant for museums and collectors. He was also a lecturer and he frequently spoke about art at universities, museums and galleries.

Neumann died in Rye, New York on April 28, 1961. He is survived by his widow, Elsa Schmid (d. 1970); two sons, Peter and Albrecht; and a daughter, Mrs. Johanna Lam.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds a collection of Josef Albers letters to J. B. Neumann, 1934-1947 on microfilm reel 911.

Additional J.B. Neumann papers are also located at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The museum microfilmed a portion of these papers and donated a copy of that film to the Archives. This material may be viewed on reel NJBN5 at Archives of American Art offices, affliate centers, and via interlibrary loan.
Separated Materials:
Also available at the Archives of American Art are materials lent for microfilming (reels NJBN-1- NJBN-5) including correspondence with numerous artists, art critics, museum directors and others. The materials on reel NJBN-1- NJBN-4 were returned to Neumann's wife, Elsa Schmid and the original material on reel NJBN-5 is located at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, NY. Loaned material is not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
Neuman's wife, Elsa Schmid and The Museum of Modern Art lent the Archives of American Art material for microfilming in 1966-1967. The rest of the J.B. Neumann papers were donated in several installments between 1973-2007 by Eva Lee (family friend), Joy Weber, Max Weber's daughter, Neil Richmond, and Hellie Neumann, J.B. Neumann's granddaughter.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers 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:
Gallery directors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art directors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Publishers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States -- History  Search this
Art -- Periodicals  Search this
Genre/Form:
Drawings
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Etchings
Citation:
J. B. Neumann papers, 1905-1967. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.neumjsra
See more items in:
J. B. Neumann papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9a841e037-5cca-486a-a45e-bb0239fc0adb
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-neumjsra
Online Media:

Gene Swenson papers

Creator:
Swenson, Gene, 1934-1969  Search this
Names:
Dine, Jim, 1935-  Search this
Extent:
2.8 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Diaries
Interviews
Date:
1950-1969
Scope and Contents:
The papers of art critic and curator Gene Swenson measure 2.8 linear feet and date from 1950-1969. Included are correspondence with art world and political figures Jim Dine and Harry Truman among others; loose writings and 24 diaries by Swenson, and 13 audio cassette tapes of interviews with artists.
Biographical / Historical:
Gene Swenson (1934-1969) was an art critic and curator in New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 2018 by by Anne Wilson, Gene Swenson's companion.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of audio visual recordings with no duplicate copy requires advance notice.
Portions of the collection are temporarily closed to researchers due to conservation treatment. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Art critics -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Diaries
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.swengene
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ae3754e8-9f92-4987-b425-5f218c7f6278
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-swengene

Oral history interview with Rosalind Bengelsdorf Browne, 1968 January 29

Interviewee:
Bengelsdorf, Rosalind, 1916-1979  Search this
Interviewer:
Sandler, Irving, 1925-  Search this
Subject:
Browne, Byron  Search this
Hofmann, Hans  Search this
Holty, Carl  Search this
Gorky, Arshile  Search this
Greene, Balcomb  Search this
Lassaw, Ibram  Search this
Matulka, Jan  Search this
Diller, Burgoyne  Search this
De Kooning, Willem  Search this
Davis, Stuart  Search this
American Abstract Artists  Search this
Art Students League (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Rosalind Bengelsdorf Browne, 1968 January 29. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women art critics  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Art, American  Search this
Art, Abstract  Search this
Cubism -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)12786
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212563
AAA_collcode_bengel68
Theme:
Women
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_212563
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Rosalind Bengelsdorf Browne

Creator:
Bengelsdorf, Rosalind, 1916-1979  Search this
Interviewer:
Sandler, Irving, 1925-  Search this
Names:
American Abstract Artists  Search this
Art Students League (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Browne, Byron, 1907-1961  Search this
Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964  Search this
De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this
Diller, Burgoyne, 1906-1965  Search this
Gorky, Arshile, 1904-1948  Search this
Greene, Balcomb, 1904-1990  Search this
Hofmann, Hans, 1880-1966  Search this
Holty, Carl, 1900-1973  Search this
Lassaw, Ibram, 1913-2003  Search this
Matulka, Jan, 1890-1972  Search this
Extent:
242 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1968 January 29
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Rosalind Bengelsdorf Browne conducted 1968 January 29, by Irving Sandler, for the Archives of American Art. She discusses her association with the American Abstract Artists group during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. She speaks at length of her late husband, Byron Browne, and her associations with artists including Arshile Gorky and Willem de Kooning, among others. She reads excerpts from her speeches to artist groups.
Biographical / Historical:
Rosalind Bengelsdorf Browne (1916-1979) was a painter, art critic and teacher in New York, New York. She was a member of the New York Art Students' League and the American Abstract Artists.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 12 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hrs., 20 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art critics -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Educators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women art critics  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Art, American  Search this
Art, Abstract  Search this
Cubism -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.bengel68
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9f1a856b2-f2b2-412f-99e8-56bc75612602
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-bengel68
Online Media:

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