The papers of Dean Cornwell measure 3.9 linear feet and date from circa 1893-1981. They illustrate his career through biographical material, correspondence, writings, printed and photographic material, and artwork.
Scope and Contents:
The Dean Cornwell papers measure 3.9 linear feet and date from circa 1893-1981. Biographical material consists of a resume, obituaries for Cornwell, estate papers referencing various inheritances, multiple membership and award certificates, and material relating to a Who's Who in America article featuring Cornwell. Correspondence is to and from Dean Cornwell and is with artists and business associates. Writings include various essays by Cornwell as well as multiple diaries. Also included are the transcript of a biography about Cornwell titled Dean Cornwell: Dean of Illustrators (1978) by Patricia Janus Broder and two article drafts. Printed material consists of exhibition announcements and catalogs, printed reproductions of Cornwell's artwork, news clippings, and two scrapbooks of artwork by others. Photographic material includes personal photographs and photographs of Cornwell as well as photographs of his mural projects. Also included are a set of fifty-seven glass plate negatives which depict various drawings by Cornwell. Artwork includes a folder of sketches.
Arrangement:
This collecton contains six series.
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1930-1961 (.1 Linear feet: Box 1)
Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1933-1981 (.2 Linear feet: Box 1)
Series 3: Writings, circa 1930-1978 (.7 Linear feet: Box 1)
Series 4: Printed Material, circa 1924-1970 (1.1 Linear feet: Box 2, OV 5, and OV 6)
Series 5: Photographic Material, circa 1893-1960 (1.7 Linear feet: Boxes 2-4, OV 7, and OV 8)
Series 6: Artwork, circa 1934 (.1 Linear feet: Box 3)
Biographical / Historical:
Dean Cornwell (1892-1960) was a muralist, painter, and illustrator who worked primarily in New York.
Cornwell was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He began his career as a cartoonist for the Louisville Herald and then moved to Chicago where he studied at the Art Institute and worked for the Chicago Tribune. In 1915 he moved to New Rochelle, New York where he studied under Harvey Dunn at the Art Students League of New York. Eventually he traveled to London where he began to study mural painting under Frank Brangwyn.
Cornwell was a teacher at the Art Students League in New York, served as President of the Society of Illustrators (1922-1926), and was elected to its Hall of Fame in 1959. In 1934, he was elected Associate Academician into the National Academy of Design, and became a full Academician in 1940. He also served as president of the National Society of Mural painters from 1953 to 1957. At the peak of his career, he earned the nickname "Dean of Illustrators".
Cornwell's artwork was featured in multiple publications including Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar, Redbook, and Good Housekeeping. He painted many murals during his career including those found in the Sir Walter Raleigh Room in the Hotel Warwick, the Lincoln Memorial Shrine in Redlands, and the General Motors Mural at the 1939 World's Fair in New York.
Cornwell died on December 4th, 1960 at the age of sixty-eight in New York City.
Provenance:
Papers were donated in 1984 by Lucy Cornwell, daughter of Dean Cornwell.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Topic:
Mural painting and decoration, American Search this
Mural painting and decoration -- 20th century -- United States Search this
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Dean Cornwell papers, circa 1893-1981, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
Biographical materials, correspondence, business records, writings, art works, photographs, and printed material.
Biographical material includes ID cards and an autobiographical statement. Correspondence, 1935-1964, includes letters sent to Nickelsen as Supervisor for the WPA Massachusetts Federal Art Project; correspondents include Beaumont Newhall and muralist Elizabeth Tracy. Project files regard mural and stained glass commissions, among them the East Boston murals; Nebraska capitol murals; Springfield, Mass. Museum of Fine Arts library murals; Worcester, Mass. Parcel Post Building murals; and stained glass commissions, ca.1938-1942. Files contain correspondence, art work, including large mural cartoons, reference photographs, photographs of works of art, and printed material. Also included are a list of mural ingredients and notes; business records, 1927-1937; photocopies of articles and writings, 1930-1967; art work by Nickelsen including stained glass rendering and mural drawings by Elizabeth Tracy Montminy; exhibition catalogs, clippings, photographs of Nickelsen and his art work, including one of him painting a window for St. Patricks Church, N.Y. in the Charles Connick Studio, Boston, 1950; and of Montminy and her murals.
Biographical / Historical:
Stained glass artist; mural painter; Boston, Mass. Born in Hamburg, Germany. Initially studied at the stained-glass studio of his father, John R. Nickelsen, and later went to the State Art School, Hamburg. He came to the United States in 1922 and attended the Art Students' League, N.Y. and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Participated as an artist and as a supervisor on the WPA Art Project in Boston, and was associated with the stained-glass design firm of Charles J. Connick Associates for many years.
Provenance:
Donated 1991-1999 by Nickelsen's widow, Ingeborg R. Nickelsen.
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.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Judith Baca, 1986 August 5-6. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
United States. Department of the Treasury. Section of Fine Arts Search this
Citation:
A survey of art work in the city and county of San Francisco, / by Martin Snipper for the art commission, city and county of San Francisco, 1950. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Federal aid to the arts -- California -- San Francisco Search this
Art and state -- California -- San Francisco Search this
Mural painting and decoration, American Search this
Public sculpture -- California -- San Francisco Search this
United States. Department of the Treasury. Section of Painting and Sculpture Search this
Extent:
2 Items ((on partial microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1936-1937
Scope and Contents:
Two contracts between the U.S. Treasury Department, Section of Painting and Sculpture, and French, in which he agrees to paint murals in the Parcel Post Building in Richmond, Virginia, and in the Post Office in Plymouth, Pennsylvania.
Biographical / Historical:
Mural painter, sculptor, etcher, and draftsman; New York, N.Y. Born in Ossining, N.Y. Studied at Amherst College and at the Art Students League.
Provenance:
Donated 1982 by Jared French.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Photographs and printed materials relating to Magafan's painting career.
Reel 3134: Photograph, ca. 1950, of Ethel and Jenne Magafan taken by Konrad Cramer; and printed material, 1952-1982, including exhibition catalogs, announcements, a poster, and a newsletter.
Reel NDA 14: Invitations and notifications of various competitions for the Section of Fine Arts, included are photographs, specifications of areas to be decorated, and correspondence particularly from Edward Rowan.
Biographical / Historical:
Ethel Magafan (1915 or 6-1993) was a mural and landscape painter from Colorado. Painted murals for the WPA. Jenne Magafan was her twin sister.
Provenance:
Material on reel NDA 14 lent for microfilming 1964, material on reel 3134 donated 1982 all by Ethel Magafan.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
United States. Department of the Treasury. Section of Fine Arts Search this
United States. Department of the Treasury. Section of Painting and Sculpture Search this
Extent:
1 Linear foot ((partially filmed on 1 reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1933-1978
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence, writings, clippings, photographs, and financial records.
Unmicrofilmed material: Correspondence regarding Palmer's commissions with the Federal Art Project, Public Works of Art Project, and the Treasury Relief Art Project; an essay by Palmer on gesso painting; financial records; contracts; clippings; photographs of Palmer's murals; and 9 panels entitled "Qualities that Developed the Middle West", submitted to the Section of Fine Arts as entries for the St. Louis Post Office competition, 1939.
Reel 290: Correspondence, financial records; contracts; and printed material emanating from Palmer's mural assignments for the FAP, PWAP, and the Section.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, muralist, educator; Clinton, New York Worked for the federal government on the Federal Art Project in Iowa, for the Public Works of Art Project in New York, and the Treasury Section of Fine Arts in Washington, D.C. and Massachusetts. Artist-in-residence at Hamilton College, Clinton, New York.
Provenance:
Material on reel 290 lent for microfilming, lender unknown; unmicrofilmed material donated 1981 by Joseph C. Palmer.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Photograph negatives of Biddle's murals for the Hall of Justice, Washington, D.C. showing the panels and details of the groups and figures.
Biographical / Historical:
Robert Imandt is a photographer from Los Angeles, Calif. Friend of artist George Biddle who executed murals at the Justice Department under Dept. of Treasury's Section of Painting and Sculpture (renamed the Section of Fine Arts in 1938).
Provenance:
Donated 1968 by Robert Imandt.
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.
Correspondence, 1941-1960; exhibition catalogs; clippings; a sketchbook (20.2 x 12.5 cm., 21 pages drawn), pencil, ink & watercolor on paper, signed, 1943; and photographs.
Among the photographs are 2 of Cikovsky, 1 of him in his studio which was once occupied by Frank Duveneck, 6 of exhibits at the Carnegie Institute, 1944-1950, and 40 of his art work, including 4 of the Treasury Dept. Fine Arts Project-sponsored Dept. of Interior murals and 3 of cartoons for that mural, 1938; 3 of the Treasury Dept. Section of Painting & Sculpture-sponsored mural painting entitled, "The Old Tavern," in the Silver Spring, Maryland post office, shown with Cikovsky and postmaster, 1936, and 5 of cartoons for the Treasury Dept. Section of Fine Arts-sponsored murals for the post office in Towson, Maryland, 1939.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, muralist; New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
Donated 1966 by Nicolai Cikovsky.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
United States. Department of the Treasury. Section of Fine Arts Search this
Extent:
100 Pages ((on partial microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Date:
1950
Scope and Contents:
A descriptive list of paintings and sculpture in San Francisco public buildings done for federal projects; programs covered include Public Works of Art Project, the Federal Art Project, and Section of Fine Arts competitions for federal buildings.
Biographical / Historical:
Art historian, San Francisco, Calif. The New Deal art programs provided jobs for thousands of unemployed artists during the Depression.
Provenance:
Snipper prepared the survey for the Art Commission of San Francisco in 1950.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Topic:
Federal aid to the arts -- California -- San Francisco Search this
Art and state -- California -- San Francisco Search this
Mural painting and decoration, American Search this
Public sculpture -- California -- San Francisco Search this