Burchfield, Charles Ephraim, 1893-1967 Search this
Extent:
1 Item
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1966 Aug. 3
Scope and Contents:
One letter (6 pages) from Charles Burchfield to Alan M. Pensler. Burchfield describes how he happened to paint "The Shed," explaining: "I often say that I do not choose my subjects for my pictures, that they choose me ..."
Biographical / Historical:
Charles Burchfield (1893-1967) was a watercolorist and painter in West Seneca, N.Y.
Provenance:
Donated 2011 by Alan M. Pensler whose family owned the painting "The Shed."
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
Occupation:
Watercolorists -- New York (State) -- West Seneca Search this
Topic:
Watercolor painting -- New York (State) Search this
The records of the American Watercolor Society measure 3.8 linear feet and date from 1867 to 1977, with the bulk of the material dating from 1950 to 1970. The collection provides scattered documentation of the operations and activities of one of the oldest continuously operating artists' organizations in the United States and includes records of its administration and history, membership, and exhibitions, as well as printed material and photographs.
Scope and Content Note:
The records of the American Watercolor Society measure 3.8 linear feet and date from 1867 to 1977, with the bulk of the material dating from 1950 to 1970. The collection provides scattered documentation of the operations and activities of one of the oldest continuously operating artists' organizations in the United States and includes records of its administration and history, membership, and exhibitions
Records documenting the founding, history, and operations of the society are found in the administration and history series. Included are written histories and material on the 1941 merger with the New York Water Color Club, including an updated Constitution and By-Laws. Also found here are reports, committee documents, administrative correspondence, records of participation in national art events, and financial records.
The membership records include a membership roster notebook, dating from 1953-1961, lists of members, member biographies, and correspondence regarding membership. The society's exhibition files include a bound volume of the record of works shown in the annual exhibition from 1897 to 1904, as well as files on a few other annual exhibitions and exchange exhibitions with other countries. These files contain scattered correspondence, price lists, exhibition checklists and printed material.
A small amount of printed material in the collection includes a booklet entitled, Water-Color Painting: Some Facts and Authorities in Relation to Its Durability, distributed by the society in 1868, as well as news clipping about events and exhibitions, newsletters, and other published items. Photographs are of members, jurors, events, painting demonstrations, and artwork.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 5 series:
Series 1: Administration and History, 1891-1970 (Box 1-2; 1.1 linear feet)
Series 2: Membership, 1941, 1951-1960s (Box 2; 0.7 linear feet)
Series 3: Exhibition Files, 1867-1910, 1955-1975 (Box 2-3, BV 5; 1.2 linear feet)
Series 4: Printed Material, 1868, 1943-1972 (Box 3; 6 folders)
Series 5: Photographs, circa 1940-1977 (Box 3-4; 0.5 linear feet)
Historical Note:
The American Watercolor Society still functions as an active artists' organization that was founded in New York City on December 5, 1866 as the American Society of Painters in Water Colors. The first president was Samuel Colman. Initially, election to membership was very selective, consisting of active members and honorary members (those living outside of New York City). From the beginning, the most important activity of the organization was its annual exhibition, open to both members and non-members, the first being held in the winter of 1867-1868.
The Society's first six annual exhibitions were held jointly with the National Academy of Design at the Academy's galleries. Beginning with the seventh exhibition, the society initiated independent annual exhibitions until 1899. The early exhibitions were very successful, and the society showed work from many prominent American and European artists such as Thomas Eakins, Abbott Thayer, Eugene Delacroix, and John Ruskin. 1888 marked the first year that the society awarded prizes to the best works. By the early 1900s the society had developed a program for exhibitions that included a jury of selection and jury of awards.
In 1903 the society was officially incorporated as the American Water Color Society, to "advance the art of water color painting in this country." Membership classifications changed slightly and artists were either classified as active (professional artists) or associate members. By 1904 the society was struggling financially, and annual exhibitions were held at various spaces around New York City. In 1905 the society established annual rotary (traveling) exhibitions. From 1922 to 1931, the society combined exhibition venues with the New York Water Color Club (founded in 1890), and in January 1941 these two organizations merged under the name of the American Watercolor Society and created a new constitution. This merger brought many female artists who were active in the New York Water Color Club to the society which had previously not recognized many women painters. In 1941 the society established their headquarters in one room at the National Academy of Design's new building where they also held annual exhibitions in the galleries.
Frederic Whitaker, a painter and businessman, became president in 1949 and brought a renewed vigor to the society. He reinstituted traveling exhibitions, created new committees, and increased the number of exhibition awards. He also established an office in the Flatiron building and hired an Executive Secretary. After he resigned in 1956, the society experienced a period of financial troubles that were immediately addressed when Mario Cooper became president in 1959. Offices were moved back to the National Academy, several new officers were appointed, and after a period of fiscal austerity, a scholarship program and central awards fund were established. In 1967 the society had its 100th annual exhibition and also had an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, entitled, "Two Hundred Years of Watercolor Painting In America, An Exhibition Commemorating The Centennial of the American Watercolor Society." Over the next few years the society organized and exchanged exhibitions with other countries, including Canada, Mexico, England, and Australia. Mario Cooper remained president until 1986, and the American Watercolor Society remains an active artists' organization today.
Related Material:
Additional records may be available by contacting the American Watercolor Society.
Separated Material:
Originals of loaned material, including additional exhibition materials, correspondence, photographs, and administrative records were returned to the American Watercolor Society after microfilming. Loaned material is available on reels N68-8 through N68-10, but is not described in the container listing of this finding aid.
Provenance:
The American Watercolor Society loaned material for microfilming in 1968, and, in 1978, donated some of this material. The bound volume of the record of works shown in annual exhibitions, 1897-1904, was microfilmed in 1972 and subsequently donated in 1978 by the American Antiquarian Society.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use 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:
Watercolor painting -- 19th century -- United States Search this
United States. Department of the Treasury. Section of Fine Arts Search this
Extent:
3.5 Linear feet
2.9 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Scrapbooks
Sound recordings
Video recordings
Interviews
Date:
circa 1930-2005
Summary:
The papers of painter, muralist, and educator Amy Jones measures 3.5 linear feet and 2.90 GB and date from 1910s-2015, with the bulk of the records dating between 1930s-1992. The papers document Jones' career through biographical material, several recorded interviews and talks, correspondence, subject files, printed and digital material, photographs, artwork, and scrapbooks.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter, muralist, and educator Amy Jones measures 3.5 linear feet and 2.90 GB and date from 1910s-2015, with the bulk of the records dating between 1930s-1992. The papers document Jones' career through biographical material, some recorded interviews and talks, correspondence, subject files, printed and digital material, photographs, artwork, and scrapbooks.
Biographical materials include awards and certificates, audio and video recordings from interviews and talks, resumes, inventories of works, membership cards, and writings. Correspondence pertains to Jones' dealings with galleries, museums, collectors, and also includes Christmas cards illustrated by Jones. Subject files include records of the sale and exhibition of her artwork; custodial history of her archive; project files; and some papers relating to her work as an art educator. Printed materials include newspaper and magazine clippings, exhibition announcements, catalogs, and posters, and publications that reproduced Jones' work. Photographs depict Jones as well as many of her watercolor landscapes, still lifes, and portraits. Artwork consists of loose sketches and drawings as well two sketchbooks. Scrapbooks contain correspondence, photographs, notes and sketches, contracts, expenses, and printed material documenting three of Jones' mural paintings between 1937-1941 as part of the U.S. Treasury Relief Art Project.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 7 series.
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1950s-2015 (Box 1; .5 linear feet, ER01; 2.90 GB)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1943-2000 (Box 1; 8 folders)
Series 3: Subject Files, 1941-1993 (Box 1-2; .6 linear feet)
Series 4: Printed Material, 1930s-1992 (Box 2-3; 1 linear feet)
Series 5: Photographs, 1910s, 1930s-1980s (Box 3; 9 folders)
Series 6: Artwork, circa 1930s-1980s (Box 3; 9 folders)
Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1935-1943, 1980 (Box 3-5; .6 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Amy Jones (Frisbie) (1899-1992) was a painter, printmaker, sculptor, and art educator in New York.
After attending Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, New York, Jones studied under Xavier Gonzalez, Ben Wolf, and Anthony di Bona at the Pratt Institute. She left school early and moved to Buffalo, New York with her new husband, Blair Jones, and they had a daughter, Lucy. Jones continued to work on her art over the next few years designing Christmas cards and painting still lifes, portraits, and landscapes. Jones completed three murals between 1937-1941 for the U.S. Treasury Relief Art Project in Winsted, Connecticut; Painted Post, New York; and Scotia, New York. Jones established herself as a watercolorist in the U.S. and internationally by the 1940s. Her solo exhibitions include those held at Mount Holyoke College, Galleria Santo Stefano in Venice, Italy, a 10-year survey at New Britain Museum of American Art, and Katonah Gallery; and group exhibitions at National Gallery of Art, Corcoran Gallery, American Institute of Arts and Letters, and Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Her work may be found in the collections of the Ford Motor Company, Springfield College of Illinois, New Britain Museum of American Art, and the homes of many private collectors.
Provenance:
A portion of the collection was donated by Amy Jones in 1985, and the remainder was donated in 2015 by Lucy Jones Berk, Amy Jones' daughter.
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.
Amy Jones papers, 1910s-2015. 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.
Seven Christmas cards made by Angna Enters, 1958 and 1959, 1961, 1963-1965, and 1967, consisting of a different watercolor self-portrait for each of the years represented; and printed material concerning Enters career in the theater, particularly reviews of mime performances.
Biographical / Historical:
Dancer, mime, actress, painter, designer, and writer; New York, N.Y. Born New York, N.Y., raised Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Year of birth commonly given as 1907; however Enters graduated from high school in 1915 as Anita Irene Enters.
Provenance:
The known donor, Mr. Francis Robinson, received the Christmas cards of 1963 and 1964 from Enters.
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:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Watercolorists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Designers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Performance artists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Dancers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Putnam, Patrick Tracy Lowell, 1903 or 4-1953 Search this
Extent:
40 Items
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Place:
Africa, Central -- Description and Travel
Date:
1936-1968
Summary:
The scattered papers of painter Anne Eisner Putnam consist of 40 items and date from 1936 to 1968. Found is an application for Who's Who of American Women, and two letters concerning her book and artwork. Printed material includes clippings (1936-1965) about exhibitions of her artwork in New York, her experiences in Africa, press releases, and her obituary. Photographs are of Putnam's paintings; of Putnam at "Camp Putnam" in the Ituri Rainforest in the Belgian Congo (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) with members of one of the Congo Pygmy tribes; a snapshot of Putnam; and a portrait of Patrick Tracy Lowell Putnam.
Scope and Contents:
The scattered papers of painter Anne Eisner Putnam consist of 40 items and date from 1936 to 1968. Found is an application for Who's Who of American Women, and two letters concerning her book and artwork. Printed material includes clippings (1936-1965) about exhibitions of her artwork in New York, her experiences in Africa, press releases, and her obituary. Photographs are of Eisners' paintings; of Putnam at "Camp Putnam" in the Ituri Rainforest in the Belgian Congo (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) with members of one of the Congo Pygmy tribes; a snapshot of Putnam; and a portrait of Patrick Tracy Lowell Putnam.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Anne Eisner Putnam (1911-1967) was an abstract painter, a landscape painter, a watercolorist, a printer, and a writer. Additionally, she and her husband were collectors of African art.
Putnam attended the Art Students League and was the secretary for the Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors. She married anthropologist Patrick Tracy Lowell Putnam and together they moved to Africa. From 1945 to 1953, Putnam lived in a Pygmy village in the Belgian Congo (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) in the Ituri Rainforest, and devoted her painting and writing talents to portraying the life of the Congo Pygmies and African flora and fauna. Her collection of African art was exhibited in 1967 at the Museum of Natural History, New York.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming on reel N70-10 including correspondence, clippings, photographs and sketchbooks primarily relating to her life in the Belgian Congo among Pygmies with her husband, anthropologist Patrick Tracy Lowell Putnam. Loaned materials were returned to the donor and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
William J. Eisner, the father of Anne Eisner, donated her papers to the Archives of American Art in 1970.
Restrictions:
The 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 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:
Painters -- Congo (Democratic Republic) Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Processing of this collection received Federal support from the Collections Care Initiative Fund, administered by the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative and the National Collections Program.
Burchfield, Charles Ephraim, 1893-1967 Search this
Extent:
1 Item
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1961 Mar. 19
Scope and Contents:
A letter from Charles Burchfield to New Yorker cover illustrator Arthur Getz, March 19, 1961, thanking Getz for his remarks on Burchfield's recent show, commenting on Getz's St. Patrick's Day cover for the New Yorker magazine, and including 6 pages of instructions on his mounting method.
Biographical / Historical:
Arthur Getz (1913-1996) was an artist and illustrator best known for his 50 year career as a cover illustrator for the New Yorker magazine. Charles Burchfield (1893-1967) was a watercolorist and painter; West Seneca, New York.
Provenance:
Donated 1975 by Arthur Getz via Charles B. Ferguson of the New Britain Museum of American Art in New Britain, Conn.
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.
Occupation:
Watercolorists -- New York (State) -- West Seneca Search this
Topic:
Watercolor painting -- New York (State) Search this
Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
An unpublished memoir written by Norris documenting his life. The manuscript begins with Norris' birth in 1910, including his childhood memories of California. He also describes in detail his education at Ponoma College, Harvard University and Sorbonne in Paris, as well as his teaching position at the University of Hawaii. Themes of formative experiences, education, sexual orientation, family, and church life are dominant in his writing. He concludes with a summary of the early 1990s, after he moved to New York City. Some pages are annotated in pen by Norris.
Biographical / Historical:
Ben Norris (1910-2006) was a watercolorist and educator in Hawaii and New York. Norris studied privately with Frederic Taubes and Stanton Macdonald-Wright, and was educated at Harvard University and the Sorbonne in Paris. Norris also taught art history at the Univeristy of Hawaii.
Provenance:
Donated 2008 by Margaret Castrey, Norris' widow.
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.
Burchfield, Charles Ephraim, 1893-1967 Search this
Extent:
3 Pages ((on partial microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Date:
1961 Mar. 15
Scope and Contents:
Burchfield responds to Schultz's letter of appreciation regarding his paintings "Radiant Springtime" and "Four Seasons."
Biographical / Historical:
Watercolorist and painter; West Seneca, New York.
Provenance:
Donated by Harold A. Schultz, widower of Helen C. Schultz, 1992. According to to the donor, although Schultz's letter to Burchfield has not survived, she was probably moved to write Burchfield about the paintings after viewing them at the 1957 and 1961 Contemporary American Painting and Sculpture exhibitions at the University of Illinois. In 1961, the Krannert Art Museum purchased "Four Seasons" for its permanent collection.
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.
Burchfield, Charles Ephraim, 1893-1967 Search this
Extent:
2 Items
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1941 and undated
Scope and Contents:
A photocopy of a letter from Charles Burchfield, circa 1959, including his explanation of the medium and subject matter of his watercolor "Great Cloud Shadow." The explanation accompanied the painting which the Wadsworth Atheneum acquired in 1960 from the Frank K.M. Rehn Gallery. Also found is an exhibition catalog, 1941.
Biographical / Historical:
Charles Burchfield (1893-1967) was a watercolorist and painter; West Seneca, New York.
Provenance:
Donated 1960 by the Wadsworth Atheneum via Charles Cunningham.
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.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- West Seneca Search this
1.4 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 2 reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Date:
1949-1965
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence; research materials for a book; a tape recording; manuscripts; photographs; drawings; and miscellany.
REEL N70-46: Working mock-up, original drawings, layout, for Watson's book SKETCH DIARY (1965); and other works; plus clippings of articles by him.
REEL 64: Correspondence, 1949-1955, arising from Watson's position as editor-in-chief of the magazine AMERICAN ARTIST. Correspondence relates to articles for the magazine; color engraving; controversy between "modern" vs. "conservative" art; awards to watercolorists; gallery fees for exhibiting works of art; and personal matters.
UNMICROFILMED: Correspondence; various manuscripts and other papers relating to SKETCH DIARY; tape recording in which he tells about the establishment of Berkshire Summer School of Art in 1916; preliminary manuscripts of "Getting a Likeness"; photographs; drawings; Christmas cards from other artists; pencil rendering "Temple of Zeus," created as an advertisement for Eldorado pencils; and miscellany.
Biographical / Historical:
Illustrator and block printer; New York, N.Y. Founder & editor of American Artist, 1937-1955.
Provenance:
Material on reel N70-46 lent for microfilming 1970; some drawings and portions of material of sketch diary was subsequently donated 1972 along with unmicrofilmed material by Eve Watson, widow of Watson; material on reel 64 donated 1971 by Norman Kent, editor of American Artist.
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:
Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Correspondence, works of art, a journal and a sketchbook, exhibition announcements and catalogs, and photographs.
REEl D361: Correspondence, with Gold's teacher, Howard Giles, ca. 1930-1940, and others; a seven-page manuscript autobiography of Gold's friend, woodcut artist Helen West Heller; a sketchbook, 1949; a scrapbook containing clippings; photographs and slides; biographical information; and exhibition catalogs. Among the photos are a few of Giles with his students, and 1 of Gold teaching a children's art class, 1955.
UNMICROFILMED: Correspondence; photographs of Gold, and photographs, slides and negatives of her art work; a journal, 1958-1959; writings on Yorkshire terriers; four poems; four oil sketches, seven watercolors and a collage; exhibition catalogs and announcements; clippings; and miscellany.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, watercolorist, collage artist, expert on Yorkshire terrier breed of dog; New York, N.Y. Also known as Fay Helfand Gold, Fay Goldmeigs, and Fay Helfand.
Provenance:
Donated 1962-1979 by Fay Gold.
Restrictions:
Microfilmed material must be viewed on microfilm. Access to unmicrofilmed material requires an appointment.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Lithographers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Artisans -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Engravers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Collagists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
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 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
The scattered papers of painter Florence V. Reynolds and the Hapgood Family research material regarding Reynolds measure 0.2 linear feet and date from circa 1890 to 1990. Found are biographical materials on Reynolds and three photographs. Research materials includes correspondence between the Hapgood family and institutions and museums, lists of works of art, and exhibition material. A thesis by Janet Silverman is on Robinson.
Scope and Contents:
The scattered papers of painter Florence V. Reynolds and the Hapgood Family research material regarding Reynolds measure 0.2 linear feet and date from circa 1890 to 1990. Found are biographical materials on Reynolds and three photographs. Research materials includes correspondence between the Hapgood family and institutions and museums, lists of works of art, and exhibition material. A thesis by Janet Silverman is on Robinson.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Florence V. Robinson (1874-1937) was a painter, primarily a watercolorist, in New York City, New York and Petersham, Massachusetts.
Elizabeth Reynolds Hapgood is the daughter of Robinson's longtime companion, Margaret Reynolds.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 2003 by David Hapgood, the son of Elizabeth Reynolds Hapgood. The papers were compiled by Robinson as well as her executor, Elizabeth Reynolds Hapgood, Hapgood's daughter, Elizabeth Hapgood Backman, and son, David Hapgood.
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:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Petersham Search this
Watercolorists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Florence V. Robinson papers and the Hapgood family collection relating to Florence V. Robinson, circa 1890-1990. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Processing of this collection received support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative.
The estate papers of New York tonalist painter Henry Ward Ranger, measure one linear foot and date from 1888-circa 1999, with the bulk of the material dating from 1904-1954.The collection primarily documents the settlement of Ranger's contested will and the administration of his estate, but also provides scattered biographical information on Ranger's life, provenance information about his work, and documentation of the significance of his estate gift to the National Academy of Design. Records include appraisal information including an estate ledger, correspondence and memoranda including two letters from Ranger, court documents, financial and real estate records, news clippings, and two photographs and eight negatives of Ranger.
Scope and Contents:
The estate papers of New York tonalist painter Henry Ward Ranger, measure one linear foot and date from 1888-circa 1999, with the bulk of the material dating from 1904-1954.The collection primarily documents the settlement of Ranger's contested will and the administration of his estate, but also provides scattered biographical information on Ranger's life, provenance information about his work, and the significance of his estate gift to the National Academy of Design. Records include appraisal information including an estate ledger, correspondence and memoranda including two letters from Ranger, court documents, financial and real estate records, news clippings, and two photographs and six negatives of Ranger.
Series 1 documents the appraisal, administration, and distribution of Ranger's estate by the National Academy of Design. The bulk of the material comprises appraisal records, including an appraisal of Ranger's Noank studio by William Macbeth; correspondence and agreements with museums and other art institutions that received artwork purchased by the Ranger fund, including the Brooks Memorial Art Gallery, Des Moines Association of Fine Arts, Fine Arts Society of San Diego, Museum of Fine Arts , Houston, Oberlin College, and others; and financial records documenting assets and liabilities, including cancelled checks, receipts, investment and tax records, and records documenting real estate investments that contributed to the estate. Also found is a folder of personal papers, including two letters from Ranger, and a photograph and six negatives of Ranger, and a folder of nine letters from Ranger family members.
Series 2 primarily comprises court documents and legal counsel notes and correspondence related to the litigation of Ranger's will, and the process of proving the the legitimacy of Ranger's original will and the fraudulence of the will presented by Edith Ranger's lawyers.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as two series.
Series 1: Henry Ward Ranger Estate, 1888-circa 1999 (0.95 linear feet; Boxes 1, 4)
Series 2: Settlement of Will, 1907-1920 (1.05 linear feet; Boxes 1-3)
Biographical / Historical:
Tonalist landscape and marine painter, Henry Ward Ranger (1858-1916), became a full academician of the National Academy of Design in 1906 and bequeathed his entire residuary estate to the academy. The investment of this substantial gift of nearly $400,000, known as the Ranger fund, would provide for the purchase of paintings by living American artists, which were distributed or accessioned by the Smithsonian Institution's then National Collection of Fine Arts.
Ranger was born in western New York State and attended Syracuse University for two years before opening a studio in New York City in the mid-1880s. He traveled to Europe and lived in the Netherlands for several years, where he was influenced by the Dutch watercolorists and the Barbizon masters. Ranger was known for his experiments with pigments and colors, his interiors of forests, and marine views of the shoreline in Connecticut, where he spent summers and helped to establish the artist colony in Old Lyme. He further divided his time between a country studio in Noank, Connecticut, his studio in the city, and trips to Puerto Rico and Jamaica in the winter months.
Following his death in 1916, Ranger's will was probated and involved in costly litigation for two years due to the presentation of another will asserting Ranger's sister, Edith, as the beneficiary. The second will was proven to be false and the Ranger fund went on to make a significant contribution to the Smithsonian's collection of American art, allowing the institution to ultimately claim sixty-six of the paintings purchased by the fund and amass a collection which represented popular academic tastes in American art over more than half a century.
Provenance:
The papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by the National Academy of Design in 2018.
Restrictions:
Use of 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.
Citation:
Henry Ward Ranger estate papers, 1888-circa 1999, bulk 1904-1954. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by The Walton Family Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Webster, Herman A. (Herman Armour), 1878-1970 Search this
Names:
Flint, William Russell, Sir, 1880-1969 Search this
Extent:
27 Items
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1947-1952
Scope and Contents:
Twenty six letters from Sir William Flint to Herman Armour Webster mostly concerning Flint's travels in Europe, his plans to meet Webster in France and England, progress on his artwork, and the illness of his wife, Sibylle. Also included is a partial translation and explanation of the letters written in an unknown hand.
Biographical / Historical:
Etcher, painter; Paris, France, New York, N.Y.; b. 1878; d. 1970; Webster and Flint were friends.
Provenance:
Donated 2008 by Jerome Shapiro, who purchased the letters in a bookstore.
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.
Occupation:
Etchers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
2.5 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 2 reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings
Date:
1919-1966
Scope and Contents:
Drawings, caricatures, scrapbooks, correspondence, photographs, writings, and printed material.
REELS 723-724: Two scrapbooks, 1919-1935 and 1935-1966, containing clippings, exhibition catalogs, and printed materials; and 128 letters from artists, galleries, and art organizations, including American Artists Congress, Associated American Artists Gallery, Thomas Hart Benton, Paul Cadmus, Philip Evergood, Emily Genauer, Julian Levi, Gregorio Prestopino, Zoltan Sepeshy, Moses Soyer, Raphael Soyer, William Zorach, and others.
UNMICROFILMED: Caricatures and portrait drawings by Smith of Jack Chain, Francis Criss, Stuart C. Edie, Philip Evergood, Ernest Fiene, Eugenie Gershoy, Chaim Gross, Nathan Halper, [?] Hunt, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Julian Levi, Reginald Marsh, Jan Matulka, Concetta Scaravaglione, Irving Stone, Chuzo Tamotzu, and unidentified others. Also included is a self-portrait.
ADDITION: Ca. 40 letters; photographs, including Smith, other artists, and Woodstock, NY; draft manuscript for Smith's book, "Art and the Artist and You" (includes copy photographs of illustrations for the book); writings; exhibition catalogs and related printed material; and clippings. Ca. 35 of the letters were previously lent and microfilmed on reels 723-724.
Biographical / Historical:
Watercolor painter; New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
Material on reels 723-724 lent for microfilming 1974 by David Loeffler Smith, Smith's son. He subsequently donated the 2 scrapbooks and some correspondence from the loan, along with additional unmicrofilmed material, in 1983 and 1994.
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:
Watercolorists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
