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Mary Fanton Roberts papers

Creator:
Roberts, Mary Fanton, 1871-1956  Search this
Names:
Barnard, George Grey, 1863-1938  Search this
Borglum, Gutzon, 1867-1941  Search this
Carman, Bliss, 1861-1929  Search this
Coburn, Charles Douville  Search this
Enters, Angna, 1907-  Search this
Fanton, Belle  Search this
Glackens, William J., 1870-1938  Search this
Guilbert, Yvette, 1865-1944  Search this
Haggin, Ben Ali, 1882-1951  Search this
Henri, Robert, 1865-1929  Search this
Herford, Oliver, 1863-1935  Search this
Kroll, Leon, 1884-1974  Search this
Le Gallienne, Eva, 1899-  Search this
Muray, Nickolas, 1892-1965  Search this
Osbourne, Lloyd, 1868-1947  Search this
Remington, Frederic, 1861-1909  Search this
Rerikh, Nikolai Konstantinovich, 1874-1947  Search this
Roberts, Dorothy, 1906-  Search this
Roberts, Goodridge, 1904-  Search this
Roberts, William C.  Search this
Seton, Ernest Thompson, 1860-1946  Search this
Sloan, John, 1871-1951  Search this
Troubetzkoy, Pierre, 1864-1936  Search this
Yeats, John Butler, 1839-1922  Search this
Extent:
3.8 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Date:
1880-1956
Summary:
The papers of art writer and editor Mary Fanton Roberts measure 3.8 linear feet and are dated 1880 to 1956. The bulk of this collection is Roberts' correspondence with numerous important artists, dancers, actors, writers, and musicians of the day. Also found are scattered biographical materials, family correspondence, writings, printed material, photographs and artwork.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of art writer and editor Mary Fanton Roberts measure 3.8 linear feet and are dated 1880 to 1956. The collection is comprised mainly of correspondence with family members, artists, dancers, actors, writers, musicians, and visual and performing arts organizations. Also found are scattered biographical materials, writings, printed material, photographs and artwork.

The collection contains a small amount of biographical material about Mary Fanton Roberts and her husband, William Carman Roberts, including his journal of a vacation with Ernest Thompson Seton and his wife. Personal Correspondence is with her husband and sister Belle Fanton, and with friends. Business and political correspondence documents her career as a magazine editor and writer, her participation in political organizations and events, her participation in radio talks, and her correspondence regarding war issues.

Art correspondence/subject files include correspondence with and collected materials on artists, photographers, art patrons, critics, and wives of artists, as well as arts organizations, museums, and schools. Correspondence of note is with George Gray Barnard, Gutzon Borglum, Ben Ali Haggin, Leon Kroll, Frederic Remington, W. Goodridge Roberts, Nicholas Roerich, Pierre Troubetzkoy, illustrator Oliver Herford, John Butler Yeats, and Ashcan school artists Robert Henri, John Sloan, and William Glackens, as well as many others. Dance and theatre correspondence/subject files include correspondence with actors, dancers, playwrights, patrons, organizations and theatres. Correspondence of note in this series is with Charles "Orlando" Coburn, Eva Le Gallienne, Angna Enters, and the "Duncan Dancers." Literary and music orrespondence/subject files include correspondence with authors, poets, critics, singers, publishers, and musicians, such as Bliss Carman, Yvette Guilbert, and Lloyd Osbourne. Additional material found in these subject files, other than letters, includes invitations, photographs, calling cards, artwork, news clippings, and printed material.

Writings by Roberts include an autobiographical essay about her youth and early career, guest lists and notes concerning hosted events, and typescripts of poems by her niece Dorothy Gostwick Roberts. Printed material is comprised of art exhibition catalogs, published articles and trade bulletins written by Roberts, and newsclippings. Photographs are of Roberts, her family, friends, and places she lived, and include autographed portraits given to her, primarily from actors and actresses. Also found are photographs taken by Nickolas Muray of art models. Scattered artwork in this collection includes several small drawings by unidentified artists, as well as a pencil portrait of Roberts by John Butler Yeats.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 11 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1906, 1912-1941, undated (Box 1; 2 folders)

Series 2: Personal Correspondence, 1902-1951, undated (Box 1; 7 folders)

Series 3: Business and Political Correspondence, 1903-1959, undated (Box 1; 6 folders)

Series 4: Art Correspondence/Subject Files, 1898-1956, undated (Box 1-2; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 5: Dance and Theatre Correspondence/Subject Files, 1902-1953, undated (Box 2-3; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 6: Literary and Music Correspondence/Subject Files, 1900-1952, undated (Box 3; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 7: General Correspondence, 1898-1946, undated (Box 3-4; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 8: Writings, 1915-1926, 1952, undated (Box 4; 3 folders)

Series 9: Printed Material, 1899, 1909-1947, undated (Box 4-5; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 10: Photographs, 1880-circa 1943, undated (Box 5; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 11: Artwork, 1906, undated (Box 5; 3 folders)
Biographical Note:
Mary Fanton Roberts was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1864. When she was a young girl her family moved to Deadwood, in the Montana territory, where her father had mining prospects. When she was old enough, she and her sister were sent back to New York to attend the Albany Female Academy. After finishing school, Roberts pursued journalism and became a staff writer for four years for the Herald Tribune, the Journal, and the Sun in New York. During her long career she was editor of Demorest Magazine, editor-in-chief of New Idea Woman's Magazine, managing editor of The Craftsman, and creator and editor of The Touchstone Magazine and Decorative Arts magazine. Her longest period at one publication was seventeen years as editor of Arts and Decoration. She often wrote articles on the topic of decorative arts and home decorating, and published two books, Inside 100 Homes, and 101 Ideas for Successful Interiors.

In 1906 she married William Carman Roberts, writer and editor of Literary Digest for thirty years. They lived in Manhattan and Waterford, Connecticut.

Roberts was very involved in the artistic, theatrical, and literary circles in New York City, and met and became friends with many young avant garde American artists, including Robert Henri and John Sloan. Through her husband she met many writers and poets, including Theodore Dreiser and Bliss Carman. Roberts was active in organizations such as the Women's City Club, Pen and Brush, and the MacDowell Society and also attended countless art openings, theater performances, and other social events. As an avid supporter of modern dance, she became friends with many performers, including Isadora Duncan and Angna Enters. After her husband's death in 1941, Roberts moved to the Chelsea Hotel, where she lived for the rest of her life. She maintained lifelong relationships with a wide circle of friends and continued to correspond with them and attend social events until her death in 1956 at the age of 92.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 1957 by Phoebe DuBois and Violet Organ.
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 critics -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Editors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Ashcan school of art  Search this
Works of art  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Citation:
Mary Fanton Roberts papers, 1880-1956. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.robemary
See more items in:
Mary Fanton Roberts papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ea19ad44-7788-4ec4-8cb4-d4b8ec49fde3
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-robemary
Online Media:

Mary Fanton Roberts

Creator:
Yeats, John Butler, 1839-1922  Search this
Subject:
Roberts, Mary Fanton  Search this
Type:
Artworks
Date:
1906 Sept. 30
Citation:
John Butler Yeats. Mary Fanton Roberts, 1906 Sept. 30. Mary Fanton Roberts papers, 1880-1956. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Portraits  Search this
Women  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)8232
See more items in:
Mary Fanton Roberts papers, 1880-1956
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_8232
Online Media:

John Butler Yeats [by] Douglas N. Archibald

Author:
Archibald, Douglas N  Search this
Subject:
Yeats, John Butler 1839-1922 Biography  Search this
Physical description:
103 p. 21 cm
Type:
Books
Date:
1974
[1974]
Call number:
N40.1.Y41 A6
N40.1.Y41A6
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_38492

John Butler Yeats and the Irish renaissance. With pictures from the collection of Michael Butler Yeats and from the National Gallery of Ireland

Author:
White, James 1913-  Search this
Yeats, Michael Butler Art collections  Search this
National Gallery of Ireland  Search this
Subject:
Yeats, John Butler 1839-1922  Search this
Physical description:
72 p. ports. 25 cm
Type:
Books
Date:
1972
[1972]
Call number:
N40.1.Y41 W5
N40.1.Y41W5
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_36182

The drawings of John Butler Yeats (1839-1922) / essay and catalogue by Fintan Cullen ; with a brief biography by William M. Murphy ; foreword by Daniel Robbins

Author:
Cullen, Fintan  Search this
Yeats, John Butler 1839-1922  Search this
Albany Institute of History and Art  Search this
Subject:
Yeats, John Butler 1839-1922 Exhibitions  Search this
Physical description:
115 p. : ill. ; 28 cm
Type:
Books
Place:
Ireland
Date:
1987
C1987
19th century
20th century
Topic:
Portrait drawing, Irish--Exhibitions  Search this
Portrait drawing--Exhibitions  Search this
Call number:
N40.1.Y41 C9
N40.1.Y41C9
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_369372

J. B. Yeats letters to his son, W. B. Yeats, and others, 1869- 1922, edited with a memoir by Joseph Hone, and a preface by Oliver Elton

Author:
Yeats, John Butler 1839-1922  Search this
Yeats, W. B (William Butler) 1865-1939  Search this
Hone, Joseph M (Joseph Maunsell) 1882-1959  Search this
Physical description:
296 p. front., plates, ports., facsims. 23 cm
Type:
Books
Date:
1944
[1944]
Call number:
N40.1.Y41 A1
N40.1.Y41A1
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_311163

Van Wyck Brooks (1886-1963), (painting)

Painter:
Yeats, John Butler 1839-1922  Search this
Subject:
Brooks, Van Wyck  Search this
Medium:
Pastel on paper
Type:
Paintings
Owner/Location:
Smithsonian Institution National Portrait Gallery 8th & F Streets, N.W Washington District of Columbia 20560 Accession Number: 76.32
Date:
1909
Topic:
Portrait male--Waist length  Search this
Portrait male--Profile  Search this
Occupation--Education--Historian  Search this
Occupation--Writer--Critic  Search this
Control number:
IAP 08650272
Data Source:
Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_ari_369430

Bust Portrait of a Lady, (painting)

Painter:
Yeats, John Butler 1839-1922  Search this
Subject:
Unidentified  Search this
Medium:
Watercolor
Type:
Paintings
Date:
1900
Topic:
Portrait female--Bust  Search this
Control number:
IAP 63130002
Data Source:
Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_ari_124345

Mary Walker, (painting)

Painter:
Yeats, John Butler 1839-1922  Search this
Subject:
Walker, Mary  Search this
Type:
Paintings
Owner/Location:
Chapellier Galleries 22 East 80th Street New York New York 10021
Topic:
Portrait female--Full length  Search this
Control number:
IAP 61250547
Data Source:
Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_ari_81183

John Quinn (1870-1924), (painting)

Painter:
Yeats, John Butler 1839-1922  Search this
Subject:
Quinn, John  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Type:
Paintings
Owner/Location:
Smithsonian Institution National Portrait Gallery 8th & F Streets, N.W Washington District of Columbia 20560 Accession Number: 75.36
Date:
1908
Topic:
Portrait male--Bust  Search this
Occupation--Law--Lawyer  Search this
Control number:
IAP 08650461
Data Source:
Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_ari_370898

Van Wyck Brooks (1886-1963), (painting)

Painter:
Yeats, John Butler 1839-1922  Search this
Subject:
Brooks, Van Wyck  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Type:
Paintings
Owner/Location:
Smithsonian Institution National Portrait Gallery 8th & F Streets, N.W Washington District of Columbia 20560 Accession Number: 82.129
Date:
1909
Topic:
Portrait male--Waist length  Search this
Portrait male--Profile  Search this
Occupation--Education--Historian  Search this
Occupation--Writer--Critic  Search this
Object--Art Object--Sculpture  Search this
Control number:
IAP 08650273
Data Source:
Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_ari_369431

Self-Portrait, (painting)

Title:
Self-Portrait "Seeing Through a Glass Darkly", (painting)
Painter:
Yeats, John Butler 1839-1922  Search this
Subject:
Yeats, John Butler  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Type:
Paintings
Owner/Location:
Dartmouth College Hood Museum of Art Hanover New Hampshire 03755 Accession Number: 952.37
Date:
1911
Topic:
Portrait male  Search this
Occupation--Art--Artist  Search this
Control number:
IAP 30660275
Data Source:
Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_ari_275546

Prodigal father : the life of John Butler Yeats, 1839-1922 / William M. Murphy

Author:
Murphy, William Michael 1916-  Search this
Subject:
Yeats, John Butler 1839-1922  Search this
Physical description:
680 p. : ill. ; 25 cm
Type:
Biography
Place:
Ireland
Date:
1978
Topic:
Portrait painters  Search this
Fathers  Search this
Call number:
ND1329.Y43 M86
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_652442

John Butler Yeats and John Sloan : the records of a friendship / [by] Robert Gordon ; with illustrations from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Delaware Art Museum and the collection of Michael B. Yeats

Author:
Gordon, Robert 1946-  Search this
Yeats, John Butler 1839-1922  Search this
Sloan, John 1871-1951  Search this
Subject:
Yeats, John Butler 1839-1922 Friends and associates  Search this
Sloan, John 1871-1951 Friends and associates  Search this
Physical description:
32 p., 8 p. of plates : ill., ports. ; 25 cm
Type:
Books
Date:
1978
Call number:
N40.1.Y41G6
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_121432

John B. Yeats, (painting)

Painter:
Yeats, John Butler 1839-1922  Search this
Subject:
Yeats, John B  Search this
Medium:
Oil
Type:
Paintings
Owner/Location:
Dartmouth College Hopkins Center & Carpenter Art Galleries Hanover New Hampshire 03755
Topic:
Occupation--Art--Artist  Search this
Portrait male  Search this
Control number:
IAP 85080058
Data Source:
Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_ari_227026

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