The Lily Shuff papers date from 1941-1975 and measure 2.5 linear feet. Lily Shuff's work as a painter, participation in exhibitions, and contributions to professional arts organizations are documented in scrapbooks, printed material, biographical materials, correspondence, and photographs.
Scope and Contents:
The Lily Shuff papers date from 1941-1975 and measure 2.5 linear feet. Lily Shuff's work as a painter, participation in exhibitions, and contributions to professional arts organizations are documented in scrapbooks, biographical materials, correspondence, and photographs.
Biographical materials include Lily Shuff's awards from the Brooklyn Society of Artists, the American Society of Contemporary Artists, and the National Society of Painters in Casein; as well as biographical statements and resumes.
Letters include those written by Lily Shuff as Publicity Chair of the New York Society of Women Artists and associated mailing lists. Miscellaneous letters to Lily Shuff are found from friends and colleagues. Printed materials include clippings and exhibition files, and more materials of this nature are found within the scrapbooks. The photographs series primarily contains black and white photographs of Lily Shuff's casein and oil paintings.
Lily Shuff's scrapbooks make up the bulk of the collection. The scrapbooks chronologically document her travelling exhibitions and artistic career from 1941 to 1975. In her scrapbooks, she assembled exhibition announcements and catalogs, exhibition indexes, newspaper and magazine clippings, printed material pertaining to professional affiliations, photographs, and letters. Letters within the scrapbooks include letters and telegrams from family and friends in support of her exhibitions and awards, including correspondence with Ralph Fabri, founder and president of the National Society of Painters in Casein; letters from institutions to which she donated or sold her work; and letters from those who admired her work, including comic artist Al Capp. Letters related to her participation in, role on the jury of, or awards for exhibitions are also present. Newspaper and magazine clippings which review her work or exhibitions are predominant. Many exhibitions documented in the scrapbooks were organized by the National Association of Women in the Arts, but Lily Shuff's numerous one man shows and participation with other associations are also included. Photographs within the scrapbooks depict the artist, her work, and exhibitions.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 5 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1945-1973 (Box 1; 3 folders)
Series 2: Letters, 1957-1974 (Box 1; 2 folders)
Series 3: Printed materials, 1947-1974 (Box 1; 7 folders)
Series 4: Photographs, 1948-circa 1960 (Box 1; 2 folders)
Series 5: Scrapbooks, 1941-1975 (Box 2-8; 2.1 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Painter Lily Shuff (1906-) lived and worked in New York City. She was educated at Hunter College and Columbia University, and studied at the Art Students League. She exhibited her work internationally and throughout the United States, but was especially active in New York City. Lily Shuff worked primarily in casein, watercolor, and oil, and painted abstract figurative and non-representational work. She had her first solo show at Argent Galleries in New York City in 1947.
Lily Shuff exhibited with and took on leadership roles in many professional associations. She was an active member of the New York Society of Women Artists, the National Society of Painters in Casein (which later became the National Society of Painters in Casein & Acrylic), and the National Association for Women. Lily Shuff also exhibited with the Brooklyn Arts Society and the Audubon Artists.
Provenance:
Lily Shuff donated her papers 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.
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.
