Writings found here, primarily in the form of transcripts, are on subjects of interest to Shahn many of which were presumably used as source material for his artwork, sparked his interest in a particular commission such as those by John Barlow Martin, or were given to him as possible commissions for illustrations.
See Appendix for a list of writings from Series 5.3.
Arrangement note:
This series is arranged alphabetically by author with details provided in the index. The bulk of this series has been scanned with the exception of the full text of some writings.
Appendix: List of Writings from Series 5.3:
Writings are listed alphabetically by author; writings by unidentifed authors appear at the end of the list. Barr, Alfred: "The United States at the Venice Biennale," 1954
Bernstein, Aline: "Battle Hymn"
Block, Lou: "Ballyhoo vs. Information," circa 1943
Brennan, Francis: "The Picture and the Word," 1956
Brennan, Francis: Account of trip to Russia, 1960
Brennan, Francis: Speech for Conference of Western Association of Art Museums
Dugan, Alan: "Society of the Free and Easy"
Dugan, Alan: "Speech to the N.B.A"
Durr, Clifford J.: "The Trial of Jesus as a Loyalty Hearing"
Dye, Joan: "Juvenile Delinquency," 1956
Endore, Guy: "Address to the School of Library Science, UCLA," 1962
Engel, Monroe: "A Father's Geography," 1956
Ferry, W. H.: "Black Colonies: A Final Solution"
Ferry, W. H.: Address from the Western States Democratic Conference
Ferry, W. H.: "Why the College is Failing," 1963
Ferry, W. H.: "A Proposal from Ralph Helstein, Robert Theobald, and W. H. Ferry," 1963
Ferry, W. H.: "The Triple Revolution: An Appraisal of the Major U. S. Crises and Proposals for Action," 1964
Ferry, W. H.: "The Muddle in Education," 1964
Fielder, Leslie A.: "Nude Croquet"
Fuller, R. Buckminster: Letter to Mr. Higman, Conference on World Affairs, University of Colorado, 1963
Goldburg, Rabbi Robert: Memorial prayer for John F. Kennedy, 1963
Goldin, Judah: Translation of "The Grace After Meals"
Gregory, Horace: "Alphabet for Joanna"
"Vincent Van Gogh's 'Landscapes of the Soul'"
Gusten, Theodore: "Vincent Van Gogh, We and Picasso"
Johnson, Lyndon B.: Excerpts from Address to National Education Association, 1965
Joyce, Robert: "The Working Artist," 1961
Kacmarcik, Frank: "The Bible and Creative Imagination"
Kastner, Frank: "The Bible and Creative Imagination"
Kennedy, John F.: Statements, 1963
Lamont, Corliss: Statement before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation, 1953
Langum, John K: "Prospects for the American Economy," 1965
Lemon, Richard: "Campaign Song"
Levinson, Alfred: "Cricket in the Mill"
Lewis, Margery: "The Young American Artist"
Martin, John Bartlow: "The Mecca Building"
Martin, John Bartlow: "The Hickman Story"
Martin, John Bartlow: "A Letter About Upper Michigan"
Martin, John Bartlow: "A Trip to the Lincoln Country"
Piel, Gerard: "Science, Disarmament and Peace," 1958
Pines, David, editor: Statement about book "Frontiers in Physics"
Pollack, Peter: Statement on establishment of the National Arts Foundation and the National Council on the Arts, 1963
Reid, Alistair: "A Spelling for Sleeping"
Reid, Alistair: "A Lesson in Music"
Ritchie, Andrew Carnduff: "Will the Creative Arts Thrive or Degenerate During the Next Fifty Years?"
Rodman, Selden: "Death of the Hero: A Modern Morality"
Rodman, Selden: Reviews
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano: Addresses to Congress, 1942
Rosenblum, William F.: Script of Chanukah pageant and story, 1962
Rosskam, Edwin: "Three Victims," 1960s
Rosten, Lou: "Gandhi," 1964
Roth, Cecil: "Had Gadya," 1965
W.H.S.: "What Price Peace?" 1963
Schlesinger, Jr., Arthur: "Government and the Arts," 1962
Shyre, Paul: "The Child Buyer" Play script adapted from novel by John Hershey
Taylor, Harold: "The First Sex: or Oedipus Unbound," 1953
Terracini, Umberto: Preface for "The Jews of the USSR," 1966
Tyler, Parker: Review of Exhibition by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans and M. Alvarez Bravo, 1935
Wilder, Thornton: Playscript, "The Seven Deadly Sins - Number Six: Lust/Someone from Assisi"
Wilder, Thornton: Playscript, "The Seven Ages of Man - Number One: Infancy"
Wilder, Thornton: Playscript, "Childhood"
Yeats, W. B: Playscript: "Calvary" with production notes from Theatre Intime production
"Project by the Brooklyn Museum for a Major Exhibition of Photographs Dealing with Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans"
"The Use of Earle Browder's Image in a Mural"
Mr. Passow's Proposals Concerning Childhood Talent," 1966
"Problems Connected with Education in the Fine and the Applied Arts"
Possible chapters for a book: "Entertaining Notions" and "In the Name of Art"
"How to...Anything"
"New Forms vs. Reforms"
"The Transformation of the Novel"
"A Proposal to Establish a New and Permanent Opera Group in Boston"
"For Michael's Sake"
"Mino Maccari"
"The Sacco and Vanzetti Case"
"You the Steel Worker"
"Steel Strike in Warren, Ohio"
"Towards a Rural Housing Program"
"First Draft of Resettlement Administration Primer"
"Proposal for a Rural Community Center Program"
"Designing Museum Buildings"
"Food for Thought - A Creative Menu"
"The Dustbowl"
"President's Committee on Farm Tenancy," 1937
"God"
"A Portrait of the Plasma as a Many-Body Problem"
"Story About Kay-Kay"
"The Short Grace After Meals"
Text for a Woman's Pamphlet
"Metropolitan Museum"
Collection 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.
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Collection Citation:
Ben Shahn papers, 1879-1990, bulk 1933-1970. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art