Found here is Max Weber's personal and professional correspondence, the bulk of which dates from 1915 to 1961. There is correspondence with many fellow artists, including artists he met in his travels and participation in art organizations and committees. There is also correspondence with students and publishers, requests for him to teach, lecture, or write, and business correspondence regarding exhibitions, sales, and donations. There are also a few early letters written by Weber to his parents and letters written to his wife, Frances, and his children.
Artists that Weber corresponded with include George Biddle, Alvin Coburn, Arthur Davies, Marius de Zayas, Katherine Dreier, William Gropper, Chaim Gross, Marsden Hartley, Zoltan Hecht, Milton Horn, Rockwell Kent, Leon Kroll, Barnett Newman, Raphael Soyer, and William Zorach, among many others. Weber also corresponded with many art historians and critics, curators, and gallery owners, such as Frank Crowninshield, Emily Genauer, J. B. Neumann, and Harry Salpeter, as well as art patrons Mabel Dodge, Milton and Edith Lowenthal, and Linda Miller.
Also found is correspondence with arts organizations, clubs, and committees in which he participated. This includes the American Federation of Arts, Artists Equity Association, Art in Federal Buildings, Municipal Art Committee of New York, and the National Institute of Arts and Letters, among many others. These files may contain copies of letters between other members as well as printed material sent out to members. Weber also corresponded with schools, galleries, and museums, primarily regarding his participation in events and exhibitions. Also of note is correspondence and invitations regarding the 1945 inauguration of Franklin Roosevelt and the inauguration of John F. Kennedy.
In general, letters are filed alphabetically by person or corporate name. Names with five or more letters are filed in their own folders, and the remainder of correspondence is filed in miscellaneous alphabetical files. Selected correspondents whose names do not appear in headings are indicated in a note following the folder heading. Some correspondence with individuals may also be filed according to the name of the organization with which they were associated. Where they exist, drafts of Weber's outgoing letters are interfiled with incoming letters.
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Collection Citation:
Max Weber papers, 1902-2008. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
