The Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney papers are arranged into twelve series: Series 1: Miscellaneous Personal Papers, 1888-1947, 1975 (Boxes 1-3, 33-34, OV 42; 2.5 linear feet) Series 2: Correspondence, 1889-1949, 1959 (Boxes 3-9; 6 linear feet) Series 3: Journals, circa 1886-1939 (Boxes 9-12, 33; 2.5 linear feet) Series 4: Whitney Studio Club and Whitney Museum of American Art Files, 1921-1943 (Box 12; 0.2 linear feet) Series 5: Sculpture Files, 1900-1960 (bulk 1909-1942) (Boxes 12-15; 3 linear feet) Series 6: Philanthropy Files, 1902-1923 (bulk 1915-1920) (Boxes 15-17; 2 linear feet) Series 7: Writings, 1889-1942, 1974 (Boxes 17-26; 10 linear feet) Series 8: Scrapbooks, 1893-1942 (Boxes 26-27, 33, 35; 1.5 linear feet) Series 9: Printed Material, 1859-1942 (Boxes 27-28, 36; 0.8 linear feet) Series 10: Photographs, 1862-1942 (Boxes 28-32, 36-41, OV 43-51; 6.4 linear feet) Series 11: Artwork, 1871-1930s (Boxes 32, 41, OV 52-54; 0.8 linear feet) Series 12: Blueprints, 1913-1945 (OV 55; 0.1 linear feet)
Access Note / Rights:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Summary:
The Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney papers measure approximately 36.1 linear feet and date from 1851 to 1975, with the bulk of the material dating from 1888 to 1942. The collection documents the life and work of the art patron and sculptor, especially her promotion of American art and artists, her philanthropy and war relief work, her commissions for memorial sculpture, and her creative writing. Papers include correspondence, journals, writings, project files, scrapbooks, photographs, artwork, printed material, two sound recordings, and miscellaneous personal papers.
Citation:
Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney papers, 1851-1975, bulk 1888-1942. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
The bulk of the collection was digitized in 2012 and 2013 and is available via the Archives of American Art's website.
Materials which have not been scanned include duplicates; cards and envelopes from condolence bouquets, extensive edited draft versions of manuscripts; some news clippings; the full text of publications (in many cases covers, title pages and relevant pages of publications have been scanned); some large format material such as blueprints; some photographs of works of art; negatives; blank versos of photographs; and photographs with permission restrictions.
Funding:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
Use Note:
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.
Related Materials:
Related material found in the Archives includes Research Material on Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney compiled by Flora Miller Irving and the Whitney Museum of American Art artists' files and records, available on microfilm only (originals are located in the Whitney Museum of American Art). Also found in the Archives of American Art's Miscellaneous Exhibition Catalog Collection are a bundle of Whitney Studio Club and Mrs. H. P. Whitney's Studio catalogs and announcements.
Biography Note:
New York art patron and sculptor, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875-1942), was the eldest daughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt II and Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt, and founder of the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Language Note:
The records are in English and French.
Provenance:
The Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney papers were donated in 1981 and 1991 by Whitney's granddaughter, Flora Miller Irving.
Digitization Note:
This site provides access to the papers of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney in the Archives of American Art that were digitized in 2014. The bulk of the papers have been scanned, and total 49,453 images.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Topic:
Art patrons -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
