This collection consists of seven series. Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1916-1937 (.1 Linear feet: Box 1) Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1893-1983 (1.7 Linear feet: Boxes 1-2) Series 3: Writings, circa 1907-1955 (.2 Linear feet: Box 2) Series 4: Personal Business Records, circa 1912-1978 (.8 Linear feet: Box 3) Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1916-1986 (.1 Linear feet: Box 3) Series 6: Photographic Material, circa 1885-1986 (.5 Linear feet: Boxes 3-5) Series 7: Artwork, circa 1897-1940 (.5 Linear feet: Boxes 4-6)
Access Note / Rights:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Summary:
The Alexander Robertson James papers measure 3.9 linear feet and date from circa 1885-1986. They illustrate his career through biographical materials, correspondence, writings, personal business records, printed and photographic materials, and artwork.
Citation:
Alexander Robertson James papers, circa 1885-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
Portions of the collection are available on 35mm microfilm reels 3828 and 4195-4201 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
Funding:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
Use Note:
Authorization to publish, quote, or reproduce materials on reel 3828 requires written permission from Alexander R. James, Glandore, County Cork, Ireland. Contact Reference Services for more information.
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:
The Archives of American Art also hold, on microfilm reel 3828 only, a bound volume containing thirty-seven letters from William James to his youngest son, Alexander James, one letter from his mother, Alice Howe Gibbens James, and eleven postcards. The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming (reel 4195) including original letters from William James (1842-1910) to Alexander James. Loaned materials were returned to the donor and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Biography Note:
Alexander Robertson James (1890-1946) was a painter who worked primarily in Dublin, New Hampshire.
James was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts as Francis Temple Tweedy James to philosopher William James and was the nephew of noted writer Henry James. He studied at the Boston Museum School under Frank W. Benson, before marrying Frederika Paine in 1916 and moving to California. While in California James was met with many portrait commissions, however after two years he moved to Dublin, New Hampshire under the suggestion of his mentor Abbot Thayer in 1918. In 1925 he had his name officially changed to Alexander Robertson James. Later in life he dropped the Robertson and became Alexander James.
During the depression, the family moved to Paris, France in 1929 before moving again to the suburb of Ville d'Avrey. In 1930, the family returned to Dublin and in 1931 James took a reprieve of one year to live in Richmond, New Hampshire to paint portraits. From 1930 to 1937, James focused on portrait painting and his most famous works include George de Forest Brush and Portrait of a Professor . James remained in Richmond, where his wife and three children visited on weekends, until returning to Dublin in 1942. In the last years of his life, he built a studio behind his Dublin home which was completed in 1945. James would die soon after.
James is also well known for his impressionist inspired landscapes and genre scenes and was a long time exhibitor at the Art Institute of Chicago as well as the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Corcoran Gallery of Art. He was a member of the Century Association and today his works can be seen at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Springfield Museum of Fine Arts, and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Fine Art in Missouri.
Alexander Robertson James died of a heart attack on February 26, 1946.
Language Note:
English .
Provenance:
A bound volume containing thirty-seven letters from William James to his youngest son, Alexander James, one letter from his mother, Alice Howe Gibbens James, and eleven postcards were lent for microfilming by Michael James, the son of Alexander James, and returned in 1986. The bulk of the microfilmed material and additional papers were donated in 1986 by Michael James.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
