The collection is arranged into 11 series: Series 1: Biographical Material, 1906, 1912-1941, undated (Box 1; 2 folders) Series 2: Personal Correspondence, 1902-1951, undated (Box 1; 7 folders) Series 3: Business and Political Correspondence, 1903-1959, undated (Box 1; 6 folders) Series 4: Art Correspondence/Subject Files, 1898-1956, undated (Box 1-2; 0.8 linear feet) Series 5: Dance and Theatre Correspondence/Subject Files, 1902-1953, undated (Box 2-3; 0.8 linear feet) Series 6: Literary and Music Correspondence/Subject Files, 1900-1952, undated (Box 3; 0.6 linear feet) Series 7: General Correspondence, 1898-1946, undated (Box 3-4; 0.4 linear feet) Series 8: Writings, 1915-1926, 1952, undated (Box 4; 3 folders) Series 9: Printed Material, 1899, 1909-1947, undated (Box 4-5; 0.3 linear feet) Series 10: Photographs, 1880-circa 1943, undated (Box 5; 0.2 linear feet) Series 11: Artwork, 1906, undated (Box 5; 3 folders)
Access Note / Rights:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Summary:
The papers of art writer and editor Mary Fanton Roberts measure 3.8 linear feet and are dated 1880 to 1956. The bulk of this collection is Roberts' correspondence with numerous important artists, dancers, actors, writers, and musicians of the day. Also found are scattered biographical materials, family correspondence, writings, printed material, photographs and artwork.
Citation:
Mary Fanton Roberts papers, 1880-1956. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
The collection was digitized in 2017 and is available via the Archives of American Art's website.
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.
Biography Note:
Mary Fanton Roberts was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1864. When she was a young girl her family moved to Deadwood, in the Montana territory, where her father had mining prospects. When she was old enough, she and her sister were sent back to New York to attend the Albany Female Academy. After finishing school, Roberts pursued journalism and became a staff writer for four years for the Herald Tribune, the Journal, and the Sun in New York. During her long career she was editor of Demorest Magazine , editor-in-chief of New Idea Woman's Magazine , managing editor of The Craftsman , and creator and editor of The Touchstone Magazine and Decorative Arts magazine. Her longest period at one publication was seventeen years as editor of Arts and Decoration . She often wrote articles on the topic of decorative arts and home decorating, and published two books, Inside 100 Homes , and 101 Ideas for Successful Interiors .
Language Note:
English .
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 1957 by Phoebe DuBois and Violet Organ.
Digitization Note:
This site provides access to the papers of Mary Fanton Roberts in the Archives of American Art that were digitized in 2008, and total 5,407 images.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001