The collection is arranged as four series. Series 1: Biographical Material, 1939-1954 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet) Series 2: Correspondence, 1922-1950 (Boxes 1-2; 1 linear foot) Series 3: Printed Material, circa 1937-1950 (Box 2; 4 folders) Series 4: Photographs, 1917-1950 (Box 2; 7 folders)
Access Note / Rights:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
Summary:
The papers of painter and educator Max Beckmann measure 1.4 linear feet and date from 1917 to 1954. The collection documents Beckmann's art career in Germany as well as New York and includes biographical material, correspondence, printed material and photographs.
Citation:
Max Beckmann papers, 1917-1954. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
Portions of the collection and materials lent for microfilming are available on 35mm microfilm reels 1213-1214, 1237, and 1340-1341 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.
Related Materials:
The Max Beckmann Archive in Munich, Germany also holds papers of Max Beckmann including correspondence, clippings, photographs and artifacts. The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming (reels 1213-1214 and 1237) including ten personal diaries of Max Beckmann and three notebooks containing lists of works, sketches, and some daily entries of activities and observations. Loaned materials were returned to the donor and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Biography Note:
Max Beckmann (1884-1950) was a painter and educator who was born and educated in Germany and based in New York after World War II.
Language Note:
The collection is in English, French and German.
Provenance:
Mathilde Q. Beckmann, the artist's widow, loaned diaries and notebooks for microfilming in 1977 and donated additional material in 1983.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
