The collection is arranged into the following nine series. See the series descriptions below for more information about the content of each series. Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1916-1975 (Box 1 and 11; 0.2 linear feet) Series 2: Correspondence, 1918-1996 (Boxes 1-2; 1.2 linear feet) Series 3: Writings by Fairfield Porter, 1924-1975 (Box 2; 0.6) Series 4: Writings by Others, 1888-1992 (Boxes 2-3; 0.7 linear feet) Series 5: Personal Business Records, 1944-1996 (Boxes 3-4; 1 linear foot) Series 6: Anne Porter's Posthumous Projects, 1980-1988 (Box 4; 0.2 linear feet) Series 7: Printed Materials, 1934-2001 (Boxes 4-6 and 11; 1.5 linear feet) Series 8: Photographs, circa 1880-1990 (Boxes 6 and 11; 0.6 linear feet) Series 9: Artwork, 1918-1975 (Boxes 7-10 and 12-17; 2.2 linear feet)
Access Note / Rights:
The bulk of this collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website. Use of material not digitized requires an appointment.
Summary:
The papers of New York-based painter, lithographer, art critic, and poet Fairfield Porter measure 9.3 linear feet and date from 1888 to 2001, with the bulk of material dating from 1924 to 1975. Papers document Porter's life and career through correspondence, writings, business records, printed materials, photographs, and artwork.
Citation:
Fairfield Porter papers, 1888-2001, bulk 1924-1975. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
The papers of Fairfield Porter in the Archives of American Art were digitized in 2006, and total 9600 images.
Location of Originals:
Before donating the papers to the Archives, Anne Porter returned letters from Frank O'Hara to Fairfield Porter to the O'Hara estate. Letters from John Ashbery to Fairfield Porter were returned to Ashbery, and photocopies have been placed in the collection.
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:
The Archives of American Art holds an oral history of Fairfield Porter conducted by Paul Cummings in 1968.
Biography Note:
Fairfield Porter was born near Chicago in 1907, the fourth of five children of James and Ruth Furness Porter. His father was an architect, his mother a poet from a literary family, and Porter grew up in an environment where art and literature were highly valued. His father designed the family homes in Winnetka, Illinois and on Great Spruce Head Island, an island in Maine that he purchased for the family in 1912. Fairfield Porter spent summers there from the age of six, and views of the island, its structures, and neighboring towns were the subjects of many paintings.
Language Note:
English .
Provenance:
The papers of Fairfield Porter were given to the Archives of American Art by the artist's wife, Anne Porter, in five separate accessions between 1977 and 1997.
Digitization Note:
The papers of Fairfield Porter in the Archives of American Art were digitized in 2007. The papers have been scanned in their entirety, and total 9,600 images.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
