This collection is arranged as 10 series. Series 1: Franz Kline Biographical Material, 1925-1962, circa 1998 (Box 1, OV 13; 0.6 linear feet) Series 2: Correspondence, 1929-1998 (Boxes 1-2, OV 13; 0.7 linear feet) Series 3: Estate of Franz Kline, 1955-1991 (Box 2; 0.4 linear feet) Series 4: Franz Kline Foundation, circa 1961-1997, bulk 1980-1990 (Boxes 2-4, 19; 1.6 linear feet) Series 5: Elisabeth Zogbaum Research and Notes, 1951-1995 (Box 4, 19, OV 14; 1.3 linear feet) Series 6: Exhibition Files, 1954-1995, bulk 1963-1995 (Box 4; 0.4 linear feet) Series 7: Printed Material, 1936-circa 2005 (Boxes 4-6, OV 14-15; 2.7 linear feet) Series 8: Photographic Material, circa 1915-1962, bulk 1936-1962 (Boxes 6-7, OV 14; 0.7 linear feet) Series 9: Franz Kline Library, 1892-1962 (Boxes 7-10, BV 16-18; 3.2 linear feet) Series 10: Artifacts, circa 1930-circa 1962 (Boxes 11-12; 0.4 linear feet)
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. Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Summary:
The Elisabeth Zogbaum papers regarding Franz Kline measure 11.5 linear feet and date from 1892 to circa 2005, bulk 1930-1990. Zogbaum was a close companion to the New York-based painter Franz Kline and she managed his estate after his death. These papers include biographical material on Franz Kline, documents related to the Franz Kline estate and Franz Kline Foundation, and other material about the artist compiled by Elisabeth Zogbaum. In addition to the aforementioned material, the collection also includes correspondence, exhibition files, printed material, Zogbaum's research and notes, photographic material, artifacts, sound recordings of interviews, and books from Franz Kline's personal library.
Citation:
Elisabeth Zogbaum papers regarding Franz Kline, 1892-circa 2005, bulk 1930-1990. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
The bulk of the collection was digitized in 2018 and is available on the Archives of American Art website. Materials which have not been digitized include blank pages, blank versos of photographs, and duplicates. In some cases, exhibition catalogs and other publications have had their covers, title pages, and relevant pages digitized.
All of the sound recordings in the collection were also digitized for research access in 2018 and are available at Archives of American Art offices.
Portions of the collection are available on 35 mm microfilm reels D206-D207 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of the material described in the container inventory does not reflect the arrangement of the collection on microfilm.
Use Note:
Images of works of art by Franz Kline copyright held by Franz Kline Estate / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Requests for permission to reproduce images of works of art by Franz Kline should be submitted to ARS.
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:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Elisabeth Zogbaum conducted by Garnett McCoy on December 3, 1981.
Biography Note:
Elisabeth Zogbaum was a close friend and companion of Franz Kline. She was married to sculptor Wilfrid Meynell Zogbaum. Upon Kline's death in 1962, Elisabeth Zogbaum became the sole executrix of his estate and later the president of the Franz Kline Foundation.
Franz Kline was an Abstract Expressionist painter based in New York City. Kline was born in a coal-mining town in Pennsylvania in 1910. He studied art at Boston University and at the Heatherley Fine Art School in England. He moved to New York City in the late 1930s and became a widely recognized and acclaimed artist. He died in 1962.
Language Note:
The collection is in English.
Provenance:
The Elisabeth Zogbaum papers regarding Franz Kline were donated to the archives in multiple installments from 1991 to 2010. The first 1991 donation was made by Elisabeth Ross Zogbaum. Subsequent donations in 2004 and 2010 were made by her son, Rufus Zogbaum.
Digitization Note:
This site provides access to the papers of Elisabeth Ross Zogbaum in the Archives of American Art that were digitized in 2021, and total 10,291 images.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
