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Creator:
Watson, Forbes, 1880-1960  Search this
Subject:
Sheeler, Charles  Search this
Saint-Gaudens, Homer  Search this
Marsh, Reginald  Search this
Kuniyoshi, Yasuo  Search this
Kroll, Leon  Search this
Barr, Alfred H., Jr.  Search this
Zorach, William  Search this
Gallatin, A. E. (Albert Eugene)  Search this
Adams, Ansel  Search this
Citron, Minna Wright  Search this
Bruce, Edward  Search this
Brancusi, Constantin  Search this
Glackens, Ira  Search this
Genthe, Arnold  Search this
Klonis, Stewart  Search this
Dows, Olin  Search this
Coleman, Glenn O.  Search this
Pène Du Bois, Guy  Search this
Matisse, Henri  Search this
Morgenthau, Henry  Search this
Kuniyoshi, Yasuo  Search this
Manship, Paul  Search this
Mangravite, Peppino  Search this
Shimin, Symeon  Search this
Beal, Gifford  Search this
Sterne, Maurice  Search this
Ray, Man  Search this
Rowan, Edward Beatty  Search this
Watson, Nan  Search this
Weber, Max  Search this
Tucker, Allen  Search this
United States. Department of the Treasury. Section of Painting and Sculpture  Search this
United States. Department of the Treasury. Section of Fine Arts  Search this
Art Students League (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Pepsi-Cola Company  Search this
Public Works of Art Project  Search this
Red Cross  Search this
United States. Public Buildings Administration. Section of Fine Arts  Search this
Type:
Notes
Photographs
Drafts (documents)
Scrapbooks
Place:
United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945
New York N.Y. -- Buildings, structures, etc., Photographs
Place of publication, production, or execution:
United States
Physical Description:
13.92 Linear feet
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 11 series: Series 1: Biographical Material, 1902-1960 (Box 1; 4 folders) Series 2: Correspondence, 1913-1960 (Box 1; 33 folders) Series 3: Business Records, 1920-1944 (Box 1-3, 14, 22; 2.0 linear feet) Series 4: U. S. Treasury Department File, 1926-1945 (Box 3-6, 14, 17, 22, OV 21; 3.4 linear feet) Series 5: File for Pepsi-Cola Company's Third Annual Exhibition "Paintings of the Year," 1946 (Box 6; 5 folders) Series 6: Artist/Patron Files, 1840-1967 (Box 6-9, 15, OV 21; 2.8 linear feet) Series 7: Art and Architecture File, 1929-1930 (Box 9; 35 folders) Series 8: Notes and Writings, 1875-1950 (Box 9-10, 22; 1.3 linear feet) Series 9: Scrapbooks, 1904-1951 (Box 9, 11, 14, BV 18, BV 19, BV 20; 1.8 linear feet) Series 10: Printed Material, 1900-1961 (Box 10, 12-13, 16-17, 22; 1.5 linear feet) Series 11: Photographs, 1900-1950 (Box 13, 22; .4 linear feet) All material is arranged chronologically, with the exception of the Artist/Patron Files which are arranged alphabetically.
Access Note / Rights:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Summary:
The papers of New York City art critic, writer, and lecturer Forbes Watson date from 1840-1967 with the bulk of materials dating from 1900-1960 and measure 13.92 linear feet. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, business records relating to the Arts Publishing Corporation, records documenting Watson's work for the Public Works of Art Project and the Section of Painting and Sculpture, reference files, an exhibition file from the Pepsi-Cola Company's Third Annual Exhibition, writings and notes, ten scrapbooks and loose pages, printed materials, and photographs.
Citation:
Forbes Watson papers, 1840-1967, bulk 1900-1960. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
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:
Forbes Watson (1879-1960) worked primarily in New York City and Washington, D.C. as an art critic, writer, lecturer, and consultant to the U. S. Treasury Department's Public Works of Art Project and Section of Painting and Sculpture (Section of Fine Arts).
Forbes Watson was born on November 27, 1879 in Boston, the son of stockbroker John Watson and his wife Mary. Watson grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, attending the Phillips Academy in Andover, and graduating from Harvard University in 1902. After a brief period of freelance writing, he was hired by The New York Evening Post as an art critic in 1911 and worked there until 1917. In 1910, he married Agnes, professionally known as painter Nan Watson.
During World War I, Watson served with an American volunteer ambulance unit with the French army, later working with the American Red Cross in Paris. After the war, he moved back to New York City and worked as art critic for The World , from the early 1920s until 1931 and as editor of The Arts magazine from 1923-1933. Watson also lectured at the Art Students League, and at various universities and arts organizations.
In 1933, Watson moved to Washington, D.C. to serve as technical director of the U. S. Treasury Department's short-lived Public Works of Art Project. In October 1934, Watson was employed as Chief Adviser to the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture (later renamed the Section of Fine Arts) and later as Consultant to the Secretary's Office of the Treasury. During World War II, he organized various traveling exhibitions including "Art for Bonds" that promoted the sale of war bonds. Watson retired in 1946 and lived in Gaylordsville, Connecticut.
Watson was the author of numerous essays and reviews, and several books including American Painting Today and Winslow Homer , a biography of the noted American artist. With Edward Bruce, he produced a pictorial volume Art in Federal Buildings, Vol. I: Mural Designs . At his death he was working on his autobiography.
Forbes Watson died on May 31, 1960 in New Milford, Connecticut.
Language Note:
English .
Provenance:
The Forbes Watson papers were donated by Watson's widow, Nan Watson, in 1961. An additional folder of material was donated in 2018 by the Museum of Modern Art via Michelle Elligott, Chief of Archives, Library and Research.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Topic:
Arts (Magazine)  Search this
Art and state  Search this
Art, American  Search this
Art publishing  Search this
Architecture, New York State, New York -- Photographs  Search this
Architecture -- New York, N.Y. -- Photographs  Search this
New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this
World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
Theme:
Architecture & Design  Search this
Research and writing about art  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)11027
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211525
AAA_collcode_watsforb
Theme:
Architecture & Design
Research and writing about art
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211525