Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Additional Online Media

Catalog Data

Creator:
Spohn, Clay Edgar, 1898-1977  Search this
Subject:
Rothko, Mark  Search this
Corbett, Rosamond Walling Tirana  Search this
Fryworth, Teressa  Search this
Corbett, Edward  Search this
Calder, Alexander  Search this
Sievan, Maurice  Search this
Sihvonen, Oli  Search this
Reynal, Jeanne  Search this
Ribak, Louis  Search this
McChesney, Mary Fuller  Search this
Neininger, Urban  Search this
Still, Clyfford  Search this
University of California, San Francisco. School of Fine Arts  Search this
School of Visual Arts (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Type:
Drawings
Sketchbooks
Account books
Ambrotypes
Photographs
Place of publication, production, or execution:
Other
Physical Description:
20.4 Linear feet
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into three parts. Part 1 was lent to the Archives of American Art in 1964 by Clay Spohn, and was microfilmed and returned to Spohn. Part 2 was donated to the Archives of American Art by Urban Neininger in 1978 and was partially microfilmed. Because material from part 2 was not processed until over three decades after filming Part 1, the overall organization is inconsistent. In general, material within folders is arranged chronologically. Part 1: Clay Spohn Papers, 1926-1963 Part 2: Clay Spohn Papers, circa 1862-1985 (boxes 1-22, OV 23, 19.9 linear ft.) Part 3: Addition to the Clay Spohn Papers, 1958-1977 (box 24; 0.4 linear ft.)
Access Note / Rights:
The collection is open for research. Use of unfilmed material requires an appointment.
Summary:
The Clay Spohn papers measure 20.4 linear feet and date from circa 1862 to 1985 with the bulk of the material dating from 1890 to 1985. The collection consists of biographical material, correspondence, business records, notes and writings, art work, printed material, and photographs which reflect the life and career of painter and educator Clay Spohn.
Citation:
Clay Spohn papers, circa 1862-1985, bulk 1890-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
Portions of the collection and materials lent for microfilming are available on 35mm microfilm reels D169, and 5461-5474 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of the collection as described in this finding aid does not reflect the order of the collection on microfilm.
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 also holds material lent for microfilming (D169) including sketchbooks, writings, correspondence, and related material. Lent materials were returned to the lender and are described in the first series of the finding aid.
Biography Note:
Clay Edgar Spohn was born November 24, 1898, in San Francisco, to Lena (Schaefer) and John Henry Spohn. From 1919 to 1921, Spohn studied at the University of California at Berkeley, and from 1922 to 1924, he studied at the Art Students League in New York under Kenneth Hayes Miller, Boardman Robinson, George Luks and Guy Pene Du Bois. He also became acquainted with Alexander Calder at the Art Students League. In 1924, Spohn was employed as an assitant designer to muralist Ezra Winter. From 1926 to 1927 he studied in Paris at the Academie Modern, a school run by Fernand Leger and Orthon Fireze.
Language Note:
English .
Provenance:
The material on reel D169 was lent for filming by Clay Spohn in 1964. The material on reel 5461-5474 was donated by Spohn's friend and the executor of his estate, Urban Neininger, in 1978. An additional 0.4 linear feet of papers were donated by Spohn's biographer, David Beasley, in 2008.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Topic:
Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painting, Abstract -- France -- Paris  Search this
Theme:
Diaries  Search this
Sketches & Sketchbooks  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9468
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211666
AAA_collcode_spohclay
Theme:
Diaries
Sketches & Sketchbooks
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211666