The collection is arranged as 8 series. Series 1: Administrative Records, 1963-1985 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet) Series 2: Correspondence, 1966-1987 (Boxes 1-2; 1 linear foot) Series 3: Exhibition Files, 1966-1985 (Boxes 2-10; 8.5 linear feet) Series 4: Artists Files, 1966-1978 (Boxes 10-11; 0 .5 linear feet) Series 5: Financial and Legal Files, 1966-1987 (Box 11; 0 .2 linear feet) Series 6: Sales and Inventories, 1966-1987 (Box 11; 0.4 linear feet) Series 7: Printed Materials, 1966-1987 (Boxes 11-12; 0.3 linear feet) Series 8: Guest Books, 1966-1970, 1978-1985 (Boxes 12-13; 0.6 linear feet)
Access Note / Rights:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Summary:
The records of San Francisco Focus Gallery measure 11.8 linear feet and date from 1963-1987. The bulk of the collection consists of exhibition files. There are also artists files, sales information, correspondence, and scattered records of the gallery's companion bookshop.
Citation:
Focus Gallery records, 1963-1987. 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.
Related Materials:
Among the holding of the Archives of American Art is an untranscribed interview of Helen Johnston by Louise Katzman or Irene Borger in the collection Interviews of California Photographers 1981 Jun.-Nov.20.
Helen Johnston left her private photography collection to the de Saisset Museum, the Oakland Museum of California, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Biography Note:
Focus Gallery was founded by Helen Head Johnson (1916-1989) in 1966 on Union Street in San Francisco. The gallery exhibited and sold primarily art photographs and other contemporary art.
Language Note:
The collection is in English.
Provenance:
The Focus Gallery records were donated by the estate of owner Helen Johnston, care of Gerald O'Conner, executor.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001