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Additional Online Media

Catalog Data

Creator:
Turner, John F.  Search this
Subject:
Finster, Pauline  Search this
Camp, Jeffrey Thomas  Search this
Lancaster, Clay  Search this
Dickinson, Eleanor  Search this
Kind, Phyllis  Search this
Esman, Rosa  Search this
Ginsberg, Allen  Search this
Arient, James  Search this
Hartigan, Lynda Roscoe  Search this
Arient, Beth  Search this
Hemphill, Herbert Waide  Search this
Finster, Howard  Search this
Finster, Beverly  Search this
Jabbour, Alan  Search this
Kirwin, Liza  Search this
Nutt, Jim  Search this
Nasisse, Andy S.  Search this
Volkersz, Willem  Search this
Type:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Photographs
Transcriptions
Video recordings
Place of publication, production, or execution:
United States
Physical Description:
6.9 Linear feet
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 7 series. Series 1: Correspondence, 1967-2005 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1) Series 2: Interviews, 1977-circa 1989 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 1-2) Series 3: Writings, circa 1980-circa 1989 (0.4 linear feet; Boxes 2-3) Series 4: Research Files, circa 1971-2015 (0.5 linear feet; Box 3) Series 5: Howard Finster Files and Sound and Video Recordings, circa 1970-2001 (1.6 linear feet; Boxes 3-5, OV 9, 11) Series 6: Printed Material, circa 1975-2010 (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 5-6, OV 10) Series 7: Photographic Material, circa 1928-circa 2000 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 6-8)
Access Note / Rights:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Use of archival visual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
Summary:
The John F. Turner collection of research material on visionary self-taught artist Howard Finster measures 6.9 linear feet and dates from circa 1928 to 2015, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1978 to 1990. John Turner is a California-based curator who compiled this collection in preparation for his book Howard Finster: Man of Visions (1989). Found within the collection are correspondence; numerous interviews with Finster and Finster family members, curators and historians, collectors, and artists; draft manuscripts and research notes; compiled research files on other topics; printed materials and commercial broadcast video recordings; and photographic material, including polaroids annotated by Finster. There is also one series of Howard Finster's papers that include writings by Finster, sound and video recordings of Finster exhibitions and talks by Finster related to those exhibitions, recordings of other speaking engagements, sermons, and other events, a scattering of personal business records that includes a ledger and price list of artwork, and artwork.
Citation:
John F. Turner research material on Howard Finster, circa 1928-2015, bulk 1978-1990. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Use Note:
U-matic videocassette recording Howard Finster exhibition opening: Authorization to quote or reproduce for the purposes of publication requires written permission from John Turner. Contact Reference Services for more information.
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 has the Barbara Shissler Nosanow materials relating to Howard Finster, circa 1981; an oral history interview with Howard Finster conducted on June 11, 1984 by Liza Kirwin; and an interview with Howard Finster conducted by James Arient and Howard Finster's own sound recordings of himself from 1981-1982.
Biography Note:
John F. Turner is a writer and curator who lives in California. Turner has written books on photography and folk art and is an adjunct curator at the San Francisco Craft and Folk Art Museum. He has also worked for NBC news and documented the lives of folk artists for many years.
Language Note:
Collection is in English.
Provenance:
The John F. Turner research material on Howard Finster was donated by John F. Turner in 1987 and 2016.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Topic:
Authors -- California  Search this
Folk art  Search this
Self-taught artists  Search this
Theme:
Research and writing about art  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)17381
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)216522
AAA_collcode_turnjohn
Theme:
Research and writing about art
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_216522