The collection is arranged as 7 series: Series 1: Administrative Records, circa 1970-2007 (Box 1; 0.4 linear ft.) Series 2: Exhibition Files, 1971-2007 (Box 1; 0.4 linear ft.) Series 3: Artists' Files, 1939, 1973-2006 (Boxes 1-2; 0.6 linear ft.) Series 4: Financial Records, 1973-2006 (Boxes 2-3; 0.8 linear ft.) Series 5: Scrapbooks, 1977-1987 (Box 3; 0.3 linear ft.) Series 6: Guest Books, 1972-2007 (Boxes 3-5; 1.7 linear ft.) Series 7: Printed Material, 1973-2007 (Box 5, OV 6; 0.9 linear ft.)
Access Note / Rights:
Use of original material requires an appointment.
Summary:
55 Mercer Artists, Inc. records, 1939-2007, bulk 1970-2007, measure 5.1 linear feet. The records, which are incomplete with sizeable gaps, consist of administrative records, exhibition files, artists' files, financial records, scrapbooks, guest books, and printed material that document one of the most successful and long lived artist run cooperative galleries in SoHo. The only item pre-dating 55 Mercer Artists, Inc. is a 1939 newspaper clipping in the artists' files.
Citation:
55 Mercer Artists, Inc. records, 1939-2007, bulk 1970-2007. 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:
55 Mercer Artists, Inc., an artist-run alternative to commercial galleries, was founded as 55 Mercer Gallery - also known as 55 Mercer Street Gallery and 55 Mercer - in December 1969. The earliest of a second wave of co-operative galleries in New York City, it was one of the most successful and the longest-lived.
Language Note:
English .
Provenance:
Donated in 2007 by 55 Mercer Street Artists, Inc. via Ethelyn Honig.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
