This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Summary:
The papers of Chicago art collectors Edwin and Lindy Bergman measure 1.6 linear feet and date from 1949 to 2002. The papers document the collecting activities of the Bergmans through a collection of files on artists including Joseph Cornell, Jim Nutt, and Wilfredo Lam, and others including art dealers Julien and Jean Levy, and ballerina Tamara Toumanova.
Citation:
Edwin and Lindy Bergman papers, 1949-2002. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Funding:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
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:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is the Edwin Bergman Interview, August 21-December 21, 1984. Possible video duplicates of the interview are in the Edwin and Lindy Bergman papers
Biography Note:
Chicago, Illinois, art collectors Edwin Bergman (1917-1986) and Lindy (Betty Jane) Bergman (1918-2014) shared a particular interest in surrealist art and over a sixty year period assembled a major art collection which included some of Joseph Cornell's most famous works. The Bergmans began collecting art in the 1950s, and established the Bergman Gallery, designed as both a studio for undergraduates and an exhibition center. In 1982 they also established the Edwin and Lindy Bergman Joseph Cornell Gallery at the Art Institute of Chicago. Edwin Bergman was a founder and past president of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.
Language Note:
The collection is in English and French.
Provenance:
The Edwin and Lindy Bergman papers were donated in 2016 by Robert H. Bergman, Carol B. Cohen, and Betty L. Rosenfield, Edwin and Lindy Bergman's children.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
