An interview with John Wilmerding conducted 2018 March 19-20, by Christopher Lyon, for the Archives of American Art, at Wilmerding's home in New York, New York.
Wilmerding speaks of the indirect influence of his grandmother Electra Webb; his initial exposure to art history as a freshman at Harvard; the stigma against specializing in American art history that he encountered at Harvard; his undergraduate thesis work on the marine paintings of Fitz Henry Lane; starting his art collection in the early 1960s; the generation of American art historians with whom he attended graduate school at Harvard; early teaching experiences at Dartmouth; composing the "Pelican History of American Art;" his decision to become a senior curator at the National Gallery; the beginning of his interdisciplinary scholarship in an American Studies context; early curatorial experiences; his work as deputy director of the National Gallery; his decision to take a professorship at Princeton; organizing the Andrew Wyeth "Helga" exhibition and catalogue for the National Gallery; developing relationships with collectors and lenders while at the National Gallery; composing "Compass and Clock" and "Signs of the Artist: Signatures and Self-Expression in American Painting" after affiliating with Princeton's American Studies program; organizing an exhibition and promised gift of his personal 19th-century collection for the National Gallery; beginning to collect Pop art; the beginnings of his writings on 20th-century American artists; organizing "The Pop Object: The Still Life Tradition in Pop Art" with Acquavella Gallery and Rizzoli; working with Alice Walton to create the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; and the personal meaning he has derived from teaching. Wilmerding also recalls Vincent Scully, John Coolidge, Seymour Slive, Benjamin Rowland, Henry-Russell Hitchcock, Maxim Karolik, Alfred Mansfield Brooks, Theodore Stebbins, Barbara Novak, Charlie Childs, Stuart Feld, David Huntington, Jules Prown, Carter Brown, James Cox, Robert Rosenblum, Wanda Corn, Paul Gottlieb, Leonard Andrews, Paul and Bunny Mellon, Richard Estes, Allan Stone, Robert Indiana, Tom Wesselmann, Ralph Lerner, Moshe Safdie, Neil Rudenstine, Philippe de Montebello, Leon Black, Max Anderson, Kathy Foster, Rebecca Zurier, Franklin Kelly, Carter Cleveland
Biographical / Historical:
John Wilmerding (1938- ) is an art historian and curator in New York, New York. Christopher Lyon (1949- ) is a writer in Brooklyn, New York.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds Wilmerding's thesis (B.A.) "Fitz Hugh Lane: American marine painter, 1804-1865," Harvard University, 1960.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
This transcript is open for research. Access to the entire audio recording is restricted. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Topic:
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Curators -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
An interview with Jack Flam conducted 2017 June 1 and 7, by James McElhinney, for the Archives of American Art, at the Dedalus Foundation in New York, New York.
Biographical / Historical:
Jack Flam (1940- ) is an art historian and the director of the Dedalus Foundation in New York, New York. James McElhinney (1952- ) is a painter and educator of New York, New York.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Topic:
Art -- Societies, etc. -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
An interview of Diane Waldman conducted 2010 June 8-9, by Judith Olch Richards, for the Archives of American Art's Elizabeth Murray Oral History of Women in the Visual Arts project, at Waldman's home, in New York, N.Y.
Waldman speaks of her background; education and early career; her curatorial work at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; relationships with artists; her exhibitions of works by Joseph Cornell, Willem de Kooning, Ellsworth Kelly, Roy Lichtenstein, Max Ernst, and others; her travels to India; her life after resigning from the Guggenheim Museum; Frank Lloyd Wright's building; the Guggenheim International; the museum profession dominated by men; writing detective stories; and other topics. She recalls Ed Fry, Thomas Hess, Thomas Kress, Thomas Messer, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Diane Waldman (1936- ) is an independent art history scholar in New York, N.Y. Judith Olch Richards (1947- ) is a former director of iCI in New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 memory cards. Duration is 5 hr., 57 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Topic:
Authors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Curators -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Linda Nochlin conducted 2010 June 9-30, by James McElhinney, for the Archives of American Art's Oral History of Women in the Visual Arts project at Nochlin's home in New York, N.Y.
Nochlin speaks of her family background; growing up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn; her antireligious and intellectual home environment; her childhood as "Eden"; the influence of her uncle, Robert Heller; in high school "hanging out" in museums in New York City; her studies at Vassar, Columbia University, and the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University; her early interest in and writings about Gustave Courbet; teaching at Vassar; the "homosexual matriarchy" at Vassar; feminism; her identity as a New Yorker; Pierre-Auguste Renoir as a painter of men; teaching the first "women in art" class; her article "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists"; pre-women's liberation artists; how she has evolved as a writer; her taste in music, movies, and television; her research on Jean François Millet's, "The Gleaners"; how the discipline of art history has changed; her emphasis on "thinking, looking, explaining, and talking" about art and "new ways of looking at old material"; her students; her preference for the essay form; her current interest in the present moment; how research has changed with the availability of online resources; and other topics. She recalls Meyer Schapiro, Erwin Panofsky, Wendell Jones, Karl Lehmann, Aby Warburg, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Linda Nochlin (1931-) is a professor of art history in New York, N.Y. James McElhinney (1952-) is an artist, writer and educator in New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
The transcript and audio recording are open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
An interview with Max Kozloff conducted 2014 May 19-June 5, by Annette C. Leddy, for the Archives of American Art, at Kozloff's home, in New York, N.Y.
Biographical / Historical:
Max Kozloff (1933- ) is a photographer, art historian, and art critic in New York. N.Y. Annette Leddy is a collector for the Archives of American Art.
General:
Originally recorded as 14 sound files. Duration is 4 hr, 17 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Art critics -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Topic:
Photographers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Dore Ashton conducted 2010 November 21 and 2011 March 9, by George W. Sampson, for the Archives of American Art's Elizabeth Murray Oral History of Women in the Visual Arts project, at Ashton's home, in New York, New York.
Ashton talks about growing up politically active; protesting the internment of the Japanese Americans during WWII; attending The New School and then Harvard University; briefly working as a gallery receptionist; writing her first reviews for Art Digest; Howard Devree hiring her as a writer for The New York Times; travels and living in Europe; writing feature pieces about individual artists for The New York Times; writing for Cahiers d'art; her relationships Franz Kline, Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Philip Guston, Robert Motherwell, Billy Kluver, Robert Rauschenberg, Octavio Paz, and others; marriage to Adja Yunkers; teaching at Cooper Union; interest in Latin American Art; flirting; being a "dedicated reader of Nietzsche"; visits to the Cedar Tavern; being a peacenik; and other topics. She recalls Jeanne Reynal, Mario Pedrosa, Alger Hiss, Peter Selz, Peter Orlovsky, David Smith, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Dore Ashton (1928-2017) was an art historian in New York, New York. George W. Sampson (1951-) is an arts administrator in Charlottesville, Virginia.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 memory cards. Duration is 2 hr., 57 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Topic:
Japanese Americans -- Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945 Search this
World War, 1939-1945 -- Evacuation of civilians Search this
Authors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Interview of Bernard Harper Friedman conducted 1972 Nov. 10, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Bernard Harper Friedman (1926- 2011) is an art historian from New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
An interview of A. Hyatt Mayor conducted 1969 Mar. 21-May 5, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
A. Hyatt Mayor (1901-1980) was a museum curator, art historian, and writer from New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hrs., 55 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Mildred Constantine conducted 1976 May 3-1976 August 26, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Constantine talks about her career at College Art Association and The Museum of Modern Art in New York between 1930 and the early 1970s. She talks about the early workings of MOMA and recalls Rene d'Harnoncourt, Alfred Barr, Arthur Drexler, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Mildred Constantine (1916-2008) was an art historian from New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav file. Duration is 4 hr., 5 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Topic:
Women art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
Interview of John Rewald conducted 1972 Nov. 16-1973 Feb. 8, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art. Rewald speaks of his youth in Germany; the development of his interest in art; his education; beginning his writing career; traveling through Europe; the beginnings of his interest in Cezanne; coming to the U.S.; meeting Alfred Barr; his association with the Museum of Modern Art; working as a consultant; philosophies of collecting; his books on impressionism and post-impressionism; researching his work on Cezanne; his teaching career; philosophies on the writing of art history; dealers and museums and his relationships with them. He recalls John Hay Whitney.
Biographical / Historical:
John Rewald (1912-1994) was an art historian, writer, and educator from New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 8 digital wav files. Duration is 7 hr., 18 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
An interview of Mildred Constantine conducted 1965 October 15, by Harlan Phillips, for the Archives of American Art. Constantine speaks of the Federal Art Project in New York and its work; working for Audrey McMahon; the influx of foreign artists in the 1930s; the changes brought about in the art world because of the Federal Art Project. She recalls McMahon, Edward Alden Jewell, Holger Cahill and Jacob Baker.
Biographical / Historical:
Mildred Constantine (1914-2008) was an art historian from New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 16 min.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Marcia Tucker conducted 1978 August 11-September 8, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Ms. Tucker speaks of many aspects of her life. She starts with the incredible poverty she has experienced at times as a young girl and a married woman. She recalls her work with women's organizations and tells us she was in at the start of the women's movement in the USA. She talks about the people she has met, her time in France, her work as a curator at the Whitney and starting the New Museum.
Biographical / Historical:
Marcia Tucker (1940-2006) art historian and curator of New York, N.Y.
General:
Sound quality of the first tape is poor.
Originally recorded on 4 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 8 digital wav files. Duration is 8 hr., 20 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Clyde Mortimer Newhouse conducted 1972 Nov. 8, by Paul Cummings, at the Newhouse Galleries in New York, N.Y., for the Archives of American Art. Newhouse speaks of family background in St. Louis; two generations in book business and as art representatives; start of gallery in St. Louis; Newhouse Gallery in New York; and interest in paintings of American West.
Biographical / Historical:
Clyde Mortimer Newhouse (1920-1986) was an art dealer and art historian from New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 45 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Una Johnson conducted 1971 Jan. 5, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Una E. Johnson (1905-1997) was a curator and art historian from New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
An interview of James Thomas Flexner conducted 1975 Jan. 29-Apr. 21, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
James Thomas Flexner (1908-2003) was an art historian from New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
Use requires an appointment.
For information on how to access this interview contact Reference Services.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Milton Wolf Brown conducted 1976 April 27-October 13, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Milton Wolf Brown (1911-1998) was an art historian, and educator from New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 8 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hr., 14 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Nicolas Calas conducted 1977 December 12-1978 January 26, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Nicolas Calas (1907-1988) was an art historian from New York, New York. His books include "Icons and Images of the Sixties," (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1971), "The Peggy Guggenheim Collection of Modern Art," (New York: H.N. Abrams, 1966), and "Surrealism Pro and Con," (New York: Gotham Book Mart, 1973).
General:
Uneven transcription reflects Calas' speech patterns, therefore not on web
Originally recorded on 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 26 min.
Sound quality is very poor.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Robert Beverly Hale conducted 1968 Oct. 4-Nov. 1, by Forrest Selvig, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Robert Beverly Hale (1901-1985) was an administrator, instructor, and art historian.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hrs., 3 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
An interview of Lloyd Goodrich conducted 1962 June 13-1963 March 25, by Harlan Phillips, for the Archives of American Art. Goodrich speaks of his youth in Nutley, New Jersey; his family background; his father's influence; his friendship with Reginald Marsh; studying at the Art Students League under Kenneth Hayes Miller; attending the National Academy of Design; his interest in music and poetry; deciding upon a career in art; working as a writer, editor, and critic for "The Arts"; his travels for "The Arts"; critics he knew; his book on Thomas Eakins; his work with the Public Works of Art Project; political problems with government support of the arts in the 1930s through the 1950s; working as a curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art; the problem of forgeries; the Whitney's relationship with other museums; and politics at the Whitney. He recalls Juliana Force, Forbes Watson, Alfred Stieglitz and Hamilton Easter Field.
Biographical / Historical:
Lloyd Goodrich (1897-1987) was a museum director and art historian living in New York, New York.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
This transcript is open for research. No audio exists. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
