The records of Chaloner Prize Foundation measure 4.0 linear feet and date from 1915 to 1974. The records consist of the files of the two Secretaries, George F. Lewis and S. LeRoy French, and four of the Trustees, Charles Platt, William Rand, Olin Dows, and William Platt. Included within these records are correspondence, lists, files on award recipients, and three scrapbooks maintained by Dows. Also found within the collection are legal records, printed material, and financial records.
Scope and Content Note:
The records of Chaloner Prize Foundation measure 4.0 linear feet and date from 1915 to 1974. The records consist of the files of the two Secretaries, George F. Lewis and S. LeRoy French, and four of the Trustees, Charles Platt, William Rand, Olin Dows, and William Platt. Included within these records are correspondence, lists, files on award recipients, and three scrapbooks maintained by Dows. Also found within the collection are legal records, printed material, and financial records.
The Secretaries' Files contain backgroundpapers and photographs of John Chaloner's home in Virginia. Early correspondence includes letters from John Chaloner to Foundation officials on a variety of issues concerning his personal history and legal battles, personal perceptions regarding jurying and applicants, as well as observations about award amounts and duration of grants. Correspondence informed trustees of business transactions, legal matters, and awardee activities. Also found in this series are examples of competition circulars for other organizations, distribution lists, and rough drafts for the Paris Prize announcements.
Trustees' files are composed primarily of the records of William Platt, but include earlier minutes and bylaws. Within the correspondence are letters and telegrams to awardees. Of particular note are scrapbooks compiled by Trustee Olin Dows on the history of grants, covering activities between 1917 and 1960. A few correspondence files from Lawton Parker, Charles Platt and William and Robert Rand can be found here as well.
Legal records document the New York Supreme Court Judgment of 1917 and the transfer of assets to the American Academy in Rome. Printed material includes a poster; applications, notices, regulations and conditions for prizes; booklets on the activities of the Foundation; and information from other artist organizations. Financial records contain documentation on early expenses and income; receipts and transmittals; and scattered financial holdings statements.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as # series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Secretaries' Files, 1916-1974 (Box 1-2; 1.6 linear feet)
Series 2: Trustees' Files, 1915-1974 (Box 2-4; 1.6)
Series 3: Legal Records, 1917-1974 (Box 4; 0.3 linear feet)
Series 4: Printed Material, 1919-1971 (Box 4; 8 folders)
Series 5: Financial Records, 1917-1967 (Box 4; 0.3 linear feet)
Historical Note:
The Chaloner Prize Foundation was founded in 1890 by John Armstrong Chaloner in New York, NY, for the purpose of granting awards to individual artists for study of art in Paris. Initially known as the "Paris Prize Fund," held by the United States Trust Company of New York, the fund relied on contributions from art patrons such as Henry and Arthur Astor Carey. Due to personal troubles Chaloner could not manage the account and passed power of attorney to others. By 1917 the Trust had made only two grants. That year Chaloner brough suit against Bankers Trust Company and "others" in order to incorporate the foundation. The subsequent legal judgement by the New York State Supreme Court created the grant-administering institution.
Following the 1917 reorganization, the Foundation's first award for Paris Prize was $4,800 plus travel expenses to John Ferris Connah for five years (1921-1926). Subsequent awards were $6,000 with grantees selected every other year. With the beginning of World War II, Europe was not longer a secure place for visiting artists, and the 1939 and 1940 award recipients studied in Mexico. No further grants were given until 1948.
Lawton S. Parker, Charles A. Platt, and William Rand, Jr. were appointed to the first board of trustees. George F. Lewis was appointed as Foundation clerk. He maintained correspondence, set up board meetings, and communicated with artists as needed. When Charles Platt and William Rand, Jr. died in the early 1930s, they were succeeded by their sons, William Platt and Robert Rand. Shortly after Lewis resigned in 1938, S. LeRoy French secretary.
In 1969 national legislation regarding tax-exempt foundations made the future increasingly uncertain for trusts like the Chaloner Prize Foundation. In 1973 a final grant was made to the American Academy in Rome to be used for a fellowship in sculpture. In 1974 the foundation was dissolved and all assets and records were transferred to the American Academy in Rome.
Related Material:
Also available at the Archives of American Art are the American Academy in Rome Records, 1855-circa 1981.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 1982 by the American Academy in Rome, along with their records. During the processing of the Academy's records, it was determined that the Chaloner Prize Foundation records were a separate entity, and the collection was separated from the Academy records.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
Authorization to quote or reproduce for the purposes of publication requires written permission from President, American Academy in Rome. Contact Reference Services for more information.
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