Correspondence, notes, art works, clippings, and photographs document the sculptural projects, primarily for churches, undertaken by Andrew Dreselly and his colleagues.
Correspondence (1927-1972), primarily letters exchanged with sculptors, architects, and other colleagues, concerning sculpture projects; two pages of writings, and 2 drawings (one annotated) concerning the ornamentation of the Governor's Palace in Williamsburg, Va.; eight pencil outlines for crucifixion figures will related reproductions; an outline and 2 rubbings depicting a memorial stone for Katherine Sullivan (1938); and several clippings (1929-1933).
Photographs include one, taken by his son David, of Dreselly (ca. 1981) and prints and ca. 1000 unprinted negatives (1900-ca. 1960) of Dreselly's work and that of his colleagues, including John Angel, Arcangelo Cascieri, Edgar Keen, Johann Kirchmayer, and Ernest Pellegrini. Among the projects are the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, St. James Cathedral, and the Riverside Baptist Church in New York City; the Governor's Palace in Williamsburg, Va.; the Washington Cathedral in Washington, D.C.; and the East Liberty Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Biographical / Historical:
Sculptor, wood carver; Cambridge, Mass. Born in Cambridge to Bavarian immigrant parents. In 1907, he was apprenticed to Johann Kirchmayer at W. F. Ross Company, becoming foreman of the woodcarving and modeling shop upon Kirchmayer's retirement in 1921. During the 1920s and 1930s, Dreselly worked, through the Ross Company, on many large church projects in New York, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, and Boston. Ancangelo Cascieri was Dreselly's apprentice. In 1943, Dreselly moved to the Schwamb Company and from 1948 until his retirement in 1967, he was head of carving and modeling at Irving & Casson.
Provenance:
Donated 1981 by Andrew Dreselly; a photograph of Dreselly was donated 1985 by his son, David Dreselly.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Prendergast, Maurice Brazil, 1858-1924 Search this
Extent:
10.4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Date:
1775-1997
bulk 1940-1986
Summary:
The Carlen Galleries, Inc., records measure 10.4 linear feet (gift portions) and date from 1775 to 1997 (bulk 1940-1986). Correspondence, business records, subject files, a scrapbook, printed matter, and photographs document the operation and activities of Carlen Galleries, Inc., and its founder Robert Carlen.
Scope and Content Note:
The Carlen Galleries, Inc., records measure 10.4 linear feet (gift portions, Parts 1 and 3) and date from 1775-1998 (bulk 1940-1986). Correspondence, business records, subject files, a scrapbook, printed matter, and photographs document the operation and activities of Carlen Galleries, Inc., and its founder Robert Carlen.
Part 1: Received in 1986 as a gift from Robert Carlen, these records document the activities of Carlen Galleries and its founder, 1937-1986. Correspondence mainly concerns the sale and purchase of works of art. Also included are artist files containing correspondence, receipts, and printed matter regarding Albert Davies, Edward Hicks, Käthe Kollwitz, Horace Pippin, and Maurice Prendergast. Subject files concern African American artists, Raphael Peale, Raymond Feuillate, and the French Moderns. Business records consist of loan forms, documentation of exhibitions at Carlen Galleries, inventories, a scrapbook and clippings concerning the gallery, conservation reports, appraisals (not microfilmed), and financial records.
Part 2: Additional records documenting the activities of Carlen Galleries and its founder, 1937-1986, were loaned by Robert Carlen for microfilming in 1988. Included are letters about Horace Pippin and rare letters from the artist. Other correspondence concerns Carlen's search for paintings by Edward Hicks, and there is also a small selection of letters regarding more routine gallery business. Among the business records are and account book and receipts. Printed matter consists of exhibition catalogs, announcements, and clippings; a scrapbook contains printed matter about Horace Pippin. Photographs are of Allan Freelon and works of art.
Part 3: Received in 2002 as a gift from Robert Carlen's daughter Nancy Carlen, this portion of the Carlen Galleries, Inc., Records consists of two letters, business records, photographs, and selections from the galleries' library. Letters are from Joan Baez, circa 1960 and Charles M. Mount, 1968. Previously sealed letters from Charles M. Mount, undated, and 1962-1975, relating to John Singer Sargent have been integrated into this portion.
Part 4: Additional records borrowed for microfilming from Nancy Carlen in 2002 include documents dated 1775-1997 (bulk 1940s-1990). Correspondence concerns gallery business, but a small amount of personal correspondence is also included. Business records consist of appraisal reports, receipts for sales and purchases, and the contract and program for the 1964 University [of Pennsylvania] Hospital Antiques Show in which Carlen Galleries exhibited. Subject files document Edward Hicks, Anatol Jal, the Captain James Lawrence Goblet, Horace Pippin, and Antoine Roux. Five notebooks, containing material similar to that in the subject files, are about Horace Pippin (vols. 1-3), Edward Hicks (vol. 4), and chronicle the career of Robert Carlen (vol. 5).
Printed matter consists of clippings and other items concerning art and antiques, Robert Carlen and Carlen Galleries, Inc., and the Diplomatic Reception Rooms of the State Department where two Hicks paintings owned by Carlen were on extended loan. Among the miscellaneous records are biographical documents, personal financial records, business and research notes (including original documents and photocopies of archival materials), and four prints. Photographs are mostly of antiques and art work; also included are a few pictures of people, places, and miscellaneous subjects.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into four parts, representing gift and loan accessions received and microfilmed at various times. The two loans for microfilming (Parts 2 and 4) overlap and partially duplicate one another-particularly records relating to Horace Pippin and Edward Hicks-but are far from identical. Some of the Pippin and Hicks material was significantly rearranged in the interim between the first loan (1988) and the second (2002).
Missing Title
Part 1: Gift (1986), 1906-1986 (Boxes 1-7; 7.0 linear feet; Reels 4166-4175)
Part 2: Loan (1988), 1937-1986 (Reel 4175)
Part 3: Gift (2002), 1835-1992 (Boxes 8-12; 3.4 linear feet; Reel 5745)
Part 4: Loan (2002), 1775-1997 (Reels 5746-5748)
Historical Note:
Robert Carlen (1906-1990) worked as a secretary and attended evening classes at the Graphic Sketch Club in Philadelphia right after graduating from high school. He studied painting full-time at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts during the academic year 1928/29, and from 1929-1936 he continued to study painting in the evenings while employed at a brokerage firm.
Since he wanted to be associated with the art world and needed to earn a living, Carlen decided to establish an art gallery that would show the works of young artists. In 1937, he opened in Carlen Galleries in his home at 323 South 16th Street, Philadelphia; the galleries operated in the same location for the remainder of Carlen's life. In its earliest years, Carlen Galleries housed exhibitions of the Associated American Artists' Group and featured prints by Wanda Gag, Käthe Kollwitz, Louis Lozowick, Lynd Ward, and other print makers.
In 1941, paintings by Horace Pippin were exhibited at Carlen Galleries. Carlen soon befriended the artist and began providing him with art supplies. He remained Pippin's agent for many years following the artist's death in 1946, and was a sought-after authority on the artist's work and life.
By the mid-1940s, Carlen had discovered a painting by Edward Hicks in Bucks County, Pa. He began researching the then-obscure Quaker artist. Through contacting descendants of Hicks's patrons, Carlen was able to acquire many of Hicks's paintings and Carlen Galleries became known for handling important early American folk paintings and antiques. Among his clients were Edward W. and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, Del., Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, Williamsburg, Va., and the Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vt.
During the course of his long career, Robert Carlen served as an advisor to many Philadelphia collectors and developed an extensive knowledge of the genealogies and heirlooms of the city's prominent families. Because of his extensive experience and expertise, Carlen's opinion was widely valued and his services as an appraiser of art and antiques were in great demand.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming (reels 4175 and 5746-5748) including material relating to Horace Pippin. Loaned material was returned to the lender and is described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
The collection was acquired in various accessions of gifts and loans. Part 1: gift of Robert Carlen, 1986; Part 2: loaned by Robert Carlen for microfilming, 1988; Part 3: gift of Nancy Carlen, 2002 (previously sealed letters and appraisals received with Part 1 are housed with Part 3 and integrated for microfilming); Part 4: loaned by Nancy Carlen for microfilming, 2002.
Restrictions:
Patrons must use microfilm copy.
Rights:
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.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Herman Glendenning, 1979 Aug. 9-Oct. 31. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
An interview of Herman Glendenning conducted 1979 Aug. 9-Oct. 31, by Robert Brown, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Herman Glendenning (1906-1997) was a silversmith from Westminster, Mass. Before working on his own, Glendenning apprenticed at Arthur J. Stone Associates in Gardner, Mass., a workshop patterned after English silversmith shops stressing traditional techniques and hand wrought designs.
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.
Rockefeller, John D., Jr. (John Davison) Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Andrew Dreselly, 1981 June 26. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Rockefeller, John D., Jr. (John Davison), 1874-1960 Search this
Extent:
36 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1981 June 26
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Andrew Dreselly conducted 1981 June 26, by Robert F. Brown, for the Archives of American Art.
Dreselly speaks of his childhood, apprenticeship, work with several different building firms based in Boston, Massachusetts, and his work with various donors and architects. He contributed craftwork to cathedrals and churches throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic States, as well as construction projects. He also recalls his time as a charter member of the Lexington Arts and Crafts Association. He recalls Johannes Kirchmayer, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and Arcangelo Cascieri.
Biographical / Historical:
Andrew Dreselly (1893-1985) was a wood carver and sculptor from Cambridge, Massachusetts.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 34 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 others.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Wendell Castle, 1981 June 3-December 12. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
An interview of Wendell Castle, conducted 1981 June 3-December 12, by Robert F. Brown, in Scotsville, New York, for the Archives of American Art.
Castle speaks of his early work, in Kansas, in industrial design and sculpture; the transition he made in the early 1960s from sculpture to furniture design; teaching furniture design at the School for American Craftsmen, Rochester, New York; Wharton Esherick; the importance of creative design and sound workmanship; exhibitions and commissions; current interest in French 18th Century and Art Deco furniture; the evolution of his work from laminated pieces to an elegant style; and efforts to gain fine art status for his furniture.
Biographical / Historical:
Wendell Castle (1932-2018) was a furniture designer, sculptor, and educator from Rochester, New York. He taught at the School for American Craftsmen and Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hr., 27 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's website.
Occupation:
Furniture designers -- New York (State) Search this
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Arthur J. Pulos, 1980 July 31-1982 Dec. 5. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
An interview of Arthur J. Pulos conducted by Robert F. Brown for the Archives of American Art.
Pulos speaks of his childhood as the son of Greek immigrants in Pennsylvania, his education in design at the Carnegie Institute, his World War II experience in aircraft design and metal fabrication, and his development as a silversmith at the University of Oregon. He discusses his chairmanship of the Design Department, Syracuse University, 1955-1982; his industrial design firm in Syracuse, New York; and his involvement in American and international design and crafts organizations.
Biographical / Historical:
Arthur J. Pulos (1917-1997) was a silversmith, industrial designer, and educator of Syracuse, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound tape reels and 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 12 digital wav files. Duration is 10 hr., 16 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.
Financial and business records relating to various commissions, including the decorative work on the S.S. America, the S.S. United States, and Grace Line ships Santa Rosa and Santa Paula; the mural decoration of the World War II battle monument in Draguignan, France; the decorative map in the Boston Federal Reserve Bank; and the spandrel sculpture on the barracks at the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York.
Biographical / Historical:
Sculptor, mural painter, craftsman, and educator; Litchfield, Conn. Studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Academie Julian, Paris, the American Conservatory, Fontainebleau, and studied fresco painting independently in Italy.
Provenance:
Provenance unknown.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
A scrapbook containing printed material and photographs concerning Tiffany's work.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, craftsman; New York City and Oyster Bay, N.Y. Was the son of the founder of Tiffany and Company jewelry firm of which he was vice president and director. Was also president and art director of Tiffany Studios, which produced Tiffany Favrile glass that he originated. In 1918 he established the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation for art students at Oyster Bay Long Island.
Provenance:
Lent 1988 by Henry Platt, great-grandson of Tiffany. The scrapbook was compiled by an employee of the firm in 1919 and given to Tiffany as a gesture of affection by the employee.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
