Search Results

Interviewee:

Biddle, George, 1885-1973  Search this

Interviewer:

Phillips, Harlan B. (Harlan Buddington), 1920-  Search this

Creator:

New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this

Names:

New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this

Public Works of Art Project  Search this

Bacon, Peggy, 1895-1987  Search this

Benton, Thomas Hart, 1889-1975  Search this

Billings, Henry, 1901-  Search this

Bouché, Louis, 1896-1969  Search this

Bruce, Edward, 1879-1943  Search this

Cahill, Holger, 1887-1960  Search this

Cassatt, Mary, 1844-1926  Search this

Curry, John Steuart, 1897-1946  Search this

Demuth, Charles, 1883-1935  Search this

Evergood, Philip, 1901-1973  Search this

Grosz, George, 1893-1959  Search this

Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this

Hartley, Marsden, 1877-1943  Search this

Kroll, Leon, 1884-1974  Search this

Marsh, Reginald, 1898-1954  Search this

Miller, Kenneth Hayes, 1876-1952  Search this

Orozco, José Clemente, 1883-1949  Search this

Pascin, Jules, 1885-1930  Search this

Poor, Henry Varnum, 1887-1970  Search this

Rivera, Diego, 1886-1957  Search this

Robinson, Boardman, 1876-1952  Search this

Siqueiros, David Alfaro  Search this

Sterne, Maurice, 1878-1957  Search this

Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this

Tamayo, Rufino, 1899-  Search this

Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this

Zorach, William, 1887-1966  Search this

Zorach, William, 1887-1966  Search this

Extent:

239 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1963

Scope and Contents:

An interview of George Biddle conducted in 1963, by Harlan Phillips, for the Archives of American Art.

Biddle speaks of his background in Philadelphia; his Harvard education in preparation for a law career; literary acquaintances; travel; the beginning of his art career; his preoccupation with portraiture; his tragic and pleasant works; the importance of mood; his drawing techniques; drawing from nature; color experimentation; Stieglitz's circle; the susceptibility of artists to change during the 1930s; his involvement with the Public Works of Art Project; government censorship of his murals; his involvement with artists overseas during World War II; and his aesthetic philosophy. He recalls Max Weber, Maurice Sterne, George Grosz, William Zorach, Kenneth Hayes Miller, Peggy Bacon, Marsden Hartley, Charles Demuth, Edith Halpert, Boardman Robinson, Reginald Marsh, Thomas Hart Benton, Henry Billings, Ned Bruce, Holger Cahill, Philip Evergood, Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, David Siqueiros, and Rufino Tamayo.

Biographical / Historical:

George Biddle (1885-1973) was a painter and sculptor, in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.

General:

Originally recorded 3 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 9 digital wav files. Duration is 13 hr., 56 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:

This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Topic:

Art -- Censorship  Search this

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this

Sculptors -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Identifier:

AAA.biddle63

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9bb4fdb2d-29ab-4c56-bcef-655c27a0afb8

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-biddle63

Creator:

Brook, Alexander, 1898-1980  Search this

Subject:

Bacon, Peggy  Search this

Biddle, George  Search this

Brett, Catherine  Search this

Covarrubias, Miguel  Search this

Pollock, Jackson  Search this

Spencer, Niles  Search this

Knee, Gina  Search this

Bouché, Louis  Search this

Type:

Photographs

Watercolors

Sketches

Transcriptions

Scrapbooks

Sketchbooks

Interviews

Etchings

Illustrations

Citation:

Alexander Brook papers, 1900-1982. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Post-impressionism (Art)  Search this

Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Theme:

Diaries  Search this

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)6833

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)208960

AAA_collcode_brooalex

Theme:

Diaries

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_208960

Creator:

Coffin, William A. (William Anderson), 1855-1925  Search this

Subject:

Stella, Joseph  Search this

Warren, Whitney  Search this

Mauer, Alfred  Search this

Benson, Frank Weston  Search this

Blashfield, Edwin Howland  Search this

Zorach, William  Search this

Gay, Walter  Search this

Gussow, Bernard  Search this

Bouché, Louis  Search this

Cortissoz, Royal  Search this

Pan-American Exposition (1901: Buffalo, N.Y.)  Search this

Société des artistes français  Search this

Exposition d'artistes de l'école Américaine (1919 : Paris, France)  Search this

American Rights Committee  Search this

American Artists' Committee of One Hundred  Search this

Lotos Club (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Musée d'histoire et d'art (Luxembourg)  Search this

Committee for the Exhibition of American Painting and Sculpture (Paris, France)  Search this

Type:

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Citation:

William Anderson Coffin papers, 1886-1924. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Harper's Weekly  Search this

New York Post  Search this

Art Exhibitions France Paris  Search this

Landscape painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Art, American  Search this

World War, 1914-1918  Search this

Theme:

Research and writing about art  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)7476

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209634

AAA_collcode_coffwill

Theme:

Research and writing about art

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209634

Creator:

Schwalb, Claudia  Search this

Names:

Saret, Alan, 1944-  Search this

Extent:

0.2 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Interviews

Date:

1984-1996

Summary:

The scattered papers of New York painter and author Claudia Schwalb date from 1984-1996 and measure 0.2 linear feet. Papers include letters, artwork by Scwalb, a typescript of a writing including an interview with Alan Saret, photographs of individuals and works of art, negatives, and slides of artwork.

Scope and Contents:

The scattered papers of New York painter and author Claudia Schwalb date from 1984-1996 and measure 0.2 linear feet. Papers include letters, artwork by Scwalb, a typescript of a writing including an interview with Alan Saret, photographs of individuals and works of art, negatives, and slides of artwork.

Arrangement:

Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.

Biographical / Historical:

New York City, New York painter and author Claudia Schwalb has exhibited at Clocktower Gallery and the New Museum, and is currently a writer for whitehotmagazine.com.

After graduating from Pratt Institute, Schwalb apprenticed with painter Ron Gorchov and began writing for Cover Magazine and other art journals.

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

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.

Occupation:

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Authors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women authors  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Citation:

Claudia Schwalb papers, 1984-1996. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Processing of this collection received support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative.

Identifier:

AAA.schwclau

See more items in:

Claudia Schwalb papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw987418634-5d5b-46eb-b9c2-202652390bcc

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-schwclau

Creator:

Shibley, Gertrude  Search this

Extent:

0.4 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1941-1975

Summary:

The papers of painter Gertrude Shibley measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1941 to 1975. Shibley's career and friendships with fellow artists is described through biographical materials, correspondence and handmade greeting cards, photographs, printed material, and two sketchbooks.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of painter Gertrude Shibley measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1941 to 1975. Shibley's career and friendships with fellow artists is described through biographical materials, correspondence and handmade greeting cards, photographs, printed material, and two sketchbooks.

Arrangement:

Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.

Biographical / Historical:

Gertrude Shibley (1916-2006) was a painter from Brooklyn, New York. She studied at The New School and the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts.

Provenance:

Donated 1976 by Gerturde Shibley.

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

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.

Occupation:

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Citation:

Gertrude Shibley papers, 1941-1975. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Processing of this collection received support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative.

Identifier:

AAA.shibgert

See more items in:

Gertrude Shibley papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw976007242-a763-46b2-934e-096892f54634

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-shibgert

Creator:

Schulte, Antoinette E., 1897-1981  Search this

Extent:

0.2 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1923-1973

Summary:

The scattered papers of Antoinette Schulte measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1923 to 1973. Found is an article by Schulte, and printed material concerning Schulte's career.

Scope and Contents:

The scattered papers of Antoinette Schulte measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1923 to 1973. Found is an article by Schulte, and printed material concerning Schulte's career.

Arrangement:

Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.

Biographical / Historical:

Antoinette Schulte (1897-1981) was a painter and etcher in New York City, New York. Shulte was known for her still-lifes, portraits, and landscapes.

Provenance:

Donated in 1973 by Antoinette Schulte.

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

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.

Occupation:

Etchers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Citation:

Antoinette Schulte papers, 1923-1973. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Processing of this collection received support from the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative.

Identifier:

AAA.schuanto

See more items in:

Antoinette Schulte papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw986f039f2-a1c3-4271-8235-d183f4f7ce98

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-schuanto

Creator:

Howland, Isabella, 1895-1974  Search this

Names:

Bacon, Peggy, 1895-1987  Search this

Bywaters, Jerry  Search this

Dehn, Adolf, 1895-1968  Search this

Force, Juliana, 1876-1948  Search this

Gershoy, Eugenie, 1901?-1983 or 6  Search this

Greenbaum, Dorothea S.  Search this

Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this

Strater, Henry, 1896-  Search this

Watson, Forbes, 1880-1960  Search this

Extent:

1.2 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sketchbooks

Sketches

Photographs

Date:

1899-1979

Summary:

The papers of artist Isabella Howland measure 1.2 linear feet and date from 1899-1979. The collection documents her career through biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, writings, printed material, artwork, and photographs.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of painter, sculptor, caricaturist, and portraitist Isabella Howland measure 1.2 linear feet and date from 1899-1979. Correspondence makes up about a third of the collection, with the remainder comprised of biographical material, writings, printed material, photographs, and artworks.

Correspondence is found between Isabella Howland and other artists or dealers. Among these are Eugenie Gershoy, Henry Strater, Edith Halpert, Peggy Bacon, Forbes Watson, Jerry Bywaters, Adolph Dehn and Dorothea Greenbaum. Letters from Juliana Force, the first director of the Whitney Museum of American Art, are present. Many invitations to exhibit are included. The collection includes a small number of letters with Howland's family. She maintained written communication with several individuals over decades.

The biographical material contains Isabella Howland's handwritten notes and typed documents about her life. Some legal documents and financial records are present. The writing series includes her story 'Willy Nilly' with accompanying illustrations of animals, in addition to some other writings. The artwork series includes sketches and sketchbooks from childhood into adulthood. Photographs include images of Howland as well as her paintings and portraits.

Arrangement:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1901-1972 (4 folders; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1917-1973 (22 folders; Box 1)

Series 3, Writings, 1935-1964 (8 folders; Box 1)

Series 4: Printed Material, 1928-1976 (5 folders; Box 1)

Series 5: Photographs, circa 1900-1979 (4 folders; Box 1, OV 2)

Series 6: Artwork, 1899-circa 1940s (8 folders; Box 1, OV 2)

Biographical / Historical:

Isabella Howland (1895-1974) lived and worked in New York City. She drew portraits, painted on canvas, sketched on paper, and sculpted caricature busts of people in the art world. She wrote that she could do anything with her hands.

Howland was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. From her youth she knew she wanted to be an artist. She had her earliest artistic training at age 16. Her art education included time at the Boston Museum School and the Art Students League in New York City. She completed her secondary education in France and Germany, moved back to the United States afterwards, and in 1920 travelled again to Europe. In 1922 she settled in Greenwich Village and spent summers in Woodstock to paint landscapes and still-lifes. She actively painted in the 1920s, and had three shows in 1927, 1929, and 1931. During the Depression she worked for the Public Works of Art Project and the Works Progress Administration. In 1934 she married Armando Zegri, and they divorced in 1937. While they were married they owned a club in the West Village named The Café Latino. She began teaching at a private school in the early 1940s while dealing with some personal difficulties. She found religion which comforted her as she dealt with her mother's declining health and her sister's waning mental state.

Howland had many friends in the art world and regularly received requests to exhibit at museums. She became known as an accomplished portrait artist, and she was commissioned many times to execute drawings or sculptures. She dabbled in writing and illustrating stories, and produced a set of 33 Christmas cards featuring two monks.

Provenance:

Donated between 1975-1976 by Mrs. Martha Craig and Barbara Summer. Three photographs of works of art were donated by Eugenie Gershoy in 1979.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment.

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.

Occupation:

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Portrait painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Caricaturists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sketchbooks

Sketches

Photographs

Citation:

Isabella Howland papers, 1899-1979. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.howlisab

See more items in:

Isabella Howland papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw97b9408e8-8951-4a76-9505-e11f14ea5721

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-howlisab

Creator:

Thompson, Bob, 1937-1966  Search this

Names:

Billiard Place  Search this

David Anerson Gallery  Search this

Donald Morris Gallery  Search this

Sluggs Jazz Club  Search this

The Billard Palace  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Baraka, Amiri, 1934-2014  Search this

Beskind, Dorothy Levitt  Search this

Bridwell, Margaret  Search this

Covi, Dario A.  Search this

Crodel, Charles, 1894-1973  Search this

Cruz, Emilio, 1938-  Search this

Ginsberg, Allen, 1926-  Search this

Martin, Mary, 1913-  Search this

May, Mary Spencer  Search this

Ratcliff, Carter  Search this

Schapiro, Meyer, 1904-  Search this

Spellman, A. B., 1935-  Search this

Thompson, Bessie  Search this

Thompson, Carol  Search this

Wilke, Ulfert, 1907-1987  Search this

Wilson, Judith, 1952-  Search this

Young, Kenneth, 1933-  Search this

Extent:

2 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Video recordings

Photographs

Date:

1949-2005

Summary:

The papers of New York African American figurative painter Bob Thompson measure 2 linear feet and date from 1949 to 2005. The collection includes biographical material, videocassettes, correspondence, writings by Bob Thompson and others, exhibition files, scattered personal business records, printed material, photographs, and photograph albums. The correspondence is mostly between Carol Thompson, the artist's wife, and others concerning Bob Thompson's artwork.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of New York African American figurative painter Bob Thompson measure 2 linear feet and date from 1949 to 2005. The collection includes biographical material, videocassettes, correspondence, writings by Bob Thompson and others, exhibition files, scattered personal business records, printed material, photographs, and photograph albums. The correspondence is mostly between Carol Thompson, the artist's wife, and others concerning Bob Thompson's artwork.

Biographical material includes certificates, school memorabilia, biographical chronologies, a memorial program and obituaries, and a transcript of "Bob Thompson: His Life and Friendships" panel discussion with several notable artists commenting on Thompson. There is also a video recording copy of a 1965 film by Dorothy Levitt Beskind titled Bob Thompson Happening which was made to accompany a 1999 exhibition at the Whitney Museum of Art.

Carol Thompson's correspondence is with various galleries, dealers, and friends primarily concerning Bob Thompson's artwork and posthumous exhibitions. There is correspondence with art historian Judith Wilson, the artist's mother Bessie Thompson, David Anderson Gallery, and Donald Morris Gallery.

Writings by Bob Thompson include church speeches, a letter to the editor of Louisville Courier Journal, a poem, and an artist statement. There are also writings about Thompson by others, including his mother Bessie Thompson, wife Carol Thompson, and artists and friends, including Margaret Bridwell, Dario Covi, Carl Crodel, Emilio Cruz, Allen Ginsberg, LeRoi Jones, Mary H. Martin, Mary Spencer May, Carter Ratcliff, Meyer Schapiro, A. B. Spellman, Ulfert Wilke, and Ken Young. The writings by friends are mostly in the form of recollections by friends that were gathered as a memorial tribute to Thompson.

Exhibition files consist of material related to posthumous group and solo exhibitions of Bob Thompson's work.

The majority of the personal business records are posthumous and include inventories, loan and consignment forms, sales and appraisal records, and scattered correspondence.

Printed material includes exhibition catalogs, magazine and newspaper clippings about Bob Thompson, blank postcards of artwork, posters, and press releases.

There are photographs of Bob Thompson, family, and friends, including many artists, shot in various locations in New York City and Provincetown, as well as in Spain, France, and Italy. There are images of Thompson's Rivington Street studio, the Billiard Palace and the Slugs Jazz Club in New York City, exhibitions, events, street scenes, and artwork. There are four photographs albums, one of the Thompson's wedding, two of exhibitions (one is disbound), and one personal album with many photographs of friends and family, including the artist's mother Bessie Thompson and wife Carol Thompson.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 7 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1953-2003 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Carol Thompson's Correspondence, 1971-2000 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, 1949-1998 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1978-2001 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 5: Personal Business Records, 1965-2001 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1960-2005 (0.7 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, 4, OV 5)

Series 7: Photographs, 1951-2000 (0.7 linear feet; Boxes 2-4)

Biographical / Historical:

Bob Thompson (1937-1966) was an African American figurative painter who worked primarily in New York City.

Thompson was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1937. He attended Boston University as a pre-med student, but quit the program and returned to Kentucky to attend the University of Louisville and study painting under German expressionist artist Ulfert Wilke. As a student, he spent a summer in Provincetown, Massachusetts and immersed himself in the art communities there. In 1958, Thompson moved to New York City and reunited with several artists he had met in Provincetown and participated in some of the earliest "happenings," somewhat informal art events or gatherings usually involving performance art and music, in 1960. He became a regular at the jazz clubs The Five Spot and Slugs and became friends with several jazz musicians. Many of Thompson's paintings reflect his interest in jazz. He also formed friendships with writers Allen Ginsberg and LeRoi Jones. In 1960, he had his first solo exhibition at the Delancy Street Museum.

The same year as his first solo exhibition, Thompson married Carol Plenda and the couple lived in Paris from 1961-1962 after he received a Whitney Foundation fellowship. They lived in Ibiza, Spain the following year. Thompson painted prolifically while abroad, and when he returned to New York City in 1963, he brought many paintings with him. He quickly found representation by Martha Jackson Gallery and the gallery featured Thompson's work in solo exhibitions in 1963-1965. His reputation grew and more exhibitions across the country followed.

In late 1965, Thompson and his wife traveled to Rome, Italy, where he continued to study art and paint. Thompson died in Rome in 1966 at the age of 28 from a drug overdose not long after receiving gall bladder surgery.

Provenance:

The collection was donated by Elaine Plenda, the artist's sister-in-law, in 2006, 2010, 2011, and 2012.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of video recording requires advance notice. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Rights:

"Bob Thompson Happening" (1965) video: Permission to publish, quote or reproduce requires written permission from Joanne Elkin. Contact Reference Services for more information.

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.

Occupation:

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

African American artists  Search this

Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Photographs

Citation:

Bob Thompson papers, 1949-2005. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by The Walton Family Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Identifier:

AAA.thombob

See more items in:

Bob Thompson papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95cbba908-2706-4ba6-8bb0-58c271c29d62

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-thombob

Creator:

Benn, Ben, 1884-  Search this

Names:

Artists' Gallery (New York, N.Y)  Search this

Harry Salpeter Gallery  Search this

Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Walker Art Center  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Benn, Velida  Search this

Bluemner, Oscar, 1867-1938  Search this

Force, Juliana, 1876-1948  Search this

Geist, Sidney  Search this

Van Dine, S. S.  Search this

Extent:

6.3 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Illustrated letters

Sketches

Scrapbooks

Sketchbooks

Date:

1905-1993

Summary:

The papers of modernist painter Ben Benn measure 6.3 linear feet and date from 1906 through 1977, with the bulk of the papers dating from circa 1920 - circa 1970. The collection includes correspondence between Benn and his wife Velida Benn and letters from Oscar Bluemner, Max Weber, Joseph Stella, and other artists. Also found are sketches, sketchbooks, diaries, scrapbooks, personal business records, clippings, photographs, exhibition catalogs, art journals, and auction catalogs. Some of the printed material is quite rare.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of modernist painter Ben Benn measure 6.3 linear feet and date from 1906 through 1977, with the bulk of the papers dating from circa 1920 - circa 1970. The collection includes correspondence between Benn and his wife Velida de Benn and letters from Oscar Bluemner, Max Weber, Joseph Stella, and other artists. Also found are biographical materials, sketches, sketchbooks, diaries, scrapbooks, personal business records, clippings, photographs, exhibition catalogs, art journals, and auction catalogs. Some of the printed material is quite rare.

The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence files dating from 1906 through 1993, and includes personal, professional, and family correspondence of Ben Benn and wife Velida Benn, as well as personal correspondence between the Benn's. Much of the professional correspondence relates to exhibitions and other projects and is with museums, galleries, and art associations, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Artists' Gallery, and the College Art Association. Additional correspondence contains letters from friends and colleagues including Alfred Barr, Oscar Bluemner, Rita Benton, Holger Cahill, Juliana Force, Sidney Geist, Kaj Klitgaard, Audrey McMahon, Julio Osma, Harry Salpeter, Hugh Stix, Hudson D. Walker, and Marguerite Zorach, among others. Letters exchanged between Ben Benn and Velida Benn primarily relate to Benn's activities in Woodstock, N.Y., Gloucester, Ma., and St. Augustine, Fla., places he visited during the early part of his career. Many of Benn's letters are illustrated. Velida Benn's correspondence includes letters from her brother Bernard Lopez, William M. Fisher (Metropolitan Museum of Art), Bessie Beatty, Rita Benton, Sidney Geist, and Julio Osma. Also found are brief notes from Joseph Stella, Max Weber, and Marsden Hartley.

Diaries (1943-1977) contain entries by Velida Benn and reflect her activities and personal observations; also found are numerous references to Benn's exhibitions and projects. Three scrapbooks (1915-1972) document Benn's exhibitions and include copies of correspondence, announcements, checklists, price lists, and clippings; many of the items are annotated. Artwork (1937-1974) consists of sketchbooks and various loose sketches of portraits, figures, and still lifes; also included are fashion sketches by Velida Benn.

Printed material (1905-1991, bulk 1930s-1970s) includes exhibition announcements and catalogs, newspaper and magazine clippings, printed programs, reproductions, and monographs. Of particular interest are Artists' and Writers' Chap Books (1933-1935) that include the work of Ben and Velida Benn. Photographs (1920-1969) contain images of works of art, of Ben Benn, individually and with Velida, and exhibition installation shots.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into seven series based primarily on type of material. Material within each series is arranged chronologically.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1983, undated (Box 1; 2 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1906-1993, undated (Boxes 1-4; 4.0 linear ft.)

Series 3: Diaries, Notebooks, and Scrapbooks, 1915-1977, undated (Boxes 4-5; 11 folders)

Series 4: Personal Business Records, circa 1910-1979, undated (Box 5; 9 folders)

Series 5: Artwork, 1924-1974, undated (Box 5,7; 6 folders, 6 oversized items)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1911-1991, undated (Boxes 5-6; 2.0 linear ft.)

Series 7: Photographs and Negatives, 1920-1969, undated (Box 6; 6 folders)

Biographical Note:

New York painter Ben Benn was born in Russia in 1884 as Benjamin Rosenberg and died in 1983. Benn studied drawing and painting at the National Academy of Design from 1904-1908 and had his first exhibition, "Oils by Eight American Artists," at the Artists' Gallery in 1907. In 1916, Benn participated in the "Forum Exhibition of Modern American Painters" at the Anderson Galleries, along with artists Thomas Hart Benton, Oscar Bluemner, Arthur Dove, Marsden Hartley, John Marin, Man Ray, Abraham Walkowitz, and others. The exhibition was important in advancing the cause of modern art in American, particularly the American avant-garde and was recreated by the Whitney in 1983.

Best known as a modern painter who assimilated in his early style the influences of Matisse, Picasso, and Kandinsky, Benn's first one-man show was held at the J. B. Neumann Gallery in 1925. Portraits, still-lifes, and landscapes formed the core of Benn's subject themes and he often shifted between abstract and figurative images. He is known for his strong joyful colors, thick brush strokes and energetic paintings.

Benn was featured in over twenty one-man exhibitions and countless group shows. Major exhibitions included Abstract Painting in America (Whitney Museum, 1935), American Painting Today (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1950), and Ben Benn, Painter (The Jewish Museum, 1965). The Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. honored Benn with a one-man show on his ninetieth birthday (1974). His work is in permanent museum collections in both the U.S. and abroad including the Albany Institute of Art, the Smithsonian Institution's Hirshhorn Museum, the Knoxville Art Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Newark Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, as well as the Museum of Arts, Ein-Harod in Israel and the Kröller-Müller Museum in Holland.

Ben Benn was a recipient of several awards for his achievement in painting. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts honored Benn with the Henry Schiedt award (1952) and the Carol Beck Gold Medal (1965); Benn was also the recipient of the Knoxville Art Center Purchase Prize in 1961. In 1970 Benn was a beneficiary of the Childe Hassam Fund awarded through the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Benn's work is in permanent museum collections in both the U.S. and abroad including the Albany Institute of Art, the Smithsonian Institution's Hirshhorn Museum, the Knoxville Art Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Newark Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, as well as the Museum of Arts, Ein-Harod in Israel and the Kröller-Müller Museum in Holland.

Provenance:

The Ben Benn papers were donated by Benn's nephew Peter Rosenberg to the Archives of American Art in 1988.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. research facility.

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.

Topic:

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Painting, American -- Economic aspects  Search this

Painting, American -- 20th century  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Illustrated letters

Sketches

Scrapbooks

Sketchbooks

Citation:

Ben Benn papers, 1905-1993. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.bennben

See more items in:

Ben Benn papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw928843ebf-2403-418a-a333-69b5b8d63fc4

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-bennben

Creator:

Pleissner, Ogden M.  Search this

Names:

Cady, Harrison, 1877-1970  Search this

Force, Juliana, 1876-1948  Search this

Vezin, Charles, 1858-1942  Search this

Wengenroth, Stow, 1906-  Search this

Extent:

3.2 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Date:

1928-1976

Summary:

The papers of painter Ogden M. Pleissner measure 3.2 linear feet and date from 1928-1976. Found within the papers are biographical material, scattered letters, artwork, nine scrapbooks, over one foot of printed material, and photographs.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of painter Ogden M. Pleissner measure 3.2 linear feet and date from 1928-1976. Found within the papers are biographical material, scattered letters, artwork, eight scrapbooks, printed material, and photographs.

Biographical material includes Pleissner's U. S. Army Certificate of Service, an autobiographical essay, and miscellaneous notes. Scattered letters dating from 1942-1976 primarily concern Pleissner's service in the U. S. Army. There are also letters from colleagues and friends including artists Harrison Cady and Stow Wengenroth.

Nine scrapbooks contain clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, and scattered letters from art organizations and colleagues including Juliana Force, Charles Vezin, and Stow Wengenroth. An additional 1.2 linear feet of printed material consists primarily of clippings, and exhibition catalogs and announcements. Also found within the papers is one etching, and photographs of Pleissner, his colleagues, exhibitions and artwork.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into 6 series. All series are arranged chronologically.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1943-1971 (Box 1; 2 folders)

Series 2: Letters, 1942-1976 (Box 1; 13 folders)

Series 3: Art Work, undated (Box 1; 1 folder)

Series 4: Scrapbooks, 1930-1953 (Boxes 1-2; 29 folders)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1928-1975 (Box 2; 1.2 linear feet)

Series 6: Photographs, 1958-1974 (Boxes 3-4; 31 folders)

Biographical Note:

Ogden Minton Pleissner was born on April 29, 1905 in Brooklyn, New York, son of George W. and Christine Minton Pleissner. He began his education at the Brooklyn Friends School. One summer while a teenager, he was sent to Charlie Moore's ranch in Dubois, Wyoming, in order to improve his health. During pack trips, camping, and trout fishing in Yellowstone Park and the Buffalo Forks country, Pleissner became devoted to the outdoor life, developing his skills as a hunter and fisherman. He began drawing images of horses, cowboys, Native Americans, and scenery and realized that his interest in art was strong enough to pursue it in school.

From 1924 to 1927 Pleissner attended the Art Students League in New York, studying under George Bridgman and Frank V. DuMond. Pleissner continued his studies with DuMond in Cape Breton, where he also met Mary Corbett whom he married in 1929. In the following year, Pleissner held his first solo exhibition at the Macbeth Gallery in New York. Although he maintained a studio in New York City, Pleissner and his wife spent many summers in Wyoming, later expanding their travel to Europe.

In 1940 Pleissner was elected a National Academician. Two years later, he was commissioned by the U.S. Office of Emergency Management on the advice of the Section of Fine Arts to visit various war industries to make a group of 10 paintings depicting the work in these plants.

In 1943, Pleissner was commissioned as Captain in the Army Air Forces to work as an artist with the Historical Division, painting a record of the Air Force activities. After training, he was deployed to Anchorage, Alaska, and from there he visited many of the Aleutian Islands. Due to lack of funding, his original mission was changed, and he was put on inactive duty in November 1943, in order to continue his work as a War Art Correspondent for Life magazine. This allowed him to complete his paintings of the Aleutian Islands. In the spring of 1944, he flew to headquarters in London, England, later following the Normandy invasion through northern France, he painted scenes from the critical battle at St. Lo. In the summer of 1945, Life magazine sent him on a tour of Europe to make a series of paintings of the most significant battle sites, including Omaha Beach, Remagen, and Anzio.

During his post-war career, Pleissner participated in many organizations, including his service as vice-president of the National Academy of Design, director of the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation, and trustee at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont. He was also a member of the Salmagundi Club, the National Arts Club, and the Brooklyn Society of Artists. His work is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Philadelphia Museum.

In the 1970s Pleissner traveled extensively in Europe and spent summers at his studio in Pawlet, Vermont.

Ogden M. Pleissner died of a heart attack on October 24, 1983 in London, England.

Provenance:

Ogden M. Pleissner donated his papers to the Archives in 1972 and 1976.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.

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.

Topic:

Art and war  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Genre/Form:

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Citation:

Ogden M. Pleissner papers, 1928-1976. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.pleiogde

See more items in:

Ogden M. Pleissner papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw91f51e776-8d6f-4f92-8e70-be23ab922f2b

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-pleiogde

Interviewee:

Solman, Joseph, 1909-2008  Search this

Interviewer:

Berman, Avis  Search this

Creator:

Mark Rothko and His Times Oral History Project  Search this

Names:

Gallery Secession (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Mark Rothko and His Times Oral History Project  Search this

Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970  Search this

Extent:

56 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1981 May 6-8

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Joseph Solman conducted 1981 May 6-8, by Avis Berman, for the Archives of American Art's Mark Rothko and His Times oral history project.

Solman recalls his youth in Jamaica, Long Island, and his studies at the National Academy of Design. He talks about the art world of the 1930s and 1940s, including the camaraderies formed by participating in the WPA and the activities of various galleries, including Gallery Secession. Solmon remembers Mark Rothko and the members, meetings and exhibitions of The Ten. He speaks of his work on Art Front magazine, his own art work and teaching, and his personal art collection. He recalls Byron Browne, Ilya Bolotowsky, Herman Rose, Milton Avery, Adolf Gottlieb, Arshile Gorky, De Hirsch Margules, Eugene Atget, Elizabeth McCausland, Berenice Abbott, John Graham, Earl Kerkam, Ralph Rosenborg, Yankel Kufeld, Ben Zion, Hans Mueller, Eric Esenberger, Boris Aronson, Lou Harris, Karl Knaths, Lou Schanker, Stuart Davis, Alice Neel, Dorothy Koppelman, Joan Miro, Pat Codyre, Joseph Brummer, Jacob Kainen, Jack Tworkov, and many others.

Biographical / Historical:

Joseph Solman (1909-2008) was a painter and educator from New York, N.Y.

General:

Originally recorded 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 8 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 41 min.

Provenance:

This interview was conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's Mark Rothko and his Times oral history project, with funding provided by the Mark Rothko Foundation.

Others interviewed on the project (by various interviewers) include: Sonia Allen, Sally Avery, Ben-Zion, Bernard Braddon, Ernest Briggs, Rhys Caparn, Elaine de Kooning, Herbert Ferber, Esther Gottlieb, Juliette Hays, Sidney Janis, Buffie Johnson, Jacob Kainen, Louis Kaufman, Jack Kufeld, Katharine Kuh, Stanley Kunitz, Joseph Liss, Dorothy Miller, Betty Parsons, Wallace Putnam, Rebecca Reis, Maurice Roth, Sidney Schectman, Aaron Siskind, Hedda Sterne, Jack Tworkov, Esteban Vicente and Ed Weinstein. Each has been cataloged separately.

Restrictions:

Transcript is available on the Archives of American Art's website.

Topic:

Abstract expressionism  Search this

Philadelphia Ten (Group of artists)  Search this

Painters -- Massachusetts -- Interviews  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.solman81

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95bfbda07-5fd1-4465-8a8b-c73f67919d9a

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-solman81

Interviewee:

Dine, Jim, 1935-  Search this

Interviewer:

Berman, Avis  Search this

Extent:

9 Sound recordings ((15 hrs., 11 min), digital, WMA)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2020 February 24-2022 January 12

Scope and Contents:

An interview with Jim Dine conducted 2020 February 24-2022 January 12 by Avis Berman for the Archives of American Art, at Dine's home and studio in Paris, France, and the Mark Hotel in New York, New York.

Biographical / Historical:

Jim Dine (1935- ) is an American pop artist in New York, New York, and Paris, France. His work includes Happenings, painting, and sculpture. Avis Berman (1949- ) is an art historian, writer, and curator from New York, N.Y.

Related Materials:

The Archives of American Art also holds an interview with Jim Dine conducted 1965 February 26 by Bruce Hooten.

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 interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its Oral History Program interviews available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. Quotation, reproduction and publication of the audio is governed by restrictions. If an interview has been transcribed, researchers must quote from the transcript. If an interview has not been transcribed, researchers must quote from the audio recording. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Painters -- France -- Paris  Search this

Sculptors -- France -- Paris  Search this

Topic:

Pop art  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Lichtenberg Family Foundation.

Identifier:

AAA.dine20

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9add394c3-a32b-4c75-98cf-1deb2af3787c

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-dine20

Creator:

Kiesler, Lillian, 1910?-2001  Search this

Names:

Anthology Film Archives  Search this

Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts  Search this

John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation  Search this

Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

University of Iowa, Museum of Art  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Adnan, Etel  Search this

Andres, Jo  Search this

Arnaud, Leopold, 1895-1984  Search this

Bartos, Armand P., 1910-  Search this

Bultman, Fritz, 1919-1985  Search this

Buscemi, Steve, 1958-  Search this

Castelli, Leo  Search this

Copley, Alfred L.  Search this

Diller, Burgoyne, 1906-1965  Search this

Dlugoszewski, Lucia, 1931-2000  Search this

Dorazio, Piero, 1927-  Search this

Dorazio, Virginia Dortch  Search this

Dreier, Katherine Sophie, 1877-1952  Search this

Dubuffet, Jean, 1901-  Search this

Duchamp, Marcel, 1887-1968  Search this

Hawkins, Erick  Search this

Hodges, Alice  Search this

Hofmann, Hans, 1880-1966  Search this

Holtzman, Harry  Search this

Howe, George, 1886-1955  Search this

Kamler, Richard  Search this

Kiesler, Frederick  Search this

MacIver, Loren, 1909-  Search this

Meredith, Burgess, 1907-1997  Search this

Milius, Tom  Search this

Miller, Henry, 1891-  Search this

Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this

Montgomery, Chandler  Search this

Owen, Jane Blaffer, 1915-2010  Search this

Purdy, James  Search this

Takaezu, Toshiko  Search this

Tawney, Lenore  Search this

Zogbaum, Wilfrid, 1915-1965  Search this

Extent:

49.1 Linear feet

0.001 Gigabytes

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Gigabytes

Scrapbooks

Sound recordings

Diaries

Interviews

Scripts (documents)

Motion pictures (visual works)

Date:

circa 1910s-2003

bulk 1958-2000

Summary:

The papers of New York artist Lillian Kiesler and architect and sculptor Frederick Kiesler measure 49.1 linear feet and 0.001 GB and date from circa 1910s-2003, with the bulk of the material from 1958-2000. The collection documents their personal and professional lives and the legacy of Frederick Kiesler's work through biographical material, correspondence, legal, financial and business records, teaching files, exhibition and performance files, artwork, subject files, printed and digital material, writings and interviews, monographs, photographic material, and sound and video recordings. Also found are papers related to Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann and the papers of artist Alice Hodges.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of artist, performer, and arts educator Lillian Kiesler and sculptor, architect, set designer, educator, and writer Frederick Kiesler measure 49.1 linear feet and 0.001 GB and date from circa 1910s-2003, with the bulk of the material from 1958-2000. The collection documents their personal and professional lives and the legacy of Frederick Kiesler's work through biographical material, correspondence, legal, financial and business records, teaching files, exhibition and performance files, artwork, subject files, printed and digital material, writings and interviews, monographs, photographic material, and sound and video recordings. Also found are papers related to Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann and the papers of artist Alice Hodges.

The collection is arranged into two series: the Lillian Kiesler Papers (Series 1) and the Frederick Kiesler Papers (Series 2). Measuring 41.1 linear feet, the Lillian Kiesler Papers (Series 1) make up the bulk of the collection and document her personal life and professional career as an artist, actor, teacher, arts benefactor and promoter of Frederick Kiesler's legacy. The series spans her lifetime, although most of the material is dated after 1965. Among her papers are biographical materials, correspondence, legal and financial records, teaching files, exhibition and performance files, artwork, subject files, printed material, monographs, papers related to Frederick Kiesler and his legacy, papers of and related to Hans Hofmann, papers of Alice Hodges, photographic material, and sound and video recordings.

Found among Lillian Kiesler's personal papers are address books, numerous calendars and appointment books, and diaries and journals. Her correspondence is extensive and contains business correspondence with John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, The University of Iowa Museum of Art, and Erick Hawkins Dance Foundation, and personal letters and greeting cards from friends, family, artists, scholars, and researchers, including Etel Adnan, Alcopley, Fritz Bultman, Steve Buscemi, Mike Diamond, Burgoyne Diller, Lucia Dlugoszewski, Piero Dorazio, Jean Dubuffet, Jay Gottlieb, Erick Hawkins, Burgess Meredith, Henry Miller, James Purdy, and Herrel Thomas. Of interest is a letter from Harry Holtzman postmarked March 13, 1935 describing his initial meeting with Mondrian, and a letter from E.B. Gordon describing Henry Miller in Paris.

Materials related to Lillian Kiesler's estate and last wishes can also be found, as well as teaching plans, student work, and writings by Lillian Kiesler's mentor and friend, New York University professor Chandler Montgomery. Various printed material, correspondence, scripts, and rehearsal schedules from Lillian Kiesler's exhibitions and performances are also found, and among the directors, artists and writers represented are Jo Andres, Steve Buscemi, Cindy Lugar, Tim Miller and James Purdy. Artwork contains photographs by Bob Del Fredici, drawings by Piero Dorazio, and notes to Frederick Kiesler from Lillian Kiesler.

Subject files about artists, friends, colleagues, performances, and organizations in which she supported, such as the Anthology Film Archives, include printed materials and research materials. Signed exhibition catalogs of Loren MacIver, Dina Ghen, Lenore Tawney, and Toshiko Takaezu, and a reprint article inscribed by Alcopley can be found, as well as numerous inscribed monographs, including books inscribed by Max Weiler and Piero Dorazio, an inscribed first edition of Henry Miller's Black Spring (1936), and a 1937 monograph by Harry Holtzman titled American Abstract Artists.

Series 1 also includes materials related to her husband Frederick Kiesler, papers of and related to Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann, and the personal papers of artist Alice Hodges. The Papers Related to Frederick Kiesler were primarily created or compiled by Lillian Kiesler and document her work on behalf of Frederick Kiesler's legacy. Of interest are letters from Frederick Kiesler to Lillian Kiesler and Alice Hodges; a bound volume of correspondence to Piero Dorazio; an inventory of objects in the Frederick Kiesler estate; photographs of artwork; an interview (sound recordings and transcript) with Lillian Kiesler about Frederick Kiesler for "Music of the Age," included on the tape is a portion of a Frederick Kiesler interview (1965); a recording of Lillian Kiesler interviewing Richard Kamler about Frederick Kiesler; and Frederick Kiesler's dialogue with Leo Castelli (undated).

Lillian Kiesler was a student of Hans Hofmann (1880-1966) in New York City and Provincetown, Massachusetts, as well as an enthusiastic volunteer promoter and assistant to The Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts. The bulk of the papers of and related to Hans Hofmann were created or compiled by Lillian Kielser and are about Hofmann's career and legacy. However, also found are some papers of Hans Hofmann, including letters from Hofmann to Lillian Kiesler and Alice Hodges describing his artwork, life in Provincetown, and issues with The Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts, typed and handwritten lectures given by Hofmann, Hofmann's 1941 address to the American Abstract Artists (AAA), three boxes of card files on students of the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts in New York City and Provincetown, and photographs of Hofmann and his house in Provincetown taken by Wilfrid Zogbaum and Tom Milius.

The artist Alice Hodges (b. unknown-1965) was a close friend of Lillian Kiesler, a former secretary to Frederick Kiesler, and a student of Hans Hofmann. Included among her personal papers is some correspondence from Hans Hofmann and Katherine Drier and numerous postcards from Hodges and Lillian Kiesler's trip to Europe in 1950, posters and printed material from her exhibitions, an oversized scrapbook chronicling Lillian Kiesler's teaching career, records from the United States Treasury War Bond Art Auction in 1945, original artwork and greeting cards made by Hodges and Lillian Kiesler, and 31 rolled negative strips in metal canisters of Frederick Kiesler sculptures, Provincetown and Hans Hofmann, Wellfleet, Empire State Music Festival (1955), and travels to Colorado and Europe, some of which may be printed and found in this subseries.

Photographs found in the Lillian Kiesler Papers are mostly black and white and color snapshots of Lillian Kiesler's friends and family at events and at home, including candid photos of Hans Hofmann, Alice Hodges, Frederick Kiesler, and Alcopley. Slides prepared by Lillian Kiesler for a lecture on Frederick Kiesler and her lecture notes on index cards are found. Sound and video recordings include recordings of productions in which Lillian Kiesler performed, and music, film, or live stage performances written, directed, or performed by friends.

Measuring 7.1 linear feet, Frederick Kiesler's personal papers (Series 2) document his professional career and date from 1923-1992. Biographical materials include his curriculum vitae, four passports, and numerous appointment books and notes from late in his life. Correspondence with architects, publishers, editors, universities, museums, galleries, manufacturers, artists and friends includes letters from L. Alcopley, Leopold Arnaud, Armand P. Bartos, Piero and Virginia Dorazio, George Howe, Kay Johnson, Jane Owen, and others. There are also photocopied letters from Katherine Dreier, Marcel Duchamp, and Piet Mondrian. Business and financial records from the 1940s to mid-1960s comprise a significant bulk of this series and are primarily tax returns and receipts and statements used to file tax returns. Materials on the publication of "Inside the Endless House" (1966), the International Theatre Exposition (in German) in 1924 and other exhibits from shortly after his death are found, as well as student artwork and papers from Kiesler's classes in the mid-1950s. A bound copy of the "Bibliography of Writings of and About Frederick Kiesler" compiled by Lillian Kiesler is found, as well as printed material about Frederick Kiesler and a handful of photographs of artwork.

Users should note that Lillian Kiesler's and Frederick Kiesler's papers contain similar types of material that often overlap in subject matter, especially among the Papers Related to Frederick Kiesler (Subseries 1.10) in Series 1 and the Frederick Kiesler Papers (Series 2). This collection contains limited material related to Lillian Kiesler prior to the 1940s and Frederick Kiesler prior to his arrival in the United States in 1926.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into two series. Each series is divided into several subseries, with the arrangement described in detail in the series descriptions.

Missing Title

Series 1: Lillian Kiesler papers, circa 1910s-2003 (Box 1-39, 47-52, OV 53-57; 41.1 linear feet, ER01; 0.001 GB)

Series 2: Frederick Kiesler papers, 1923-1992 (Box 40-46, OV 53; 7.1 linear feet)

Biographical Note:

Frederick Kiesler (1890-1965) was a sculptor, architect, set designer, educator, and writer active in New York and Connecticutt. Lillian Kiesler (1911-2001) was a performer, arts educator, and painter married to Frederick Kiesler. She was also active in the administration of the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts.

Frederick Kiesler was born in Romania in 1890, although he gave various other dates for his birth and regularly cited Vienna as his birthplace. He arrived in the United States with his wife Steffi in 1926 for the International Theatre Exposition at Steinway Hall in New York City. They stayed in the United States and were granted citizenship in 1936.

Kiesler secured a teaching position at Columbia University's School of Architecture in 1930, and from 1934 through 1957 he was the scenic design director at The Juilliard School of Music. He also lectured at Yale University from 1950-1952. Often labeled a Surrealist, Kiesler's work was experimental and frequently described as ahead of its time. He published, lectured, and participated in numerous exhibitions throughout his career. He is known for his theory of "coreallism;" "The Space House" (1933), a full-scale model of a single family home; an installation designed for Peggy Guggenheim's Art of This Century gallery in 1942; "The Endless House" drawings and model (1950); "The Universal Theatre" (1961) model; and the Shrine of the Book (1965), a building to exhibit the Dead Sea Scrolls in Jerusalem. He died in New York City in December 1965.

Lillian Olinsey met architect and sculptor Frederick Kiesler in 1934. After years of friendship, they were married in 1964, a year and a half before Frederick's death in 1965.

Lillian Kiesler studied art at the Art Students League, Cooper Union, and the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts, where she also assisted Hofmann and the school administration. She taught art to children and young adults for twenty years in New York City. From 1945 to 1955, she taught at the Greenwich House Art workshops and the Woodward School, followed by the Brooklyn Museum (1948-1958), Barnard School (1953-1963), New York University School of Education (1955-1966), and Juilliard School of Visual Arts (1963-1965). Lillian was involved in the performing arts and between the late 1970s through the 1990s she performed in New York City with numerous directors, notably Jo Andres, Steve Buscemi, Richard Foreman, John Jesurun, Cindy Lubar, and Tim Miller. She frequently performed with her close friend, painter Maryette Charlton, who was the executor of the Lillian Kiesler estate.

Lillian Kiesler tirelessly promoted Frederick Kiesler's work and legacy after his death in 1965. From the late 1980s through the 1990s, she delivered lectures about his work at universities and museums, gave interviews, corresponded with researchers, and organized his papers to donate to the Harvard Theatre Collection, Yale School of Art and Architecture, and the Archives of American Art. In 1997, she helped found the Frederick and Lillian Kiesler Foundation in Vienna, Austria. She endowed the Austrian Frederick Kiesler Prize, an award given to a notable contributor to the field of architecture. The first recipient was Frank Gehry in 1998. Lillian Kiesler passed away in 2001 in New York City.

Related Material:

The holdings of the Archives of American Art include the Hans Hofmann Papers, 1904-1978 and the Maryette Charlton Papers, 1929-1998. Additional Frederick Kiesler papers are available at the Museum of Modern Art, the Harvard Theater Collection, and the Yale School of Art and Architecture.

Separated Material:

Some of the materials related to Frederick Kiesler were initially loaned for microfilming on reels 57 and 127-128. This material is not described in the container listing of this finding aid. Most, but not all, of the loaned material was later donated and has been merged with the other accretions.

Provenance:

The collection was donated by Lillian Kiesler and Maryette Charlton, executrix of her estate, in several accessions between 1980-2002. Some of the papers related to Frederick Kiesler were originally loaned for microfilming in 1971, most of which was later donated in 1980. Additional papers related to Frederick Kiesler were donated in 1993. Papers related to Hans Hofmann were given in 1981. Lillian Kiesler's papers were donated in 2000 by Lillian Kiesler, and in 2002, by Maryette Charlton.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.

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.

Occupation:

Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Set designers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Educators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Authors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Performance artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Art patrons -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Architects -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Exhibition designers  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women educators  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women performance artists  Search this

Function:

Art schools -- Massachusetts

Art Schools -- New York (State)

Genre/Form:

Scrapbooks

Sound recordings

Diaries

Interviews

Scripts (documents)

Motion pictures (visual works)

Citation:

Lillian and Frederick Kiesler papers, circa 1910s-2003, bulk 1958-2000. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.kieslill

See more items in:

Lillian and Frederick Kiesler papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw92be035c5-5063-4d6e-8ac2-5f08c17ef915

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-kieslill

Creator:

Trunk, Herman, 1894-1963  Search this

Names:

Hirschl & Adler Galleries  Search this

Force, Juliana, 1876-1948  Search this

McFarlane, Arthur E.  Search this

Morrow, B. F.  Search this

Simpson, Charles J.  Search this

Smith, Joseph G.  Search this

Extent:

0.6 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Video recordings

Scrapbooks

Date:

circa 1926-1950

Scope and Contents:

Letters, writings, photographs, printed material, and a DVD videorecording relating to Trunk's career as a modernist painter. Letters are from Juliana Force, Arthur E. McFarlane, Henry McFee, author B.F. Morrow, and Charles J. Simpson, secretary of the American Veterans Society of Artists, Harry C. Richardson, Gertrude Herdle Moore, Holger Cahill, Audrey F. McMahon, Hugo C.M. Wendel, Kimon Nicolaides, Zoltan Hecht, and Marion M. Grant, among others. Writings include consignment forms and reports from the Dudensing Gallery, New York City, an artist statement, one notebook labeled Egyptian, Assyrian, Greek, Etruscan, and Greco-Roman, one notebook on fresco painting, and two notebooks listing information on art works by Trunk. Photographs are of Trunk, his wife, and others. Printed material consists of scrapbook pages, newspaper clippings, exhibition catalogs and pamphlets mostly concerning Trunk's exhibitions at Dudensing Gallery, New York. The DVD documents the 1989 Trunk exhibition at Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York, filmed by the donor, Joseph Smith.

Biographical / Historical:

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Herman Trunk (1894-1963) was a modernist painter who worked in a variety of media, and is well known for his watercolor paintings produced in the early 20th century.

Provenance:

Donated in 2008 by Joseph G. Smith, Herman Trunk's nephew.

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.

Occupation:

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Modernism (Art)  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Scrapbooks

Identifier:

AAA.trunherm

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw91040d8ba-0463-4213-888a-8a237d9ced19

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-trunherm

Interviewee:

Putnam, Wallace, 1899-1989  Search this

Interviewer:

Berman, Avis  Search this

Creator:

Mark Rothko and His Times Oral History Project  Search this

Names:

Mark Rothko and His Times Oral History Project  Search this

Avery, Milton, 1885-1965  Search this

Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970  Search this

Extent:

36 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1982 Aug. 13-20

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Wallace Putnam conducted 1982 Aug. 13-20, by Avis Berman, for the Archives of American Art's Mark Rothko and His Times oral history project.

Putnam recalls his youth and art training in Boston, Mass., his move to Hartford, Conn., and friendship with Milton Avery, whom he met when they both worked filing policies at Traveler's Insurance Co. He talks about his and Avery's early careers in New York and his first acquaintance with Mark Rothko. He remembers Rothko's early concerns as an artist, his interest in music, and visits to his studio and home (including catsitting for the Rothko's for three weeks).

Biographical / Historical:

Wallace Putnam (1899-1989) was a painter, writer, lithographer, and draftsman from Yorktown Heights, N.Y.

General:

Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 57 min.

Provenance:

This interview was conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's Mark Rothko and his Times oral history project, with funding provided by the Mark Rothko Foundation.

Others interviewed on the project (by various interviewers) include: Sonia Allen, Sally Avery, Ben-Zion, Bernard Braddon, Ernest Briggs, Rhys Caparn, Elaine de Kooning, Herbert Ferber, Esther Gottlieb, Juliette Hays, Sidney Janis, Buffie Johnson, Jacob Kainen, Louis Kaufman, Jack Kufeld, Katharine Kuh, Stanley Kunitz, Joseph Liss, Dorothy Miller, Betty Parsons, Rebecca Reis, Maurice Roth, Sidney Schectman, Aaron Siskind, Joseph Solman, Hedda Sterne, Jack Tworkov, Esteban Vicente and Ed Weinstein. Each has been cataloged separately.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Topic:

Abstract expressionism  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.putnam82

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95e296974-6e84-4758-94a3-571bdb420ba3

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-putnam82

Interviewee:

Sonnier, Keith, 1941-2020  Search this

Interviewer:

Berman, Avis  Search this

Creator:

United States. General Services Administration. Design Excellence and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this

Names:

United States. General Services Administration. Design Excellence and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this

Extent:

90 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2009 September 22- October 20

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Keith Sonnier conducted 2009 September 22 and October 20, by Avis Berman, for the Archives of American Art's U.S. General Services Administration, Design Excellence and the Arts oral history project, at Sonnier's studio, in New York, N.Y.

Biographical / Historical:

Keith Sonnier (1941-2020) was a sculptor and painter in New York, N.Y.

General:

Originally recorded 1 sound disc. Reformatted in 2010 as 3 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 23 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.

Restrictions:

The transcript and recording are open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Topic:

Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the U.S. General Services Administration, Design Excellence and the Arts.

Identifier:

AAA.sonnie09

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93756aeed-1da3-4919-8f88-d4b91f3bb898

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-sonnie09

Interviewee:

Noland, Kenneth, 1924-2010  Search this

Interviewer:

Berman, Avis  Search this

Names:

Greenberg, Clement, 1909-1994  Search this

Kainen, Jacob  Search this

Smith, David, 1906-1965  Search this

Extent:

39 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1987 July 1-16

Scope and Contents:

An Interview of Kenneth Noland conducted 1987 July 1-16, by Avis Berman, for the Archives of American Art.

Noland speaks of his interest in working in series, as influenced by David Smith; the influence of other artists and art movements, and the problems caused by this influence; the Washington art scene in the 1950s; self criticism; his philosophy of drawing; subject matter and content; abstract expressionism and its development; painting and its relationship to architecture; collectors; his work in sculpture; the relationship of sculpture to his painting. He recalls David Smith, Jacob Kainen, and Clement Greenberg.

Biographical / Historical:

Kenneth Noland (1924-2010) was a painter and educator in South Salem, N.Y., and friend of David Smith.

General:

Originally recorded on 3 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hrs., 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:

This transcript is open for research. Access to the entire recording is restricted. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Topic:

Abstract expressionism  Search this

Painting -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.noland87

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9acab9115-9396-410a-8cad-2c66de66a4af

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-noland87

Creator:

Constant, George  Search this

Names:

Art Institute of Chicago  Search this

Audubon Artists (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Brooklyn Museum  Search this

Carnegie Institute  Search this

Dayton Art Institute  Search this

Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors  Search this

Ferargil Galleries  Search this

Heckscher Museum  Search this

Lyman Allyn Art Museum  Search this

Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Parrish Art Museum  Search this

Spanish Refugee Aid (Organization)  Search this

United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Avery, Milton, 1885-1965  Search this

Avery, Sally  Search this

Burliuk, David, 1882-1967  Search this

Caparn, Rhys, 1909-1997  Search this

Carnell, Julia Shaw Patterson, 1863-1944  Search this

Davidson, Morris, 1898-1979  Search this

Eaton, Charles Warren, 1857-1937  Search this

Gecan, Vilko, 1894-1973  Search this

Kanaga, Consuelo, 1894-  Search this

Landgren, Marchal E.  Search this

Neuberger, Roy R.  Search this

Pach, Walter, 1883-1958  Search this

Perret, Nell, 1916-  Search this

Preston, Georgette  Search this

Putnam, Wallace, 1899-1989  Search this

Extent:

4.6 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Christmas cards

Photographs

Video recordings

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1912-2007

bulk 1932-1978

Summary:

The papers of modernist painter and printmaker George Constant measure 4.6 linear feet and date from 1912-2007, with the bulk of the material dating from 1932-1978. They consist of biographical material, inventories of artwork, audio interviews and recorded statements on art, personal and business related correspondence, holiday cards, printed material, an exhibition related video recording, and photographs of Constant, his family and friends, and his work.

Scope and Contents note:

The papers of modernist painter and printmaker George Constant measure 4.6 linear feet and date from 1912-2007, with the bulk of the material dating from 1932-1978. They consist of biographical material, inventories of artwork, audio interviews and recorded statements on art, personal and business related correspondence, holiday cards, printed material, an exhibition related video recording, and photographs of Constant, his family and friends, and his work. A small portion of the correspondence and printed materials are written in Greek.

Biographical material includes artist statements written and recorded by Constant, two audio interview recordings discussing his philosophies on art and his work, inventories of artwork, personal property deeds and legal correspondence, and other miscellaneous material.

Correspondence is predominantly in the form of business and personal letters, postcards, and holiday cards received from family and friends. These include correspondence from Constant's daughter, Georgette Preston, and extended family members. Other frequent personal correspondents include Milton and Sally Avery, Lewis Balamuth, Margaret Brunning, David Burliuk, Nathaniel Burwash, Rhys Caparn, Julia Shaw Patterson Carnell, Phillip Cavanaugh, Morris Davidson, Charles Eaton, Vilko Gecan, Marchal Landgren, Roy Neuberger, Walter Pach, Nell Perret, Constantine Pougialis, Wallace Putnam and Consuelo Kanaga, Hi Simons, and Helen Slosberg. Business related correspondents include Audubon Artists, Art Institute of Chicago, Brooklyn Museum, Carnegie Institute, Dayton Art Institute, Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors, Ferargil Galleries, Guild Hall, Heckscher Museum, Lyman Allyn Museum, Metropolitan Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Spanish Refugee Appeal, and the Whitney Museum. Other business correspondence related to Constant's work with the WPA are also included in the series.

Printed material includes books and booklets on American and Greek art, including a limited print edition of George Constant by George Constant, clippings and articles reviewing Constant's work, exhibition announcements and catalogs of Constant's shows, periodicals profiling his artwork, and dance and theater related programs that Constant consulted on.

Photographs include black and white prints of Constant and his family and friends in St. Louis, Missouri, Dayton, Ohio, and in and around his studio in Shinnecock Hills, New York. The collection also includes photo stills from his 1965 exhibition at the Parrish Art Museum and a comprehensive set of black and white prints, a handful of color prints, and several color slide sheets of Constant's artwork from the 1920s to 1978.

Arrangement note:

The collection is arranged into 4 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1923-2007 (Box 1; 17 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1930-1979 (Box 1-2; 1.4 linear feet)

Series 3: Printed Material, 1927-2005 (Box 2-3; 2 linear feet)

Series 4: Photographic Material, 1912-1978 (Box 4-6; 1 linear foot)

Biographical/Historical note:

Greek American George Zachary Constant (1892-1978) worked from his studios in Shinnecock Hills, and New York City, New York as a painter and printmaker. A founder and lifelong member of the Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors, Constant worked for the Work Projects Administration (WPA) during the Depression and early years of World War II, and exhibited regularly at major galleries and museums from the 1920s to 1970s.

Born in Arahova, Greece, Constant was raised by his two uncles after the death of his parents in 1896. In school and at the monestary one of his uncles led, Constant showed an early interest in classical Greek aesthetics. At the age of eighteen, he immigrated to the United States and continued his art studies at Washington University before transferring to the Art Institute of Chicago. From 1918 to 1922, Constant taught at the Dayton Art Institute and continued to produce and exhibit his work locally. In 1922, he moved to New York, joined the Society of Independent Painters, and became close friends with Society founder and art critic Walter Pach. During the 1920s, his etchings were shown at the Valentine and Downtown Galleries, and at the New Art Circle of J.B. Neumann, where he presented his first one man gallery show in 1929.

From the 1930s to 1940s, Constant produced prints, watercolors, and oil paintings for the WPA, many of which were purchased by museums and public institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museum. During this same period, Constant exhibited his work at the Boyer Gallery in the late 1930s, and at the Ferargil Gallery from the 1940s to early 1950s. In the decade between 1955 and 1965, Constant also worked on color and set design for seventeen dance productions created by the choreographer Alwin Nikolais. In the last two decades of his career, Constant produced works from his studio in Shinnecock Hills, New York and continued to exhibit at numerous galleries, including Grace Borgenicht Gallery, Guild Hall, Mari Galleries, Tirca Karlis Gallery, and Artium Gallery.

Provenance:

The papers of George Constant were donated by the artist in 1969 and 1978. Additional materials were donated in 2001 and 2007 by his daughter Georgette Preston.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment.

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.

Topic:

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Art -- Philosophy  Search this

Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Genre/Form:

Christmas cards

Photographs

Video recordings

Sound recordings

Interviews

Citation:

George Constant papers, 1912-2007, bulk 1932-1978. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art

Identifier:

AAA.consgeor

See more items in:

George Constant papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9cec7527c-1946-423b-aab7-e7728da8a072

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-consgeor

Creator:

Kamrowski, Gerome  Search this

Names:

Art Students League (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation  Search this

University of Michigan  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Breton, André, 1896-1966  Search this

Lange, Monique  Search this

Matter, Mercedes  Search this

Rebay, Hilla, 1890-1967  Search this

Sandler, Irving, 1925-  Search this

Interviewer:

Sawin, Martica  Search this

Extent:

8.3 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1938-2004

Scope and Contents:

Biographical material, photographs, project files, subject files, correspondence, printed material and audio visual material concerning Gerome Kamrowski's career as a Surrealist painter.

Biographical material includes curriculum vitae and an interrview transcript with Kamrowski by Michael Sherker. Photographs, slides and negatives are of Kamrowski, his family, studio, artwork, exhibition installations and exhibitions. The bulk of the project files concern individual works of art and include correspondence, reviews, photographs and miscellany. Subject files pertain to the University of Michigan, exhibitions that involved Kamrowski, organizations and people who worked with Kamrowski, and include correspondence and printed material.

Correspondence includes letters from Andre Breton, Monique Lange, Hilla von Rebay, Mercedes Matter, Irving Sandler, and numerous dealers and institutions including the Guggenheim Foundation, The Whitney Museum of Art, the Andre Emmerich Gallery, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Art Students League.

Audio visual material includes an interview on three cassettes of Kamrowski conducted by Martica Sawin, 1986, and three reels of motion picture film footage of sculptures, one labeled "Celestial Rhythms" and the others untitled, 1971. Printed material includes Kamrowski's portfolios, exhibition reviews, catalogs, and announcements, press releases, and newspaper clippings.

Biographical / Historical:

Gerome Kamrowski (1914-2004) was a Surrealist painter in New York, N.Y. and Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Provenance:

Donated 2008 by Mary Jane Kamrowski, Kamrowski's widow.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.

Occupation:

Painters -- Michigan -- Ann Arbor  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Surrealism  Search this

Function:

Artists' studios

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Identifier:

AAA.kamrgero

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93a2ced0e-0a2d-4b79-86e9-dab7b8d534b7

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-kamrgero

Interviewee:

Leslie, Alfred, 1927-  Search this

Interviewer:

Berman, Avis  Search this

Extent:

1 Item (sound file (2 hrs., 34 min.) Audio, digital, wav)

33 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2018 Sept. 14

Scope and Contents:

An interview with Alfred Leslie conducted 2018 September 14, by Avis Berman, for the Archives of American Art, at Leslie's studio in New York, N.Y.

Leslie speaks of his family history; his work as a gymnast; changing his surname; living with deafness since childhood; his early involvement in the Art Students League; enlisting and training in the U.S. Navy; his early artistic, musical, and literary production; studying and making art at NYU, Subjects of the Artist School, Studio 35, and The Club in the late 1940s; changes in his critical reputation and creative practice in the 1950s; his emergence as a filmmaker; the process of making The Last Clean Shirt; reflections on his work's engagement of its viewer; and reflections on the nature of discipline. Leslie also recalls Kimon Voyages, Flora Loebel, Leo Castelli, Lisa Bigelow, Caresse Crosby, Helen Frankenthaler, Nancy de Antonio, Barbara Rose, Ivan Olinsky, Frank DuMond, Reginald Marsh, Robert Beverly Hale, John McPherson, Harold Becker, Saul Colin, Grace Hartigan, Harry Jackson, Esta Teich, Allen Ginsberg, Tony Smith, Robert Goodnough, Robert Iglehart, William Baziotes, Hale Woodruff, Carl O. Podzus, Merce Cunningham, Ad Reinhardt, Robert Motherwell, Aristodemos Kaldis, Milton Resnick, Joop Sanders, Elaine de Kooning, Herbert Machiz, Ted Loos, Frank Stella, Eberhard Kornfeld, Arnold Rüdlinger, Walter Gutman, Harold Kanovitz, Frank O'Hara, Tony Schwartz, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

Interviewee Alfred Leslie (1927- ) is an artist in New York, N.Y. Interviewer Avis Berman (1949- ) is an art historian and author in New York, N.Y.

Related Materials:

The Archives of American Art also holds the papers of Alfred Leslie.

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 interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its Oral History Program interviews available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. Quotation, reproduction and publication of the recording is governed by restrictions. If an interview has been transcribed, researchers must quote from the transcript. If an interview has not been transcribed, researchers must quote from the recording. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

Filmmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Photographers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Lichtenberg Family Foundation.

Identifier:

AAA.leslie18

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw90814c784-0f89-4404-803e-15f5c732f0b7

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-leslie18