The papers of painter Ed Mieczkowski measure 7.1 linear feet and date from 1980- 2010. Included is biographical material, correspondence, diaries and other writings, photographs, sketchbooks and loose artwork, and printed material.
Biographical / Historical:
Ed Mieczkowski (1929-2017) was a painter in Cleveland, Ohio and Huntington Beach, California. Mieczkowski was one of the leaders of the Op art movement in America.
Provenance:
Donated 2013 and 2014 by Ed Mieczkowski.
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.
The papers of painter Frank Harmon Myers measure 2.2 linear feet and date from 1891 to 1976, with the bulk of the records dating from 1908 to 1963. The records shed light on the artist's career in Ohio and California through biographical materials, personal and professional correspondence, artwork, printed materials, and photographic materials.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter Frank Harmon Myers measure 2.2 linear feet and date from 1891 to 1976, with the bulk of the records dating from 1908 to 1963. The records shed light on the artist's career in Ohio and California through biographical materials, personal and professional correspondence, artwork, printed materials, and photographic materials.
Biographical materials include Myers' resume, letters that confirm some of the courses he studied and taught, one membership list and meeting minutes of the Carmel Art Association, notes from a Myers art lecture on Sante Fe, one sales ledger, and drafts and notes of "And The Glory," a biography on Myers written by his wife, Ella Price Myers. Correspondence is a mixture of personal and professional letters, shedding light on Myers' freidnships, personal and professional relationship with his wife, and his travels. Correspondents include artists Sheldon Dixie and Albert Berne, poet and advertiser John Bunker, Myers' nephew Sheldon, and his son Frank. The series also includes a map that of the United States on which Myers traced his sketching trips, 1926 to 1950, a cartoon by Herman Wessel, and clippings related to John Weis. Printed materials include newspaper and magazine clippings concerning Myers' artwork, career, and exhibitions, a series of advertisements illustrated by Myers, two lithographs of his artwork, and some exhibition ephemera. Artwork consists of childhood drawings by Myers of Native Americans, holiday themes, and portraits; later sketches, mostly in charcoal and pencil, include figure and portrait studies, city scenes, and several still lifes; one 1916 landscape painting by Myers, cloth with a linoleum block design, paint samples from Myers' studio, and small sketches and doodles drawn on scraps of paper. Photographic materials depict Myers' artwork, portraits of the artist, his family and friends, and his home in Pacific Grove.
A fair amount of the collection's files include notes with contextual information written by Ella Price Myers.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as five series.
Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1891-1976 (Box 1; .2 linear feet)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1921-1973 (Box 1-2; 1 linear feet)
Series 3: Printed Materials, 1924-1963 (Box 2, OV 3; .5 linear feet)
Series 4: Artwork, circa 1908-1956 (Box 2, OV 4; .6 linear feet)
Series 5: Photographical Materials, 1910-1962 (Box 2; 4 folders)
Biographical / Historical:
Frank Harmon Myers (1899-1956) was an impressionist painter and art educator who lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Pacific Grove, California. Myers was born in Cleves, Ohio, and moved to Cincinnati around 1907. His interest in art took off prior to his teenage years, illustrating a series of body-length portraits of Native Americans, several landscapes, and art with holiday themes. Myers studied at the Art Academy of Cincinnati under Frank Duveneck, H. H. Wessel, and John Ellsworth Weiss; took a summer course at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts under Daniel Garber, Hugh Henry Breckenridge, and Joseph Thurman Pearson Jr.; and the School of Fine Arts at Fontainebleau, France, under Jean Despujols and Gourguet. Myers began showing his art at the Closson Galleries circa 1920 and taught at the Art Academy of Cincinnati from 1921 to circa 1941. In 1932, Myers spent a year on sabbatical in Sante Fe, New Mexico, painting animals, people, ranches and farms, villages, and landscapes. He and his wife, Ella Price Myers, moved to Pacific Grove, California, in 1940 so that Myers could pursue painting full-time. His work was frequently exhibited at the Carmel Art Association from this point onwards, with additional solo shows at Pebble Beach Galleries, San Jose State College, M. H. De Young Museum, Crocker Art Gallery, and others. Myers paintings were featured in group exhibitions at The Salon, Paris, Harlow Galleries, New York, St. Louis City Museum, Missouri, Alright Museum, New York, and more. Myers served as president of the Carmel Art Association in 1953.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds one scrapbook of Frank Myers publicity, circa 1925-1945, lent for microfilming on reel D42. Loaned materials were returned to Ella Price Myers and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
The collection was donated by Ella Price Myers, Myers' widow, from 1960 to 1974. An addition was donated in 1994 by Myers' daughter-in-law Patricia Clarke Myers, ex-wife of Myers' only son Frank P. Myers.
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.
Frank Harmon Myers papers, 1891-1976. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Julian Stanczak, 1974 September 17. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Paul Travis, 1973 September 24. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Clarence Holbrook Carter, 1964 April 13. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The papers of portrait and genre painter Lilly Martin Spencer, measure 0.9 linear feet and date from 1828-1966. The collection includes biographical material, scattered lists, notes, receipts, and legal documents relating to Spencer's life and work, Spencer's business and family correspondence, printed material, a lithograph, photographs of Spencer and others, and photographs of Spencer's artwork.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of portrait and genre painter Lilly Martin Spencer, measure 0.9 linear feet and date from 1828-1966. The collection includes biographical material, scattered lists, notes, receipts, and legal documents relating to Spencer's life and work, Spencer's business and family correspondence, printed material, a lithograph, photographs of Spencer and others, and photos of Spencer's artwork.
The collection documents Spencer's popularity and success as a painter, her involvement with art associations and civic organizations such as Sorosis, and her personal life as a wife, mother, and breadwinner through correspondence with family, artists including John Sartain and Benjamin John Lossing, dealers including Samuel Putnam Avery, writers and editors such as Robert Green Ingersoll and Fannie Raymond Bitter, and social activists such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as four series:
Series 1: Biographical Material and Other Papers, 1853-1959 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1, OV 3)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1828-1966 (0.3 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)
Series 3: Printed Material, 1857-1961 (0.2 linear feet; Box 2, OV 3)
Series 4: Photographs, circa 1890-circa 1950 (0.1 linear feet; Box 2)
Biographical / Historical:
New York and Ohio painter Lilly Martin Spencer (1822-1902) was known for her popular portrait paintings and humorous domestic genre scenes.
Spencer was born Angelique Marie Martin in England to French parents, Giles and Angelique Martin, who were followers of the French social critic Charles Fournier. The family came to New York in 1830, moved to Marietta, Ohio, in 1833 and, in 1845, co-founded the communal settlement, Trumbull Phalanx, near Braceville, Ohio. In 1848, after her marriage to Benjamin Spencer at the age of 22, Spencer returned to New York. She achieved much success as a painter and was the main breadwinner for her family while giving birth to thirteen children, seven of whom survived to adulthood. The family moved several times, to Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio; Newark, New Jersey; and Highlands and Poughkeepsie, New York.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also has microfilm (reel 132) of the Martin family papers and Campus Martius Museum records regarding Lilly Martin Spencer. Originals are located at the Campus Martius Museum, Ohio Historical Society.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming on reel 131 including family history; biographical material; circa 50 photographs of Spencer and her paintings; M.A. thesis, "Lilly Martin Spencer: American Painter of the Nineteenth Century," by Ann Byrd Schumer; articles about Spencer's life and work, 1959; and a list of paintings owned by her granddaughter, Lillian Spencer Gates. Loaned materials were returned to the donor and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
The collection was donated to the Archives of American Art in 1971 by Lillian Spencer Gates, Spencer's granddaughter.
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.
Elizabeth Hertz letters from artists measure 0.21 linear feet and date from 1943-2006. Thirty-five letters and cards, mainly from William and Marguerite Zorach, document daily activities, visits, and reference art exhibitions and lectures. Also included are a few cards and letters from Tessim and Peggy Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, and one letter from the Dayton Art Institute where Zorach lectured in 1951, for which the visit was facilitated by Elizabeth Hertz.
There is a 12 item unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2023 that includes twelve letters from Stanton Macdonald-Wright to Elizabeth Hertz. Materials date from 1967-1969.
Scope and Contents:
Elizabeth Hertz letters from artists measure 0.21 linear feet and date from 1943-2006. Thirty-five letters and cards, mainly from William and Marguerite Zorach, document daily activities, visits, and reference art exhibitions and lectures. Also included are a few cards and letters from Tessim and Peggy Zorach and Dahlov Ipcar, and one letter from the Dayton Art Institute where Zorach lectured in 1951, for which the visit was facilitated by Elizabeth Hertz.
There is a 12 item unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2023 that includes twelve letters from Stanton Macdonald-Wright to Elizabeth Hertz. Materials date from 1967-1969.
Arrangement:
Series 1: Elizabeth Hertz letters from William and Marguerite Zorach, 1943-2006 (Box 1; 0.2 linear ft.)
Series 2: Unprocessed Addition, 1967-1969 (Folder 2; 12 items)
This collection is arranged as two series.
Biographical / Historical:
(Grace) Elizabeth "Beth" Hertz (1920- ) is an artist and was a student of William Zorach's at the Art Students League in New York. Hertz maintained a relationship with William and Marguerite, as well as with their children Tessim and Dahlov. Following her time as Zorach's student, Hertz visited their summer home at Robinhood Farm in Georgetown, Maine, where she assisted in daily chores while receiving critiques on her artwork. Into the 1950s, visits were more infrequent but Hertz still looked to Zorach for advice on her art career and frequently exchanged news about their families and careers. In 1951 Elizabeth Hertz facilitated William Zorach's guest lecture at the Dayton Art Institute Commencement Dinner.
Hertz also studied the work of Stanton Macdonald-Wright and wrote her MFA thesis "The Continuing Role of Stanton-MacDonald Wright and Synchronism in Modern Painting, "Ohio University, 1968.
Related Materials:
Also found at the Archives of American Art are the Zorach Family papers, 1900-1987 and the Stanton Macdonald-Wright papers, 1890-2008.
Provenance:
The Elizabeth Hertz letters from artists, 1943-2006, was donated by Leah Hertz, daughter-in-law of Elizabeth Hertz, in 2017 and 2023.
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.
Schevill, William Valentine, 1864-1951 Search this
Names:
Schevill, Ferdinand, 1868-1954 -- Portraits Search this
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930 Search this
Extent:
5.3 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
[ca. 1880-1935]
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence; art work, consisting of sketches (including a pencil sketch of Ferdinand Schevill), sketchbooks, drawings, and oil sketches on board; lists of works kept by his wife, Elizabeth Meier Schevill; exhibition announcements; clippings; photographs of Schevill, his family, his work, and his studio/living quarters in Munich, Germany; reference photographs; and printed material. Included in the correspondence is a note from President Taft and a telegram from Princess Irene of Prussia.
Biographical / Historical:
Portrait painter; Cincinnati, Oh., St. Louis, Mo., New York, N.Y., and Munich, Germany. The original spelling of the family name was Schwill. Among Schevill's important sitters are Prince Henry of Prussia, Schevill's brother, the historian Ferdinand Schevill, and President William Howard Taft.
Provenance:
Donated 1996 by Barbara Lawrence (Mrs. William E.) Schevill, daughter-in-law of William V. Schevill and in 1998 by Peter Lawrence, a grandson.
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:
Portrait painters -- Ohio -- Cincinnati Search this
Portrait painters -- Germany -- Munich Search this
The papers of painter and printmaker Alberta Cifolelli measure 0.8 linear feet and date from 1944 to 2010. The bulk of the collection relates to Cifolelli's exhibition career in Cleveland, Ohio and Westport, Connecticut. Found are biographical materials including recorded interviews; correspondence with artists and friends; personal photographs; and printed material. Also found is a digitial video recording about artist William Putch, Cifolelli's cousin.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter and printmaker Alberta Cifolelli measure 0.8 linear feet and date from 1944 to 2010. The bulk of the collection relates to Cifolelli's exhibition career in Cleveland, Ohio and Westport, Connecticut. Found are biographical materials including recorded interviews; correspondence with artists and friends; personal photographs; and printed material. Also found is a digitial video recording about artist William Putch, Cifolelli's cousin.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Alberta Cifolelli (1931-2022) was a painter and printmaker in Cleveland, Ohio and Westport, Connecticut. She graduated from The Cleveland Institute of Art and later taught at the school while raising a family. Often, she showed her works at the Cleveland Museum of Art's annual May Shows. Cifolelli and her husband Charles P. Lamb, Jr, and sons moved to Connecticut where she continued to exhibit her works. In 1984, she designed the White House's annual commemorative Easter Egg. Cifolelli died in Connecticut in 2022.
Provenance:
Donated 2005-2011 by Alberta Cifolelli.
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.
Autobiographical essays; an obituary; awards; letters from the Carnegie Institute, the Society of Illustrators, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Milch Galleries, Grand Central Art Galleries, and others; correspondence with Marvin J. Gross, Don Kingman, Karal Ann Marling, Ernest W. Watson, and others; writings by Riba including an essay on Magic Realism and a draft of a book "Anatomy for the Artist"; sketches; photographs and printed material concerning his commissioned murals for the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (1937), the Cleveland Automobile Club (1947), the Warner and Swasey Company in Cleveland (1953), Statler Hotels, Cleveland, and others; papers concerning the Paul Riba Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Cleveland Institute of Art; photographs of Riba and his paintings; exhibition catalogs and announcements; tearsheets of Riba's illustrations; andnewspaper and magazine clippings.
Biographical / Historical:
Muralist, illustrator, educator; Cleveland, Ohio. Riba studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Cleveland Institute of Art. After a career as a mural painter and an illustrator in advertisting, he joined the faculty of The Cleveland Institute of Art, where he taught for fourteen years. Riba's style is often identified as Magic Realism.
Provenance:
Donated 1997 by Nell Riba Hutt.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
Gaertner, Carl F. (Carl Frederick), 1898-1952 Search this
Extent:
0.5 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings
Date:
1925-1953
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence; sketches and drawings; photographs of Gaertner and his works; an exhibition catalog, 1953; records of talks; a clipping; and miscellany.
The donor, Mrs. Adelle Bruce, was Carl Gaertner's wife.
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.
An interview of Julian Stanczak conducted 1974 September 17, by Dennis Barrie, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Julian Stanczak (1928-) is a painter, printmaker, and educator from Seven Hills, Ohio.
General:
Originally recorded 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 41 min.
The transcript is of the second reel. The first reel is untranscribed due to poor sound quality.
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.
The papers of painter, muralist and teacher, William C. Grauer, measure 1.1 linear feet and date from 1922-2001. Included is biographical material, photographs and slides, artwork, printed material and correspondence. Biographical material includes a brief biographical note, written and delivered by Grauer's daughter, Gretchen Vanderhoof, on the occasion of the 1993 Cleveland Artists Foundation benefit and awards, resumes, and interview transcripts with Grauer conducted by family members. Photographs and slides are of Grauer, his family and friends, his studio, and his paintings and murals. Artwork consists of several small ink and watercolor sketches of urban scenes, animals, and the human figures by Grauer. Printed material includes clippings, brochures, and exhibition announcement and invitiation related to Grauer's career as a muralist and his work at Old White Art Colony. Also included is scattered correspondence.
Biographical / Historical:
William C. Grauer (1895-1985) was a painter, muralist, and teacher in Cleveland, Ohio and White Sulphur Springs, W.V. Grauer co-founded and taught at the Old White Art Colony in White Sulphur Springs, W.V. from 1934-1940.
Provenance:
Donated 2012 by Gretchen Grauer Vanderhoof, William C. Grauer's daughter and in 2020 by Vanderhoof and Melanie McGauran, Grauer's granddaughter.
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.
Mostly photographs of portraits by Bessie Wessel. Also included is a scrapbook of clippings about the Wessels, articles on Frank Duveneck and the Cincinnati Art Club (of which Herman Wessel was president), a biography of Bessie Wessel, three sketches by Herman Wessel, two typed class lectures by Robert Henri, and miscellany.
Biographical / Historical:
Painters; Cincinnati, Ohio. The Wessels studied under Frank Duveneck and others at the Cincinnati Art Academy. Herman Wessel was also an etcher and instructor.
Provenance:
Lent 1974 by Robert Wessel, the Wessels' son.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Correspondence; writings; exhibition catalogs and announcements; sketches and sketchbooks; photographs; clippings; and miscellany.
REELS 1035-1036: A manuscript of an unpublished autobiography "written primarily to record the circumstances of the Art World in the City of Cleveland during my lifetime and from the point of view of the participant." In addition there are essays by Wilcox on art; transcribed letters written to his family from Europe, 1910-1911; an 8 page paper on Wilcox by Paul J. Blanock; magazine articles, reproductions, clippings; and exhibition catalogs and announcements.
REELS 1148-1149: 34 letters received from Paul Travis, Henry Keller, Horace Potter, Norman Kent, Charles Burchfield, and Marshall Fredericks; manuscripts of an unpublished autobiography and an illustrated novel by Wilcox; 562 sketches and 2 sketchbooks; 11 photographs; exhibition catalogs and annoucements; clippings; and miscellany.
REEL 3482: A letter, April 1, 1930, from E. Weyhe to Mrs. Malcolm McBride, about exhibiting watercolors by Wilcox; 3 exhibition announcements; clippings; and a magazine.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter; Cleveland, Ohio.
Provenance:
Material on reels 1035-1036 lent for microfilming 1975 and material on reels 1148-1149 and reel 3482 donated 1976 by Mrs. Frank Wilcox, Wilcox's widow.
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.
Papers relating to Adomeit's involvement in Cleveland, Ohio art organizations, primarily the Cleveland Society of Artists.
REEL 1051: 13 issues of THE SKETCH BOOK, January 1883-February 1884, published by the Cleveland Academy of Art, including reproductions of work by George Groll, Archibald Willard, Otto Bacher, Kenyon Cox, and others, and biographical material on the artists represented; a nearly complete run of SILHOUETTE, 1925-1948, published by the Cleveland Society of Artists; a photograph of a Society banquet; exhibition catalogs; a sketchbook by Earl Teale; photographs of Cleveland artists on sketching trips, ca. 1910 and ca. 1958; and a photo of Wilbur Oakes, ca. 1880.
REEL 1159: 3 letters to Adomeit, a photograph of Charles Shackleton, board minutes of the Municipal Collection of Cleveland Art, and records of the Cleveland Society of Artists, including constitution and by-laws, exhibition invitations and announcements, and auction announcements.
REEL 2786: Adomeit's membership card to the Cleveland Society of Artists, 1928; a catalog, "An Exhibition of Oil Paintings by Cleveland Artists," 1930; a clipping concerning the Cleveland Art Association's gift of an Adomeit painting to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1968; and miscellany.
UNMICROFILMED: Primarily negatives of works of art by Adomeit, 1906-1953 and undated; Also included are ca. 20 v. of sketchbooks, undated; a journal, undated; scattered correspondence, 1937-1994 and undated; information relating to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1927 and undated; transcript of station WTAM's Radio Talk "THE EARLY DAYS OF ART IN CLEVELAND", by E.W. Palmer,July 22, 1935; catalogs, 1937-1952 and undated; miscellaneous newspaper clippings, 1912-1968 and undated; photographs of works of art by Adomeit, 1992 and undated; 2 copper plates for paintings by Adomeit, undated; miscellaneous works of art by Adomeit, undated; and miscellaneous photographs of works of art,undated.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter; Cleveland, Ohio. Born 1879 in Memel, Germany. Active in Cleveland, Ohio art organizations, primarily the Cleveland Society of Artists, whose members comprised professional and amateur artists of Northern Ohio. The society conducted classes, lectures, tours, and exhibitions, and functioned as an important social outlet for the area's artists.
Provenance:
Material on reels 1051 and 1159 lent for microfilming 1975-1976; material on reel 2786 donated in 1978 all by Ruth Adomeit. The unmicrofilmed material was received in 1996 from the Ruth Adomeit estate.
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.
An interview of Paul Travis conducted 1973 September 24, by Dennis Barrie, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Paul Travis (1891-1975) was a painter from Cleveland, Ohio. Birth date listed as both 1891 and 1898.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 1 hr., 3 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Duveneck, Josephine W. (Josephine Whitney), 1891-1978 Search this
Extent:
19 Items ((on partial microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
[ca.1969-1982]
Scope and Contents:
Letters, greeting cards, and printed material sent to William andIlka Dickman from and regarding Josephine W. Duveneck, her husband Frank, and her father-in-law, painter Frank Duveneck. Included are 10 letters and cards from Mr. and Mrs. Frank Boott and Josephine, regarding the Duveneck family, their ranch "Hidden Villa" in California, and their social and political activities. One card contains a photo of the Duvenecks, and another shows them with their family at their fiftieth wedding anniversary.
Also included are a letter from Elizabeth Goodman of Los Altos Hills, Calif., telling of Josephine Duveneck's death; a eulogy given by Wallace Stegner at Josephine Duveneck's memorial service; a letter from Stacy French, president of the Friends of Hidden Villa, to members regarding its future after Josephine Duveneck's death; a booklet, Hidden Villa Tales, written and autographed by Josephine Duveneck; a flyer promoting Josephine's autobiography; a catalogue (not filmed in its entirety) and an invitation for a 1972 exhibition of Frank Duveneck's work at the Chapellier Gallery, N.Y.; and 2 books (not microfilmed) by Josephine: Frank Duveneck-Painter,Teacher, and her autobiography, Life on Two Levels.
Biographical / Historical:
The Dickmans, of Alexandria, Va., were friends with Frank Boott and Josephine Whitney Duveneck of Los Altos, Calif. Frank Boott Duveneck was the son of the Cincinnati-based painter Frank Duveneck, and Josephine was the daughter of a prominent Boston family. Together, the Duveneck's lived on their ranch, "Hidden Villa," which was also used as a summer camp for poor, inner-city children and as a base for Josephine's social and environmental work. She wrote a biography of her father-in-law, Frank Duveneck, as well as an autobiography.
Provenance:
Donated by William J. Dickman, 1982.
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.
Letters from John S. Mosby about Beck's painting of Mosby with his Civil War Cavalry unit, and a rough sketch of the painting; Beck's 1913 daily calendar; a collection of signatures; notes; Beck's World War I veterans pin; and a scrapbook of portraits of Civil War soldiers by Beck, comprising photographs and details on each work.
Biographical / Historical:
Walter Beck (1864-1954) was a portrait painter in Dayton, Ohio.
Provenance:
Transferred 1979 by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, who purchased Beck's Civil War portraits, and in 2015 by the Smithsonian American Art/ Portrtait Gallery Library.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
The papers of painter and educator Hughie Lee-Smith measure 33.7 linear feet and 0.381 GB and date from circa 1890 to 2007, with the bulk of the material dating from 1931 to 1999. The collection documents Lee-Smith's career through biographical material, personal and professional correspondence, writings by Lee-Smith and others, personal business records, exhibition files, organization records, printed material, scrapbooks, photographs, a small amount of artwork, numerous interviews, and recordings for a documentary film on Lee-Smith. Also found are the papers of artist Rex Goreleigh, a friend of Lee-Smith.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter and educator Hughie Lee-Smith measure 33.7 linear feet and 0.381 GB and date from circa 1890 to 2007, with the bulk of the material dating from 1931 to 1999. The collection documents Lee-Smith's career through biographical material, personal and professional correspondence, writings by Lee-Smith and others, personal business records, exhibition files, organization records, printed material, scrapbooks, photographs, a small amount of artwork, numerous interviews, and recordings for a documentary film on Lee-Smith. Also found are the papers of artist Rex Goreleigh, a friend of Lee-Smith.
Biographical material includes records of Hughie Lee-Smith's schooling, military service, and awards, as well as resumes, bibliographies, and biographical summaries. Also found are family records, including the papers of his mother, Alice Carroll.
Lee-Smith's correspondence is with family, students, arts and cultural organizations, as well as schools, galleries, and museums, primarily regarding his participation in events and exhibitions. He also corresponded with fellow artists, such as Clarence Holbrook Carter, Reginald Gammon, Joseph Hirsch, Carol Wald, and Hale Woodruff, among many others. He maintained extensive correspondence with artist Sophie Wessel.
Lee-Smith's writings include artist statements and personal writings on his history and early influences, as well as many draft lectures and speeches, school writings, notes, and untitled writing fragments. Writings by others primarily include student essays and articles on the topic of Lee-Smith's work. Personal business records include scattered financial documents, including artwork sales records, and contracts and agreements with various art galleries and other organizations. Also found are files regarding his art commissions, gifts, professional activities, and records of his employment at the Art Students League. Exhibition files document select exhibitions in which Hughie Lee-Smith participated, primarily during the 1980s and 1990s. Organization records were maintained by Lee-Smith to document his participation in various groups, such as the National Academy of Design, Ira Aldridge Society, and Audubon Artists.
Printed material consists primarily of exhibition announcements and invitations for exhibitions of Lee-Smith's work, as well as news clippings, magazines, press releases, and publications from various art organizations and schools. One scrapbook contains exhibition announcements additional loose scrapbook pages document his early career. Photographs include many portraits of Hughie Lee-Smith, Lee-Smith in his studio, at events, and with friends and family. Additionally there are many photographs, slides, and transparencies of Lee-Smith's artwork. Also found are five photograph albums. A small amount of original artwork includes drawings by Lee-Smith and two sketchbooks belonging to his wife Patricia.
The collection includes numerous interviews of Hughie Lee-Smith, recorded on 37 sound cassettes, one sound tape reel, and four video cassettes. One audio interview is in digital format. Also found are planning documents, research material, and video footage for a documentary about the life and work of Hughie Lee-Smith, produced by New Deal Films, Inc, but never completed. Footage includes interviews with artists and art historians regarding Lee-Smith, gallery events, and images of his paintings.
The papers of artist Rex Goreleigh primarily documents his later life and includes a letters, biographical documents, printed material, estate records, and photographs and slides depicting Goreleigh, his studio, and artwork. Hughie Lee-Smith was close friends with Goreleigh and served as executor of his estate.
Also of note is a scrapbook put together for Goreleigh's 70th birthday in 1972. Of note is one scrapbook which contains photographs, notes, and artwork by fellow artists and students, including drawings by Romare Bearden and Hughie Lee-Smith.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 13 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1890-2001 (1.7 linear feet; Box 1-2, 35, RD 38)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1931-2006 (6.1 linear feet; Box 2-8, 0.006 GB; ER01)
Series 3: Writings, circa 1934-1998 (0.8 linear feet; Box 8-9)
Series 4: Personal Business Records, 1934-2001 (1.6 linear feet; Box 9-11, 35)
Series 5: Exhibition Files, circa 1973-2001 (1.2 linear feet; Box 11-12)
Series 6: Organization Records, 1941-2005 (2.1 linear feet; Box 12-14)
Series 7: Printed Material, 1919, 1930-2007 (8.5 linear feet; Box 14-22, 34)
Series 8: Scrapbooks, circa 1938-1990s (0.2 linear feet; Box 22, 35)
Series 9: Photographs, circa 1890-2003 (4.4 linear feet; Box 22-26, 35, OV 37)
Series 10: Artwork, circa 1940s-1980s (0.2 linear feet; Box 26)
Series 11: Interviews, 1973-1998 (2.1 linear feet; Box 26-28, 0.375 GB; ER02)
Series 12: Documentary Film Materials, 1985-2004 (3.5 linear feet; Box 28-32)
Series 13: Rex Goreleigh Papers, 1935-1994 (0.9 linear feet; 32-33, 36)
Biographical / Historical:
Hughie Lee-Smith (1915-1999) was a painter and educator in Ohio, Michigan, and New York. Born in Eustis, Florida, he lived for a period of time with family in Atlanta before joining his mother in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1925. In 1934 he received a scholarship to attend the Art School of the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts, and in 1935 returned to Cleveland to attend the Cleveland School of Art. While in school he began exhibiting his paintings and teaching part-time at Karamu House. From 1938 to 1940 Lee-Smith completed lithography commissions for the Ohio WPA. In 1941 he moved to Detroit, married his first wife Mabel Louise Everett, and worked at a Ford automobile factory. He was then drafted into the U.S. Navy as a mural artist. After the war he briefly returned to factory work before enrolling at Wayne State University, earning a degree in Art Education in 1953. From 1953 to 1965 he taught summer art classes at the Grosse-Point War Memorial in Detroit.
In 1957 Lee-Smith moved to the East Village in New York City, signed with the Janet Nassler Gallery (Petite Gallery), exhibited his work extensively, and joined several art organizations. He also taught art at schools in Princeton, New Jersey. In 1967 he became the second African-American member of the National Academy of Design. He was visiting instructor and artist-in-residence at several art programs, including Howard University, and taught at the Art Students League from 1972 to 1988. In 1978 he married his third wife, Patricia. The New Jersey State Museum organized an extensive retrospective of Lee-Smith's work in 1988 which travelled nationally. Despite ill-health in the mid-1990s, he continued to create new paintings and exhibit his work. In 1997 he moved with his wife to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he lived until his death in 1999.
Related Materials:
Also found at the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Hughie Lee-Smith conducted by Carroll Greene in 1968.
Provenance:
A small amount of material was donated 1969-1981 by Hughie Lee-Smith. Additional papers were donated in 2011 by Patricia Lee-Smith, widow of Hughie Lee-Smith.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. Fragile original address books are closed to researchers and have been digitized for access. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
Authorization to publish requires written permission from Robert Panzer, VAGA. The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, that they may own. Contact Reference Services for more information.
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