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Nell Blaine papers

Creator:
Blaine, Nell, 1922-1996  Search this
Names:
Griffin, Howard, 1915-1975  Search this
Harris, Carolyn, 1937-  Search this
Extent:
2.7 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1879
1940-1985
Summary:
The papers of New York painter, illustrator, and printmaker Nell Blaine measure 2.7 linear feet and date from 1879 (a single publication), and 1940-1985. The collection provides scattered documentation of Blaine's life and career through biographical material, correspondence, writings, business records, printed material, scattered artwork, and photographs. Also included in the collection are papers relating to the estate of Blaine's friend, Howard Griffin.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of New York painter, illustrator, and printmaker Nell Blaine measure 2.7 linear feet and date from 1879 (a single publication), and 1940-1985. The collection provides scattered documentation of Blaine's life, career, and relationships within the art world through biographical material, correspondence, writings, business records, printed material, scattered artwork, and photographs depicting Blaine's exhibitions, friends, homes, studios, and artwork. Also included in the collection are papers relating to the estate of Blaine's friend, Howard Griffin. A large proportion of the collection consists of photocopies of original papers and is annotated with Blaine's notes explaining the context and significance of many of the papers.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 7 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1950s-1985 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1879, 1940-1985 (0.9 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, 1940s-1980s (0.1; Box 2)

Series 4: Personal Business Records, 1949-1983 (0.4 linear feet; Box 2)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1940s-1980s (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 2-3, OV 5)

Series 6: Artwork, circa 1950s-1984 (0.1 Linear feet; Box 3, OV 5)

Series 7: Photographs, 1940s-1980s (0.4 Linear feet; Boxes 3-4)
Biographical / Historical:
Nell Blaine (1922-1996) was a painter, printmaker, and illustrator from Richmond, Virginia, who was active in New York City, New York, and Gloucester Massachusetts. Blaine's early work was abstract, and later evolved to figurative and landscape painting.

Blaine was born in 1922 with severe visual impairments. She received corrective surgery as a child and quickly found a desire to draw and paint what she was finally able to see. Her art education began at the Richmond School of Art and later moved to New York City where she studied under Hans Hofmann. By 1943 Blaine had joined the American Abstract Artists group as the group's youngest member at the age of 21. This association led to her first solo exhibition at Jane Street Gallery, an early artists' cooperative, in 1945. Blaine was a founding member of the Greenwich Village gallery, and her circle of friends included New York artists and poets such as John Ashbery, Leland Bell, Rudy Burckhardt, Willem de Kooning, Robert De Niro Sr., Jane Freilicher, Kenneth Koch, Lee Krasner, Frank O'Hara, and Louisa Matthiasdottir. From 1943-1949 Blaine was married to musician Bob Bass. Blaine exhibited solo at the Tibor de Nagy Gallery in 1953 and was represented by the Poindexter Gallery and the Fischbach Gallery.

In the 1950s, Blaine moved to Paris where she lived with friends including Larry Rivers. She was also a close friend of poet and art writer Howard Griffin, and illustrated a limited edition of his Four Poems and served as executrix of his estate.

In 1959, Blaine contracted polio while traveling in Greece. She used a wheelchair for the rest of her life but was able to resume painting after intense rehabilitation to regain the use of her hands.

By the mid-1970s Blaine had moved to Gloucester, Massachusetts where she maintained a summer home for the rest of her life, while also sharing an apartment and studio in New York with artist Carolyn Harris, who was her partner for over thirty years.

Nell Blaine died in 1996 in New York City.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art are an interview of Nell Blaine conducted 1967 June 15, by Dorothy Seckler, and the Nell Blaine letters to Robert A. Wilson, 1963-1995.

Additional papers of Nell Blaine are also held by Harvard University.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of scrapbooks loaned for microfilming on reel D311. Loaned materials were returned to the donor and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
Nell Blaine loaned a portion of her papers for microfilming on reel D311. She later donated her papers to the Archives of American Art in 1980 and 1985. The Howard Griffin papers included in the collection were received by Blaine as executrix of Griffin's estate.
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
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Gloucester  Search this
Printmakers -- Massachusetts -- Gloucester  Search this
Illustrators -- Massachusetts -- Gloucester  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women printmakers  Search this
Scrapbooks  Search this
Citation:
Nell Blaine papers, 1879, 1940-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.blainell
See more items in:
Nell Blaine papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93f378bff-2465-43a6-a48b-3458d786cce4
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-blainell
Online Media:

Dorothy Dehner papers

Creator:
Dehner, Dorothy, 1901-1994  Search this
Names:
Philadelphia Art Alliance  Search this
Willard Gallery  Search this
Graham, John, 1887-1961  Search this
Matulka, Jan, 1890-1972  Search this
Smith, David, 1906-1965  Search this
Extent:
4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sketchbooks
Date:
1920-1987
bulk 1951-1987
Summary:
The papers of sculptor Dorothy Dehner measure 4 linear feet and date from 1920 to 1987, with the bulk of the material dating from 1951 to 1987. The collection documents Dehner's life, work, and professional and personal relationships, with particular focus on her mid-to-late career. Papers include extensive correspondence, business and financial papers, sound recordings and transcripts of interviews, writings by Dehner and others, printed material documenting Dehner's career, scattered photographs, two etchings, and scattered personal papers and material relating to David Smith.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of sculptor Dorothy Dehner measure 4 linear feet and date from 1920 to 1987, with the bulk of the material dating from 1951 to 1987. The collection documents Dehner's life, work, and professional and personal relationships, with particular focus on her mid-to-late career. Papers include extensive correspondence, business and financial papers, sound recordings and transcripts of interviews, writings by Dehner and others, printed material documenting Dehner's career, scattered photographs, two etchings, and scattered personal papers and material relating to David Smith.

Comprising a series of biographical material are personal papers such as notes on Dehner's biography and career, a list of things taken from Bolton Landing, and material relating to David Smith including a copy of his last will and testament, a letter of introduction (dating from their trip to Europe in the mid-1930s), and a chronology of Smith's life.

Correspondence consists of numerous letters and enclosures concerning both professional and personal matters. Correspondents include artists, museums, galleries, art dealers, researchers, curators, friends, and relatives. Correspondence documents Dehner's various personal and professional relationships, the active role she played in promoting and exhibiting her art work, as well as the key role she played in fostering art historical research on David Smith, herself, and other artists of her era, and her many other creative activities, including her various writing efforts.

Interviews include sound recordings of four interviews with Dehner, and a recording of an interview conducted with her for a documentary on David Smith. Also found is a transcription of an interview for which there is no recording.

Writings shed light on other aspects of Dehner's creativity and concerns. Dehner's writings include poems, such as one dated from high school and drafts of poems published in Tracks); and various pieces on John Graham. These include versions of a memoir, which were published as a foreword to the re-issue of System and Dialectics of Art, and as an article in Leonardo). Also found are writings on David Smith, including articles recalling Dehner's first meeting with him, and on Smith's 1940 work "Medals for Dishonor;" lectures and speeches; and various writings on art and other topics. Writings by others include essays on Dehner by Joan Marter and Judith McCandless.

Dehner's business and financial records document transactions with various galleries and art organizations and include records of loans, exhibitions, and sales through files for the Parsons-Dreyfuss Gallery, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Willard Gallery, and others. The series also includes scattered records relating to personal business matters and finances, such as Dehner's lists of artwork loaned, exhibited, and sold, receipts, tax records, and exhibition visitor books.

Printed material includes exhibition catalogs and announcements for Dehner's group and solo shows, and clippings on Dehner and a few other artists including David Smith. Artwork consists of two etchings, and photographs include photographs of Dehner, her second husband Ferdinand Mann, John Graham, and various works of art. Also found is an abstract photograph by David Smith, dating from circa 1934.
Arrangement:
The Dorothy Dehner papers are arranged into 8 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1935-1982 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1927-1987 (Boxes 1-3; 2.2 linear feet)

Series 3: Interviews and Transcripts, 1963-1981 (Boxes 3-4; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 4: Writings, 1920-1987 (Box 3; 0.25 linear feet)

Series 5: Business and Financial Records, 1940-1987 (Box 3; 0.25 linear feet)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1940-1987 (Boxes 3, 5; OV 6; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 7: Art Work, circa 1930s-circa 1960s (Box 5, OV 6; 0.05 linear feet)

Series 8: Photographs, 1930s-1986 (Box 5; 0.15 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
Dorothy Dehner was an abstract sculptor of the New York school who was also an accomplished painter, printmaker, author, and educator.

Dehner was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1901. Her father died when she was about ten and the family moved to Pasadena, California in 1915. After the death of her mother and sister, she was raised by her mother's sister, Aunt Florence. Dehner was exposed to art as a child, receiving instruction in drawing and painting. She studied drama for a year at UCLA in 1922-1923 before moving to New York with the intention of pursuing a theatrical career. In 1925, she traveled alone to Europe, where she visited Italy, Switzerland, and France and where she began to draw seriously.

Upon her return to New York, Dehner enrolled in the Art Students League intending to study sculpture, but, uninspired by the work of William Zorach's sculpture class, ended up studying drawing with Kimon Nicolaides instead. In 1926, she met fellow artist David Smith in the rooming house they shared. At her suggestion, he too enrolled in the Art Students League. In 1927, they were married.

At the League, Dehner and Smith studied with the modernist painter, Jan Matulka, and befriended Weber and Thomas Furlong, through whom they met the Russian painter and theoretician, John Graham. Graham introduced them to the avant-garde art world and had a profound influence on Dehner and Smith and their work. Other young artists they befriended at this time included Adolph Gottlieb, Mark Rothko, and Edgar and Lucille Corcos Levy. In 1929, after a visit to the Furlong's summer home in upstate New York, Dehner and Smith bought a farm in Bolton Landing, which became their permanent home in 1940 and was later named Terminal Iron Works. They spent eight months in the Virgin Islands, in 1931-1932, where Dehner painted abstract still lifes of shells and marine life. In the fall of 1935, they traveled to Europe, where they met up with Graham in Paris, spent five months in Greece, and toured the Soviet Union, with other stops along the way.

During her years at Bolton Landing (from 1940 to 1950), Dehner progressed in her work, producing a series of paintings titled Life on the Farm and embarking upon a series of abstract geometric drawings in ink and watercolor. In 1943, she had a joint exhibition with Smith at the Albany Institute of History and Art. Three years later, she participated in the annual exhibition of Audubon Artists and was awarded a first prize for drawing, and in 1948, she had her first one-woman show at Skidmore College.

Dehner left Bolton Landing in 1950 (she was divorced from Smith two years later) and returned to school, earning her degree from Skidmore College in 1952. She moved back to New York City, and supported herself over the next several years by teaching at various schools, including the Barnard School for Girls. She had her first solo exhibition in the city at the Rose Fried Gallery in 1952, and studied engraving at Stanley William Hayter's Atelier 17. At this point, Dehner started making sculpture, first experimenting in wax and then casting her wax sculptures in bronze. In 1955, she began working at the Sculpture Center, and from this point on, focused mainly on sculpture with occasional forays in drawing and printmaking. In addition to works in bronze, she went on to create sculptures in wood (during the 1970s) and steel (during the 1980s).

In 1955, Dehner married the New York publisher, Ferdinand Mann. That same year, she joined the Willard Gallery, run by Marian Willard. She had her first exhibition of drawings there in 1955 (which led to a solo exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago) and her first sculpture show there in 1957. Dehner continued to show at the Willard Gallery regularly until 1976. Over the next several decades, Dehner's work was frequently exhibited in solo and groups exhibitions at museums and galleries across the country, and was acquired for both public and private collections.

In addition to her art work, Dehner was also a published poet and writer. She wrote the foreword to the 1971 re-issue of John Graham's System and Dialectics of Art, and an essay on David Smith's "Medals for Dishonor," which was published in Art Journal in 1977. Two of her poems, "Past Tense" and "Two Lines," appeared in the journal Tracks in 1977.

Dehner continued to work into her nineties, and passed away in 1994.
Related Material:
Other resources in the Archives relating to Dorothy Dehner include oral history interviews with Dehner, October 1965 and December 1966, and a photograph of Dehner by Dena, 1966.
Separated Material:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming on reels D298 (portions), D298A, 1269 (portions) and 1372, including photographs of Dorothy Dehner and David Smith, sketchbooks, correspondence between Dehner and Smith, an inventory, and some printed material. Loaned materials were returned to the lender after filming and are not described in the collection Container Listing.
Provenance:
The Dorothy Dehner papers were donated from 1967-1987 in increments by Dorothy Dehner. Dehner also loaned material for microfilming between 1967 and 1977, some of which was subsequently donated. The art work in the collection most likely belonged to Garnett McCoy originally, and was included in the collection during processing in 2005.
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. Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
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
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Authors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women sculptors  Search this
Women printmakers  Search this
Women authors  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sketchbooks
Citation:
Dorothy Dehner papers, 1920-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.dehndoro
See more items in:
Dorothy Dehner papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94755f855-b54f-4a52-a95c-a8c0d6e92ba7
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-dehndoro
Online Media:

Jacques Joseph Camins films and posters

Creator:
Camins, Jacques Joseph, 1904-1988  Search this
Names:
Botkin, Henry, 1896-1983  Search this
Brigadier, Anne, 1908-1998  Search this
Greenwood, Marion, 1909-1970  Search this
Kaplan, Joseph, 1900-1980  Search this
Marantz, Irving, 1912-1972  Search this
Moy, Seong  Search this
Refregier, Anton, 1905-  Search this
Teichman, Sabina  Search this
Wilson, Sol  Search this
Extent:
0.5 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Motion pictures
Sound recordings
Video recordings
Date:
circa 1965
Summary:
The Jacques Joseph Camins films and posters measure 0.5 linear feet and date to circa 1965. The collection is comprised of ten 16 mm motion picture films by Camins, including artists and scenes from Provincetown, Rockport, and Gloucester, Massachusetts, and other unidentified locations. Nine of the reels were compiled into a single reel to transfer to video, including eight color, silent reels containing footage of the Art Students League Summer School in Woodstock, N.Y., Arnold Blanch and his students, Anton Refregier, Marion Greenwood, Howard Mandel, Julio de Diego, N. Dirk, Hans Hofmann, Morris Davidson, George Yeter, Seong Moy, and Karl Knaths. The ninth reel transferred to video contains black and white, silent home movies with family and beach scenes. A tenth reel, not transferred, is an edited film of Provincetown artists with music and narration, with footage of artists Seong Moy, Karl Knaths, Lily Harmon, Anne Brigadier, Sabina Teichman, Umberto Romano, Yeffe Kimball, Bruce McKain, Philip Malcoat, and others. Although it is an edited work, the film lacks a formal title. Also included are two original posters by Seong Moy and Anne Brigadier done for a screening of Camins's film on Provincetown; a sound tape reel (7") of an interview with Henry Botkin, Umberto Romano, Joseph Kaplan, Irving Marantz, Sol Wilson, Anne Brigadier, and Sabina Teichman, and a sound tape reel (7") of an interview of Karl Knaths, both conducted by Camins and untranscribed.
Scope and Contents:
The Jacques Joseph Camins films and posters measure 0.5 linear feet and date to circa 1965. The collection is comprised of ten 16 mm motion picture films by Camins, including artists and scenes from Provincetown, Rockport, Gloucester, Mass, and other unidentified locations. Nine of the reels were compiled into a single reel to transfer to video, including eight color, silent reels containing footage of the Art Students League Summer School in Woodstock, N.Y., Arnold Blanch and his students, Anton Refregier, Marion Greenwood, Howard Mandel, Julio de Diego, N. Dirk, Hans Hofmann, Morris Davidson, George Yeter, Seong Moy, and Karl Knaths. The ninth reel transferred to video contains black and white, silent home movies with family and beach scenes. A tenth reel, not transferred, is an edited film of Provincetown artists with music and narration, with footage of artists Seong Moy, Karl Knaths, Lily Harmon, Anne Brigadier, Sabina Teichman, Umberto Romano, Yeffe Kimball, Bruce McKain, Philip Malcoat, and others. Although it is an edited work, the film lacks a formal title. Also included are two original posters by Seong Moy and Anne Brigadier done for a screening of Camins's film on Provincetown, Mass; a sound tape reel (7") of an interview with Henry Botkin, Umberto Romano, Joseph Kaplan, Irving Marantz, Sol Wilson, Anne Brigadier, and Sabina Teichman, and a sound tape reel (7") of an interview of Karl Knaths, both conducted by Camins and untranscribed.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Jacques Joseph Camins (1904-1988) was a Russian-born american painter and printmaker who primarily lived and worked in the New York, New York area. He studied art in Paris and at the Art Students League.
Provenance:
The collection was donated to the archives in installments between 1975 and 1980 by Joseph Camins.
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. Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
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
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- History -- United States  Search this
Art, American -- Massachusetts -- Provincetown  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Motion pictures
Sound recordings
Video recordings
Citation:
Jacques Joseph Camins films and posters, circa 1965. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.camijacq
See more items in:
Jacques Joseph Camins films and posters
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9900f0b7f-fbe3-472b-a9f1-d18cd4d3a0a2
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-camijacq

Harold Baumbach papers

Creator:
Baumbach, Harold, 1903-  Search this
Names:
Gottlieb, Adolph, 1903-1974  Search this
Extent:
0.4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1934-1976
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Harold Baumbach measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1934 to 1976. The papers document Baumbach's career as a painter and printmaker through correspondence, including with Adolph Gottlieb, slides and transparencies of Baumbach and some of his artwork, clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, and various art newsletters edited by Maud Kemper Riley.
Biographical / Historical:
Harold Baumbach (1903-2002) was a painter and printmaker from New York, New York.

Born in New York City in 1903, Baumbach was a self-taught painter who began exhibiting his work in the 1930s. Baumbach started with landscape painting, but gradually moved to a more abstract style. From 1946 to 1966 he taught painting techniques at Brooklyn College and was one of the founders of the journal Art Front.

Baumbach died in 2002.
Provenance:
Donated 1977 by Harold Baumbach.
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.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.baumharo
See more items in:
Harold Baumbach papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98f52c62f-282f-45b9-ac0e-9e9a91cc23cd
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-baumharo

Robert Kipniss papers

Creator:
Kipniss, Robert  Search this
Extent:
3.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Date:
circa 1932-2023
Summary:
The papers of painter and printmaker Robert Kipniss measure 3.2 linear feet and date from circa 1932-2023. They illustrate his career through biographical material, correspondence, writings, and printed and photographic material.
Scope and Contents:
The Robert Kipniss papers measure 3.2 linear feet and date from circa 1932-2023. Biographical materials consist of Kipniss' CV, awards and honorary degrees, and an interview with WWNO New Orleans in digital format. Correspondence is personal and professional and is to and from Kipniss. Writings include the manuscript of Shine (2017) and Kipniss' thesis, as well as Kipniss' poetry. Printed materials consist of exhibition catalogs, news clippings, and materials about two exhibitions in digital format. Photographic materials consist of photographs of Kipniss, his exhibitions, and his artwork.
Arrangement:
This collection consists of five series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1979-2021 (.1 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1989-2017 (.2 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, circa 1954-2017 (.2 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 4: Printed Materials, circa 1952-2023 (1.9 Linear feet: Boxes 1, 2, 4, and 5)

Series 5: Photographic Materials, circa 1932-2007 (.8 Linear feet: Boxes 3, 5, and 6)
Biographical / Historical:
Robert Kipniss (1931-) is a painter and printmaker who works mainly in New York.

Kipniss was born in Brooklyn, New York. During his childhood he attended New York's Art Students League when he was sixteen on Saturdays and he began college in 1948, attending Wittenberg College in Springfield, Ohio for two years before transferring to the University of Iowa. After graduating with a B.A. in English Kipniss stayed at the university and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1954. After gaining this degree he, and his former wife Jean, moved to Manhattan and Kipniss was drafted into the United States Army in 1956 where he used his talent to create training aids.

Kipniss has written poetry, published books, and illustrated two volumes of poetry. He is known for his paintings, lithographs, and mezzotints. His early work was with paintings focusing on abstracts, biomorphic forms, landscapes, still lifes, and figures. The lithographs he later created followed this style. Kipniss did not fully focus on mezzotints until 1990 and had his first solo mezzotint show in 1992.

Since 1965 Kipniss has had more than twenty-two museum exhibitions around the world and his work is held by more than eighty-eight museums and institutions.

Kipniss currently maintains a studio on the Hudson River in Westchester County, New York and is married to his second wife Laurie Lisle.
Provenance:
Papers donated in 2013 by Robert Kipniss and in 2024 by Laurie Lisle, Kipniss' spouse.
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. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
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:
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Robert Kipniss papers, circa 1932-2023 Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.kipnrobe
See more items in:
Robert Kipniss papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw978d316a0-98bb-4563-b12e-697c4fbabe08
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-kipnrobe

Alice Baber papers

Creator:
Baber, Alice  Search this
Extent:
3.6 Linear feet ((ca. 120 items))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Interviews
Photographic slides
Date:
1934-1983
Scope and Contents:
Reels 4030-4032 A passport, 1951; 5 biographical accounts; 2 lists of exhibitions; correspondence, 1958-1983; the will of Dexter Baber; an inventory of possessions; income tax returns; loan applications; price lists, 1966-1981; contracts, 1968-1980; consignment agreements, 1976-1981; miscellaneous business records, 1962-1982; notes on poetry; notebooks from classes on religion and writing; course outlines, 1972; notes on color forum, 1972; notes for "Age of Color" article; essays by Baber on Paul Jenkins, on color, and on organic found form; writings about Baber; reviews of Baber's work, 1963-1975;
a scrapbook of printed material, 1973-1978; clippings, 1957-1983; press releases, 1963-1978; exhibition announcements and catalogues, 1958-1983; reproductions of works of art; articles "Women Artists on Tenth Street," by Nancy Ungar, "Conference of Women in the Visual Arts," 1972, and "Report on the Status of Faculty Women at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs," 1972; manuscript "Index for Nancy Hanks - Undistinguished Families" by Adin Baber; miscellaneous printed material, 1965-1978;
interview transcripts, "Reminiscences of the Tenth Street Days," with Charles Cajori and Lois Dodd, "American Women and Social Change - Women in Politics" with Mary Lou Burg, Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, and Patricia Lindh, "American Women and the Spirit of '76 - Women and Political Office" with Rita Hauser, and Magda Bleier, and "Women and the Law" with Marguerite Rawalt, Susan Ross, and Ruth Osborn;
photographs of Baber, 1957-1977, her family, Baber with Paul Jenkins, 1965, Baber participating in panel discussions and in the Professional Women Artists Project in Central Park, exhibition openings, installations, and of works of art and quilts;
Unfilmed material: untranscribed audio tape of a 1972 interview with Karl Fortess for the Archives of American Art; audio dub of a 1974 television program "Woman: the Artist," with Barbara Braathen; six video 1/2" video reels from "Funtioning in the Art World," 1977, with Sari Diemes, Isabel Bishop, C. Von Wiegand, Lil Picard, M. Citron, and Alice Neel; 61 slides of works of art; thirteen slides of a demonstration march; and twelve slides of a house.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter and printmaker; b. 1928, d. 1982.
Provenance:
Donated 1979-1985 by Alice Baber and Norbert Nelson.
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.
Occupation:
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women printmakers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Interviews
Photographic slides
Identifier:
AAA.babealic
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw914a6da4e-b925-47c5-b418-51638c1d9bf3
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-babealic

Nancy Spero papers

Creator:
Spero, Nancy, 1926-2009  Search this
Names:
A.I.R. Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Galerie Lelong (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Golub, Leon, 1922-2004  Search this
Mendieta, Ana, 1948-1985  Search this
Sosa, Irene  Search this
Extent:
26.4 Linear feet
19.12 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Sound recordings
Interviews
Video recordings
Documentary films
Motion pictures
Date:
1940s-2009
Summary:
The papers of painter, collage artist, and printmaker Nancy Spero measure 26.4 linear feet and 19.12 GB and are dated 1940s-2009. Biographical material, correspondence and other files documenting Spero's personal and professional relationships, interviews and writings, records of Spero's many exhibitions and projects, files highlighting the major subjects that galvanized her, business records, printed and photographic material, and digital and video recordings, offer detailed insight into the career of one of the earliest feminist artists.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter, collage artist, and printmaker Nancy Spero measure 26.4 linear feet and 19.12 GB and are dated 1940s-2009. Biographical material, correspondence and other files documenting Spero's personal and professional relationships, interviews and writings, records of Spero's many exhibitions and projects, files highlighting the major subjects that galvanized her, business records, printed and photographic material, and digital and video recordings, offer detailed insight into the career of one of the earliest feminist artists.

Biographical material includes biographical notes and curricula vitae, as well as several video recordings of documentaries about Spero by Patsy Scala and Irene Sosa which feature original footage of Spero at work. Correspondence is personal and professional, and includes letters from artists including Judy Chicago and Ana Mendieta, writers and curators such as Deborah Frizzell and Susanne Altmann, regarding Spero exhibition catalogs, monographs, and articles, and personal news from family members such as Spero's sons, and correspondence related to other aspects of Spero's career.

Interviews of Spero include transcripts, published interviews, and video recordings. Writings include many of Spero's statements about her work, as well as notes, published versions of articles written by Spero, and video recordings of talks and panel discussions she participated in.

Exhibition files for over 75 shows document the extent to which Spero's work has been widely exhibited in her lifetime with numerous solo exhibitions, including major retrospectives in London, Paris, Barcelona, and Madrid, and dozens of group exhibitions in which she participated over the course of her career.

Gallery and museum files supplement the exhibition files by further documenting Spero's dealings with numerous galleries and museums, including Galerie Lelong, which represents Spero's estate, Barbara Gross Galerie, the first gallery in Germany to represent Spero, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the National Gallery of Canada, and many others. The series also documents Spero's involvement with A.I.R. Gallery, the first independent women's art venue in the United States.

Professional files document other aspects of Spero's career including, but not limited to, awards she received, organizations she participated in or contributed to, publishing projects related to her work, and individual projects she executed such as an installation at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago and the Artemis, Acrobats, Divas & Dancers mosaic tiles she created for the Metropolitan Transit Authority for the 66th Street/Lincoln Center subway station. Also included here are files related to works of art such as Codex Artaud, and Notes in Time.

Subject files, contents of which were presumably used as source material for Spero, document subjects of interest to her, many of which were incorporated into her work and consists primarily of printed material. Broad subject categories include animal rights and conservation, feminism, war, and women. One set of folders documents "museum and political actions" undertaken by Spero and other activists during the 1960s-1970s to fight for equal representation of women in the arts and challenge the male-dominated hierarchy of the art world. Subject files include multiple news articles on torture, rape, and other atrocities committed particularly against women during wartime and by repressive and autocratic political regimes, and also include source material on the archetypal images of women that were fundamental to her interpretation of the female experience.

Printed material documents Spero's entire career from the late 1950s on. Announcements, exhibition catalogs, invitations, news clippings, and periodicals provide comprehensive coverage of her many exhibitions and other events. Printed material also documents the activities of a few other artists, primarily from the 2000s, and includes periodicals, primarily about art, and video recordings of documentaries about art and various other subjects.

Photographic material includes photographs of Nancy Spero from the 1940s on, photos of Spero with family and friends, and photographs of artwork including the heads of Spero's 2007 Maypole: Take No Prisoners which was the last major work completed before her death, originally realized for the Venice Biennale. Also found are a few installation shots and prints, slides, and digital images of Notes in Time at A.I.R. Gallery in 1979.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 11 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1950-2009 (Box 1, FC 30; 0.85 linear feet, ER01-ER04; 9.58 GB)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1946-2009 (Boxes 1-4, 27; 2.75 linear feet)

Series 3: Interviews, 1973-2007 (Boxes 4-5; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 4: Writings, 1950-2007 (Boxes 5-6; 1 linear foot)

Series 5: Exhibition Files, circa 1976-2009 (Boxes 6-9, 27, OV 28; 3.3 linear feet, ER09-ER10, ER14-ER17; 1.5 GB)

Series 6: Gallery and Museum Files, 1972-2009 (Boxes 9-14; 5.1 linear feet; ER05-ER08, ER12-ER13; 2.962 GB)

Series 7: Professional Files, circa 1967-2008 (Boxes 14-17, RD 29; 3.5 linear feet; ER15; 0.74 GB)

Series 8: Subject Files, 1950s-2009 (Boxes 17-19, 27, OV 28; 2.4 linear feet)

Series 9: Business Records, circa 1976-2008 (Boxes 19-20; 0.7 linear foot)

Series 10: Printed Material, 1949-2009 (Boxes 20-25, 27, OV 28; 5.5 linear feet)

Series 11: Photographic Material, 1940s-2009 (Boxes 25-27; 0.7 linear foot; ER18-ER19; 0.151 GB)
Biographical / Historical:
Nancy Spero (1926-2009) was a figurative painter, printmaker, and collage artist based in New York City whose work was executed primarily on paper from the 1960s on, and often incorporated text. Spero was among the first feminist artists and a political activist whose convictions were expressed relentlessly in her work. Using archetypal representations of women to examine the range of female experience, Spero centered "woman as protagonist" whilst simultaneously examining the suffering women have long been subjected to through structural inequality, the systematic abuses of repressive political regimes, and the atrocities of war.

Born in Cleveland, Nancy Spero lived in Chicago from the time she was a very young child until completing her studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA 1949) where she met her future husband, painter Leon Golub (1922-2004). Spero studied briefly in Paris and lived in New York City, returning to Chicago after her marriage in 1951. The couple and their two sons lived in Italy from 1956 to 1957. In 1959, after a few years in New York, the family moved to Paris where Spero developed an interest in existentialism and produced a series of black paintings. Spero and Golub returned to New York in 1964 with their three sons.

Nancy Spero was strongly affected by the war in Vietnam and the many social changes of the period. She became an activist and feminist, joined various organizations, and participated in a variety of demonstrations. Work such as the War series began to include political and sexual imagery, and Spero's work from here on was primarily executed on paper.

Spero was among the founding members of the women's cooperative A.I.R. Gallery established in 1972. In the 1970s archetypal representations of women in mythology, history, art, and literature became predominant in her work. Included in this vein are major series and installations, among them Torture of Women, Notes in Time on Women, The First Language, and her 66th Street/Lincoln Center subway station mosaic mural Artemis, Acrobats, Divas and Dancers.

Spero exhibited in the 1950 Salon des Independents and her first solo exhibition (in tandem with Leon Golub) was held at Indiana University in 1958. Thereafter, she showed sporadically until nearly 30 years later when her career flourished and she enjoyed international stature. Beginning in 1986, each year brought multiple solo exhibitions at galleries and museums in the United States and internationally. In addition, she continued to participate in group shows such as "Documenta" and the Venice Biennale. Her work is included in the permanent collections of museums throughout the world.

Awards and honors included the Skowhegan Medal for Works on Paper (1995), Hiroshima Art Prize shared with Leon Golub (1996), The Women's Caucus for Art award for Outstanding Achievement in Visual Arts (2003), and The Women's Caucus for Art Distinguished Artist Award for Lifetime Achievement (2005). Spero was awarded honorary Doctorates of Fine Arts by The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (1991) and Williams College (2001), and was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters (2006).

After several years of declining health, Nancy Spero died from heart failure in New York City, October 18, 2009.
Related Materials:
Also among the holdings of the Archives of American Art are an interview with Nancy Spero conducted 2008 Februay 6-July 24, by Judith Olch Richards, and the papers of Spero's husband, Leon Golub.
Provenance:
Following a gift of materials by Nancy Spero in 1979, the majority of the collection was donated by Spero's sons, Stephen Golub, Philip Golub, and Paul Golub, in 2013.
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. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
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:
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Collagists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Art -- Political aspects  Search this
Feminism and art  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women printmakers  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Video recordings
Documentary films
Motion pictures
Citation:
Nancy Spero papers, 1940s-2009. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.spernanc
See more items in:
Nancy Spero papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ee586015-b282-427f-88a2-0768b0b0e79b
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-spernanc
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Nell Blaine

Interviewee:
Blaine, Nell, 1922-1996  Search this
Interviewer:
Seckler, Dorothy Gees, 1910-1994  Search this
Names:
American Abstract Artists  Search this
Jane Street Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Bell, Leland  Search this
Day, Worden, 1916-1986  Search this
Freilicher, Jack  Search this
Freilicher, Jane, 1924-2014  Search this
Hofmann, Hans, 1880-1966  Search this
Kahn, Wolf, 1927-2020  Search this
Kresch, Albert, 1922-2022  Search this
Rivers, Larry, 1925-2002  Search this
Ross, Alvin, 1920-1975  Search this
Solomon, Hyde, 1911-  Search this
Extent:
86 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1967 June 15
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Nell Blaine conducted 1967 June 15, by Dorothy Seckler, for the Archives of American Art.

Blaine speaks of her family background; her competitive spirit; commercial art; becoming a "disciple" of Hans Hofmann; Hofmann as a teacher; the influence of Arp, Helion, Leger and Mondrian; the American Abstract Artists group; the Jane Street Gallery; jazz musicians; painting in Paris, Italy, Mexico, Greece, England, and elsewhere; her paralysis caused by polio; design work with Alvin H. Ross; her interest in color and light; landscape and figurative paintings; and the contemporary art scene. She recalls Leland Bell, Worden Day, Jane and Jack Freilicher, Wolf Kahn, Albert Kresch, Larry Rivers, Hyde Solomon, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Nell Blaine (1922-1996) was a painter in New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women printmakers  Search this
Poliomyelitis  Search this
Artists with disabilities  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.blaine67
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw90dab60cd-70c6-4a88-a98b-da4794a49583
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-blaine67
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Jan Wunderman, 1965 September 5

Interviewee:
Wunderman, Jan Darcourt, 1921-  Search this
Interviewer:
Seckler, Dorothy Gees, 1910-1994  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Jan Wunderman, 1965 September 5. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)11680
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)214139
AAA_collcode_wunder65
Theme:
Women
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_214139

Oral history interview with Jan Wunderman

Interviewee:
Wunderman, Jan Darcourt, 1921-  Search this
Interviewer:
Seckler, Dorothy Gees, 1910-1994  Search this
Extent:
17 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1965 September 5
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Jan Wunderman conducted 1965 September 5, by Dorothy Gees Seckler, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Jan Wunderman (1921-2014) was a painter and printmaker, born in France, who immigrated to to Canada as a child before settling in California and later in New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 32 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.wunder65
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9cdecc1a6-5507-44cd-babc-abe91474fe53
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-wunder65
Online Media:

Helen Gerardia papers

Creator:
Gerardia, Helen, 1903-1988  Search this
Extent:
2.4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Date:
circa 1945-1988
Summary:
The Helen Gerardia papers measure 2.4 linear feet and date from circa 1945-1988. They illustrate her career through biographical and printed materials, scrapbooks, and photographic material.
Scope and Contents:
The Helen Gerardia papers measure 2.4 linear feet and date from circa 1945-1988. Biographical materials include Gerardia's resume, samples of her signature, miscellaneous correspondence to and from Gerardia with museums, galleries, and business colleagues, and biographical information for the publication Who's Who in American Art. Printed material consists of exhibition announcements and catalogs, news clippings, and various newsletters. Scrapbooks include various clippings, exhibition announcements, fliers, photographs, and other printed materials. Photographic material consists of photographs of Gerardia, the Yaddo Fellowship, and of Gerardia's artwork.
Arrangement:
This collection contains four series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1954-1973 (.1 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 2: Printed Material, circa 1953-1971 (.1 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 3: Scrapbooks, circa 1951-1988 (1.7 Linear feet: Boxes 1-6)

Series 4: Photographic Material, circa 1945-1975 (.5 Linear feet: Boxes 2 and 7)
Biographical / Historical:
Helen Gerardia (1903-1988) was a painter and printmaker who worked primarily in New York.

Gerardia was born in Ekaterinoslav, in what was then the Russian Empire, and immigrated to the United States to study under Hans Hofmann from 1946-1947. During her career she engaged in lithography and etching, while focusing on paintings as a medium. She was a participant in the abstract expressionist movement and during the 1950s shifted more towards the cubism movement. She frequently emphasized negative space in her works. Gerardia was a member of the Vectors Artist Group, and from 1967-1969 she was president of the American Society of Contemporary Artists. She exhibited her work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among other places. Gerardia died in 1988 in New York.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming (reels 59-60, 80, and 2812) including scrapbooks, a five-page resume, and samples of Gerardia's signature. Loaned materials were returned to the donor and later donated.
Provenance:
Materials on reel 2812 were lent for microfilming by Gerardia in 1961. Scrapbooks on reels 59, 60 and 80 were lent by Gerardia for microfilming in 1971 and nine were donated in 1981 along with another scrapbook (1971-1973). The remainder of the scrapbooks and papers were donated in 1989 by Gerardia's estate.
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
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women printmakers  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Helen Gerardia papers, circa 1945-1988, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.gerahele
See more items in:
Helen Gerardia papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e54a254c-cca5-4ecb-9e4c-73db1c580db1
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-gerahele

Edna Boies scrapbook of teaching notes

Creator:
Hopkins, Edna Boies, 1872-1937  Search this
Names:
Veltin School (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Extent:
0.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1902-1903
Summary:
The Edna Boies scrapbook of teaching notes measures 0.2 linear feet and dates from 1902 to 1903. Boies compiled and kept the scrapbook for a couse she taught on design at Veltin School for Girls in New York City, New York, and it is notable for the documentation it provides of the kind of instruction and course work found in art classes at the turn of the century. The scrapbook contains lecture notes, quotations, and sketches by Boies and students for various decorative pieces. Also found are clippings from The Owl, a student newspaper.
Scope and Contents:
The Edna Boies scrapbook of teaching notes measures 0.2 linear feet and dates from 1902 to 1903. Boies compiled and kept the scrapbook for a course she taught on design at Veltin School for Girls in New York City, New York, and it is notable for the documentation it provides of the kind of instruction and course work found in art classes at the turn of the century. The scrapbook contains lecture notes, quotations, and sketches by Boies and students for various decorative pieces. Also found are clippings from The Owl, a student newspaper.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Edna Boies Hopkins (1872-1937) was a printmaker and educator in New York City, New York. She is known for her woodblock prints inspired by Japanese techniques.

Born in Hudson, Michigan, in 1872 Boies studied a general art course at the Art Academy of Cincinnati from 1895 to 1899 and studied woodblock printmaking at the Pratt Institute in New York under Arthur Wesley Dow. For the academic year of 1902-03, Boies taught composition and design at the Veltin School for Girls in Manhattan.

Boies married art educator James Roy Hopkins in 1904 and travelled the world with him, spending time in Japan where she further studied Ukiyo-e woodblock print making. The couple settled in Paris in 1905 before returning to the United States at the start of World War I. From 1914 to 1920 Edna Hopkins was involved with the Provincetown Printers, lived in Paris from 1920 to 1923, and then abandoned printmaking in 1923, possibly due to arthritis. Nevertheless, Boies Hopkins had established a reputation as an accomplished woodblock printer and teacher whose work was influenced by Ukiyo-e prints, B.J.O. Nordfeldt and the Provincetown Printers, and European Post-Impressionism.
Related Materials:
Also found at the Archives of American Art is the James Roy and Edna Boies Hopkins papers, 1878-1977 available on Reel 1515 at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Provenance:
Mary Ryan donated the scrapbook to the Archives of American Art in 1987. She acquired the scrapbook, along with other materials by Hopkins, in France in the mid-1980s. Hopkins had left the materials with a friend before she returned to the United States in 1923, and they were discovered by a French dealer in 1984. Boies Hopkins participated in a 1989 exhibition at the Mary Ryan Gallery.
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:
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Educators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Scrapbooks  Search this
Citation:
Edna Boies scrapbook of teaching notes, 1902-1903. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.hopkedna
See more items in:
Edna Boies scrapbook of teaching notes
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e1efd047-e7d0-4f1d-a628-e5302255b81d
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-hopkedna

Emma Amos papers

Creator:
Amos, Emma, 1937-2020  Search this
Names:
Antioch College  Search this
Mason Gross School of the Arts (Rutgers University)  Search this
Spiral (Group of artists)  Search this
Browne, Vivian E., 1929-1993  Search this
Roth, Moira  Search this
hooks, bell, 1952-2021  Search this
Extent:
37.1 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1900-2019
Summary:
The papers of African American painter and printmaker Emma Amos measure 37.1 linear feet and date from circa 1900 to 2019. The collection documents Amos's family history, her professional life, and the intersection of her heritage and artwork. Found in the collection are biographical materials, family and inherited papers, correspondence, writings, project and exhibition files, teaching files, other professional records, personal business records, printed and photographic materials, and artwork.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of African American painter and printmaker Emma Amos measure 37.1 linear feet and date from circa 1900 to 2019. The collection documents Amos's family history, her professional life, and the intersection of her heritage and artwork. Found in the collection are biographical materials, family and inherited papers, correspondence, writings, project and exhibition files, teaching files, other professional records, personal business records, printed and photographic materials, and artwork.

Biographical materials include Amos's student records from Antioch and New York Universities, her personal Bible, resumes, and video recordings of interviews with bell hooks and Moira Roth. The Amos family and inherited papers of close family friends contain photographs, scrapbooks, correspondence, and memorabilia from Fisk University.

Correspondence is with colleagues at galleries, museums, and arts organizations regarding exhibitions, the Spiral artist group, and Amos's other professional activities, as well as her personal letters with friends and family.

Also found in the collection are writings that include drafts, published copies of essays, autobiographical writings, lecture video recordings, mock-ups of book projects, and a few writings by others. Project and exhibition files are for the television show Show of Hands (1977), The Sky's the Limit installation at IS90, Emma Amos: Paintings and Prints 1982-1992 retrospective exhibition, and the Ralph David Abernathy Memorial Project. Teaching files are from Rutgers University where she served as Chair of Visual Arts at the Mason Gross School of the Arts.

Amos's files for her other professional activities document fellowships and residencies, memberships, presentations at conferences and workshops, travel, and exhibitions she curated such as Progressions: A Cultural Legacy (1986), also co-curated by Julia Hotton and Vivian Browne, and Resisting Categories: Finding Common Ground. Personal business records include gallery files, datebooks, donation and loan records, ledgers and sales books, invoices and receipts, and studio supply records.

Printed materials contain clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, magazines and journals, and video recordings of the documentary Emma Amos: Action Lines featuring Amos and her artwork. Photographic materials consist of photographic prints, negatives, transparencies, photographic digital prints, slides, photographs albums, and 1 electronic disc of Amos, family and friends, parties and events, art models, snapshots, and works of art. Artwork contains mainly preparatory and source materials created and collected by Amos for use in her work.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 11 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1937-2012 (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, 37)

Series 2: Family and Inherited Papers, circa 1900-2017 (3.5 linear feet; Boxes 2-4, 38, OV 43)

Series 3: Correspondence, 1952-2019 (3.2 linear feet; Boxes 4-7)

Series 4: Writings, 1948-2010s (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 7-8, 42)

Series 5: Project and Exhibition Files, 1950s-2019 (8.2 linear feet; Boxes 8-16, 37, OV 45)

Series 6: Teaching Files, 1948-2013 (3.5 linear feet; Boxes 16-20, 37, OV 44)

Series 7: Other Professional Activities, circa 1960s-2018 (4.0 linear feet; Boxes 20-24, 46)

Series 8: Personal Business Records, 1960-2019 (2.0 linear feet; Boxes 24-26, OV 43)

Series 9: Printed Materials, 1908-2019 (4.5linear feet; Boxes 26-30, 39, OV 43, OV 45)

Series 10: Photographic Materials, circa 1900-2010s (3.5 linear feet; Boxes 30-33, 40)

Series 11: Artwork, circa 1940s-2010s (2.0 linear feet; Boxes 33-36, 41)
Biographical / Historical:
Emma Amos (1937-2020) was an African American painter and printmaker in New York, N.Y.

Amos was born in Atlanta, Georgia to a prominent family that had connections to Hale Woodruff, Zora Neale Hurston, and W.E.B. DuBois. Her mother, India DeLaine Amos, received a degree in anthropology from Fisk University in Tennessee and her father, Miles Green Amos, was a pharmacist and graduate of Wilberforce University in Ohio. In 1923, Miles Amos, with his uncle Moses Amos, established the Amos Drug Store which became a social and intellectual center of the neighborhood.

Amos graduated from Booker T. Washington High School at 16. She enrolled at Antioch College where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1958. During her time at Antioch, Amos would spend part of the year attending classes and the rest of the year working in cities like Washington, D.C., New York, and Chicago where she frequented the local galleries and museums. During her fourth year, she traveled to study at the London Central School of Art with Anthony Harrison. After graduating from Antioch, she returned to London to get a degree in etching in 1960. She later received a Master of Art from New York University in 1966.

At the beginning of Amos's career, she went to New York because of the lack of opportunities in Atlanta. In New York, Amos began teaching art at the Dalton School. She started working with printmakers like Robert Blackburn eventually taking a job with designer Dorothy Liebes in 1961 who she worked for until 1969. Later, Amos taught textile design at Newark School of Art. In 1980, she began teaching at the Mason Gross School of Art at Rutgers University eventually becoming Chair of the Visual Arts department. Amos retired in 2008.

Amos was a member of the influential artist collectives Spiral, Heresies, and Guerrilla Girls. She was the creator and host of the WGBH television program about crafts, Show of Hands (1977-1978). She has exhibited her work in numerous exhibitions including Emma Amos, Paintings and Prints, 1982–1992 and Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power.

Amos died in Bedford, N.H. in 2020.
Related Materials:
Also in the Archives of American Art are: Oral history interview with Emma Amos, 1968 October 3 and Oral history interview of Emma Amos, 2011 November 19-26.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 2020 by Emma Amos as part of the Archives' African American Collecting Initiative funded by the Henry Luce Foundation.
Restrictions:
Material regarding the Guerrilla Girls is access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
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
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
African American painters  Search this
African American printmakers  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women printmakers  Search this
African American artists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Citation:
Emma Amos papers, circa 1900-2019. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.amosemma
See more items in:
Emma Amos papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw961ea519e-31d8-4638-9487-54641641d72a
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-amosemma
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Stanley William Hayter, 1971 Mar. 11

Interviewee:
Hayter, Stanley William, 1901-  Search this
Interviewer:
Cummings, Paul  Search this
Subject:
New School Art Center (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Tamarind Institute  Search this
Tamarind Lithography Workshop  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Stanley William Hayter, 1971 Mar. 11. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Prints -- New York (State) -- New York -- Technique  Search this
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)11923
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211942
AAA_collcode_hayter71
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_211942

Oral history interview with Will Barnet, 1968 January 15

Interviewee:
Barnet, Will, 1911-  Search this
Interviewer:
Cummings, Paul  Search this
Subject:
American Abstract Artists  Search this
Art Students League (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Cooper Union Museum for the Arts of Decoration  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Will Barnet, 1968 January 15. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Abstract expressionism  Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Politics in art -- United States  Search this
Surrealism  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)12742
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211999
AAA_collcode_barnet68
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_211999

Oral history interview with Federico Castellon, 1971 April 7-14

Interviewee:
Castellón, Federico, 1914-1971  Search this
Interviewer:
Cummings, Paul  Search this
Subject:
Ames, Elizabeth  Search this
Cole, Sylvan  Search this
Dintenfass, Terry  Search this
Fleischman, Lawrence A. (Lawrence Arthur)  Search this
Lewenthal, Reeves  Search this
Rivera, Diego  Search this
Zigrosser, Carl  Search this
Columbia University  Search this
Associated American Artists  Search this
Weyhe Gallery  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Federico Castellon, 1971 April 7-14. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Prints -- Technique  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Hispanic American artists  Search this
Theme:
Latino and Latin American  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)5452
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212075
AAA_collcode_castel71
Theme:
Latino and Latin American
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_212075
Online Media:

Oral history interview with John Cage, 1974 May 2

Interviewee:
Callahan, Harry M. (Harry Morey), 1912-1999  Search this
Interviewer:
Cummings, Paul  Search this
Subject:
Albers, Josef  Search this
Bird, Bonnie  Search this
Buhlig, Richard  Search this
Cowell, Henry  Search this
Cunningham, Merce  Search this
Duchamp, Marcel  Search this
Johns, Jasper  Search this
Rauschenberg, Robert  Search this
Tobey, Mark  Search this
Watts, Alan  Search this
Weiss, Adolph  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with John Cage, 1974 May 2. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)12442
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212080
AAA_collcode_cage74
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_212080
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Irwin Hollander, 1970 June 19

Interviewee:
Hollander, Irwin, 1927-  Search this
Interviewer:
Cummings, Paul  Search this
Subject:
Callahan, Harry M.  Search this
Francis, Sam  Search this
Genis, Fred  Search this
Wayne, June  Search this
Tamarind Lithography Workshop  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Irwin Hollander, 1970 June 19. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Prints -- Technique  Search this
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)13345
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212417
AAA_collcode_hollan70
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_212417

Oral history interview with Robert Motherwell, 1971 Nov. 24-1974 May 1

Interviewee:
Motherwell, Robert Burns, 1915-1991  Search this
Interviewer:
Cummings, Paul  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Robert Motherwell, 1971 Nov. 24-1974 May 1. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)13286
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212934
AAA_collcode_mother71
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_212934
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Karl Schrag, 1970 October 14-20

Interviewee:
Schrag, Karl, 1912-1995  Search this
Interviewer:
Cummings, Paul  Search this
Subject:
Lhote, André  Search this
Tanguy, Yves  Search this
Farr, Fred  Search this
Sloan, John  Search this
Cloar, Carroll  Search this
Kienbusch, William  Search this
Bissière, Roger  Search this
Refregier, Anton  Search this
Hayter, Stanley William  Search this
Sternberg, Harry  Search this
Becker, Maurice  Search this
Broner, Robert  Search this
Horak, Bohuslav  Search this
Art Students League (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Atelier 17  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Karl Schrag, 1970 October 14-20. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Abstract expressionism  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)11741
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)213078
AAA_collcode_schrag70
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_213078
Online Media:

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