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
Materials, accumulated while art editor of LIFE magazine, including photographs of William Harnett, William Sommer, Hiram Powers, and Powers' work; biographical sketch, an article and two memoranda regarding Powers; photographs of Everett Shinn and his work, and a typescript of "I Remember New York," by Shinn. Materials relating to Henry McBride include a typescript of an article by Lincoln Kirstein on McBride; letters from McBride to Seiberling; a catalog of the sale of McBride's collection; a list of works shown in the 1949 exhibition in his honor; photographs of miscellaneous art works; and clippings of his newspaper articles.
Biographical / Historical:
Dorothy Seiberling (1922- 2019) was an art editor in New York, N.Y. Seiberling began her career at LIFE magazine in 1943 and became senior art editor in 1965.
Provenance:
Donated 1973 by Dorothy Seiberling.
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:
Editors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Topic:
Journalism -- Editing -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- History -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Correspondence, including letters from Hart Crane, Thomas Marker (letters from Sommer discuss Marker's art work and his own work in progress), Mary Manning Brody and Nancy Manning of Ten Thirty Gallery; eighteen sketchbooks, loose sketches and drawings; notes on art theory and style; marginal notes from Sommer's copy of Martin Buber's I AND THOU; exhibition catalogs, among them shows at the Ten Thirty Gallery and the Kokoon Arts; clippings and printed material; photographs of Sommor and his work; prizes and awards; and miscellany.
Biographical / Historical:
Lithographer, painter; Brandywine, Ohio.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1973 by Joseph Erdelac, who collected the papers as well as many Sommer paintings.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Tiepolo, Giovanni Domenico, 1726?-1804 Search this
Extent:
5 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 6 reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
[ca. 1924-1983]
Scope and Contents:
Biographical information, correspondence, subject files, notebooks, photographs, clippings, price lists concern Francis' work at the Cleveland Museum of Art, his friendship with George Kates, and his interest in painter William Sommer.
REELS 881-882: Primarily research material compiled by Francis and his wife Frances Merriman Francis for the Ten Thirty Gallery Sommer retrospective in 1946 and the Cleveland Museum of Art's William Sommer Memorial Exhibition, held November 1-December 10, 1950. Included are biographical material; correspondence of Henry Sayles Francis and other museum staff regarding Sommer, and copies and transcripts of Sommer's correspondence (including a few letters from Hart Crane); reminiscences of Sommer from friends and colleagues; exhibition catalogs; notebooks of information on Sommer's works; and a bibliography.
REELS 3838-3841: Biographical information; correspondence, arranged chronologically, with colleagues, friends, dealers, collectors, and others; and subject/correspondence files, arranged alphabetically, on colleagues, dealers, exhibitions, and various art topics; photographs of Francis, juries (Charles Sheeler is in one), Matisse in his studio, Somerset Maugham, Frits Lugt, and his wife; and clippings relating chiefly to the Cleveland Museum of Art.
UNMICROFILMED: Primarily letters from and material on George Norbert Kates, an authority on pre-communist China and Francis's lifetime friend and additional material on William Sommer. Kates material consists of ca. 1000 letters to Francis, ca. 1924-1984, concerning personal affairs, financial ventures, their research efforts and careers, and Kates's research on the 15th century Duchess Eleanor of Scotland. A significant number of letters from 1953 refer to Bernard Berenson and his art research and collection. Also included are a subject file on Kates' interest in Herman Hesse; and a file of Kates' research material on Duchess Eleanor of Scotland.
Unmicrofilmed Sommer material includes a letter from Sommer to C.P. Marsh, 1931; a Christmas card from Josephine and Theodor Braasch to Sommer; a page of writings by Sommer; photographs of Sommer and of a studio; several sketches and drawings; and printed material.
REEL 440 AND SCANNED One photograph of Sommer, microfilmed under Photos of Artists I, and scanned.
The remaining unfilmed material consists of Francis's notebooks (4 v.) primarily about the history of European paintings, drawings and prints, including notes about individual works of art; financial records, including price lists of European works of art, ca. 1930-1969, price list, insurance values and appraisals of two collections from the Cleveland Museum of Art, ca. 1923-1957; and minutes from two accessioning meetings at the Museum, 1930 and 1931.
Biographical / Historical:
Art museum curator; Cleveland, Ohio. Francis worked at the Cleveland Museum of Art from 1927 to 1929, leaving for a position at the Fogg Museum as assistant to directors Edward Forbes and Paul Sachs. He returned to the Cleveland Museum in 1931, remaining there as Curator of Paintings and Prints until 1967.
Provenance:
Research material on William Sommer donated 1975 by Henry Sayles Francis; he donated the remainder in 1984.
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:
Art museum curators -- Ohio -- Cleveland Search this
The William Sommer memorial exhibition; catalogue of an exhibition of works by William Sommer held November first through December tenth in the Clevland Museum of Art, 1950
Smithsonian Institution Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Independence Avenue at 8th Street, S.W Washington District of Columbia 20560 Accession Number: 79.265.A-B
Smithsonian Institution Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Independence Avenue at 8th Street, S.W Washington District of Columbia 20560 Accession Number: 79.265.A-B
