The papers of art historian, educator, painter, and printmaker Albert Christ-Janer measure 56.3 linear feet and date from 1915 to circa 1993, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1930 to 1981. The papers include biographical materials, personal and professional correspondence, writings, professional files, project files, teaching files, exhibition files, financial and estate records, printed material, scrapbooks and scrapbook material, photographs, artwork, and artifacts.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of art historian, educator, painter, and printmaker Albert Christ-Janer measure 56.3 linear feet and date from 1915 to circa 1993, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1930 to 1981. The papers include biographical materials, personal and professional correspondence, writings, professional files, project files, teaching files, exhibition files, financial and estate records, printed material, scrapbooks and scrapbook material, photographs, artwork, and artifacts.
Biographical material includes address books; awards, certificates and diplomas; chronologies, biographies, and resumes; material relating to Albert Christ-Janer's death, including memorial services and a sound tape reel memorial; and information and blueprints for residences, among other materials.
Correspondence includes Christmas cards from other artists and professional correspondence, much of it relating to his work at various institutions, including Michigan State University, New York University, Pennsylvania State University, Pratt Institution, and foundations. Also included is Virginia Christ-Janer's correspondence regarding Christ-Janer's artwork and career, his death in Italy, as well as general correspondence and letters between Virginia and Albert. Additional correspondence is found within the Professional Files, Project Files, and Teaching Files.
Writings by Christ-Janer include articles, book reviews, essays, notes, and eleven notebooks. There are also a few miscellaneous articles and writings about Christ-Janer written by others. There are 38 annotated appointment notebooks and five of Virginia Christ-Janer's annotated appointment books. Annotations are about meetings, travel, and general thoughts.
Albert Christ-Janer's book projects are documented in the Project Files series. There are drafts, manuscripts, research, and correspondence relating to the research, writing, and publication of five of his books, including George Caleb Bingham of Missouri (Dodd, Mead and Company, 1940), Boardman Robinson (Unversity of Chicago Press, 1946), Eliel Saarinen (University of Chicago Press, 1948), and Modern Church Architecture, with Mary Mix Foley (McGraw-Hill, 1962), and Modern Hymns (1980). Project files also include files regarding proposed projects.
Professional files document Christ-Janer's work at various institutions, as a consultant, on juried art exhibitions, memberships in arts associations, activities at conferences and committees, and the development of art centers in cities and educational institutions. There is significant documentation of his work planning and developing an arts center in New York City and at New York University, as well as his positions at Pennsylvania State University, Pratt Institute, University of Chicago, and University of Georgia. Also found are materials relating to professional trips taken to El Paso, Italy, Scandinavia, and other parts of Europe.
Teaching files consist of syllabi, lecture notes and course materials, class record books, and other documents for positions at New York University, Pennsylvania State University, Stephens College, University of Georgia, and other institutions. Exhibition files are comprised of lists, prizes and awards, and other scattered documentation of Christ-Janer's solo and group exhibitions.
Financial and estate records include five account books, miscellaneous bills and receipts, a will and estate taxes and financial papers, and files for gallery transactions, lists of galleries representing Christ-Janer, lists of museum and private collectors of Christ-Janer's artwork.
Printed materials include exhibition catalogs and announcements, published versions of Christ-Janer's books, books written by others and annotated by Christ-Janer, clippings, magazines, reviews, and printed material relating to Pratt Institute. There is one bound scrapbook and several files of loose scrapbook materials.
The scrapbooks series consists of one completed scrapbook concerning Christ-Janer's book on George Caleb Bingham, as well as several folders of general scrapbook files.
Photographs and slides depict Albert Christ-Janer, family, friends, artists, colleagues, exhibitions, and also include photographs compiled for published books.
Artwork includes numerous drawings, sketches, one sketchbook, and 111 lithographs by Albert Christ-Janer. There are also sketches and drawings by Charles Massey, John D. Whiting, Edwin Zoller, and others. Miscellaneous artifacts include a business card die, exhibition medals and trophy, handmade paperweight, a block-printed piece of fabric, and three graduation hoods.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as 14 series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1930-circa 1986 (Boxes 1-2, 51, 53, 67, OV 54, OV 57; 2.1 linear feet)
Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1937-1990 (Boxes 2-16, 51, 67, OV 55; 15.1 linear feet)
Series 3: Writings, circa 1930s-1972 (Boxes 16-18, 51; 1.5 linear feet)
Series 4: Appointment Books, 1939-1973 (Boxes 18-21; 2.9 linear feet)
Series 5: Professional Files, circa 1933-circa 1986 (Boxes 21-28, 51-52, 67-69; 10 linear feet)
Series 6: Project Files, 1937-circa 1981 (Boxes 28-34, 51, 69; 6.1 linear feet)
Series 7: Teaching Files, circa 1939-circa 1973 (Boxes 34-35; 0.6 linear feet)
Series 8: Exhibition Files, circa 1938-circa 1992 (Boxes 35-38; 2.7 linear feet)
Series 9: Financial and Estate Records, circa 1947-1992 (Boxes 38-40; 2.4 linear feet)
Series 10: Printed Material, 1915-circa 1993 (Boxes 40-49, 51-52, 69; 8.7 linear feet)
Series 11: Scrapbooks, circa 1936-circa 1952 (Boxes 49, 51; 0.5 linear feet)
Series 12: Photographs, circa 1937-circa 1986 (Boxes 49-51, OV 56; 0.7 linear feet)
Series 13: Artwork, circa 1933-circa 1970s (Boxes 50-52, 69, OV 58-66; 1.1 linear feet)
Series 14: Artifacts, 1923-circa 1986 (Boxes 50, 53; 0.9 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Albert Christ-Janer (1910-1973) was a painter, printmaker, art historian, writer, and educator active at colleges and universities across the U.S.
Albert Christ-Janer was born in Appleton, Minnesota in 1910 and studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, Yale University, and Harvard University. Christ-Janer wrote about American artists Boardman Robinson and John Caleb Bingham, and taught at a variety of institutions, including Stephens College, Cranbrook Academy, Pratt Institute Art School, and the University of Georgia. He was also an artist-in-residence at Tamarind Lithography Workshop in 1972.
Christ-Janer began his teaching career at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri in 1934, and soon became head of the art department. He moved to Michigan to accept the position of head of the art department and professor of art at Michigan State University in 1942. In 1945, he began working for the Cranbrook Academy in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, serving as director of the educational program, director of the museum and library, and professor of art history.
In 1947, Christ-Janer moved to Chicago and worked at the University of Chicago and the Arts Center Association, Inc. In the 1950s, he served as director of Arts Center Development at New York University, director of the School of Arts at Pennsylvania State University, and on the Lake Erie College Board of Trustees. In 1958, he moved to New York and become dean of the School of Art and Design at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, later becoming director. He left Pratt in 1970 to accept the position of Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Art at the University of Georgia, where he remained until his tragic death in 1973.
Christ-Janer was the author of several books: Art in Child Life (University of Iowa Press, 1938), George Caleb Bingham of Missouri (Dodd, Mead and Company, 1940), Boardman Robinson (Unversity of Chicago Press, 1946), Eliel Saarinen (University of Chicago Press, 1948), and Modern Church Architecture, with Mary Mix Foley (McGraw-Hill, 1962).
Albert Christ-Janer was a Guggenheim Fellow in 1950, awarded the Rockefeller Award in 1954, and the Guggenheim Award in 1960. He was also awarded multiple grants from the American Philosophical Society and the J. M. Kaplan Fund for research and work in lithography, as well as multiple Arthur Judson grants. In 1972 Christ-Janer was the Tamarind artist-in-residence at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.
Christ-Janer traveled often. In 1962 he was a guest of the Bonn government for two months to visit museums and schools of design in Germany. And in 1964, he was a guest of the governments of Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden for two months to study schools, museums, and cultural centers. In July of 1973, Christ-Janer was the official NASA artist for the Skylab III launch, and in October of 1973, he was the studio guest of the Norway-America Association and the Norwegian government in Oslo. From November to December of 1973, Christ-Janer was the scholar-in-residence at the Study and Conference Center of the Rockefeller Foundation (Centro Culturale delle Fondazione Rockefeller), at the Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio (Como), Italy.
Albert Christ-Janer was killed in an automobile accident in Bellagio (Como), Italy on December 12, 1973.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Albert Christ-Janer conducted by Dorothy Seckler, March 21, 1964.
Albert Christ-Janer's research materials for his book American Hymns Old and New (1980) are found at the St Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, a center for the study of hymns.
Provenance:
The Albert Christ-Janer papers were donated by Virginia Christ-Janer in 1980-1981 and 1994.
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.
Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Lilly Martin Spencer papers, 1828-1966. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The collection was digitized in 2022 with funding provided by the Lichtenstein Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art
There are forty-five volumes of daily diaries in which Smillie describes his paintings, drawings and prints, and references over 200 artists with whom he was acquainted. Loose items originally filed within the diaries include letters, notes, sketches, a silhouette, calling cards, receipts, printed material, and a photo of Smillie, among many other items.
See Appendix for a list of artists mentioned in the diaries from Series 1.3.
Arrangement note:
This subseries is arranged in chronological order with materials tucked into diaries at the end of the subseries and arranged by type. The loose items had been removed from the diaries at an earlier time, most likely upon microfilming, and it is not clear in which diary they were originally filed.
Appendix: Artists Mentioned in James David Smillie's Diaries, 1865-1880:
Abbey, Edwin A.: 1877 May 11, Dec 18; 1878 Jan 10, Jan 11, Jan 22, Jan 25, Jan 28, Mar 9, Mar 11, Apr 30
Anderson, A.: 1873 Feb 8
Augero, Francesco: 1867 Apr 23; 1868 Feb 10, Feb 1, Jun 5, Oct 30, Nov 17, Nov 19, Dec 4, Dec 17; 1869 Jul 10; 1870 Mar 22, Apr 9, Jun 9; 1871 Oct 3; 1872 Nov 5; 1873 Jan 8, Feb 8, Apr 18, May 13, May 23, Jun 20, Dec 19; 1875 Jun 18, Dec 6; 1876 Jan 2
Baldwin, A. H.: 1875 Mar 5; 1877 Feb 27, Mar 1, Mar 5, Mar 6, May 2; 1878 Jan 24; 1880 Apr 12
Bascom, Marie Louise (Mrs. James R. Brevoort): 1868 Dec 19; 1871 May 9, May 26; 1872 Feb 28, May 1, Nov 4, Nov 11, Nov 15, Nov 20
Beard, William H.: 1871 Nov 2, Nov 23; 1872 Jan 27, May 9; 1873 Feb 1; 1877 Jan 21; 1880 Mar 18
Beers, Julie: 1868 Jun 16, Nov 7, Nov 11; 1870 Mar 12, Mar 31; 1871 Dec 9; 1872 Oct 30; 1873 Mar 10; 1875 Dec 28; 1876 Feb 25
Bellows, Albert Fitch: 1867 Feb 6; 1868 Jan 18, Apr 16; 1871 Jan 10, Jan 16, Mar 15, Nov 23; 1872 Jan 26, Feb 1, May 7; 1873 Feb 4, Feb 13, Mar 5, May 27, Nov 27; 1874 Jan 27, Feb 5, Feb 11, Feb 25; 1875 Jan 28, Feb 3, Feb 4, Feb 6, Feb 8, Feb 17, Nov 5, Nov, 12; 1876 Jan 14, Jan 17, Mar 20, May 16, Nov 9, Nov 20, Dec 14, Dec 18, Dec 19, Dec 22; 1877 Feb 15, Mar 16, Apr 30, May 9, Oct 23, Nov 9, Nov 21, Dec 14; 1878 Feb 4, May 19, Dec 22; 1879 Jan 12, Feb 20, Mar 16, May 13, Nov 14; 1880 Jan 3, May 10, Nov 3, Nov 16
Bierstadt, Albert: 1866 May 10
Blackman, Walter: 1868 Aug 22, Aug 24, Sep 13; 1870 Oct 22; 1871 Oct 3, Oct 31
Blauvelt, Miss H. J.: 1872 Jan 22; 1876 Jan 25, May 19; 1877 Feb 22
Blodgett, William: 1871 Jan 20, Jan 26
Bradford, William: 1872 Feb 22
Brevoort, James Renwick: 1865 Apr 24; 1866 Jan 5, Jan 6, Mar 19; 1867 Jan 4, Apr 23, Oct 25, Nov 20; 1868 Feb 14, Feb 19, Feb 26, Mar 18, Apr 18, May 4, Jun 1; 1869 Oct 11, Oct 30; 1870 Oct 20, Nov 1, Dec 10, Dec 17, Dec 23, Dec 24, Dec 31; 1871 Jan 7, Feb 4, Feb 11, Feb 18, Feb 22, Feb 25, Mar 22, Apr 15, Oct 3; 1872 Feb 1, Apr 24; 1873 Feb 5, Apr 8, Apr 9; 1878 Dec 18
Bricher, Alfred Thompson: 1873 Dec 27; 1875 Nov 12, Dec 2, Dec 10; 1875 Mar 20, Nov 3, Nov 30, Dec 14; 1876 Mar 1, Dec 14
Brown, John George: 1867 Feb 19; 1870 Apr 29, Dec 2; 1872 Mar 25, Nov 20; 1873 Nov 8; 1874 Jan 8, Apr 4, May 5, Jun 24, Dec 7; 1875 May 22, Nov 2, Nov 3, Nov 30, Dec 14; 1876 Feb 25, Mar 1, Nov 20, Dec 18; 1877 Feb 5, Feb 15, Feb 20, Mar 16, Mar 20, Mar 27; 1878 Mar 6, Dec 7, Dec 20; 1880 Jan 31, Mar 26, Jun 5; 1880 Dec 23
Brown, Walter: 1869, Jan 27, Dec 8; 1870 Mar 10, Mar 12; 1872 Dec 10, Dec 12; 1873 Jan 21, Feb 5; 1874 Jan 3, Jan 18, Jan 20, Feb 5, Apr 3, May 12, May 14, May 15, Jun 11, Dec 5, Dec 10; 1875 Mar 24; 1878 Mar 19
Burling, Frederick Gilbert: 1867 Feb 6, Mar 6, Jun 4, Oct 24, Nov 11, Nov 25, Dec 19; 1868 Jan 31, Apr 16, May 7, Sep 14, Oct 31, Nov 2, Nov 12; 1869 Jan 11, Jan 16, Nov 12, Dec 16, Dec 16; 1870 Jan 4, Jan 10, Feb 16, May 3, Jun 6, Jun 24, Nov 1, Nov 18; 1871 Jan 31, Feb 4, Oct 3; 1873 Feb 1, Apr 22; 1874 Jan 6, Jan 17, Feb 4, Feb 9, May 20, Jun 3; 1875 Feb 8;
Butler, H.: 1872 Apr 4
Calvery, Charles: 1870 Dec 13; 1873 Feb 25, May 26; 1874 Jun 9; 1876 Jan 28, May 12, Dec 30; 1878 May 6, Oct 10; 1879 Mar 12, Apr 7
Carpenter, Francis Bicknell: 1872 Apr 10; 1873 (no date)
Casilear, John W.: 1872 Jan 27, 1875 May 22
Champney, Benjamin: 1867 Aug 1, Sep 24
Campney, [no first name]: 1879 Jan 16; 1880 Feb 4
Chase, William Merritt: 1880 Sep 11
Church, Frederick Edwin: 1877 Apr 22
Church, Frederick S.: 1879 Dec 1; 1880 Apr 14
Church, [no first name]: 1869 Dec 31; 1878 Jan 24, Jan 29
Colman, Samuel Jr.: 1867 Jan 5, Mar 6, Jun 4, Jun 27, Nov 5, Nov 25, Dec 2, Dec 18, Dec 26; 1868 Feb 2, Feb 25, Apr 16, Jun 3, Jun 9, Jul 22, Aug 8, Aug 12, Aug 13, Aug 15, Aug 26, Aug 29, Aug 30, Aug 31, Sep 1, Sep 6, Sep 7, Sep 8, Sep 10, Sep 16, Sep 23, Sep 25, Nov 2, Nov 10, Nov 12, Nov 21, Dec 10, Dec 15; 1869 Jan 17, Jan 18, Jan 21, Feb 23, Mar 8, Mar 9, May 4, May 8, Jun 2, Jul 9, Jul 16, Jul 17, Aug 16, Aug 18, Aug 19, Aug 21, Aug 23, Aug 24, Aug 25, Aug 28, Aug 30, Sep 4, Sep 12, Sep 13, Sep 15, Sep 16, Sep 17, Sep 19, Sep 22, Sep 28, Sep 30, Oct 28, Nov 13, Nov 16; 1870 Jan 29, Apr 30, Jun 13, Jun 15, Jun 27, Jun 29, Jul 5, Aug 14, Nov 1, Dec 13; 1871 Jan 7, Jan 24, Jun 15, Jun 16, Oct 3, Nov 14, Nov 15, Dec 1; 1872 Jan 12, Jan 26, Jan 27, Jan 30, Feb 2, Feb 19, Feb 28, Mar 28, Apr 4, Apr 11, Apr 12, Apr 13, May 6, May 17, Jun 6, Nov 25, Dec 9; 1873 Jan 15, Mar 30, Jun 12; 1874 Apr 25, May 31, Dec 3; 1875 Jun 13, Aug 12, Sep 3, Sep 14, Oct 22, Oct 26, Oct 27, Nov 2, Nov 8, Nov 22, Dec 14; 1876 Jan 11, Jan 12, Jan 29, Feb 5, Feb 15, Feb 27, Mar 3, Apr 19, Apr 20, Apr 23, May 12, May 15, May 20, Jun 18, Nov 4, Nov 10, Nov 12, Nov 14, Nov 21, Dec 10, Dec 18, Dec 22; 1877 Mar 16, Mar 28, Apr 10, May 9, Jun 20, Oct 9, Oct 24, Oct 26, Nov 2, Nov 18, Nov 21, Nov 28, Nov 29, Dec 5; 1878 Jan 3, Jan 9, Feb 6, Feb 13, Feb 14, Mar 8, Mar 12, Mar 17, Mar 20, Mar 21, Mar 25, Apr 6, Apr 8, Apr 10, Apr 16, Apr 19, Apr 27, May 4, May 23, May 27, May 30, Jun 1, Jun 5, Jun 6, Aug 9, Aug 11, Aug 12, Aug 26, Aug 29, Aug 30, Oct 10, Nov 16, Nov 22; 1879 Jan 12, Mar 4, Mar 12, Mar 23, Mar 28, May 5, May 16, May 21, Jun 10, Jun 12, Oct 12, Oct 13, Nov 18, Nov 27, Dec 8, Dec 16, Dec 21; 1880 Jan 4, Jan 9, Feb 13, Feb 25, Mar 26, Apr 12, Apr 21, Apr 30, May 18, Oct 21, Oct 26, Nov 3, Nov 6, Nov 7, Nov 28, Dec 6, Dec 27
Colyer, Vincent: 1874 Feb 25, Feb 28
Covell, Margaret: 1874 Apr 11, Jun 24
Craig, William B.: 1867 Dec 16; 1871 Nov 16; 1873 Feb 11
Cranch, Christopher Pearce: 1867 Dec 12; 1868 May 7, Nov 22; 1869 Oct 29, Dec 7, Dec 10; 1870 Jan 18, Jan 19; 1872 Feb 20; 1879 Aug 5
Cropsey, Jasper Francis: 1867 Dec 16; 1869 Nov 2; 1871 Feb 4; 1878 Mar 20
Culver, "Of Chicago": 1871 Jan 13, Jan 19, Mar 6; 1871 May 9; 1874 Mar 5, Dec 16; 1875 Mar 20; 1876 Dec 30
Culverhouse, Johann Mongles: 1870 Dec 27; 1875 Apr 29
Dana, William Parsons Winchester: 1868 Jan 24; 1870 Apr 29
Dolph, John Henry: 1876 Jan 14; 1877 Mar 14
Darley, Felix O. C.: 1869 Jan 20, Jul 3; 1873 Feb 11, Dec 1; 1874 Jan 22, Jan 26, Mar 7, Mar 29, Apr 3; 1877 Mar 13
De Forest, Lockwood: 1872 Apr 8
De Haas, Mauritz or Maurice Frederick: 1867 Dec 3; 1870 Feb 1, Apr 29; 1872 Sep 11; 1874 Apr 14; 1876 Feb 25
Delnoce, Lewis (Luigi): 1879 Jun 6; 1880 Aug 16
Dodge, W. E.: 1868 Mar 14; 1969 Nov 27
Dunn, Alexander Gordon: 1871 Feb 4
Durand, Asher Benjamin: 1866 Feb 22; 1867 Nov 4; 1868 Sep 8, Sep 10, Sep 13, Sep 15; 1870 Aug 18, Aug 21, Sep 11, Sep 16, Sep 24, Sep 26; 1872 Feb 12; 1880 Nov 5
Durfee, Rose: 1876 Dec 30; 1877 Jan 21, Mar 1, Mar 14, Apr 22, Apr 30, Jun 1, Nov 1, Nov 7; 1878 Mar 13, Apr 17, Nov 27; 1880 May 11
Eaton, Joseph Oriel: 1867 Feb 21; 1869 Feb 27, Mar 11, Mar 15, Nov 15; 1870 Feb 26, Apr 29; 1871 Dec 30; 1873 Feb 3, Dec 4; 1874 Jan 17, Dec 16; 1875 Feb 8
Eaton, Wyatt; 1878 Jun 1
Ehninger, John Whetton: 1866 Jul 1, Jul 3, Jul 16, Aug 10, Aug 14; 1867 Feb 19; 1869 Jan 20; 1880 Jan 12, Apr, 16 Apr 19, Jul 14, Jul 16, Jul 17, Jul 20, Jul 21-30, Aug 2
Fairman, James: 1866 May 16; 1867 Oct 24, Oct 26, Oct 28; 1868 Mar 6; 1870 Mar 20, Dec 13
Falconer, John M.: 1870 Apr 29; 1873 Feb 1; 1874 Jan 9, Jan 12, Jan 22, Mar 7, Apr 19, Dec 10; 1875 Jan 5; 1878 Jan 25; 1879 Jun 18, Jun 19, Nov 22, Dec 16
Farrer, Henry: 1867 Mar 6, Dec 17; 1869 Jan 20; 1871 Apr 27; 1873 Feb 3, Mar 12; 1877 Jan 8, Feb 5, Dec 10; 1880 Jun 1, Nov 3, Nov 12, Nov 16
Fenn, Harry: 1867 Mar 6; 1869 Apr 1; 1870 Jan 28; 1872 Jul 20; 1873 Mar 10, Nov 27, Dec 26; 1874 Jan 14, Dec 3; 1875 Jul 15
Ferguson, Henry A.: 1868 Aug 24, Sep 13; 1869 Oct 14; 1870 Mar 11, Mar 26, May 3, Jul 21, Sep 24; 1871 Jan 11, May 2, Sep 3; 1872 Jun 5, Aug 17; 1873 Mar 20, Aug 2, Oct 31, Nov 6, Nov 22, Dec 8, Dec 10, Dec 17, Dec 23; 1874 Jan 6, Jan 8, Jan 12, Jan 13, Jan 15, Feb 2, Feb 10, Feb 28, Mar 7, Mar 24, Jun 3, Jun 6, Jun 11, Oct 7, Oct 31, Nov 14, Dec 18; 1875 Apr 19, May 21, Jun 27, Sep 14; 1876 Jun 10; 1877 May 3; 1878 Jan 6, Jun 29, Oct 4, Dec 18; 1879 Dec 12
Fiske, Charles Albert: 1869 Nov 25; 1870 Feb 28
Forbes, Edwin: 1867 Nov 20; 1869 Mar 1
Fraser, "Of Toronto": 1869 Jun 2
Fraser, James: 1872 Apr 13
Fraser, John: 1870 Dec 2
Fredericks, Alfred: 1868 Nov 2; 1873 Dec 9
Freeborn, Miss: 1875 Feb 2
Gay, Edward: 1869 Dec 10
Gifford, [no first name]: 1867 Dec 17; 1869 Jan 20, Mar 11, Nov 22; 1874 Jun 11; 1875 May 22
Gifford, Robert Swain: 1867 Mar 26, Nov 11; 1868 Mar 23, Dec 1; 1869 Apr 15, Oct 14, Nov 13; 1870 Jan 17, Jan 20, jan 22, Feb 26, Apr 29, May 9, May 28, Jul 8; 1871 Feb 15, Apr 4, May 9, Dec 30; 1872 Feb 27, Dec 10; 1873 Jan 1, Jan 9, Feb 19, Mar 29, May 5, Dec 27; 1874 Jan 17, Jan 30, Mar 2, Mar 5, Mar 23, Apr 30; 1875 Nov 29; 1876 Jan 11, Jan 14, Feb 11, Mar 20, Dec 7, Dec 14, Dec 19; 1877 May 2, May 9, Dec 10, Dec 11; 1878 Jan 25, Feb 15, Feb 23, Mar 9, Mar 11, Mar 20, Apr 18, Mar 10, May 18; 1879 Jan 26, Mar 21, Mar 29; 1880 Feb 25, Mar 26, Apr 14, May 10, May 19, Dec 27, Dec 29, Dec 31
Gifford, Sanford Robinson: 1867 Feb 19, Mar 6, Dec 4; 1869 Dec 18; 1870 May 28; 1873 Jan 4, Dec 4; 1877 Feb 21; 1878 May 25; 1879 Feb 7, Mar 23, Apr 20, Dec 11; 1880 Apr 8
Gilbert, Miss: 1873 Jan 25, Dec 18; 1874 Apr 16, Jun 24, Dec 22; 1875 Jan 22, Feb 25, Mar 1; 1876 Jan 24, Apr 4, Apr 12, Apr 13, Apr 17, Nov 13; 1877 Mar 1
Gilbert, G. A.: 1874 Jan 30
Greatorex, Eliza Pratt: 1872 Oct 30; 1873 mar 15, Apr 8; 1874 Apr 13, Jun 12, Jun 24
Greatorex, Kathleen Honora: 1866 Mar 3; 1873 Mar 6, Mar 28; 1874 Jun 8, Jun 10, Jun 12, Jun 13
Greene, Edward D. E.: 1871 Dec 18; 1872 Jan 27, May 9, May 25, Jul 14; 1873 Mar 8, Nov 17; 1874 Feb 9, Feb 23, Mar 3
Grey, Henry Peters (?): 1871 Nov 23
Griswold, Casimir Clayton: 1867 Feb 19; 1870 Jun 7
Guy, Seymour Joseph: 1868 Jan 31; 1869 Apr 8; 1872 Jan 27
Hall, George Henry: 1871 Oct 28, Nov 2; 1873 Nov 8; 1875 Apr 9; 1877 Jan 7
Hart, James M.: 1865 Mar 19, May 10, Jun 20; 1866 Jun 13; 1867 Jan 4, Feb 21, Apr 23, Aug 31, Oct 24, Nov 21; 1868 Jan 2, Apr 16, Jun 23, Nov 7; 1869 Aug 14, Aug 15, Sep 24, Oct 14, Oct 26; 1870 Mar 28, Sep 4, Oct 20, Dec 13; 1871 Feb 23, Jun 26, Oct 3, Nov 9; 1872 Feb 24, Nov 12, Dec 19; 1873 Aug 2, Nov 17; 1874 Mar 7, Nov 19; 1875 Apr 5, May 16, Oct 27; 1876 May 17, Dec 16; 1878 Jun 1
Hart, Maria Theresa Gorsuch: 1866 Jan 2; 1867 Apr 22, Oct 24; 1870 Aug 2; 1874 Jan 8; 1875 Mar 23
Hart, William: 1867 Feb 19, Oct 28, Nov 1, Nov 23; 1868 Jan 31, Feb 25, Nov 2, Nov 12, Dec 21; 1869 Nov 15; 1870 Jan 31, Feb 1, Apr 29, Jun 7, Nov 10, Dec 13; 1871 Jan 31, Feb 3, Mar 14, APr 4, Apr 25, May 1, May 9, May 12, May 15, Nov 2; 1872 Feb 1, Feb 6, Nov 9, Nov 12, Nov 25, Dec 10; 1873 Jan 9, Feb 5, Mar 29, Nov 3; 1874 Apr 30; 1875 Mar 20, Apr 3; 1876 Feb 11
Hayes [Hays], William Jacob: 1869 Mar 31, Dec 18
Heade, Martin Johnson: 1869 Sep 13; 1870 Apr 29, Jun 9, Dec 30
Hennessy, William John: 1870 APr 29
Henry Edward Lamson: 1880 Dec 20
Hepburn, William: 1875 Jan 28
Hetzel, George: 1878 May 28
Hicks, Thomas: 1876 May 1
Hill, John William: 1876 Apr 11
Hodgkins: 1868 Sep 14
Holbertson, Wakeman H.: 1873 Feb 1
Homer, Winslow: 1875 Feb 6; 1878 Mar 15
Howland, Alfred C.: 1872 Jul 10; 1873 May 1
Hubbard, Richard William: 1867 Feb 19; 1875 Feb 8, Apr 9, May 22
Huntington, Daniel P.: 1868 Apr 1; 1869 Jan 29, May 10; 1872 Mar 14; 1876 Feb 16, may 1; 1877 Fan 9; 1878 Mar 4
Innes, George: 1868 May 1, May 4; 1879 Mar 14
Jefferson, Joseph: 1870 Nov 4, Nov 9
Johns, "Of Pittsburgh": 1871 Jan 15
Johnson, David: 1874 Mar 23; 1875 Feb 4
Johnson, Eastman: 1868 Apr 1; 1869 Jan 29, Apr 4; 1878 Aug 4, Aug 24, Aug 25, Aug 27, Aug 26; 1879 Feb 7; 1880 Jul 21
Johnson, Samuel Frost: 1870 Jun 1; 1871 Jan 4; 1873 Jan 8, Apr 8; 1876 Dec 14
King, [no first name]: 1871 Jul 29, Aug 9; 1873 Jan 3
Kensett, John Frederick: 1866 Feb 21; 1868 Jan 29; 1870 Nov 10; 1872 Apr 23; 1873 Mar 13
Kittell, Nicholas Biddle: 1870 Feb 8, Apr 9; 1874 Jun 22
Knowlton, Miss: 1879 Aug 13
Knudsen: 1870 Mar 10
Kuntze, Edward J.: 1868 May 8, Jun 9; 1869 Apr 15, Oct 19; 1870 Mar 10, Apr 10
La Farge, John: 1869 Nov 22, Nov 25; 1870 Apr 29
Lambdin, George C.: 1868 Jan 31, Aug 13, Aug 15
Lang, Louis: 1871 Nov 16
Lawrie, Alexander: 1869 Nov 15; 1873 Oct 2; 1874 Mar 24
Leutze, Emanuel Gottlieb: 1866 Feb 21
Linton, William James: 1870 Apr 29; 1873 Nov 3; 1874 Jan 13
Loop Henry Augustus: 1865 Nov 29, Nov 30, Dec 25; 1866 Feb 7; 1869 Jan 3, Oct 14
McEntee, Jervis: 1868 Jan 18; 1869 Dec 18; 1876 May 1, Jun 23; 1878 Apr 25
Magrath, William: 1870 Aug 8, Dec 19; 1871 Jan 16; 1874 Jun 6; 1875 Feb 1, Nov 6; 1876 Dec 21, Dec 22, Dec 26; 1877 Mar 28; 1878 Jan 24, Jan 29, Mar 20
Martin, Charles: 1870 May 18
Martin, Homer Dodge: 1870 Jun 17
Miller, Charles Henry: 1874 Mar 2; 1877 Dec 5; 1878 Apr 8
Moore, Charles Herbert: 1868 Mar 11
Moran, Edward: 1873 Apr 25, Nov 1; 1876 Mar 14; 1880 Mar 18
Moran, Thomas: 1873 Dec 7; 1874 May 21; 1876 Apr 6
Morse, Samuel F. B.: 1869 Mar 13; 1870 Apr 21
Mulvaney, John: 875 Jul 15, Sep 3
Nast, Thomas: 1873 Feb 9, Feb 17
Nehlig, Victor: 1870 Apr 29, Dec 27; 1871 Jan 19
Newman, Henry Roderick: 1870 Feb 17; 1873 Jan 9
Nicoll, James Craig: 1867 Oct 6; 1869 Dec 20; 1870 Feb 1, Apr 6, May 3, May 7, Dec 30; 1871 Jan 9, Jan 14, Mar 20, Oct 21; 1872 Feb 26, Dec 1, Dec 11; 1873 Jan 6, Jan 15, Feb 3, Oct 31, Nov 1, Nov 4, Nov 28, Dec 1, Dec 2, Dec 4, Dec 9, Dec 23, Dec 29; 1874 Jan 17, Jan 21, Jan 30, Feb 2, Feb 3, Feb 4, Feb 5, Feb 12, Feb 13, Apr 28, May 14, May 16, May 19, May 26, Jun 24, Oct 3, Oct 25, Nov 27, Dec 3, Dec 8; 1875 Jan 6, Jan 27, Feb 3, Feb 8, Feb 17, Mar 3, Mar 15, Mar 19, Mar 22, Apr 5, Apr 9, Apr 28, Apr 29, May 5, May 14, Jun 18, Jul 3, Nov 2, Nov 3, Nov 26, Nov 26, Nov 30, Dec 1, Dec 14, Dec 17, Dec 20, Dec 21; 1876 Jan 21, Feb 14, Mar 1, Mar 14, Mar 20, Mar 29, Apr 3, Apr 7, Apr 8, Sep 3, Nov 20, Dec 16, Dec 18, Dec 22, Dec 28; 1877 Jan 2, Jan 11, Feb 6, Feb 15, Feb 19, Feb 27, Mar 1, Mar 6, Mar 9, May 10, Jun 20, Nov 14, Nov 15, Nov 24, Dec 14, Dec 18; 1878 Jan 26, Feb 13, Mar 6, Mar 12, Mar 20, Apr 4, May 9, May 17, May 17, Jul 1, Jul 2, Nov 20, Dec 11, Dec 28; 1879 Mar 1, Mar 10, Jul 19, Nov 13, Dec 16; 1880 Mar 8, Apr 12, Apr 30
Norton, Henry: 1874 Jan 10
Ogilvie, Clinton: 1868 Apr 13, Apr 30, Jul 13; 1869 Dec 22; 1871 Jan 7; 1872 Apr 1; 1873 Mar 4; 1877 Jan 2; 1879 Apr 21
Ordway, Albert T.: 1868 Jan 18
Page, William: 1871 Nov 9, Nov 23, Dec 12; 1872 May 9, Nov 22; 1875 Feb 3
Parton, Ernest: 1871 Jan 31; 1872 Feb 5; 1874 Jan 31; 1880 Dec 20
Perry, Enoch Wood: 1868 Jan 31; 1869 Nov 10; 1870 Dec 13; 1871 Nov 23, Nov 27, Dec 5; 1872 Jan 27, Feb 5, May 9, Nov 20; 1874 Feb 6, Jun 24; 1875 Feb 6, Apr 9; 1877 Feb 9, May 2
Porter: 1871 Sep 1
Reed, T. F.: 1868 Mar 30, Apr 18, Jun 12; 1869 Feb 21
Reinhart, Charles: 1877 Dec 18; 1878 Feb 22, Mar 4, Apr 8
Reinhart, Benjamin OR William: 1870 Apr 13; 1871 Nov 14
Richards, Thomas Addison: 1868 Apr 1, Apr 17, Jun 2, Jul 3, Nov 12; 1871 Nov 20; 1872 Mar 11, Nov 25, Dec 10; 1873 Feb 20, Dec 5, Dec 9; 1874 Jan 6, Jan 12, Apr 6, Apr 21; 1875 Dec 14
Richards, William Trost: 1869 Mar 13; Apr 14, May 4m Nov 23, Nov 24, Dec 7; 1870 May 5; 1871 Jan 17, Mar 20; 1872 Feb 8, Dec 1; 1873 Jan 29, Mar 20, Jun 3, Jun 5, Jun 6; 1874 Apr 8; 1875 Jan 3, Feb 24, Feb 25, Mar 29, May 31, Nov 23; 1876 Jan 10, Apr 21, May 4, Oct 22, Oct 26, Oct 27; 1877 Jul 26; Dec 19; 1878 Mar 4
Richards, [no first name]: 1871; 1874; 1875 Jan 28
Richardson, Cora: 1873 Dec 12, Dec 13, Dec 22
Rimmer, William: 1870 Dec 6, Dec 13, Dec 21; 1872 Jan 4, Feb 1, Feb 8, Feb 15, Feb 22, Mar 29
Ritchie, Alexander Hay: 1868 Apr 17, May 12, May 20, May 23, May 25, May 26, May 28, Jun 15, Jun 22, Jun 24, Jun 25, Jun 26, Jun 27, Jun 30, Jul 1, Jul 2, Jul 3, Jul 10
Robbins, Horace Wolcott: 1869 Mar 11, Nov 22, Dec 15; 1870 Dec 12; 1873; 1874 Apr 18, Dec 16; 1875 Nov 26, Nov 30; 1876 Jan 14, Jan 17, Mar 1, Mar 12, Mar 16, Nov 20, Dec 18; 1877 Apr 18, Apr 22, Jul 26, Jul 27, Nov 8; 1878 Jan 10, Jan 18, Feb 23, Feb 24, Mar 9, Mar 20, May 1; 1879 Dec 11, Dec 12; 1880 Feb 28
Rogers, John: 1870 Nov 4; 1871 Feb 5, Mar 10, Apr 14, Dec 8; 1872 May 6; 1873 Dec 29; 1875 Mar 26, Apr 4, Nov 25, Dec 8, Dec 19; 1876; 1877 Apr 1
Rondel, Louis: 1870 Mar 3, Mar 30, Dec 12
Rondell, Frederick: 1867 Nov 28; 1869 May 29
Rood, Prof.: 1869 Feb 7; 1871 Feb 10
Ryder, Albert Pinkham: 1872 Jan 12, Feb 22, Mar 14, Mar 18, Mar 28
Satterlee, Walter: 1873 Apr 19, Nov 3; 1874 Dec 9, Dec 16; 1876 Jan 14, Mar 7; 1877 Nov 8; 1878 Feb 23
Scott, Julian: 1867 Feb 19; 1870 Apr 29
Shattuck, Aaron Draper: 1867 Feb 19, Nov 23; 1871 Nov 16, Nov 23; 1872 Feb 22
Shirlaw, Walter: 1870 Feb 17; 1878 Mar 11, Apr 8; 1880 Mar 4
Shortleffe, Roswell Morse: 1869 Aug 23, Aug 27, Aug 30; 1870 Aug 13, Aug 23, Aug 31, Sep 20-22; 1872 Feb 28, Mar 8; 1873 Mar 18; 1874 Mar 23, Dec 6; 1875 Jan 25l 1877 Jan 7, Mar 20, Mar 28, Jun 23, Nov 25; 1878 Jun 4, Dec 20; 1879 Feb 19, Apr 8, May 23, Nov 18; 1880 Apr 14
Silva, Francis A.: 1874 Jan 13, Feb 2, Jun 1, Jun 16, Jun 17; 1875 Jan 25, Jan 26, Jan 27, Feb 1, Dec 17; 1876 Feb 7, Feb 28, Mar 14, Dec 22, Dec 26; 1877 Mar 30; 1878 Mar 5, Mar 20
Slade, Helen (?): 1870 Mar 10
Smith, Francis Hopkinson: 1873 Jan 28, Jan 29; 1874 Feb 22, Dec 6, Dec 10; 1875 Jan 14, Jan 27, Feb 3, Mar 4, Mar 5, Mar 7, Mar 15-20, Mar 20, Mar 24, Apr 1, May 3, May 13, Nov 3, Nov 7, NOv 16, Nov 26, Dec 1, Dec 17, Dec 20; 1876 Jan 12, Jan 17, Jan 26, Feb 8, Feb 11, Mar 1, Mar 26, Jul 4, Dec 23; 1877 Jan 7, Jan 16, Feb 8, Feb 9, Feb 16, Mar 16, Mar 18; 1878 Jan 16, Feb 13, Mar 12, Mar 14, Mar 18, Mar 20, Apr 30, Dec 20; 1880 Jan 21, Oct 8
Smith, Thomas Lochlan: 1871 Jan 7; 1877 Nov 29
Symington: 1877 Feb 9; 1878 Mar 20
Tait, Arthur F.: 1868 Jan 17, Dec 7; 1869 Nov 15; 1870 Feb 5
Thayer, "Prof": 1879 Aug 26
Thompson, Launt: 1873 Feb 19
Thompson, [no first name]: 1873; 1875 Mar 20; 1876 Mar 7; 1877 Nov 8; 1878 Feb 19
Thurston, Frank: 1872 Apr 9
Tiffany, Louis Comfort: 1867 Jun 27, Sep 5, Nov 29; 1868 Aug 12, Aug 15, Aug 31, Sep 1, Sep 1, Sep 6, Sep 10, Nov 7, Dec 16; 1869 Mar 29, Apr 6, Apr 12, APr 26, Aug 16, Aug 18, Aug 21, Aug 23, Aug 24, Aug 26, Oct 26, Oct 27, Nov 15, Nov 22; 1870 Jan 22, Mar 10, May 9, Jun 6, Jun 30, Jul 2-5, Jul 15; 1871 Feb 11, Feb 15, Mar 13, Apr 22, Nov 23, Dec 30; 1872 Jan 8, Jan 10, Jan 17, Feb 2, Feb 16, Mar 11, Mar 14, Apr 8, May 17, Nov 12, Nov 14, Nov 25, Dec 9, Dec 19, Dec 11; 1873 Jan 1, Jan 9, Jan 17, Jan 28, Feb 1, Feb 3, Feb 7, Feb 8, Mar 10, Mar 29, Nov 3, Dec 4, Dec 9, Dec 27; 1874 Jan 15, Jan 17, Jan 20, Feb 2, Feb 3, Feb 4, Feb 11, Mar 2, Apr 14, May 5; 1875 May 18, May 21, Nov 4, Nov 7, NOv 8, Dec 16, Dec 21; 1876 Jan 29, Nov 14, Dec 22; 1877 Mar 8, May 7, Jun 4, Jun 13, Oct 26, Nov 8, Nov 21; 1878 Jan 18, Feb 25, Mar 2, Mar 5, Mar 8, Mar 20, Apr 6, Nov 18; 1879 Jan 16, Feb 7, Mar 3, Apr 22, Dec 8; 1880 Jan 3, Mar 8, Apr 12, May 8, Nov 10
Townley: 1871 Jan 16, Apr 18
Troll, Mrs.: 1870 Aug 8; 1874 Dec 16
Vaini, Pietro: 1874 Jan 7, Apr 15, Jun 17
Van Elten, Kruseman: 1867 Feb 6, Oct 6
Vedder, Elihu: 1869 Jan 27, Mar 17
Verplanck, Delancy: 1869 Jan 25, Jan 26, Nov 10; 1872 Feb 21, Jun 24, Jul 9, Jul 10; 1873 Dec 29; 1874 Feb 25
Waller: 1880 Feb 25, Feb 27, Mar 26
Walters, Josephine: 1871 Mar 6, Dec 30
Ward, Charles Caleb: 1871 Feb 4
Ward, E. M.: 1877 Jan 19, Apr 2
Ward, J. Q. A.: 1866 Dec 3; 1867 Feb 6, Feb 19; 1868 Jul 24; 1869 Jan 29, Jan 30, Feb 8; 1870 May 9; 1871 Jan 4, Nov 2, Nov 23; 1873 Nov 25, Dec 8; 1874 Jan 22, Mar 2, Mar 28; 1876 Feb 16; 1877 Nov 27; 1879 May 6
Warren, Andrew W.: 1870 May 4, May 30, Jun 7
Weir, John F.: 1878 May 1
Weir, J. Alden: 1880 Mar 3
Wenzler, Henry Anton: 1868 Mar 6, Apr 13; 1870 Nov 5, Nov 14; 1871 Jan 19, Apr 4, Apr 10
West: Feb 6
White, Edwin: 1868 Apr 1
Whittredge, Thomas Worthington: 1865 Mar 28; 1868 Mar 14m Apr 1; 1869 Jan 29, Dec 18; 1871 Jun 2-9; 1874 Jan 8, Jan 22, Jun 24; 1875 Sep 17, Sep 29, Nov 12, Nov 30; 1876 Apr 14, Apr 24, Apr 25, Apr 26, Apr 27, May 3, May 5, May 8; 1880 Apr 8
Williams, Isaac (?): 1869 May 5; 1876 Apr 27, May 3
Willis, William H.: 1869 Jan 14
Wilmarth, Lemuel Everett: 1874 Dec 4; 1877 Nov 22; 1878 Jan 14, Mar 4
Wood, George Bacon: 1868 Aug 1; 1869 Aug 14, Oct 15; 1873 Apr 23
Wood, Thomas Hosmer: 1870 Mar 4, Mar 18; 1871 Jan 19
Wood, Thomas Waterman: 1869 Jan 17, Feb 2; 1870; 1872; 1873 Mar 29; 1874 May 12; 1876 Mar 1; 1877 Feb 3, Feb 5, May 2, Jun 1, Jun 4, Jun 6; 1878 Jan 2, Jan 7, Jan 14, Jan 21, Jan 29, Feb 19, Mar 4, Mar 9, Mar 20, May 15, May 17, May 18, May 29; 1879 Feb 10, Mar 1, Jun 14, Jun 19; 1880 Jan 25, Jan 31, Dec 29
Woodward, Laura (?): 1872 Jan 22; 1873 May 20, Dec 2, Dec 13, Dec 18; 1874 Mar 7, Mar 16, Apr 11, Apr 17, May 20, MAy 25, Jun 11, Jun 17, Jun 24, Nov 13, Nov 16, Dec 22; 1875 Jan 12, Jan 21, Jan 22, Feb 3, Feb 25, Mar 1, Apr 12, Dec 3, Dec 24; 1876 Jan 9, Jan 25, May 17, May 19; 1877 Nov 8; 1879 Aug 28
Woolsey, E. J.: 1868 Apr 1
Wyatt, Alexander Helwig: 1869 Jan 9, Jan 17, Feb 3, Nov 15; 1870 Feb 4, Apr 26, May 28, Aug 8, Sep 18, Sep 20-22; 1872 MAr 8, Dec 10; 1873 Feb 5, Dec 27; 1874 Apr 30; 1877 Nov 1; 1878 Aug 17, Aug 25, Nov 22, Dec 22; 1879 Jan 26, Feb 25, Mar 12, Nov 12
Yale, Leroy Milton: 1869 Jan 13; 1870 Oct 29, Nov 29, Nov 30, Dec 13; 1871 May 15, Nov 1; 1875 Feb 26, Feb 27, Mar 8, Mar 9, Apr 12, Mar 30, May 2, May 11, Jun 27, Oct 23, Oct 29; 1878 Jan 11, Mar 11, Mar 13; 1879 May 31, Jun 3
Young, James Harvey: 1868 Apr 8
Collection 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.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
James D. Smillie and Smillie family papers, 1853-1957. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
Britton's diaries cover a wide-range of subjects including current affairs and his thoughts about American art and artists, the art scene in New York and Connecticut, classical music, the Great Depression, Prohibition, the Catholic Church, politics, his artwork and writings, his professional associations, New York galleries and exhibitions, and his relationships with family and friends. The diaries also include lists and sketches, including sketches of paintings in his studio at the time of the diary entry. The diaries provide an intimate and descriptive perspective of the Great Depression and its effect on the American family. Hard economic times forced Britton to reuse his children's school composition notebooks as diaries, often writing in the margins or in between the original lines of writing. He describes the toll of the economy on his relationship with his family.
The diaries contain exhaustive detail about the New York art scene and his fellow artists. He writes about George Bellows, Childe Hassam, Ernest Blumenschein, among many others, and about visiting numerous galleries, museums, and exhibitions, such as Knoedler, Frank Rehn, and Kraushaar Galleries, as well as his membership in various clubs and associations, including the New Society of American Artists.
There are two numbered sets of diaries. The first set is numbered XXV-XL and the second set is numbered Miscellanous Volumes 1-32. Britton also created a two-volume index of his diaries numbered XXV-XL. Most of the index was transcribed by the processing archivist and a partial list of relevant name/subject entries is found with the link to each individual diary. A more comprehensive list of entries from Britton's index is also included as an addendum.
A Volume XXX B is referenced in Britton's index which does not appear to be in the collection. It may be missing or perhaps the number was changed by Britton at a later date.
The narrative summaries and access points included with the Miscellaneous Volumes 1-32 were created by the processing archivist and should not be considered fully comprehensive.
See Appendix for a list of names and subjects for Diaries XXV-XL from Series 4.1.
Appendix: List of Names and Subjects from Diary Volumes XXV-XL in Series 4.1.:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
James Britton papers, circa 1905-1984, bulk circa 1905-1935. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Collection Citation:
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. Collection, Acc. 1992.0023, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.