The Exhibitions series includes schedules and information about traveling shows, which were usually group exhibitions built around themes; these records are arranged chronologically. The majority of the records in this series consist of files on particular exhibitions, including both traveling shows and exhibitions held at Midtown Galleries; these records are arranged alphabetically by exhibition title. See the Appendix for .
See Appendix for a chronological list of Midtown Galleries exhibitions documented in Series 2.
Arrangement note:
The series is organized into two subsseries:
Missing Title
2.1: Schedules and General Correspondence, 1932-1982, undated
Appendix: List of Midtown Galleries Exhibitions Documented in Series 2:
This list was compiled from announcements and catalogs produced by Midtown Galleries. A few of these were not included with the Midtown Galleries records, but were microfilmed in the mid-1960s as part of an Archives of American Art project to microfilm exhibition catalogs at a number of art libraries. Microfilm reel and frame numbers for these items are indicated in parentheses (reel: frames) immediately following the title. Most are part of Series VII: Printed Matter, and are microfilmed in chronological order; those marked with an asterisk (*) are part of the 1997 addition (5438: 713-838 and 889-932).
DateExhibitionNov. 1-15, 1932 -- Paintings by Bertram Goodman
Dec. 5-29, 1932 -- Paintings by Saul [Berman]
Nov. 7-22, 1933 -- Paintings by Marko Vukovic
Jan. 2-17, 1934 -- Recent Paintings of Nantucket by Margaret Wendell Huntington
Jan. 22-Feb.3, 1934 -- Paintings by Miron Sokole
April 2-17, 1934 -- Watercolors by Eleanor Hine
April 18-May 5, 1934 -- Paintings by Ary Stillman
Oct. 15-27, 1934 -- Paintings by Arthur L. Esner
Dec. 5-22, 1934 -- New York Night, Paintings by Eugene C. Fitsch
Jan. 14-26, 1935 -- Water Colors by E. Helen Young
Feb. 18-March 15, 1935 -- Paintings by Saul [Berman]
March 7-23, 1935 -- Drawings and Etchings by Isabel Bishop
April 1-19, 1935 -- Four Recent Guggenheim Fellows (Paintings by Francis Criss, Frank Mechau, Jr., and Doris Rosenthal, and Sculptures by Oronzio Maldarelli)
April 16-29, 1935 -- Feminanities, Paintings by Minna Citron
May 1-19, 1935 -- Doris Rosenthal (N442:537-538)
Dec. 26-Jan. 9, 1936 -- Vermont Farms by Margaret W. Huntington
Dec. 26-Jan. 12, 1936 -- Paintings of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania by Maurice Freedman
Feb. 11-29, 1936 -- Paintings by Isabel Bishop
April 10-25, 1936 -- Watercolors by Eugenie Schein
May 11-25, 1936 -- Paintings by Vincent Spagna
Oct. 14-31, 1936 -- Paintings by Martha Simpson
Dec. 8-24, 1936 -- Watercolors by Betty Pierson-Parsons
Dec. 13-24, 1936 -- American Print Makers Tenth Anniversary Annual Exhibition of Etchings, Lithographs, Woodcuts
Feb. 1-15, 1937 -- Doris Rosenthal
March 22-April 10, 1937 -- Paintings by Paul Cadmus
April 12-24, 1937 -- Paintings by Edith Nagler
April 19-May 3, 1937 -- Watercolors of Mexico by Eugenie Schein
Oct. 5-18, 1937 -- Vincent Spagna (Br15:527-529)
Oct. 19-Nov. 4, 1937 -- Paintings by Minna Citron
Nov. 5-22, 1937 -- Paul Mommer (Br15:533-535)
Nov. 23-Dec. 6, 1937 -- Paintings by Mary Hutchinson
Nov. 23-Dec. 6, 1937 -- Contemporary American Artists (Br15:536)
Dec. 7-20, 1937 -- Herbert Ferber (Br15:539-541)
Dec. 21-Jan. 3, 1938 -- Paintings by Alfred Kraemer
Jan. 4-17, 1938 -- Paintings by M. Azzi Aldrich
Feb. 8-26, 1938 -- Paintings and Drawings of Mexico by Doris Rosenthal
Sept. 16-Oct. 3, 1938 -- Paintings by Margit Varga
Nov. 21-Dec. 10, 1938 -- Paintings and Drawings by Zoltan Sepeshy
Dec. 8-24, 1938 -- Water Colors by Betty P. Parsons
Dec. 12-30, 1938 -- Water Colors of Bucks County by Lionel S. Reiss
Dec. 27-Jan. 14, 1939 -- Paintings by Jacob Getlar Smith
Jan. 17-Feb. 4, 1939 -- Paintings and Drawings by Isabel Bishop
Feb. 6-20, 1939 -- Paintings by Vincent Drennan
March 7-25, 1939 -- Paintings by Miron Sokole
March 27-April 15, 1939 -- Paintings of Mexico by Doris Rosenthal
April 17-May 6, 1939 -- Recent Paintings by Waldo Peirce
Sept. 26-Oct. 14, 1939 -- Paintings by Maurice Freedman
Oct. 17-Nov. 2, 1939 -- Paintings by Vincent Spagna
Nov. 3-20, 1939 -- Paintings by Minna Citron
Nov. 21-Dec. 9, 1939 -- Paintings by Frederic Taubes
Dec. 9-24, 1939 -- Water Colors by Betty P. Parsons
Jan. 3-20, 1940 -- Paintings by Emlen Etting
Feb. 20-March 9, 1940 -- Paintings by Paul Meltsner
March 19-April 6, 1940 -- Paintings and Watercolors by Bernardine Custer
Nov. 11-30, 1940 -- Paintings by Fletcher Martin
Dec. 2-21, 1940 -- Paintings by Simka Simkhovitch
Feb. 3-22, 1941 -- Paintings and Watercolors by Zoltan Sepeshy
March 3-22, 1941 -- Paintings by Doris Rosenthal
April 14-May 3, 1941 -- Paintings by Waldo Peirce
July 22-Aug. 22, 1941 -- Dealers Show American Art
Nov. 3-22, 1941 -- Pastels by Gladys Rockmore Davis
Nov. 25-Dec. 13, 1941 -- Water Colors by Betty P. Parsons
Dec. 15-Jan. 3, 1942 -- Paintings of the Tennessee Valley by Minna Citron
Jan. 6-24, 1942 -- Paintings by Jacob Getlar Smith
Jan. 26-Feb. 14, 1942 -- Watercolors by Zoltan Sepeshy
March 3-21, 1942 -- Tenth Anniversary Loan Exhibition, Works of Art by Midtown Artists Borrowed Back for this event from the Permanent Collections of Leading American Museums and Collectors
March 31-April 18, 1942 -- Watercolors by Waldo Peirce
April 27-May 16, 1942 -- Paintings by Vincent Spagna
May 18-June 6, 1942 -- Drawings by Isabel Bishop
Jan. 4-29, 1943 -- Watercolors by Jacob Getlar Smith
Feb. 8-March 6, 1943 -- Paintings of Mexico by Doris Rosenthal
March 5-27, 1943 -- Water Colors, Drawings and Prints by Contemporary American Artists at MacMurray College, courtesy of Midtown Galleries
March 29-April 17, 1943 -- Drawings by Minna Citron
April 19-May 15, 1943 -- Paintings by Gladys Rockmore Davis
May 17-June 4, 1943 -- Sculpture, Water Colors and Drawings by Herbert Ferber
Oct. 19-Nov. 6, 1943 -- Watercolors of the United States by Dong Kingman
Nov. 9-27, 1943 -- Ceramic Sculpture by Lilian Swann Saarinen
Nov. 23-Dec. 11, 1943 -- Drawings, Pastels, and Paintings by Doris Rosenthal
Jan. 25-Feb. 12, 1944 -- Paintings by William Thon
Feb. 5-21, 1944 -- Paintings by Mary E. Hutchinson
March 21-April 15, 1944 -- Paintings of the Ballet Backstage by Gladys Rockmore Davis
April 17-May 6, 1944 -- Paintings by Miron Sokole
May 9-27, 1944 -- Paintings by Waldo Peirce
May 29-June 17, 1944 -- Water Colors of the Stage Door Canteen and Other Home Front Activities by Bernardine Custer
Nov. 13-Dec. 2, 1944 -- Watercolors by Dong Kingman
Dec. 5-23, 1944 -- The Road to Paris, Gouaches by Emlen Etting
Dec. 26-Jan. 13, 1945 -- New York Harbor in Wartime by Julien Binford
Dec. 28-Jan. 15, 1945 -- Paintings by Fletcher Martin
Jan. 15-Feb. 3, 1945 -- Paintings, Gouaches and Drawings by Philip Guston
May 1-19, 1945 -- Paintings of Guatemala by Doris Rosenthal
Oct. 16-Nov. 3, 1945 -- Watercolors by Dong Kingman
Nov. 6-Dec., 1945 -- The Peirce Children Grow Up, Paintings by Waldo Peirce
Jan. 8-26, 1946 -- Memorial Exhibition of Paintings and Watercolors by Renee Lahm
Feb. 3, 1946 -- Upjohn Company Collection of Contemporary American Painting, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia
Feb. 19-March 9, 1946 -- Paintings by Henry Billings
April 23-May 11, 1946 -- Paintings by William Thon
Oct. 22-Nov. 9, 1946 -- Moods of Children, Paintings by Gladys Rockmore Davis
Oct. 6-26, 1946 -- Upjohn Collection of Contemporary American Paintings, Delaware Art Center, Wilmington, Delaware
Nov. 19-Dec. 7, 1946 -- Paintings and Watercolors by Zoltan Sepeshy
Feb. 2-March 1, 1947 -- Paintings by Isabel Bishop
Feb. 11-March 1, 1947 -- Paintings by Maurice Freedman
March 11-29, 1947 -- Watercolors by Dong Kingman
March 12-30, 1947 -- Recent Oil Paintings by Emlen Etting
April 1-26, 1947 -- 15th Anniversary Exhibition, Painting and Sculpture by Members of the Midtown Group of American Artists
April 2-20, 1947 -- Recent Oil Paintings by Fred Nagler
April 13-26, 1947 -- Upjohn Collection of Contemporary American Paintings, Stockwell Memorial Library, Albion College, Albion, Michigan
April 29-May 16, 1947 -- Paintings by Lenard Kester
May 12-28, 1947 -- Upjohn Collection of Contemporary American Painting, Davenport Municipal Art Gallery, Davenport, Iowa
Sept. 2, 1947 -- Upjohn Collection of Contemporary American Painting, Brooks Memorial Art Gallery, Memphis, Tennessee
Oct. 5-25, 1947 -- Upjohn Collection of Contemporary American Painting, Illinois State Museum, Springfield, Illinois
Oct. 14-Nov. 1, 1947 -- Paintings by William Palmer
Dec. 8-29, 1947 -- Upjohn Company Collection of Contemporary American Painting, The Burpee Art Gallery, Rockford, Illinois
Jan. 27-Feb. 16, 1948 -- Paintings by Henry Koerner
Feb. 1, 1948 -- Upjohn Company Collection of Contemporary American Painting, Mulvane Art Museum, Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas
March 2-20, 1948 -- Watercolors by Dong Kingman
March 7-28, 1948 -- Upjohn Company Collection of Contemporary American Painting, Oklahoma Art Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
March 22-April 3, 1948 -- American Art, A Multiple Exhibition arranged by The Association of Dealers in American Art, and Held in Their Galleries
April 6-24, 1948 -- Paintings and Gouaches by Maurice Freedman
April 11-25, 1948 -- Upjohn Company Collection of Contemporary American Painting, Isaac Delgado Museum of Art, New Orleans, Louisiana
May 6-23, 1948 -- Upjohn Company Collection of Contemporary American Painting, Dallas Health Museum, Dallas, Texas
May 11-29, 1948 -- Paintings and Mural Sketches by Emlen Etting
June 5-28, 1948 -- Upjohn Company Collection of Contemporary American Painting, William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Arts and Mary Atkins Museum of Fine Arts, Kansas City, Missouri
July 6-29, 1948 -- Upjohn Company Collection of Contemporary American Painting, Kenosha Historical and Art Museum, Kenosha, Wisconsin
Oct. 5-23, 1948 -- Paintings by Lenard Kester
Jan. 4-22, 1949 -- Watercolors of Italy by William Thon
Jan. 25-Feb. 12, 1949 -- Paintings by Henry Koerner
Feb. 21-March 12, 1949 -- Paintings by Cecile Belle
March 15-April, 1949 -- Paintings and Drawings by Anatol Shulkin
April 5-23, 1949 -- Watercolors by Dong Kingman
May 3-21, 1949 -- Paintings by Isabel Bishop
June 3-26, 1949 -- Upjohn Company Collection of Contemporary American Painting, E. B. Crocker Art Gallery, Sacramento, California
Oct. 4-22, 1949 -- Paintings in Gouache by Fred Meyer
Oct. 25-Nov. 19, 1949 -- Paintings by Gladys Rockmore Davis
Nov. 22-Dec. 17, 1949 -- Paintings by Paul Cadmus, 1938-1949
Jan. 10-28, 1950 -- Non-Realistic and Objectionable Portraits of American Artists by Isabella Howland (drawings)
Jan. 31-Feb. 18, 1950 -- Paintings and Watercolors by Zoltan Sepeshy
Feb. 28-March 18, 1950 -- Drawings and Water Colors, Paris - Honolulu, by Emlen Etting
March 9-20, 1950 -- The Art Department of Northeast Missouri State Teachers College Presents... Contemporary American Artists, Midtown Galleries, New York City
March 21-April 15, 1950 -- Paintings and Gouaches by Henry Koerner
April 18-May 6, 1950 -- Paintings of Italy by William Thon
May 9-27, 1950 -- Recent Watercolors by Dong Kingman
Oct. 31-Nov. 25, 1950 -- Twenty-one Paintings in Casein and Ink by William C. Palmer
Nov. 28-Dec. 23, 1950 -- Recent Paintings by Fred Nagler
Jan. 2-29, 1951 -- Mobile Art Association Presents Contemporary Artists Circuited by Midtown Galleries
Feb. 6-24, 1951 -- Paintings by Miron Sokole
March 6-31, 1951 -- Paintings and Drawings by Henry Koerner
April 3-21, 1951 -- The Dance, Paintings and Drawings by Emlen Etting
May 1-26, 1951 -- 10 Year Retrospective Exhibition of Watercolors by Dong Kingman
Oct. 9-27, 1951 -- Watercolors and Oil Paintings by William Thon
Nov. 6-Dec. 1, 1951 -- 100 Drawings by Henry Koerner
Jan. 8-26, 1952 -- Oil Paintings by William Palmer
Feb. 5-25, 1952 -- Paintings by Maurice Freedman
Feb. 20-23, 1952 -- Paintings and Drawings by Doris Rosenthal Presented by Haygood Lasseter Interiors, Miami, through courtesy of Midtown Galleries, New York City
May 6-24, 1952 -- Paintings of the West Indies by Doris Rosenthal
June 4-28, 1952 -- 20 Years of the Midtown Galleries, A Pictorial Survey of Twenty Years' Activity in the Promotion of Outstanding Contemporary American Art
Nov. 5-29, 1952 -- Paintings by Henry Koerner
March 31-April 25, 1953 -- Paintings of Spain by Gladys Rockmore Davis
April 28-May 23, 1953 -- Paintings by Cecile Belle
Oct. 20-Nov. 7, 1953 -- Paintings by Margit Varga
Nov. 17-Dec. 5, 1953 -- Paintings by Zoltan Sepeshy
Dec. 14-Jan. 9, 1954 -- Paintings by William Palmer
Feb. 9-27, 1954 -- Dong Kingman's Water Colors
April 6-May 1, 1954 -- Recent Paintings and Drawings by Henry Koerner
May 4-29, 1954 -- Watercolors by William Thon
Sept. 20, 1954 -- Art In Interiors
Oct. 19-Nov. 6, 1954 -- Paintings by Robert Vickrey
Nov. 16-Dec. 4, 1954 -- Recent Paintings by Emlen Etting
Dec. 7-31, 1954 -- Recent Paintings by William Thon
Jan. 25-Feb. 12, 1955 -- Paintings of Mexico by Doris Rosenthal
Feb. 23-March 19, 1955 -- Paintings by Henry Koerner
April 12-May 7, 1955 -- Paintings and Lithographs by Robert Sivard
May 10-June 4, 1955 -- Watercolors and Drawings by Dong Kingman
Oct. 25-Nov. 19, 1955 -- Paintings and Drawings by Isabel Bishop
Nov. 22-Dec. 17, 1955 -- Paintings by William Thon
Feb. 21-March 10, 1956 -- Paintings and Gouaches by Maurice Freedman
March 13-31, 1956 -- Paintings by Cecile Belle
April 3-21, 1956 -- Recent Paintings by Miron Sokole
May 8-June 2, 1956 -- Watercolors by Dong Kingman
Sept. 25-Oct. 17, 1956 -- 5th Annual Exhibition, Art In Interiors
Nov. 20-Dec. 15, 1956 -- Paintings of Bali by Gladys Rockmore Davis
Dec. 26-Jan. 19, 1957 -- Paintings by Zoltan Sepeshy
Jan. 22-Feb. 16, 1957 -- Paintings of Mexico by Doris Rosenthal
Feb. 19-March 9, 1957 -- Paintings and Drawings by Emlen Etting
March 12-30, 1957 -- Paintings by Henry Koerner
May 7-June 8, 1957 -- 25th Anniversary Loan Exhibition, Lent by American Museums and Collectors
Nov. 12-30, 1957 -- Paintings by Betty Parsons
Dec. 3-28, 1957 -- Paintings by William Palmer
Dec. 31-Jan. 25, 1958 -- Paintings by Fred Nagler
Feb. 18-March 15, 1958 -- Paintings by Henry Koerner
March 18-April 12, 1958 -- Watercolors by Dong Kingman
April 15-May 10, 1958 -- Paintings by William Thon
May 13-31, 1958 -- Paintings by Annette Bartle
Oct. 28-Nov. 15, 1958 -- Paintings by Robert Sivard
Nov. 18-Dec. 6, 1958 -- Paintings by Robert Vickrey
Jan. 27-Feb. 21, 1959 -- Paintings by Ernest Fiene
Feb. 24-March 14, 1959 -- Paintings by Jason Schoener
March 17-April 4, 1959 -- Paintings by Waldo Peirce
April 14-May 2, 1959 -- Sculpture by Raimondo Puccinelli
May 5-23, 1959 -- Annual Good Drawing Exhibition by Distinguished American Draughtsmen
Sept. 29-Oct. 21, 1959 -- Th Annual Exhibition, Art In Interiors
Nov. 17-Dec. 5, 1959 -- Paintings by Maurice Freedman
Dec. 8-26, 1959 -- Paintings by William Palmer
Jan. 5-30, 1960 -- Paintings by Henry Koerner
March 1-26, 1960 -- Paintings by Waldo Peirce
March 29-April 23, 1960 -- Paintings and Watercolors by William Thon
May 3-28, 1960 -- Paintings by Isabel Bishop
Sept. 20-Oct. 19, 1960 -- The Annual Exhibition, Art In Interiors
Oct. 25-Nov. 19, 1960 -- Paintings by Robert Vickrey
Nov. 22-Dec. 10, 1960 -- Paintings by Annette Bartle
Dec. 12-Jan. 6, 1960 -- Paintings by William Palmer
Dec. 13-Jan. 7, 1961 -- Paintings by Jason Schoener
Jan. 10-Feb. 4, 1961 -- Recent Paintings by Emlen Etting
Feb. 28-March 18, 1961 -- Drawings by Henry Koerner
March 21-April 15, 1961 -- Paintings by Zoltan Sepeshy
April 18-May 13, 1961 -- Watercolors by 5: William Thon, Jason Schoener, Robert Vickrey, Edward Betts, Fred Nagler
Sept. 27-Oct. 18, 1961 -- 10th Anniversary Exhibition, Art In Interiors
Jan. 16-Feb. 3, 1962 -- Oh, Fearful Wonder of Man, Recent Paintings and Drawings by Henry Koerner
March 21-April 7, 1962 -- Barabbas
April 10-May 5, 1962 -- Paintings and Watercolors by Robert Vickrey
June 5-July 6, 1962 -- Oil Paintings and Watercolors by William Thon
Nov. 23-Dec. 15, 1962 -- 30th Anniversary Loan Exhibition, Loans from American Museums and Collectors
Dec. 19-Jan. 5, 1963 -- Recent Paintings and Drawings by Henry Koerner
Jan. 8-Feb. 2, 1963 -- Oil Paintings, Nos. 1 through 25, Paintings of Maine, California, Greece, etc., Gouaches by Jason Schoener
March 5-30, 1963 -- Four Distinguished American Painters: William Thon, Robert Vickrey, Jason Schoener, Edward Betts
April 2-27, 1963 -- 30 Years of Religious Painting by Fred Nagler
April 30-May 18, 1963 -- Forms in Light, 1959-1963, Recent Paintings by Henry Billings
Oct. 8-26, 1963 -- Recent Paintings by Annette Bartle
Oct. 29-Nov. 16, 1963 -- Recent Paintings by Maurice Freedman
Nov. 26-Dec. 21, 1963 -- Recent Paintings by William Palmer
Feb. 18-March 14, 1964 -- Paintings and Drawings by Siegfried Reinhardt
March 17-April 11, 1964 -- Paintings and Drawings by William Thon
April 21-May 9, 1964 -- Drawings, Watercolors, and Welded Sculpture by Nathan Cabot Hale
Oct. 6-31, 1964 -- Paintings of Maine by Midtown's Maine Artists (Hans Moller, Edward Betts, William Thon, Waldo Peirce, and Jason Schoener)
Nov. 10-Dec. 5, 1964 -- Paintings by Hans Moller
Dec. 8-26, 1964 -- Twenty Five Years of Drawing by Emlen Etting
Jan. 4-22, 1966 -- Paintings from the Greek Islands by Emlen Etting
Jan. 25-Feb. 12, 1966 -- Paintings of Greece by Jason Schoener
Feb. 15-March 12, 1966 -- Recent Paintings by Robert Sivard
March 15-April 2, 1966 -- Recent Paintings by Annette Bartle
April 5-30, 1966 -- Paintings and Watercolors by William Thon
Sept. 11-Oct. 7, 1966 -- Midtown Galleries Exhibition at Charleston Art Gallery, Charleston, W. Va.
Sept. 7-Oct. 22, 1966 -- Paintings of Maine by Midtown's Maine Artists (Hans Moller, William Thon, Edward Betts, Waldo Peirce, and Jason Schoener)
Oct. 25-Nov. 12, 1966 -- Flowers in Art, Paintings and Watercolors
Nov. 8-Dec. 3, 1966 -- Paintings by Siegfried Reinhardt
Dec. 6-31, 1966 -- Small Paintings by Major Artists (Isabel Bishop, Paul Cadmus, William Palmer, Robert Vickrey, Emlen Etting, Doris Rosenthal, Robert Sivard, Edward Betts, Jason Schoener, Roy Moyer, Waldo Peirce, Hans Moller, Charles Coiner, Maurice Freedman, Fred Nagler, etc.)
Jan. 4-28, 1967 -- Recent Paintings by Hans Moller
March 14-April 1, 1967 -- 35th Anniversary Exhibition, A Documentary Presentation of Midtown Galleries' 35 Years of Varied Activities in Behalf of the Contemporary American Artist
April 4-29, 1967 -- Paintings by Isabel Bishop
May 9-June 3, 1967 -- Watercolors by Four Distinguished American Painters (William Thon, Hans Moller, Jason Schoener, Edward Betts)
Oct. 3-28, 1967 -- Recent Paintings of France by Robert Sivard
Oct. 31-Nov. 25, 1967 -- Recent Paintings by Roy Moyer
Nov. 28-Dec. 16, 1967 -- Watercolors by Four (William Thon, Edward Betts, Jason Schoener, Hans Moller)
Dec. 12-Jan. 6, 1968 -- Paintings by William Palmer
Jan. 7-28, 1968 -- Group Exhibition at the Columbus Museum of Arts and Crafts, Inc., Columbus, Ga., Courtesy of Midtown Galleries
Jan. 16-Feb. 10, 1968 -- Recent Paintings of the Scottish Highlands by Charles Coiner
Feb. 13-March 9, 1968 -- Recent Sculpture by Fred Meyer
March 1-April 6, 1968 -- Retrospective Selection of Drawings and Prints, Including Loans from Public and Private Collections, 1907-1968
April 9-May 4, 1968 -- Paintings of Ireland by William Thon
May 7-31, 1968 -- Sculpture, Watercolors and Drawings by Nathan Cabot Hale
Oct. 15-Nov. 9, 1968 -- Recent Paintings by Edward Betts
Nov 12-Dec. 7, 1968 -- Elections: Waldo Peirce, 1938-1968
Dec. 10, 1968-Jan. 4, 1969 -- Watercolors by 4 Members of the Midtown Group Noted for their Work in this Medium (William Thon, Edward Betts, Jason Schoener, Hans Moller)
Feb. 4-March 1, 1969 -- Paintings by Jason Schoner
April 1-26, 1969 -- Recent Paintings by Ethel Magafan
April 29-May 24, 1969 -- Paintings by Robert Vickrey
Oct. 7-Nov. 1 Hans, 1969 -- Watercolors by Five Distinguished American Painters (William Thon, Moller, Ethel Magafan, Jason Schoener, and Edward Betts)
Nov. 5-29, 1969 -- Paintings by Richard Mayhew
Dec. 2-27, 1969 -- Recent Paintings by William Palmer
Jan. 6-24, 1970 -- Exhibition of Paintings by Maurice Freedman
Feb., 1970 -- 38th Anniversary Exhibition
March 3-28, 1970 -- Paintings of Mykonos, Etc. by Margit Varga
Sept. 29-Oct. 24, 1970 -- Watercolors and Pastels of Monhegan, Maine, by Hans Moller
Jan. 19-Feb. 13, 1971 -- Recent Paintings by Stephen Etnier
March 16-April 10, 1971 -- Paintings by Richard Mayhew
April 13-May 8, 1971 -- Paintings by Charles Coiner
May 21-June 5, 1971 -- Earth, Sea and Sky: Naturescapes by Eight Artists, Squibb Gallery, Courtesy of Midtown Galleries
Sept. 28-Oct. 23, 1971 -- Paintings by Emlen Etting
Oct. 26-Nov. 20, 1971 -- Bishop, Cadmus, Vickrey*
Nov. 23-Dec. 18, 1971 -- Paintings by William Thon
Dec. 21-Jan. 15, 1972 -- Paintings by Maurice Freedman
Jan. 18-Feb. 12, 1972 -- Paintings of Latin America by Jason Schoener
Feb. 15-March 11, 1972 -- Fortieth Anniversary Exhibition (In Tribute to the Memory of Alan D. Gruskin)
March 14-April 8, 1972 -- Paintings of Maine and California by Edward Betts
May 9-June 3, 1972 -- Flowers in Art (Paintings by Waldo Peirce, William Palmer, Emlen Etting, Roy Moyer, Maurice Freedman, Hans Moller, Charles Coiner, Julien Binford, Robert Vickrey)
Oct. 24-Nov. 18, 1972 -- Waldo Peirce Memorial Exhibition, Paintings of the Last Two Decades
Oct. 3-21, 1972 -- Drawings by Eight Important Contemporary American Artists (Isabel Bishop, Paul Cadmus, Emlen Etting, Ethel Magafan, Richard Mayhew, Hans Moller, William Palmer, William Thon)
Nov. 21-Dec. 16, 1972 -- Paintings by Robert Vickrey
Dec. 19-Jan. 13, 1973 -- Religious and Figurative Paintings by Fred Nagler
March 6-31, 1973 -- Recent Paintings by Hans Moller
April 3-28, 1973 -- Paintings by Ethel Magafan
June 5-22, 1973 -- New Talent Festival
Oct. 2-27, 1973 -- Sculpture and Drawings by Nathan Cabot Hale
Oct. 30-Nov. 24, 1973 -- Recent Paintings of England, Scotland and Wales by Charles Coiner
Jan. 8-Feb. 2, 1974 -- A Selection of Drawings and Prints by Isabel Bishop
Feb. 5-March 2, 1974 -- 42nd Anniversary Exhibition, Paintings of the Thirties
March 5-30, 1974 -- Paintings by Richard Mayhew
April 2-27, 1974 -- Flowers by Julien Binford
June 4-15, 1974 -- New Talent Festival
Oct. 1-26, 1974 -- Terra Cottas and Bronzes by Fred Meyer
Oct. 29-Nov. 23, 1974 -- Paintings and Prints by Robert Sivard
Nov. 26-Dec. 21, 1974 -- Paintings by William Palmer
Jan. 7-25, 1975 -- Recent Paintings by Robert Vickrey
Jan. 28-Feb. 22, 1975 -- Paintings and Gouaches by Jason Schoener
Feb. 25-March 22, 1975 -- Watercolor Paintings by William Thon
March 25-April 12, 1975 -- Paintings by Maurice Freedman
Oct. 6-31, 1975 -- Religious Paintings by Fred Nagler at Saint Peter's Gallery, New York City (in cooperation with Midtown Galleries)
Oct. 28-Nov. 22, 1975 -- Paintings by Emlen Etting
Dec. 23-Jan. 17, 1976 -- Richard Mayhew*
Jan. 20-Feb. 14, 1976 -- Paintings by Ethel Magafan
March 16-April 10, 1976 -- Paintings by Edward Betts
April 13-May 10, 1976 -- Selected Works by Paul Cadmus
May 11-28, 1976 -- American Landscapes (William Palmer, Charles Coiner, Robert Vickrey, Waldo Peirce, William Thon, Jason Schoener)
June 1-18, 1976 -- New Talent Festival
Sept. 28-Oct. 23, 1976 -- Paintings of The Hamptons by Margit Varga
Oct. 26-Nov. 20, 1976 -- Paintings by Stephen Etnier
Nov. 2-20, 1976 -- Illustrations by Isabel Bishop for "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
Nov. 23-Dec. 18, 1976 -- Paintings by Robert Vickrey
Dec. 28-Jan. 22, 1977 -- On Loan from a Private Collection, "Seven Deadly Sins" and "Subway Symphony" by Paul Cadmus
Feb. 22-March 19, 1977 -- Paintings of Artists and Writers in Paris by Robert Sivard
March 22-April 16, 1977 -- Paintings and Watercolors by William Thon
April 19-May 14, 1977 -- Paintings by Maurice Freedman
May 17-June 4, 1977 -- New Talent and Guest Exhibition (Mary L. Buckley, Ruth Cobb, David Cobb Kupferman, Meyer Tannenbaum)
Nov. 1-26, 1977 -- Paintings by Waldo Peirce
Nov. 29-Dec. 24, 1977 -- Paintings by William Palmer
Feb. 28-March 25, 1978 -- Paintings of England, Scotland, Maine by Jason Schoener
March 28-April 22, 1978 -- Drawings and Serigraphs by Gregorio Prestopino
April 25-May 20, 1978 -- Terra Cottas and Bronzes by Fred Meyer
Oct. 31-Dec. 2, 1978 -- Paintings by Charles Coiner
Nov. 28-Dec. 16, 1978 -- Watercolors of Paris Shops, Dublin Pubs, etc. by Robert Sivard
Dec. 5-30, 1978 -- Drawings and Etchings by Isabel Bishop
Jan. 9-Feb. 3, 1979 -- The Seasons (Paintings by William Palmer, Paul Cadmus, William Thon, Hans Moller, Edward Betts, Emlen Etting, Gregorio Prestopino, Richard Mayhew, Maurice Freedman, Waldo Peirce, Jason Schoener, Charles Coiner)
Feb. 6-March 3, 1979 -- Recent Paintings by Stephen Etnier
Oct. 9-Nov. 3, 1979 -- Paintings by Maurice Freedman
Nov. 6-Dec. 1, 1979 -- Watercolors by Gregorio Prestopino
Dec. 4-29, 1979 -- Paul Cadmus, A Small Intimate Retrospective on the Occasion of His Seventy-fifth Birthday
Feb. 5-March 1, 1980 -- Drawings by Emlen Etting
March 4-29, 1980 -- Paintings of Summer in Maine by Jason Schoener
April 29-May 24, 1980 -- Paintings by Bruce Currie
Nov. 4-29, 1980 -- Paintings by Stephen Etnier
Dec. 2-Jan. 3, 1981 -- Paintings by William Thon
Jan. 6-31, 1981 -- Paintings by Ethel Magafan
Feb. 3-28, 1981 -- Watercolors by Ruth Cobb
March 3-28, 1981 -- Paintings by Robert Sivard
Sept. 8-Oct. 3, 1981 -- Self Portraits *
Oct. 6-31, 1981 -- A Fifty Year Drawing Retrospective and Recent Paintings by Isabel Bishop
Dec. 1-Jan. 9, 1982 -- William Palmer: Painting 50 Years
Jan. 19-Feb. 27, 1982 -- Retrospective Exhibition of Selected Paintings, 1932-1982, by Maurice Freedman
March 2-27, 1982 -- Retrospective Exhibition by Margit Varga
March 30-April 24, 1982 -- Midtown Galleries Golden Anniversary, Selected Work by Gallery Artists
April 27-May 22, 1982 -- New Bronzes and Terra Cottas by Fred Meyer
Oct. 5-20, 1982 -- Ruth Cobb: A Selection of Watercolors *
Nov. 2-27, 1982 -- A Twenty Year Retrospective Exhibition by Edward Betts
Jan. 4-29, 1983 -- Recent Paintings and Sculpture by Artists Associated with Midtown Galleries since the Thirties and Forties *
Feb. 1-26, 1983 -- Isabel Bishop: An Intimate Exhibition of Work of the Past Five Years
July 10-Aug. 4, 1983 -- Selected Works of Contemporary American Artists from the Midtown Galleries, New York City [at Fairfield University] *
Oct. 4-30, 1983 -- Paintings, Drawings and Prints by Bernarda Bryson Shahn
Nov. 1-26, 1983 -- Jason Schoener: The Artist's Travels *
Sept. 21-Nov. 5, 1994 -- Paul Tchelitchev: A Reevaluation *
Nov. 11-Dec. 30, 1994 -- Paul Cadmus: Still Lifes, Portraits, Tableaux
Jan. 12-Feb. 25, 1995 -- Jacob Lawrence: An Overview, Paintings from 1936-1994 *
March 2-April 8, 1995 -- Robert Kushner: Mille Fleurs, a Cornucopia of New Paintings *
Below is a list of exhibitions for which the year or date is unknown.
DateExhibitionundated -- Solo Exhibitions, A - Z (by artist)
Jan. 27-Feb. 10 -- Paintings by M. Azzi Aldrich
Nov. 23-Dec. 9 -- Paintings by M. Azzi Aldrich
April 17-May 6 -- Paintings by Saul Berman
Nov. 9-28 -- Paintings by Julien Binford
March 7-23 -- Drawings and Etchings by Isabel Bishop
Oct. 3-15 -- Paintings by Isabel Bishop
Feb. 15-March 4 -- Paintings by Homer Boss
April 18-30 -- Paintings and Watercolors by Homer Boss
Oct. 24-Nov. 17 -- Paintings and Drawings by Paul Cadmus
April 16-29 -- Feminanities, Paintings by Minna Citron
April 27-May 13 -- Paintings by Minna Citron
Dec. 14-25 -- Paintings by Adelaide De Groot
June 8-21 Other -- Exhibition of Drawings of the Philadelphia Stage Door Canteen and Recent Drawings by Emlen Etting
Oct. 23-Nov. 11 -- Paintings and Gouaches by Maurice Freedman
Dec. 26-Jan. 12 -- Paintings of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania by Maurice Freedman
Feb. 1-14 -- Watercolors by Ethel Katz
Oct. 13-31 -- Watercolors by Dong Kingman
Oct. 14-Nov. 1 -- Dong Kingman's Watercolors
undated -- Watercolors by Dong Kingman
June 6-23 -- Building the New York World's Fair, Gouaches and Oil Paintings by Renee Lahm
March 23-April 15 -- New York Murals by Edward Laning
May 22-June 9 -- Drawings of War in Italy by Edward Laning
Oct. 19-Nov. 4 -- Sculpture by Oronzio Maldarelli
Oct. 29-Nov. 17 -- Sculptures in Hammered Metal by Oronzio Maldarelli
March 18-31 -- Paintings and Watercolors by Joseph Margulies
June 2-21 -- Drawings by Fletcher Martin
April 20-May 9 -- Oils, Water Colors, Lithographs, and Drawing by Paul R. Meltsner
April 30-May 18 -- Oils, Tempera, and Lithographs by Paul R. Meltsner
May 24-June 10 -- Oil Paintings and Water Colors by Paul Meltsner
May 14-29 -- Watercolors by Thalia Millett
May 7-27 -- Watercolors by Kaname Miyamoto
May 1-16 -- Paintings by Paul Mommer
Oct. 2-18 -- Paintings by Paul Mommer
Oct. 13-31 -- Paintings by Paul Mommer
Nov. 1-16 -- Paintings by Paul Mommer
May 12-31 -- Paintings by Fred Nagler
Oct. 18-31 -- Paintings by Fred Nagler
Jan. 4-29 -- Iowa Landscapes, Paintings and Watercolors by William C. Palmer
March 24-April 12 -- Recent Wash Drawings by William C. Palmer
Sept. 25-Oct. 14 -- Paintings and Drawings by William Palmer
Dec. 12 -- Paintings by William Palmer
Dec. 3-16 -- Watercolors by Betty Pierson-Parsons
Feb. 15-March 1 -- Paintings and Sculpture by Alzira Peirce
Oct. 4-17 -- Paintings by Alzira Peirce
Jan. 7-25 -- Paintings by Waldo Peirce
March 3-29 -- Paintings, Watercolors, Prints by Waldo Peirce
Aug. 30-Sept. 25 -- Six Year Retrospective Exhibition of Paintings by Waldo Peirce
Nov. 16-Dec. 5 -- Paintings by Waldo Peirce
Nov. 14-Dec. 9 -- Paintings and Drawings by Siegfried Reinhardt
Dec. 12-30 -- Watercolors by Lionel S. Reiss
Nov. 2-14 -- Water Scenes of New York by Saul [Berman]
April 10-25 -- Watercolors by Eugenie Schein
Nov. 1-19 -- Paintings by Anatol Shulkin
Sept. 28-Oct. 12 -- Paintings by Martha Simpson
Jan. 18-Feb. 5 -- Paintings by Jacob Getler Smith
April 9-27 -- Drawings and Watercolors by Jacob Getlar Smith
Dec. 27-Jan. 14 -- Watercolors by Jacob Getlar Smith
Jan. 11-28 -- Paintings by Miron Sokole
Dec. 10-23 -- Gouaches by Miron Sokole
March 2-16 -- Paintings by Isaac Soyer
May 3-21 -- Paintings by Isaac Soyer
March 2-20 -- Paintings by Frederic Taubes
Nov. 27-Dec. 22 -- Recent Paintings by William Thon
undated -- Paintings and Watercolors by William Thon
Feb. 27-March 10 -- Watercolors of Mexico by Edward Valentine
March 22-April 9 -- Sculpture by Arline Wingate
Jan. 14-26 -- Water Colors by E. Helen Young
Group Exhibitions, date or year unknown
DateExhibitionundated -- Group Exhibitions
Feb. 27-March 26 -- Cooperative Exhibition of Contemporary American Art
May 4-31 -- Peggy de Salle Presents Little Gallery's 20th Anniversary: Four Nationally Known Artists, Courtesy Midtown Galleries (Isabel Bishop, Stephen Etnier, Zoltan Sepeshy, William Thon)
June 24-July 30 -- Three Painters from the Midtown, Watercolors, Drawings, Pastels at United Virginia Bank Gallery, Norfolk, Va. (Hans Miller, Jason Schoener, William Thon)
July 31-Aug. 13 -- Contemporary American Artists Associated with Midtown Galleries of New York, Four Fountains, Southampton
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Patrons must use microfilm copy.
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:
Midtown Galleries records, 1904-1997. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with F. Wynn Graham, 1965 July 22. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Eugenie Shonnard, 1964 February 27-1964 April 9. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Dora Kaminsky (Gaspard), 1965 Apr. 22. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Boulder (Colo.).. Parks & Recreation Department Search this
Type:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Place:
Boulder (Colo.)
India -- description and travel
Mexico -- description and travel
Netherlands -- description and travel
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Betty Woodman, 2003 April 22 and 29. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
An interview of John Woodrow Wilson conducted 1993 March-1994 August, by Robert F. Brown, for the Archives of American Art.
Wilson discusses his childhood as a member of a family of middle class Black people from British Guiana (now Guyana); his father's grave disappointments in the face of racial discrimination; his parents' push for their children to succeed; early urge to read and draw; encouragement by School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston students who taught at the Roxbury Boys Club; his secondary education; and friends.
He talks about his education at the MFA School, Boston, and comments on such teachers as Ture Bengtz and Karl Zerbe and compares their exacting methods with those of Fernand Leger, his teacher in Paris.
His work of the 1940s prior to going to Paris; the importance of early awards and sales received while still a student at the MFA School; the excitement of sharing a studio with fellow students, Francesco Carbone and Leo Prince; and encouragement to stay in school during WW II with the promise of a European study fellowship after the war.
The great impact of his years in Paris (1948-49); the lack of racial prejudice; the liberating effect of Leger's teaching; his awe of the work of Masaccio and Piero della Francesca during a trip to Italy; and the deep impression made on him by seeing tribal art in the Musee de l'Homme, Paris.
Continued discussion of Leger; his teaching methods; and influences on his work.
His first teaching position at the MFA School; his involvement in civil rights in Boston; his gregariousness and the use of his studio as a meeting place for artists and political activists; his involvement with socialism in Boston and New York; and working in a socialist children's camp. He remembers meeting Paul Robeson, Charles White, Elizabeth Catlett, and Bob Blackburn, who was then setting up his printmaking atelier in New York; marriage to a fellow socialist (June 1950); move to Mexico on a fellowship to study with Jose Orozco on the advice of Leger, only to find that Orozco had died; terrors of travel as an interracial couple through the U.S.; and different racial attitudes in Mexico and the U.S.
Living in Mexico (1950-56) and anecdotes of David Alfaro Siqueiros and Diego Rivera; his wife's meeting with Frieda Kahlo and seeing her collection of folk art; their free and cosmopolitan, if impoverished, life in Mexico; his work in a printmaking atelier and on the production of frescoes, and a lengthy aside about his brilliant brother, Freddie, who because he was black was not allowed to pursue his first love, geology, for many years.
Continued discussion of his experiences in Mexico; the dreary year (1957) he spent doing commercial art for a meatpackers' union in Chicago, a city he disliked; his move to New York in 1958, taking on commercial work to support his family, and teaching anatomy at the Pratt Institute.
Teaching art at a junior high school in the Bronx, and his gaining respect of students through special projects; teaching drawing at Boston University (1965-86), his approach to teaching including his demanding standards, the seriousness of the students, his opposing rigid attendance and grading rules, and colleagues, such as David Aronson who had created the School, Reed Kay, Jack Kramer, Sidney Hurwitz, and the University president, John Silber.
Working with the black arts entrepreneur, Elma Lewis, in setting up a visual arts program for the Boston black community (late 1960s-1970s), including the selection of a curator, Edmund Barry Gaither, a young art historian, who eventually established a museum of African-American art; his participation in various black art exhibitions, despite his belief that art should be seen regardless of the ethnic origins of artists; his move toward sculpture, beginning in the early 1960s, as a medium most expressive of black persons, culminating in the 1980s in a series of colossal heads and a statue of Martin Luther King, Jr. for the U.S. Capitol (1985-86); and why he makes art and will so long as he is able.
Biographical / Historical:
John Wilson (1922- ) is an African American painter, sculptor, illustrator, printmaker, and educator from Boston, Massachusetts. Full name John Woodrow Wilson.
General:
Originally recorded on 11 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 22 digital wav files. Duration is 16 hr., 2 min.
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators. Funding for the transcription and microfilming of the interview provided by the Newland Foundation.
United States -- Economic conditions, 1918-1945 -- Washington (State)
Date:
circa 1840s-1997
Summary:
The papers of artist, photographer, museum director, anthropologist, and writer Robert Bruce Inverarity are dated circa 1840s-1997 and measure 12.7 linear feet. Biographical information, correspondence, writings and notes, subject files, art work, scrapbooks, sound recordings, printed material and photographs are found within the papers. They document Inverarity's work as Director of the Federal Art Project in Seattle and Director of the Art and Craft Project for the State of Washington, as well as his other professional work. Nineteenth century material consists of a Japanese print, printed material, and photographs.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of artist, photographer, museum director, anthropologist, and writer Robert Bruce Inverarity are dated circa 1840s-1997 and measure 13.8 linear feet. Biographical information, correspondence, writings and notes, subject files, art work, scrapbooks, sound recordings, printed material and photographs are found within the papers. They document Inverarity's work as Director of the Federal Art Project in Seattle and Director of the Art and Craft Project for the State of Washington, as well as his other professional work. Nineteenth century material consists of a Japanese print, printed material, and photographs.
Among the biographical information are awards and certificates, biographical and genealogical notes, and educational records. Correspondence concerns Inverarity's activities as Director of the WPA Federal Arts Project in Washington State, 1936-1941. Additional personal and professional correspondence, 1929-1993, documents his activities as a museum director, consultant, collector, and writer. Among the friends and colleagues with whom he corresponded are: Max Ernst and Dorothea Tanning, Rockwell and Sally Kent, Stanton MacDonald-Wright, Wolfgang Palen, Juliet and Man Ray, Mark Tobey, Edward Weston, and various individuals associated with the WPA.
Manuscripts of a few of Inverarity's many articles on topics such as anthropology, museology, and information storage and retrieval are among his writings and notes. Also included are the manuscript of an unpublished book, Tobey Remembered, along with drafts, notes, correspondence, research materials, and photocopies of Tobey's letters to him and others. Other writings consist of book reviews, children's books, a catalog of the Inverarity Collection, and a copy of his 1946 master's thesis, "The Social-Economic Position of the American Artist." Several journals, 1928-1966, survive, including one that records his 1932 trip to study the Haida Indians of the Queen Charlotte Islands.
Subject files include general subjects such as "Folk Art" and "Preservation." Files on the museums where Inverarity was the director contain some official records as well as general information. Art work by Inverarity includes eight volumes of sketch books, 1928-1942, commercial work for Boeing, notes and drawings for book designs. Among the work by other artists are drawings, paintings and prints by friends. Of particular interest are display panels for a small exhibit on airbrush stencil prints produced by the Washington State WPA Federal Art Project. Other noteworthy items are pencil sketches and a watercolor by Mark Tobey, and prints by Hiroshige and Jan Matulka.
Five scrapbooks, 1928-1979, contain newspaper clippings, miscellaneous printed items, and a small number of photographs and letters. Three volumes document his career as an artist and museum director. One consists of biographical information and items designed by Inverarity, and another concerns publication and marketing of his monograph Art of the Northwest Coast Indians.
Sound recordings consist of interviews and conversations. An extensive interview with Inverarity about his life and career was conducted by Craig Gilborn in 1990. Bruce and Jane Inverarity in conversation with former colleague Ernie Johnson and his wife Helen about his departure from the Museum of International Folk Art were recorded in 1980. Also included is a 1981 conversation with Grace T. Stevenson containing references to Mark Tobey and Morris Graves.
Printed material includes many items about or produced by the WPA Federal Art Project. Among the items written by Inverarity are many articles on a wide variety of topics, his book Art of the Northwest Coast Indians, and two published portfolios. Printed material by other authors includes articles, books and reports about or mentioning Inverarity, and books designed or illustrated by him. Among the miscellaneous printed items are catalogs and brochures of the schools where Inverarity taught and studied, and a few ephemeral items designed by him.
Photographs are of art work, people, places, the Washington State WPA Federal Art Project, and miscellaneous subjects. All photographs known to be by Inverarity are clearly marked. Art work includes views of Inverarity's collection of his own work and that of other artists hanging in his home. Photographs of people include artists, friends, colleagues, and various groups. Of special interest are Inverarity's portraits of artists, among them Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, Morris Graves, Hilaire Hiler, Rico Le Brun, Stanton Macdonald-Wright, Man Ray, Dorothea Tanning, and Mark Tobey. Photographs of places include the museums where Inverarity was director, places in which he lived, and travel pictures. Of note are a large group of photographs (copy prints) taken in 1932 while studying the Haida Indians in British Columbia. Nineteenth century photographs of family homes, Europe, and South America may have been taken by his father. Photographs of the Washington State WPA Federal Arts Project are of individual works of art, exhibition installations, mosaic procedures and local art centers. Many, probably intended for display, are mounted in groups on large cardboard panels. Miscellaneous subjects include art photographs by Inverarity and the microreader he invented.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as nine series. Correspondence is in chronological order, Biographical Information and Subject Files are arranged alphabetically by folder title. Other series have been organized into subseries and arrangement is as described in the Series Descriptions/Container List below. Unless noted otherwise, material within folders is arranged chronologically.
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Information, 1934-1997, undated (Box 1, OV 18; 0.25 linear ft.)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1928-1993, undated (Box 1; 0.75 linear ft.)
Series 3: Writings and Notes, 1928-1993, undated, (Boxes 2-3; 1.5 linear ft.)
Series 4: Subject Files, 1938-1990, undated (Boxes 3-6, OV 19-20; 2.5 linear ft.)
Series 5: Art Work, circa 1840s-1969, undated (Boxes 6, 12, 16, OV 21; 1.3 linear ft.)
Series 6: Scrapbooks, 1928-1991, undated (Boxes 7-8; 1.1 linear ft.)
Series 7: Sound Recordings, 1980-1990 (Box 8; 3 folders)
Series 8: Printed Material, 1902-1995, undated (Boxes 8-13, OV 22; 3.4 linear ft.)
Series 9: Photographs, circa 1870s-1990, undated (Boxes 11, 14-17, OV 23; 3.0 linear ft.)
Biographical Note:
Robert Bruce Inverarity (1909-1999) showed artistic leanings as a boy, and from an early age was fascinated by puppetry and Northwest Coast native culture. During much of his youth, Inverarity's family lived in Canada, but returned to their native Seattle when he was a teenager. After graduating from high school, he made a 500 mile journey on foot along the coasts of the Vancouver Islands, collecting Indian artifacts and studying the area's tribal legends.
He studied briefly with Mark Tobey in Seattle, where the two shared a studio; when Tobey departed for Chicago, Inverarity succeeded him as an art teacher at the Cornish School. He spent the next few years in California working as an artist, exhibiting, and occasionally teaching. From there, he moved to Vancouver where he was Director of the School of Creative Art. In 1932, Inverarity made a three month trip to the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, for the purpose of studying the Haida Indians.
Upon his return to the United States in 1933, Inverarity joined the University of Washington Drama School as a puppetry instructor; in 1938 he published a highly regarded Manual of Puppetry. During 1936-37, he took a leave of absence from the university to assume the position of State Director of the Federal Art Project, where he remained until 1939. He then became State Director of the Art and Crafts Project (1939-1941). The U.S. Navy appointed Inverarity Chief of Design for Camouflage (1941-1943) and he later served as an Official Navy War Artist (1943-1945).
During his early years as a teacher and administrator, Inverarity continued making art and participated in a wide variety of exhibitions. He published a portfolio, 12 Photographs by R. B. Inverarity (1940). In the following year, Movable Masks and Figures of the North Pacific Coast Indians, a portfolio of his watercolors reproduced as silkscreen prints, appeared. Although Inverarity stopped exhibiting in 1941, he continued to produce art; notable work of this period includes photographic portraits of a number of artist friends (Max Ernst, Dorothea Tanning, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray).
After World War II, Inverarity completed his formal education. He earned a Bachelor's degree in art and anthropology from the University of Washington (1946), and then studied with Hilaire Hiler at Freemont University in Los Angeles, where he was awarded a Master's degree in fine arts (1947) and a Ph.D. (1948).
Inverarity began his museum career in 1949 when he was appointed the first director of the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a position that combined his interest in, and knowledge of, anthropology and art. While in Santa Fe, he published Art of the North West Coast Indians (1950). During his five year tenure as director, the museum participated in a pilot study for coding visual files, a project of the anthropological group, Human Resources Area Files, Inc. When Inverarity was dismissed from the Museum of International Folk Art in 1954, most of the staff resigned in protest, and the American Association of Museums investigated the situation.
Inverarity then became the first director of the Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake, New York, where he remained for eleven years. In addition to planning the museum's building, and developing collections and programs, Inverarity continued his involvement with the visual files project of the Human Resources Area Files, Inc., studying information storage and retrieval, developing a "microreader," and publishing Visual Files Coding Index (1960). In addition, he published many articles on a variety of topics and was active in organizations for anthropologists and museum professionals.
After his 1965 departure from the Adirondack Museum, Inverarity went to California and worked as an illustrator and book designer at the University of California Press. He returned to the east coast in 1969 to assume the directorship of the Philadelphia Maritime Museum. During this period, he remained active in professional associations and traveled to study museums abroad. He retired in 1976 and moved to La Jolla, California.
Robert Bruce Inverarity died in 1999.
Separated Material:
Originals of most of the drawings and sketches loaned by Mr. Inverarity were returned to him after filming and were not subsequently donated. This material is available on 35 mm microfilm reel D/NDA/I, frames 392-409.
Provenance:
Robert Bruce Inverarity donated his papers to the Archives in several installments between 1965 and 1993. Additional papers were received from his estate in 1999. He also loaned a small number of additional drawings and sketches for microfilming which were returned to him. A few of these drawings were included with the papers he subsequently donated to the Archives of American Art.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
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:
Leo Castelli Gallery records, circa 1880-2000, bulk 1957-1999. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the partial digitization of this collection was provided by the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation.