National Museum of Natural History (U.S.). Department of Anthropology Search this
Smithsonian Institution. Department of Anthropology Search this
Smithsonian Institution. United States National Museum. Department of Anthropology Search this
Extent:
330.25 Linear feet (519 boxes)
Note:
Some materials are held off-site; this will be indicated at the series or sub-series level. Advanced notice must be given to view these portions of the collection.
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1840s-circa 2015
Summary:
The Department of Anthropology records contain administrative and research materials produced by the department and its members from the time of the Smithsonian Institution's foundation until today.
Scope and Contents:
The Department of Anthropology records contain correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, memoranda, invoices, meeting minutes, fiscal records, annual reports, grant applications, personnel records, receipts, and forms. The topics covered in the materials include collections, exhibits, staff, conservation, acquisitions, loans, storage and office space, administration, operations, research, budgets, security, office procedures, and funding. The materials were created by members of the Section of Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institution, the Division of Anthropology of the United States National Museum, the Office of Anthropology of the National Museum of Natural History, and the Department of Anthropology of the National Museum of Natural History and range in date from before the founding of the Smithsonian Institution to today. The Department of Anthropology records also contain some materials related to the Bureau of American Ethnology, such as documents from the River Basin Surveys.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged in 28 series: (1) Correspondence, 1902-1908, 1961-1992; (2) Alpha-Subject File, 1828-1963; (3) Alpha-Subject File, 1961-1975; (4) Smithsonian Office of Anthropology Subject Files, 1967-1968; (5) River Basin Survey Files, 1965-1969; (6) Research Statements, Proposals, and Awards, 1961-1977 (bulk 1966-1973); (7) Publication File, 1960-1975; (8) Memoranda and Lists Concerning Condemnations, 1910-1965; (9) Notebook on Special Exhibits, 1951-1952 (10) Section on Animal Industry; (11) Administrative Records, 1891-1974; (12) Administrative Records, 1965-1994 (bulk 1975-1988); (13) Fiscal Records, 1904-1986; (14) Annual Reports, 1920-1983; (15) Chairman's Office Files, 1987-1993; (16) Division of Archaeology, 1828-1965; (17) Division of Ethnology, 1840s, 1860-1972, 1997; (18) Division of Physical Anthropology; (19) Division of Cultural Anthropology, 1920-1968; (20) Records of the Anthropological Laboratory/Anthropology Conservation and Restoration Laboratory, 1939-1973; (21) Collections Management, 1965-1985; (22) Photographs of Specimens and Other Subjects (Processing Laboratory Photographs), 1880s-1950s; (23) Exhibit Labels, Specimen Labels, Catalog Cards, and Miscellaneous Documents, circa 1870-1950; (24) Antiquities Act Permits, 1904-1986; (25) Ancient Technology Program, circa 1966-1981; (26) Urgent Anthropology; (27) Records of the Handbook of North American Indians; (28) Personnel; (29) Repatriation Office, 1991-1994
Administrative History.:
The Smithsonian Institution was founded in 1846. Although there was no department of anthropology until the creation of the Section of Ethnology in 1879, anthropological materials were part of the Smithsonian's collection from its foundation. The Section of Ethnology was created to care for the rapidly growing collection. In 1881, the United States National Museum was established. Soon thereafter, in 1883, it was broken up into divisions, including the Division of Anthropology. In 1904, Physical Anthropology was added to the Division.
The Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) was created in 1879 as a research unit of the Smithsonian, separating research from collections care. However, during the 1950s, research became a higher priority for the Department of Anthropology and, in 1965, the BAE was merged with the Department of Anthropology to create the Office of Anthropology, and the BAE's archives became the National Anthropological Archives (NAA).
In 1967, the United States National Museum was broken up into three separate museums: the Musuem of History and Technology (now the National Museum of American History), the National Museum of American Art, and the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). The Office of Anthropology was included in NMNH and was renamed the Department of Anthropology in 1968.
New divisions were added to the Department, including the Human Studies Film Archives (HSFA) in 1981, the Research Institute on Immigration and Ethnic Studies (RIIES) in 1982, and the Repatriation Office in 1993. In 1983, the Smithsonian opened the Museum Support Center (MSC) in Suitland, Maryland, as offsite housing for collections with specialized storage facilities and conservation labs.
The Department of Anthropology is currently the largest department within NMNH. It has three curatorial divisions (Ethnology, Archaeology, and Biological Anthropology) and its staff includes curators, research assistants, program staff, collections specialists, archivists, repatriation tribal liaisons, and administrative specialists. It has a number of outreach and research arms, including the Repatriation Office, Recovering Voices, Human Origins, and the Arctic Studies Center.
The Museum is home to one of the world's largest anthropology collections, with over three million specimens in archaeology, ethnology, and human skeletal biology. The NAA is the Smithsonian's oldest archival repository, with materials that reflect over 150 years of anthropological collecting and fieldwork. The HSFA is the only North American archive devoted exclusively to the collection and preservation of anthropological film and video.
Sources Consulted
National Museum of Natural History. "Department of Anthropology: About" Accessed April 13, 2020. https://naturalhistory.si.edu/research/anthropology/about
National Museum of Natural History. "History of Anthropology at the Smithsonian." Accessed April 13, 2020. https://naturalhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/media/file/history-anthropology-si.pdf
National Museum of Natural History. "History of the Smithsonian Combined Catalog." Accessed April 13, 2020 https://sirismm.si.edu/siris/sihistory.htm
Chronology
1846 -- The Smithsonian Institution is founded
1879 -- George Catlin bequeaths his collection to the Smithsonian The Section of Ethnology is established to oversee ethnological and archaeological collections The Bureau of Ethnology is established by Congress as a research unit of the Smithsonian
1881 -- The U.S. National Museum (USNM) is established as a separate entity within the Smithsonian Institution
1883 -- The staff and collections of the USNM are reorganized into divisions, including a Division of Anthropology
1897 -- The United States National Museum is reorganized into three departments: Anthropology headed by W. H. Holmes; Biology with F. W. True as head; and Geology with G. P. Merrill in charge The Bureau of Ethnology is renamed the Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE) to emphasize the geographic limit of its interests
1903 -- The Division of Physical Anthropology established
1904 -- The Division of Physical Anthropology is incorporated into the Division of Anthropology
1910 -- The USNM moves into the new Natural History Building
1965 -- The Smithsonian Office of Anthropology is created on February 1 The BAE is eliminated and merged with the Office of Anthropology
1968 -- The Smithsonian Office of Anthropology (SOA) of the National Museum of Natural History is retitled the Department of Anthropology on October 29
1973 -- The Research Institute on Immigration and Ethnic Studies (RIIES) is established at the National Museum of Natural History's (NMNH) Center for the Study of Man (CSM) to study the waves of immigration to the United States and its overseas outposts that began in the 1960's
1975 -- The National Anthropological Film Center is established
1981 -- The National Anthropological Film Center is incorporated into the Department of Anthropology
1982 -- The RIIES, part of the CSM at the NMNH, is transferred to the Department of Anthropology
1991 -- NMNH establishes a Repatriation Office
1993 -- The Repatriation Office is incorporated into the Department of Anthropology
Head Curators and Department Chairs
1897-1902 -- William Henry Holmes
1902-1903 -- Otis T. Mason (acting)
1904-1908 -- Otis T. Mason
1908-1909 -- Walter Hough (acting)
1910-1920 -- William Henry Holmes
1920-1923 -- Walter Hough (acting)
1923-1935 -- Walter Hough
1935-1960 -- Frank M. Setzler
1960-1962 -- T. Dale Stewart
1963-1965 -- Waldo R. Wedel
1965-1967 -- Richard Woodbury
1967-1970 -- Saul H. Riesenberg
1970-1975 -- Clifford Evans
1975-1980 -- William W. Fitzhugh
1980-1985 -- Douglas H. Ubelaker
1985-1988 -- Adrienne L. Kaeppler
1988-1992 -- Donald J. Ortner
1992-1999 -- Dennis Stanford
1999-2002 -- Carolyn L. Rose
2002-2005 -- William W. Fitzhugh
2005-2010 -- J. Daniel Rogers
2010-2014 -- Mary Jo Arnoldi
2014-2018 -- Torbin Rick
2018- -- Igor Krupnik
Related Materials:
The NAA holds collections of former head curators and department chairs, including the papers of Otis Tufton Mason, Walter Hough, T. Dale Stewart, Waldo Rudolph and Mildred Mott Wedel, Saul H. Riesenberg, Clifford Evans, and Donald J. Ortner; the photographs of Frank Maryl Setzler; and the Richard B. Woodbury collection of drawings of human and animal figures.
Other related collections at the NAA include the papers of Gordon D. Gibson, Eugene I. Knez, and Betty J. Meggers and Clifford Evans; and the records of the Bureau of American Ethnology, the Center for the Study of Man, and the River Basin Surveys.
Provenance:
This collection was transferred to the National Anthropological Archives (NAA) by the National Museum of Natural History's Department of Anthropology in multiple accessions.
Restrictions:
Some materials are restricted.
Access to the Department of Anthropology records requires an appointment.
39.1 cu. ft. (39 record storage boxes) (0.1 non-standard size boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Brochures
Clippings
Manuscripts
Newsletters
Compact discs
Electronic records
Floppy disks
Posters
Color photographs
Black-and-white photographs
Black-and-white negatives
Black-and-white transparencies
Color negatives
Color transparencies
Videotapes
Audiotapes
Date:
1973-2014
Descriptive Entry:
This accession consists of records that document the history and activities of Heritage Preservation from its very beginnings as the National Conservation Advisory
Council and the National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Property. Among those areas documented include board meetings, workshops, the SOS! program, conservation
awards, and annual meetings. People represented in the collection include R. M. Organ, Margiene H. Butler, Carolyn L. Rose, David Shute, and Lawrence L. Reger. Materials include
correspondence, memoranda, reports, notes, meeting minutes, meeting agendas, financial records, transcripts, proposals, images, release forms, exhibition records, questionnaires,
grant records, videotapes, audiocassettes, posters, and clippings. Some materials are in electronic format.
Historical Note:
In June 1973, a conference was held at the Winterthur Museum in Delaware. It was called primarily to attempt to quantify the known conservation training needs in the
United States as a while and to compare those needs with currently available capability for training. At the conference were directors of the then-existing training programs,
representatives of public and private agencies potentially capable of proving financial support for conservation programs, and individuals with wide-ranging concerns about
the nation's need for more and better conservation work.
Conference attendees recommended the establishment of an advisory council to provide a forum for coordinated planning and voluntary cooperation among existing and projected
conservation training programs. Initial funding for the expenses of the organization was obtained from the National Museum Act. The group held its organizational meeting in
November 1973 at the Arts and Industries Building in Washington, D.C. to develop further its structure and purpose and to adopt by-laws. The organization was named the National
Conservation Advisory Council (NCAC), and its purpose was stated to be the provision of a national forum for planning and cooperation among institutions and programs concerned
with the conservation of cultural property in museums, historic properties, libraries, archives and other types of collections in the United States.
Its first efforts included assessing national Conservation needs in training, research and publications; seeking ways to meet these needs; and studying the advisability
of creating a national institute for conservation, including such laboratory facilities, training programs and other activities on a national basis as might be found to be
appropriate.
The executive committee of the NCAC included: Chairman, Edward R. Gilbert, Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum; Vice Chairman, Charles Van Ravenswaay, Winterthur Museum;
Executive Secretary, Gretchen Gayle, Smithsonian Institution; and members, Norbert S. Baer, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, Robert L. Feller, National Gallery
of Art Research Project, Mellon Institute, Sheldon Keck, Cooperstown Graduate Programs.
After these initial efforts, NCAC evolved to become a nonprofit, independent, public policy organization dedicated to preserving the cultural, historic, and scientific
heritage of the United States. The organization has identified threats to collections and has responded with practical and pioneering solutions. Its special initiatives, reports,
and programs have made decision makers, conservation professionals, and the general public aware of the immediate attention required to reduce the risks of losing America's
cultural heritage.
NCAC later became known as the National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Property (NIC), and then ultimately became Heritage Preservation in 1997.
Its members included museums, libraries, archives, conservation centers, and national associations and its mission was to preserve the nation's heritage for future generations
through innovative leadership, education, and programs.
Heritage Preservation helped museums, libraries, and individuals with the best preservation advice from professional conservators through their publications. The Conservation
Assessment Program (CAP) helped small and mid-sized museums get the advice of professional conservators for their collections and historic buildings. Its Heritage Health Index
survey was the first attempt to paint a national picture of the state of collections across a broad spectrum of institutions - museums, libraries, archives, historical societies,
and scientific organizations.
Their Save Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!) program served as a resource for identifying, documenting, and conserving outdoor sculpture nationwide.
SOS! advocated for the proper care of outdoor sculpture and provided the public with the tools necessary to garner local action, increase appreciation for sculpture, and
improve the care of sculpture in both the short and long term. It encouraged a multifaceted approach to preservation: conservation treatment, public awareness, education,
and long-term maintenance. It was a partnership between the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) and Heritage Preservation.
Correspondence; biographical and personal documents; writings; photographs; etchings; conservation work files; business files; slides and negatives.
Biographical and personal documents; business correspondence; typescripts, notes, and published writings; photographs of Cornelius; 4 etchings by him; files on conservation work completed, containing correspondence, condition reports, bills, receipts, canvas fragments, photographs, transparencies, x-rays and slides.
Business daybooks, 11volumes, 1952-1978, listing Cornelius' transactions as a conservator of works of art. The listings include the date, client, artist and work, appraisal of the work's condition, conservation performed, and cost. Payments due are also listed.
Biographical / Historical:
Francis duPont Cornelius (1907-1990) was a conservator from Cincinnati, Ohio.
Provenance:
Unmicrofilmed material donated 1978 by Francis duPont Cornelius. Material on reel 1419 lent for microfilming 1978 by Cornelius.
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.
Describes the 1972 discovery and later conservation of Arshile Gorky's murals "Aviation" at the Newark, N.J. International Airport, executed in 1937 by Gorky as part of the Work Projects Administration art project. Art historian Ruth Bowman, N.J. Port Authority employees Saul Wenegrat and Stephen Staempler, and conservator Carroll Wales of Oliver Bros. are among those who describe their involvement. The murals are now in the Newark Museum.
Publication, Distribution, Etc. (Imprint):
New York : WNET/Thirteen, 1979.
General:
Broadcast Dec. 1978 on WNET/Thirteen's Dateline, N.J. series. U-matic video produced April 16, 1979.
Based on the exhibition "Murals Without Walls: Arshile Gorky's Aviation Murals Rediscovered," Newark Museum, Nov. 1978-March 1979.
Provenance:
Donated by the American Federation of Arts, who sponsored a tour of the Newark Museum exhibition "Murals Without Walls: Arshile Gorky's Aviation Murals Rediscovered," July 1979-December 1980. The exhibit was curated by Ruth Bowman.
Topic:
Mural painting and decoration -- 20th century -- Conservation and restoration Search this
Mural painting and decoration -- 20th century -- New Jersey -- Newark Search this
Rossiter, Henry P. (Henry Preston), b. 1885 Search this
Extent:
2 Items (sound cassettes. Sound recording)
51 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1986 September 19-November 13
Scope and Contents:
An interview with Francis W. Dolloff conducted 1986 September 19-1986 November 13, by Robert F. Brown, for the Archives of American Art.
Dolloff speaks of his childhood and education in the Boston area; of his work as a young helper, from 1924 on, in various capacities at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; working in the late 1920s as a self-taught prints and drawings restorer under Henry P. Rossiter at the Museum of Fine Arts; modern apprenticeship plus specialized training for restorers.
Biographical / Historical:
Francis W. Dolloff (1908-2006) was a restorer of prints and drawings at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 3 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 6 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are 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 others.
Topic:
Prints -- Conservation and restoration -- Massachusetts -- Boston Search this
Restorers -- Massachusetts -- Boston -- Interviews Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sponsor:
Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.
Account books presumed to have been kept by Oliver, listing his customers, charges, and sometimes naming the painting restored; names and addresses, probably of customers; copies of signatures of various artists.
Biographical / Historical:
Painting restorer; New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
Lent 1974 by the New York Historical Society.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Restorers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Topic:
Conservation and restoration -- Paintings Search this
The papers of Chicago art conservator, Louis Pomerantz, measure 34.2 linear feet and date from 1937 to 1988, with the bulk of the material dating from the 1950s-1980s. The papers document two principal aspects of Pomerantz's professional life: his conservation work for institutions and individuals, and the development of his professional expertise as documented through his writings and teachings, his continued conservation training, and his involvement in professional organizations. Files include scattered biographical material, professional correspondence, interviews, writings, project and client files, teaching and reference files, printed material, and photographic material primarily documenting conservation treatments and techniques.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Chicago art conservator, Louis Pomerantz, measure 34.2 linear feet and date from 1937 to 1988, with the bulk of the material dating from the 1950s-1980s. The papers document two principal aspects of Pomerantz's professional life: his conservation work for institutions and individuals, and the development of his professional expertise as documented through his writings and teachings, his continued conservation training, and his involvement in professional organizations. Files include scattered biographical material, professional correspondence, interviews, writings, project and client files, teaching and reference files, printed material, and photographic material primarily documenting conservation treatments and techniques.
Pomerantz's professional correspondence is with other conservators including Anton J. Konrad, Nathan Stolow, and Jean Volkmer, conservation scientists such as Robert L. Feller, and people who assisted Pomerantz early in his career such as George Stout. Also documented is Pomerantz's relationship with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) which undertook his traveling Know What You See exhibition, his involvement with museums and other art institutions, and companies who developed and manufactured conservation equipment such as Eastman Kodak.
Interviews include circa 9 radio station interviews on sound tape reels and sound cassettes of Pomerantz individually or with others, including a recording of a conversation regarding the Florence flood.
Writings and notes are by Pomerantz and include typescripts, notes and background material for lectures and papers delivered from the 1950s-1980s. Also found is a portfolio of his writings from 1962-1978, and a notebook Pomerantz compiled while working at the Rijksmuseum which includes notes, hand-drawn colored illustrations and photographs of conservation techniques.
Project/client files form the largest series and document Pomerantz's work, both in private practice and as conservator at the Art Institute of Chicago, through conditions reports, recommendations for and records of treatment, related correspondence, financial documentation, and photographic material.
Teaching and reference files comprise material gathered by Pomerantz during participation in professional organizations and events, such as the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, and the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. Also found are subject files, consisting of reference material and correspondence, on a wide range of conservation-related subjects.
Personal business records from the 1950s consist of receipts for conservation-related supplies and one folder of business tax records.
Printed material primarily includes news clippings documenting Pomerantz's career up to and including the 1970s, clippings on conservation-related news, blank postcards of artwork, and two exhibition catalogs.
Photographic material includes images demonstrating a wide variety of conservation techniques, including sets of slides used for lectures and presentations, and images of Pomerantz at work. Also found are photos of artists including Ulfert Wilke. Photographic media include black and white and color photos, slides, glass slides, X-rays and corresponding prints, negatives and 5 glass plate negatives.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 9 series. Glass plate negatives are housed separately and closed to researchers.
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1940s-1980s (12 folders; Boxes 1, 33)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1940s-1988 (3.6 linear feet; Boxes 1-4)
Series 3: Interviews, 1961-circa 1970s (8 folders; Box 4)
Series 4: Writings and Notes, 1950s-1980s (2.8 linear feet; Box 7)
Series 5: Project/Client Files, 1950s-1987 (13.8 linear feet; Boxes 7-20)
Series 6: Teaching and Reference Files, 1940s-1980s (3.9 linear feet; Boxes 20-24)
Series 7: Personal Business Records, 1950s (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 24-25)
Series 8: Printed Material, 1937-1970s (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 25, 33)
Series 9: Photographic Material, 1940s-1980s (8.4 linear feet; Boxes 25-36, OV 37, MGP 1)
Biographical / Historical:
Chicago art conservator Louis Pomerantz (1919-1988), established and operated the conservation lab at the Art Institute of Chicago and then maintained a private practice conducting conservation work for individual collectors and various museums and art institutions in the midwest.
Pomerantz had originally intended to be an artist and enrolled at the Art Students League. After serving in World War II, he returned to Europe to study conservation as an apprentice to a private restorer in Paris, followed by a year spent working under the chief restorer at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and study at the Courtauld Institute and the National Gallery in London. As head of the Art Institute of Chicago's first conservation lab from 1956-1961, Pomerantz employed new and emerging techniques such as powerful binocular microscopes, ultra-violet, infra-red and X-ray machines to study paintings, and a hot table to bond new canvasses to support old ones. Following his resignation from the Art Institute of Chicago to pursue his private practice, Pomerantz organized conservation training programs, and wrote widely on conservation. He served on the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) and was a member of the committee which adopted the AIC's first code of ethics for art conservators in May 1967. He became consultant to various art and natural history museums including the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, where he formed part of the conservation team that completed an extensive renovation of the museum's Javanese gamelan ensemble composed of 23 brass and wood musical instruments.The gamelan was presented and played for the first time since 1893 in 1978, following the restoration.
Pomerantz also organized several museum exhibitions on conservation, including Know What You See, which was shown at more than 100 museums around the United States, Canada and Mexico, as part of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES).
Provenance:
The Louis Pomerantz papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Else Pomerantz in 1988.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington D.C. research center. Use of 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.
Museum conservation methods -- Technique Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Interviews
Illustrations
Sound recordings
Citation:
Louis Pomerantz papers, 1937-1988, bulk 1950s-1988. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection is provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art. Glass plate negatives in this collection were digitized in 2019 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.
Baer, William J. (William Jacob), 1860-1941 Search this
Extent:
1 Item ((on partial microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
[undated]
Scope and Contents:
A five page manuscript in which Baer discusses the conservation of paintings on ivory.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter; East Orange, N.J.
Provenance:
Donated 1955-1962 by Charles E. Feinberg. Feinberg was a long time friend and active donor to AAA.
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.
Architectural blueprints made in the restoration of Fifth Meeting House in Lancaster, Mass. The church was originally designed by Charles Bulfinch.
Biographical / Historical:
Architectural firm (Boston, Mass.)
Provenance:
Acquired through Lee Farnsworth.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
The papers of abstract artist and art conservator Felrath Hines measure 1.3 linear feet and date from 1954 to 2002. The bulk of the papers include project files concerning his work as a conservator. These files may include correspondence; condition and treatment reports; financial records, photographic materials, and printed material. Also found is scattered biographical material, general correspondence, and photographs of conserved works--many of which are unlabeled.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of abstract artist and art conservator Felrath Hines measure 1.3 linear feet and date from 1954 to 2002. The bulk of the papers include project files concerning his work as a conservator. These files may include correspondence, condition and treatment reports, financial records, photographic materials, and printed material. Also found is scattered biographical material, general correspondence, and photographs of conserved works--many of which are unlabeled.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Felrath Hines (1913-1993) was an African American painter and painting conservator in Washington, DC.
Felrath Hines was born in 1913 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps in the early-1930s and subscribed to art correspondence courses. He did not begin formal art education until 1945 when he enrolled at the Art Institute of Chicago. Hines created abstract landscapes influenced by Cubism, and in the 1960s he was a member of Spiral, a group of Black artists concerned with the role of African American artists in politics and the civil rights movement.
In addition to his personal art career, Hines was a skilled conservator and served as chief conservator at the National Portrait Gallery and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. His clients included the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa Collection), Fisk University, Museum of Modern Art, Waddell Gallery, and many other institutions and individuals.
Felrath Hines died in 1993 in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Provenance:
Dorothy Fisher donated her late husband's papers to the Archives of American Art in 2002.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Germany (Territory under Allied occupation, 1945-1955)
Date:
1905-1983
bulk 1920-1976
Summary:
The papers of art historian and museum curator W.G. (William George) Constable measure 25.7 linear feet and date from 1905 to 1981, with the bulk of the material from 1920 to 1976. The papers include biographical material; professional and personal correspondence; extensive lectures, writings, and notes; exhibition and book research files; printed materials; and photographs, glass plate negatives, and slides. There is substantive correspondence related to Constable's participation in the American Defense Harvard Group and about the formation of the Roberts Commission, including correspondence with Ralph Perry, Hugh Hencken, Paul Sachs and George L. Stout. There are numerous official reports prepared by Constable after World War II for the U. S. Office of Military Government for Germany.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of art historian and museum curator W.G. (William George) Constable measure 25.7 linear feet and date from 1905 to 1981, with the bulk of the material from 1920 to 1976. The papers include biographical material; professional and personal correspondence; extensive lectures, writings, and notes; exhibition and book research files; printed materials; and photographs, glass plate negatives, and slides. There is substantive correspondence related to Constable's participation in the American Defense Harvard Group and about the formation of the Roberts Commission, including correspondence with Ralph Perry, Hugh Hencken, Paul Sachs and George L. Stout. There are numerous official reports prepared by Constable after World War II for the U. S. Office of Military Government for Germany.
Biographical material includes W.G. Constable's curriculum vitae; club memberships; personal, educational, and military records; three memorial essays and obituaries; five address books; appointment books dating from 1930-1968; and financial records related to personal business travels.
Correspondence is mostly professional and arranged into General, Committee, Condolences, and J.G. Links. General correspondence is with friends, business associates, auction houses, galleries, and museums. The letters cover a wide variety of professional work, such as research projects, letters of inquiry and recommendation, and work done for Christie's and the Internal Revenue Service. Correspondents include Mortimer Brandt, Helen Frick, Helen Gluck, William Ivins, Duncan Phillips, Paul Sachs, and Rudolph Vasalle, among many others.
Committee related correspondence includes letters, memoranda, and reports related to ongoing committee objectives, projects, and routine activities. There is correspondence related to Constable's advisory work with the Art Gallery of Toronto, the National Gallery of Canada, and the Watts Gallery, among other projects. Condolences consists of letters and cards received by Constable's wife, Olivia, after Constable's death. Correspondence with J.G. Links is primarily about the second edition revision of Constable's book Canaletto.
There are over 170 drafts of Constable's notes and outlines for lectures. Topics range from 13th-20th century European and American art to museum conservation, ethics, art education, and art collecting. The series also includes lecture notes from organized touring trips to Canada, Northern Europe, Scandanavia, and Poland.
Writings consist of Constable's published and unpublished articles, articles submitted for the Encyclopedia of World Art, essays, notes, exhibition catalogs, translations, and drafts and research material related to Art Collecting in the United States, Art History and Connoisseurship, and The Painter's Workshop.
Files specifically documenting Constable's advisory role in the World War II American Defense Harvard Group drafting and organizing lists of men with curatorial, museum conservation, or library/archives backgrounds to aid in the protection European most valued cultural artifacts, artwork, and architecture. There are letters documenting the formation of the Harvard Group and its goals and objections. The files also include many of the original lists that were forwarded to the Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in Europe, also known as the Roberts Commission, eventually leading to the formation of the U.S. Army's Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives division. The series also includes the Harvard Group's manual Safeguarding and Conserving Cultural Materials in the Field, committee minutes, and clippings related to their work. Correspondents include Ralph Perry, Paul Sachs, George L. Stout, and Hugh Hencken.
Constable's work after the war for the U.S. Office of Military Government for Germany is documented through numerous reports, memoranda, letters, and other official documents from the U. S. Army to Constable about surveying the state of German and Italian art institutions after World War II. The series also includes Constable's notebook "Visits in Germany" (1949), and a copy of his report Art and Reorientation: Status and Future of Museums and the Teaching of Art in Western Germany.
Exhibition files contain correspondence, notes, lists, research material, and reports related to exhibitions that Constable organized prior to his employment by and after his retirement from the Boston Museum of Art.
Research files contain materials relevant to Constable's interests and include notes, lists, correspondence, and printed and photographic reference material. These subject areas cover artists, including extensive files on Canaletto and other vedute painters, museum conservation, museums and galleries, private and public art collections, and schools of art.
Printed materials include clippings, programs, book excerpts and other miscellaneous printed materials.
Photographic materials include prints of Constable with friends and family, as well as prints, glass negatives and slides of artwork. There are also prints of the Fogg Art Museum's interiors and exterior and interior shots of Tennessee Valley Authority dam projects.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 10 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1905-1983 (1.2 linear feet; Box 1-2, OV 28)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1906-1981 (6.2 linear feet; Box 2-8, OV 28-29)
Series 3: Lectures, 1909-1963 (4.6 linear feet; Box 8-12)
Series 4: Writings and Notes, 1910-1974 (2 linear feet; Box 13-14)
Series 5: American Defense Harvard Group, 1942-1946 (0.6 linear feet; Box 15)
Series 6: Office of Military Government for Germany, 1947-1952 (0.3 linear feet; Box 15)
Series 7: Exhibition Files, 1930-1969 (1 linear foot; Box 15-16, OV 29)
Series 8: Research Files, 1922-1976 (7.5 linear feet; Box 16-24, OV 28-29)
Series 9: Printed Material, 1921-1977 (0.5 linear feet; Box 24)
Series 10: Photographic Materials, circa 1940-1960 (1.4 linear feet; Box 24-27, OV 28-29)
Biographical / Historical:
W. G. (William George) Constable (1887-1976) was a museum curator and art historian who worked in England and Boston.
Born in Derby, England, Constable studied for the bar at Cambridge University, but was encouraged to pursue art over law by the Lord Chancellor who told him that law would be too strenuous after a two year convalescence from gassing during World War I. For three years, he studied at the Slade School and the Bartlett School of Architecture. In 1923, he joined the National Gallery of London where he became the Assistant Director in 1929. In 1930, he accepted the first Director's position at the newly formed Courtauld Institute, where he worked to develop one of the first programs on art history. In 1938, Constable became Curator of Paintings at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and worked there until his retirement in 1957.
Throughout his career as an arts administrator, Constable remained an accomplished lecturer and held appointments as the Slade Professor of Art at Cambridge (1933-1936), Ryerson Lecturer at Yale University (1940), and the Lowell Lecturer at the Lowell Insitute (1958). As a researcher and art historian, he published a steady stream of essays on European and American art connoisseurship, and authored over ten scholarly books, including The Painter's Workshop (1953), Richard Wilson (1953), and Canaletto (1962), the definitive work on the Venetian master.
Constable was a trusted arts advisor and, in this capacity, worked for the Wadsworth Atheneum from 1943-1945.
He also worked closely with Lord Beaverbrook to establish the National Gallery of Canada and later consulted for Sotheby's and the U. S. Internal Revenue Service.
In the years leading to World War II, Constable served as an advisor to the American Defense Harvard Group and was later appointed to the Commission for the Protection of Artistic and Historic Monuments in Europe (the Roberts Commission) by President Roosevelt. The Roberts Commission was responsible for the establishment of the U. S. Army's Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section. After the war, Constable served the U.S. government as a member of a commission responsible for the recovery of looted art work and the evaluation of the state of the arts in Germany and Italy.
After his retirement from the Boston Museum, Constable continued to research and write, and also served as president of the International Institute of Conservation (1958-1960) and the Renaissance Society of America (1959-1961). From 1957 to 1966, he worked on behalf of Christie's auction house, where he met with prospective clients and provided preliminary valuations of private art works and collections.
On February 4, 1976, Constable died in Cambridge, Massachusetts from natural causes.
Related Materials:
The Archives also holds additional materials related to W.G. Constable, including an oral history interview with Constable conducted by Robert Brown in 1972-1973, and a photograph and clipping of Constable donated by Eleanor Barton in 1982.
Additional W.G. Constable papers are located at archival materials are also located at St. Johns College in Cambridge,England; the Warburg Institute in London, England; the National Gallery in London, England; and the Society for the Protection of Science and Learning in London, England. Photographs of works art collected by Constable are found at the British Studies Center at Yale University. Records relating to his tenure at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston are housed there.
Provenance:
The papers of W.G. Constable were donated in multiple gifts from 1978 to 1979 and in 1987 to 1988 by his son Giles Constable. Additional material regarding Constable's research on Canaletto was donated by researcher J.G. Links in 1985.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment. Glass plate negatives are housed separately and not served to researchers.
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.
World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war Search this
Citation:
W.G. Constable papers, 1905-1983, bulk 1920-1976. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art. Digitization of this collection was funded by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. Glass plate negatives in this collection were digitized in 2019 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.
The records of the Municipal Art Society of New York, based out of New York City and established in 1893, measure 3.2 linear feet and date from 1901 to 1960. The records include minutes from the annual and directors meetings, which incorporate reports, directors' files, committee files, and printed material. Financial reports to the Municipal Art Society Board that detail the organization's Permanent Fund are also present.
Scope and Contents:
The records of the Municipal Art Society of New York measure 3.2 linear feet and date from 1901 to 1960. Minutes from annual and directors meetings, printed materials, and financial reports document the Municipal Art Society of New York's involvement in urban planning, city beautification, funding art for public spaces, and generally improving the quality of life in New York City.
Bound minute books from the annual and directors meetings incorporate annual reports, committee reports, membership lists, and by-laws, as well as some correspondence with business colleagues and fellow arts organizations. Printed materials are also integrated into the minute books and often relate to the content of the adjacent administrative files and include exhibition announcements and catalogs, event invitations, meeting announcements, bulletins, newsletters, magazine and newspaper clippings, and membership solicitation materials.
Financial reports to the Municipal Art Society Board detail the Permanent Fund and the organization's accounts.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 2 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Annual and Directors Meetings Minutes, 1901-1960 (3.2 linear feet; Box 1-8)
Series 2: Permanent Fund Financial Records, 1913-1949 (1 folder; Box 8)
Biographical / Historical:
The Municipal Art Society of New York is a private organization that was founded in 1893 to beautify New York City streets, parks, and public places in ways both practical and artistic through projects supported by member dues. The society regularly held competitions for artists to create murals and sculptures to decorate public buildings, and exhibited artists' public works. Members of the society spearheaded efforts to preserve, improve, and maintain public buildings, monuments, and parks; create and maintain street signage and fixtures; regulate zoning; plan thoroughfares; and advocate for public housing. Interests of the society also included establishing a housing authority, slum clearance, and post-World War II planning. The Municipal Art Society of New York continues to influence urban planning and historic preservation into the 21st century, and is known for their architectural tours of New York CIty.
Provenance:
Donated 1968 by Municipal Art Society of New York.
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.
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.
Topic:
Historic buildings -- Conservation and restoration -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Public art -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Function:
Arts organizations -- New York (State)
Citation:
Municipal Art Society of New York records, 1901-1960. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
4.5 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 3 reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
[ca. 1920]-1964
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence, writings, photographs, art work, subject files, scrapbooks, and printed material.
REELS D211-D213: Ralph Mayer's correspondence is with artists, conservators, museum directors, publishers, art organizations, and others. Notebooks contain data on 19th century canvas makers and dealers of artists' materials. Also included are correspondence and a ledger regarding restoration and conservation of paintings, 1929-1963; files on Columbia University, the National Academy of Design, the Newark Museum, The New York State Department of Commerce, the Whitney Museum of Art, subway murals, and other subjects; and correspondence with the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding standards for paints and pigments. Photographs are of Ralph Mayer's paintings. Correspondents include: George Biddle, Isabel Bishop, Alexander Brook, Charles Burchfield, Richard A. Florsheim, Victor Hammer, Stefan Hirsch, Peter Hurd, Lilian MacKendrick, Kenneth H. Miller, Walter Pach, Abraham Rattner, John Sloan, and David Smith.
Bena Frank Mayer's papers consist of biographical material, clippings, correspondence, exhibition catalogs and announcements, and photographs of her paintings. Two scrapbooks contain printed material, letters, and photographs regarding the Mayers' careers.
UNMICROFILMED: Correspondence includes Ralph Mayer's, 1930-1964, mainly concerning the use of artists' materials, Bena Frank correspondence, 1910-1977, and letters concerning Mayer's book, The Painter's Craft, 1948. Among his correspondents are Josef Albers, Thomas Hart Benton, Isabel Bishop, Georgia O'Keeffe, Walter Pach, Paul Sample, John Sloan, and Frederic Taubes. Subject files are on the Artists' Laboratory, the Art Students League, Gustav Berger, Huntington Hartford, the MacDowell Colony, the National Academy of Design, Diego Rivera murals, subway murals, and other subjects. Writings consist of papers on commercial standards of paint, a typescript of The Painter's Craft, and lecture notes from classes Mayer taught at the Art Students League and Columbia University.
Art work consists of sketchbooks and sketches. Photographs are of the Mayers, their studios, family, friends, and paintings. Printed material includes exhibition catalogs and announcements, brochures, clippings, and posters. There are also six scrapbooks, ca. 1930-1940, containing clippings, photographs, letters received, and printed material.
Biographical / Historical:
Ralph Mayer: conservator, restorer, painter. Died 1979. Bena Frank Mayer: painter. They lived in New York. Ralph Mayer was educated as a chemical engineer, and spent several years working in the manufacture of paints and varnishes. He also studied painting at the Art Students League. His work in conservation and artists' materials led him to found the Artists Technical Research Institute in 1959. Author of The Artists Handbook of Materials and Techniques (1940) and The Painter's Craft (1948), and numerous articles. Taught at Columbia University.
Provenance:
Material on reels D211-D213 was lent for microfilming in 1965 by Ralph Mayer. Portions were subsequently donated along with unmicrofilmed material, 1972-1979, by Ralph and Bena Frank Mayer.
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.
The Sylvan Cole Gallery records and Sylvan Cole papers measure 29.4 linear feet and date from 1935 to 2004, with the bulk of the records dating from 1959 to 2003. The records shed light on the gallery's operations through administrative records, artist files, exhibition and event files, institution and museum files, gallery and dealer files, client and collector files, financial records, and appraisal and legal records. The collection also includes papers of Sylvan Cole, including material generated during his career as president and director of Associated American Artists Gallery; an appraiser of fine-art prints; and an authority on twentieth-century American prints. Some personal material is present as well.
Scope and Contents:
The Sylvan Cole Gallery records and Sylvan Cole papers measure 29.4 linear feeet and date from 1959 to 2004, with one item, A Modern Pilgrim's Print Book, from 1935. The records shed light on the gallery's operations through administrative records, artist files, exhibition and event files, institution and museum files, gallery and dealer files, client and collector files, financial records, and appraisal and legal records. The collection also includes papers of Sylvan Cole, including material generated during his career as president and director of Associated American Artists Gallery; an appraiser of fine-art prints; and an authority on twentieth-century American prints. Some personal material is present as well.
Gallery administrative records consist of correspondence files, organization and membership records, daily planners, files on art conservation and restoration, and an essay by Sylvan Cole titled "Some Observations" about buyers in the commercial print industry. Artist files shed light on the gallery's dealings with artists Raphael Soyer, Martha Bloom, Stuart Davis, Clare Leighton, Ben Shahn, and others through correspondence, biographical summaries and resumes, clippings, price lists, exhibition catalogs and announcements, financial papers, and scattered photos.
Exhibition and event files consist of price lists, announcements, catalogs, press releases, newspaper clippings, and more related to solo and group exhibitions held at Sylvan Cole Gallery and elsewhere that involved either artwork from the Cole Gallery or Sylvan Cole himself. The series also includes materials from art auctions and fairs.
Both institution and museum files as well as gallery and dealer files contain correspondence, printed material, shipping records, exhibition announcements and catalogs, consignment records, invoices, inventories, price lists, and some appraisal records. Galleries and dealer files shed light on the book companies, galleries, and print-dealers that Sylvan Cole and his gallery conducted business with. Client and collector files consist of correspondence, sales records, receipts and invoices, inventories, price lists, and some appraisal records.
Financial records are comprised of sales and consignment records, remittances, paid bills, receipts, and invoices. The collection's appraisal and legal records consist of material documenting laws in New York and at the federal level relevant to fine-art prints and multiples; one file containing the Sylvan Cole Gallery's incorporation records; and records of appraisals performed by Sylvan Cole.
The papers of Sylvan Cole shed light on his career as president and director of Associated American Artists Gallery, a well-known appraiser and authority of fine-art prints, and art lecturer. The papers include correspondence, memos, price lists, and other administrative records from AAAG. Of particular note in this series are letters between Sylvan Cole and lithographer, painter, and sculptor Richard Florsheim as well as material related to the Richard Florsheim Art Fund. Some family and biographical material, membership records, photographs, and clippings are also present.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as nine series.
Series 1: Sylvan Cole Gallery Administrative Records, 1970-2003 (Box 1-3; 2.8 linear feet)
Series 2: Artist Files, 1965-2003 (Box 3-8; 4.5 linear feet)
Series 3: Exhibition and Event Files, 1964-2003 (Box 8-11 ; 3.8 linear feet)
Series 4: Institution and Museum Files, 1976-2004 (Box 12-14; 2.8 linear feet)
Series 5: Gallery and Dealer Files, 1973-2004 (Box 14-18; 3.5 linear feet)
Series 6: Client and Collector Files, 1966-2003 (Box 18-20; 2.8 linear feet)
Series 7: Financial Records,1982-2003 (Box 21-24; 3.6 linear feet)
Series 8: Legal and Appraisal Records, 1967-2003 (Box 24-26, 30-32; 3.2 linear feet)
Series 9: Sylvan Cole Jr. Papers, 1935, 1959-2003 (Box 26-29; 2.4 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
The Sylvan Cole Gallery was founded in 1984 in New York City by Sylvan Cole (1918-2005). The gallery specialized in twentieth-century fine art prints, including lithographs, etchings, screenprints, and woodcuts by European and American artists. Cole started the gallery after his career as the director of the Associated American Artists Gallery (AAAG), an organization that helped transform the commercial print industry in the United States. The Sylvan Cole Gallery exhibited the work of number of artists including Stanley William Hayter, Raphael Soyer, Martha Bloom, Grant Wood, Stuart Davis, and John Taylor Arms. In addition to the individual artists exhibited, the Sylvan Cole Gallery also held group shows of U.S. and European prints; and exhibited at art fairs held in New York, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., and Chicago.
Sylvan Cole, commonly referred to as Sylvan Cole Jr., was born in Manhattan in 1918 to Sylvan Cole Sr. and Ballin Cole. (His family's name was Cohn at the time of his birth.) "Junior" graduated from Cornell University in 1939 and then worked for Sears Roebuck & Co. while getting his master's at Rutgers University. He then served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Shortly after returning from the war, Cole began working at AAAG, ultimately serving as its director and president from 1958 to 1983. While at AAAG, Cole appraised artwork, curated exhibitions, and purchased and sold many prints on behalf of the gallery. He developed a lasting relationship with painter, lithographer, and sculptor Richard Florsheim, and after Florsheim's death in 1979, Cole became involved with the Richard Florsheim Art Fund. Cole was well-known as a primary authority on fine-art prints of the twentieth century when he established his gallery in 1984. Cole wrote about and publicly discussed twentieth-century prints over the next few decades, performed appraisals, and worked with the government and Internal Revenue Service from the 1980s to 1990s on laws and court cases involving prints. He helped establish the International Fine Print Dealers Association and was involved in several other organizations including the Fire Island Fine Arts Project, Friends of the Herbert F. Johnson Museum at Cornell University, and Appraisers Association of America.
Sylvan Cole's first marriage was with Vivian Vanderpool, and they had three children: Robert, James, and Nancy. Cole's second wife, Lilyan, died in 1988; he then married Mary Myers Cole, who passed away in 2008.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Sylvan Cole conducted by Avis Berman, 2000 June-October.
Provenance:
The Sylvan Cole Gallery records and Sylvan Cole Papers were donated by Sylvan Cole in 2003.
Restrictions:
Sylvan Cole files that pertain to his role as an IRS expert witness from 1985 to 1991 are access restricted. Contact Reference Services for more information. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Sylvan Cole Gallery Records and Sylvan Cole Papers, 1935-2004. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
Advertising files consist of solicitation material, correspondence, and clippings. Correspondence files include letters between the Cole Gallery and artists, galleries and other art dealers, institutions, and collectors; folders might contain price lists, sales and consignment records, and some photographs. Files relating to the Art Dealers Association of American contain the gallery's registration documents, newspaper advertisements, and some correspondence; and membership documents, meeting minutes, printed material, notes, and correspondence document the gallery's involvement with the International Fine Prints Dealers Association, an association co-founded by Cole. The Works Progress Administration subject file is comprised of correspondence, printed material from auctions and sales, writings on WPA artwork, and some photographs. The series also includes 20 daily planners; art conservation and restoration files, most of which includes letters and invoices from paper conservator Andrea Pitsch; mailing addresses; and a writing by Sylvan Cole titled "Some Observations" about buyers in the commercial print industry.
Collection Restrictions:
Sylvan Cole files that pertain to his role as an IRS expert witness from 1985 to 1991 are access restricted. Contact Reference Services for more information. 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:
Sylvan Cole Gallery Records and Sylvan Cole Papers, 1935-2004. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
Sylvan Cole files that pertain to his role as an IRS expert witness from 1985 to 1991 are access restricted. Contact Reference Services for more information. 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:
Sylvan Cole Gallery Records and Sylvan Cole Papers, 1935-2004. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian Institution) -- Designs and plans Search this
Extent:
1 Linear foot
5 Items (rolled docs)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
[ca. 1930]-1965
Scope and Contents:
Notebooks, card file, architectural plans, elevations, details, drawings, and designs for chairs, desks, cabinets, picture frames, etc. relating to Proetz's renovation of the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. Many of the designs and records pre-dating the renovation were evidently used by Proetz in the renovation.
Included are 7 notebooks, 1948-1955, recording work; ca. 280 photocopies of designs for furniture, fireplaces, lamps, and other accessories; a card file of American architects; and a file of drawings, notes, and photographs relating to work done for the National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.; drawings, ca. 1930-1960, including: architectural plans for the renovation; elevations, details, electrical layouts, and proposed furniture for the homes of Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Gilbert, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Hexter, and Joshua S. Cospen; and alterations and additions to the home of George D. Widener.
Biographical / Historical:
Architect, interior designer; New York, N.Y. and Washington, D.C. Proetz was a close friend and associate of the Charles Nagel, the first director of the National Portrait Gallery.
Provenance:
Transferred from the National Portrait Gallery 1977-1979.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Interior decorators -- Washington (D.C.) Search this
An interview of George Leslie Stout conducted 1978 March 10-21, by Paul Karlstrom, for the Archives of American Art. Stout speaks of his education; conservation work at the Fogg Art Museum; his experience as Arts and Monument officer in Europe; conservation in America; and his directorship and Worcester Art Museum, 1947-1954, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 1955-1970. He recalls Richard Buck.
Biographical / Historical:
George Leslie Stout (1897-1978) was an art consultant, conservator, and museum director from Menlo Park, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 45 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Occupation:
Conservators -- California -- Interviews Search this
Three photographs and two clippings about Stempler's discovery in 1972 of two mural panels by Gorky at the Newark, New Jersey Airport, executed while Gorky worked for the W.P.A. Federal Art Project in 1937. [Microfilm title: Arshile Gorky papers]
Biographical / Historical:
Stempler was an employee of the Port Authority of New York. He had known of the existence of the murals from Saul Wenegrat of the Port Authority's Architectural Services, and discovered them while surveying the art deco architectural details of the building.
Other Title:
Arshile Gorky papers (microfilm title)
Provenance:
Donated by Stephen Stempler, 1977.
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:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Topic:
Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York -- Photographs Search this
Mural painting and decoration -- 20th century -- Conservation and restoration Search this
Mural painting and decoration -- 20th century -- New Jersey -- Newark Search this
Illustrated Christmas cards from George and Margaret Stout; photograph album, "Tamarit 1917," of Castillo Tamarit, Tarragona, Spain, where Wales and his partner Constantine Tsaousis worked from 1971-1982 restoring a collection of Spanish medieval art assembled by the Charles Deering family of Chicago; an explanatory letter from J. Deering Danielson, owner of Tamarit; correspondence, 1997-1998; and a memoir, "Some Memories of Mount Sinai" (10 p.), written in 1997 by Wales at the behest of Father Justin of Saint Catherine's monastery, Cairo, Egypt to document Wales' work to preserve the Byzantine mosaics at Saint Catherine's during 1959 and 1960.
Biographical / Historical:
Art restorer; Boston, Mass. Specialized in conservation of Byzantine art. Proprietor of Boston's Oliver Brothers restoration firm. Conserved Roman mosaic at Worcester Art Museum where George Stout was director. Stout became Wales' lifelong mentor and friend.
Provenance:
Donated 1992 and 1998 by Carroll F. Wales.
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.
