Personal and professional records including correspondence, writings, notes, printed material, subject files, photograph album, and diaries relating to Zigrosser's work as an authority on prints and printmaking and his personal relationships with artists.
Included are: correspondence with family and with over 900 printmakers, painters, sculptors, acquaintances, friends, associates, organizations, museums, publishers, and magazines; general correspondence, notes, clippings, and manuscripts pertaining to The Modern School Magazine; files of correspondence from Zigrosser's work at: the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1932-1971; John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation; Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and Museum, 1946-1971, including correspondence with Frank Lloyd Wright concerning the Guggenheim Memorial Museum; Print Council of America, 1954-1971, regarding exhibitions, council meetings and other matters; and the Tamarind Workshop, 1960-1971.
Of particular interest is material relating to the 1913 Armory Show, including Zigrosser's annotated catalog, notes and sketches. Also included are speeches and notes, 1930-1968; manuscripts for lectures and unpublished materials; memorabilia; a photo album of sculpture by John B. Flannagan; art work, including prints and drawings by Karig Nalbandian, prints by Rockwell Kent, and oversized works of art on paper by Mabel Dwight, Wanda Gag and Kent; family photograph album; journals and pamphlets (covers only); and diaries, 1916-1971, discussing personal and professional events such as art openings, conversations and activities with Rockwell Kent, Alfred Stieglitz, and Georgia O'Keeffe, among others.
Among the correspondents are: the American Artists Group, John Taylor Arms, Art in America magazine, Art Institute of Chicago, Alfred Barr, E. Boyd, Charles Burchfield, Alexander Calder, Fitz Roy Carrington, Federico Castellon, Ed Colker, Howard N. Cook, Crown Publishers, Adolf Dehn, Caroline Durieux, John Bernard Flannagan, Andre Girard, Stanley William Hayter, Edward Hopper, Victoria Hutson Huntley, Independent Citizens Committee for the Arts, Sciences and Professions, R. Sturgis Ingersoll, Frederick Keppel, Rockwell Kent, Fiske Kimball, Misch Kohn, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Julius Lankes, Mauricico Lasansky, Merritt Mauzey, Kneeland McNulty, James A. Michener, Marian Mitchell,
Museum of Non-Objective Painting (Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum), Karnig Nalbandian, Dorothy Norman, Georgia O'Keeffe, Walter Pach, Harold Paris, Print Club (Philadelphia), Diego Rivera, Ruth Starr Rose, Arnold Ronnebeck, Lessing J. Rosenwald, Andre Ruellan, Carl Oscar Schniewind, Roderick Seidenberg, William Spratling, Benton Spruance, Alfred Stieglitz, Harry Sternberg, Tamarind Lithography Workshop, Kuei Teng, U.S. Office of War Information, Curt Valentin, Heinz Warneke, Edward Weston, Weyhe Gallery, Whitney Museum of American Art, Harry Wickey, and Adja Yunkers.
Biographical / Historical:
Print curator; Philadelphia, Pa.; d. 1975. Graduated Columbia University in literature. Worked with prints in New York City at Keppel and Co. and Weyhe Gallery; print curator at Philadelphia Museum of Art 1940-1963; author of books on prints and art works.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming, 1991, by the University of Pennsylvania Special Collections Department, Van Pelt Library. Zigrosser donated the papers to the University in 1972. Portions of the papers not microfilmed include research files, manuscript materials for published work, family records, and journals.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Rights:
Authorization to publish, quote or reproduce requires written permission from the Curator of Manuscripts, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Pennsylvania. Contact Reference Services for more 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.
The John Weichsel papers concerning the People's Art Guild measure 0.6 linear feet and date from 1905-1965 with the bulk of the material dating from 1905-1929. The papers consist almost entirely of the records of the People's Art Guild, founded by Weichsel, and include administrative records, correspondence, writings and notes, business and financial records, printed material, and artwork.
Scope and Contents:
The John Weichsel papers concerning the People's Art Guild measure 0.6 linear feet and date from 1905-1965 with the bulk of the material dating from 1905-1929. The papers consist almost entirely of the records of the People's Art Guild, founded by Weichsel, and include administrative records, correspondence, writings and notes, business and financial records, printed material, and artwork.
People's Art Guild records include the constitution, membership lists, and correspondence with Gifford Beal, George Bellows, Oscar Bluemner, Stuart Davis, Robert Delaunay, Leon Kroll, Standon Macdonald-Wright, Jules Pascin, John Sloan, Willard Wright and Marguerite and William Zorach, among others. Writings about the Peoples Art Guild are by Weichsel and his grandson John Weichsel. There are also lists of artists and works of art. Also found are very scattered business and financial records, printed materials, and artwork in the form of sketches for exhibition announcements.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 6 series.
Series 1: Administrative Records, 1915-1917 (2 folders; Box 1)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1905-1922 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 3: Writings and Notes, 1915-circa 1919, 1965 (4 folders; Box 1)
Series 4: Business and Financial Records, 1915-1917 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1-2)
Series 5: Printed Material, 1915-circa 1948 (0.2 linear feet; Box 2)
Series 6: Artwork, 1915-1916 (1 folder; Box 2)
Biographical / Historical:
John Weichsel (1870-1946) was an arts administrator and founded the artists' cooperative People's Art Guild of New York City in 1915.
John Weichsel was born in Poland and ultimately settled in New York City. The People's Art Guild was founded by Weichsel as an artist's cooperative focused on improving and expanding knowledge of art and the art world among the general public, believing this would increase art appreciation and patronage.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 1960 and 1963 by Dr. H. S. Weichsel and John Weichsel, the son and grandson of Dr. John Weichsel. At an unknown later date, grandson John Weichsel donated his 1965 thesis on the Peoples Art Guild.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers 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.
Occupation:
Arts administrators -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Topic:
Art -- Societies, etc. -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Genre/Form:
Sketches
Citation:
John Weichsel papers concerning the People's Art Guild, 1905-1965, bulk 1905-1929. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
Letters, notes, business records, art works, printed material, and photographs relating to Ward's involvement in the American Artists' Congress (1936-1945), the Artists League of America (1934-1949), the Independent Citizens Committee for the Arts, Sciences, and Professions (1944-1948), the Limited Editions Club competition (1932-1957), and the Society of American Graphic Artists (1940-1964). Artists represented in the files include Grace Albee, John Taylor Arms, Fritz Eichenberg, Antonio Frasconi, Jacob Kainen, Clare Leighton, Prentiss Taylor, Max Weber, Stow Wengenroth, Art Young, Adja Yunkers, William Zorach.
Biographical / Historical:
Lynd Ward (1905-1985) was a printmaker, illustrator, and writer in Cresskill, New Jersey. Illustrated over 100 books. President, Society of American Graphic Artists, 1953-1959.
Provenance:
Donated 1972-1973 by Lynd Ward.
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.
Correspondence with artists, performers and other organizations, 1943-1984; financial records, including a membership dues account book, 1961-1972, bank statements, 1979-1985, invoices, 1973-1980, insurance forms, 1976-1983, tax records, 1965-1982, and grant records, 1971-1983; constitution and by-laws; transcripts of hearings concerning Cogslea; inventory lists, 1982-1986; documents concerning the sale of property and the transfer of material to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts;
membership lists; attendance records, 1978-1981; lists of works by Violet Oakley; minutes and agenda from meetings, 1968-1984; and subject files containing letters and printed material concerning various museums, colleges, and galleries, including the Woodmere Art Gallery. Also included are brochures, 1910-1980; newsletters; 2 exhibition catalogs; and 21 slides of Violet Oakley's work.
Biographical / Historical:
Organized in 1962 to commemorate the life and work of mural painter Violet Oakley. Housed in Oakley's studio at Cogslea. Aim was to encourage the arts, literature, and international understanding through the presentation of lectures, exhibitions and conferences. The original officers were Edith Emerson (president), Mrs. Lloyd Van Sciver (vice-president), Theodore A. Ulrich (treasurer), and Lavinia Arant (secretary). Dissolved in 1986.
Provenance:
Donated 1988 by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, who received the records when the Foundation dissolved. Additional Foundation correspondence was microfilmed with the Violet Oakley papers on reels 3716-3745.
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.
Photographs, club history, and artists' biographical notes.
REEL 3483: A photograph of a Salmagundi Club dinner held on February 24, 1910, sponsored by Samuel T. Shaw in honor of Gifford Beal. The photograph is inscribed in ink "to Miles Evergood from Samuel T. Shaw."
REEL 154: 12 group photographs of the members of the Salmagundi Club, 1908, 1926, and 1932-1940.
REEL NYSC 1-NYSC 2: A history of the club from its inception to 1917; exhibition catalogs, 1883 and 1886; scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings, exhibition catalogs, bulletins and dinner invitations; and biographical notes and sketches of various artist members (listed alphabetically).
Artists include Edwin Austin Abbey, Herbert Adams, Victor C. Anderson, Robert P. Lawrence, James M. Barnsley, Charles Basing, Edwin H. Blashfield, Tabert Sears, George Bogert, Alexander Grinager, Max Bohm, R. Sloan Bredin, Alexander W. Drake, John F. Carlson, John W. Fenton, Maurice Fromkes, Gordon Grant, Charles D. Gibson, Charles P. Gruppe, Edwin Gunn, Bernhard Gutmann, Jonathan Hartley, Charles W. Hawthorne, William H. Howe, George Inness, J. G. Brown, Frank T. Johnson, J. Redding Kelly, George H. McCord, Richard Miller, John F. Murphy, John Noble, William M. Post, Edward H. Potthast, William S. Robinson, Alexander J. Rummler, Andrew T. Schwartz, Walter Shirlaw, Robert Spencer, Charles Vezin, and Frederick J. Waugh.
Biographical / Historical:
Artists club; New York, N.Y. Established 1871, incorporated 1880.
Provenance:
Microfilm reels NYSC 1-NYSC 2 lent for microfilming 166 by Salmagundi Club. Material on reel 154, provenance unknown. Photograph on reel 3483 donated 1985 by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gray.
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.
Topic:
Art -- Societies, etc. -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
The records of the Print Council of America measure 24.5 linear feet and 3.056 gigabytes, and date from 1951 to 2020. The collection includes administrative files, correspondence and subject files, interviews, exhibition and project files, financial records, and printed materials that document the council's founding and activities as a non-profit, professional organization of print specialists. There is a unprocessed born-digital addition to the collection that includes audio recordings and transcripts of interviews that date from 2012-2020. Included are interviews with Georgia "Gigi" Barnhill, Francesca Consagra, Alan Fern, Richard Field, Betsy Fryberger, Katherine Lochan, Timothy Riggs. Also included are Consent and Git forms and some corresponding CVs and photographs.
Scope and Contents:
The records of the Print Council of America measure 24.5 linear feet and 3.056 gigabytes, and date from 1951 to 2020. The collection includes administrative files, correspondence and subject files, interviews, exhibition and project files, financial records, and printed materials that document the council's founding and activities as a non-profit, professional organization of print specialists.There is a unprocessed born-digital addition to the collection that includes audio recordings and transcripts of interviews that date from 2012-2020. Included are interviews with Georgia "Gigi" Barnhill, Francesca Consagra, Alan Fern, Richard Field, Betsy Fryberger, Katherine Lochan, Timothy Riggs. Also included are Consent and Git forms and some corresponding CVs and photographs.
Administrative files consist of general administrative records and files for memberships, board of directors, trustees, committees, and digital photographs.
Correspondence and subject files contain a mixture of correspondence, writings, and printed material for various correspondents and topics.
The oral history project consists of twelve digital sound recordings and transcripts of interviews with council members Ruth Fine, Egbert Haverkamp-Begemann, Stephen E. Ostrow, Sue Reed, Robert Waddell, and others.
Files for exhibitions include American Prints Today 1959 and 1962 , the VII São Paulo Biennial exhibition Eleven American Printmakers (1963), the New York World's Fair of 1964-1965, and 30 Contemporary American Prints (1964). Project files include documentation for the Index to Print Catalogues Raisonné database, other publishing and research projects, surveys, a print collection in India, the People-to-People Program, the sales of an Edgar Degas work, and project proposals.
Financial records consist of cash vouchers, check stub books, financial reports, disbursement and cash receipt ledgers, The Lessing and Edith Rosenwald Foundation grant information, paid bills, and tax information. In printed materials are issues of Print Council's Newsletter, press releases, print sales and exhibition catalogs, reprints of advertisements, informational flyers created by the council, and a booklet marking the council's 50th anniversary.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as eight series.
Series 1: Administrative Files, 1955-2016 (9.2 linear feet; Boxes 1-7, 24-28, OV 29; 0.26 gigabytes, ER01)
Series 2: Correspondence and Subject Files, 1953-2016 (5.9 linear feet; Boxes 7-12)
Series 3: Oral History Project, 2006-2016 (0.4 linear feet; Box 13; 2.08 gigabytes, ER02-ER13)
Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1956-2005 (3.0 linear feet; Boxes 13-16, OV 29)
Series 5: Project Files, 1956-2013 (3.4 linear feet; Boxes 16-19, OV 29)
Series 6: Financial Records, 1956-1995 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 19-21)
Series 7: Printed Materials, 1951-2016 (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 21-22)
Series 8: Unprocessed Addition, 2012-2020 (0.716 GB and 1 CD)
Biographical / Historical:
The Print Council of America (est. 1956- ) is a non-profit, professional organization of print specialists in Boston, Massachusetts.
The idea of a print council began in 1954 when a group of prominent art collectors, curators, and scholars gathered in New York to discuss creating a national organization that could promote prints and print collecting. After much discussion, by-laws and other legal documentation were drawn up by Joshua Binion Cahn, a legal advisor for the Print Council of America, to establish the organization. Some of the earliest members of the council, including Adelyn Breeskin, Gustav von Groschwitz, Una Johnson, William Lieberman, A. Hyatt Mayor, Elizabeth Mongan, Paul J. Sachs, and Carl Zigrosser, were led by Lessing J. Rosenwald, an art collector and son of Julius Rosenwald, who was part owner of Sears, Roebuck and Company.
Rosenwald's mission was to "foster the creation, dissemination, and appreciation of fine prints, old and new," and to encourage and professionalize the preservation, administration, and study of print collections in the United States and Canada. Eventually the organization evolved to become an authority on print standards, educating print professionals and collectors on how to prevent fraudulent practices by learning ways to identify authentic or "original" prints. As an authority on prints, the council published numerous guides and directories of print resources. One of the council's most notable accomplishments was the compilation of European, American, and Japanese print resources into the Index of Print Catalogues Raisonné online database. The council also aimed to provide its members with an avenue to share ideas through holding annual meetings. After the closing of the organization's New York office in 1973, annual and semi-annual meetings continued to be a valuable resource for members.
Today, the council continues to provide educational tools and resources for print professionals.
Provenance:
The Print Council of America records were donated in multiple installments from 1981 to 2017 via former council presidents Andrew Robinson, Sue Reed, Jay Fisher, Marjorie B. Cohn, and James A. Ganz and in 2020 via Jane Myers McNamara, Coordinator, Oral History Program.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of born-digital records with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Constitution and by-laws; an undated membership list; membership certificates; correspondence with Cecilia Beaux, Elliott Daingerfield, Joseph Pennell, officers of the club, and others; a visitor's register; bookplates; exhibition catalogs; annual reports; a photograph album; and ten scrapbooks containing clippings, photographs, letters and miscellaneous printed material.
Biographical / Historical:
Women's art organization; Philadelphia, Pa. Founded by women artists in Philadelphia for the purposes of teaching and exhibiting works. Memebers have included Elizabeth Shippen Green, Violet Oakley, and Jessie Wilcox Smith.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming1982 by the Plastic Club.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Rights:
Authorization to publish, quote or reproduce requires written permission from Plastic Club. Contact Reference Services for more 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.
Topic:
Women artists -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
Art -- Societies, etc. -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
4.6 Linear feet ((partially filmed on 1 microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Date:
1940-1979
Scope and Contents:
Papers relating to Leo and Dorothy Rabkin as art collectors, as well as Leo Rabkin's work in painting and sculpture and with American Abstract Artists.
Reel N69-68: Correspondence, catalogs, clippings, and photographs of Leo Rabkin and his work. Much of the material relates to the American Abstract Artsists, of which Rabkin was president.
Unmicrofilmed portion: Biographical material; exhibition, lecture, and sales files containing catalogs, announcements, correspondence, photographs of works of art, and clippings; and miscellany. Also included are records of the American Abstract Artists consisting of published histories, minutes, memorandum, membership and mailing lists, correspondence, exhibition files, and files on member-artists Ilya Bolotowsky, Will Barnet, and others, containing catalogs, photographs of art, biographical material, interviews, and clippings. Records of the U.S. Committee of the International Artists Association and the Fine Arts Federation of New York are also included.
Biographical / Historical:
Leo Rabkin (1919-2015) and Dorothy Rabkin (1922-2008) were art collectors in New York. Rabkin was also a painter and sculptor, and president of American Abstract Artists.
Provenance:
The materials filmed on reel N69-68 were originally loaned to the Archives by Leo Rabkin in 1969. They were subsequently given, along with other materials, in 1979 and 1980.
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:
Art -- Societies, etc. -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Letters, mostly from distinguished club members in behalf of candidates for membership, and some membership forms.
Correspondents are: James C. Beckwith, Norman Bel Geddes, Karl Bitter, Robert Blum, Gutzon Borglum, Arnold W. Brunner, Clarence C. Buel, Gelett Burgess, Charles C. Coleman, Royal Cortissoz, Lawrence Hutton, Richard Mansfield, Thomas Nast, Maxfield Parrish, Howard Pyle, F. Hopkinson, J. Alden Weir, and Stanford White.
Biographical / Historical:
New York City. Founded by Edwin Booth in 1888, the club had among its members many prominent actors, artists and writers.
Provenance:
Microfilmed 1956 by the Archives of American Art with other art-related papers in the Manuscript Division of the New York Public Library. Included in the microfilming project were selected papers of the Art Division and the Prints Division.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Topic:
Art -- Societies, etc. -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Correspondence, artist files and subject files relate to Oakley's activities as an artist and illustrator, and his involvement with numerous art organizations, including the Philadelphia Art Alliance, the Philadelphia Water Color Club, the Artists' War Relief Committee of Philadelphia, and the Exposition of Indian Tribal Arts. Artist files on Cecilia Beaux, Florence Este, John Taylor Arms, John McLure Hamilton, Christian Brinton, George Morrow, Leila Mechlin, John Harkrider, Alexander Robinson, and Joseph Pennell, among others, primarily contain letters. Some also include photographs and printed matter. Four inches of letters from Beaux discuss working habits, portrait commissions, life in Paris, and personal matters. Letters from Este discuss life in France during the war, French artists, exhibitions at the Philadelphia Water Color Club, and Cecilia Beaux. Other material relates to Oakley's mural for the Franklin Institute.
Arrangement:
I.Finding aid. II.Cecilia Beaux correspondence, 1907-1942. III.Research materials for Oakley's biography of Beaux. IV.Florence Este correspondence, 1914-1925. V.Subject files, 1918-1952. VI.Artist files, 1906-1953.
Biographical / Historical:
Watercolorist and illustrator; Philadephia, Pa.
Provenance:
Microfilmed in 1990 as part of AAA's Philadelphia Arts Documentation Project. The papers were donated to the Brandywine River Museum by Oakley's daughter, Lansdale Oakley Humphreys. Unfilmed portions of the papers relate to publications, the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia, the National Geographic Society, French and Scandinavian organizations, and war relief efforts, among other topics.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
The records of the New York Artists Equity Association (NYAEA) measure 26.8 linear feet and 2.99 Gb and date from 1920-2012. The records include history and founding documents, presidents' files, board of directors' files that include monthly board meeting minutes, committee files and annual membership meeting minutes, general administrative and correspondence files, financial and legal files, event and program files, artists and subject files, extensive individual membership files, art project and exhibition files, Broome Street Gallery files, NYAEA publications that include issues of The Artists Proof, printed and digital materials, four scrapbooks, sketches created by artists attending a party in honor of Yasuo Kuniyoshi, and photographs of member artists and events.
Scope and Contents:
The records of the New York Artists Equity Association (NYAEA) measure 26.8 linear feet and 2.99 GB and date from 1920-2012. The records include history and founding documents, presidents' files, board of directors' files that include monthly board meeting minutes, committee files and annual membership meeting minutes, general administrative and correspondence files, financial and legal files, event and program files, artists and subject files, extensive individual membership files, art project and exhibition files, Broome Street Gallery files, NYAEA publications that include issues of The Artists Proof, printed and digital materials, four scrapbooks, sketches created by artists attending a party in honor of Yasuo Kuniyoshi, and photographs of member artists and events.
The President's files appear to be complete and include files for presidents Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Louise Nevelson, Harry Waterson, Roy Gussow, Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence, Karl Zerbe, Ernst Fiene, Sidney Laufman, Carolyn deLisser, Burt Hasen, and Bert Diener, among others. Committee files and meeting minutes are found, as well as general administrative and correspondence files which include information pertaining to the national level Association.
Event files include documentation of the Association's Art Thursday series, where they hosted talks and panels by artists. Artists referenced in these files include Jean Cohen, Charles Searles, Leon Golub, Doug Ashford, Bruno Palmer-Poroner, Dom Facci, Susan Teller, Eleanor Lipsky, Ted Berger, Hilton Kramer, Bernice Steinbaum, Laura Stirton, Jean Zaleski, Renee Philips, Denise Bibro, Dan Concholar, Irving Sandler, Angela Babin, Dorothy Gillespe, Donna Marxer, Nan Hall, Ivan Karp, Alan Gussow, Mary Carswell, Bill Smart, Charlotte Kotik, Klaus Kertess, Elaine Marinoff, and Judith Brodski. Additional events covered in this series include the annual awards dinner, masquerade balls, lectures, the Association's 55th Anniversary event, which includes recollections by Helen Frankenthaler, Sidney Simon, and Lorrie Goulet, as well as other events and programs. Videocassette and sound recordings of many of the events are found here.
Artists' and subject files contain mostly printed materials about a few artists and subjects or issues in which the Association was interested.
There are extensive files on individual members that include card files, applications, biographies, and clippings.
Project and exhibition files include material pertaining to the Artists Welfare Fund, the Art Bank artwork donation, and a few scattered exhibitions. Additional exhibition and event files are found in the series containing the Broome Street Gallery files.
Association publications consist of what appears to be a full run of Association newsletters and reports. The NYAEA newsletter changed its name to The Artists Proof in 1986. Additional printed materials include exhibition catalogs and announcements, programs, clippings, posters, and newsletters of other arts organizations. There are four scrapbooks (two unbound) that contain printed materials, and a few items of correspondence. One of the scrapbooks documents the annual "Bal Fantastique".
Artwork consists mostly of sketches and drawings by artists attending a 1948 dinner in honor of Yasuo Kuniyoshi. Photographs are of members and events. Photographers include Arnold Newman, Marvin Bolotsky, and Frances Avery, among others. Numerous notable artists are depicted in the images.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into sixteen series.
Series 1: History and Founding Documents, 1933-2000 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1, 27
Series 2: Presidents' Files, 1927-2007 (2.8 linear feet; Boxes 1-4)
Series 3: Board of Directors' Files, 1947-2003 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 4-5)
Series 4: Committee and Meeting Files, 1950-2009 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 5-6)
Series 5: General Administrative and Correspondence Files, circa 1930-2008 (2 linear feet; Boxes 7-8, 0.284 GB; ER01)
Series 6: Financial and Legal Files, 1947-2000 (1 linear foot; Box 9)
Series 7: Events and Programs, 1930-2010 (4.2 linear feet; Boxes 10-14, 27, 0.446 GB; ER02)
Series 8: Artists and Subject Files, 1930-1998 (0.4 linear feet; Box 14)
Series 9: Membership Files, 1920-2009 (4.4 linear feet; Boxes 14-18, 27, 2.26 GB; ER03)
Series 10: Project and Exhibition Files, 1934-2010 (2 linear feet; Boxes 19-20)
Series 11: Broome Street Gallery Files, 1990-2011 (2.7 linear feet; Boxes 21-23, 31)
Series 12: Association Publications, 1947-2012 (1 linear foot; Boxes 23-24)
Series 13: Printed Materials, 1930-2008 (1.6 linear feet; Boxes 24-25, 27, 31, OV 28, OV 29)
Series 14: Scrapbooks, 1947-1969 (0.3 linear feet; Box 25, OV 30)
Series 15: Artwork, 1947-2000 (0.1 linear foot; Box 26, 27)
Series 16: Photographs, 1930s-2004 (0.9 linear feet; Box 26, 27)
Biographical / Historical:
The New York Artists Equity Association (originally the Artists Equity Association) was created in 1947 to promote and support living American artists. Nine prominent New York artists founded the organization and elected Yasuo Kuniyoshi as the organization's first president. The original membership included 160 well-known American artists, but by the end of its first year, membership had grown to over one thousand. By the 1950s, the organization had grown into an influential national organization. Past and present members have included Milton Avery, Will Barnet, Romare Bearden, George Biddle, Isabel Bishop, Robert Blackburn, Paul Cadmus, Charles Burchfield, Stuart Davis, Jose de Creeft, Elaine and Willem de Kooning, Leon Golub, Chaim Gross, Rockwell Kent, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Motherwell, Alice Neel, Isamu Noguchi, Jules Olitski, Philip Pearlstein, Henry Varnum Poor, Charles Scheeler, Ben Shahn, David Smith, Frank Stella, Andrew Wyeth, and many others.
In 1959, the New York Chapter, with more members than all of the other states combined, re-organized into the New York Artists Equity Association. The Association maintained it own gallery, Broome Street Gallery, from 1991-2011. The organization remains active today and is located in SoHo.
Provenance:
The records were donated to the Archives of American Art by the New York Artists Equity Association in several increments between 1980-2016.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information. Use of 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.
Topic:
Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Articles of incorporation, newsletters, artist's biographies, slides for exhibitions (1980-1990) and rental slides (1990-1995), pamphlets and programs (1954-1995), six scrapbooks (1921-1994) containing printed materials and some with photographs and artists' resumes, three Presidents' books (1922-1995), a guidebook, group portraits from 1949 and 1951, and NWS newsletters documenting the history and members of the National Watercolor Society (formerly the California Watercolor Society).
Biographical / Historical:
Art society; Los Angeles, Calif. The California Watercolor Society was founded in Los Angeles in 1920. The organization continued for fifty-five years as the CWS. In 1975 the name was changed to the National Watercolor Society (NWS). In the early years the organization was dominated by members of the California School, the group of West Coast painters whose most prominent representative was Millard Sheets. These artists developed a regionalist style that focused on California landscape and, less frequently, the urban scene. The approach and aesthetic represented by Millard Sheets and others greatly influenced the members of the Society for years, and as a result the organization became increasingly viewed as conservative and even decorative.
Provenance:
Donated 1995 by the Society's club historian and secretary Rosemary MacBird. Three additional scrapbooks were donated in 1997 by Society historian Ed Gill.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
The Elmer Livingston MacRae papers related to the Association of American Painters and Sculptors, Inc., (AAPS) measure 1.8 linear feet and date from 1899 to circa 2013, with the bulk of the material dating from 1912-1916. Elmer Livingston MacRae served as Treasurer of the AAPS when the association organized the International Exhibition of Modern Art, also known as the Armory Show of 1913. The bulk of this collection concerns MacRae's involvement with the AAPS and the Armory Show and includes administrative files, correspondence, exhibition files, financial records, printed materials, and artifacts.
Scope and Contents:
The Elmer Livingston MacRae papers related to the Association of American Painters and Sculptors, Inc., (AAPS) measure 1.8 linear feet and date from 1899 to circa 2013, with the bulk of the material dating from 1912-1916. Elmer Livingston MacRae served as Treasurer of the AAPS when the association organized the International Exhibition of Modern Art, also known as the Armory Show of 1913. The bulk of this collection concerns MacRae's involvement with the AAPS and the Armory Show and includes administrative files, correspondence, exhibition files, financial records, printed materials, and artifacts.
Biographical material includes an old collection inventory from the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, two annotated appointment books, and a small handbook with notes.
Correspondence consists of letters addressed to Elmer MacRae from AAPS members such as Arthur B. Davies, Walt Kuhn, and Walter Pach, as well as other various artists, dealers, lenders, and buyers. Most letters concern AAPS business and organizing the Armory Show.
AAPS administration records include the organization's constitution, letterhead, meeting minutes, a report, and a membership list.
The Armory Show exhibition tour files consist of materials related to openings in Chicago and Boston. Materials include lists that track sales of tickets and pamphlets, insurance lists, a contract, an art inventory, and other items.
Financial records consist of AAPS and exhibition expenses in the form of sales lists of artwork, payroll information, shipping and transportation invoices, bills, rescinded dues, cashiers' journals, ledgers, a receipt book, and a checkbook.
Printed material includes copies of Armory Show exhibition catalogs, AAPS pamphlets, newspapers, magazines, clippings, postcards, and a poster.
Artifacts consist of AAPS memorabilia from the exhibition. There are button pins, calling cards, event invitations, mailing cards, signs, tickets, and other miscellany.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 7 series.
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1899-1913, circa 1988 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1911-1915, 1958 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 3: Administration Records, circa 1911-circa 1916 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 4: Armory Show Tour Files, 1913 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 5: Financial Records, 1912-1916 (0.5 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 6: Printed Material, 1911-1959 (0.6 linear feet; Box 2, OV 4-5)
Series 7: Artifacts, 1913, circa 2013 (0.2 linear feet; Box 3)
Biographical / Historical:
Elmer MacRae (1875-1953) was a New York and Connecticut-based painter and served as treasurer of the Association of American Painters and Sculptors when the association organized the 1913 Armory Show.
Elmer Livingston MacRae was born in New York City in 1875. In the late 1890s, MacRae summered in an artist's community in Cos Cob, Connecticut, where he met his wife Emma Constant Holley. He moved full time to Cos Cob in 1899. MacRae became active in the Pastellists group. He was affiliated with the Macbeth and Madison Galleries in New York, where he was on friendly terms with fellow painters Jerome Myers and Walt Kuhn. In 1911, MacRae became a member of the Association of American Painters and Sculptors (AAPS), Inc. From 1912 to 1916, MacRae served as Treasurer of the AAPS, the organization which organized the seminal 1913 Armory Show exhibition of modern American and European art. Formally titled the International Exhibition of Modern Art, the exhibition introduced many Americans to modern art for the first time. The Armory Show began at New York City's 69th Street Armory, then continued on to the Art Institute of Chicago, and Boston's Copley Society of Art. The latter venue did not include the American art due to space constraints.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds the Walt Kuhn, Walt Kuhn family papers and Armory Show records as well as the Joseph Hirshhorn papers regarding the Elmer MacRae papers.
Provenance:
The Elmer Livingston MacRae papers were donated to the Archives of American Art in 2016 by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
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.
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- Exhibitions Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- societies, etc Search this
Citation:
Elmer Livingston MacRae papers related to the American Association of Painters and Sculptors, 1899-circa 2013, bulk 1912-1916. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by The Walton Family Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Correspondence, 1920-1984; biographical material, business records, 1951-1959, includes receipts for watercolors exhibited at New York museums and galleries, and a project proposal for a series of lectures on cave art; writings, ca. 1917-1971, includes poems by Levitt, two proposals for a Greenwich Village Cultural Center, an article for a new art magazine, and an article about Levitt by George Dorgan; scrapbooks [unbound], undated and 1943-1975; printed material, including brochures concerning Levitt's political activities; photographs including portraits of Levitt and views of his studio, 1926, some of his paintings, 1937-1960; and the School of Modern Painting of the Provence, 1960; in which Levitt was active.
Correspondence is concentrated between 1945-1967 and includes statements of Levitt's philosophies and opinions on art and related matters; business letters, some pertaining to artists' associations on Cape Ann, Mass.; correspondence with museums; letters which reveal Levitt's efforts to gain recogition in the 1950s; also letters or notes from Marcel Duchamp, Ralph Pearson, G.L.K. Morris, George Biddle, and Ilya Bolotowsky; and letters discussing Levitt's interest in prehistoric art.
Biographical / Historical:
Cubist painter and photographer, New York, N.Y. Began his formal art training at the Art Students League, continued at the Academie Grand Chaumiere, France, and with Hans Hofmann. Metropolitan Museum owns twenty of his paintings. Founded the School of Modern Painting of Provence in St. Remy in 1960, where he was director and instructor until 1962. Levitt also developed an interest in prehistory and eventually became an expert in the field, winning an award from the French government for his studies of Stone Age cave art. Except for a few years in France and Spain, Levitt lived all of his life in New York. Studied at the Ferrer Art School. Died May 25, 2000, at age 105.
Provenance:
Donated 1985 by Alfred Levitt.
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 letters, predominately incoming, relate to Lewis' activities on behalf of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts regarding exhibitions, prizes, hiring, and problems relating to the teaching staff. There are also letters relating to the Philadelphia Water Color Club, the Art Club of Philadelphia, Lewis' collecting, and letters from artists and others prominent in the arts including Cecilia Beaux and Albert C. Barnes.
Biographical / Historical:
Lawyer, art collector; Philadelphia, Penn. Served on the boards of many Philadelphia arts organizations, including the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Art Jury of Philadelphia.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming by American Philosophical Society as part of AAA's Philadelphia Arts Documentation Project. The Lewis collection contains over 45,000 items which document Lewis' legal practice, collecting and business affairs. Only the art related letters were microfilmed.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Topic:
Art -- Societies, etc. -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
Art -- Exhibitions -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
