Search Results

Interviewee:

Tacha, Athena, 1936-  Search this

Creator:

Berman, Avis  Search this

United States. General Services Administration. Design Excellence and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this

Names:

United States. General Services Administration. Design Excellence and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this

Extent:

5 Items (sound files (6 hr., 47 min.), digital, wma)

127 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2009 December 4-6

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Athena Tacha conducted 2009 December 4-6, by Avis Berman, for the Archives of American Art's U.S. General Services Administration, Design Excellence and the Arts oral history project, at Tacha's studio, in Washington, D.C.

Tacha speaks of her family and her childhood in rural Greece; of growing up during World War II and the Greek Civil War; her early interests in art; traveling to France on a Greek government sponsored scholarship; her education at the School of Fine Arts; obtaining a Master's at Oberlin College on a Fulbright scholarship; obtaining a Ph.D. in aesthetics and art history from the Sorbonne in Paris; her decision to move to the United States; her first job as a museum curator at Oberlin's Allen Memorial Art Museum; her early shows in Ohio museums and galleries; her marriage to art historian Richard Spear; her decision to teach sculpture courses at Oberlin; her fellowship at MIT's Center for Advanced Visual Studies, a turning point in her career; her use of sculpture, light, and the environment to develop site-specific public art pieces and installations, thoroughly discussing all recent projects; her retirement from Oberlin College and move to Washington, DC; her creative process; the influences of her travels around the world on her environmentally-conscious art works; her thoughts on the American aesthetics, change, and temporary versus permanent sculpture; recent shows at Marsha Mateyka Gallery and Katzen Art Center and her recent public art installations in the Washington, DC area. Tacha also recalls her close friendship with Oberlin professor Ellen Johnson, André Chastel, and various art dealers and former students from Oberlin College.

Biographical / Historical:

Athena Tacha (1936- ) is an conceptual artist and photographer in Washington, D.C.

General:

Originally recorded on 1 compact disc. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hr., 47 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Restrictions:

This transcript is open for research. Access to the entire recording is restricted. Contact reference Services for more information.

Occupation:

Photographers -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Conceptual artists -- Washington, D.C  Search this

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Women photographers  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the U.S. General Services Administration, Design Excellence and the Arts.

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.

Identifier:

AAA.tacha09

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw999fe51f8-23eb-41f0-91ab-75fbc58e222c

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-tacha09

Creator:

Nesbitt, Esta  Search this

Names:

Parsons School of Design -- Faculty  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Xerox Corporation  Search this

Ambert, Anibal  Search this

Beckett, Samuel, 1906-1989  Search this

Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955  Search this

English, Merle  Search this

Ginsberg, Allen, 1926-  Search this

Leder, Alan J.  Search this

Lyle, David  Search this

Wood, R. F.  Search this

Extent:

10.05 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sketches

Transcripts

Diaries

Sound recordings

Photographs

Date:

circa 1942-1981

bulk 1964-1975

Summary:

The papers of illustrator, xerography artist, filmmaker, and educator Esta Nesbitt measure 10.05 linear feet and date from circa 1942-1981. Found within the papers are biographical material, correspondence, writings, xerography research files, project and exhibition files, and printed material. Much of the collection relates to Nesbitt's xerography art work. Additionally, the collection includes motion picture film and sound recordings related to her film and performance work.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of illustrator, xerography artist, filmmaker, and educator Esta Nesbitt measure 10.05 linear feet and date from circa 1942-1981. Found within the papers are biographical material, correspondence, writings, xerography research files, project and exhibition files, and printed material. Much of the collection relates to Nesbitt's xerography art work. Additionally, the collection includes motion picture film and sound recordings related to her film and performance work.

Nesbitt's primary collaborators, correspondents, and subjects of investigation are not concentrated in any one series but rather recur throughout the collection. Nesbitt worked closely with Anibal Ambert, Merle English at Xerox Corporation, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. She read and wrote about the accrual of information, Albert Einstein, Asian religion and philosophy, communication, computer technology, documentation practices, energy, psychology, Samuel Beckett, and states of consciousness. Chinese characters and an image of Allen Ginsberg appear repeatedly in Nesbitt's works. Subjects of study and experimentation include 3M and Kodak technologies, color, film, morphology, participatory and performance art, shadows, sound, street works, xerography, and Xerox machines.

Biographical material revolves mostly around Nesbitt's work as a professor at Parsons School of Design. Records include Nesbitt's resumé, an exhibition history, motion picture film of the inside of her studio, and teaching files.

Correspondence contains personal letters from family members, and professional correspondence with fellow artists and employees of Xerox Corporation. Much of the series is correspondence between Nesbitt and fellow artists Alan Leder, David Lyle, and R.E. Wood, and is philosophical in nature. Correspondence with Xerox Corporation documents her relationship with the corporation between 1970 and 1972, when they underwrote her experiments in xerography.

Writings include illustrated journals, journals, notebooks, loose notes, and transcripts. The content of the writings varies widely throughout the series and includes artwork, sketches, diagrams, annotated clippings, transcripts of conversations, Nesbitt's writings about her dreams and family, details about her daily life, and notes about artists' materials, film, and sound.

Xerography Research Files document Nesbitt's experiments with xerography, which she often refers to in her papers as "Xerox Xplore." Contents include Nesbitt's definitions of xerography terms; Xerox equipment brochures; clippings; xerography studies; notebooks about Nesbitt's plans, work with color, and xerography study details; and slides and transparencies of completed xerography prints.

Project and Exhibition Files consist of a variety of documentation related to Nesbitt's books, exhibitions, films, performance and participatory art, and other projects. This series contains the bulk of the collection's motion picture films and sound recordings. The film and sound performance piece titled "Everyman as Anyman, or Putting On, On, On, On, On," the piece Walk Up --Tape On, the film "Light Times 499," and exhibitions of Nesbitt's xerography work and her series of work called Shadow Paintings are the most prominent subjects of the series.

Printed Material includes books, clippings, magazines, exhibition announcements, catalogs, and press releases about Nesbitt's interests, artwork, exhibitions, and galleries that exhibited her work. Some of the material is annotated.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into 6 series:

Missing Title

Biographical Materials, 1964-circa 1981 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1, 11)

Correspondence, 1942, 1964-1976 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1, OV 14)

Writings, 1959-circa 1973 (1.3 linear feet; Box 1-2, 12, OV 15)

Xerography Research Files, circa 1966-1974 (2.5 linear feet; Box 2-4, 11, OV 16)

Project and Exhibition Files, circa 1966-1981 (5.2 linear feet, Box 4-8, 11, 13, OV 17-19, 21, FC 22-23)

Printed Material, 1942-circa 1944, circa 1963-1977 (0.9 linear feet; Box 9-10, OV 20)

Biographical / Historical:

Esta Nesbitt (1918-1975) was an illustrator, xerography artist, filmmaker, and educator who lived and worked in New York City. She was a fashion illustrator for about two decades before becoming a children's book illustrator, performance artist, xerography artist, and filmmaker.

Nesbitt taught at Parsons School of Design from 1964 to 1974. Around 1970, Nesbitt created the piece Walk Up --Tape On with her Parsons students. The piece involved documenting social interaction by taping themselves to each other and then others as they walked through New York City, creating what Nesbitt called a "living organism," before presenting themselves to the Whitney Museum of American Art. The event was documented with film, photography, and audio recordings.

In 1970, Nesbitt contacted Xerox Corporation about creating experimental art investigations of the Walk Up --Tape On documentation using Xerox machines in their New York City office. During Nesbitt's time at Xerox, she experimented with many different copying machines, materials, and techniques to create what came to be known as xerographic artworks. She invented three xerography techniques: transcapsa, photo-transcapsa, and chromacapsa. A transcapsa work is created by moving a piece of material over the copier's window during the printing cycle. A photo-transcapsa work is created by moving a photographic image over the copier's window during the printing cycle. Chromacapsa is a process of adding color to xerographic works using Xerox copiers. Nesbitt referred to her work at Xerox as "Xerox Xplore," which culminated with the exhibition "Xerography - Extensions in Art" (1971-1972) and the commission of the print All the Lines are Nines.

To demonstrate "the media bombardment surrounding 'everyman' today," Nesbitt created a film and sound performance piece titled "Everyman as Anyman, or Putting On, On, On, On, On" in 1969. The performance consisted of five Super 8 film projectors and a multi-layered soundtrack. Nesbitt further experimented with filmmaking and xerography with the films "Folding/Struck" and "Light Times 499," which was created with Anibal Ambert. Her interest in xerography is further illustrated in the exhibition "Electrostatic Structures: 'New Morphs'" (1972-1973). The exhibition "1000 Empty 49.3 Grams: A participatory environment" was a culmination of her interest in participatory art.

Nesbitt died November 30, 1975 in New York City. Three posthumous exhibitions include "Esta Nesbitt: Xerography Prints" (1976) at The Art Center of Waco, "Memorial Exhibition of Drawing and Illustrations by Esta Nesbitt" (1977) at Parsons School of Design, and "Electroworks" (1979-1981) at the George Eastman House.

Related Materials:

The Esta Nesbitt papers at Center for Creative Photography at University of Arizona contain 3 linear feet related to her xerography artwork and exhibitions, dated 1966-1983.

Papers related to Nesbitt's fashion illustrations are found at the Kellen Design Archives at The New School in New York City. T

he Esta Nesbitt papers at the University of Minnesota Libraries Children's Literature Research Collections are related to Nesbitt's children's book illustrations, dated 1964-1969.

Provenance:

The Esta Nesbitt papers were donated by Saul Nesbitt, her husband, to the Archives of American Art in 1981.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

Educators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Motion pictures (visual works)  Search this

Filmmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Xerography  Search this

Copy art  Search this

Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Women filmmakers  Search this

Women illustrators  Search this

Women educators  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sketches

Transcripts

Diaries

Sound recordings

Photographs

Citation:

Esta Nesbitt papers, circa 1942-circa 1981, bulk 1964-1975. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Council on Library and Information Resources' Hidden Collections grant program.

Identifier:

AAA.nesbesta

See more items in:

Esta Nesbitt papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c57916c9-f891-4116-a32d-d1f4e83c624f

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-nesbesta

Creator:

Benn, Ben, 1884-  Search this

Names:

Artists' Gallery (New York, N.Y)  Search this

Harry Salpeter Gallery  Search this

Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Walker Art Center  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Benn, Velida  Search this

Bluemner, Oscar, 1867-1938  Search this

Force, Juliana, 1876-1948  Search this

Geist, Sidney  Search this

Van Dine, S. S.  Search this

Extent:

6.3 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Illustrated letters

Sketches

Scrapbooks

Sketchbooks

Date:

1905-1993

Summary:

The papers of modernist painter Ben Benn measure 6.3 linear feet and date from 1906 through 1977, with the bulk of the papers dating from circa 1920 - circa 1970. The collection includes correspondence between Benn and his wife Velida Benn and letters from Oscar Bluemner, Max Weber, Joseph Stella, and other artists. Also found are sketches, sketchbooks, diaries, scrapbooks, personal business records, clippings, photographs, exhibition catalogs, art journals, and auction catalogs. Some of the printed material is quite rare.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of modernist painter Ben Benn measure 6.3 linear feet and date from 1906 through 1977, with the bulk of the papers dating from circa 1920 - circa 1970. The collection includes correspondence between Benn and his wife Velida de Benn and letters from Oscar Bluemner, Max Weber, Joseph Stella, and other artists. Also found are biographical materials, sketches, sketchbooks, diaries, scrapbooks, personal business records, clippings, photographs, exhibition catalogs, art journals, and auction catalogs. Some of the printed material is quite rare.

The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence files dating from 1906 through 1993, and includes personal, professional, and family correspondence of Ben Benn and wife Velida Benn, as well as personal correspondence between the Benn's. Much of the professional correspondence relates to exhibitions and other projects and is with museums, galleries, and art associations, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Artists' Gallery, and the College Art Association. Additional correspondence contains letters from friends and colleagues including Alfred Barr, Oscar Bluemner, Rita Benton, Holger Cahill, Juliana Force, Sidney Geist, Kaj Klitgaard, Audrey McMahon, Julio Osma, Harry Salpeter, Hugh Stix, Hudson D. Walker, and Marguerite Zorach, among others. Letters exchanged between Ben Benn and Velida Benn primarily relate to Benn's activities in Woodstock, N.Y., Gloucester, Ma., and St. Augustine, Fla., places he visited during the early part of his career. Many of Benn's letters are illustrated. Velida Benn's correspondence includes letters from her brother Bernard Lopez, William M. Fisher (Metropolitan Museum of Art), Bessie Beatty, Rita Benton, Sidney Geist, and Julio Osma. Also found are brief notes from Joseph Stella, Max Weber, and Marsden Hartley.

Diaries (1943-1977) contain entries by Velida Benn and reflect her activities and personal observations; also found are numerous references to Benn's exhibitions and projects. Three scrapbooks (1915-1972) document Benn's exhibitions and include copies of correspondence, announcements, checklists, price lists, and clippings; many of the items are annotated. Artwork (1937-1974) consists of sketchbooks and various loose sketches of portraits, figures, and still lifes; also included are fashion sketches by Velida Benn.

Printed material (1905-1991, bulk 1930s-1970s) includes exhibition announcements and catalogs, newspaper and magazine clippings, printed programs, reproductions, and monographs. Of particular interest are Artists' and Writers' Chap Books (1933-1935) that include the work of Ben and Velida Benn. Photographs (1920-1969) contain images of works of art, of Ben Benn, individually and with Velida, and exhibition installation shots.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into seven series based primarily on type of material. Material within each series is arranged chronologically.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1983, undated (Box 1; 2 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1906-1993, undated (Boxes 1-4; 4.0 linear ft.)

Series 3: Diaries, Notebooks, and Scrapbooks, 1915-1977, undated (Boxes 4-5; 11 folders)

Series 4: Personal Business Records, circa 1910-1979, undated (Box 5; 9 folders)

Series 5: Artwork, 1924-1974, undated (Box 5,7; 6 folders, 6 oversized items)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1911-1991, undated (Boxes 5-6; 2.0 linear ft.)

Series 7: Photographs and Negatives, 1920-1969, undated (Box 6; 6 folders)

Biographical Note:

New York painter Ben Benn was born in Russia in 1884 as Benjamin Rosenberg and died in 1983. Benn studied drawing and painting at the National Academy of Design from 1904-1908 and had his first exhibition, "Oils by Eight American Artists," at the Artists' Gallery in 1907. In 1916, Benn participated in the "Forum Exhibition of Modern American Painters" at the Anderson Galleries, along with artists Thomas Hart Benton, Oscar Bluemner, Arthur Dove, Marsden Hartley, John Marin, Man Ray, Abraham Walkowitz, and others. The exhibition was important in advancing the cause of modern art in American, particularly the American avant-garde and was recreated by the Whitney in 1983.

Best known as a modern painter who assimilated in his early style the influences of Matisse, Picasso, and Kandinsky, Benn's first one-man show was held at the J. B. Neumann Gallery in 1925. Portraits, still-lifes, and landscapes formed the core of Benn's subject themes and he often shifted between abstract and figurative images. He is known for his strong joyful colors, thick brush strokes and energetic paintings.

Benn was featured in over twenty one-man exhibitions and countless group shows. Major exhibitions included Abstract Painting in America (Whitney Museum, 1935), American Painting Today (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1950), and Ben Benn, Painter (The Jewish Museum, 1965). The Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C. honored Benn with a one-man show on his ninetieth birthday (1974). His work is in permanent museum collections in both the U.S. and abroad including the Albany Institute of Art, the Smithsonian Institution's Hirshhorn Museum, the Knoxville Art Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Newark Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, as well as the Museum of Arts, Ein-Harod in Israel and the Kröller-Müller Museum in Holland.

Ben Benn was a recipient of several awards for his achievement in painting. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts honored Benn with the Henry Schiedt award (1952) and the Carol Beck Gold Medal (1965); Benn was also the recipient of the Knoxville Art Center Purchase Prize in 1961. In 1970 Benn was a beneficiary of the Childe Hassam Fund awarded through the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Benn's work is in permanent museum collections in both the U.S. and abroad including the Albany Institute of Art, the Smithsonian Institution's Hirshhorn Museum, the Knoxville Art Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Newark Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, as well as the Museum of Arts, Ein-Harod in Israel and the Kröller-Müller Museum in Holland.

Provenance:

The Ben Benn papers were donated by Benn's nephew Peter Rosenberg to the Archives of American Art in 1988.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. research facility.

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:

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Painting, American -- Economic aspects  Search this

Painting, American -- 20th century  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Illustrated letters

Sketches

Scrapbooks

Sketchbooks

Citation:

Ben Benn papers, 1905-1993. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.bennben

See more items in:

Ben Benn papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw928843ebf-2403-418a-a333-69b5b8d63fc4

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-bennben

Creator:

Landgren, Marchal E.  Search this

Names:

American Abstract Artists  Search this

Art Students League (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Artists Equity Association  Search this

Contemporary Arts (Gallery)  Search this

Joseph Mitchell Gallery  Search this

Municipal Art Committee (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Old Print Shop (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

University of Maryland at College Park  Search this

Washington, D.C.. Public Library  Search this

Abbott, Berenice, 1898-1991  Search this

Albers, Josef  Search this

Avery, Milton, 1885-1965  Search this

Beaton, Cecil Walter Hardy, Sir, 1904-  Search this

Constant, George  Search this

Cox, George Collins, 1851-1902  Search this

De Laittre, Eleanor, 1911-1998  Search this

Fitch, Clyde, 1865-1909  Search this

Force, Juliana, 1876-1948  Search this

Fruhauf, Aline, 1909-1978  Search this

Gallatin, A. E. (Albert Eugene), 1881-1952  Search this

Geist, Sidney  Search this

Gershwin, George, 1898-1937  Search this

Glackens, Ira, 1907-1990  Search this

Greene, Balcomb, 1904-1990  Search this

Harari, Hananiah, 1912-2000  Search this

Higgins, Eugene, 1874-1958  Search this

Holtzman, Harry  Search this

Hunt, William Morris, 1824-1879  Search this

Janauschek, Francesca Romana Magdalena, 1830-1904  Search this

Kane, John, 1860-1934  Search this

Kipling, Rudyard, 1865-1936  Search this

Laufman, Sidney, 1891-  Search this

Logasa, Charles, 1883-1936  Search this

Mitchell, Donald Grant, 1822-1908  Search this

Newman, Robert Loftin, 1827-1912  Search this

Orr, Elliot, 1904-1997  Search this

Portinari, Cândido, 1903-1962  Search this

Ryder, Albert Pinkham, 1847-1917  Search this

Saint-Gaudens, Augustus, 1848-1907  Search this

Sprinchorn, Carl, 1887-1971  Search this

Extent:

15.3 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Christmas cards

Photographs

Scrapbooks

Sketches

Drawings

Date:

1881-circa 1982

bulk 1930-1975

Summary:

The papers of Washington, D.C. art historian, librarian, author, educator, and art consultant Marchal Landgren measure 15.3 linear feet and date from 1881 to circa 1982, with the bulk of the material dating from 1930 to 1975. Included are biographical materials, correspondence, writings and notes, professional and organization files, research projects' files, scattered personal business records, printed materials, two clippings scrapbooks, photographical materials, and scattered artwork.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of Washington, D.C. art historian, librarian, author, educator, and art consultant Marchal Landgren measure 15.3 linear feet and date from 1881 to circa 1982, with the bulk of the material dating from 1930 to 1975. Included are biographical materials, correspondence, writings and notes, professional and organization files, research projects' files, scattered personal business records, printed materials, two clippings scrapbooks, photographical materials, and scattered artwork.

Biographical material includes address cards, an appointment book, curriculum vitaes, genealogical materials, and military records. Correspondence is with artists, clients, colleagues, museums, and universities, and is predominantly professional in nature. Correspondents include Albert E. Gallatin, George Gershwin, Ira Glackens, Sidney Laufman, Elliot Orr, Candido Portinari, and Carl Sprinchorn, among others.

Writings include miscellaneous published and unpublished writings and drafts by Marchal Landgren primarily those not associated with his major research projects. These include various articles written for magazines and journals, manuscript drafts, research notes, and notebooks. There is also a file of writings by others that includes the John Mitchell Gallery Notes.

Professional and organizational files document Landgren's positions and work for educational institutions and arts organizations, including the American Abstract Artists Group, Art Students League of New York, Association of Artists Equity of Washington D. C., Contemporary Arts, D. C. Public Library, Library Journal, New York City Municipal Art Committee, Old Print Shop, Inc., and the University of Maryland, among others. These files also contain correspondence, perhaps the most notable found in the file on the American Abstract Artists Group which includes letters from Josef Albers, Eleanor de Laittre, Sidney Geist, Balcomb Greene, Hananiah Harari, and Harry Holtzman.

Well over one-half of the collection consists of files for Landgren's ongoing research projects on numerous artists and photographers, Latin American art, as well as his bibliographic reference projects. The bulk of the files cover his research, writing, and curatorial work on Robert Loftin Newman. Files are also found for Berenice Abbott, Milton Avery, George Constant, George Collins Cox, Aline Fruhauf, Eugene Higgins, William Morris Hunt, John Kane, Charles Logasa, Elliot Orr, and Albert Pinkham Ryder, among many others.

Personal business records include personal and general expense documentation and scattered exhibition price lists. Printed materials include clippings, exhibition catalogs, and miscellaneous published articles and essays. There are two scrapbooks of clippings.

There are photographs, slides, and negatives of images of Landgren, other artists and notable figures in the art world, and of artwork. Of note is a portrait photograph of Juliana Force by Cecil Beaton, one photograph by Berenice Abbott, "Barclay Street Ferry", and 14 taken by George C. Cox of Rudyard Kipling, Clyde Fitch, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Madame Fanny Janauschek, Donald G. Mitchell, and others.

The papers also include scattered artwork, including holiday cards illustrated by artists, and sketches and drawings by other artists.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged as 10 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Materials, circa 1890-circa 1981 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1930-circa 1982 (0.6 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, circa 1932-circa 1982 (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 1-3)

Series 4: Professional and Organizational Files, circa 1910-circa 1977 (3.4 linear feet; Boxes 3-6)

Series 5: Research Projects' Files, 1881-circa 1982 (6.9 linear feet; Boxes 6-13, 15)

Series 6: Personal Business Records, circa 1934-circa 1982 (0.4 linear feet; Box 13)

Series 7: Printed Material, circa 1927-circa 1981 (1.0 linear feet; Boxes 13-14)

Series 8: Scrapbooks, circa 1931-circa 1979 (0.2 linear feet; Boxes 14-15)

Series 9: Photographic Materials, circa 1930s-circa 1978 (0.2 linear feet; Boxes 14-15)

Series 10: Artwork, circa 1930s-circa 1940s (0.2 linear feet; Boxes 14-15)

Biographical / Historical:

Marchal E. Landgren (1907-1983) was an art historian, librarian, educator, author, and art consultant, active in New York and Washington, D. C.

As associate director and board member of Contemporary Arts, Inc. in New York, Landgren established a program for providing artists with their first solo exhibition in New York, including those of John Kane and Mark Tobey. In 1932, he directed the exhibition schedule at the New School for Social Research; and in 1935, Landgren served as the director of art activities for the New York City Municipal Art Committee where he facilitated many exhibitions over the course of five years, including Recent Paintings by Boris Aronson at Babcock Galleries in 1938.

Working as a freelance art consultant, researcher, and author, Landgren organized numerous exhibitions between 1932 and 1950 of the work of Milton Avery, George C. Cox, Elliot Orr, Robert Loftin Newman, and Albert Pinkham Ryder. He also edited several arts publications, including the Old Print Shop Portfolio, John Mitchell Gallery Notes, and arts manuscripts for Oxford University Press.

In 1939, Landgren was selected by the New York World's Fair Commision to prepare historical notes on Latin American art for the exhibition catalogs of the Latin American art exhibition. After the Fair, he continued his research on this topic and wrote several articles, as well as lecturing on Latin American painting at the Art Students League of New York, the Newark Art Club, and the National Education Association at the Boston Museum.

After serving in the U. S. Army Air Force during World War II, Landgren moved to Washington, D. C. in 1950 and began work as the arts division readers' advisor for the D. C. Public Library. For seventeen years, he built up the library's general collection of art books and created extensive files of art exhibition catalogs.

In 1967, he took a position as a bibliographic consultant for the fine arts department at the University of Maryland. He became director of the University's art gallery and of the art department museum training program. During his tenure at the University of Maryland, Landgren conducted graduate seminars in art history, edited and published exhibition catalogs, and organized exhibitions, including The Late Landscapes of William Morris Hunt in 1976.

Landgren was a visiting scholar at the Smithsonian Institution's National Collection of Fine Arts and curated an exhibition of paintings by Robert Loftin Newman held there from 1973 to 1974 and at the Tennessee Fine Arts Center in 1974.

Marchal Landgren authored two books: Years of Art: The Story of the Art Students League of New York (Robert M. McBride and Company, 1940), and Robert Loftin Newman (Smithsonian Institution Press, 1974). He was a regular reviewer of art books for the Library Journal from 1958 to 1972, and contributed reviews to Trend, Magazine of Art, and other journals. He was awarded a research grant by the American Council of Learned Societies in 1963 for his study of George C. Cox and did a great deal of research in American art and American art institutions for an unfinished manuscript. He also worked on a bibliography of art literature which he never completed.

Provenance:

The Marchal Landgren papers were donated by Landgren in 1974, and by the Landgren estate via David Huddle in 1983.

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.

Occupation:

Librarians -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Educators -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Authors -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Art historians -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Art consultants -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Topic:

Art, American  Search this

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Genre/Form:

Christmas cards

Photographs

Scrapbooks

Sketches

Drawings

Citation:

Marchal Landgren papers, 1881-circa 1982, bulk 1930-1975. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund.

Identifier:

AAA.landmarc

See more items in:

Marchal Landgren Papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw946a644a0-83cc-46a7-8c56-e9c63db0e1b4

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-landmarc

Creator:

American Art Research Council  Search this

Names:

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Force, Juliana, 1876-1948  Search this

Extent:

3 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1935-1956

bulk 1942-1947

Summary:

The records of the American Art Research Council, a cooperative research group headquartered at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, measure 3 linear feet and date from 1935 to 1956. The records include Chairman Juliana Force's correspondence, administrative correspondence, advisory committee files, miscellaneous administrative files, scattered financial records, and printed materials.

Scope and Contents:

The records of the American Art Research Council, a cooperative research group headquartered at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, measure 3 linear feet and date from 1935 to 1956. The records include Chairman Juliana Force's correspondence, administrative correspondence, advisory committee files, miscellaneous administrative files, scattered financial records, and printed materials.

Correspondence consists of Chairman Juliana Force's correspondence with museums, curators, and others, in addition to general AARC correspondence on various subjects. The Advisory Committee series consists of correspondence, lists, reports, and meeting minutes.

Administrative records include assorted material such as reports on paintings owned by private individuals and art centers, correspondence and drafts on a special issue of Art in America, a bibliography, and surveys. Survey files consist of survey responses and indexes of results for several surveys conducted by the AARC.

Financial records consist of assorted material such as contribution records, ledgers, bank statements, and cancelled checks. Printed materials include clippings, academic journals, bulletins, and press releases.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 5 series.

Series 1: Correspondence, 1942-1947 (1 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Advisory Committee, 1942-1947 (0.2 linear feet; Box 2)

Series 3: Administrative Records, 1935-1950 (0.9 linear feet; Boxes 2-3)

Series 4: Financial Records, 1942-1956 (0.7 linear feet; Boxes 3-4)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1942-1947 (0.2 linear feet; Box 5)

Biographical / Historical:

The American Art Research Council (AARC) was founded in 1942 when the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City proposed that museums across the country establish a collaborative centralized organization for American art research. In April 1942, directors and representatives of 15 prominent museums met and founded the AARC.

Headquartered in and administered by the Whitney Museum, the AARC broadened its scope to include staff from over 30 museums and universities across the country. The organization formed a Committee on Research consisting of experts and scholars of American art that authenticated art, shared research records about artists, and conducted multiple surveys on various subjects. The AARC also facilitated researchers by sharing their information in catalogs and publications.

Provenance:

The American Art Research Council records were donated by the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1978 as part of a larger donation of museum records.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. Research Facility.

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 -- Study and teaching  Search this

Citation:

American Art Research Council records, 1935-1956. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.amerartr

See more items in:

American Art Research Council records

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9981d5c2f-180b-457a-a4af-a468139bdb59

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-amerartr

Creator:

Margules, De Hirsh, 1899-1965  Search this

Names:

Babcock Galleries  Search this

Brooklyn Museum  Search this

Buffalo Fine Arts Academy  Search this

Feigl Gallery  Search this

Ferargil Galleries  Search this

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston  Search this

Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Niveau Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum  Search this

Walker Art Center  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Worcester Art Museum  Search this

Beaudoin, Kenneth Lawrence, 1913-  Search this

Connick, Charles J., 1875-1945  Search this

Eilshemius, Louis M. (Louis Michel), 1864-1941  Search this

Frankel, Aaron  Search this

Fuller, R. Buckminster (Richard Buckminster), 1895-  Search this

Gillespie, Al Lincoln, Jr.  Search this

Gilman, Esther  Search this

Grady, James  Search this

Higgins, Dick, 1938-  Search this

Horblit, Harrison D.  Search this

Horblit, Jean  Search this

Jensen, Alfred, 1903-1981  Search this

King, Alex  Search this

Kolin, Sacha, 1911-1981  Search this

Lechay, Myron, 1898-1972  Search this

Lehman, Herbert H. (Herbert Henry), 1878-1963  Search this

Lindsay, John V.  Search this

Mandel, Marieli Kailin  Search this

Margules, Blanche London  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Miller, Henry, 1891-  Search this

O'Brien, Lawrence F.  Search this

Schnitzler, Max, 1903-  Search this

Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this

Weber, David A.  Search this

Extent:

5.5 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Writings

Photographs

Notebooks

Sketchbooks

Sound recordings

Poems

Scrapbooks

Oil paintings

Collages

Date:

1888-2001

bulk 1923-1965

Summary:

The papers of painter De Hirsh Margules measure 5.5 linear feet and date from 1888-2001, with the bulk dating from 1923-1965. The papers contain biographical material, and business and personal correspondence, including letters from Alfred Stiegliz, John Marin, Henry Miller, Max Schnitzler, Charles J. Connick, Louis M. Eilshemius, Alex King, and Myron Lechay. Also found are writings, printed material, scrapbooks, photographs, works of art and audio recordings documenting Margules' personal life and professional career.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of painter De Hirsh Margules measure 5.5 linear feet and date from 1888-2001, with the bulk dating from 1923-1965. The papers contain biographical material, and business and personal correspondence, including letters from Alfred Stiegliz, John Marin, Henry Miller, Max Schnitzler, Charles J. Connick, Louis M. Eilshemius, Alex King, and Myron Lechay. Also found are writings, printed material, scrapbooks, photographs, works of art and audio recordings documenting Margules' personal life and professional career.

Biographical material consists of Margules' curriculum vitae, address books, war ration books, press credentials, passports, naturalization documents, membership and social security cards, and memorial material on De Hirsh and Blanche Margules.

Correspondence of De Hirsh Margules covers both personal and business matters. Family correspondents include his wife Blanche London, her parents, De Hirsh's mother Rosa and his sister Sam. There is correspondence with Jean and Harrison Horblit, friends and business associates of the Margules, as well as correspondence with his girlfriend, Marieli Kailin Mandel. Other correspondents include Alfred Stieglitz, John Marin, Henry Miller, Max Schnitzler, Charles J. Connick, Louis M. Eilshemius, Alex King, Myron Lechay, and two letters from New York Governor Herbert H. Lehman. There are single letters from Sasha Kolin; New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay; Lawrence F. O'Brien, special assistant to President John F. Kennedy; Buckminster Fuller. This last letter was not addressed exclusively to Margules. Other personal correspondence includes letters, postcards and greeting cards from family members and friends. Other business correspondents include galleries and museums such as Babcock Galleries, Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Niveau Gallery, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Brooklyn Museum, Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, Ferargil Gallery, Feigl Gallery, Guggenheim Museum, Worcester Art Museum and Walker Art Center.

Writings consist mostly of poems by De Hirsh Margules, sometimes appearing in multiple draft forms, as well as a longer work titled "Mulberry Bend." Also included within the series are notebooks filled with poems and works of prose, the latter expounding upon his theories and ideas. Writings by other authors range from poetry to works of prose, criticism and biography, including A. Lincoln Gillespie, Jr., Kenneth Lawrence Beaudoin, David Weber, Aaron Frankel, James Grady, Dick Higgins, and Esther Gilman, among others. There are three illustrated writings by Alfred Jensen. Audio recordings contain a sound tape reel of De Hirsh Margules reciting his poems Rainbow and Mulberry Bend.

Printed material includes newspaper and magazine clippings, press releases, exhibition announcements, catalogues and books. Scrapbooks include printed material, newspaper and magazine clippings, and exhibition announcements on the career of De Hirsh Margules. Also included are two scrapbooks by Blanche London Margules, representing newspaper clippings of her writing, among others.

Works of Art include an oil painting on wood and sketchbooks by Margules. Also included are six collages in a series by Kenneth Lawrence Beaudoin titled "Eye Poems"; and text-based drawings/writings by A. Lincoln Gillespie, Jr.

Photographs, transparencies and slides include works of art by De Hirsh and Blanche London Margules. Also included are personal photographs of the Margules', their friends, family and students, and two folders of photographs of Marieli Kailin Mandel.

Arrangement:

The De Hirsh Margules papers are organized into 8 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1888-1978, undated (Box 1, 6; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1923-2000, undated (Box 1-3; 2.8 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings, 1936-1965, undated (Box 4; 1.0 linear feet)

Series 4: Printed Material, 1933-2001, undated (Box 5; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 5: Scrapbooks, 1922-1957, undated (Box 5, 7; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 6: Photographs, 1926-1992, undated (Box 5, 7; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 7: Works of Art, 1948, undated (Box 6, 7; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 8: Audio Recordings, undated (Box 6; 1 folder)

Biographical Note:

De Hirsh Margules (1899-1965) was a painter in New York, NY. Margules was born in Jasse, Romania and arrived in New York City at only ten months of age. His parents were in the Yiddish Theater; his father, Edouard was a playwright/director, and his mother, Rosa, was an actress. Margules received much of his art education outside of the conventional art institutional framework. Early on, he studied with Edwin Randby in Pennsylvania from 1917-1918, but it was really his neighbor, the painter Benno Greenstein, who encouraged Margules to pursue a career in the arts. From 1919-1921 he studied period architecture, design and decoration at the New York Evening School of Art and Design.

By 1922, Margules began working nights as a police reporter for the City News Association of New York, a job he would hold until 1942. However, he continued to study and paint during the day, this time working with Myron Lechay.

In 1927 Margules took a leave of absence from the City News Association to travel to Paris. He studied at the Musée du Louvre, and painted landscapes in Montmartre, Paris; Fontenay-près-Vézelay, Burgundy; and Tunis, Africa. In 1929 Margules returned to New York and met artist/dealer Alfred Stieglitz, who quickly became his most trusted friend and advisor. It was through Stieglitz that Margules was introduced to John Marin, Georgia O'Keeffe, Paul Rosenfeld, Stuart Davis and Jan Matulka. While Margules would benefit from his relations with all of these artists, it was John Marin who would become his most important mentor. He felt that Marin was the only one who could help him with the formal problems he was having with painting.

Margules lived most of his life in Greenwich Village and was a well-known member of the colorful and vivacious arts community. He was commonly recognized by his affable demeanor, but mostly it was his attire, particularly the dark blue beret that he was rarely seen without. To his friends he was known simply as "the Baron."

De Hirsh Margules has been called an abstract realist. He used saturated colors and bold textures in the construction of his abstract landscapes, but more specifically it was his interest in the concept of "time painting" or "time perspective" that propelled his work. It was through the physical rendering and representation of his subject matter that he explored the psychological concepts of time. From 1936-1937 Margules established "Another Place," an exhibition space set up in his New York City apartment at 43 West 8th Street. Over a two year period there were fourteen solo-exhibitions by Margules and other artists.

He taught painting in 1951 at Ball State College in Muncie, Indiana, and at the New York Equity Workshop in 1952. In 1951 Elaine de Kooning wrote a piece about his working methods in the December edition of Art News.

De Hirsh Margules died from a heart attack in 1965. He was 65 years old.

Provenance:

The papers were donated to the Archives in 2005 by Elita Agee.

Restrictions:

The De Hirsh Margules papers are open for research. Use requires an appointment.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Topic:

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Poets -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Works of art  Search this

Genre/Form:

Writings

Photographs

Notebooks

Sketchbooks

Sound recordings

Poems

Scrapbooks

Oil paintings

Collages

Citation:

De Hirsh Margules papers, 1888-2001, bulk 1923-1965. Archives of America Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.margde

See more items in:

De Hirsh Margules papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw96b288528-ce86-4c0a-8b52-8f5eb10f986f

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-margde

Interviewee:

Graham, F. Wynn  Search this

Interviewer:

Loomis, Sylvia Glidden  Search this

Creator:

New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this

Names:

Federal Art Project (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this

Force, Juliana, 1876-1948  Search this

Extent:

1 Sound tape reel (Sound recordings (1 hour), 7 in.)

25 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sound tape reels

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1965 July 22

Scope and Contents:

An interview of F. Wynn Graham conducted 1965 July 22, by Sylvia Loomis, for the Archives of American Art. Graham speaks of her background and her education at the Art Students League; working on lithography at the Harlem Arts Center; joining the WPA Federal Art Project (FAP) in 1935; working on the easel painting project; the Artists' Union; the effects of the FAP on her career and on art; and her post-FAP career. She recalls Juliana Force.

Biographical / Historical:

F. Wynn Graham is a painter and printmaker in Queens, N.Y. She painted for the Federal Art Project.

General:

An unrelated interview of Donald B. Goodall (7/8/65) conducted by S. Loomis is also on this tape.

Provenance:

Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Occupation:

Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Painters -- New York (State)  Search this

Topic:

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Identifier:

AAA.graham65

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98ebf3593-9efd-44ba-8ec0-34e100175f2c

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-graham65

Creator:

Fleischman, Lawrence A. (Lawrence Arthur), 1925-1997  Search this

Names:

American Federation of Arts  Search this

Corcoran Gallery of Art  Search this

Detroit Institute of Arts  Search this

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum  Search this

Kennedy Galleries  Search this

Kraushaar Galleries  Search this

M. Knoedler & Co.  Search this

Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Midtown Galleries (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Milwaukee Art Center  Search this

Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

National Gallery of Art (U.S.)  Search this

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts  Search this

Philadelphia Museum of Art  Search this

United States Information Agency  Search this

University of Michigan. Museum of Art  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Allston, Washington, 1779-1843  Search this

Arms, John Taylor, 1887-1953  Search this

Bailey, Grace  Search this

Bailey, Truman E., 1902?-1959  Search this

Bohrod, Aaron  Search this

Burchfield, Charles Ephraim, 1893-1967  Search this

Culver, Charles B. (Charles Beach), 1908-1967  Search this

Eakins, Thomas, 1844-1916  Search this

Evergood, Philip, 1901-1973  Search this

Fleischman, Barbara  Search this

Gentle, Esther, 1900-  Search this

Krentzin, Earl, 1929-  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Pollack, Peter, 1909-1978  Search this

Rattner, Abraham  Search this

Richardson, Constance, 1905-  Search this

Richardson, Edgar Preston, 1902-1985  Search this

Ryder, Albert Pinkham, 1847-1917  Search this

Sellers, Charles Coleman, 1903-  Search this

Watkins, Franklin Chenault, 1894-1972  Search this

Extent:

4.9 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Typescripts

Photographs

Date:

1837-1984

bulk 1935-1979

Summary:

The papers of art collectors, art patrons, and philanthropists Lawrence and Barbara Fleischman measure 4.9 linear feet and date from 1837 to 1984, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1935-1979. The papers are comprised mostly of correspondence with artists, museums, and arts organizations. Also found are scattered biographical materials, artists' autograph letters purchased by the Fleischmans, exhibition files, notes and writings, printed material, and photographs.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of art collectors, art patrons, and philanthropists Lawrence and Barbara Fleischman measure 4.9 linear feet and date from 1837 to 1984, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1935-1979. The papers are comprised mostly of correspondence with artists, museums, and arts organizations. Also found are scattered biographical materials, artists' autograph letters purchased by the Fleischmans, exhibition files, notes and writings, printed material, and photographs.

One folder of biographical material includes a biographical account and a certificate of appreciation from the Common Council for the City of Detroit.

The bulk of the collection is comprised of correspondence documenting the Fleischman's art related activities and interests primarily during the 1950s and 1960s. Individual correspondents include Aaron Bohrod, Charles E. Burchfield, Charles B. Culver, Philip Evergood, Earl Krentzin, John Marin, Jr., Abraham Rattner and Esther Gentle, Peter Pollack, Edgar P. and Constance Richardson, Charles Coleman Sellers, and Franklin Watkins. One letter from Charles E. Burchfield includes four etching plates used to create the color print of Hot September Wind.

Arts organizations and galleries represented in the correspondence include the American Federation of Arts, the Archives of American Art, the Arts Commission of the City of Detroit, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Detroit Institute of Art, Kennedy Galleries, M. Knoedler and Co., Inc., Kraushaar Galleries, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Midtown Galleries, the Museum of Modern Art, the National Gallery of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the School of the Society of Arts and Crafts, the United States Information Agency, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Winterthur Museum.

Autograph letters purchased by the Fleischmans include letters written by artists Washington Allston (addressed to Thomas Sully), Albert Pinkham Ryder, and John Taylor Arms.

Exhibition files document the various exhibitions of art work from the Lawrence and Barbara Fleischman Collection at the University of Michigan Museum of Art; the Detroit Institute of Art; in Central and South America; in Greece, Israel and Russia; and at the Milwaukee Art Center. The files contain letters, notes, printed material, and photographs.

Three folders of notes and writings include "Introduction to Earl Krentzin Catalog" by Lawrence Fleischman and "Selection of Excerpts from the Soviet Press and Radio Attacking U. S. Culture" by unidentified authors.

Scattered printed material includes miscellaneous clippings and catalogs not connected with the Exhibition Files series. There is also a book John Marin: The Man and his Work by E. M. Benson that was autographed by Marin to the Fleischmans in 1953.

Photographs include portrait photographs of Lawrence Fleischman, photographs of Lawrence and Barbara Fleischman with colleagues, of art work from the Fleischman Collection, of Truman and Grace Bailey in their studio, and a copy photograph of Thomas Eakins as a boy.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 7 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1958 (Box 1; 1 folder)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1949-1984 (Boxes 1-4, 7; 3.8 linear feet)

Series 3: Autograph Letters, 1837-1942 (Box 4; 4 folders)

Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1953-1960 (Boxes 4-5, 7; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 5: Notes and Writings, 1957-1962 (Box 5; 3 folders)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1935-1969 (Box 5-6; 6 folders)

Series 7: Photographs, 1953-1965 (Box 6; 13 folders)

Biographical / Historical:

Lawrence Fleischman (1925-1997) of New York City was an American art collector, patron, philanthropist, and benefactor. He and his wife, Barbara Greenberg Fleischman, assembled an impressive collection of art and artifacts that they shared with the public as part of their philanthropic activities aimed at fostering a wider appreciation of the arts around the world.

Lawrence Fleischman was born on February 14, 1925 in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Stella and Arthur Fleischman, the owner of a large carpet business. He attended the Western Military Academy in Alton, Illinois, and studied engineering at Purdue University. In 1942, he interrupted his studies to volunteer for service in the U.S. Army during World War II. While serving in France, he met a doctor who further fostered Fleischman's ever growing interest in American art. Following the war, he graduated with a degree in physics from the University of Detroit. Fleischman met Barbara Greenberg in Detroit and they were married in 1948.

Beginning in the late 1940s, Fleischman established a fledgling television station, developed holdings in real estate, and began purchasing art work. Initially the Fleischmans collected undervalued 20th century American art and were friends with several artists, including John Marin, Charles Burchfield, Stuart Davis, and Ben Shahn. They also expanded the scope of their collection to include 19th century American works.

During the 1950s, Lawrence Fleischman realized how there were few American art historians and college departments, as well as a lack of primary source material. Fleischman worked with Edgar P. Richardson, then director of the Detroit Institute of Art, to raise funds and they founded the Archives of American Art at the Detroit Institute of Art in 1954. The Archives of American Art was, and still is, dedicated to the collection, preservation, and study of primary source records that document the history of the visual arts in the United States. Lawrence A. Fleischman is a founding Trustee of the AAA and served as the Chairman of the Board from 1958 to 1966. His wife, Barbara joined the Board of Trustees in 1997 and served as Chair from 2003 to 2007. She is a Trustee Emerita.

Lawrence Fleischman's business and philanthropic interests included the Arthur Fleischman Carpet Company, the Lee Plaza Hotel-Motel in Detroit, Art Adventurers, the Art School of the Society of Arts and Crafts in Detroit, the Friends of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, the Cultural Committee of the United States Information Agency, and the Art Commission of Detroit, which governed the Detroit Institute of Art. He also served as an officer of the Board for many of the arts-related organizations.

In 1996, the Fleischmans moved their family from Detroit to New York City, where Lawrence Fleischman became a partner in the Kennedy Galleries.

The Fleischmans philanthropic activities include generous support of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Detroit Institute of Art, the Cleveland Museum, the British Museum, the Vatican Museum, and lifelong support of the Archives of American Art.

Lawrence Fleischman died on January 31, 1997 in London, England. Barbara Fleischman lives in New York City and continues to be an active supporter of the visual arts.

Related Materials:

Among the Archives holdings are two oral history interviews with Lawrence A. Fleischman. The first was conducted by Paul Cummings in 1970 and the second conducted by Gail Stavitsky in 1994 . Both interviews have transcripts available.

Separated Materials:

The Archives of Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming, the majority of which was later donated, except for five letters on reel D197. These include one postcard from Constance Richardson, 1956; one letter from Constance Richardson, 1957; one letter from Franklin Watkins, 1955; one letter from Lawrence Fleischman to Wilbur H. Hunter, 1960; and one letter from Richard D. Tucker, 1960. This material remains with lender and is not described in the collection container inventory.

Provenance:

The Lawrence and Barbara Fleischman papers were donated in several accretions by Lawrence and Barbara Fleischman from 1954 to 2007. Letters were also loaned for microfilming in 1965, but nearly all of them were subsequently donated.

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.

Occupation:

Painters -- United States  Search this

Topic:

Painting, American  Search this

Art patrons Michigan Detroit  Search this

Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this

Philanthropists  Search this

Art -- Collectors and collecting -- United States  Search this

Genre/Form:

Typescripts

Photographs

Citation:

Lawrence and Barbara Fleischman Papers, 1837-1984. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Identifier:

AAA.fleilawr

See more items in:

Lawrence and Barbara Fleischman papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw92905ad60-9c85-493f-90b7-272f1486ef69

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-fleilawr

Collection Creator:

Alexander, Robert  Search this

Temple of Man (Venice, Calif.)  Search this

Container:

Box 7, Folder 3

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1983

Collection 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.

Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.

Collection Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Collection Citation:

Robert Alexander papers and Temple of Man records, 1938-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

Robert Alexander papers and Temple of Man records

Robert Alexander papers and Temple of Man records / Series 4: Project Files / Exhibition Loans

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw964793c84-976c-4bc6-afc9-bc7676ab5258

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-alexbob-ref52

Artist:

Jean Arp, French, b. Strasbourg, Alsace, 1886-1966  Search this

Medium:

Bronze

Dimensions:

22 1/4 X 14 1/2 X 12 1/8 IN. (56.4 X 36.6 X 30.8 cm)

Type:

Sculpture

Date:

(1942)

Credit Line:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1966

Accession Number:

66.104

See more items in:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection

School:

Dada/Fluxus

Data Source:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py21482ccca-b3fe-4f6f-b3b8-9d147829104e

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:hmsg_66.104

Artist:

Cesar Domela, French, b. Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1900–1992  Search this

Medium:

Glass, painted glass, painted metal, chrome- plated brass and painted wood

Dimensions:

35 3/8 X 29 5/8 X 1 3/4 IN. (89.8 X 75.2 X 4.2 CM.)

Type:

Sculpture/relief

Date:

1932

Credit Line:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1966

Accession Number:

66.1397

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Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection

Data Source:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py2006413e8-a3a6-46cd-972c-fac1035a12ce

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:hmsg_66.1397

Artist:

William Baziotes, American, b. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1912–1963  Search this

Medium:

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

36 1/8 X 48 1/8 IN. (91.7 X 122.2 CM.)

Type:

Painting

Date:

1957

Credit Line:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of the Joseph H. Hirshhorn Foundation, 1966

Accession Number:

66.406

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Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection

School:

Abstract Expressionism (First Generation)

Data Source:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py2a2bf9428-d436-44d7-b9da-2218fb7bed04

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:hmsg_66.406

Artist:

Edward Potthast, American, b. Cincinnati, Ohio, 1857–1927  Search this

Medium:

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

24 X 30 1/8 IN. (60.9 X 76.3 CM.)

Type:

Painting

Date:

(c. 1916-1920)

Credit Line:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1966

Accession Number:

66.4117

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Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection

Data Source:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py2aedbfd29-89ab-4526-ab8b-608d675b9300

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:hmsg_66.4117

Artist:

Max Beckmann, German, b. Leipzig, 1884–1950  Search this

Medium:

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

36 1/4 × 55 in. (92.1 × 139.8 cm)

Type:

Painting

Date:

1950

Credit Line:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of the Joseph H. Hirshhorn Foundation, 1966

Accession Number:

66.429

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Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection

School:

German Expressionism

Data Source:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py22ab9f11a-b8ab-43a8-ae1b-619f25df1f6c

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:hmsg_66.429

Artist:

Auguste Rodin, French, b. Paris, 1840–1917  Search this

Medium:

Bronze

Dimensions:

12 1/4 x 11 1/8 x 7 7/8 in. (31.1 x 28.2 x 19.7 cm)

Type:

Sculpture

Date:

(1880-1882/cast by 1953)

Credit Line:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, 1966

Accession Number:

66.4331

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Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection

Data Source:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py27175d5ed-f357-4871-83d4-ef161084ccfb

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:hmsg_66.4331

Artist:

Alfredo Jaar, Chilean, b. Santiago, 1956  Search this

Medium:

Two lightboxes with color transparencies

Dimensions:

96 1/2 x 18 1/2 x 6 3/4 in. (245.1 x 47 x 17.1 cm) each

Type:

Sculpture

Date:

1988

Credit Line:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Museum Purchase, 1997

Accession Number:

97.3

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Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection

Data Source:

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py20281c0cd-d125-46a5-b85b-d41f63cf1435

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:hmsg_97.3

Collection Creator:

Clark, Edward, 1926-2019  Search this

Container:

Box 5, Folder 10

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1980

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings and born-digital records with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.

Collection Citation:

Ed Clark papers, 1923-2017. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.

See more items in:

Ed Clark papers

Ed Clark papers / Series 5: Professional Activities / Projects and Exhibitions

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw972bf4d96-064f-48a6-b2e8-9de4a50823c6

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-clarked-ref147

Collection Creator:

Clark, Edward, 1926-2019  Search this

Container:

Box 5, Folder 11

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1988-1989

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings and born-digital records with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.

Collection Citation:

Ed Clark papers, 1923-2017. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.

See more items in:

Ed Clark papers

Ed Clark papers / Series 5: Professional Activities / Projects and Exhibitions

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw937463909-4c25-411c-9851-d02946896194

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-clarked-ref148

Collection Creator:

Clark, Edward, 1926-2019  Search this

Container:

Box 3, Folder 30

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1972-1980

1996

2010

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings and born-digital records with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.

Collection Citation:

Ed Clark papers, 1923-2017. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.

See more items in:

Ed Clark papers

Ed Clark papers / Series 2: Correspondence

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9002f665d-02d5-4e39-aa28-fcb837081535

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-clarked-ref99

Subject:

Lawrence, Jacob  Search this

Type:

Photographs

Date:

1938 December 9

Citation:

Photograph of Jacob Lawrence with Harlem Scene (The Butcher Shop), 1938 December 9. Federal Art Project, Photographic Division collection, circa 1920-1965. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Record number:

(DSI-AAA)24915

See more items in:

Federal Art Project, Photographic Division collection, circa 1920-1965, bulk 1935-1942

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_item_24915