Jackson Pollock. Jackson Pollock letter to Betty Parsons, ca. 1951. Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers, 1916-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Peggy Guggenheim. Peggy Guggenheim, New York, N.Y. letter to Betty Parsons, New York, N.Y., 1947 May 5. Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers, 1916-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The E. B. Crocker Art Gallery records date from the 1850s-1970s with the bulk of the material dating from the 1880s-1950s. The collection documents the gallery's founding and history primarily until the mid-20th century, and includes biographical material on the Crocker family and gallery directors; correspondence primarily related to general inquiries; manuscript material and research notes concerning the Gallery's history; photographs of the museum, Crocker family members, and associated individuals; account books and other financial and organizational records; printed material; and scrapbooks of printed material about the gallery, associated artists, and the arts in Sacramento.
Scope and Contents:
The E. B. Crocker Art Gallery records date from the 1850s-1970s with the bulk of the material dating from the 1880s-1950s. The collection documents the gallery's founding and history primarily until the mid-20th century, and includes biographical material on the Crocker family and gallery directors; correspondence primarily related to general inquiries; manuscript material and research notes concerning the Gallery's history; photographs of the museum, Crocker family members, and associated individuals; account books and other financial and organizational records; printed material; and scrapbooks of printed material about the gallery, associated artists, and the arts in Sacramento.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
E. B. Crocker Art Gallery, located in Sacramento, California, is one of the oldest museums in the Western United States and is known for its collection of works from the Gold Rush era to the present day.
The gallery's collection was given to the city of Sacramento and the California Museum Association by Margaret Crocker (1822-1901) in 1885. Margaret Crocker had begun collecting paintings with her husband Judge Edwin Bryant Crocker (1818-1875), during a trip to Europe in 1869. The Crockers ultimately made 2482 acquisitions, often of work by contemporary artists, at home and abroad.
The gallery was housed in a building adjacent to the Crocker's home, and the Crockers commissioned local architect Seth Babson to renovate the home and connect the gallery. Babson completed the renovation of the Crocker mansion and the building of the gallery in 1872.
After several reconstructions over the intervening decades the gallery's name was changed to the Crocker Art Museum in 1978. The buildings underwent renovations in the late 1980s which restored the historic facade of the mansion and modernized the gallery interior. The gallery building is a California Historical Landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Provenance:
The collection was loaned to the Archives of American Art for microfilming in 1980 by the Crocker Art Museum and was returned after filming.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
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.
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- California -- Sacramento
Citation:
E. B. Crocker Art Gallery records, circa 1850s-circa 1970s. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the digitization of the microfilm for this collection was provided in part by The Walton Family Foundation.
The Allan Stone Gallery records measure 196.2 linear feet and date from 1960 though 2019. The collection encompasses correspondence, photographs and transparencies, calendars, manuscripts, catalogs, news clippings, and documents pertaining to art transactions and exhibitions. The breadth of the Gallery papers demonstrates its eponymous founder's eclectic approach to collecting and his early advocacy of pivotal artists of the 20th Century including Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, Arshile Gorky, Joseph Cornell, John Graham and John Chamberlain. Correspondence with Wayne Thiebaud illuminates a decades-long relationship with his first New York dealer, Allan Stone. Other correspondents include Robert Arneson, Joseph Cornell, Richard Estes, Elizabeth King, Alfred Leslie, Richard Minsky and Jack Whitten. A portion of the collection is in electronic format.
Biographical / Historical:
The Allan Stone Gallery (est. 1960- 2006) was a gallery in New York owned and operated by art dealer, Allan Stone (1932-2006). After the gallery closed, activities continued through 2019.
Provenance:
Donated in 2020 by Allan Stone Galleries, Inc., via Olympia Stone, Heather Stone, Claudia Stone, Allison Stabile, Jessie Stone, and Jeremy Stone, authorized representatives.
Restrictions:
This collection is access restricted; written permission is required. Contact Reference Services for more information. Access, with permission, to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, that they may own.
The records of the Gertrude Kasle Gallery of Detroit measure 8.1 linear feet and date from 1949-1999, with the bulk of records dating from 1964-1983. The collection documents the establishment and operations of this contemporary American art gallery and consists of artists files, business and administrative files, exhibition files, photographic materials, and interviews and lectures in the form of sound recordings.
Scope and Content Note:
The records of the Gertrude Kasle Gallery of Detroit measure 8.1 linear feet and date from 1949-1999, with the bulk of the records dating from 1964-1983. The collection documents the establishment and operations of this contemporary American art gallery and consists of artists files, business and administrative files, exhibition files, photographic materials, and interviews and lectures in the form of sound recordings.
The bulk of the records consist of Artists' Files that document the professional and personal relationships Kasle fostered with the artists represented by the gallery, including sales and exhibitions. The files contain a wide variety of materials and the amount of documentation for each artist also varies. Typically the files contain personal and business correspondence, sales documentation, exhibition photographs, photographs of works of art, family photographs, photographs of the artist, exhibition announcements and catalogs, other printed materials, greeting cards, and other documents. Some of the artists well-represented in the files include Lee Bontecou, Wilhem De Kooning, Jim Dine, Helen Frankenthaler, Brenda Goodman, Robert Goodnaugh, John Goodyear, Adolph Gottlieb, Philip Guston, Grace Hartigan, Ray Johnson, Robert Motherwell, Robert Natkin, Lowell Nesbitt, Claes Oldenburg, Charles Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, Julius Schmidt, Babe Shapiro, Michael Todd, and Jack Tworkov. Additional general information about exhibitions is found in Series 3, Exhibition Files and additional photographs are filed in Series 4, Photographic Material.
Gallery and personal business and administrative files house documents relating to the founding and incorporation of the gallery and general operations, as well as some of Gertrude Kasle personal business files. Also found in this series are files related to fine art prints and the gallery's business relationship with Universal Limited Art Editions.
Scattered exhibition files are found for a few of the gallery's exhibitions and also include general exhibition related files, such as clippings, announcements, guest lists, and schedules. Most of the information about the gallery's exhibitions is found in the Artists Files. Photographs and slides are found throughout the collection, particularly in the Artists Files, but Series 4, Photographic Materials houses an extensive collection of slides documenting art work by artists represented by the gallery. There is also an autographed photograph portrait of Lowell Nesbitt.
Sound recordings are of interviews and lectures. Interviews are with Tatyana Grosman, Lowell Nesbitt, Paul Jenkins, and Bill Tall. There are recorded lectures by Paul Jenkins and Jack Tworkov. The sound recordings are on both audio cassette reel to reel tapes. Transcripts are not available.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 5 series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Artists Files, 1949-1999 (Boxes 1-5, OV 11; 5.1 linear feet)
Series 2: Gallery and Personal Business and Administrative Files, 1961-1995 (Boxes 6-7, OV 12; 1.2 linear feet)
Series 3: Exhibition Files, 1963-1976 (Box 7; 7 folders)
Series 4: Photographic Materials, 1953-1985 (Boxes 7, 10; 18 folders)
Series 5: Sound Recordings, 1966-1971 (Boxes 7-9; 7 folders)
Historical Note:
Gertrude Kasle was born in New York City on December 2, 1917, and began her life-long career in the art world very early, taking art classes in high school and Saturday classes at the Art Students League. She began her formal studies in art education at New York University (NYU) and later transfered to the University of Michigan. Kasle interrupted her studies during World War II to devote herself to family work while her husband served as a military chaplain. The family returned to Detroit in 1947 and she began classes at the Society of Arts and Crafts. After raising her three children, she enrolled in Wayne State University in 1955, completing her degree in 1962.
While a student in Detroit, Kasle was active in the Friends of Modern Art group at the Detroit Institute of Art, and became Vice President. In 1962, she was approached by Detroit businessman Franklin Siden to help him open a gallery where she would have a one-third partnership. During the first year of Siden Gallery's operations, Kasle introduced Detroit to the work of many notable contemporay American artists, such as Larry Rivers, Grace Hartigan, Robert Goodnough, and Robert Natkin.
Her tenure with the Siden Gallery was short-lived and by 1964 she left and began to contemplate her next move. Several of the artists she had represented at Siden Gallery encouraged her to open her own gallery. Local art critic Joy Hakanson Colby who worked for the Detroit News interviewed Kasle and claimed that Kasle was "looking for gallery space". Responding to the article, the Fischer Building offered Kasle a very attractive lease in the "New Center" area of downtown Detroit that would later become known as the city's gallery center, housing several prominent galleries.
With the help of her husband and son, she opened the doors of the Gertrude Kasle Gallery on April 10, 1965. The opening exhibition featured Larry Rivers, Grace Hartigan, Robert Goodnough, Irving Kreisberg, and Manousher Yektai. Kasle's goal was to introduce the city of Detroit to the foremost contemporary artists in the country, some already well-established such as Wilhelm De Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, Philip Guston, Grace Hartigan, Robert Motherwell, Lowell Nesbitt, Claes Oldenburg, Charles Pollock, Larry Rivers, and Jack Tworkov, as well as others just becoming known, such as Jim Dine. Through group and one-man shows, the Gertrude Kasle Gallery represented contemporary painting, mixed media, and sculpture, focusing primarily on the Abstract Expressionist movement. The gallery also fostered many local Detroit artists, giving them their first shows, including Al Loving and Brenda Goodman.
During her earlier tenure with the Siden Gallery Kasle had worked with Tatyana Grosman of Universal Limited Art Editions which produced original prints of contemporary artists including Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jim Dine. In her own gallery, Kasle continued her business relationship with Grosman and fine art print publishers, allowing the gallery access to many artists that were previously unattainable.
For eleven years the Gertrude Kasle Gallery operated as a thriving contemporary art gallery, forming the nucleus for the growing Detroit modern and avant garde art scene during the sixties and seventies. Although financially the gallery was not as successful as hoped, it provided a cultural forum for artists and Detroit art enthusiasts to convene, learn, and celebrate. In April, 1976 the gallery closed. When asked why she was closing the gallery, Gertrude Kasle said, "Because the need for a gallery like mine isn't as great as it was in the 1960's. Today the public respects and understands more about creative innovation in contemporary art." (Hakanson Colby, March, 1976) Although the gallery formally closed, Kasle continues to work as a art consultant and live in Detroit.
This historical note relies heavily on the essays written by Gertrude Kasle's son, Stephen available on the Gertrude Kasle Gallery website.
Related Material:
Also available at the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Gertrude Kasle conducted by Dennis Barrie on July 24, 1975.
Provenance:
The collection was donated to the Archives of American Art in 1976 and 1982 by Mrs. Gertrude Kasle. A third accession was donated by the Cincinnati Art Museum in 2002.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
The Spanierman Gallery records measure 196.7 linear feet and date from circa 1961-2014. Included are administrative records, collector and institution files, artist files, artwork documentation, and exhibition files. Administrative Records consist of advertising files, financial records, correspondence, mailers, printed material, sales records, and publication files. Collector and Institution files include correspondence with private collectors, museums, and other galleries, sales records, consignment records, photographic materials, and price lists. Artist Files contain contracts, sales records, scant photographic materials, correspondence with collectors and institutions, inventories of artwork, mailing lists, customer inquiries, provenance forms, and notes. Artwork Documentation consist of mostly photographic documentation (transparencies, negatives, photographs—some of which are in poor condition), some reference material, and scant correspondence. Exhibition files include exhibition catalogs, announcements, price lists, sales records, consignment records, agreements, and a small amount of born digital material.
Biographical / Historical:
Spanierman Gallery (1961-2014) was a prominent New York gallery dealing primarily in American Art.
Provenance:
Donated in 2023 by Gerald and Kathleen Peters, who acquired the collection in 2014 as part of a merger between Gerald Peters Gallery and Gavin Spanierman, Ltd. Gavin Spanierman is the son of the late Ira Spanierman (1928-2019), founder and owner of Spanierman Gallery.
Restrictions:
This collection is temporarily closed to researchers due to archival processing.
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.
The Ruth White Gallery records measure 7.1 linear feet and date from 1933 to 1974, with the bulk of the records dating from 1956 to 1970. Administrative records document the running of the gallery, and artist files shed light on the gallery's dealings with artists including Sylvia Bernstein, Jules Engel, Ida Kohlmeyer, Kurt Seligmann, Audrey Skaling, and many others.
Scope and Contents:
The Ruth White Gallery records measure 7.1 linear feet and date from 1933 to 1974, with the bulk of the records dating from 1956 to 1970. Administrative records document the running of the gallery, and artist files shed light on the gallery's dealings with artists including Sylvia Bernstein, Jules Engel, Ida Kohlmeyer, Kurt Seligmann, Audrey Skaling, and many others.
Administrative records include inventories, correspondence, provenance records, financial and shipping records, printed material, price lists, and photographs of artwork and exhibitions. Also found are gallery and museum files containing similar records, that document the gallery's relationship with other businesses and art institutions.
Artist files consist of biographical summaries and resumes, correspondence, some writings, price lists, invoices, exhibition ephemera, newspaper clippings, photographs of artwork, and scattered photos of artists.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as two series.
Series 1: Administrative Records, 1940-1974, bulk 1956-1970 (Box 1-3; 2.1 linear feet)
Series 2: Artist Files, 1933-1974, bulk 1956-1970 (Box 3-7, OV 8; 5 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
The Ruth White Gallery was established in 1956 near Central Park in New York City, and specialized in contemporary art. The gallery was affiliated with artists such as Muriel Castanis, Mildred Crooks, Jan Gelb, Ida Kohlmeyer, Ce Roser, Kurt Seligman, and Audrey Skaling. Kohlmeyer and Castanis had their first solo exhibitions at the gallery in 1959 and 1968 respectively, and Skaling and Kohlmeyer were both personal friends of Ruth White.
Separated Materials:
Material lent for microfilming on reel 34, Scrapbooks, 1956-1967, containing notices, clippings, and articles about artists represented by the gallery, was returned to the donor and is not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
The collection was donated by the Ruth White Gallery between 1969 and 1975.
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.
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State) -- New York
Citation:
Ruth White Gallery records, 1933-1974. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
Newton, Arthur U. (Arthur Ulysses), 1892-1978 Search this
Extent:
0.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1934-1962
Summary:
The Arthur U. Newton Galleries records measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1934 to 1962. This small collection consists of correspondence, an exhibition announcement card, photographs of artwork and the gallery's interior, and a plate proof of The Pickwick Papers, illustrated by Frederick Banberry.
Scope and Contents:
The Arthur U. Newton Galleries records measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1934 to 1962. The small collection's correspondence files include letters sent to collectors, museums, and art associations, a price list of paintings by Walter Howlison Mackenzie "Zarh" Pritchard, and sales records. Photographs in the collection depict the gallery's interior and artwork by Thomas Hart Benton, John Steuart Curry, Reginald Marsh, William Mosby, and Jose Clemente Orozco from the exhibition, An Art Commentary on Lynching (1935). Also included is an exhibition announcement and a plate proof of The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens, illustrated by Frederick Banberry.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
The collection was donated in 1962 by Arthur U. Newton.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State)
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
The Schneider-Gabriel Galleries records measure 0.9 linear feet and date from 1918 to 1953. The collection is comprised mostly of photographs of paintings that span the European and American continent, dating from the 13th century to the mid-20th century. The collection also includes correspondence relating to the sale, conservation, and legitimacy of the New York gallery's artwork; a folder of papers concerning the immigration of artist Grigory Gluckmann and his wife, Anna, to the United States in 1941; financial records comprised of scant bills, checks, and statements; the catalog draft from a Walter Pach exhibition; and correspondence, printed material, and provenance records concerning portraits of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart.
Scope and Contents:
The Schneider-Gabriel Galleries records measure 0.9 linear feet and date from 1918 to 1953. The collection is comprised mostly of photographs of paintings that span the European and American continent, dating from the 13th century to the mid-20th century. The collection also includes correspondence relating to the sale, conservation, and legitimacy of the New York gallery's artwork; a folder of papers concerning the immigration of artist Grigory Gluckmann and his wife, Anna, to the United States in 1941; financial records comprised of scant bills, checks, and statements; the catalog draft from a Walter Pach exhibition; and correspondence, printed material, and provenance records concerning portraits of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Schneider-Gabriel Galleries was an art gallery in New York, New York, started circa 1938 by art dealers Albert Schneider and Gilbert Gabriel. Before starting their own business, Schneider and Gabriel worked with John Levy of John Levy Galleries in New York in the 1920s. Schneider-Gabriel exhibited and dealt paintings, mostly portraits and landscapes, by well-known European artists from the 13th to 20th centuries as well as a number of American artists from the 19th and 20th centuries. Artists whose work was sold and exhibited by Schneider-Gabriel include Walter Pach, Winslow Homer, Alexander Canedo, Gilbert Stuart, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, and among many others.
Provenance:
The collection was donated circa 1958 by the widow of Albert Schneider.
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.
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.
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State)
Citation:
Schneider-Gabriel Galleries records, 1918-1953. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
The New Arts records measure 1.3 linear feet and date from 1950 to 1979. The collection sheds light on the gallery's operations through correspondence, exhibition files, printed material, artists' files, and more.
Scope and Contents:
The New Arts records measure 1.3 linear feet and date from 1950 to 1979. The collection sheds light on the gallery's operations through administrative records and artists' files. Administrative records include artwork authentification records, correspondence with museums, galleries, and private collectors, exhibition files, ephemera from exhibitions held elsewhere, and editions of the Contemporary Arts Council calendar. Artists' files consist of correspondence, price lists, photos of artwork and installations, exhibition ephemera, reviews, some resumes, and more. Artists covered include Forrest Bess, James Boynton, Lawrence Calcagno, Joseph Cornell, Max Ernst, Walter Kuhlman, Peter Plagens, Hassel Smith, Richard Steinberg, and Jean Varda.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as two series.
Series 1: Administrative Records, 1952-1970 (Box 1; .4 linear feet)
Series 2: Artists' Files, 1950-1979 (Box 1-2, OV 3; .9 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
The New Arts was founded in 1956 in Houston, Texas by Kathryn Swenson. The gallery was initially established to exhibit and sell pre-Columbian artwork, the bulk of which came from Andre Emmerich's private collection. Swenson asked friend and museum specialist Jermayne MacAgy to help with the exhibition display, and then sometime in the next two years, the gallery began to show established local artists. Pre-Columbian shows persisted throughout The New Arts' existence, but the gallery shifted its focus towards exhibiting a wide range of contemporary painters and sculptors by the late 1950s. Artists exhibited at The New Arts include Jack Boynton, Forest Bess, Hassel Smith, Max Ernst, Walter Kuhlman, Lawrence Calcagno, Joseph Cornell, Peter Plagens, and Jean Varda.
The New Arts closed in 1974.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Marc Moldawer, Kathryn Swenson, and Robert Wilson conducted by Sandra Curtis Levy, August 15, 1984.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 1979 by gallery owner and director Kathryn Swenson.
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.
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.
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- Texas
Citation:
The New Arts records, 1950-1979. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
The Louis Alexander Gallery records measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1953 to 1965. The collection contains one exhibition file and artist files for Alfred Copley, Ross Coates, Charles S. DuBack, William Giles, David Packard, Leo Rabkin, and Athos Zagharias. Materials include correspondence, printed material, biographical summaries, photographs of artwork, and some exhibition ephemera.
Scope and Contents:
The Louis Alexander Gallery records measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1953 to 1965. The collection contains one exhibition file and several artist files.
The exhibition file consists of correspondence, lists, and printed material. Artist files contain biographical material, scant correspondence, clippings, images of artwork and artists, and more on artists Alfred Copley, Ross Coates, Charles S. DuBack, William Giles, David Packard, Leo Rabkin, and Athos Zagharias.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
The Louis Alexander Gallery was founded by Louis Alexander Cohn in the Lenox Hill neighborhood of New York, New York. Paul Cummings served as the gallery's co-director in the early 1960s. The dates of the gallery's existence are unknown. In 1962 the gallery held a large exhibition, Recent American Drawings, which included artwork from Willem de Kooning, Milton Avery, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and many others. Additionally, the gallery held solo shows for Leo Rabkin (1962), Alfred Copley (1962), Charles DuBack (1962), Ross Coates (1963), Athos Zacharias (1963), and William Giles (1962).
Provenance:
The collection was donated by Paul Cummings, former co-director of Louis Alexander Gallery, in 1971.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State) -- New York
Citation:
Louis Alexander Gallery, 1953-1963. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
The Pierre Matisse Gallery printed material measures 1.2 linear feet and dates from 1936 to 1988. The collection consists of exhibition catalogs from group and solo shows held at the gallery, an offer for a limited edition Joan Miro album, and several books on artists.
Scope and Contents:
The Pierre Matisse Gallery printed material measures 1.2 linear feet and dates from 1936 to 1988. The collection consists of exhibition catalogs from group and solo shows held at the gallery, an offer for a limited edition Joan Miro album, and several books on artists that were completed in conjunction with the gallery. Catalogs of exhibiting solo artists include Reg Butler, March Chagal, Jean Dubuffet, Manolo Millares, Joan Miro, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Balthus, Yves Tanguy, and Francois Rouan. Group show catalogs include several from the duo Joan Miro and Jose Artigas (1956, 1963, 1985), Four Painters: Faucher, Hantai, Rouan, Viallat (1974), and Paintings from Paris (1946). Also present is a catalog from the gallery's exhibition of African sculptures, Sculpture of the Tallem and the Dogon (1960).
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
The Pierre Matisse Gallery was founded in New York, New York, in 1931 by Pierre Matisse, youngest son of the French painter Henri Matisse. The gallery was located on the corner of Madison Avenue and fifty-seventh street in the Fuller Building, which had recently been built in the Art Deco style a few years prior. Matisse exhibited primarily European painters and sculptors, including Joan Miro, Marc Chagall, Jean Dubuffet, Yves Tanguy, Balthus, and some U.S. artists Leonora Carrington, Alexander Calder, and many more. The gallery closed in 1989 upon Pierre Matisse's death.
Related Materials:
The Pierpont Morgan Library is the primary repository in possession of the Pierre Matisse Gallery records.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming on reel NPM1. Included are catalogs of Pierre Matisse Gallery exhibitions, 1931-1945; photographs of exhibitions interspersed among the catalogs; and a scrapbook containing clippings and reviews of shows at the gallery. This material was returned to the lender and is not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
Records on reel NPM1 were lent for microfilming in 1967 by the Pierre Matisse Gallery. The unmicrofilmed materials were donated in 1996 by the Pierre Matisse Foundation.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Topic:
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States Search this
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State)
Citation:
Pierre Matisse Gallery Printed Material, 1936-1988. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
The records of Owen Gallery measure 9.4 linear feet and 0.093 GB and date from 1929-2010, bulk 1980-2010. The gallery, which operated from 1986 to 2009 in New York, specialized in late nineteenth and early twentieth century American art with an emphasis on The Eight, Ashcan, and early American modernism. Michael Owen and James Yost owned and directed the gallery. Found within the records are exhibition files; inventory and sales records; printed and digital material; and records regarding painter Yasuo Kuniyoshi. Material dating from before 1986 when the gallery was established is research related to an artwork's provenance.
Scope and Contents:
The records of Owen Gallery measure 9.4 linear feet and 0.093 GB and date from 1929-2010, bulk 1980-2010. The gallery, which operated from 1986 to 2009 in New York, specialized in late nineteenth and early twentieth century American art with an emphasis on The Eight, Ashcan, and early American modernism. Artists represented include Thomas Hart Benton, Arthur B. Davies, William Glackens, Robert Henri, Ernest Lawson, George Luks, Maurice Prendergast, Everett Shinn, John Sloan, and others. Michael Owen and James Yost owned and directed the gallery. Found within the records are exhibitions files; inventory and sales records; printed and digital material; and records regarding painter Yasuo Kuniyoshi. Material dating from before 1986 when the gallery was established is research related to an artwork's provenance.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as four series
Missing Title
Series 1: Exhibition Files, 1989-2010 (2.1 linear feet; Box 1-3, 0.001 GB; ER01)
Series 2: Inventory and Sales Records, 1929-2010, bulk 1980-2010 (5.7 linear feet; Box 3-8, 0.092 GB; ER02-ER04)
Series 3: Printed Material, 1994-2008 (0.4 linear feet; Box 8-9)
Series 4: Records Regarding Yasuo Kuniyoshi, circa 1955-2000 (1.2 linear feet; Box 9-10)
Biographical / Historical:
Owen Gallery, a New York gallery specializing in late nineteenth and early twentieth century American art, operated from 1986 to 2009 and was owned and directed by Michael Owen and James Yost. The gallery represented many artists associated with The Eight, Ashcan, and American modernism. Although exhibitions and the retail gallery have closed, the business remains in operation.
Provenance:
The Owen Gallery records were donated to the Archives of American Art in 2015 and 2016 by Michael Owen and James Yost.
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.
The Dilexi Gallery records measure 0.9 linear feet and date from 1959 to 1969. The collection sheds light on the gallery's operations through correspondence with artists, museums, and other galleries; several artist and exhibition files; and some photographs and printed material.
Scope and Contents:
The Dilexi Gallery records measure 0.9 linear feet and date from 1959 to 1969. The collection sheds light on the gallery's operations through correspondence with artists, museums, and other galleries; several artist and exhibition files; and some photographs and printed material.
Artist files consist of price lists, resumes, loan records, financial documents, and some printed material. Two photographs and one slide of Jess Collin's artwork, a photograph of Leslie Kerr, and one unknown subject are also present. Correspondence files shed light on gallery sales, exhibitions, and loans of artwork; the careers and personal lives of artists, including Jess Collins, Roy De Forest, Tony DeLap, Norman Kantor, and Wilfrid Zogbaum; and the gallery's relations with other museums and galleries, in particular, Walter Hopps and Irving Blum of Ferus Gallery. Exhibition files include insurance documents, press releases, price lists, and artist instructions; items related to the exhibition, Second International Exhibition of Pilot Galeries (1966), include catalog drafts, shipping information, memos, press releases, and some printed ephemera. The bulk of correspondence related to the Second International Exhibition of Pilot Galeries and Dilexi Gallery's G. O. P. Show (1964) can be found in the collection's correspondence files. Also included are three oversized Dilexi exhibition posters for artists Richard Shaw, William Dubin, and Fred Martin; and one advertising poster by Ron Nagle.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the records are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
The Dilexi Gallery was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1958 by ethnomusicologist and musician James Newman. The gallery exhibited a wide range of artists in various media, from abstract expressionists to portraitists. From 1962 to 1963, the gallery operated a satellite location in Los Angeles overseen by Rolf Nelson. From its beginning, Dilexi had a loose association with Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles, sharing artists, interests, and exhibitions until Ferus' closing in 1966. Artists frequently shown at Dilexi included Hassel Smith, Charles Ross, Roy De Forest, Tony Delap, Sidney Gordin, Wilfrid Zogbaum, and Deborah Remington. Newman closed his gallery in 1969, at which point he started the Dilexi Foundation to support non-traditional artists' projects, happenings, performances, and films.
Related Materials:
Also in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview, 1974 May 13, with Dilexi Gallery founder and director James Newman.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 1974 by James Newman, the founder and director of the Dilexi Gallery.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- California
Citation:
Dilexi Gallery Records, 1959-1969. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
The Hooks-Epstein Galleries records measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1937 to 1980. This small collection includes an exhibition list, 1970-1978, exhibition catalogs, a copy of the gallery policies, and a newspaper article about the business. Exhibition catalogs include shows for J. M. Sorg, Hib Sabin, Peter Paone, Sherry Sullivan, Lee Waisler, and more.
Scope and Contents:
The Hooks-Epstein Galleries records measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1937 to 1980. This small collection includes an exhibition list, 1970-1978, gallery catalogs, a copy of the gallery policies, and a newspaper article about the business. Exhibition catalogs include shows for J. M. Sorg, Hib Sabin, Peter Paone, Sherry Sullivan, Lee Waisler, and more. Also present is a miscellaneous letter from 1937.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Hooks-Epstein Galleries, Inc. was founded in Houston, Texas, in 1969, by sister-in-laws Geri Hooks and Evan Epstein. Later, Geri Hooks' husband, Charles, joined the business in 1974 around the same time that Epstein left the gallery. Hooks-Epstein began with exhibitions of prints and antique objects, but quickly moved on to specialize in works on paper and ultimately included fine art glass as well. Past artists shown in the gallery include Robert Pruitt, Kermit Oliver, Ward Saunders, Mark Greenwalt, Clara Hoag, Edward Lane McCartney, Kingsley Powers Onyeiwu, Toots Zynsky, Alex Gabriel Bernstein, and Bertil Vallien. Hooks-Epstein Galleries is among the longest running art galleries in Texas.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming in 1981 by Geri and Charles Hooks as part of AAA's Texas Documentation Project. Reels 3127-3128 contain files and two scrapbooks from exhibitions for artists Peter Chinni, Peter Paone, Sherry Sullivan, Zolita Sverdlove, Lee Waisler and others. The microfilmed material consists of resumes, correspondence, price lists, catalogs, press releases, and newspaper clippings; photographs of exhibition installations are also included. Loaned materials were returned to the donor after microfilming and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 1981 by Geri and Charles Hooks.
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.
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.
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- Texas
Citation:
Hooks-Epstein Galleries records, 1937-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
The David Gallery records measure 0.5 linear feet and date from 1963 to 1982. This small collection sheds light on the gallery's operations through correspondence, photographs, printed material, exhibition ephemera, and several price lists. The collection also includes an etching by artist Lucas Johnson.
Scope and Contents:
The David Gallery records measure 0.5 linear feet and date from 1963 to 1982. The collection consists of correspondence with museums, friends, and artists, including Seymour Leichman and illustrated letters by Donald Roller Wilson; an essay, posters, announcements, and catalogs from exhibitions held at David Gallery; an etching made by Lucas Wilson; newspaper clippings, advertisements, and articles; and the resumes of artists Bob Fowler and Bruce Kleinsmith, also known as Futzie Nutzle. Photographs in the collection include images of artists Lucas Johnson, Forest Moses, Bob Fowler, Paul Maxwell, Bob Camblin, and others; events and exhibitions held at David Gallery; the gallery's exterior; an exhibition installation; and of Dianne David, the gallery's founder.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the records are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
The David Gallery was founded in Houston, Texas in 1963 by Dianne David. The gallery exhibited mostly local painters and sculptors, and had a large influence on the Houston contemporary art scene. David was known for representing and exhibiting artists whose work and personality she liked personally. Artists shown at the gallery include Bob Camblin, Lucas Johnson, Donald Roller Wilson, Seymour Leichmann, and Bob Fowler, all of whom she became friends with. David closed her gallery in 1982.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming. Reel 3100 frames 1-138 consist of David Gallery exhibition announcements. Reel 3100 frames 143-583 consists of 14 artists' files compiled by Dianne David, which include correspondence, mostly letters received by Dianne David; printed material; sketches and 2 etchings by Bob Camblin; and photographs of artists, their works and 1 photo of the gallery. Artists' include: William C. Agee, Jack Boynton, Bob Camblin, Roy Fridge, James Kearns, Seymour Leichman, Jim Love, David McManaway, Robert Morris, Futzie Nutzle, Peter Paone, Mike Selig and Don Shaw. Materials were returned to the lenders after microfilming. Loaned materials were returned to the donor and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
Microfilmed as part of the Archives of American Art's Texas project, material on reel 3100, frames 1-138 were lent for microfilming 1983 by Lester Giese; and reel 3100 frames 143-583 were lent for microfilming in 1983 by Dianne David, owner of the gallery. The records were donated in 1981 by Dianne David.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- Texas -- Houston Search this
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- Texas
Citation:
David Gallery records, 1963-1982. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
The Laurel Gallery records measure 0.6 linear feet and date from 1944 to 1951. The collection sheds light on the gallery's operations through scant correspondence, photographs, printed material, an exhibition inventory, and financial records.
Scope and Contents:
The Laurel Gallery records measure 0.6 linear feet and date from 1944 to 1951. This small collection sheds light on the gallery's operations through scant correspondence, photographs, printed material, an exhibition inventory, and financial records.
The collection includes letters from artists and museums to gallery director Chris Ritter, and some to the gallery's co-director, Grace Borgenicht; writings on artists Milton Avery, Gabor Peterdi, and Leonard Pytlak. Financial records consist of tax records, notes, bills, price lists, artist agreements, an account book, and a sales book. Also present is an inventory from the exhibition, The New York Society of Women Artists (1947); a scrapbook and loose newspaper clippings; photographs of artists and works of art; a plan for the gallery's marketing, pricing, and financials by Chris Ritter; and photographs, notes, and drafts related to the gallery's quarterly, Laurels.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
The Laurel Gallery was founded in New York City in 1946 by painter, printmaker, and educator, Chris Ritter. The gallery, located at 108 East 57th Street, was an active supporter of contemporary American art. Ritter occasionally exhibited his own work in the Laurel Gallery, but mostly exhibited the work of other avant-garde artists, including Jimmy Ernst, Grace Borgenicht (Laurel Gallery's co-director), Claude Bentley, George Constant, Ibram Lassaw, and others. In addition to exhbitions, the gallery published four portfolios of artists' prints and a quarterly magazine. Ritter closed the gallery in 1952, around the same time Borgenicht opened the Grace Borgenicht Gallery.
Provenance:
The collection was donated by gallery founder Chris Ritter in 1974.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Topic:
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- History Search this
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State) -- New York
Citation:
Laurel Gallery records, 1944-1951. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
The Gross McCleaf Gallery selected artists' files measure 0.8 linear feet and date from 1947 to 1986. The files consist of price lists, printed material, correspondence, exhibition catalogs and announcements, biographical summaries, newspaper clippings, and some photographs. Artists include Neil Welliver, Hobson Pittman, Edith Emerson, Humbert Howard, Jane Piper, and Fairfield Porter among others.
Scope and Contents:
The Gross McCleaf Gallery selected artists' files measure 0.8 linear feet and date from 1947 to 1986. The files consist of price lists, printed material, correspondence, exhibition catalogs and announcements, biographical summaries, and clippings. Some of the files include photos of the artist, works of art, and exhibition installations. Artists represented in the collection are Arthur B. Carles, Larry Day, Edith Emerson, Humbert Howard, Jimmy Lueders, Violet Oakley, Jane Piper, Hobson Pittman, Fairfield Porter, Carroll S. Tyson, Roswell Weidner, Neil Welliver, and Harold Weston.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
The Gross McCleaf Gallery was founded in 1969 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Marlin McCleaf and Estelle Shane Gross. The gallery was originally named the Marlin McCleaf Gallery. After McCleaf's departure from the gallery in the early 1970s, Gross became the sole owner and changed the gallery's name to Gross McCleaf Gallery. Early artists exhibited at the gallery include Fairfield Porter, Neil Welliver, Rackstraw Downes, Red Grooms and his wife Mimi Gross, Jane Piper, and Larry Day. After Estelle Gross' death in 1992, Sharon Ewing became the gallery owner and director. Ewing retired in 2020 and Rebecca Segall took over as the gallery's owner and director.
Provenance:
The collection was donated by Estelle and Jay Gross in 1988.
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.
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.
Gross McCleaf Gallery selected artists' files, 1947-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
The Braunstein/Quay Gallery records measure 36.9 linear feet and date from 1956 to 2011. The records consist of administrative records, artist files, exhibition and event files, and financial records that shed light on the gallery's operations through correspondence, price lists, inventories, printed material, born digital material, photographs, and more.
Scope and Contents:
The Braunstein/Quay Gallery records measure 36.9 linear feet and date from 1956 to 2011. The records consist of administrative papers, artist files, exhibition and event files, and financial records that shed light on the gallery's operations through correspondence, price lists, inventories, printed material, born digital material, photographs, and more.
Administrative records consist of property records, advertising files, papers related to professional organizations, non-profits, 139 Spring Street Inc., and scant personal and professional papers from Ruth Braunstein. Correspondence files include letters exchanged between Braunstein and collectors, museums and galleries, artists, conservationists, and printers. Photographs found here depict the gallery's physical space as well as images captured during events, exhibitions, and installations from the 1960s to 1980s.
Artist files mostly include resumes or biographies, correspondence, price lists, newspaper clippings, exhibition announcements, press releases, and catalogs. Folders might also include press packets, a mixture of personal and professional correspondence; CDs, DVDs, photographs, slides, and negatives of artists, artwork, and gallery installations; exhibition material such as loan agreements, announcements and catalogs, reviews, and notices of sale; shipping and transportation papers; and financial records.
Exhibition and event files shed light on group exhibitions held at Braunstein/Quay and events and exhibitions held elsewhere that involved artwork or artists with Braunstein/Quay. Folders might include contracts and agreements, loan and shipping records, correspondence, printed material, photographs, born digital materials, financial papers, and artist resumes. Also found here are press releases, catalogs, announcement cards, and scant clippings from Braunstein/Quay's exhibitions. Financial records consist of artist statements, sales records, and bills for shipping, framing, conservation, and utilities.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as four series.
Series 1: Administrative Records, 1961-2009 (Box 1-4; 3.5 linear feet)
Series 2: Artist Files, 1956-2011 (Box 4-29, 39; 25.2 linear feet)
Series 3: Exhibition and Event Files, 1961-2010 (Box 29-33; 4.4 linear feet)
Series 4: Financial Records, 1965-1996 (Box 33-39; 3.8 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Braunstein/Quay Gallery was a contemporary art gallery founded in 1961 in San Francisco, California, by Ruth Braunstein. An early proponent of sculptural clay, fiber art, art furniture, glass, and ceramic work as fine art, the gallery dealt with contemporary art in various mediums. Some of Braunstein/Quay's most well-known artists include Peter Voulkos, Richard Shaw, Robert Brady, John Altoon, Bruce Conner, and Mary Snowden.
Ruth Braunstein and Verna Are began renting a gallery space in Tiburon, California, in July 1961 under the name Gallery 32. Verna Are's expertise was in furniture and interior design items, while Braunstein's was contemporary fine art. Later in the summer of 1961, Braunstein changed the name to The Quay Gallery. She credited architect Raphael Soriano as having come up with the name. In the early 60s, Braunstein developed relationships with others in the California art community, namely David Stuart, Jackie Anhalt, Felix Landau, and Rolf Nelson. Early artists at the gallery included Hal Riegger, Doris Aller, Igor Medvedev, Win NG, Jim Melchert, and Elton Bennet.
In May 1965, Braunstein moved the gallery to San Francisco. After fellow gallerist Jim Newman closed his gallery near Braunstein's in 1968, Braunstein began showing several of Newman's artists, including Richard Shaw, Bruce Conner, Jeremy Anderson, and Sidney Gordon. In 1968, the gallery had its first show of Peter Voulkos's work after agreeing to pay him a stipend for one year. Voulkos and Braunstein's relationship continued into the 2000s.
In 1970, Braunstein went into business with collector Rena Bransten to start Quay Ceramics Gallery. Silvia Brown was involved with the business for one year, and later, Bransten's daughter, Trish, became partners with Braunstein after her mother left. Ruth Braunstein still operated her art gallery, then named Braunstein Gallery, which had moved from its original location on Jerome Street to Sutter Street in San Francisco. Quay Ceramics Gallery was located next door. Several administrative changes and name variations occurred over the next few decades, but Braunstein kept its gallery space on Sutter Street until 1999.
In 1975, Ruth Braunstein joined gallerists Phyllis Kind from Chicago, Carl Solway from Cincinnati, and Ed Thorp from Santa Barbara to establish a gallery in New York called 139 Spring Street, Inc. They opened with a show of Peter Voulkos and Sam Tchakalian. Only Voulkos artwork sold; bought by fellow art dealer Grace Borgenicht. The partners dismantled the gallery coop four years later.
Braunstein/Quay promoted the San Francisco art scene and the careers of many artists for 50 years. In addition to the artists mentioned above, other artists influenced by Braunstein/Quay include Dominic DiMare, Gyongy Laky, Myra Block, Elin Elisofon, Robilee Frederick, Bean Finneran, David Anderson, Kimberly Austin, Arthur Okamura, Dennis Oppenheim, and Kyle Reicher. Braunstein/Quay, known to represent Braunstein's perspective on what she connotated as 'fine art,' exhibited works in the 1990s by tattoo artist Don Ed Hardy, and held a group show exhibiting works by tattoo artists, Out of Skin: Work by Tattooers (1996). Other unique shows included a group exhibition dedicated to dog imagery, The Dog Show, A Group Exhibition (1988); a group exhibition of book art, Redefining the Book (1994); and an exhibition of photographs of actress and Andy Warhol associate, Candy Darling, Candy Darling, Always a Lady (1997). In 2010, Cabrillo Gallery held a retrospective of Braunstein's career as a gallerist, Ruth Braunstein and the Braunstein Quay Gallery, 1961-Present.
Ruth Braunstein was born in Minneapolis in 1923. She pursued a career in modern dance, dancing professionally in Washington D.C. and at the Minneapolis Dance Center. She married Theodore Braunstein in 1943. They moved to San Francisco, California, in 1960 and had two children, born two years apart. Aside from her career as a gallerist, Braunstein gave lectures, juried art competitions, participated in workshops, and was involved in various professional art organizations. In the early 1970s, Ruth Braunstein, along with a group that included Michael Wallace, Jim Willis, Buzz Sawyer, and Helen Henninger, founded the San Francisco Art Dealers' Association. The association put on a series of Introductions exhibitions every July for artists who had never shown in San Francisco; these exhibitions ran until 2002. Braunstein was also a committee member for ArtTable and on the board of Fiberworks. She passed away in September, 2016.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in several installments from 1974 to 2011 by gallery director and owner Ruth Braunstein.
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.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Art dealers -- California -- San Francisco Search this
Braunstein/Quay Gallery records, 1956-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
The records of Mercury Galleries measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1937 to 1943. The collection sheds light on the gallery's brief existence through correspondence, printed material including exhibition catalogs, announcements, press releases, and newspaper clippings, photographs of artwork, one transcript from a radio discussion, and flyers from WPA art tours.
Scope and Contents:
The records of Mercury Galleries measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1937 to 1943. The collection sheds light on the gallery's brief existence through printed material including exhibition catalogs, announcements, press releases, and newspaper clippings, correspondence with artists, museums, and galleries, photographs of artwork, one transcript from a radio discussion, and flyers from WPA art tours.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Mercury Galleries was established in 1938 in New York, New York, by Sidney Paul Schectman (also known as Paul Kollmer) and Bernard Braddon. The gallery exhibited contemporary drawings, paintings, and sculptures and was known for its abstract expressionist and surrealist art shows.
Cornell graduates Schectman and Braddon opened Artmart Galleries in late 1937 in the loft of a building owned by family. They priced contemporary art between $5 and $50 regardless of who created it and any artist could exhibit and sell their original work there for a fee. Artists who exhibited there included Cleo Hartwig, Stanley William Hayer, and many more. Schectman and Braddon repeated this business model at Mercury Galleries the following year, and later organized the Circuit Art Association using the same idea.
Located in close proximity to the Whitney Museum, Mercury held The Ten: Whitney Dissenters (1938), featuring artists Adolph Gottlieb, Ralph Rosenborg, Mark Rothkowitz (Rothko), Ben-Zion, Joe Solman, Nahum Tschacbasov, Lou Schanker, Louis Harris, Earl Kerkam (guest), and Ilya Bolotowsky. Schectman, Braddon, and Louis Harris (a member of The Ten) broadcast a radio discussion titled "What's Wrong with American Art," in support of the show. The exhibition catalog foreword was written jointly by Schectman, Braddon, and Rothko.
Another notable Mercury Galleries group show was Visions of Other Worlds (circa 1937-1940), with works by surrealist painters Joan Miro, Yves Tanguy, Max Ernst and others, African sculpture, and drawings by patients of psychiatric institutions in France. Schectman and Braddon were introduced to African art through visiting exhibitions and by the collector Ladislos Segy.
In addition to those mentioned above, other artists exhibited at Mercury during its short existence included Henri Matisse, Zoltan Hecht, Jackson Pollock, Salvador Dali, poet Rachel Mack Wilson, Hananiah Harari, and John Rood.
The gallery closed in 1940.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Bernard Braddon and Sidney Paul Schectman conducted by Avis Berman, October 9, 1981.
Provenance:
The collection was donated by Bernard B. Braddon, co-owner of Mercury Galleries, in 1981.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Mercury Galleries, 1937-1943. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
