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:
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.
Valentiner, Wilhelm Reinhold, 1880-1958 Search this
Extent:
2 Microfilm reels
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Microfilm reels
Date:
1919-1931
Scope and Contents:
Papers relating to Cret's position as architect of the Detroit Art Institute. Included are correspondence with Clyde H. Burroughs and Ralph H. Booth of the Detroit Arts Commission, architect Albert Kahn, art historian William H. Valentiner, and builders Bryant and Detwiler Co.; and design and construction files, 1920-1929, containing construction progress reports, memoranda, specifications, schedules, and contracts.
Biographical / Historical:
Architect; Philadelphia, Pa. Born in France. Architect of Folger Shakespeare Library, Detroit Institute of Arts.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1980 by the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
An interview of W. Hawkins Ferry conducted 1974 Jan. 17, by Dennis Barrie, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
W. Hawkins Ferry (1913-1988) was an art collector and patron from Grosse Pointe, Mich.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
The papers of artist Edna Reindel measure 0.8 linear feet and date from circa 1918-1990. The collection contains biographical material, printed material, artist files and photographs that document Reindel's career and her friendships with Hollywood celebrities, art patrons, and artists.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of artist Edna Reindel measure 0.8 linear feet and date from circa 1918-1990. The collection contains biographical material, printed material, artist files and photographs that document Reindel's career and her friendships with Hollywood celebrities, art patrons, and artists.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Edna Reindel (1894–1990) was a painter, illustrator, and sculptor active from the 1920s to the 1960s. Born in Detroit, Michigan she studied at the Pratt Institute in New York and had her first solo exhibition in 1934 at the Macbeth Gallery. Reindel is best known for her work in large-scale murals, New England landscapes, and later for her commissioned work of women workers in WWII shipyard and aircraft industries as published in Life magazine in 1944.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds material lent for microfilming (reel 1205) including correspondence, primarily with Robert Macbeth, Homer Saint-Gaudens, Frank Crowninshield, Louis M. Eilshemius, Juliana Force, Karl Free, Greer Garson, Stanley William Hayter, Roland McKinney, Vincent Price, Benita Hume Colman (Mrs. George Sanders), and Ernest Watson. Also included is a WPA contract and related letters from Olin Dows and Edward B. Rowan, a transcript of a radio interview, and a portrait of Reindel by Elizabeth Taylor as a child. There are book illustrations, printed material, autographs of prominent individuals such as Douglas Fairbanks and Hedda Hopper, and an autographed photo of Greer Garson. Loaned materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
The papers of Edna Reidel on reel 1205 were lent for microfilming by Reindel in 1977. The unmicrofilmed material was donated in 1991 by Reindel's estate through executor and friend, Pauline Davidson.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Correspondence relating primarily to the Cranbrook Academy and Cranbrook School, and some to the Detroit School of Design, the Detroit Institute of Art, the Art Alliance of America, and the American Federation of Arts; a history of Cranbrook by Booth; a diary and visitors' book; Booth's proposal for an Academy of Art and one for the reorganization of the Cranbrook Foundation; a history of the Cranbrook Press; biographical data on the Booth family; addresses by Booth; material relating to the League to Enforce Peace and the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts; and ca. 100 letters of Carl Milles, resident artist at Cranbrook.
Biographical / Historical:
Publisher, art administrator, art patron, founder of Cranbrook Academy, 1932; Detroit, Mich. Died 1949. Booth was president of the Detroit School of Design which was absorbed by the Detroit Museum of Art. The Detroit Museum of Art subsequently became the Detroit Institute of Art. Booth bought his estate in 1904 calling it Cranbrook, a family name. In 1932 he established it as the Cranbrook Academy and named Finnish-born architect, Eliel Saarinen, president.
Provenance:
Lent 1974 by Henry Booth, descendant of George G. Booth.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
The Frederick Stuart Church letters and art work date from circa 1892-circa 1923 and measure 0.5 linear feet. The collection includes illustrated letters, all but three of which are written to Emma Louise Klots, regarding Church's daily activities and his paintings, as well as artwork by Church including etchings and reproductions of Church's paintings, some of which are printed as photogravures.
Scope and Contents:
The Frederick Stuart Church letters and art work date from circa 1892-circa 1923 and measure 0.5 linear feet. The collection includes illustrated letters, all but three of which are written to Emma Louise Klots, regarding Church's daily activities and his paintings, as well as artwork by Church including etchings and reproductions of Church's paintings, some of which are printed as photogravures.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as two series:
Series 1: Letters, circa 1892-circa 1923 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 2: Artwork and Reproductions, circa 1892-circa 1923 (Box 2; 0.3 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Frederick Stuart Church (1842-1924) was a painter, etcher, and illustrator in New York, New York, who specialized in animals. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Church studied in New York City at the National Academy of Design and joined the Art Students League. By the 1870s he had a reputation as a gifted illustrator and worked for many magazines including various Harper's publications. He was most well known for his depictions of animals, and his paintings were purchased by leading art collectors of the day, including Charles Lang Freer, Henry Clay Frick, and Potter Palmer. Emma Louise Klots was a patron of Church.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds the Frederick Stuart Church collection, circa 1885-1905, a small collection of letters from Church to various people.
Provenance:
The collection was donated to the Archives of American Art in 1990 by Thomas Rothwell, whose mother was Emma Louise Klots's niece.
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.
Occupation:
Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Etchers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Animal painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Printed material, clippings, and letters regarding Haass's gifts to the Detroit Institute of Arts, her resignation as President of the DIA Founder's Society and her involvement with the Society of Arts and Crafts in Detroit; two letters from Mrs. John Carroll and one letter from Frank Rehn about Carroll's painting "Mother and Two Children" and letters to Haass from artists and connoisseurs such as John Pappas, F. Carlos Lopez, Sarkis Sarkisian, Victor Heiser, Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Charles Sheeler and Lionello Venturi; photographs, and business records.
Biographical / Historical:
President of the DIA Founder's Society, Art collector and patron.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1974 by Mrs. Constance McMath, daughter of Mrs. Haass.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
One letter to Barnes from Bernard Berenson; and a copy of HARVARD TODAY which includes and article about Berenson.
Biographical / Historical:
Art patron and friend of Bernard Berenson; Detroit, Michigan.
Other Title:
Bernard Berenson papers (microfilm title)
Provenance:
Donated 1960 by Florence Barnes.
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.
This series consists of the business and personal correspondence of Edith Gregor Halpert and the Downtown Gallery. For the most part, this series is general business correspondence concerning routine activities of the Downtown Gallery, including the American Folk Art Gallery and the Daylight Gallery, both operated by the Downtown Gallery on the same premises. Included are correspondence with clients, employees, other galleries, and colleagues concerning sales, loans, purchases, appraisals, and so forth; arrangements for shipping, framing, photography, reproduction permissions, and insurance; and gallery housekeeping and improvements, ordering of supplies, and other administrative concerns.
Also included is personal correspondence of Edith Gregor Halpert. There are letters and greeting cards from nieces, nephews, and other relatives; correspondence with longtime friends, including some who were art collectors, museum curators, or museum directors; and correspondence concerning upkeep and improvement of her Newtown, Connecticut, country home and entertaining there.
See Appendix A for a list of selected correspondents from Series 1
Arrangement note:
Letters (with enclosures) are arranged chronologically, with those of the same date alphabetized by name of correspondent; undated material is arranged alphabetically, followed by unidentified correspondents and letters bearing illegible signatures.
Box numbers provided in the Container Listing are approximate.
Appendix A: List of Selected Correspondents in Series 1:
Names and titles indicated in this list are those that appear on the letters. Where appropriate, terms have been standardized and cross-referencing provided. Because filing is not always consistent, researchers are advised to check both the name of an individual and the institution that he or she represented.
Abate Associates, Inc., 1956
Abbot and Land, 1965
Abbot, B. Vincent, 1944
Abbot, Bernice, 1957
Abbot, John E., 1945, 1948
Abbot Laboratories, 1950, 1952
ABC Employment Agency, 1951
Richard Abel and Co., Inc., 1968
Abendroth, Robert W., 1966-1967
Abercrombie and Fitch Co., 1962
Abilene Museum of Fine Arts, undated, 1949, 1954
Abingdon Square Painters, 1965
Abraham and Straus, 1930, 1960, 1965-1966, 1968
Abraham, Mae C., 1965
Abrahamsen, Mrs. David, 1962
Abramowitz, M., 1958
Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1958-1960, 1965-1966, 1968-1969
"HemisFair '68," 1968 (see also: "International Exposition, HemisFair '68")
Hemmenway, Catherine C., 1961
Hemmingsen, R. V., 1963
Hemmingson, Victoria, 1965
Henderson, Hanford, 1960
Henderson, Priscilla A. B. (Mrs. A. I.), 1934-1955
Henderson, Ray, 1956
Hendrick, Mrs. James Pomeroy, 1961
Heninger, Helen, undated, 1963, 1969
Henquet, Roger, 1948, 1965
Henri, Robert, 1926-1927
Henry, David T., 1964
Henry, Helen (Mrs. Charles), undated, 1949
Henry, James F., 1958
Henry Street Settlement, 1958, 1962-1963
Hentschel, R. A. A., 1951-1954
Hepburn, Katharine, 1952
Herbert, Elmer, 1962
Herbert, James D., 1962
Herider, Ed. L., 1961
Heritage Gallery, 1960, 1964
Herman, Stanley, 1964
Herman, Vic, 1968
Herring, Audrey L., 1964
Herrington, Nell Ray (Mrs. A. W. S.), 1962, 1965
John Herron Art Institute, undated, 1934, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1957-1958, 1962-1964, 1967 (see also: Art Association of Indianapolis; Art School of the John Herron Art Institute)
Hertslet, G. Gordon, 1962, 1966
Hertz, Richard C., 1965
Hertzberg, Stuart E., 1967-1968
Heschel, Mrs. Abraham, 1961
Hess, Elaine Marie, 1965
Hess, Mrs. Thomas B., 1954
Hetzel, Margaret deL. (Mrs. Joseph L.), 1948
Hewitt, Ada M., 1953
Edwin Hewitt Gallery, 1953
Heydenryk, Henry, 1954, 1960, 1964
Heynick, Carla Marian, 1965
Hickok, M., 1958
Hiddens, Mrs. Earl, 1952
Hiersoux, Arne, 1966
Hi Fi/Stereo Review, 1960
High Museum of Art, 1950, 1955, 1961-1962, 1965-1968 (see also: Atlanta Art Association; Atlanta Art Association and High Museum of Art)
Highway Antique Shop, 1954
R. Hill and Son, Ltd., 1960
Hill, Ralph Nading, 1952, 1962
Hille, Elise B., undated
Hille and Curran, 1954
Hilleman, Alex L., 1956
Hiller, Paula, 1962
Hilles, Mrs. Frederick W., 1956
Hillman, Mrs. Joel, II., 1960
Hillside Hospital Clinic, 1949, 1953
Hillstrom, Richard L., 1958, 1962, 1964-1965
Hilltop Theatre, Incorporated, 1952
Hilsenrath, Yakov R., 1965
Hilson, Catherine [Katy] and/or John S., undated, 1958-1959, 1961-1966
Himel, Irving, 1963
Himmelsfarb, Samuel, 1955
Hines, Felrath, 1961
Hinkhouse, Inc., 1960, 1964
Hirsch, B., 1961
Hirsch, E. W., 1954
Hirschberg, J. Cotter, 1956
Hirschl and Adler Galleries, Inc., 1958, 1960, 1963-1965, 1968
Hirschland, Dr. and/or Mrs. F. H., undated, 1959
Hirschland, Paul Michael, 1945
Hirschburg, Mrs. Roy, undated
S. A. Hirsh Manufacturing Co., 1966
Hirshberg, Henrietta, 1961
Hirshhorn, Mrs. Arthur, 1960
Hirshhorn, Joseph H., 1946, 1948, 1951-1954, 1956, 1960, 1963, 1965
Joseph H. Hirshhorn Collection, 1959-1960, 1962-1963, 1965-1966
[incomplete; without signature], undated, 1953, 1961, 1967, 1968
Collection Restrictions:
The microfilm of this collection has been digitized and is available online via the Archives of American Art website.
Collection Rights:
The Downtown Gallery records are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws. Prior to publishing information regarding sales transactions, researchers are responsible for obtaining written permission from both artist and purchaser involved. If it cannot be established after a reasonable search whether an artist or purchaser is living, it can be assumed that the information may be published sixty years after the date of sale.
Collection Citation:
Downtown Gallery records, 1824-1974, bulk 1926-1969. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing, microfilming and digitization of the microfilm of this collection was provided by the Henry Luce Foundation. Glass plate negatives in this collection were digitized in 2019 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.
