The scattered papers of Madeleine Sharrer measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1968 to 1990. Found are biographical materials including a biographical sketch by Perez Zagorin, and photographs of Sharrer, her works of art, students and their artworks, and a dismantled photo album of works of art.
Scope and Contents:
The scattered papers of Madeleine Sharrer measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1968 to 1990. Found are biographical materials including a biographical sketch by Perez Zagorin, and photographs of Sharrer, her works of art, students and their artworks, and a dismantled photo album of works of art.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Madeleine Ellen Sachs Sharrer Poland (1898–1988) was a painter active in New York, California, and Connecticut, and was the mother of painter Honoré Sharrer.
As a young woman Sharrer studied in Paris at the Acadèmie Colarossi and the Acadèmie de la Grande Chaumière and in New York with Charles Hawthorne and George Luks. Madeline Sharrer was her daughter Honoré's first art teacher, and remained a lifelong professional confidante and advisor to her daughter throughout her life.
Provenance:
Donated 1975 by Reginald Poland, Sharrer's husband, and in 2007 by Perez Zagorin.
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.
An interview of Edith Halpert conducted 1962-1963, by Harlan Phillips, for the Archives of American Art.
Halpert speaks of her childhood in Russia and growing up in New York City; working at Bloomindale's, Macy's, Stern Brothers, and Cohen Goldman; her marriage to artist Sam Halpert, his health, and living in Paris in 1925; becoming an art student at the Academy of Design and feeling that Leon Kroll was an excellent art teacher until he began to correct her drawings; when George Bridgman thought she was ruining his class; the Lincoln Square Arcade, when she and Ernest Fiener and Robert Brackman would rent Conan's studio evenings and bring in instructors; how Newman Montross influenced her more than anybody about showing her art that she loved; burning all of her work because Kroll said she had no talent; receiving a painting from John Marin; her friendship and working relationship with Abby Rockefeller and other family members.
She recalls opening the Downtown Gallery, in Greenwich Village, in 1926; a brief history of modern art; many artists helping decorate the new Daylight Gallery in 1930 and the first show being called "Practical Manifestations of Art"; meeting Robert and Sonia Delaunay in France; when she refused to allow Ezra Pound to speak at one of the gallery lectures because of his anti-Semite remarks and William Carlos Williams and Ford Madox Ford argued with her over it; experiencing jealousy and professional attacks from other dealers; the successful "Pop" Hart show and book in 1929; the "Thirty-three Moderns" show in 1930 at the Grand Central Galleries; the Jules Pascin show in 1930; in America, most of the art buyers supporters of culture were women, until the WPA and World War II, when it became fashionable for men to be involved; Ambroise Vollard's advice on selling art; handling the frustrations of working in the art field; friendships with Stuart Davis,Charles Sheeler, and Ben Shahn; how artists work through dry periods in their creativity and the "Recurrent Image" show; a discussion on modern art galleries of New York City, such as Daniel, Knoedler, Ferargil, the New Gallery, 291, the Grand Central, Kraushaar, and Montross; her travels through Pennsylvania and Maine for good examples of folk art for the gallery; the "The Artist Looks at Music" show; the non-competitive spirit of the early modern American artists; of being saved financially in 1940 by selling a William Harnett painting to the Boston Museum and then renting new space for the gallery.
Also, Mitchell Siporin bringing Halpert and Edmund Gurry to Mitchell Field during World War II for a camouflage show and consequently Downtown Gallery artists and others were enlisted in the camouflage corps for the U.S. Air Force; Charles Sheeler and his wife find Halpert a house in Newtown, Conn.; her decision in 1933 to push folk art for acquisition by the William Rockhill Nelson Gallery in Kansas City, Missouri; her great concern about what to do with her folk art literature collection; dismay and that no one writes about the history of folk art and those responsible for its creation and popularity; Louis Stern hiring her to organize a municipal exhibit in Atlantic City, N.J., with Donald Deskey designing the furniture and Holger Cahill managing the publicity; Joe Lillie helping her meet Fiorello La Guardia and Joe McGoldrick in 1934 about a municipal show in New York City, but it is moved to Radio City Music Hall through Nelson Rockefeller; the "Salons of America" show; wanting articles written about art for love rather than art for investment; working with Aline Saarinen on her book, "Proud Possessors;" letters from Stuart Davis, William Zorach and others that hurt her feelings; enjoying giving educational lectures and considering retirement because of ill health; the desire to write a book on the history of trade signs in folk art; feeling that the young artists are being ruined by too much support without working for it; planning to write a book entitled, "Unsung Heroes," about artists brave enough to experiment; organizing a show in Russia at her own expense; later representing the U.S. in art at the "American National Exposition"; the agitators and success of the exposition; Alfred Stieglitz and Georgia O'Keeffe.
Halpert also recalls Juliana Force, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Buckminster Fuller, George Luks, Edsel Ford, Max Weber, Danny Diefenbacker, Hamilton Easter Field, Frank Stella, Glenn Coleman, Margaret Zorach, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Henry Mercer, Romany Marie, Edward G. Robinson, Paul Mellon, Charles Pollet, Alex Brook, Lunca Curass, Dorothy Lambert, Duncan Candler, Frank Rhen, Louis Rittman, Bea Goldsmith, Arthur Craven, Robert Frost, Philip Wittenberg, Caesar de Hoke, Richard deWolfe Brixey, Seymour Knox, Walt Kuhn, Elisabeth Luther Cary, Charles Locke, Duncan Fergusson, Mrs. Solomon Guggenheim, Bob Tannahill, David Thompson, Marsden Hartley, Erwin Barrie, Robert Laurent, Conger Goodyear, Henry McBride, Edward Hopper, Charles Daniel, William Merritt Chase, Charles Hopkinson, Thomas Hart Benton, Frank Crowninshield, Alfred Barr, Lord Duveen, Jacob Lawrence, John Marin Jr., Karl Zerbe, Franz Kline, Arthur Dove, Julian Levy, Jack Levine, Valentine Dudensing, Peggy Bacon, Stefan Hirsch, Gertrude Stein, Isamu Noguchi, Jasper Johns, Chaim Soutine, B. K. Saklatwalla; Fernand Leger, Pablo Picasso, Ben Shahn, Charles Demuth, Alexander Calder, Jackson Pollock, Edward Steichen, Carl Sandburg, Clement Greenberg, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Edith Halpert (1900-1970) was an art dealer from New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 7 tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 27 digital wav files. Duration is 32 hrs., 27 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art 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 transcript was microfilmed in 1996.
Occupation:
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Cecere, Ada Rasario, 1894 or 1898-1971 Search this
Extent:
0.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1938-1972
Summary:
The scattered papers of painter and muralist Ada Cecere measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1938 to 1972. Found are letters from artists, galleries, institutions, and museums, and photographs of Cecere's works of art.
Scope and Contents:
The scattered papers of painter and muralist Ada Cecere measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1938 to 1972. Found are letters from artists, galleries, institutions, and museums, and photographs of Cecere's works of art.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Ada Rasario Cecere (1898-1983) was a painter, muralist, and designer active in New York City, New York, and Rome, Italy. Ada Rasario was born in New York and studied art in Paris and Rome. She married Gaetano Cecere, a Roman sculptor and together they settled in Manhattan. She was president of the Pen and Brush Society. Cecere died in New York in 1983.
Provenance:
Ada Cecere donated her papers to the Archives of American Art in 1972.
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:
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Designers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Art teachers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Files containing correspondence, printed material and miscellany on the Women in the Arts Foundation, Inc., the Artists in Residence Gallery, and Soho 20, all in New York City; 196 photographs of Sleigh's paintings; catalogs, announcements, and clippings concerning Sleigh.
Biographical / Historical:
Sylvia Sleigh is a portrait painter, figure painter, and instructor from New York, New York.
Provenance:
Donated 1979-1983 by Sylvia Sleigh.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Art teachers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
The papers of sculptor and educator Robert M. Cronbach date from 1914-2004 and measure 3.9 linear feet. The papers include biographical material, correspondence, writings, project and commission files, exhibition files, printed material, and photographic material relating to the life and career of Cronbach. The bulk of material is comprised of project and commission files pertaining to sculptures, fountains, and other proposals for public and private spaces.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of sculptor and educator Robert M. Cronbach date from 1914-2004 and measure 3.9 linear feet. The papers include biographical material, correspondence, writings, project and commission files, exhibition files, printed material, and photographic material relating to the life and career of Cronbach. The bulk of material is comprised of project and commission files pertaining to sculptures, fountains, and other proposals for public and private spaces.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as seven series
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1925-1996 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1934-2004 (0.7 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 3: Writings, 1929-1970 (4 folders; Box 1)
Series 4: Project and Commission Files, 1932-1990 (1.6 linear feet; Box 1-2, 4, OV 5-10)
Series 5: Exhibition Files, circa 1960-2000 (0.2 linear feet; Box 2)
Series 6: Printed Material, 1914-2001 (1.1 linear feet; Box 2-3)
Series 7: Photographic Material, circa 1930-1995 (2 folders; Box 3)
Biographical / Historical:
Robert M. Cronbach (1908-2001) was a sculptor and teacher in New York, New York. Born in St. Louis, Cronbach studied sculpture at the St. Louis School of Fine Arts before heading east to continue his studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. His sculpture and fountain commissions for many public and private spaces include Temples, the Fashion Institute of Technology, and the United Nations. He also created work as part of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project program. Cronbach taught at Adelphi College in Garden City, New York from 1947-1961 and was an instructor at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine, where he also served as chairman of the school's board of governors from 1975-1982.
Provenance:
Donated to the Archives of American Art by Robert M. Cronbach in 1992 and in 2016 by Cronbach's daughter, Paula Maria Espinosa. Portions of the collection were lent for microfilming in 1966 by Cronbach and subsequently donated.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Art teachers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Topic:
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- United States Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Citation:
Robert M. Cronbach papers, 1914-2004. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The papers of painter and educator Esther Rolick measure 3.7 linear feet and date from 1940 to 1985. The papers document Rolick's career through correspondence with friends and colleagues; writings, including unpublished illustrated books for children; business records; printed material and scrapbooks of clippings and exhibition catalogs; artwork including a sketchbook; photographs of artwork, travels around the world, and personal photographs; and sound recordings of interviews with prominent African American artists.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter and educator Esther Rolick measure 3.7 linear feet and date from 1940 to 1985. The papers document Rolick's career through correspondence with friends and colleagues; writings, including unpublished illustrated books for children; business records; printed material and scrapbooks of clippings and exhibition catalogs; artwork including a sketchbook; photographs of artwork, travels around the world, and personal photographs; and sound recordings of interviews with prominent African American artists.
Correspondence includes personal letters from friends and letters related to Rolick's exhibitions. Some of the letters are in Spanish. Writings include poems by Rolick and two unpublished books for children, primarily of illustrations.
Personal business records and professional activity files include financial materials related to Rolick's travels around the world, statements, promissory notes, certificates, and exhibition guestbooks.
Printed material consists mainly of exhibition announcements and catalogs, with some newspaper clippings. Additional printed material can be found in Series 6: Scrapbooks.
Photographs consist primarily of personal photographs, photographs of travels to Bogota, Colombia and Palermo, Italy, and photographs of artwork. Artwork includes oversized sketches by classmates and one small sketchbook of drawings.
Of note are untranscribed interviews conducted by Rolick for her class "Black Music and Art," at Mercy College, circa 1970-1971. Interviewees include Charles Alston, Romare Bearden, Jean Hutson, Jacob Lawrence, Norman Lewis, Hale Woodruff, and artists affiliated with the Cinque Gallery, Weusi Gallery, and SPIRAL artist's group.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged chronologically into eight series.
Series 1: Correspondence, 1946-1985 (1.3 linear feet; Box 1-2)
Series 2: Writings, 1947-1971 (0.1 linear feet; Box 2)
Series 3: Personal Business Records and Professional Activity, 1968-1974 (0.2 linear feet: Box 2)
Series 4: Printed Material, 1944-1980 (0.3 linear feet: Box 2)
Series 5: Photographs, circa 1940-1985 (0.6 linear feet: Box 2-3, 5)
Series 6: Scrapbooks, circa 1944-1972 (0.7 linear feet; Box 3, 5)
Series 7: Artwork, circa 1944-1985 (0.1 linear feet; Box 3, 5, OV)
Series 8: Interviews 1970-1971 (0.4 linear feet; Box 3-4)
Biographical / Historical:
New York realist painter and educator Esther G. Rolick (1922-2008) taught art for two decades at Mercy College, where she helped to develop programs including a class, "Black Music and Art," for which she interviewed prominent Harlem artists and musicians.
Rolick studied at the Art Students League and had her first solo exhibition of drawings at Jacques Seligmann & Co. in 1947. She subsequently participated in exhibitions around the country and internationally in Haiti. In the 1960s she began teaching at Mercy College and helped to develop several innovative programs there. Rolick also traveled extensively and painted in places such as Bogota, Colombia and Palermo, Italy.
Provenance:
The Esther G. Rolick papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Esther Rolick in a series of installments between 1970 and 1985.
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 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.
Esther G. Rolick papers, 1940-1985. 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.
An interview of Norman Lewis conducted 1968 July 14, by Henri Ghent, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Norman Lewis (1909-1979) was a painter and instructor from New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hrs., 5 min.
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.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Art teachers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
