The papers of Vera Berdich measure 3 linear feet and date from circa 1912-1990, with the bulk from 1947-1989. The papers document Berdich's career through
biographical material; correspondence with friends, family, artists, universities, and galleries; writings which include sabattical notes and statements on printmaking; exhibition and professional files; financial records; printed materials, artwork; photographs and slides.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Vera Berdich measure 3 linear feet and date from circa 1912-1990, with the bulk from 1947-1989. The papers document Berdich's career as a printmaker and educator through biographical material such as resumes; personal correspondence consisting of letters, some of which are illustrated, from friends, colleagues, and family, including Barbara Aubin, Kathleen Blackshear, Whitney Halstead, Thomas Kapsalis, Kathryn Kucera, Denis Loy, Ethel Spears, Lynn Webster and Berdich's sisters and cousins; professional correspondence from galleries and museums including the Art Insitute of Chigago, the George Binet Gallery (N.Y.C.), the Yamada Gallery (Japan), the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Illinois Arts Council. Writings include notes from her sabbatical in San Francisco and on various pieces of her artwork for an unnamed book project. Other writings by Berdich include statements on the printmaking techniques photo etching, clichés verres, and gum printing and a syllabus for an etching class. Writings by others include a transcript of a radio review of one of Berdich's exhibitions. Also found are exhibition files, professional files that document Berdich's involvement at different art institutions and organizations such the Art Institute of Chicago and it's affiliated college and personal business records. The papers also include printed material such as exhibition catalogs and newsclippings related to Berdich's exhibitions as well as select galleries, exhibitions and topics of interest such as women in the arts; four sketchbooks; and photographs of Berdich, her friends, family, other artists and works of art. A majority of the photographs are annotated on the back. Additionally, the series contains slides of Verdich's artwork over the years.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as nine series
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1942-1983 (0.1 Linear feet: Box 1)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1947-1989 (1.4 Linear feet: Box 1-2)
Series 3: Writings, 1960-1985 (0.1 Linear feet: Box 2)
Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1963-1982 (0.1 Linear feet: Box 2)
Series 5: Professional Files, 1946-1989 (0.2 Linear feet: Box 2)
Series 6: Personal Business, circa 1950-1990 (0.1 Linear feet: Box 2)
Series 7: Printed Material, 1943-1989 (0.7 Linear feet: Box 2-3)
Series 8: Artwork, 1957-1965 (0.1 Linear feet: Box 3)
Series 9: Photographic Material, circa 1912-1989 (0.4 Linear feet: Box 3)
Biographical / Historical:
Vera Berdich (1915–2003) was a printmaker and educator from Chicago, Illinois. Growing up, Berdich and her family moved frequently, often settling down in areas with a close proximity to nature which would go on to inspire Berdich's work. Following grammar school Berdich went on to study at the School of the Art Institute (SAIC) graduating with a BA in 1946. A year later Berdich was hired by SAIC, where she founded the printmaking department and continued teaching until she retired in 1979. As a professor, Berdich formed important relationships with fellow professors Kathleen Blackshear and Whitney Halstead.
Over the course of her career Berdich exhibited at galleries and museums throughout the United States and in Europe, such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1979 SAIC held a retrospective exhibition of her work. Her prints can be found in the collections of a number of institutions including the Library of Congress, the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Provenance:
Donated 1992 by Vera Berdich.
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 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.
Vera Berdich Papers, circa 1912-1990, bulk 1947-1989. 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.
Elaine De Kooning and Karl E. (Karl Eugene) Fortess. Interview with Elaine de Kooning, 1971 March 12. Karl E. Fortess interviews with artists, circa 1963-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Fortess, Karl E. (Karl Eugene), 1907-1993 Search this
Type:
Sound Recording
Date:
1971 November 13
Citation:
James Weeks and Karl E. (Karl Eugene) Fortess. Interview with James Weeks, 1971 November 13. Karl E. Fortess interviews with artists, circa 1963-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Fortess, Karl E. (Karl Eugene), 1907-1993 Search this
Type:
Sound Recording
Date:
1966 April 24
Citation:
Philip Guston and Karl E. (Karl Eugene) Fortess. Interview with Philip Guston, 1966 April 24. Karl E. Fortess interviews with artists, circa 1963-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The Beatrice S. Levy papers measure 4.2 linear feet and date from 1890-1994. The collection comprises biographical material that includes family and personal letters, awards and certificates, donation records, and biographical statements; 45 diaries and notes detailing Levy's daily life in and out of the studio; professional files consists of correspondence, business records, and files for the Chicago Society of Artists and Chicago Society of Etchers; printed materials include clippings relating to Art News and Levy's work, exhibition catalogs and announcements; photographs of Levy and friends, family and travel in 4 albums, as well as photographs used as source material; and artwork including portraits of friends, prints and sketches, and sketchbooks.
Scope and Contents:
The Beatrice S. Levy papers measure 4.2 linear feet and date from 1890-1994. The collection comprises biographical material that includes family and personal letters, awards and certificates, donation records, and biographical statements; 45 diaries and notes detailing Levy's daily life in and out of the studio; professional files consists of correspondence, business records, and files for the Chicago Society of Artists and Chicago Society of Etchers; printed materials include clippings relating to Art News and Levy's work, exhibition catalogs and announcements; photographs of Levy and friends, family and travel in 4 albums, as well as photographs used as source material; and artwork including portraits of friends, prints and sketches, and sketchbooks.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 6 series.
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1910s-circa 1974 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1, OV 7)
Series 2: Diaries and Notes, circa 1906-1972 (0.6 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 3: Professional Files, 1910s-1994 (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)
Series 4: Printed Material, 1890-1985 (0.4 linear feet; Box 2)
Series 5: Photographic Material, 1894-circa 1950s (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 3, 6)
Series 6: Artwork, 1900s-1960s (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 4-6, OVs 8-9)
Biographical / Historical:
Beatrice S. Levy (1892-1974) was an etcher in Chicago, Ill. and La Jolla, Calif. Levy studied at the Art Institute of Chicago under Ralph Clarkson and with Charles W. Hawthorne in Provincetown, Massachusetts. She had a studio in Chicago's 57th Street Art Colony. Her work was exhibited at the Panama-Pacific International Exhibition (1915), the Century of Progress in Chicago (1933-1934), and the New York's World's Fair (1939). Levy was President of the Chicago Society of Artists, Supervisor of the Works Progress Administration Art Project Gallery, and Supervisor of the Easel Painting Division in 1936 for the Federal Art Project. In 1950 she moved to California, where she taught at the La Jolla Museum School of Arts and Crafts (1961-1962) and continued to exhibit her work.
Provenance:
The Beatrice S. Levy papers were donated in 2018 and 2023 by Heather Peck, granddaughter of Dorothy Stratton, a friend of Beatrice Levy. Material microfilmed on reel 4190 (frames 773-1023) was originally part of a larger collection of material given to the University of Louisville (Kentucky) by Samuel Steinfeld, a cousin of Beatrice Levy. The University of Louisville transferred this group of papers to the Art Institute of Chicago, who in turn donated them to the Archives of American Art in 1986. Samuel Steinfeld donated additional material on reel 4190 (frames 1024-1311) in 1986.
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.
Georgia Mills Jessup discusses how she came to serve as an artist-in-residence for the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now Anacostia Community Museum). She recalls how the museum became a central gathering point and source of pride for Anacostia neighborhood residents, how it provided historical exhibits and education that were locally relevant, and how it generally brought positive attention to the area. She describes John Kinard's leadership, devotion, and engagement with the neighborhood and the museum. She also describes how many of her artist friends appreciated the exhibition space and designers, and how many wanted to become involved in supporting or exhibiting artwork at the museum.
The interview was recorded on July 17, 1991. There is background noise which muffles the audio at some points, but the interview can generally be heard clearly throughout the recording.
Exhibitions mentioned: The Rat: Man's Invited Affliction, Blacks in the Westward Movement.
Biographical / Historical:
Georgia Mills Jessup (1926-2016) was born in Washington DC. She earned a BA in art from Howard University in 1959, and an MFA from Catholic University of America in 1969. She became an art teacher and art administrator in DC public schools, and taught at Eliot Junior High School, Eastern and Western High Schools, and Sidwell Friends School. She held a solo show at The Potter's House in 1964 and became the first artist-in-residence for the Anacostia Community Museum in 1968. In the 1970s, she became Supervisor of Art for the DC public schools. She received awards from the Research Club of Washington, DC, the Urban League, and the American Red Cross. She passed away in Columbia, Maryland on December 24, 2016.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the ACM 25th Anniversary Oral History Project, which includes approximately 100 interviews of residents and influential people of the Anacostia area of Washington, DC.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Genre/Form:
Oral histories (document genres)
Collection Citation:
ACM 25th Anniversary Oral History Project, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Joseph Falletta describes the early days of the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now Anacostia Community Museum), where he served as an art teacher and exhibit designer. He recalls working to prepare the original site, the Carver Theater, for opening, and how the residents of the neighborhood came to know and trust the museum's leadership. He talks about the silk-screening and illustration classes he taught for inner city youth. He discusses the museum's relationship to the Smithsonian Institution in the early days, and the influence of the museum over time.
The interview was conducted on July 22, 1991. The audio quality is clear throughout the recording.
Exhibition mentioned: The Rat: Man's Invited Affliction.
Biographical / Historical:
Joseph Falletta was an artist and teacher who worked for the Anacostia Community Museum from 1967 to 1969. He worked on exhibit design and taught silk-screening and illustration classes to inner city youth.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the ACM 25th Anniversary Oral History Project, which includes approximately 100 interviews of residents and influential people of the Anacostia area of Washington, DC.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Elaine Heumann Gurian discusses how she first became involved with the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now Anacostia Community Museum) in 1986, when she served as the Deputy Secretary of Museums for the Smithsonian Institution. She describes her many conversations with John Kinard, and the assistance she provided in transitioning to new leadership after he passed away in 1989. She also describes the extraordinary impact the original museum had on the museum community, the early exhibits, and how the museum changed after relocating to the Fort Stanton site.
The interview was conducted on December 11, 1991. There is static throughout the recording, but the interviewee can be heard clearly.
Exhibition mentioned: The Rat: Man's Invited Affliction.
Biographical / Historical:
Elaine Heumann Gurian (1937-) was born in New York City. She earned a Bachelor in Art History from Brandeis University in 1958, and a Master of Education in Elementary Education and Art Education from the State College of Boston in 1966. She worked as an Art Teacher for the Solomon Schechter School in Newton Massachusetts, an Art Consultant for the Boston Mayor General's Office (1969-1971), and as Director of Education for Instate Contemporary (1969-1972). In 1987, she became the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Museums at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. Then in 1991, she became the Deputy Director for public program planning at the National Museum of the American Indian, followed by a role as Deputy Director for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. She continued to work as a senior consultant for projects at a range of institutions. In 2006, she authored the book Civilizing the Museum: The Collected Writings of Elaine Heumann Gurian. She also served as President of the Museum Group, and has received numerous awards and honors, including the Distinguished Service to Museums Award in 2004 from the American Association of Museums.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the ACM 25th Anniversary Oral History Project, which includes approximately 100 interviews of residents and influential people of the Anacostia area of Washington, DC.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Genre/Form:
Oral histories (document genres)
Collection Citation:
ACM 25th Anniversary Oral History Project, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The papers of painter and educator Edwin Ambrose Webster measure 2.2 linear feet and date from 1821 to 1968. Found within the papers are biographical material; business and personal correspondence; writings; teaching and research files, including information on Webster's participation in the 1913 Armory show; printed material; artwork; and photographic materials of Webster, his family and friends, and his work.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter and educator Edwin Ambrose Webster measure 2.2 linear feet and date from 1821 to 1968. Found within the papers are biographical material; business and personal correspondence; writings; teaching and research files, including information on Webster's participation in the 1913 Armory show; printed material; artwork; and photographic materials of Webster, his family and friends, and his work.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 8 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1821-1930 (5 folders; Box 1)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1900-1940 (2 folders; Box 1)
Series 3: Writings, 1910-1930 (3 folders; Box 1)
Series 4: Teaching Files, 1930-1933 (5 folders; Box 1)
Series 5: Printed Materials, 1911-1939 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1, OVs 5-6)
Series 6: Artwork, 1890-1930 (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 1-3, Artifacts 4, 7)
Series 7: Photographic Materials, 1875-1930 (8 folders; Box 1)
Series 8: Karl Rodgers Research Files, 1940-1968 (6 folders; Box 1)
Biographical / Historical:
Painter and educator Edwin Ambrose Webster (1869-1935) lived and worked in Provincetown, Massachusetts and was known for his vibrant landscapes and for opening the first modernist art school in Provincetown.
Born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, Webster began his art studies at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts under Frank Benson and Edmund Tarbell, where he received a three year scholarship to study abroad at the Academie Julian. There, he studied under Jean Laurens and Jean-Joseph Constant and was awarded several additional student prizes for his work. Upon his return, Webster established himself as a founding member of the burgeoning art colony in Provincetown, opening his Summer School of Art in 1900, which he operated for the next thirty five years.
Alongside his teaching duties, Webster continued to develop a modernist style and was invited to exhibit in the 1913 Armory Show. In 1918, he traveled to France to study Cubism under Albert Gleizes and Jean Metzinger, and upon his return to Provincetown, began incorporating these techniques into his paintings as well as into his lectures and classes. As an active organizer within the art colony, Webster helped to found the Provincetown Art Association in 1914 and served as its director from 1917 to 1919. In 1916, he also hosted the first exhibition of the woodblock carving group, the Provincetown Printers, at his studio. Webster died at his Provincetown home in 1935.
Provenance:
The papers were donated in 1974 by the wife of Mrs. Webster's nephew, Mrs. Karl F. Rodgers. Additional materials were donated by Mrs. Rodgers in 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.
Occupation:
Art teachers -- Massachusetts -- Provincetown Search this
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Provincetown Search this
Topic:
Art -- Study and teaching -- Massachusetts -- Provincetown Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Citation:
Edwin Ambrose Webster papers, 1821-1968. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by The Walton Family Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Joellen Bard's, Ruth Fortel's, and Helen Thomas' exhibition records of Tenth Street Days: The Co-ops of the 50s, 1953-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Group work in art -- United States -- Exhibitions Search this
The papers of ceramicist and educator Mary Chase Stratton measure 0.5 linear feet and date from circa 1846 to 1959. The collection provides scattered documentation of Stratton's career through artwork including a lithograph signed by Gwen Lux; an award to William Stratton and an honorary degree to Stratton; correspondence from Stratton's father and a few others; personal photographs of Stratton, family members, and photographs of works of art; and a photograph of Charles Lang Freer by Edward Steichen. Also found are printed materials including a brochure for Pewabic Pottery, and several writings.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of ceramicist and educator Mary Chase Stratton measure 0.5 linear feet and date from circa 1846 to 1959. The collection provides scattered documentation of Stratton's career through artwork including a lithograph signed by Gwen Lux; an award to William Stratton and an honorary degree to Stratton; correspondence from Stratton's father and a few others; a partial license to dig for gold in the Colony of Victoria; personal photographs of Stratton, family members, and photographs of works of art; and a photograph of Charles Lang Freer by Edward Steichen. Also found are printed materials including a brochure for Pewabic Pottery, and several writings.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Mary Chase Stratton (1867-1961) was a ceramicist and educator, and a founder of Pewabic Pottery in Detroit, Michigan.
Stratton was born in Hancock, Michigan, to Dr. William Walbridge Perry and Sophia Barrett Perry. Stratton and her mother moved to Ann Arbor after the murder of Dr. Perry in 1877. Stratton's artistic interests were encouraged by her mother who hired art teacher Lily Chase to instruct her. The family later moved to Detroit where Stratton became a prominent figure in the art world. She co-founded Pewabic Pottery with Horace J. Caulkins around 1903 and after a few years in business they found a permanent home for the pottery studio in a Detroit building designed by William Stratton, who would become Stratton's husband in 1918.
The studio, now a National Historic Landmark, created architectural tiles found at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Kingswood School for Girls in Cranbrook, the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Detroit, and numerous other public buildings. Stratton taught at Wayne State University and the University of Michigan where she established the ceramics department.
Stratton died in 1961.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art are the Pewabic Pottery records, 1891-1973.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent by Mrs. Ella Peters, secretary to Stratton, for microfilming on reel 593 including a 144-page unpublished autobiography of Mary Chase Stratton. Loaned materials were returned to the donor and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
The collection was donated by Mary Chase Stratton in 1961. Some material was lent for microfilming in 1973 by Mrs. Ella Peters, secretary to Stratton.
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.