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Rockwell Kent papers, circa 1840-1993, bulk 1935-1961

Creator:
Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971  Search this
Subject:
Wildenstein, Felix  Search this
Phillips, Duncan  Search this
Hays, Lee  Search this
Untermeyer, Louis  Search this
Zigrosser, Carl  Search this
Robeson, Paul  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt)  Search this
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano)  Search this
Ruggles, Carl  Search this
Stefansson, Vilhjalmur  Search this
Nearing, Helen  Search this
Nearing, Scott  Search this
Pach, Walter  Search this
Rasmussen, Knud  Search this
Reeves, Ruth  Search this
Seeger, Pete  Search this
Daniel, Charles  Search this
Cleland, T. M. (Thomas Maitland)  Search this
Davies, Arthur B. (Arthur Bowen)  Search this
Chamberlain, J. E.  Search this
Boyesen, Bayard  Search this
Chase, William Merritt  Search this
Freuchen, Peter  Search this
Gellert, Hugo  Search this
Gottlieb, Harry  Search this
Hartley, Marsden  Search this
FitzGerald, James  Search this
Keller, Charles  Search this
Miller, Kenneth Hayes  Search this
Henri, Robert  Search this
Jones, Dan Burne  Search this
United American Artists  Search this
United Office and Professional Workers of America  Search this
United Scenic Artists  Search this
National Farmers' Union (U.S.)  Search this
National Maritime Union of America  Search this
American Artists' Congress  Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Artists League of America  Search this
Citizens' Committee for Government Arts Projects  Search this
Farmers Union of the New York Milk Shed  Search this
Federal Art Project  Search this
Federal Writers' Project  Search this
Macbeth Gallery  Search this
International Workers Order  Search this
Type:
Poems
Sketches
Business records
Photographs
Drawings
Citation:
Rockwell Kent papers, circa 1840-1993, bulk 1935-1961. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Designers -- New York (State)  Search this
Mural painting and decoration  Search this
Politics and culture  Search this
Authors -- New York  Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States -- Political aspects  Search this
Dairy farms  Search this
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
Illustrators -- New York (State)  Search this
Illustration of books  Search this
Works of art  Search this
Art and war  Search this
Commercial art  Search this
World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9557
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211757
AAA_collcode_kentrock
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211757
Online Media:

Rockwell Kent papers

Creator:
Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971  Search this
Names:
American Artists' Congress  Search this
Artists League of America  Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Citizens' Committee for Government Arts Projects  Search this
Farmers Union of the New York Milk Shed  Search this
Federal Art Project  Search this
Federal Writers' Project  Search this
International Workers Order  Search this
Macbeth Gallery  Search this
National Farmers' Union (U.S.)  Search this
National Maritime Union of America  Search this
United American Artists  Search this
United Office and Professional Workers of America  Search this
United Scenic Artists  Search this
Boyesen, Bayard  Search this
Chamberlain, J. E.  Search this
Chase, William Merritt, 1849-1916  Search this
Cleland, T. M. (Thomas Maitland), 1880-1964  Search this
Daniel, Charles, 1878-1971  Search this
Davies, Arthur B. (Arthur Bowen), 1862-1928  Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963  Search this
Fitzgerald, James, 1899-1971  Search this
Freuchen, Peter, 1886-1957  Search this
Gellert, Hugo, 1892-1985  Search this
Gottlieb, Harry, 1895-  Search this
Hartley, Marsden, 1877-1943  Search this
Hays, Lee, 1914-1981  Search this
Henri, Robert, 1865-1929  Search this
Jones, Dan Burne  Search this
Keller, Charles, 1914-2006  Search this
Miller, Kenneth Hayes, 1876-1952  Search this
Nearing, Helen  Search this
Nearing, Scott, 1883-1983  Search this
Pach, Walter, 1883-1958  Search this
Phillips, Duncan, 1886-1966  Search this
Rasmussen, Knud, 1879-1933  Search this
Reeves, Ruth, 1892-1966  Search this
Robeson, Paul, 1898-1976  Search this
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945  Search this
Ruggles, Carl, 1876-1971  Search this
Seeger, Pete, 1919-2014  Search this
Stefansson, Vilhjalmur, 1879-1962  Search this
Untermeyer, Louis, 1885-1977  Search this
Wildenstein, Felix, 1883-1952  Search this
Zigrosser, Carl, 1891-  Search this
Extent:
88 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Poems
Sketches
Business records
Photographs
Drawings
Date:
circa 1840-1993
bulk 1935-1961
Summary:
The Rockwell Kent papers measure 88.0 linear feet and date from circa 1840 to 1993 with the bulk of the collection dating from 1935 to 1961. The collection provides comprehensive coverage of Kent's career as a painter, illustrator, designer, writer, lecturer, traveler, political activist, and dairy farmer.
Scope and Content Note:
The Rockwell Kent papers measure 88 linear feet and date from circa 1840 to 1993 with the bulk of the collection dating from 1935 to 1961. The collection provides comprehensive coverage of Kent's career as a painter, illustrator, designer, writer, lecturer, traveler, political activist, and dairy farmer.

Circumstances surrounding the acquisition of the papers are highlighted in an article by Garnett McCoy ("The Rockwell Kent Papers," in the Archives of American Art Journal, 12, no. 1 [January 1972]: 1-9), recommended reading for researchers interested in the collection. The collection is remarkably complete, for in the mid 1920s Kent began keeping carbon copies of all outgoing letters, eventually employing a secretary (who became his third wife and continued her office duties for the remainder of Kent's life).

Series 1: Alphabetical Files contain Kent's personal and professional correspondence, along with business records of the dairy farm and associated enterprises; also included are printed matter on a wide variety of topics and promotional literature relating to organizations and causes of interest to him. Voluminous correspondence with his three wives, five children, and other relatives, as well as with literally hundreds of friends, both lifelong and of brief duration, illuminates Kent's private life and contributes to understanding of his complex character. Among the many correspondents of note are: his art teachers William Merritt Chase, Robert Henri, and Kenneth Hayes Miller; fellow artists Tom Cleland, Arthur B. Davies, James Fitzgerald, Hugo Gellert, Harry Gottleib, Marsden Hartley, Charles Keller, and Ruth Reeves; collectors Duncan Phillips and Dan Burne Jones; critics J. E. Chamberlain and Walter Pach; and dealers Charles Daniel, Felix Wildenstein, and Macbeth Galleries. Kent corresponded with such diverse people as Arctic explorers Peter Freuchen, Knud Rasmussen, and Vilhjalmar Steffanson; composer Carl Ruggles and songwriters Lee Hays and Pete Seeger; civil rights pioneers Paul Robeson and Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois; writers Bayard Boyesen, Scott and Helen Nearing, and Louis Untermeyer; and art historian and print curator Carl Zigrosser.

Kent's interest and involvement in the labor movement are reflected in correspondence with officials and members of a wide variety and large number of unions and related organizations, among them: the Farmers' Educational and Cooperative Union of America, Farmers' Union of the New York Milk Shed, International Workers Order, National Maritime Union, and United Office and Professional Workers of America. Of special interest is his participation, often in leadership roles, in various attempts to organize artists. Files on the American Artists' Congress, Artists League of America, The Artists Union, United American Artists, and United Scenic Artists contain particularly valuable material on the movement.

A supporter of New Deal efforts to aid artists, Kent was actively interested in the various programs and often was critical of their limitations; he advocated continuing federal aid to artists after the Depression abated. The Kent papers include correspondence with the Federal Arts Project, Federal Fine Arts Project, Federal Writers Project, and the War Department, as well as correspondence with the Citizens' Committee for Government Art Projects and President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the subject.

Kent's professional correspondence documents exhibitions, sales, consignments, and reproduction of prints and paintings. He kept meticulous records of his advertising commissions and illustration work. Detailed correspondence with publishers and printers indicates Kent's involvement in the technical aspects of production and provides a good overview of the publishing industry during the mid-twentieth century.

Business records of Asgaard Farm include records of the dairy and transfer of ownership to its employees, tax and employee information, and documents concerning several related business ventures such as distributor ships for grain, feed, and farm implements.

Series 2: Writings consists of notes, drafts, and completed manuscripts by Rockwell Kent, mainly articles, statements, speeches, poems, introductions, and reviews. The Kent Collection given to Friendship House, Moscow, in 1960, was augmented later by a set of his publications and the illustrated manuscripts of many of his monographs. Also included are a small number of manuscripts by other authors.

Series 3: Artwork consists mainly of drawings and sketches by Kent; also included are works on paper by other artists, many of whom are unidentified, and by children.

Series 4: Printed Matter consists of clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements, brochures, broadsides, programs, and newsletters. These include items by and about Kent and his family, as well as articles written and/or illustrated by him, and reviews of his books. There is also material on a variety of subjects and causes of interest to him. Additional printed matter is included among the alphabetical files, mainly as attachments to correspondence.

Series 5: Miscellaneous includes biographical material, legal documents, and memorabilia. Artifacts received with papers include textile samples, a silk scarf, dinnerware, ice bucket, and rubber stamp, all featuring designs by Rockwell Kent. Also with this series are a variety of documents including a phrenological analysis of an ancestor, lists of supplies for expeditions, a hand-drawn map of an unidentified place, and technical notes regarding art materials and techniques.

Series 6: Photographs includes photographs of Kent, his family and friends, travel, and art number that over one thousand. Also included here are several albums of family and travel photographs.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into six series. Series 1 is arranged alphabetically. The arrangement of the remaining series is explained in each series description. Note that sealed materials that became available in 2000 were microfilmed separately on reels 5740-5741, but have integrated into this finding aid.

Missing Title

Series 1: Alphabetical Files, circa 1900-1971, undated (Reels 5153-5249, 5256, 5740-5741)

Series 2: Writings, 1906-1978, undated (Reels 5249-5252, 5741)

Series 3: Art Work, 1910-1972, undated (Reels 5252, 5741)

Series 4: Printed Matter, 1905-1993, undated (Reels 5252-5254)

Series 5: Miscellaneous, 1859-1969, undated (Reels 5254, 5741)

Series 6: Photographs, circa 1840-1970, undated (Reels 5254-5255, 5741)
Biographical Note:
Rockwell Kent (1882-1971), an energetic and multitalented man, pursued many interests and careers during his very long and active life. At various times he was an architect, draftsman, carpenter, unskilled laborer, painter, illustrator, printmaker, commercial artist, designer, traveler/explorer, writer, professional lecturer, dairy farmer, and political activist.

While studying architecture at Columbia University, Kent enrolled in William Merritt Chase's summer school at Shinnecock Hills, Long Island. He then redirected his career ambitions toward painting and continued to study with Chase in New York. Kent spent a summer working and living with Abbott H. Thayer in Dublin, New Hampshire, and attended the New York School of Art, where Robert Henri and Kenneth Hayes Miller were his teachers.

Critically and financially, Kent was a successful artist. He was very well known for his illustration work--particularly limited editions of the classics, bookplates, and Christmas cards. He was a prolific printmaker, and his prints and paintings were acquired by many major museums and private collectors. During the post-World War II era, Kent's political sympathies resulted in the loss of commissions, and his adherence to artistic conservatism and outspoken opposition to modern art led to disfavor within art circles. After many years of declining reputation in this country and unsuccessful attempts to find a home for the Kent Collection, Kent gave his unsold paintings--the majority of his oeuvre--to the Soviet Union, where he continued to be immensely popular.

An avid traveler, Kent was especially fascinated by remote, Arctic lands and often stayed for extended periods of time to paint, write, and become acquainted with the local inhabitants. Between 1918 and 1935, he wrote and illustrated several popular books about his experiences in Alaska, Tierra del Fuego, and Greenland. In the 1930s and 1940s, Kent was much in demand as a lecturer, making several nationwide tours under the management of a professional lecture bureau; he spoke mainly about his travels, but among his standard lectures were some on "art for the people."

In 1927, Kent purchased Asgaard Farm at AuSable Forks, New York, in the Adirondacks, where he lived for the remainder of his life, operating a modern dairy farm on a modest scale for many years.

As a young man, Kent met Rufus Weeks, became committed to social justice, and joined the Socialist Party. Throughout his life, he supported left-wing causes and was a member or officer of many organizations promoting world peace and harmonious relations with the Soviet Union, civil rights, civil liberties, antifascism, and organized labor. Kent was frequently featured as a celebrity sponsor or speaker at fund-raising events for these causes. In 1948, he ran unsuccessfully as the American Labor Party's candidate for Congress. Kent's unpopular political views eventually led to the dissolution of his dairy business, resulted in a summons to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee, and prompted the U.S. State Department to deny him a passport, an action that subsequently was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Kent wrote two autobiographies, This Is My Own (1940) and It's Me, O Lord (1955). In 1969, he was the subject of an oral history interview conducted by Paul Cummings for the Archives of American Art.
Provenance:
In 1969, Rockwell Kent donated his papers to the Archives of American Art; textile samples were received in 1979, and his widow gave additional papers in 1971 and 1996. Letters to Rockwell Kent from wives Frances and Sally, sealed during Sally Kent Gorton's lifetime, became available for research after her death in 2000, and further material was donated to the Archives of American Art in 2001 by the Estate of Sally Kent [Shirley Johnstone] Gorton.
Restrictions:
The microfilm of this collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website. Use of material not microfilmed or digitized 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.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State)  Search this
Topic:
Designers -- New York (State)  Search this
Mural painting and decoration  Search this
Politics and culture  Search this
Authors -- New York  Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States -- Political aspects  Search this
Dairy farms  Search this
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
Illustrators -- New York (State)  Search this
Illustration of books  Search this
Works of art  Search this
Art and war  Search this
Commercial art  Search this
World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this
Function:
Labor unions
Genre/Form:
Poems
Sketches
Business records
Photographs
Drawings
Citation:
Rockwell Kent papers, circa 1840-1993, bulk 1935-1961. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.kentrock
See more items in:
Rockwell Kent papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw97edd9940-eb61-4562-9583-def2da778b6a
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-kentrock
Online Media:

Daniel Koerner papers

Creator:
Koerner, Daniel, 1909-1977  Search this
Names:
Artists League of America  Search this
Artists' Conference of the Americas (1939 : New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Federal Art Project  Search this
Federal Arts Bill  Search this
International Artists Organization  Search this
United American Artists  Search this
United States. Work Projects Administration  Search this
Barr, Norman, 1908-  Search this
Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971  Search this
Koerner, Daniel, 1909-1977  Search this
Merrill, Lewis  Search this
Watson, Morris, d. 1972  Search this
Extent:
1.6 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 2 reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1902-1972
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence; material relating to government support for the arts and to artists' unions and international organizations; cartoons and illustrations; writings; notes; legal documents; clippings; and printed material.
REEL N70-40: Correspondence, 1939-ca. 1948, mostly about alleged government suppression of the arts. Included are 5 letters from Rockwell Kent and 2 from Morris Watson. In addition, there are printed items such as newsletters and bulletins.
REEL 1337: Letters, notes, minutes, address lists, speeches, manuscripts, and printed matter regarding dismissals of WPA-FAP artists, the Woodrum relief bill, support for the Federal Arts Bill (1937-1938), Artists' Union, United American Artists, Artists League of America (and in particular its disaffiliation from the United Office and Professional Workers of America), Artists' Conference of the Americas (1939), and the International Artists Organization (1946-1948). Correspondents include Norman Barr, Lewis Merrill, and Rockwell Kent.
UNMICROFILMED: Original cartoons and illustrations; correspondence; legal documents; writings; notes; clippings; and miscellany.
Biographical / Historical:
Cartoonist, painter; New York, N.Y. Also known as Danotto.
Provenance:
Material on reels N70-40 & 1337 donated 1970-1975 by Daniel Koerner. Unmicrofilmed material donated 1978 by Natalie Nolan and Dr. Cassandra L. Smith, long time friends of Koerner.
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.
Occupation:
Cartoonists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Caricatures and cartoons  Search this
Art and state  Search this
Trade unions and the arts -- United States  Search this
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
Function:
Arts organizations
Identifier:
AAA.koerdani
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98e1c8827-869d-47d9-a003-ae3c43392391
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-koerdani

Harry Gottlieb papers

Topic:
Art front
Creator:
Gottlieb, Harry, 1895-  Search this
Summit Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Names:
American Artists' Congress  Search this
American Society of Painters, Sculptors and Gravers  Search this
Artists Equity Association  Search this
Artists League of America  Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
New York WPA Artists, Inc.  Search this
Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971  Search this
Kuniyoshi, Yasuo, 1889-1953  Search this
Solman, Joseph, 1909-2008  Search this
Extent:
2.4 Linear feet ((on 3 microfilm reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1910-1982
Scope and Contents:
Biographical material, correspondence, writings, business records, printed material, photographs, sketches and notebooks.
REEL D343: Files kept by Gottlieb on the Works Progress Administration, 3rd Woodstock Art Conference, American Artists' Congress, American Society of Painters, Sculptors and Gravers and the Artists Union, N.Y.; newsletters, correspondence and minutes from Artists Equity Association; issues of "Art Front", "Art Project Reporter" and "ALA News" of the Artists League of America; correspondence, 1928-1951; clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements; silk screen prints; notes and an autobiographical sketch. Photographs include: one of Gottlieb and Joseph Solomon, ca. 1950; one of Gottlieb in his studio, 1939; 4 of the Carnegie Institute International exhibit, 1931, showing Gottlieb's work; and a group photograph of the Artists Equity Testimonial Dinner honoring Yasuo Kuniyoshi, 1948.
REEL 3889-3890: Biographical information; correspondence, including letters from Rockwell Kent; records of the Summit Gallery, business records and price lists for art work; 1 charcoal drawing, 2 ink drawings and 3 sketches; notes, layouts and a contract for Gottlieb's book, THE ART OF HARRY GOTTLIEB; notebooks; material on the Artists Equity Association, the Artists Union, N.Y., Public Art Preservation Committee, and New York WPA Artists, Inc.; exhibition announcements, catalogs, clippings and press releases; and photographs, 1935-1953, of Gottlieb and his art work.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, printmaker; New York, N.Y. b. 1895; d. 1992. Born in Bucharest, Romania. Member of N.Y. Artists' Union, American Society of Painters, Sculptors and Gravers, and the American Artists Congress. Served as a WPA artist. Pioneer in the development of silk screen process as a fine art form.
Provenance:
Material donated by Harry Gottlieb, 1968 and 1982.
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.
Occupation:
Serigraphers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters  Search this
Topic:
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States -- Political aspects  Search this
Screen process printing  Search this
Serigraphy -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Trade-unions and the arts -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Prints -- Technique  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.gottharr
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9d0f87afa-0e38-4ffa-988b-97d27c3a7bff
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-gottharr

Gerald Monroe research material on the American Artists' Congress, the Artists' Union, and the WPA

Creator:
Monroe, Gerald, 1926-  Search this
Names:
American Artists' Congress  Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
United States. Work Projects Administration  Search this
Marantz, Irving, 1912-1972  Search this
Extent:
0.4 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 1 reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
[ca. 1930-1971]
Scope and Contents:
American Artists' Congress documentation includes photographs, exhibition catalogs, and other printed material. The Artists' Union materials include six photographs by Irving Marantz of members (some identified) of the Artists' Union participating in a demonstration advocating unionization for all artists. WPA material includes photographs and a brochure.
Biographical / Historical:
Monroe is a painter, educator, art historian; New York, N.Y.
Related Materials:
Also in the Archives is a microfilm reel (reel 1044) donated by Monroe containing his 1971 thesis, The Artists' Union of New York," done for New York University.
Provenance:
Donated 1971-1976 by Gerald M. Monroe.
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.
Topic:
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States -- Political aspects  Search this
Trade unions and the arts -- United States  Search this
Painting, American  Search this
Function:
Arts organizations -- New York (State)
Identifier:
AAA.monrgerp
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9413e2f78-4a7e-445c-a10e-4238356744a5
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-monrgerp

Holger Cahill papers

Creator:
Cahill, Holger, 1887-1960  Search this
Names:
American Artists' Congress  Search this
American Council of Learned Societies  Search this
American Federation of Arts  Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Cartoonists Guild  Search this
Federal Art Project (U.S.)  Search this
Federal Music Project (U.S.)  Search this
Federal Theatre Project (U.S.)  Search this
Index of American Design  Search this
New York World's Fair (1939-1940 : New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Shakers  Search this
The Design Laboratory (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Treasury Relief Art Project  Search this
United States. Work Projects Administration  Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this
Abbott, Berenice, 1898-1991  Search this
Brown, Samuel Joseph, 1907-1994  Search this
De Rivera, José Ruiz, 1904-1985  Search this
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Hopkins, Harry Lloyd, 1890-1946  Search this
Knaths, Karl, 1891-1971  Search this
Miller, Dorothy Canning, 1904-2003  Search this
Morris, Carl, 1911-1993  Search this
Olds, Elizabeth, 1896-1991  Search this
Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962  Search this
Rowan, Edward Beatty, 1898-1946  Search this
Scaravaglione, Concetta, 1900-1975  Search this
Segal, George, 1924-2000  Search this
Speck, Walter, 1895-  Search this
Ward, Lynd, 1905-1985  Search this
Weisenborn, Rudolph, b. 1881  Search this
Extent:
15.8 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Prints
Government records
Interviews
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Slides (photographs)
Photograph albums
Drawings
Place:
United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945
United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945
Date:
1910-1993
bulk 1910-1960
Summary:
The papers of Holger Cahill (1887-1960) date from 1910 to 1993, with the bulk of the material dating from 1910-1960, and measure 15.8 linear feet. The collection offers researchers fairly comprehensive documentation of Cahill's directorship of the Works Progress/Projects Administration's (WPA) Federal Art Project (FAP) in addition to series documenting his work as a writer and art critic. Material includes correspondence, reports, artist files, scrapbooks, printed material, and photographs.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of Holger Cahill (1887-1960) date from 1910 to 1993, bulk 1910-1960, and measure 15.8 linear feet. The collection offers researchers fairly comprehensive documentation of Cahill's directorship of the FAP in addition to series documenting his work as a writer and art critic. FAP records include national and state administrative reports, records of community art centers, photographic documentation of state activities, artist files, divisional records about teaching, crafts, murals, and poster work, files concerning the Index of American Design, scrapbooks, and printed material.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into nine series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material and Personal Papers, 1931-1988 (Box 1; 19 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence Files, 1922-1979, 1993 (Boxes 1-2; 1.5 linear ft.)

Series 3: Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project, 1934-1970 (Boxes 2-14, 18, MMs009; 10.75 linear ft.)

Series 4: Writings, Lectures and Speeches, 1916-1960 (Boxes 14-15, 18; 1.0 linear ft.)

Series 5: Minutes of Meetings and Panel Discussions, Non-FAP, 1939-1947 (Box 15; 5 folders)

Series 6: Notes and Research Material, 1935-1970 (Boxes 15-16; 0.25 linear ft.)

Series 7: Artwork, undated (Boxes 16, 18; 2 folders)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1910-1985 (Boxes 16-17; 1.8 linear ft.)

Series 9: Photographs, circa 1917-1960 (Box 17; 6 folders)
Biographical Note:
Holger Cahill was born Sveinn Kristjan Bjarnarson in Iceland in a small valley near the Arctic Circle, on January 13, 1887. His parents, Bjorn Jonson and Vigdis Bjarnadottir, immigrated to the United States from Iceland sometime later in the 1880s. In 1904, his father deserted the family, forcing Sveinn to be separated from his mother and sister to work on a farm in North Dakota. He ran away and wandered from job to job until settling in an orphanage in western Canada, where he attended school and became a voracious reader.

As a young man, he worked at many different jobs and attended night school. While working on a freighter, he visited Hong Kong, beginning his life-long interest in the Orient. Returning to New York City, he eventually became a newspaper reporter, continued his studies at New York University, and changed his name to Edgar Holger Cahill. In 1919 he married Katherine Gridley of Detroit. Their daughter, Jane Ann, was born in 1922, but the couple divorced in 1927.

Cahill met John Sloan circa 1920, and they shared a residence. Cahill also wrote publicity (until 1928) for the Society of Independent Artists, through which he made many friends in the arts. From 1922 to 1931, he worked under John Cotton Dana at the Newark Museum, where he received his basic experience in museum work, organizing the first large exhibitions of folk art.

From 1932 to 1935, he was the director of exhibitions for the Museum of Modern Art. In 1935, Cahill was appointed director of the Works Progress/Projects Administration (WPA) Federal Art Project (FAP), until its end in June 1943. In 1938, Cahill organized a countrywide exhibition "American Art Today" for the New York World's Fair. He also married MoMa curator Dorothy Canning Miller in that year.

Profane Earth, Cahill's first novel, was published in 1927, followed by monographs on Pop Hart and Max Weber, miscellaneous short stories, and a biography of Frederick Townsend Ward, entitled A Yankee Adventurer: The Story of Ward and the Taiping Rebellion. Following the end of the Federal Art Project, Cahill wrote two novels, Look South to the Polar Star (1947) and The Shadow of My Hand (1956).

Holger Cahill died in Stockbridge, Massachusetts in July 1960.
Provenance:
The Holger Cahill papers were donated to the Archives of American Art through a series of gifts by Cahill's widow, Dorothy C. Miller, between 1964 and 1995.
Restrictions:
The microfilm of this collection has been digitized and is available online via the Archives of American Art website.
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:
Arts administrators  Search this
Topic:
Federal aid to the public welfare  Search this
Art and state  Search this
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this
Public officers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Prints
Government records
Interviews
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Slides (photographs)
Photograph albums
Drawings
Citation:
Holger Cahill papers, 1910-1993, bulk 1910-1960. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.cahiholg
See more items in:
Holger Cahill papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93d4a8dc7-a7be-470b-8216-ae763d3bc9e2
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-cahiholg
Online Media:

Art Front

Creator:
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Names:
Baron, Herman, 1892-1961  Search this
Extent:
0.8 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1934-1937
Scope and Contents:
The collection of Art Front magazines includes one bound volume containing the 25 issues of Art Front: November 1934 (vol. 1, no. 1), through December 1937 (vol. 3, no. 8). Also found are loose issues of Art Front including November 1934, January- February 1935, April- May 1935, July 1935, November 1935- June 1936, September/October 1936, December 1936- March 1937, June/July 1937, October 1937, and December 1937. Several loose issues have multiple copies.
Biographical / Historical:
Art Front was a magazine published by the Artists Union in New York in collaboration with the Artists Committee of Action. Twenty-five issues were published between November 1934 and December 1937. Herbert Baron, director of the American Contemporary Art (ACA) gallery was managing editor.The editorial committee was composed of sixteen people, eight from each of the partner groups. From the Artists Committee of Action were Hilda Abel, Harold Baumbach, Stuart Davis, Hugo Gellert, Abraham Harriton, Zoltan Hecht, Rosa Pringle and Jennings Tofel, and from the Artists' Union were Boris Gorelick, Katherine Gridley, Ethel Olenikov, Robert Jonas, Herbert Kruckman, Michael Loew, C. Mactarian and Max Spivak.
Related Materials:
Also in the Archives, on microfilm reel LA 1, are duplicate issues, December 1935, June 1936, and an incomplete issue, 1937 (reel LA 1) lent for microfilming by Leon Saulter, and on microfilm reel LA 7, duplicate issues for April 1936, and June 1936, lent by Boris Gorelick.
Provenance:
Donated by Dewey Albinson, an administrator for the WPA in Minnesota. Some issues of Art Front in the Archives' possession were combined with Albinson's gift to form a complete series.
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:
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
Art and state  Search this
Federal aid to public welfare  Search this
Art publishing  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.artiunio2
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9dd78b36e-8b47-45a9-ba54-65e14e118881
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-artiunio2

Sid Gotcliffe papers

Creator:
Gotcliffe, Sid, 1899-1969  Search this
Names:
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Extent:
86 Items ((on partial microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1935-1969
Scope and Contents:
Letters; photographs of Gotcliffe and his work; exhibition catalogs and announcements. In addition, there is a scrapbook page of photographs and clippings concerning the Artists' Union of New York.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter; born England, died New York, N.Y. Gotcliffe was largely self-taught, and his work for the W.P.A. was primitive in style.
Provenance:
The lender, Lionel Gotcliffe, is the son of Sid Gotcliffe.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Self-taught artists  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.gotcsid
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9835f3fa4-02fc-4cf5-9d92-f6d0c69d2159
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-gotcsid

Oral history interview with Edward Landon

Interviewee:
Landon, Edward, 1911-1984  Search this
Interviewer:
Brown, Robert F.  Search this
Names:
American Artists' Congress  Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Federal art project (Mass.)  Search this
National Serigraph Society  Search this
Abbott, Berenice, 1898-1991  Search this
Bridgman, George Brant, 1864-1943  Search this
Dove, Arthur Garfield, 1880-1946  Search this
Gottlieb, Harry, 1895-  Search this
Hartley, Dennis  Search this
Hughes, Marian  Search this
Lozowick, Louis, 1892-1973  Search this
Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this
Mark, Henry  Search this
Mauer, Alfred  Search this
McCausland, Elizabeth, 1899-1965  Search this
O'Keeffe, Georgia, 1887-1986  Search this
Olds, Elizabeth, 1896-1991  Search this
Perry, Marvo  Search this
Rebay, Hilla, 1890-1967  Search this
Rogers, William T.  Search this
Sabbath, Bernie  Search this
Stein, Gertrude, 1874-1946  Search this
Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this
Strand, Paul, 1890-1976  Search this
Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this
Extent:
39 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1975 Apr. 17-May 28
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Edward Landon conducted 1975 Apr. 17-May 28, by Robert Brown, for the Archives of American Art.
Landon speaks of working with the local theater in high school; leaving Hartford at age 17 or 18 for Greenwich Village in New York and the Art Students League; studying figure drawing with George Bridgman; getting married and moving to Springfield, Mass.; exhibiting with the Springfield Art League; the Artist Union and the Artist Congress in the 1930s; spending a summer with Georgia O'Keeffe and Paul Strand in Taos, N.M.; the cooperation amongst artists that lasted into the 1950s to establish serigraphs as an American fine art print medium; when he received the Solomon Guggenheim Scholarship for Non-objective Art in 1939; when he made furniture and picture frames and the publishing of his book on making picture frames in 1946; when he began working as an easel painter in the Massachusetts Federal Art Project of the WPA in 1933; becoming president of the Western Chapter of the Artists Union in 1934; when he corresponded and visited Arthur Dove; his friendship with Elizabeth McCausland; his introduction to Harry Gottlieb and silk screen printing; the love of color and currently trying for emotional effects in his work; initiating silk screen exhibitions in the Springfield Museum; the beginning of the National Serigraph Society and his work as the exhibition secretary; his teaching approach; the first class held in his garage with fellow artists; more on his relationship with Elizabeth McCausland; Arthur Dove's influence on a recent painting Landon finished; his trip to Taos in 1930 and the importance of artist colonies for him early on; the feeling of not having roots, but being comfortable with the idea; the purpose of the National Serigraph Society; his feelings about printmakers moving away from traditional printing; organized exhibitions for the United States Information Service; his enjoyment in organizing things; the commercialization of creating "prints;" how photo-realism does not translate well in the print medium; the importance of trying to convey an idea in his work; his success in covering small boxes, address books and other items, as well as book binding; his preference for printing small editions of 25 to 35 prints; of a description of his method of printing; his Fulbright Fellowship in 1950 to travel to Norway and lecture; an interest in early Scandinavian art; publishing a silkscreen portfolio of pre-Viking art for the American Scandinavian Foundation; traveling through Europe; his influence as an innovator in France and Scandinavia; meeting with silk screen artists in Oslo; art forms in his work at this time; his inclusion in "Who's Who in American Art;" the avoidance of art movements; how by the 1950s the reason for the National Serigraph Society no longer existed because the medium was popular by that time; his move to Vermont in 1957 or 1958; work as a color mixer, book binder, and returning to framing because of health reasons; his second illness changing what he found important in his life; and how the content of his work became more emotional. Landon also recalls Louie Lozowick, Gertrude Stein, Marian Hughes, Elizabeth Olds, John Marin, Alfred Stieglitz, Berenice Abbott, Marvo Perry, Hilla Rebay, Sir William T. Rogers, Max Weber, Dennis Hartley, Alfred Maurer, Bernie Sabbath, and Henry Mark.
Biographical / Historical:
Edward Landon (1911-1984) was a printmaker from Weston, Vt.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 39 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Printmakers -- Vermont -- Weston -- Interviews  Search this
Printing -- Technique  Search this
Function:
Artist colonies
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.landon75
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9fc2f6099-4ac6-4cf6-b0a9-962e4fb7ba9b
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-landon75
Online Media:

Anne Bowen Parsons collection of interviews on art

Interviewer:
Parsons, Anne Bowen  Search this
Names:
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Club (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Federal Art Project  Search this
Baker, Mildred, 1905-  Search this
Barnet, Will, 1911-2012  Search this
Benson, Emanuel, 1904-1971  Search this
Brooks, James, 1906-1992  Search this
Burlin, Paul, 1886-1969  Search this
Cavallon, Giorgio, 1904-1989  Search this
De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this
Ernst, Jimmy, 1920-1984  Search this
Geist, Sidney  Search this
Gottlieb, Adolph, 1903-1974  Search this
Greene, Balcomb, 1904-1990  Search this
Gwathmey, Robert, 1903-1988  Search this
Hacker, Seymour  Search this
Holty, Carl, 1900-1973  Search this
Holtzman, Harry  Search this
Kadish, Reuben, 1913-1992  Search this
Krasner, Lee, 1908-1984  Search this
Lasker, Joe  Search this
Lassaw, Ibram, 1913-2003  Search this
Levine, Jack, 1915-2010  Search this
Marca-Relli, Conrad, 1913-2000  Search this
McNeil, George, 1908-1995  Search this
Miller, Dorothy Canning, 1904-2003  Search this
Morris, George L. K., 1905-1975  Search this
Nakian, Reuben, 1897-1986  Search this
Pavia, Philip, 1915-2005  Search this
Schanker, Louis, 1903-1981  Search this
Shahn, Ben, 1898-1969  Search this
Stamos, Theodoros, 1922-1997  Search this
Thaw, Eugene Victor  Search this
Tworkov, Jack  Search this
Vicente, Esteban, 1903-2001  Search this
Extent:
30 Items (transcripts)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Date:
1967-1968
Scope and Contents:
The interviews are of artists, educators, art administrators, and dealers. Topics covered include the Federal Art Project, the Artists' Union, the Club, the influence of French emigre artists, and political activism among artists. The transcripts range from 1 to 4 pages in length.
Interviewees include: Mildred Baker, Will Barnet, Emanuel Benson, James Brooks, Paul Burlin, Giorgio Cavallon, Willem de Kooning, Jimmy Ernst, Sidney Geist, Adolph Gottlieb, Balcomb Greene, Robert Gwathmey, Seymour Hacker, Carl Holty, Harry Holtzman, Reuben Kadish, Lee Krasner, Joe Lasker, Ibram Lassaw, Jack Levine, Conrad Marca-Relli, George McNeil, Dorothy Canning Miller, George L.K. Morris, Reuben Nakian, Phillip Pavia, Louis Schanker, Ben Shahn, Theodoros Stamos, Eugene Victor Thaw, Jack Tworkov, and Esteban Vincente.
Provenance:
Donated in 1985 by Anne Bowen Parsons' son, Randall T. Parsons.
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:
Artists -- Interviews  Search this
Art dealers -- Interviews  Search this
Art teachers -- Interviews  Search this
Painters -- Interviews  Search this
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Art and state  Search this
Museum curators -- Interviews  Search this
Museum directors -- Interviews  Search this
Printmakers -- Interviews  Search this
Publishers -- Interviews  Search this
Sculptors -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.parsanne
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9cebc01b2-2b58-431a-ad17-ddb4c9da09fe
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-parsanne

Oral history interview with Boris Gorelick

Topic:
Art front
Interviewee:
Gorelick, Boris, 1912-  Search this
Interviewer:
McGlynn, Betty Hoag  Search this
Creator:
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this
Names:
American Artists' Congress  Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Federal Art Project  Search this
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this
Gorky, Arshile, 1904-1948  Search this
Shahn, Ben, 1898-1969  Search this
Extent:
1 Sound tape reel (Sound recording: (45 min.), 5 in.)
18 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound tape reels
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1964 May 20
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Boris Gorelick conducted 1964 May 20, by Betty Hoag for the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project.
Gorelick speaks of his background in Russia and New York; attending the Art Students League; the formation of the Artists' Union; working on murals and stained glass for the WPA Federal Art Project; the influence of the Mexican muralists on FAP murals; Art Front magazine, and the American Artists' Congress. He recalls Ben Shahn and Arshile Gorky.
Biographical / Historical:
Designer, mural painter; Los Angeles, Calif.
General:
Sound quality is poor.
Provenance:
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Muralists -- California -- Los Angeles -- Interviews  Search this
Topic:
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
Mural painting and decoration  Search this
Designers -- California -- Los Angeles -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.goreli64
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9a5549e87-34ea-422a-a526-f3fa5dfce5d7
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-goreli64
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Bernarda Bryson Shahn

Topic:
Art front
Interviewee:
Bryson, Bernarda  Search this
Interviewer:
Kirwin, Liza  Search this
Names:
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
John Reed Club  Search this
Shahn, Ben, 1898-1969  Search this
Extent:
37 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1983 April 29
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Bernarda Bryson conducted 1983 April 29, by Liza Kirwin, for the Archives of American Art.
Bryson speaks of her family background and education; writing for the Ohio State Journal; teaching etching and lithography; meeting Diego Rivera and Ben Shahn; the formation of the Unemployed Artists Group and her role as secretary, 1933; the Gibson Committee, the John Reed Club, and the Artists' Union in New York City; founding Art Front magazine; pressure from the Communist Party; demonstrating at the Whitney Museum of American Art, 1934; lithography under Adrian Dornbush; assisting Ben Shahn; her work as an illustrator; and her painting since 1971.
Biographical / Historical:
Bernarda Bryson (1903-2004) was a printmaker and painter from Roosevelt, New Jersey. She is the widow of artist Ben Shahn.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound cassette. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 26 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Occupation:
Painters -- New Jersey -- Roosevelt  Search this
Illustrators -- New Jersey -- Roosevelt  Search this
Printmakers -- New Jersey -- Roosevelt  Search this
Topic:
Art, Modern  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women printmakers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.shahn83
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw92717e6b5-7e5a-482f-9216-68cb62174c59
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-shahn83
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Esther Dick Gottlieb

Interviewee:
Gottlieb, Esther Dick  Search this
Interviewer:
Tuchman, Phyllis  Search this
Creator:
Mark Rothko and His Times Oral History Project  Search this
Names:
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Betty Parsons Gallery  Search this
Mark Rothko and His Times Oral History Project  Search this
Avery, Milton, 1885-1965  Search this
Gottlieb, Adolph, 1903-1974  Search this
Graham, John, 1887-1961  Search this
Newman, Barnett, 1905-1970  Search this
Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970  Search this
Tschacbasov, Nahum, 1899-  Search this
Extent:
2 Cassettes (Sound recording, analog.)
23 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Cassettes
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1981 Oct. 22
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Esther Gottlieb conducted 1981 Oct. 22, by Phyllis Tuchman, for the Archives of American Art's Mark Rothko and His Times oral history project.
Gottlieb recalls the art scene of the 1930s and 1940s as it touched Mark Rothko, speaking of The Ten and the Artists' Union and, in particular, Adolph Gottlieb, Milton Avery, Barnett Newman, and John Graham; Nahum Tschacbasov is mentioned briefly. She discusses the activities of various galleries and talks about the work of the Rothko, Gottlieb, and Longview Foundations.
Biographical / Historical:
Esther Dick Gottlieb was married to artist Adolph Gottlieb.
Provenance:
This interview was conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's Mark Rothko and his Times oral history project, with funding provided by the Mark Rothko Foundation.
Others interviewed on the project (by various interviewers) include: Sonia Allen, Sally Avery, Ben-Zion, Ernest Briggs, Rhys Caparn, Elaine de Kooning, Herbert Ferber, Juliette Hays, Sidney Janis, Buffie Johnson, Jacob Kainen, Louis Kaufman, Jack Kufeld, Katharine Kuh, Stanley Kunitz, Joseph Liss, Dorothy Miller, Betty Parsons, Wallace Putnam, Rebecca Reis, Maurice Roth, Aaron Siskind, Joseph Solman, Hedda Sterne, Jack Tworkov, Esteban Vicente and Ed Weinstein. Each has been cataloged separately.
Restrictions:
Transcript: Patrons must use microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Abstract expressionism  Search this
Philadelphia Ten (Group of artists)  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.gottli81
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw91199989e-fe97-4cb5-8c93-69aebb28882f
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-gottli81
Online Media:

Lou Block papers

Creator:
Block, Lou, 1895-1969  Search this
Federal Art Project (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Names:
American Artists' Congress  Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Index of American Design  Search this
Extent:
47 Items ((on partial microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Place:
United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945
Date:
1936-1938
Scope and Contents:
Papers relating to Block's involvement as a supervisor in the WPA Federal Art Project New York City office and as a member of the Artists Congress.
Frames 825-889: Photographs of murals in New York City, many unidentified, and photographs of strike and picketing by Artists' Union [microfilm title WPA-FAP, New York].
Frames 1013-1300: Correspondence and memoranda regarding rejection of murals for the Harlem Hospital by black artists, and charges of racism and segregation in the FAP; memos and reports by Block on the Index of American Design in New York City, including a roster of master artists on the Index; memos relating to cutbacks and quotas on the FAP; memos from the Supervisors Association of the FAP; Artists Congress report to membership, November 1936; issues of AMERICAN ARTIST; Index of American Design exhibition catalogs; and other printed material.
Biographical / Historical:
Administrator, Federal Art Project; New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1965 by Louis Block.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Arts administrators  Search this
Topic:
New Deal, 1933-1939 -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Federal aid to the arts -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art and state -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Federal aid to public welfare -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Mural painting and decoration, American  Search this
African American artists  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.bloclou
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9d5caddec-4ac5-4b13-9943-81bbd8cff10c
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-bloclou

Oral history interview with Charles Henry Alston

Interviewee:
Alston, Charles Henry, 1907-1977  Search this
Interviewer:
Phillips, Harlan B. (Harlan Buddington), 1920-  Search this
Creator:
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this
Names:
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Federal Art Project (N.Y.)  Search this
Harlem Artists Guild  Search this
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this
Public Works of Art Project  Search this
United States. Federal Emergency Relief Administration  Search this
Block, Lou, 1895-1969  Search this
Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964  Search this
Diller, Burgoyne, 1906-1965  Search this
Dlugoszewski, Lucia, 1931-2000  Search this
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Lawrence, Jacob, 1917-2000  Search this
Pachano, Ernest  Search this
Schmoo, Aaron Ben  Search this
Extent:
39 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1965 September 28
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Charles Alston conducted 1965 September 28, by Harlan Phillips, for the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project.
Alston speaks of his work as an art director of a community camp and as director of a boys' club in Harlem; the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) and his involvement; the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) and his involvement in it; his membership in the Harlem Artists Guild; his contribution to WPA Federal Art Project murals at Harlem Hospital; mural versus easel painting; problems with the Artists Union; and camaraderie among FAP artists. He recalls Lou Block, Stuart Davis, Burgoyne Diller, Edith Halpert, Jacob Lawrence, Ernest Pachano, Aaron Ben Schmoo, and others, and describes his associations with musicians including Billie Holliday, Duke Ellington and Chick Webb.
Biographical / Historical:
Charles Henry Alston (1907-1977) was an African American painter and mural painter in New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 24 minutes.
Provenance:
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
African American artists  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.alston65
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw91958a872-ee7a-44df-99fb-71bbecdd432e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-alston65
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Isamu Noguchi

Interviewee:
Noguchi, Isamu, 1904-1988  Search this
Interviewer:
Cummings, Paul  Search this
Names:
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Bollingen Foundation  Search this
Brummer Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Japanese American Citizens' League  Search this
Japanese American Citizens' League  Search this
Leonardo da Vinci Art School  Search this
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill  Search this
UNESCO  Search this
Barnard, George Grey, 1863-1938  Search this
Becker, John Bruere, 1915-  Search this
Borglum, Gutzon, 1867-1941  Search this
Brancusi, Constantin, 1876-1957  Search this
Breton, André, 1896-1966  Search this
Brummer, Joseph  Search this
Cahill, Holger, 1887-1960  Search this
Calder, Alexander Stirling, 1870-1945  Search this
Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976  Search this
Collier, John, Jr., 1913-1992  Search this
Covarrubias, Miguel, 1904-1957  Search this
Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964  Search this
De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this
Duchamp, Marcel, 1887-1968  Search this
Egan, Charles, 1911-  Search this
Fraser, James Earle, 1876-1953  Search this
Fuller, R. Buckminster (Richard Buckminster), 1895-1983  Search this
Gorky, Arshile, 1904-1948  Search this
Graham, John, 1887-1961  Search this
Graham, Martha  Search this
Gregory, Peter Ronald, 1947-  Search this
Guston, Philip, 1913-1980  Search this
Hare, David, 1917-1992  Search this
Hasegawa, Saburō, 1906-1957  Search this
Hopkins, Harry Lloyd, 1890-1946  Search this
Itō, Michio, 1893-1961  Search this
Kahn, Louis I., 1901-1974  Search this
Kantor, Morris, 1896-1974  Search this
Kline, Franz, 1910-1962  Search this
Knoll, Hans  Search this
Levy, Julien  Search this
Léger, Fernand, 1881-1955  Search this
McMahon, Audrey, 1900?-1981  Search this
Moore, Henry, 1898-1986  Search this
Neumann, J. B. (Jsrael Ber)  Search this
Price, Edison A., d. 1997  Search this
Raymond, Antonin, 1888-  Search this
Reynal, Jeanne, 1903-  Search this
Rivera, Diego, 1886-1957  Search this
Ruellan, Andrée, 1905-2006  Search this
Ruotolo, Onorio, 1888-1966  Search this
Schoen, Eugene, 1880-1957  Search this
Shoji, Sadao, 1937-  Search this
Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this
Taniguchi, Yoshirō, 1904-  Search this
Ward, Eleanor, 1912-1984  Search this
Zorach, William, 1887-1966  Search this
Extent:
148 Pages (Transcript)
1 Item (Audio excerpt: 1 sound file (5 min. 29 sec.), digital)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Place:
Japan -- Description and Travel
Italy -- description and travel
Egypt -- description and travel
India -- description and travel
Date:
1973 Nov. 7-Dec. 26
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Isamu Noguchi conducted 1973 Nov. 7-Dec. 26, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
NOVEMBER 7, 1973 session: Noguchi discusses his family background; growing up in Japan; returning to the United States in 1917; his identity as an artist; Gutzon Borglum; Columbia University and studying pre-med; attending Leonardo da Vinci Art School; apprenticing to Onorio Ruotolo; quitting Columbia to become a sculptor; Guggenheim Fellowship in 1927; J.B. Neumann; Alfred Stieglitz; George Grey Barnard; James Earle Fraser; Brummer and the Brummer Gallery; studying at Chaumiere and Collarosi; working with Brancusi; meeting Sandy Calder in Paris; Stuart Davis; Morris Kantor; Andrée Ruellan; his work, "Sphere"; reacting against Brancusi; Eugene Schoen's; his Carnegie Hall studio; Michio Ito; Martha Graham; Buckminster Fuller; traveling in China and Japan; meeting Chi Pai Shi; John Becker; his works, "Play Mountain," "Monument to the Plow," "Monument to Ben Franklin," and "Orpheus" for Balanchine; designing for the stage; Audrey McMahon; Harry Hopkins; Holger Cahill; Mexico; Diego Rivera; Miguel Covarrubias; and the Artists Union.
DECEMBER 10, 1973 Session: His reaction to the Spanish Civil War- avoided direct involvement; Stuart Davis; Gorky; Andre Breton; David Hare; Marcel Duchamp; John Graham; Julien Levy; his artist friends dying at the peak of their success; Leger; Stirling Calder; associating himself with the laboring class; Buckminster Fuller; being American; expanding the possibilities of sculpture; his Associated Press Building project in Rockefeller Center, it being done in stainless steel instead of bronze; John Collier; Japanese-American Citizens League; organizing Nisei Artists and Writers Mobilization for Democracy; Jeanne Reynal; going to Poston, Ariz. to assist with American Indian Service camp under John Collier and becoming an internee there; returning to New York in 1942; Bollingen Foundation; trip around the world in 1949; and Philip Guston.
DECEMBER 18, 1973 session: Best work in studio; reaction against expressionism; artists protesting against the Establishment; his objection to the WPA, influenced by William Zorach; exhibiting in group show called, "Fourteen Americans at the Museum of Modern Art"; show at Egan Gallery in 1949; accepting art in its most aesthetically pure form without reference to social issues; movement in Japan since war to get away from refinement of Japan; Yoshiro Hiro responsible for Gutai and the happenings; his work, "Monument to Heroes," using bones; his work takes years to do; materials used in his work; his work, "Cronos"; doing theater stage sets for the Library of Congress including, "Appalachian Spring" and "Herodiade"; wants a given space which he can call his own and do something with it, has to be a work of art.
DECEMBER 26, 1973 Session: Show with Charles Egan in 1948 arranged by de Kooning; applying to the Bollingen Foundation to write a book on leisure, which was never written; traveling to Italy, Egypt, and India for two years; being removed from the New York scene with Franz Kline and de Kooning; his light objects; sculpture as environment; respect for material; Mondrian and his art deriving from nature; his time in Japan in 1931; visiting Japan in 1951; working in stone; projects in Japan; Taniguchi; Antonin Raymond; designing Japanese gardens; discovery of Zen; Hasegawa Saburo; Skidmore; Hans Knoll; Edison Price; Italy in the 1960s; Peter Gregory; Henry Moore; Louis Kahn; UNESCO; Noguchi Foundation and Plaza Company; Shoji; Eleanor Ward; and his autobiography, "A Sculptor's World."
Biographical / Historical:
Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) was a Japanese American sculptor based in Long Island City, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 7 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hrs., 25 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are 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.
Topic:
Asian American art  Search this
Asian American artists  Search this
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century  Search this
Sculpture, American  Search this
Gardens, Japanese  Search this
Japanese American art  Search this
Japanese American artists  Search this
Asian American sculptors  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.noguch73
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw970de0eb2-280b-4f18-b6d9-a56d957ed476
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-noguch73
Online Media:

Art Front, 1934-1937

Creator:
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Subject:
Baron, Herman  Search this
Citation:
Art Front, 1934-1937. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
Art and state  Search this
Federal aid to public welfare  Search this
Art publishing  Search this
Theme:
Art organizations  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)5779
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)208618
AAA_collcode_artiunio2
Theme:
Art organizations
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_208618

Holger Cahill papers, 1910-1993, bulk 1910-1960

Creator:
Cahill, Holger, 1887-1960  Search this
Subject:
Brown, Samuel Joseph  Search this
De Rivera, José Ruiz  Search this
Hopkins, Harry Lloyd  Search this
Halpert, Edith Gregor  Search this
Abbott, Berenice  Search this
Rowan, Edward Beatty  Search this
Scaravaglione, Concetta  Search this
Speck, Walter  Search this
Ward, Lynd  Search this
Weisenborn, Rudolph  Search this
Morris, Carl  Search this
Segal, George  Search this
Olds, Elizabeth  Search this
Roosevelt, Eleanor  Search this
Knaths, Karl  Search this
Miller, Dorothy Canning  Search this
American Federation of Arts  Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Cartoonists Guild  Search this
Federal Art Project (U.S.)  Search this
Federal Theatre Project (U.S.)  Search this
Federal Music Project (U.S.)  Search this
Index of American Design  Search this
American Council of Learned Societies  Search this
New York World's Fair (1939-1940 : New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Shakers  Search this
American Artists' Congress  Search this
United States. Work Projects Administration  Search this
The Design Laboratory (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Treasury Relief Art Project  Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this
Type:
Prints
Government records
Interviews
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Slides (photographs)
Photograph albums
Drawings
Place:
United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945
United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945
Citation:
Holger Cahill papers, 1910-1993, bulk 1910-1960. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Federal aid to the public welfare  Search this
Art and state  Search this
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this
Public officers  Search this
Theme:
New Deal  Search this
Research and writing about art  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)6730
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)208855
AAA_collcode_cahiholg
Theme:
New Deal
Research and writing about art
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_208855
Online Media:

Lou Block papers, 1936-1938

Creator:
Block, Lou, 1895-1969  Search this
Federal Art Project (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Subject:
Index of American Design  Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
American Artists' Congress  Search this
Place:
United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945
Citation:
Lou Block papers, 1936-1938. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
New Deal, 1933-1939 -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Federal aid to the arts -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art and state -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Federal aid to public welfare -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Mural painting and decoration, American  Search this
African American artists  Search this
Theme:
African American  Search this
New Deal  Search this
Patronage  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)6746
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)208871
AAA_collcode_bloclou
Theme:
African American
New Deal
Patronage
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_208871

Harry Gottlieb papers, 1910-1982

Creator:
Gottlieb, Harry, 1895-1992  Search this
Summit Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Subject:
Kuniyoshi, Yasuo  Search this
Solman, Joseph  Search this
Kent, Rockwell  Search this
American Society of Painters, Sculptors and Gravers  Search this
Artists Equity Association  Search this
Artists League of America  Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
New York WPA Artists, Inc.  Search this
American Artists' Congress  Search this
Citation:
Harry Gottlieb papers, 1910-1982. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Art front  Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States -- Political aspects  Search this
Screen process printing  Search this
Serigraphy -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Trade-unions and the arts -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Prints -- Technique  Search this
Theme:
Diaries  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)7190
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209327
AAA_collcode_gottharr
Theme:
Diaries
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209327

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