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.
(general mailings and printed matter about the Congress, bylaws and reports; arrangements for speakers, with copy of Kent's address, and letter to Margaret Bourke-White with summary of what Kent intended to say in their joint radio broadcast, "Should Artists Organize?"; notification of election to executive board; Kent's statement on Metropolitan Museum of Art's trade relations with Germany; exhibitions sponsored by AAC; Spanish Civil War; see also Artists League of America, and The Artists Union)
Collection 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.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Rockwell Kent papers, circa 1840-1993, bulk 1935-1961. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
This series contains 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 distributorships for grain, feed, and farm implements.
Letters to Rockwell Kent from wives Frances and Sally (Shirley Johnstone), sealed during Sally's lifetime, became available for research in 2000 and were microfilmed later on reels 5740-5741.
Arrangement note:
File titles are, in most cases, those used by Rockwell and Sally Kent, with some minor changes for consistency. The Kents' filing system included a "Miscellaneous" designation for each letter of the alphabet, used for single items or small quantities not requiring separate folders. To facilitate access and for ease of microfilm use, contents of the miscellaneous folders have been interfiled in sequence.
Material is arranged alphabetically, usually by the name of the individual or organization represented, though some file titles represent subjects or occasions (e.g., "Spanish Causes" and "Birthday").
Records are arranged chronologically within each file; brief summaries are provided for many titles, usually where there is a significant amount of material. Cross-referencing is supplied where possible to indicate areas of overlap, inconsistencies in filing, or name changes; references are to other file titles within this series.
The bulk of this series has been digitized. Material of very specialized or limited interest (e.g. banking records, dairy immunization records, employee tax records, dog licenses etc.) has not been digitized.
Collection 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.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Rockwell Kent papers, circa 1840-1993, bulk 1935-1961. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
(correspondence with Philip Evergood, Harry Gottleib, Charles Keller, Lynd Ward, and other officers of ALA about: exhibitions; Kent's catalog introductions and articles for the newsletter; typography; criticisms of organization of WPA Federal Arts section; ALA's Victory Workshop; unions; artists' rights, particularly copyright and reproduction rights; discussion of ALA programs, publications, and organizational problems; Young Artists League; national politics; and printed matter, including publications of various ALA chapters)
Collection 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.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Rockwell Kent papers, circa 1840-1993, bulk 1935-1961. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
(includes: invitations to speak; letters from chapters detailing their plans and activities; Kent's ideas about how to organize the union's hierarchy; appeal by Kent for the support in his dispute with U.S. government over its right to alter his mural; printed matter)
Collection 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.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Rockwell Kent papers, circa 1840-1993, bulk 1935-1961. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
(correspondence about exhibition of Seckar's paintings, Artists League of America, mutual friends, writings of Kent and Seckar, politics, and car accident; see also: Artists League of America)
Collection 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.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Rockwell Kent papers, circa 1840-1993, bulk 1935-1961. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
(correspondence about: Artists League of America, World War II, Kent family news; news of Norman Barr in the service, through his mother, Louise)
Collection 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.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Rockwell Kent papers, circa 1840-1993, bulk 1935-1961. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Writings, art work, miscellaneous items, and photographs were received from the Estate of Sally Kent Gorton in 2001. Although not physically integrated with the main portion of the collection, this addition to the Rockwell Kent papers is described with the appropriate series in the online edition of the finding aid.
Writings consist of Kent's continuation of his autobiography It's Me, O Lord! (1995). The unpublished 185 page manuscript written between 1955 and 1971 recounts the artist's travels, exhibitions, and political activities during the 1950s and 1960s. Among the art work there are many drawings and sketches in pencil and ink, of miscellaneous subjects and various projects circa 1920-1939 including figure studies, landscapes and illustrations for various books by Kent. Also included are a color lithograph study for a war poster, circa 1941, and Kent's 1968 costume and set designs for Benjamin Britten's opera Peter Grimes, along with a recording of Peter Grimes and its libretto. Photographs of people include formal and informal portraits of Rockwell Kent, Kent with others, and each of his wives; other individuals portrayed are Ted R. Lambert and Eugene Vuchatich. Other subjects include views of Asgaard Farm, the rebuilt Kent house at AuSable Forks, NY, and Kent's grave.
Kent presented the manuscripts for most of his books to the USSR, along with the Kent Collection. Included in this series are drafts, notes, and completed manuscripts for monographs, articles, speeches, book reviews, catalog texts and introductory essays, and miscellaneous writings (often unidentified) by Kent. Manuscripts are arranged chronologically, with undated items arranged alphabetically by title. Also included at the end of the series are a small number of manuscripts by other authors.
The unpublished continuation of Kent's autobiography It's Me, O Lord! was received from the estate of his widow, Sally Kent Gorton, 2001.
See Appendix for an itemized list of writings from Series 2.
Arrangement note:
The bulk of this series has been scanned. Poems and political statements written by other authors have not been scanned.
Appendix: Writings from Series 2:
Writings by Rockwell Kent"Men as Animals," 1906-1912
"The False Life," 1906-1912
"True Life," 1906-1912
"A Tragedy of Newfoundland," 1914 (with 1961 revision)
"Alaska Drawings by Rockwell Kent, With a letter from Rockwell Kent to Christian Brinton, M. Knoedler & Co.," 1919
"Greenland for the Painters," 1919
"Art," 1919
"The Tierra del Fuego Journal of Rockwell Kent," 1922
"Voyaging," 1924
"Tristan and Iseult," 1927
"George W. Bellows: His Lithography," 1927
"A Social Evolutionist's View of the War," 1928
Introduction to book about Patagonia, 1931
"Alias Kent by Hogarth, Jr.." 1933
"Rockwellkentiana," 1933
Greenland journal in the form of letters to Frances, 1934-1935
"What Is an American?," 1936
"In the Name of the Great Jehovah," 1936
Van Loon Review, 1937
"What Is an American?" (revised version), 1938
"People's Platform," 1938
"Good Old Loyalty," 1938
"Original Etchings, Lithographs and Woodcuts by American Artists published by the American Artists Group, Inc." (review), 1938
"Introduction by Rockwell Kent to 'Story of the White Collar Worker' by Giacomo Patri," 1940
Introduction to "Portinari and His Art," 1940
"Rockwell Kent: A Short Autobiography," 1940
"Rockwell Kent at Bookshop," 1940
"Statement by Rockwell Kent," 1940
"Introduction to Book on the Work of Candido Portinari," 1940
"Louis Untermeyer," 1940
Love poem to Sally (untitled, illustrated), 1940
"Outline of Address Delivered by Rockwell Kent," 1940
"To Louis and Esther" (poem), 1940
"Christmas 1940" (poem), 1940
"Review of -- Kabloona -- by Gontran de Poncins," 1941
"Portion of Address for Delivery June 5th at National Conference of Social Work, by Rockwell Kent," 1941
"Radio Address, by Rockwell Kent, to Be Delivered at Progressive Librarians Council Broadcast, Sunday, June 22nd," 1941
"Statement on Nazi-Soviet War, by Rockwell Kent," 1941
" 'The Intent of the Artist,' reviewed by Rockwell Kent," 1941
"A Northern Christmas," 1941
"Outline of Address for Fourth American Writers Congress," 1941
"Editorial for -- Junior Guide -- of International Workers Order," 1941
"Introduction to Book-Plate Catalog," 1941
"Article for Adirondack Mountain Club, Inc. Year Book," 1941
"Introduction for Catalog of American Library of Color Slides," 1941
"Statement for American Council on Soviet Relations," 1941
"To Sally" (illustrated poem), 1941
"Article for UOPWA News," 1942
"Introduction to Catalog of Rockwell Kent Exhibition at the Wildenstein Galleries," 1942
"Tierra del Fuego," 1942
Article for -- Script -- , 1942
"Introduction to Democracy," 1942
"Statement for Use of Artists League of America," 1942
"Introduction by Rockwell Kent to 'Silk Screen Stenciling as a Fine Art,'" 1942
"On Earth Peace," 1942
"Foreword by Rockwell Kent to -- American Pioneer Arts & Artists -- by Carl Drepperd," 1942
"Article for Use of American Russian Cultural Association Inc. in -- Novosselye -- ," 1942
"WQXR Broadcast 'Other Peoples's Business Program,'" 1943
"Article for Use of the Alumni of the Columbia School of Architecture," 1943
"Art and the People," 1943
"Article for AAA News," 1943
"Statement to AP, UP, -- Herald Tribune, Times, Daily Worker -- on Death of Art Young," 1943
"To Sally" (poem), 1943
"Statement by Rockwell Kent, Famous Landscape and Figure Painter and Wood Engraver, on the Presentation of His Mural-- -- Airplane View of America at Peace-- -- to the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce"
"Article on Art Young, For Use of -- New Masses -- Memorial Number," 1944
"Article for Use of the American Artists Group," 1944
"Memorandum on the Proposed Organization for the Publication of Reproductions of American Art," 1944
" -- Arctic Fish Story -- by Otto Wm. Geist" (book review), 1944
"Article for Use of -- Tomorrow -- ," 1944
"Review of -- Horizon Is Calling -- by Taro Yashima," 1944
"Opening Address, Seventh General Convention, IWO," 1944
Obituary of mother, Sarah Holgate Kent, 1944
"Statement for Use of Philadelphia Council of American-Soviet Friendship," 1944
"To Voters of the Thirty-Third New York Congressional District," 1944
"Introduction ALA Fourth Annual Exhibition Catalog," 1944
"Introduction by Rockwell Kent, -- Drawings by American Artists -- ," 1944
" -- Mathematical Basis of the Arts -- , by Joseph Schillinger, Reviewed by Rockwell Kent," 1944
"We Hold These Truths," 1944
"Review for the -- New Masses -- of Steffanson's -- Greenland -- ," 1944
"Synopsis: -- This Is My Own -- by Rockwell Kent," 1944
"Story for -- Readers Digest -- 'Life in America' Series," 1944
"Greetings to the Red Army & Navy," 1944
"Introduction for -- This Is Our War -- Catalog," 1944
"Art with a Little a," 1944
"Small Town War," 1944
"How Not to Get a Seeder," 1944
"Statement for use of International Workers Order," 1945
"Introduction for Exhibition Catalog," 1945
"Shadows of Evening," 1945
"Stories for -- Readers Digest -- 'Life in America' Series," 1945
"Article for Use of Vet," 1946
"Statement for Use of Artists for Action," 1946
"The Artist in America Today," 1946
"Rockwell Kent Biographical Sketch for Use of General Electric Company," 1946
"Statement for Use of International Workers Order," 1947
"John Trumbull" and "Frederick Remington," supplementary text for -- World Famous Paintings -- , 1947
"To Thee" (history of the Rahr Malting Co.), 1947
"We Hold These Truths" (articles for use of -- Fraternal Outlook -- ), 1948
" -- The Mathematical Basis of the Arts -- , by Joseph Schillinger, Reviewed by R.K. for -- Music News -- ," 1948
"Radio Script--O. John Rogge Program, Tuesday, July 12, 1948, Introduction by Rockwell Kent," 1948
"An Artist in Politics," 1948
"Text of Address to Be Given by Rockwell Kent at Meeting of Business and Professional Women's Club, Plattsburgh, N.Y.," 1948
"Radio Script, Rockwell Kent Address at Skidmore College Forum," 1948
"Radio Address to Be Given by Rockwell Kent, American Labor Party Candidate for Congress, 33d District, New York," 1948
"Radio Script, Christmas Greetings from Rockwell Kent for Arthur Gaeth Program," 1948
"Wallace Speech," 1948
"To Voters of the Thirty-Third New York Congressional District," 1948
"Rsum of Still-Born Address to World Congress for Peace, Paris, 1949," 1949
"Statement on Conviction of the Twelve by Rockwell Kent (for Use of the International Workers Order)," 1949
"We Hold These Truths" (articles for use by -- Fraternal Outlook -- ), 1949
"Introduction by Rockwell Kent to -- Southern Cross -- , by Lawrence O. Hyde," 1950
"We Hold These Truths" (article for use of the -- Fraternal Outlook -- ), 1950
"Article for Use of VOKS," 1950
"Copy for Sabattis Ranch Booklet (Rough Draft)," 1950
"Radio Address Delivered by Rockwell Kent Sunday, April 15, 1950, Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.," 1950
"Greetings from Rockwell Kent to the Congress of the Peoples for Peace," 1952
Article for Use of International Workers Order, 1952
"Stenographic Record of a Meeting of the VOKS Section of Fine Arts," 1953
"Statement by Rockwell Kent" (re: McCarthy hearings), 1953
"Christmas Record 1953," 1953
"Place Card Poems--New Year's Eve, 1953," 1953
"Silas Timberman -- , by Howard Fast, Reviewed by Rockwell Kent for Use of -- New World Review -- ," 1954
"Realism in Art by Sidney Finkelstein, Reviewed by Rockwell Kent for Use of -- Masses & Mainstream -- ," 1954
Unpublished continuation of autobiography, -- It's Me, O Lord! -- (1955), recounting the artist's travels, exhibitions and political activities during the 1950s and 1960s, circa 1955-1971
"Article for Publication in the USSR," 1957
"Article for Use of -- New World Review -- ," 1957
"Article for Use of -- New World Review -- ," 1958
Trip Book (diary detailing trip to USSR), 1958
"Article for Use of -- Standard Times -- (New Bedford, Mass.)," 1959
"Of Men and Mountains," 1959
"Remarks for Tolstoi Jubilee," 1960
"Gift of Peace--An Account of Rockwell Kent's Presentation of a Collection of His Works to the People of the Soviet Union," 1961
"Article for Use of -- New World Review -- ," 1962
"Statement for November 26th Meeting, NCASF, by Rockwell Kent," 1962
"To Major Gherman Titov, Greeting!" 1962
"World Conference on Disarmament and Peace--Statement by Rockwell Kent," 1962
"Message for November 28th Carnegie Hall Meeting of National Council of American-Soviet Friendship from Rockwell Kent," undated
"The Missing Lynx, New Light on Human Nature, Told by the Lynx. (`Might Is Right und Lynx Ist Rechts'.)," undated
"The Most Unforgettable Character I Have Ever Met," undated
"Notes by Rockwell Kent for Use of Miss Marie B. Ryan, Editor of the -- Sketch Book of Kappa pi -- in an Article Titled: `The Things I Wish They'd Taught Me'," undated
"Nuremberg--And After," undated
"On Being Famous," undated
"On the Writings of Rockwell Kent," undated
"Original Page of -- Salamina -- Manuscript," undated
"Preface," undated
"Preface to the Monhegan Edition," undated
"Proposal for the Solution of the Liquor Problem," undated
"Review, by Rockwell Kent, of -- The Game of Death -- ," undated
"Review of -- Eskimo -- , by Peter Freuchen," undated
"Rockwell Kent," undated
"Rockwell Kent Biographical Data," undated
" -- Salome -- , by Oscar Wilde. -- Inventions -- , by John Vassos. -- The Marriage of Heaven and Hell -- , by William Blake" (book review), undated
"A Second Preface--Eleven Years Later," undated
"Speech for Opening of Exhibition," undated
"Statement for November 26th Meeting, NCASF," undated
"Statement for Use of National Council for American-Soviet Friendship," undated
"Statement for Use of the Teachers Union," undated
"Statement on 'American Art Today,'" undated
"Statement on the Arrest of the Communist Leaders," undated
"Story for -- Reader's Digest -- 'Life in America' Series," undated
"Text for -- The Lovers -- , Wood Engraving by Rockwell Kent" undated
"Unpublished Manuscript," undated
"Vegetarianism," undated
"We Hold these Truths" (Article for Use of -- Fraternal Outlook -- , by Rockwell Kent), (2 separate articles), undated
"What Home Means to Me," undated
"When I Was a Teener," undated
"Winslow Homer at Prout's Neck" (draft of book review by Kent), undated
" -- Winslow Homer at Prout's Neck -- , by P. Beam," undated
Greenland Journal -- , undated
"A Voyager's Log, Part II," undated
Wilderness -- , undated
World Famous Paintings -- , undated
Untitled, undated
Poems, undated
Fragments and Miscellaneous Notes, undated
Writings by Sarah Holgate Kent [mother]"The Little I Know of My Ancestors. As Far Back As I Can Remember," 1941
Writings by Sally Kent (Gorton)"Monhegan Notebook," 1950
"Article for R.K. Memorial Booklet--First Rough Draft," 1971
"Article for Rockwell Kent Memorial Portfolio," 1971
" -- Bulgaria Today: The Land and the People -- , by William Cary" (review), 1971
"Greeting for World Peace Council Meeting, Budapest--First Rough," 1971
"Greeting in Memory of Rockwell Kent for World Peace Council, Meeting in Budapest--3d Best," 1971
"Greeting in Memory of Rockwell Kent for World Peace Council, Meeting in Budapest--2d Best," 1971
"The Happiest Day," 1971
Drafts of Memoir ("Introduction," "Living on and off--The Land!," "Memoirs," "Chapter I--Save, Use," "First Chapter--Passages to Add Perhaps," "Chapter 2," "1971 Later--31 Years Later," "Use," "July 3, 1972"), 1971
Memoir Notes ("Monhegan Notes," "Notes and Quotes for Use in Book--'Rockwell Kent--Some Fireside Reminiscences,' " "Possibly for Use," "Random Notes," "R.K. on Homes"), 1971
"Suggested Copy: -- New York Times -- Ad to Be Sponsored by Committee of Concerned Citizens" ("Rockwell Kent's Engagement with Life"--Draft), 1971
"Rockwell Kent's Engagement with Life for Use of -- American Dialogue -- ," 1971
"Rockwell Kent--Glimpses" (notes), 1971
"The Making of -- It's Me, O Lord -- , Draft," 1974
"The Making of -- It's Me, O Lord -- For Use in -- The Kent Collector -- ," 1974
"And Now Monhegan Again!," 1977
"The Jay Taxpayers Association in 1933: A Good Fight," 1977
"Muddling Through" (shorthand), 1978
"Dedication Words" (notes, some in shorthand), 1978
"Rockwell Kent Gallery Dedication Words," 1978
"Story" (shorthand), 1978
"Story 'In the Drawer' for Time Being," 1978
"The Happiest Day," undated
Poem, undated
Writings by Others About KentReviews of Books by Rockwell Kent, 1931-1941
Poems, undated
"The Beautiful American," undated
"Biographical Notes--Rockwell Kent," undated
" -- It's Me, O Lord -- , Introduction, On Rockwell Kent and His Autobiography," undated
"Kent--The Writer," undated
"Message by Y. A. Malik on the Occasion of the Opening of the Exhibition of Soviet and American Prints," undated
"Part One, Books Written and Illustrated by Rockwell Kent, by Dan Burne Jones," undated
Collection 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.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Rockwell Kent papers, circa 1840-1993, bulk 1935-1961. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The papers of the painter, photographer, printmaker, and teacher Joseph Kaplan measure 4.8 linear feet and date from 1915-1977. The bulk of the collection consists of printed material, specifically exhibition catalogs. Also found are a large number of photographs taken of and by Kaplan. The papers also include biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, and artwork. There is a 0.3 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2021 that includes travel slides taken in Mexico and Provincetown, Massachusetts by Joseph Kaplan, circa 1940-1950, and a photograph of Kaplan by Arnold Newman, circa 1950.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of the painter, photographer, printmaker, and teacher Joseph Kaplan measure 4.8 linear feet and date from 1915-1977. The bulk of the collection consists of printed material, specifically exhibition catalogs. Also found are a large number of photographs taken of and by Kaplan. The papers also include biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, and artwork. There is a 0.3 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2021 that includes travel slides taken in Mexico and Provincetown, Massachusetts by Joseph Kaplan, circa 1940-1950, and a photograph of Kaplan by Arnold Newman, circa 1950.
Biographical material contains a few of Kaplan's personal documents, a number of certificates and medals he recieved during his lifetime, a travel itinerary notebook, and a few hand-written notes.
Kaplan's correspondence is primarily from colleagues, art organizations, galleries, museums, and colleges and universities such as the Corcoran Gallery of Art, National Academy of Design, and Audubon Artists, inc. Also found are letters from friends and colleagues such as Chaim Gross, Adolph Gottlieb, Raphael Soyer, Louis Lozowick, Milton Avery, and Sol Wilson, as well as a large number of letters to his wife Virginia written during his travels.
Personal business records concern Kaplan's art sales, loans, exhibition notifications, and his involvment in the WPA. His artwork is documented in price lists and inventory lists. Some of the material consists of routine transactions not necessarily related to Kaplan's work, including bank records, an address list, and income and expense reports.
Printed Material includes news clippings, exhibition catalogs, exhibition annoucenments, and invitations for Kaplan shows. There are a few published copies and page proofs of Kaplan's commerical artwork.
Artwork includes four Kaplan etchings, three of which are metal plates and one linoleum block. Also included are a few unidentified pen and pencil sketches.
Photographs depict Kaplan, mainly later in his life, and his family. Also found are four of Virginia Kaplan's photograph albums containing images of her and friends from early adulthood. Photographs of Kaplan's friends and colleagues include images of Aya and Eitaro Ishigaki, Chaim Gross, Raphael Soyer, William Gropper, and Joseph De Martini. Also included are photographs taken by Kaplan of New York City, his travels, and artist demonstrations. There are also a large number of photographs of Kaplan's artwork.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 7 series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1919-1975 (Box 1, 5, OV 7; 0.3 linear feet)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1929-circa 1975 (Box 1, OV 7; 0.4 linear feet)
Series 3: Personal Business Records, circa 1920-1977 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 4: Printed Material, 1915-1975 (Box 1, 2, 3, OV 7; 2.3 linear feet)
Series 5: Artwork, circa 1940-circa 1960 (Box 3, 5; 2 folders)
Series 6: Photographic Material, 1917-circa 1975 (Box 4, 6, OV 7; 1.3 linear feet)
Series 7: Unprocessed Addition, circa 1940-1950 (Box 8, OV 9; 0.3 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Joseph Kaplan (1900-1980) was a painter, printmaker, photographer, and teacher who worked primarly in New York and Provincetown. He was most active in the 1940s through the 1950s. Earlier in his career he worked on several WPA Federal Art Projects and Treasury Relief Art Projects.
Joseph Kaplan was born in Minsk, Russia and immigrated with his family to the United States in 1888 at the age of 12. He married Virginia Haber in 1927 and they had no children.
Kaplan studied at the Eductional Alliance Art School and the Art Students League. He went to Provincetown in the mid-twenties as a student of Charles W. Hawthorne with whom he previously studied with at the National Academy of Design. Afterwards he revisited Provincetown intermittently and began to regard the Cape as his summer studio, working there each summer since 1948.
In 1948 he won the first of many gold medals from the Audubon Artists at the National Academy of Design for a marine painting. He was also the first recipient of the John J. Newman Memorial Medal, given by the National Society of Painters in Casein for his Wellfleet, Low Tide. The Shore Studios in Provincetown, the Harry Salpeter Gallery and then Krasner Gallery in New York City represented Kaplan's artwork.
Kaplan predominantly worked in watercolor and oil paint, depicting landscapes and seascapes, and becoming acclaimed as a Colorist and Romanticist. He occasionally painted figures and, as he gained recognition, he traveled extensively in search for subjects. In 1968 Kaplan recieved a grant from Chapelbrook Foundation to live and work for a year in Mexico.
Kaplan's work was included frequently in group exhibitions and he participated in more then 30 major shows in his lifetime. Throughout his career he was a member of many art organizations including Artists League of America, Audubon Artists, Provincetown Art Association, and Cape Cod Art Association. He was continually active in the art life in Provincetown serving as board members, trustees, and judges. He also occasionally taught at art schools including the American Artist School and John Reed Club, and taught a number of private pupils.
Joseph Kaplan died on February 28th, 1980 at the age of 79 in Brewster, Massachusetts.
Separated Materials:
307 nitrate negatives donated to the Archives of American Art with the Joseph Kaplan papers have been removed and are stored in off-site storage. Negatives were duplicated onto safety based film and only select prints were made.
Provenance:
The Joseph Kaplan papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Marilyn Kearney in 1981. Additional papers were donated by Deborah Meyer in 2021.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Provincetown Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Topic:
Photographers -- Massachusetts -- Provincetown Search this
This series consists of personal and work-related correspondence (primarily incoming correspondence) between Cahill and various friends and colleagues. While a large portion of the series documents Cahill's position as Director of the FAP, it also extends beyond those years and illuminates other aspects of Cahill's career including his interest in folk and Asian art, and his work as an art critic.
There is significant correspondence with the artist Stanton MacDonald Wright between 1936 and 1950, and with the artist Irene Pereira between 1950 and 1953. The series also documents research which Cahill conducted in the late 1940s on the development of the Index of American Design for his introduction to a book on the Index by the National Gallery of Art, published by the Macmillan Company. Correspondence from 1949 provides another angle on the historical details of the FAP through lengthy correspondence documenting Cahill's criticism of William Francis McDonald's book Federal Relief Administration and the Arts (Ohio State University Press, 1969).
There is a large amount of correspondence from July 1960 comprising sympathy letters to Dorothy C. Miller following Cahill's death. Correspondence from 1977 encloses a catalog of an exhibition organized by New York WPA Artists, Inc., at the Parsons School of Design in November 1977. The exhibition, New York City WPA Art, was dedicated to the memory of Holger Cahill.
See Appendix for a list of correspondents (with the exception of those microfilmed on reel 1105) in Series 2
Appendix: Correspondents in Series 2:
Abbott, Berenice: 1944 (letter to the Editor)
Abbott, John: [1946]
Abell, Walter ( -- Canadian Art): -- 1943-1944 (2 letters)
Adams, Charles C.: 1940
Alcopley, Mr.: [1952] (including typescript "Pictures of Alcopley" by Saburo Hasegawa); 1953-1960 (4 letters)
Alsberg, Henry G. (Director, Federal Writers' Projects): 1936 (4 letters)
American Council of Learned Societies: 1949
American Federation of Arts: 1949-1952 (3 letters)
American Folk Art Gallery: 1941
American Heritage: 1954
American Swedish Historical Foundation: 1949
Andrews, Robert Armstrong and Eleanor: [1960], undated
Art in America: 1953
Artists For Victory: [1942]
Artists League of America: 1945
Artists Union of Massachusetts: 1936 (telegram to President Roosevelt)
Arts Council of Japanese Americans for Democracy: 1944
Ashton, Dore: [1960]
Bach, Richard F. (Metropolitan Museum): 1924 and 1950
Bailey, Herbert: 1972 (letter from Naomi Bliven)
Baker, Donald: [1936]
Baker, Jacob (WPA): 1935-1960, undated (10 letters)
Barach, Frederica (Writers' War Board): 1944
Barker, Virgil and Ida: 1945-1960 (4 letters)
Barnard College: 1951 (2 letters)
Barr, Alfred H., Jr. (Museum of Modern Art): 1935-1960 (16 letters)
Barr, Tony: 1960
Batten, Barton, Durstine & Osborn, Inc.: 1950
Baur, John (Brooklyn Museum): 1946-1960 (6 letters)
Winchester, Alice ( -- Antiques -- Magazine): 1950-1951 (6 letters)
Winser, Beatrice: 1924-1944 (6 letters)
Winter, Anna K. (antiques dealer): 1935
Wisconsin: State Historical Society of Wisconsin: 1939
Woodstock Artists Association: 1960
Woodward, Ellen S.: 1936-1938 (3 letters)
Worcester, Wakefield (architect): 1936
Wright, Russell (industrial designer): [1960]
Wyn: A. A. Wyn, Inc.: 1951
Youngerman, Jack: 1960
Zegri, Armando (Galeria Sudamericana): 1960
Zimmerman, Fred and Dorothy: [1960]
Zorach, William: 1936-1960 (3 letters)
Collection Restrictions:
The microfilm of this collection has been digitized and is available online via the Archives of American Art website.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Holger Cahill papers, 1910-1993, bulk 1910-1960. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the digitization of the microfilm of this collection was provided by Jane Blumenfeld.
American Society of Painters, Sculptors and Gravers
Arms, John Taylor
Artists League of America
Avery, Milton
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Abraham Walkowitz papers, 1904-1969. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation of American Art
Includes letters of Max Weber, José de Creeft, Thomas Hart Benton, and Carol Janeway
Collection Restrictions:
The collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Hugo Gellert papers, 1916-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
Box 3, folders 37-41 include letters of Rockwell Kent, Chester Price, John Taylor Arms, Marie Kirkwood, Jim Eglern, Thomas C. Parker, and Erwin Barrie
Collection Restrictions:
The collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Hugo Gellert papers, 1916-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
This series contains the correspondence of Hugo Gellert. Most of the correspondence is of a professional nature, related to Gellert's activities as an artist, political organizer, and activist. Correspondents include artists, friends, family members, Communist Party and Popular Front leaders, labor union leaders, federal art programs personnel, writers, historians, publishers, Hungarian cultural and political figures, and fellow activists. Significant correspondents in this series include Maurice Becker, William Patterson, Floyd Dell, Philip Evergood, Howard Fast, Mike Gold, Robert Gwathmey, and Rockwell Kent.
Letters from individuals involved in leftist political organizations and activities are common throughout the series. In addition to Gellert's fellow Communists and Socialists, a wide variety of political groups are represented, including those concerned with artists' employment and welfare issues, anti-fascist organizations, organized labor, watchdog groups and defense committees for civil liberties during the McCarthy era, advocates for jailed Mexican artist David Siqueiros, and American civil rights groups. Also found is correspondence with editors of publications for which Gellert supplied illustrations, and letters concerning exhibitions and murals.
Noteworthy items found in correspondence include a lengthy letter written by John Dos Passos enclosed with a circa 1930s letter from Carlo Tresca, a draft of an essay by Carl Sandburg with a 1942 letter, and an original New Year's card by Gellert for 1951. Drafts of outgoing letters from 1946 contain a number of sketches of Australian landscapes by Gellert.
See Appendix for names of selected individuals, organizations, and publications found in Series 2.
Arrangement note:
Letters received are interfiled with drafts of outgoing letters in chronological order. Undated correspondence that can be estimated within a decade is filed at the end of each decade with "circa" dates. Additional undated correspondence is filed at the end of the series. Outgoing drafts are common in correspondence and often have estimated dates.
Additional correspondence is found in the Organizational Records series. Additional cards made by Gellert are filed with Artwork. See series description for further details.
Appendix: Selected Individuals, Organizations, and Publications in Series 2:
The following is an index to selected individuals, publications, and organizations represented in the Correspondence in Series 2. This index is not comprehensive.
Additional correspondence is found with Series 4, Organizational Records, and is described in the container listing for that series. Letters which were mass mailings from dozens of political organizations can also be found in Series 5, Printed Materials.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): 1935 (Lucille Milner)
American Committee Against Fascist Oppression in Germany: 1934 (Louis Gibarti)
American Committee for the Protection of the Foreign Born: 1962 (Annette Provinzano)
American League against War and Fascism: 1937 (Albert Prentis)
American Magazine -- : 1935
American Russian Institute: 1952 (Irene Miller, Holland Roberts)
Americans for Democratic Action: 1956 (Edward D. Hollander)
An American Group: 1940 (to Clifton Woodrum)
Aptheker, Herbert: 1959
Arms, John Taylor: 1952 (see also Series 4)
Artists Conference of the Americas: 1939
Artists League of America: 1942 (Dan Koerner)
Artists' Cooperative Group: 1943 (B. Nuno)
Association des Ecrivants et Artistes Revolutionnaries: 1933 (R. Ginsburger)
Balch, Earle: 1932
Bauch, Solomon "Stan": 1941
Becker, Maurice: 1951-1953, 1961, undated
Berkowitz, Harry: 1954
Bonnett, Clarence E.: 1937
Bramer, Nan: 1952
Breines, Simon: 1947, 1971
Bromsen, Archibald: 1940 (labor lawyer)
Brook, Alex: 1939
Buck, Pearl: 1953
Caswell, Edward: 1960
Chiostergi, Alessandro L.: 1937
Citizen's Committee for Constitutional Liberties: 1962 (Miriam Friedlander)
Granich, Mike (a.k.a. Mike Gold, born Irving Granich): 1956
Greenbaum, Dorothea: 1940 (Sculptor's Guild)
Gropper, William: 1951
Gwathmey, Robert: 1959, undated
Hall, Rob: 1952
Hardy, Lewis: 1955
Harris, Marguerite Tjader: 1942
Hars, Laszlo: 1953, 1955
Hartley, Paul: 1944 (National Art Foundation)
Hecht, Rosa: 1955
Henri Barbusse Memorial Committee: 1937
Hollander, Edward D.: 1956
International Bureau of Revolutionary Artists: 1935-1936 (Alfred Durus, a.k.a. Alfred Kemeny)
Joint Committee to Defend WPA Workers: 1941, 1942 (Ronald Shilen)
Jones, Alec: 1955, 1958
Kantor, Sam: 1953
Karolyi, Michael, Count: 1941, 1946
Kauffer, Edward McKnight: 1945
Kent, Rockwell: 1937, 1944, 1952-1953 (See also Series 4)
Klonsky, Bob: 1955
Koerner, Dan: 1942
Kohn, Robert D.: 1935 (architect)
Kovalski, Stanislaw: 1955 (Polish embassy)
Ksnyik, Andras: 1978
Laffitte, Jean: 1955
Lie, Jonas: 1939
Lorber, Dr. Herman "Harry": circa 1930s
Mabry, Thomas D.: 1942 (Graphics Div, Office of War Information)
Macagy, Jermayne: 1955
Magyar Jövo -- (Hungarian Daily Journal): 1952 (Alex Rosner), 1953
Mainstream -- : 1962
Maldonado, R.: 1978 (Smithsonian Labor History Project)
Manship, Paul: 1939, undated
Marceau, Henri: 1946
Marquardt, Virginia: 1978
Maruki, Toshiko and Iri: 1960
Masses and Mainstream -- : 1952 (Samuel Sillen), 1954 (Joe)
McNeil, Alan D: 1955
Michelson, Herman: 1934
Milner, Lucile: 1935
Moore, Sam: 1953
Nagy, Janos: 1956
National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors: 1940 (Bianca Todd)
National Council of American Soviet Friendship: 1943 (Hannah Dorner)
National Council of the Arts, Sciences, and Professions: 1952 (Nan Bramer)
National Maritime Union: 1944 (Louis Oguss, M. Hedley Stone)
New Masses -- : 1934 (Sean, Herman Michelson)
New World Review -- : 1952 (Jessica Smith)
New York Committee for the Protection of the Foreign Born: 1955 (Alec Jones)
Nuno, B.: 1943
Oguss, Louis: 1944
Oldham, John and Ray: circa 1930s
Ottley, Roi: 1943 (National CIO Committee)
Patrás, Pal: 1955
Patterson, William L.: 1953-1954
People's World -- : 1956 (W.J. Decker)
Perlo, Ellen: 1984
Perrot, Paul: 1960 (Corning Museum)
Philadelphia Forum of Social Sciences: 1955 (Bob Klonsky)
Popper, Lilly: 1953-1954
Prentis, Albert: 1937
Provisional Workers and People's Committee for May Day: 1955 (Morris Gainer), 1960 (Max Rosen)
Putnam and Sons: 1935 (Quintin Rossi)
Reed, Alman: 1955
Reisman, Philip: 1962, circa 1960s
Rickey, George: 1937
Rosen, Max: 1955
Rosner, A.: 1952, 1959
Rosner, Deak: 1955
Rossen, John: 1955
Rossi, Quintin: 1935
Royce, Edward: 1955
Sandburg, Carl: 1942
Sapiro, Aaron: 1932
Schappes Defense Committee: 1941 (Morris U. Shappes)
Schoen, Eugene: 1932, 1934
Schwartz, Morris: 1951
Selsam: 1951
Sequenzia, Sofia: 1983
Shields, T.A. "Art": 1959
Shillen, Ronald: 1942
Siegelbaum, Portia: 1978
Sillen, Samuel: 1952
Smith, Jessica: 1952
Soglow, Otto: 1942
Solomon: Dave: 1954 (New Talents Gallery), 1956
Starobin, Joseph: 1955
Steffens, Lincoln: 1934 (journalist)
Stone, M. Hedley: 1944
Street, Julian Jr.: 1940
Tandy, W. Lou: 1953
Time -- : 192-
Todd, Bianca: 1940 (See also Series 4)
Tresca, Carlo: circa 1930s (anarchist)
Turner, Jeannette S.: 1957-1960
Tyler, Hugh: 1939 (WPA)
Vallon, Jose: 1934
Van Rensselaer, Sylvia: 1944 ("Portrait of America Competition" report)
Weber, Max: 1953 (See also Series 4)
Weyhe Gallery: 1947
Wilson, Steve: 1959 (Progressive Lithographers)
The Worker -- : 1952 (Rob Hall)
World Council of Peace: 1955 (Jean Laffitte)
World -- : 1925
Zigrosser, Carl: 1937
Zorach, Bill: 1942
Zundel, Eugenia: 1957, 1959
Zurier, Rebecca: 1984, circa 1980s
Collection Restrictions:
The collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Hugo Gellert papers, 1916-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
