Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Search Results

Collections Search Center
72 documents - page 1 of 4

Andrew Carnduff Ritchie papers

Creator:
Ritchie, Andrew Carnduff  Search this
Names:
Allied Forces. Supreme Headquarters. Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section  Search this
College Art Association of America  Search this
Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Yale University. Art Gallery  Search this
Afro, 1912-1976  Search this
Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976  Search this
Hadzi, Dimitri, 1921-2006  Search this
Lynes, Russell, 1910-1991  Search this
Namuth, Hans  Search this
Paolozzi, Eduardo, 1924-2005  Search this
Ritchie, Jane  Search this
Roszak, Theodore, 1907-1981  Search this
Extent:
10.3 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Date:
1907-1983
Summary:
The papers of museum director, professor, writer, and post-World War II Monuments Men Andrew Carnduff Ritchie measure 10.3 linear feet and date from 1907 to 1983. Found within the papers are biographical material, including materials and photographs concerning his military service in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Section of the U.S. Army; correspondence, including letters from numerous artists; writings; committee and organization files; exhibition and project files, teaching files; printed material; and photographs, including portrait images of Ritchie taken by Hans Namuth.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of museum director, professor, writer, and post-World War II Monuments Men Andrew Carnduff Ritchie measure 10.3 linear feet and date from 1907 to 1983. Found within the papers are biographical material, including materials and photographs concerning his military service in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Section of the U.S. Army; correspondence, including letters from numerous artists; writings; committee and organization files; exhibition and project files, teaching files; printed material; and photographs, including portrait images of Ritchie taken by Hans Namuth.

Biographical materials include birth certificates, passports, academic records, biographical profiles, and awards. There are files documenting Andrew Carnduff Ritchie's post-World War II military service in 1945-1946 as a "Monuments Men" in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFAA) section of the U.S. Army, including correspondence, forms, reports, photographs (including 7 of paintings looted from Holland), and awards. There is also a file on the Fogg conference on the emergency protection of artwork dated 1939-1942 and one file regarding the Frick Collection's orders for protecting art. There is also a folder of material on his wife Jane Ritchie.

Alphabetical and chronological correspondence is with artists, museums, galleries, universities, and colleagues. The bulk of the alphabetical correspondence consists of letters from artists such as Afro, Alexander Calder, Dimitri Hadzi, Russell Lynes, Eduardo Paolozzi, Theodore Roszak, and others. There are also condolence letters addressed to Jane Ritchie. Chronological correspondence includes Ritchie's correspondence on the subject of travels, lectures, projects, and exhibitions.

Writings include one disbound notebook, papers from college and graduate studies, lecture drafts, outlines, and notes. There are a few writings by others.

Committee and organization files document Ritchie's work on advisory panels, trustee boards, councils, board of directors, and committees. There are meeting minutes, bulletins, reports, studies, and correspondence. Some of the more voluminous files include the College Art Association's study on "The Visual Arts in Higher Education" as well as the Museum of Modern Art's committee on museum collections.

Exhibition and project files include correspondence, printed material, photographs, catalogs, and assorted documents. Among the projects and exhibitions in this series are Ritchie's work on the Alfred E. Burr Memorial in Connecticut and the Middelheim Sculpture exhibition.

Teaching files contain correspondence, program outlines, course materials, recommendations, and a few student papers from universities and programs where Ritchie taught, including Yale University Art Gallery.

Printed material consists of news clippings, some of which are arranged by subject, along with articles by Andrew Ritchie, press releases, magazines, bulletins, and a few exhibition catalogs.

Photographs are of Andrew Ritchie, and of friends and artists at various art openings and events. There is one small album of photographs of a birthday party for Jane Ritchie. Also included are photographs of artwork.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as 8 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1907-1978 (0.5 linear feet; Box 1, OV 11)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1928-1983 (2.2 linear feet; Boxes 1-3)

Series 3: Writings, 1927-1978 (2.9 linear feet; Boxes 3-6, OV 11)

Series 4: Committee and Organization Files, 1948-1971 (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 6-7)

Series 5: Exhibition and Project Files, 1949-1978 (1.6 linear feet; Boxes 7-9, OV 12)

Series 6: Teaching Files, 1957-1974 (0.5 linear feet; Box 9)

Series 7: Printed Material, 1928-1978 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 9-10)

Series 8: Photographs, 1935-1982 (O.9 linear feet; Box 10, OV 13)
Biographical / Historical:
Andrew Carnduff Ritchie (1907-1978) was a museum director, professor, and art historian based in New York and Connecticut. He served as director of the Albright Knox Gallery in Buffalo, N.Y., director of Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, and director of the Yale University Art Gallery.

Andrew Carnduff Ritchie was born in Bellshill, Scotland, in 1907 to Andrew and Jeanie Gilchrist Ritchie. The family immigrated to the United States when he was 15 and settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Pittsburgh and received a bachelor's and master of arts degrees in medieval art, and his doctoral degree from the University of London in 1935. That same year, he married Jane Thompson.

From 1935 to 1942, Ritchie was a researcher and lecturer at the Frick Collection in New York City and faculty member at New York University, as well as a visiting lecturer at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.

In 1942, Ritchie was appointed director of the Albright Knox Gallery in Buffalo, New York where he stayed until 1949 when he became the director of Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art.

In 1945-1946, directly following World War II, Ritchie served with the U.S. Army's Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section in Austria and helped with the restitution of art looted by the Nazis, returning paintings and cultural artifacts back to their country of origin. He was later honored by France and the Netherlands for this work.

In 1957, Ritchie accepted the postion of director of the Yale University Art Gallery where he stayed until 1971. While there, he acquired notable works of art for the Gallery's collections by David Smith, Noguchi, and Maillol. Thanks to Ritchie's efforts and guidance, art collector and patron Paul Mellon donated his collection of British art and established the Yale Center for British Studies. In 1971, Ritchie also became the Clark Professor at Williams College, Massachusetts, and, in 1972, he was a visiting professor at the University of Sydney, Australia. Ritchie retired from Yale in 1973.

Ritchie was also awarded honorary doctorates from the University of Pittsburgh and the Royal College of Art in London. He wrote several books over the course of his career and passed away in Canaan, Connecticut, in 1978.
Related Materials:
Among the holding at the Archives of American Art is an interview of Andrew Carnduff Ritchie conducted in 1977 June 16-17 by Paul Cummings.

The Albright-Knox Gallery Archives in Buffalo, New York has a collection of Andrew Carnduff Ritchie papers, which include administrative records and correspondence.
Provenance:
This collection was donated in multiple installments in 1979 and 1981 by Andrew Ritchie's widow, Jane T. Ritchie, and by her estate in 1986. Five letters from Alfred Hamilton Barr to Andrew and Jane Ritchie were donated in 1974 by Andrew Ritchie through Russell Lynes.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. research facility.
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 -- Connecticut -- Canaan  Search this
Educators -- Connecticut -- Canaan  Search this
Topic:
Art treasures in war -- Netherlands -- History -- 20th century  Search this
Art thefts -- Germany -- History -- 20th century  Search this
World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this
Cultural property -- Protection -- Europe -- History -- 20th century  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Museum directors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Citation:
Andrew Carnduff Ritchie papers, 1907-1983. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.ritcandr2
See more items in:
Andrew Carnduff Ritchie papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw910523f76-9281-470c-b230-715fde1947c1
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-ritcandr2
Online Media:

Charles Hapgood papers

Creator:
Hapgood, Charles  Search this
Names:
Collier, John, 1884-1968  Search this
D'Harnoncourt, Rene, 1901-1968  Search this
Hudgens, Robert Watts, 1896-1973  Search this
Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962  Search this
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945  Search this
Extent:
0.4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1938-1950
Summary:
The papers of educator and arts administrator Charles Hapgood measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1938 to 1950. The majority of the collection relates to Hapgood's role as the executive secretary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Crafts Commission working to establish a national crafts plan. The collection includes correspondence, reports, notes on meetings and conferences, and research material in files for William Boogar, John Collier (Commissioner of Indian Affairs), René d'Harnoncourt, R. W. Hudgens (Farm Security Administration), Mary LaFollette, Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Wood, and others.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of educator and arts administrator Charles Hapgood measure 0.4 linear feet and date from 1938 to 1950. The majority of the collection relates to Hapgood's role as the executive secretary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Crafts Commission working to establish a national crafts plan. The collection includes correspondence, reports, notes on meetings and conferences, and research material in files for William Boogar, John Collier (Commissioner of Indian Affairs), René d'Harnoncourt, R. W. Hudgens (Farm Security Administration), Mary LaFollette, Franklin D. and Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Wood, and others.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Charles Hapgood (1904-1982) was an educator and arts administrator in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

Hapgood was born to writers Hutchins Hapgood and Neith Boyce. In 1929, he received a master's degree in history from Harvard University. From the mid-1940s to 1967, he taught history at several colleges including Keystone College, Springfield College, and New England College. In the years before World War II Hapgood served as executive secretary of the Crafts Commission under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, working to establish a national crafts plan that would operate similarly to the Federal Art Project. The efforts of the Craft Commission came to a standstill, however, with the outbreak of the war.

Hapgood died in 1982 in Greenfield, Massachusetts.
Related Materials:
Also in the Archives of American Art is an interview with Miriam Hapgood DeWitt conducted 1987-1988, by Robert F. Brown, for the Archives of American Art.
Provenance:
The collection was transferred from the NCFA Library, Smithsonian Institution on June 6, 1979.
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:
Arts administrators -- Massachusetts  Search this
Educators -- Massachusetts  Search this
Topic:
American studio craft movement  Search this
Citation:
Charles Hapgood papers, 1938-1950. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.hapgchar
See more items in:
Charles Hapgood papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9dd6250dd-9c8c-4c25-9a3c-565f7d0e99f3
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-hapgchar
Online Media:

Charles Hapgood papers, 1938-1950

Creator:
Hapgood, Charles, 1904-1982  Search this
Subject:
D'Harnoncourt, Rene  Search this
Collier, John  Search this
Hudgens, Robert Watts  Search this
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano)  Search this
Roosevelt, Eleanor  Search this
Citation:
Charles Hapgood papers, 1938-1950. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
American studio craft movement  Search this
Theme:
Craft  Search this
Patronage  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)7652
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209815
AAA_collcode_hapgchar
Theme:
Craft
Patronage
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209815
Online Media:

Elizabeth Cady Stanton Blake papers

Creator:
Blake, Elizabeth Cady Stanton  Search this
Names:
Beaux, Cecilia, 1855-1942  Search this
Mora, F. Luis (Francis Luis), 1874-1940  Search this
Extent:
0.6 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Scrapbooks
Date:
1915-1975
Summary:
The Elizabeth Cady Stanton Blake papers measure 0.6 linear feet and date from 1915 to 1975. Found is correspondence, material related to The Portrait Class taught by Cecilia Beaux and Luis F. Mora, scattered writings and an interview of Blake by Kitty Gelhorn, printed material, and a mixed-media scrapbook.
Scope and Contents:
The Elizabeth Cady Stanton Blake papers measure 0.6 linear feet and date from 1915 to 1975. Found is correspondence, material related to The Portrait Class taught by Cecilia Beaux and Luis F. Mora, scattered writings and an interview of Blake by Kitty Gelhorn, printed material, and a mixed-media scrapbook.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection, the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Elizabeth Cady Stanton Blake (1894-1981) was a portrait painter and arts administrator active in New York City.

Known as Betty, Blake began her study of art at the Art Students League of New York. Her goal was to study with portrait painter Cecilia Beaux, who was convinced by Blake to come out of retirement when Blake offered to form a new class. Blake then directed and managed The Portrait Class, which was held at the Gainsborough Studios, from 1918 to 1927. Largely, the classes were attended by society ladies due to the high ($250) cost of tuition. Due to Beaux's work in Europe, Luis F. Mora taught the class in the early 1920s.

Blake married William Harold Blake in 1927 and together they had a daughter. She died in 1981 in Wareham, Massachusetts.
Provenance:
Elizabeth S. Blake donated her mother's papers to the Archives of American Art in 1987.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Art students -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Portrait painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Arts administrators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women arts administrators  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Elizabeth Cady Stanton Blake papers, 1915-1975. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.blakeliz
See more items in:
Elizabeth Cady Stanton Blake papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94df1ae97-9b0e-4d96-82cf-fe52281cc688
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-blakeliz

Francis Sumner Merritt papers

Creator:
Merritt, Francis Sumner, 1913-2000  Search this
Names:
Bradford Junior College  Search this
Flint Institute of Arts  Search this
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts  Search this
Boyd, Fiske, 1895-1975  Search this
Extent:
5.7 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings
Sound recordings
Scrapbooks
Date:
circa 1930-1980
Summary:
The papers of painter and arts administrator Francis Sumner Merritt measure 5.7 linear feet and date from circa 1930 to 1980. The bulk of the papers document his career as the founding director of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. Included are biographical materials, personal correspondence, writings and notes, professional files on Haystack and other institutions, printed material, and photographs.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter and arts administrator Francis Sumner Merritt measure 5.7 linear feet and date from circa 1930 to 1980. The bulk of the papers document his career as the founding director of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. Included are biographical materials, personal correspondence, writings and notes, professional files on Haystack and other institutions, printed material, and photographs.

Biographical materials contain scattered records relating to Merritt's personal life and career including a scrapbook and a print by Fiske Boyd. Professional files create the bulk of the papers and focus on Merritt's arts administration career at Haystack and other institutions including the Flint Institute of Art and Bradford Junior College. Among the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts material are planning materials, correspondence with many craft artists, financial records, student information, printed material, photographs for various sessions held at the school, and one sound recording concerning a trip to Nigeria.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 6 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1936-1977 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1930-1978 (Box 1; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, circa 1940s-1978 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 4: Professional Files, 1940s-1980 (Box 1-5, 8; 4.1 linear feet)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1939-1976 (Box 6-7; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 6: Photographs, 1949-1970s (Box 7; 0.2 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Francis Sumner Merritt (1913-2000) was a painter, designer, and arts administrator. He was the first director of the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine.

Merritt was born in 1913 in Danvers, Massachusetts. He studied art at multiple schools, including Yale University School of Fine Arts and was a printmaker and painter. In addition to his art, Merritt taught painting at Colby Junior College, the Cranbrook Summer Institute, and Bradford Junior College. Merritt began his arts administrative career as director of the Flint Institute of Art in Detroit, Michigan. He was brought on to be the first director at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine. In this position, he encouraged the international study of craft.

Francis Merritt was married to Priscilla Merritt, with whom he had two sons. He died in Belfast, Maine in 2000.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art are the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts records, 1950-1969, and an oral history interview of Francis Sumner Merritt conducted 1979 May 25-June 25, by Robert F. Brown, for the Archives of American Art.
Provenance:
Francis Sumner Merritt donated his papers in two accessions in 1980 and 1994.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Occupation:
Arts administrators -- Maine -- Deer Isle  Search this
Painters -- Maine -- Deer Isle  Search this
Topic:
American studio craft movement  Search this
Genre/Form:
Drawings
Sound recordings
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Francis Sumner Merritt Papers, circa 1930-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.merrfran
See more items in:
Francis Sumner Merritt papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ab41a6a2-6f21-4564-b615-3b3dcf0a5349
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-merrfran

Gabriella De Ferrari papers

Creator:
De Ferrari, Gabriella  Search this
Names:
Busch-Reisinger Museum  Search this
Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston, Mass.)  Search this
Pan-American Society of New England  Search this
Wadsworth Atheneum  Search this
Brenson, Michael  Search this
Castelli, Leo  Search this
Cuno, James B.  Search this
Gray, Francine du Plessix  Search this
Gund, Agnes  Search this
Katz, Ada, 1928-  Search this
Katz, Alex, 1927-  Search this
LeWitt, Carol  Search this
LeWitt, Sol, 1928-2007  Search this
Seator, Glen  Search this
Segal, Martin  Search this
Sischy, Ingrid  Search this
Former owner:
New School University  Search this
Extent:
7.7 Linear feet
0.012 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Diaries
Illustrated letters
Video recordings
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1931-2011
bulk 1975-2011
Summary:
The papers of art historian Gabriella De Ferrari measure 7.7 linear feet and 0.012 GB and date from 1931-2011, with the bulk of the collection dating from 1975-2011. The collection provides an overview of her activities as an arts administrator, writer, and philanthropist through biographical materials, correspondence, interviews, extensive writings and notes, subject files, printed and digital material, scrapbooks, and photographs.
Scope and Contents note:
The papers of art historian Gabriella De Ferrari measure 7.7 linear feet and 0.012 GB and date from 1931-2011, with the bulk of the collection dating from 1975-2011. The collection provides an overview of her activities as an arts administrator, writer, and a philanthropist through biographical materials, correspondence, interviews, extensive writings and notes, subject files, printed and digital material, scrapbooks, and photographs.

Correspondence with artists, academic administrators, museum directors, curators, literary agents, editors, and publishers is primarily of a social nature, e.g., thank you notes, invitations, and congratulatory letters. Letters include references to De Ferrari's professional activities from circa 1975-circa 2006. There are illustrated letters and handmade birthday cards by De Ferrari, family, and friends. Among the correspondents are Michael Brenson, James Cuno, Francine Du Plessix Gray, Agnes Gund, Alex and Ada Katz, Sol and Carol Lewitt, and Glen Seator.

Writings and notes primarily document Gabriella De Ferrari's career as an author and include numerous drafts and annotated versions of her novels, short stories, memoir, and articles. Subject files include materials chronicling De Ferrari's activities at the Busch-Reisinger Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, and the Pan-American Society of New England. Also documented is her service as a Board of Trustees member, consultant, and advisor to major educational, corporate, and cultural institutions, including the New School University, United Technologies, Inc., and the Wadsworth Atheneum, among others. Interviews of De Ferrari are found on six sound cassettes. Additional audio cassettes and one videocassette are found within her writings.

Photographs are of Gabriella De Ferrari, family members, friends, and colleagues, including Michael Brenson, Leo Castelli, Agnes Gund, Martin Segal, Ingrid Sischy, Sol Lewitt, among others.
Arrangement note:
The collection is arranged as 8 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1947-2003 (Boxes 1, 9; 0.3 linear feet, ER01; 0.001 GB)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1964-2011 (Boxes 1-2; 1.3 linear feet, ER02; 0.001 GB)

Series 3: Interviews, 1990-1996 (Box 2; 3 folders)

Series 4: Writings and Notes, 1950-2010 (Boxes 3-6; 3.6 linear feet, ER03-ER10; 0.011 GB)

Series 5: Subject Files, 1953-2008 (Boxes 6-7; 1 linear feet, ER11; 0.001 GB)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1961-2011 (Box 7; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1974-1981 (Box 9; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 8: Photographs, 1931-circa 2010 (Box 8, 0.4 linear feet)
Biographical/Historical note:
Art historian Gabriella De Ferrari (1941-) has lived and worked in Boston, Massachusetts and New York City.

Born in Tacna, Peru to Italian parents, De Ferrari graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Saint Louis University in Missouri in 1963. She went on to receive a Master of Arts from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University in 1966, and in 1981, she earned a Masters of Art in Fine Arts from Harvard University. De Ferrari has held administrative and curatorial positions at major museums and art organizations. At the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, she was curator of exhibitions before becoming the Director of the Institute in 1975. From 1978-1982, De Ferrari was Assistant Director of Curatorial Affairs and Programs at the Fogg Museum and the Busch-Reisinger Museum, where her responsibilities included exhibition programs for twentieth century art and coordinating programs for corporate and public fundraising. In 1989, De Ferrari moved to New York City, where she established herself as a freelance writer. In 1990, her novel, A Cloud on Sand received a Barnes and Noble Discover Award. Gringa Latina, De Ferrari's memoir about her experience living in two cultures was published in 1994.

She has served on the Boards of Trustees and on the advisory committees of many leading institutions, including Colby College, City University Graduate Center Foundation, Harvard University Museum, the New School, and the Wadsworth Atheneum. From 2000-2006, she was the philanthropic advisor to the chairman and CEO of United Technologies Corporation. In 1996, De Ferrari was awarded the New School Medal for Distinguished Service, and in 2008, she received an Honorary Doctorate in Letters from Colby College.

Gabriella De Ferrari continues to reside in New York City.
Provenance:
The papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Gabriella De Ferrari, in 2011.
Restrictions:
Use of original material requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Art historians -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this
Museum curators -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this
Museum directors -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this
Authors -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this
Philanthropists -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this
Topic:
Women art historians  Search this
Women museum curators  Search this
Women authors  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Diaries
Illustrated letters
Video recordings
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Gabriella De Ferrari papers, 1931-2011, bulk 1975-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.defemari
See more items in:
Gabriella De Ferrari papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9501df49d-35e2-4d3a-8c62-f0f164d8bd36
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-defemari

Gabriella De Ferrari papers, 1931-2011, bulk 1975-2011

Creator:
De Ferrari, Gabriella, 1941-  Search this
New School University  Search this
Subject:
Katz, Ada  Search this
Katz, Alex  Search this
Gund, Agnes  Search this
Gray, Francine du Plessix  Search this
Cuno, James B.  Search this
Castelli, Leo  Search this
Brenson, Michael  Search this
Sischy, Ingrid  Search this
Segal, Martin  Search this
Seator, Glen  Search this
LeWitt, Carol  Search this
LeWitt, Sol  Search this
Pan-American Society of New England  Search this
Wadsworth Atheneum  Search this
Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston, Mass.)  Search this
Busch-Reisinger Museum  Search this
Type:
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Diaries
Illustrated letters
Video recordings
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Gabriella De Ferrari papers, 1931-2011, bulk 1975-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women art historians  Search this
Women museum curators  Search this
Women authors  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Research and writing about art  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)16023
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)306634
AAA_collcode_defemari
Theme:
Women
Research and writing about art
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_306634
Online Media:

George Fedoroff papers

Creator:
Fedoroff, George  Search this
Extent:
2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1939-1980
Summary:
The papers of craftsman and administrator George Fedoroff measure 2.0 linear feet and date from 1939-1980. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, writings and notes, professional files, printed materials, and photographs. Many of the documents concern Fedoroff's work with the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of craftsman and administrator George Fedoroff measure 2.0 linear feet and date from 1939-1980. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, writings and notes, professional files, printed materials, and photographs. Many of the documents concern Fedoroff's work with the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Biographical materials include an autobiographical sketch detailing Fedoroff's childhood, escape from Russia during the revolution, and settlement in the United States. Correspondence is with family, friends, the United States government, institutions, museums, and galleries. Earlier correspondence concerns Fedoroff's work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs under the U.S. Department of the Interior while later correspondence details his own work as a craftsman and the exhibition and sale of his works. Writings are by Fedoroff and others including Katherine Kuh, Jean Chretien, and George Elliot. Professional files are scattered and include a list of courses, conference and meeting materials, and reports. Photographs are of Fedoroff, others, Alaska Native craftsmen, and of works of art.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 6 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1939-1980 (Box 1; 4 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1945-1979 (Box 1; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, 1946-1973 (Box 1; 6 folders)

Series 4: Professional Files, 1947-1976 (Box 1-2; 0.1 linear feet)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1944-1977 (Box 2; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 6: Photographs, circa 1940-circa 1960 (0.2 linear feet; Box 2)
Biographical / Historical:
George Fedoroff (1907-2001) was a Russian-American craftsmen and arts administrator who worked with the United States Department of the Interior, Office of Indian Affairs in Alaska.

Born to an upper-middle class family in Gatchina, Russia in 1907, George Fedoroff enjoyed a comfortable childhood. In 1917, he and his family fled Russia during the revolution through Siberia to China. He settled in Paris where he studied the decorative arts at L'Ecole des Arts Appliques a L'Industre. He left for the United States in 1928 without the financial support of his wealthy relatives and worked as a stage designer for the University Players in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

After serving in the United States Army during World War II, Fedoroff became a naturalized citizen and worked for the Department of the Interior as an arts administrator for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He served in Sitka, Alaska and started an arts and crafts school at the Mt. Edgecumbe School. Additionally, he served on the Indian Arts and Crafts Board of Alaska. Later in life Fedoroff concentrated on his own craft and sculpted.

George Fedoroff married Margaret Beard with whom he had two children. He retired to the east coast where he died in 2001.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with George Fedoroff conducted by Robert F. Brown, 1980 July 8-1981 January 21.
Provenance:
George Fedoroff donated his papers to the Archives of American Art in 1980 and 1981.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
Topic:
Indian art -- North America  Search this
Artisans  Search this
Citation:
George Fedoroff papers, 1939-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.fedogeor
See more items in:
George Fedoroff papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9b15080ba-6766-430d-9e0f-bbd99b75fc34
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-fedogeor

George Leslie Stout papers

Creator:
Stout, George L. (George Leslie)  Search this
Names:
Allied Forces. Supreme Headquarters. Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section  Search this
Fogg Art Museum  Search this
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum  Search this
Worcester Art Museum  Search this
Correspondent:
Buck, Richard D.  Search this
Constable, W. G. (William George), 1887-1976  Search this
Gardner, G. Peabody (George Peabody)  Search this
Hall, Ardelia Ripley  Search this
Howe, Thomas Carr, 1904-1994  Search this
Ivins, William Mills, 1881-1961  Search this
Marceau, Henri, 1896-1969  Search this
Moore, Lamont  Search this
Sachs, Paul J. (Paul Joseph), 1878-1965  Search this
Sizer, Theodore, 1892-1967  Search this
Warner, Langdon (1881-1955)  Search this
Extent:
6.4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Sketches
Sketchbooks
Date:
1855
1897-1978
Summary:
The papers of conservator and museum director George Leslie Stout measure 6.4 linear feet and date from 1855, 1897-1978. Stout was head of the conservation department at Harvard University's Fogg Art Museum, director of the Worcester Art Museum and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Massachusetts, and a member of the Monuments, Fine Art and Archives (MFAA) Section of the U.S. Army during World War II. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence with family, friends, colleagues and professional associations. There are letters from fellow Monuments Men who served in the MFAA section such as Thomas Carr Howe, Ardelia Hall, Lamont Moore, Theodore Sizer, Langdon Warner and several other prominent arts administrators. The papers also contain biographical materials, writings, sketches and one sketchbook, military records, printed materials, and photographs.

There is a 0.2 linear foot addition to this collection acquired in 2020 that includes four diaries, 1944-1946, kept by George Stout as a member of the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section (MFAA) of the U.S. Army (known as the Monuments Men). The diaries describe Stout's experiences surveying war-caused damages in France, Germany, and Japan, and the recovery of Nazi impounded art works. Also included is a hand-made booklet that includes a "Glossary of Cha-no-yu Terms," which consists of quotes about Japanese art and tea drinking.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of conservator and museum director George Leslie Stout measure 6.4 linear feet and date from 1855, 1897-1978. Stout was head of the conservation department at Harvard University's Fogg Art Museum, director of the Worcester Art Museum and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Massachusetts, and a member of the Monuments, Fine Art and Archives (MFAA) Section of the U.S. Army during World War II. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence with family, friends, colleagues and professional associations. There are letters from fellow Monuments Men who served in the MFAA section such as Thomas Carr Howe, Ardelia Hall, Lamont Moore, Theodore Sizer, Langdon Warner and several other prominent arts administrators. The papers also contain biographical materials, writings, sketches and one sketchbook, military records, printed materials, and photographs.

There is a 0.2 linear foot addition to this collection acquired in 2020 that includes four diaries, 1944-1946, kept by George Stout as a member of the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section (MFAA) of the U.S. Army (known as the Monuments Men). The diaries describe Stout's experiences surveying war-caused damages in France, Germany, and Japan, and the recovery of Nazi impounded art works. Also included is a hand-made booklet that includes a "Glossary of Cha-no-yu Terms," which consists of quotes about Japanese art and tea drinking.

Biographical materials include college and graduate school transcripts, various certificates, four small appointment books and passports.

Correspondence is between George Leslie Stout and family, friends, colleagues, professional associations and fellow Monuments Men. Family correspondence is with Stout's immediate and extended family, the bulk of which is from Stout to his wife Margaret and his son Thomas. Correspondents in the Monuments Men correspondence include Thomas Carr Howe, Ardelia Hall, Lamont Moore, Theodore Sizer, Langdon Warner, and many others. There is also substantial correspondence with friends and professional colleagues in the museum and art world, such as Walter Beck, Richard D. Buck, William George Constable, Earl of Crawford, George Peabody Gardner, Jr., William Ivins, Jr., Henri Marceau, and Paul Sachs, among many others.

Writings by Stout consist of typescript drafts and published articles, speeches, and miscellaneous notes. Most of the writings concern art conservation and the speeches are memorials for two of Stout's colleagues. Notes consists of drafts for the texts of holiday cards Stout designed, biographical notes, and images and captions for The Care of Pictures. There are also three conference papers on art conservation written by other people.

Subject files document Stout's conservation projects as a consultant for museums, universities, galleries and other organizations. Also found in this series are documents relating to Stout's work after retiring from the Isabella Gardner Museum and his membership or participation in various arts programs and organizations.

A separate series contains files relating to Stout's World War II service in the Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives (MFAA) Section. Found here are official military records, publications by Monuments Men, and a few scattered photographs. Military records include directives, reports, certificates and a bronze star medal. There are articles and books written by various Monuments Men such as Langdon Warner, Lincoln Kirstein and Theodore Sizer. There are also scattered photographs, only two of which depict tout (including one group photograph with Lamont Moore, Walker Hancock and other Monuments Men.) There are also 12 negatives with 4 prints depicting La Gleize Church and the town of Ambleve, Belgium in 1945. There are also four diaries documenting Stout's experiences in the MFAA Section in Europe and Japan from 1944-1946.

Personal business records include assorted legal and estate papers as well as financial papers such as receipts, travel expenses and donations.

Printed materials consists of news clippings, bulletins, brochures, press releases, conference papers, and magazine and journal articles, most of it related to art conservation.

Artwork includes pencil and ink drawings and sketches, mostly of travel scenes, people, and animals. There is one sketchbook of the human figure. Many sketches were loosely grouped together by Stout with titles such as "Pool Doodles" or "Park and Zoo." The is also one caricature of Eric Brown by Murray Pease.

The papers include photographs and negatives, mostly personal photographs of friends, family, relatives and colleagues. There are also photographs of art conservation conferences and travel photographs. Additional scattered photographs are located in the series containing the Monuments Men files.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as 9 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Materials, circa 1919-1977 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1922-1978 (2.5 linear feet; Box 1-3, OV 8)

Series 3: Writings, 1927-1978 (0.5 linear feet; Box 3-4)

Series 4: Subject Files, 1918, 1943-1978 (1 linear feet; Box 4, OV 8-9)

Series 5: Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives Section Files, 1918, 1942-1955, 1972-1975 (0.5 linear feet; Box 5, 10)

Series 6: Personal Business Records, 1938-1978 (0.1 linear feet; Box 5)

Series 7: Printed Materials, 1926-1977 (0.8 linear feet; Box 5-6, OV 9)

Series 8: Sketchbooks, circa 1924-circa 1938, 1970-1977 (0.1 linear feet; Box 6)

Series 9: Photographic Materials, circa 1855, 1897-1978 (0.2 linear feet; Box 6-7)
Biographical / Historical:
George Leslie Stout (1897-1978) was a museum director and prominent art conservator in Massachusetts. Stout was head of the conservation department at Harvard University's Fogg Art Museum, and director of the Worcester Art Museum and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Massachusetts. During World War II, Stout served in the U.S. Army Monuments, Fine Art and Archives (MFAA) and played a leading role in the protection, location, and recovery of art work stolen by the Nazis.

Born in Winterset, Iowa in 1897, George Leslie Stout was the oldest of six children and attended Winterset High School and served in the U.S. army during World War I. Following the war, Stout studied at the State University of Iowa, received his B.A. in 1921, worked for a few years, and married Margaret Hayes in 1924 with whom he had two sons, Robert and Thomas. He attended Harvard graduate school in 1926 and graduated with a Master of Art in 1929. Stout began working as a lecturer and conservator at Harvard's Fogg Art Museum, later becoming the head of the conservation department in 1933, a position he held until 1947.

During World War II, Stout re-enlisted in the U.S. Navy, having served in the reserves since World War I. Stout was one of the first members of the Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives (MFAA) Section of the U.S. army. He was appointed to the MFAA Section for the Twelfth Army Group in 1944 and was one of the first Monuments Men to arrive at Normandy, France. He was later appointed Lieutenant Commander of the MFAA Section. Many of the Monuments Men's stolen art recovery achievements were directed by George Leslie Stout. Stout supervised the inventory and removal of looted art hidden by the Nazis in the salt mines of Merkers and Ransbach in Thuringia, Germany. Stout oversaw the organization, packing, and shipping of several thousand objects including paintings by Rubens and Goya, along with precious antiquities. At the Altaussee salt mines in Austria, he was in charge of the unit that recovered a large cache of stolen artwork that included Michelangelo's Madonna and Child and the Ghent Altarpiece or The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb by Hubert and Jan van Eyck. There, he also worked very closely with fellow Monuments Men Thomas Carr Howe. Stout went on to locate and recover looted artwork in other repositories in Germany, France, and the Netherlands. He maintained a relationship with many of his fellow Monuments Men after the war.

Stout left Europe in the latter half of 1945, then went to Japan where he served as the Chief of the Arts and Monuments Division at Headquarters of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, Tokyo until the middle of 1946. After the war Stout received the Bronze Star and the Army Commendation Medal for his army service and work as a Monuments Man in Europe.

Stout resumed his position as the head of the conservation department at the Fogg Art Museum when he returned to America. In 1947 he became the director of the Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts where he stayed until 1955, when he became the director of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston where he worked until his retirement in 1970. Stout wrote numerous articles about art conservation and wrote two books: Painting Materials, A Short Encyclopaedia (1942), co-authored with Harvard colleage R. J. Gettens, and Care of Pictures (1948). Stout died in Menlo Park, California in 1978 and was widely recognized as a distinguished art conservator.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with George Stout conducted by Paul Karlstrom in 1978.
Provenance:
George Leslie Stout donated his papers to the Archives of American Art in 1978. In that same year, Robert Stout, son of George Leslie Stout, loaned four diaries to the Archives of American Art for microfilming. The four diaries were acquired at auction by the Archives in 2020 with generous donations from Paul Neely, David Copperfield in memory of Kelly Asbury, Deborah Lehr and John Rogers, Ambassador Nicholas F. Taubman, The Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Foundation, Jeffrey P. Cunard and Mariko Ikehara; The Elbrun and Peter Kimmelman Family Foundation, Inc.; Peter and Paula Lunder; William and Christine Ragland in memory of William McKenzie Ragland Lt. JG, U.S. Navy, Pacific Theater, WWII; The Kurin Family in honor of WWII Veteran Saul Kurin, Paul and Corine Wegener, and Judy and Bob Huret.
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:
Conservators -- California  Search this
Arts administrators  Search this
Topic:
Museum directors -- United States  Search this
World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this
Art -- Conservation and restoration  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Sketches
Sketchbooks
Citation:
George Leslie Stout papers, 1855, 1897-1978. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.stougeor
See more items in:
George Leslie Stout papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ccad7a5c-748e-4881-8fc3-5bf2bf18a811
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-stougeor
Online Media:

George Leslie Stout papers, 1855, 1897-1978

Creator:
Stout, George L. (George Leslie)  Search this
Subject:
Sachs, Paul J. (Paul Joseph)  Search this
Gardner, G. Peabody (George Peabody)  Search this
Ivins, William Mills  Search this
Marceau, Henri  Search this
Hall, Ardelia Ripley  Search this
Howe, Thomas Carr  Search this
Sizer, Theodore  Search this
Buck, Richard D.  Search this
Warner, Langdon (1881-1955)  Search this
Constable, W. G. (William George)  Search this
Moore, Lamont  Search this
Worcester Art Museum  Search this
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum  Search this
Allied Forces. Supreme Headquarters. Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section  Search this
Fogg Art Museum  Search this
Type:
Photographs
Sketches
Sketchbooks
Citation:
George Leslie Stout papers, 1855, 1897-1978. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Museum directors -- United States  Search this
World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this
Art -- Conservation and restoration  Search this
Theme:
Diaries  Search this
Diaries  Search this
Research and writing about art  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)13421
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211684
AAA_collcode_stougeor
Theme:
Diaries
Diaries
Research and writing about art
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211684
Online Media:

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

James Melchert papers

Creator:
Melchert, Jim, 1930-  Search this
Names:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
National Endowment for the Arts  Search this
Cotton, Paul, 1939-  Search this
Tucker, Marcia  Search this
Voulkos, Peter, 1924-2002  Search this
Extent:
7 Linear feet
12.28 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Date:
circa 1949-2021
Summary:
The papers of ceramicist, educator, and arts administrator James Melchert measure 7.0 linear feet and 12.28 Gigabytes, and date from circa 1949 to 2021. The collection documents Melchert's career through biographical material, personal and professional correspondence, professional files documenting Melchert's teaching, residences, exhibitions, and other professional activities, writings, printed material documenting exhibitions and more, photographic material including images of Melchert and his artwork, and artwork comprising slide projection works.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of ceramicist, educator, and arts administrator James Melchert measure 7 linear feet and 12.28 Gigabytes, and date from circa 1949 to 2021.

Biographical material includes biographies and résumés, travel documents, and student records. Correspondence is professional and personal in nature and includes letters from artists such as Lawrence Weiner, Adrian Piper, Sol Lewitt, Hetty Huisman, and Peter Voulkos; gallerists and curators including Holly Solomon, Paul Kotula, Marcia Tucker, Lucy Lippard, and Harald Szemann; and notable former students including Paul Cotton and Theresa Cha. Professional files include records and correspondence from Melchert's tenures at the American Academy in Rome, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the University of California Berkeley, in addition to documenting other professional activities.

The writings series includes interviews, talks, panels, symposia, notes, artist statements, and autobiographical texts. Printed material includes clippings and exhibition documentation. Photographic material includes images of Melchert and his artwork from various stages of his career. Artwork includes Melchert's slide projection works represented by slides, and an artist multiple by Nam June Paik.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in seven series:

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1949-2019 (0.1 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1953-2021 (3.1 Linear feet: Boxes 1-4; 3.93 Gigabytes: ER01-ER02)

Series 3: Professional Files, circa 1965-2020 (0.8 Linear feet: Box 4)

Series 4: Writings, circa 1960s-2020 (0.7 Linear feet: Box 5; 8.35 Gigabytes: ER03-ER05)

Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1960s-2020 (1.4 Linear feet: Boxes 5-7)

Series 6: Photographic Material, circa 1952-2017 (0.6 Linear feet: Box 7)

Series 7: Artwork, circa 1968-1990 (0.3 Linear feet: Box 7)
Biographical / Historical:
James Melchert (1930-2023) was a ceramicist and educator who lived in Oakland, California. Melchert was known for his uniquely conceptualist approach to ceramics which draws from other disciplines including painting and performance art.

Born in New Bremen, Ohio, Melchert's education followed an unorthodox path: upon finishing his undergraduate degree in Art History in 1952, he spent four years in Japan teaching English at a high school, during which time he met his wife to be, a missionary and collage artist named Mary Ann Hostetler, with whom he would have three children. Melchert received a first master's degree from the University of Chicago in 1957 in painting, followed by a second master's degree in ceramics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1961. He shifted his focus to ceramics while completing his painting degree and attended a five-day workshop with the highly innovative and influential Peter Voulkos, with whom he would study at Berkeley and for whom he would serve as studio assistant. Melchert's career as a ceramicist began with a close association to Voulkos and the California Funk art movement.

Melchert's evolving interests led to his work including performance art and slide projection works, one of which was exhibited at Documenta 5 curated by Harald Szeemann in Kassel, Germany. After a trip to Europe in the eighties, Melchert began his experimental investigations with ceramic tile, working with cracks and imperfections in tiles and painting on the resulting works, a theme that would be an occupation of his studio practice to this day. Melchert taught fairly steadily throughout the early stages of his career and is known as a dedicated instructor to artists of various disciplines, including Paul Cotton and Theresa Cha.

Notably Melchert served as a faculty member at University of California at Berkeley from 1964-1994, with a stint living in Washington D.C. serving as the Director of Visual Arts Program of the National Endowment for the Arts from 1977 to 1981, and in Rome, Italy as the Director of American Academy, Rome from 1984 to 1988. As an artist, in addition to being exhibited around the world, Melchert's ceramic works including commissions are held in numerous collections such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Japan, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Yale University Museum of Art.
Related Materials:
Related materials include Archives of American Art's Oral history interview with James Melchert, 1991 Apr. 4-5, and Oral history interview with James Melchert, 2002 September 18-October 19.
Provenance:
Donated 2004 and 2019-2021 by James Melchert as part of the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Ceramicists -- California -- Oakland  Search this
Educators -- California -- Berkeley  Search this
Arts administrators -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Topic:
Interviews  Search this
Conceptual art  Search this
Funk  Search this
Ceramics  Search this
Citation:
James Melchert papers, circa 1949-2021. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.melcjim
See more items in:
James Melchert papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9d190f8b8-f9b3-4b9f-a02a-e6c19fe8769b
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-melcjim

James S. Plaut papers

Creator:
Plaut, James S. (James Sachs), 1912-1996  Search this
Names:
Expo 67 (Montréal, Québec)  Search this
Exposition universelle et internationale (1958 : Brussels, Belgium)  Search this
Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston, Mass.)  Search this
Institute of Modern Art (Boston, Mass.)  Search this
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston  Search this
World Crafts Council  Search this
Adenauer, Konrad, 1876-1967  Search this
Berman, Eugene, 1899-1972  Search this
Bernstein, Leonard, 1918-1990  Search this
Breuer, Marcel, 1902-  Search this
Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969  Search this
Gandhi, Indira, 1917-1984  Search this
Gropius, Walter, 1883-1969  Search this
Kirstein, Lincoln, 1907-  Search this
Kokoschka, Oskar, 1886-  Search this
Milles, Carl, 1875-1955  Search this
Peirce, Waldo, 1884-1970  Search this
Ruckstull, F. W. (Fred Wellington), 1853-1942  Search this
Sachs, Paul J. (Paul Joseph), 1878-1965  Search this
Wright, Frank Lloyd, 1867-1959  Search this
Extent:
1.4 Linear feet
2.2 Linear feet (Addition)
4 Volumes (Reels 581 and 5139: Scrapbooks)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Volumes
Interviews
Scrapbooks
Sketchbooks
Sound recordings
Place:
Israel
Date:
[ca. 1929]-1980
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence, business files, academic papers, photographs, clippings, sketchbook, sketches, and miscellaneous notes.
REEL 581: Selected items from 2 family scrapbooks, 1933-1943 and 1946-1956; including clippings, photographs, correspondence, invitations and awards. Most material pertains to Plaut's work as director of the ICA and advisor to the government of Israel. Also included are correspondence from Georges Rouault, Carl Milles, and Oskar Kokoschka; and 6 drawings by Waldo Peirce.
REEL 5139: Two family scrapbooks, 1956-1959 and 1960-1980, containing clippings, invitations, photographs and miscellaneous material from Plaut's work World's Fairs at Brussels, 1958, New York, 1964 and Japan, 1970. Also found are family snapshots of the Plaut's travels, their children and grandchildren and include 7 earlier photographs of Plaut and his parents, ca. 1906-1932, and one photograph of Eleanor Roosevelt, 1959.
UNMICROFILMED: Travel sketchbook of Rome; term papers, honors thesis, and sketches for an architectural history course; files relating to Plaut's positions at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the ICA, the World Crafts Council, and other professional and personal concerns; correspondence, including letters from Eugene Berman, Carl Milles, Lincoln Kirstein, Paul Sachs and others; personal and work related photographs; lecture notes; slides from the World's Craft Fair Council, 1974; 2 untranscribed sound tape reels of an interview made by Plaut for Alfred Auerbach concerning the Brussels World's Fair 1958 and typed list of questions for the interview; and miscellaneous papers.
ADDITION: Resumes and obituaries; correspondence; the book, Waldo Peirce, by Margit Varga, 1941, with insertions of a caricature by Peirce, illustrated postcards, and a letter; photographs of Walter Gropius House, Lincoln, Mass. and 7 photographs of Plaut with Frank Lloyd Wright, Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Konrad Adenauer, Indira Gandhi, Leonard Bernstein, and Dwight David Eisenhower; scrapbook and slides pertaining to Plaut's work for the World's Fair, Brussels, 1958; writings and publications; publications of the ICA and the WCC; the book, The Overcoat, by Nikoli Gogel, presented to Plaut upon retirement from the WCC; publications by others on art and design; and a file on James and Mary Plaut's personal art collection, ca. 1935-1990s.
Biographical / Historical:
Art administrator and museum director; Boston, Mass. Plaut was born to a wealthy family in Cincinnati, Ohio, graduated from HarvardCollege, and received an M.A. from Harvard University. His uncle was Paul Sachs, a connoisseur and influential museology professor at Harvard andsor. Plaut held curatorial positions at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and became Director of Boston's Institute of Modern Art in 1939 (later the Institute of Contemporary Art or ICA) where he staged early exhibitions of contemporary design and European avant-garde paintings and sculpture until his resignation in 1956. Plaut was also involved in many international exhibitions and expositions, serving as Deputy U.S. Commissioner to the World's Fair in Brussels, 1958, and was Secretary General of the World Crafts Council, 1967-1976 and a consultant on industrial design in Israel.
Provenance:
Scrapbooks on reel 581 lent for microfilming by Plaut, 1973; his estate, via the executor Edward M. Condit, Jr., lent those on reel 5139 in 1996. Plaut donated the unmicrofilmed material in 1985 and 1992, and additional papers were received as a bequest in 1996 via the executor of his estate.
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:
Arts administrators -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this
Museum directors -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this
Function:
Art museums -- Massachusetts -- Boston
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Scrapbooks
Sketchbooks
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.plaujame
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9200dfcc5-4152-4511-ac15-312e1d323e18
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-plaujame

John Kearney papers

Creator:
Kearney, John, 1924-  Search this
Extent:
2.7 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1945-2016
Summary:
The papers of John Kearney measure 2.7 linear feet and date from 1945-2016. The papers document Kearney's career as a sculptor through correspondence, writings, project files and personal business files. Also found are printed materials such as clippings and exhibition announcements and photographic material of Kearney and his artwork.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of John Kearney measure 2.7 linear feet and date from 1945-2016. The papers document Kearney's career as a sculptor through personal and professional correspondence, writings, project files and personal business files. Also found are printed materials and photographic material of Kearney and his artwork. Correspondence contains letters with friends, other artists, museums, galleries and city governments. Personal letters document Kearney's friendship with other artists including illustrated letters from Oreste DeQuel; letters regarding his summers in Provincetown and letters to his wife Lynn while Kearney was working in Rome. Professional correspondence relates to the appraisal, purchase and installation of Kearney's sculptures. Writings include biographical notes but primarily consist of writings by others on Kearney and his work, including a memorial service speech written by his daughter Jill Kearney, poems inspired by his sculptures and a page of an article draft on the artist.

Project files contain correspondence, photographic material, applications, planning documents, news clippings and exhibition catalogs detailing installations as well as individual sculptures Kearney worked on. Personal business records contain materials related to professional organizations Kearney participated in, exhibition planning, financial records and subject files on other artists. Documents include invoices, exhibition agreements, a Guggenheim application and materials such as correspondence and planning documents related to the Contemporary Art Workshop, of which Kearney was a co-founder. Printed material comprises a significant portion of the collection and is made up of exhibition announcements, press releases, posters, catalogs and news clippings. Finally, the photographic material series contains photographs of Kearney working and with his sculptures along with photographs of his artwork spanning his career.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as six series.

Series 1: Correspondence, 1945-2015 (0.7 Linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Writings, circa 1962-2014 (5 Folders: Box 1)

Series 3: Project Files, 1972-2016 (0.4 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 4: Personal Business, 1951-2009 (0.3 Linear feet: Box 2)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1949-2015 (1.3 Linear feet: Box 2-4)

Series 6: Photographic Material, 1960-2007 (2 Folders: Box 3)
Biographical / Historical:
John Kearney (1924 –2014) was a Chicago, Illinois based sculptor best known for his sculptures of animals made out of car bumpers. Kearney studied art at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI, after serving four years in the Navy during World War II during which time he learned welding skills repairing naval vessels. He received a Fulbright scholarship to Italy in 1963 and was a visiting artist at the American Academy in Rome, in 1985, 1992, 1998 and 2003. In 1949 he co-founded the Contemporary Art Workshop in Chicago, an organization dedicated to providing affordable studios and exhibition space for emerging and mid-career artists.

While based in Chicago, Kearney spent summers in Provincetown, MA and was a fixture of the artist community there, serving as a member of the Provincetown Art Association and Museum and in the Beachcombers, a local club of artists and writers. His public sculptures can be found across Provincetown, as well as in Chicago and in many other cities across the country, including his well-known installation at Oz Park in Chicago of the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Scare Crow and Dorothy and Toto. Kearney also had numerous solo exhibitions and has shown in galleries and museums internationally and across the States, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and the Cherry Stone Gallery in Wellfleet, MA. A major retrospective of his work was mounted in 1994 at the Mitchell Museum in Mt. Vernon, IL.
Related Materials:
Related materials include an Archives of American Art oral history interview with John Kearney, 2009 Mar. 12-13.
Provenance:
Donated 2015 and 2017 by Lynn Kearney, John Kearney's widow.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Sculptors -- Illinois -- Chicago  Search this
Arts administrators -- Illinois -- Chicago  Search this
Sculptors -- Massachusetts -- Provincetown  Search this
Citation:
John Kearney papers, 1945-2016. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.kearjohn
See more items in:
John Kearney papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw989cc709f-72a9-4306-9bcd-6fb23f512d40
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-kearjohn

Lee Hall papers

Creator:
Hall, Lee  Search this
Names:
Betty Parsons Gallery  Search this
Rhode Island School of Design  Search this
Ajay, Abe  Search this
De Kooning, Elaine  Search this
De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this
Parsons, Betty  Search this
Extent:
7.4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Drawings
Sketchbooks
Diaries
Video recordings
Date:
circa 1870s-2017
bulk 1975-2010
Summary:
The papers of painter, author, and arts administrator Lee Hall measure 7.4 linear feet and date from circa 1870-2017, bulk 1975 to 2010. The papers document Hall's career through biographical material, correspondence, writings, studio records, printed material, photographic material, and artwork. Included is significant documentation on Hall's book projects, including biographies of Betty Parsons, Abe Ajay, and Willem and Elaine de Kooning.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter, author, and arts administrator Lee Hall measure 7.4 linear feet and date from circa 1870-2017, bulk 1975 to 2010. The papers document Hall's career through biographical material, correspondence, writings, studio records, printed material, photographic material, and artwork. Included is significant documentation on Hall's book projects, including biographies of Betty Parsons, Abe Ajay, and Willem and Elaine de Kooning.

Biographical material includes business cards, résumé and biographical texts, travel documents, and awards. Correspondence is professional and personal in nature and includes some collected historic correspondence from unknown authors. Correspondence regarding specific writing projects is found in the Writings series. The Writings series includes journals and notebooks focusing primarily on Hall's travels and study of Classics including the Greek language. The Writing Projects subseries includes titles intended for publication as well as college papers, essays, and lectures. Published titles are often accompanied by book proposals, contracts, research material, interviews, and correspondence. Also included are writings by others including reviews regarding Hall's art career. Studio records include artwork inventories, loan paperwork, and the mechanical for an exhibition catalog. Printed material includes exhibition invitations for Lee Hall's art career, exhibition catalogs for Hall's exhibitions and that of Betty Parsons, and general printed material regarding Elaine de Kooning, as well as press clippings on various topics. Photographic materials include images of Lee Hall and her circle of friends including Betty Parsons, images of Hall in her studio, installation images of Hall's exhibitions at the Betty Parsons Gallery, and extensive photographs of Hall's travels to the Mediterranean, primarily to Greece and Turkey. The Artwork series includes sketches, watercolors and other small paintings by Lee, as well as illustrated manuscripts for children's book titles.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in seven series:

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1970-2010 (0.2 Linear Feet; Boxes 1, 7)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1870-2016 (0.3 Linear Feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, circa 1920-2010 (4.0 Linear Feet; Boxes 1-5)

Series 4: Studio Records, circa 1973-2010 (0.2 Linear Feet; Box 5)

Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1914-2016 (0.4 Linear Feet; Boxes 5, 7)

Series 6: Photographic Material, circa 1940-2017 (1.7 Linear Feet; Boxes 5-9)

Series 7: Artwork, circa 1950-2010 (0.6 Linear Feet; Boxes 6-7, Oversize 10)
Biographical / Historical:
Lee Hall (1935-2017) was a painter, author, and arts administrator who served as president of the Rhode Island School of Design from 1975-1983. Born in Lexington, North Carolina and raised in Florida following her parents' divorce, Lee Hall later returned to her birth state to attend the Woman's College of the University of North Carolina. She received her bachelor of fine arts in 1955, studying under the abstract painter John Opper. She eventually earned a masters degree in art education and a PhD in creative arts, both from New York University. Hall's paintings shared an Abstract Expressionist sensibility common with many of her peers at the Betty Parsons Gallery, imparted on the figurative tradition of landscape painting. Hall showed her paintings at the Betty Parsons Gallery from the late seventies until 1982 when the gallery closed following Parsons' death, after which she ceased exhibiting her work almost entirely until the last decade of her life. Hall maintained a studio at her home in South Hadley, Massachusetts throughout her life. A few years before Parson's death Hall had agreed to write Parsons' biography, finally released in 1991, on the condition that she and papers were made available for intensive research. Hall published titles on a wide variety of subjects including a comprehensive survey of American clothing (1992), and perhaps most notably the controversial biography of painters Elaine and Willem de Kooning (1993).
Separated Materials:
Three linear feet of Betty Parsons papers donated as part of the Lee Hall papers were transferred to the collection of Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers, also located at the Archives of American Art.
Provenance:
Donated in 2018 by the Lee Hall Estate via Carolyn Crozier and Deborah Jacobson, co-executors.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Painters -- Massachusetts  Search this
Authors -- Massachusetts  Search this
Arts administrators -- Rhode Island  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Drawings
Sketchbooks
Diaries
Video recordings
Citation:
Lee Hall Papers, circa 1870s-2017. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.halllee
See more items in:
Lee Hall papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw91d411a6e-e1cb-42cd-97de-96d9f710d658
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-halllee
Online Media:

Lee Hall papers, circa 1870s-2017, bulk 1975-2010

Creator:
Hall, Lee, 1935-2017  Search this
Subject:
Parsons, Betty  Search this
Ajay, Abe  Search this
De Kooning, Elaine  Search this
De Kooning, Willem  Search this
Rhode Island School of Design  Search this
Betty Parsons Gallery  Search this
Type:
Interviews
Drawings
Sketchbooks
Diaries
Video recordings
Citation:
Lee Hall papers, circa 1870s-2017, bulk 1975-2010. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Theme:
Research and writing about art  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)17601
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)396548
AAA_collcode_halllee
Theme:
Research and writing about art
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_396548

Leon Kroll papers

Creator:
Kroll, Leon, 1884-1974  Search this
Names:
Beal, Gifford, 1879-1956  Search this
Biddle, George, 1885-1973  Search this
Bishop, Isabel, 1902-1988  Search this
Bruce, Edward, 1879-1943  Search this
Faulkner, Barry, 1881-1966  Search this
Glackens, William J., 1870-1938  Search this
Henri, Robert, 1865-1929  Search this
Langsam, Julie  Search this
Manship, Paul, 1885-1966  Search this
Nichols, Hobart, 1869-1962  Search this
Speicher, Eugene Edward, 1883-1962  Search this
Sterne, Maurice, 1878-1957  Search this
Williams, Esther, 1907-1969  Search this
Extent:
8.7 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sketchbooks
Interviews
Drawings
Date:
circa 1900-1988
Summary:
The papers of realist painter, muralist, and educator Leon Kroll date from circa 1900 to 1988 and measure 8.7 linear feet. The collection documents Kroll's painting career, teaching, and active participation in numerous art organizations. Over one-half of the collection is correspondence with artists, schools, galleries, museums, patrons, arts organizations, and others. Also found are scattered biographical material, writings and notes, legal and financial records, exhibition catalogs, clippings, other printed material, photographs of Kroll and colleagues, loose drawings and nine sketchbooks.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of realist painter, muralist, and art instructor Leon Kroll date from circa 1900 to 1988 and measure 8.7 linear feet. The collection documents Kroll's painting career, teaching, and active participation in numerous art organizations. Over one-half of the collection is correspondence with artists, schools, galleries, museums, patrons, arts organizations, family members, and others. Also found are scattered biographical material, writings and notes, legal and financial records, exhibition catalogs, clippings, other printed material, photographs of Kroll and colleagues, loose drawings, and nine sketchbooks.

Biographical material contains chronologies, biographical essays, awards, price lists, interview transcripts, and a file about the Committee on Government and Art. More than one-half of the collection consists of Kroll's personal and professional correspondence with artists such as Gifford Beal, George Biddle, Isabel Bishop, Barry Faulkner, William Glackens, Robert Henri, Paul Manship, Hobart Nichols, Eugene Speicher, Maurice Stern, Esther Williams, and many others. Additional correspondence is with art critics, curators, dealers, students, patrons, schools, museums, and numerous arts organizations. There is also extensive correspondence with arts administrators regarding government art projects, especially his friend and fellow artist Edward Bruce, Director of the U. S. Treasury Department's Section for Fine Arts.

Writings and notes by Leon Kroll including autobiographical essays, drafts of lectures and speeches, lists, and other scattered notes. Also found is a small amount of writings by others, including an essay by Julia Langsam describing her experience as an artist's model for Kroll. Legal and financial records include contracts, loan agreements, art sales receipts, and several ledgers recording consignments and monthly receipts and expenditures. One ledger specifically documents financial transactions for Kroll's mural commissions for the Justice Department and the Worcester War Memorial.

Printed material contains numerous news clippings about Kroll and his work and includes several articles written by Kroll. Also found are exhibition announcements and catalogs for Kroll's solo exhibitions, material about the Worcester War memorial, and miscellaneous printed items.

Photographs include one of Kroll with his family, Kroll in his studio and working on murals, and several of him with other artists as jurors for art exhibitions. Artists pictured include Isabel Bishop, Reginal Marsh, John Sloan, Raphael Soyer, Eugene Speicher, and others. Also found are photographs of Edward Bruce, as well as photographs of exhibitions, artwork by Leon Kroll, and artwork by others. All of the original artwork in this collection is by Leon Kroll and includes loose drawings and ten sketchbooks containing drawings of landscapes, figures, portraits, and animals.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 7 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1906-1977 (Boxes 1, 7; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1905-1988 (Boxes 1-4, 7; 3.8 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, circa 1920s-1972 (Box 4-5, 7; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 4: Legal and Financial Records, circa 1914-1985 (Boxes 5, 7; 1.0 linear feet)

Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1920s-1987 (Boxes 5-6, 8-9; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 6: Photographs, circa 1900-1979 (Boxes 6, 8-10; 1.7 linear feet)

Series 7: Artwork, circa 1910-1950s (Boxes 6, 8; 0.4 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
Leon Kroll (1884-1974) was a leading realist painter during the 1920s and 1930s.

Born in New York City, Kroll attended classes at the Art Students League as a teenager, and studied painting with John Henry Twachtman. In the early 1900s he began taking classes at the National Academy of Design, where he won student prizes, and had his first major exhibition in 1906. In 1908 he won a scholarship to study art in Paris and attended the Académie Julian, studying at the atelier of Jean-Paul Laurens. Through he practiced realism, Kroll was also influenced by French impressionist painters, specifically Paul Cézanne. While in Paris he also met Genevieve (Viette) Domec. They married later in 1923 and had one daughter, Marie-Claude.

Upon his return to New York in 1910, Kroll had a one man show of his Paris work at the National Academy where he received critical acclaim. The next year he began teaching at the National Academy of Design. During his career, he also taught at the Maryland Institute, Art Institute of Chicago, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and was a guest instructor and lecturer at several other schools.

Kroll was part of a circle of New York artists that included several members of "The Eight", and he was especially close with Robert Henri, William Glackens, George Bellows, and Eugene Speicher. During his time in Europe he also became friends with Marc Chagall and Robert and Sonia Delaunay. He exhibited at the Armory Show in 1913 and during the next few decades won numerous major national and international prizes in painting, including first prize at the 1936 Carnegie International Exhibition. He had his first retrospective exhibition at the Worcester Art Museum in 1937. Kroll was especially known for his paintings of female nudes, but also painted New York City street scenes, New England landscapes, and portraits. Beginning in the late 1930s he was commissioned to paint murals at public buildings including, among others, the U. S. Department of Justice Building, the war memorial in Worcester, Massachusetts, and the auditorium at Johns Hopkins University.

Throughout his career Kroll was a very active member of professional arts organizations. He was an Associate and later a Academician at the National Academy of Design, and his memberships included the New Society of Artists; American Society of Painters, Sculptors, and Gravers; Artists Equity Association; Four Arts Aid Association; and the National Institute of Arts and Letters among others. He also served as a board officer for many of these organizations. Kroll was active in the federal arts programs from the 1930s to the 1950s and close friends with Edward Bruce, director of the U.S. Treasury Department's Section for Fine Arts.

Kroll maintained a studio in New York City and spent summers at his home and studio at Folly Cove, Gloucester, Massachusetts. Leon Kroll died in 1974 at the age of 89.
Provenance:
Leon Kroll donated a portion of his papers in 1968. His widow, Genevieve Kroll, donated the rest of the papers in 1976. Two additions were donated in 2019, via Cory Churches and the Estate of Grace Pugh, both descendants of Kroll.
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:
Educators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sketchbooks
Interviews
Drawings
Citation:
Leon Kroll papers, circa 1900-1988. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.krolleon
See more items in:
Leon Kroll papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9795a1261-7717-4f72-baff-b0ec0f55b003
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-krolleon
Online Media:

Margaret Merwin Patch papers

Creator:
Patch, Margaret Merwin, 1894-1987  Search this
Names:
American Craftsmen's Council  Search this
World Crafts Council  Search this
Ayers, Hester Merwin, 1902-1975  Search this
Webb, Aileen O., 1892-1979  Search this
Extent:
10.9 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Diaries
Sound recordings
Date:
1885-1986
Summary:
The papers of arts administrator Margaret Merwin Patch measure 10.9 linear feet and date from 1885 to 1986. The bulk of the collection consists of material from Patch's involvement with the American Craftsmen's Council and the formation and administration of the World Crafts Council. Also found are scattered biographical materials from Patch and the Merwin and Patch families; correspondence; three diaries; writings and notes by Patch and by others; subject files regarding various other organizations and activities with which Patch was involved; printed material, and photographs.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of arts administrator Margaret Merwin Patch measure 10.9 linear feet and date from 1885 to 1986. The bulk of the collection consists of material from Patch's involvement with the American Craftsmen's Council and the formation and administration of the World Crafts Council. Also found are scattered biographical materials from Patch and the Merwin and Patch families; correspondence; three diaries; writings and notes by Patch and by others; subject files regarding various other organizations and activities with which Patch was involved; printed material; and photographs.

Biographical material includes documents from Margaret Merwin Patch as well as items from Rachel Merwin-Coggeshall, George Patch, Hester Merwin, and Ruth Merwin. One scrapbook contains clippings and photographs from the Patch's time at Cranbrook Academy of Art. Correspondents include Dorothy Johnson, Luba Kruja, Mary and Frances Schimpff, Olga Valkova, and Aileen Webb. Writings by others include unpublished works by Aileen Webb and Beatrice Wood. Family photographs depict the Patch and Merwin families.

The bulk of Patch's papers relate to her involvement with numerous arts organizations including the American Craftsmen's Council, Atlantic Center for the Arts, Shelburne Falls Art Center, and the World Crafts Council. These files may include founding documents, financial material, administrative records, correspondence, notes, printed material, and photographs. Found is material from the planning, goals, and accomplishments of twenty-five international meetings of various committees and groups of the World Crafts Council.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 9 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1903-1976 (0.9 linear feet; Box 1, 12, OV13-14)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1928-1986 (0.6 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Diaries, 1912-1926 (0.2 linear feet; Box 2)

Series 4: Writings and Notes, circa 1919-circa 1980s (0.4 linear feet; Box 2)

Series 5: Subject Files, 1927-1986 (1.4 linear feet; Box 2-3)

Series 6: American Craftsmen's Council Records, 1953-1987 (1.0 linear feet; Box 4)

Series 7: World Crafts Council Records, circa 1960-1986 (5.2 linear feet; Box 5-10)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1930s-1986 (0.4 linear feet; Box 10)

Series 9: Photographs, 1880s-1980s (0.8 linear feet; Box 10-11)
Biographical / Historical:
Margaret Merwin Patch (1894-1987) was an arts administrator in Massachusetts and Florida.

Born in Bloomington, Illinois in 1894, Margaret Stone Merwin graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1915. She attended the University of Chicago Graduate School of Commerce and Administration from 1916 to 1917.

While living in London, Margaret enrolled at the London School of Economics and worked for the American Section of the Allied Maritime Transport Council, attending the Paris Peace Conference. Upon returning to the United States, she was a member of the National Industrial Conference Board and attended Columbia University in the early 1920s. She started a statistical graphic design company, Merwin-Davis Statistical Reports and Charts, which produced illustrated and varied graphs to display statistical information in the mid-1920s.

Margaret Merwin married George Patch in 1930. She and George moved between their summer home in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, New York City, where Margaret was a special consultant to the National Broadcasting Company, and Bloomfield Hills, Michigan where she studied painting under Zoltan Sepeshy and Wallace Mitchell at Cranbrook Academy of Art. During World War II, Patch worked for the Office of Price Administration. Upon her husband's death in the 1950s, Patch spent winters in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

From the 1940s until her death in 1988, Margaret Merwin Patch devoted her time to arts administration in the United States and around the world. Her passion began when she became the art chairman of the Women's Club of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts. With that role, she helped lead the exhibition, class instruction, and retail support of local crafts. Eventually, her activity led to the formation of the Shelburne Falls Craft Center. Among the many organizations with which she was involved were the Aid to Artisans, American Craftsmen's Council, Atlantic Center for the Arts, Deerfield Valley Art Association, Michigan League of Women Voters, and the Shelburne Falls Art Center. Through her affiliation with the American Craftsmen's Council, Patch embarked on a year-long trip around the world in 1960. This trip helped lay the foundation for the World Crafts Council, which was formally established in 1964, with the aid of her colleague, Aileen Osborn Patch. A UNESCO group, the World Crafts Council sponsored international crafts conferences and cultural assemblies.

Margaret Merwin Patch died in 1988.
Related Materials:
Also in the Archives of American Art is an interview of Margaret Merwin Patch, conducted 1980 October 16-1984 September 25, by Robert F. Brown.

Researchers interested in accessing the audiovisual recording in this collection must use an access copy. Contact References Services for more information.
Provenance:
The Margaret Merwin Patch papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Linda M. Walker, a personal representative of Patch's estate in 1987.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing the audiovisual recording in this collection must use an access copy. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Arts administrators  Search this
Topic:
Handicraft  Search this
Genre/Form:
Diaries
Sound recordings
Citation:
Margaret Merwin Patch papers, 1885-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.patcmarg
See more items in:
Margaret Merwin Patch papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw99ed9270e-2377-4463-bad6-6d030ae4e6d5
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-patcmarg
Online Media:

Margaret Merwin Patch papers, 1885-1986

Creator:
Patch, Margaret Merwin  Search this
Subject:
Ayers, Hester Merwin  Search this
Webb, Aileen O.  Search this
World Crafts Council  Search this
American Craftsmen's Council  Search this
Type:
Diaries
Sound recordings
Citation:
Margaret Merwin Patch papers, 1885-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Handicraft  Search this
Theme:
Craft  Search this
Art organizations  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)8327
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210499
AAA_collcode_patcmarg
Theme:
Craft
Art organizations
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210499
Online Media:

Margret Craver Withers papers

Creator:
Withers, Margret Craver, 1907-  Search this
Extent:
9.6 Linear feet
0.002 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Drawings
Motion pictures
Scrapbooks
Date:
1908-2016
Summary:
The papers of silversmith and arts administrator Margret Craver Withers measure 9.6 linear feet and 0.002 GB and date from 1908 to 2016. The papers document her career as an silversmith and jeweler through biographical material; correspondence with family, friends, colleagues, and art organizations; manuscripts, notes, lectures, and other writings; professional activity records with various organizations; photographs, printed material, correspondence related to specific subject materials such as individuals or organizations; exhibition catalogs, clippings, published articles, and other printed materials; designs, sketches, sketchbooks, and other artwork; and personal photographs, some in digital format, and photographs and slides of works and works by other artists.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of silversmith and arts administrator Margret Craver Withers measure 9.6 linear feet and 0.002 GB and date from 1908 to 2016. The papers document her career as an silversmith and jeweler through biographical material; correspondence with family, friends, colleagues, and art organizations; manuscripts, notes, lectures, and other writings; professional activity with various organizations; photographs, printed material, correspondence related to specific subject materials such as individuals or organizations; exhibition catalogs, clippings, published articles, and other printed materials; designs, sketches, sketchbooks, and other artwork; and personal photographs, some in digital format, photographs and slides of works and works by other artists.

Biographical material includes copies of a transcript for an oral history conducted by Columbia University, awards, and artist statements. Correspondence includes letters to friends, colleagues, and organizations. Also included are numerous personal letters between Craver and her husband. Writings include draft manuscripts for articles and booklets, transcripts for various lectures, and notes and notebooks.

Professional material includes film reels and corresponding transcripts, about sliversmithing techniques; grooved disk recordings of interviews with artists and silversmithing techniques; scrapbooks; invoices; commissioned work; and exhibition related materials for various museums.

Subject Files were organized by Craver on specific individuals or organizations. The files contain documents such as correspondence, printed material, and photographs. Printed material includes exhibition announcements and catalogs, newspaper and magazine clippings, a scrapbook, and published articles and booklets by Craver.

Artwork consists of sketches, designs, and sketchbooks by Craver. Included are some pieces by other artists. Photographic material consists of personal photographs and digital photographs of Craver with family and friends, photographs and slides of her artwork, and photographs of works by other artists.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 8 series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1945-1988 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1935-2016 (1.7 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)

Series 3: Writings, 1929-1988 (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 2-3)

Series 4: Professional Activity Files, 1941-1996 (1.6 linear feet; Boxes 3-4, 9, FC 14-20)

Series 5: Subject Files, 1926-1991 (0.7 linear feet; Box 4)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1935-1997 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 4-5, 9-10)

Series 7: Artwork, circa 1937 (0.4 linear feet; Box 5, OV 11-13)

Series 8: Photographs, 1908-2002 (3.0 linear feet; Boxes 6-8, 0.002 GB; ER01)
Biographical / Historical:
Margret Craver Withers (1907-2010) was a silversmith and arts administrator in Boston, Massachusetts.

Withers was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1907. She became interested in metal working while studying at the University of Kansas. After graduation she traveled to Europe where she trained under Baron Erik Fleming, court silversmith to the King of Sweden. In 1935 Withers established the department of jewelry and metalsmithing at the Wichita Arts Association. In the 1940s and 1950s Craver developed and taught a series of workshops on metalsmithing as occupational therapy for wounded veterans. In 1949, she married Charles Withers. She continued to be known professionally under her unmarried name, Margret Craver. Withers is credited with reviving the technique of en resille, in which enamel-coated metal foil is embedded in glass. Withers died in 2010.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Margret Craver Withers conducted by Robert F. Brown between 1983 and 1985.
Provenance:
The Margret Craver Withers papers were donated in several installments between 1971 and 2019. Donations between 1971 and 1998 were done by Marget Craver Withers. Three film reels were donated in 1975 by Handy and Harman. Donations in 2011 were by Josephine Withers, daughter of Margret Craver Withers. Donations between 2014 and 2019 were made by Judith Childs, friend of Margret Craver Withers.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Arts administrators -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this
Silversmiths -- Massachusetts -- Boston  Search this
Topic:
American studio craft movement  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women arts administrators  Search this
Genre/Form:
Drawings
Motion pictures
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Margret Craver Withers papers, 1908-2016. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.withmarg
See more items in:
Margret Craver Withers papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9d4f1a295-011a-44f6-8bbd-39714edcf709
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-withmarg
Online Media:

Modify Your Search







or


Narrow By
  • Archives of American Art