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Creator:

Smithsonian American Art Museum  Search this

Type:

Lectures

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2011-05-23T14:00:00.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, American  Search this

See more by:

americanartmuseum

Data Source:

Smithsonian American Art Museum

YouTube Channel:

americanartmuseum

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_ES9SiA5kd_w

Creator:

Washington Project for the Arts  Search this

Washington Project for the Arts  Search this

Theme:

Communities, Organizations, Museums  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)9958

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212549

AAA_collcode_washproj

Theme:

Communities, Organizations, Museums

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_212549

Creator:

Isaacson, Robert  Search this

Robert Isaacson Gallery  Search this

Durlacher Bros. (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Hewitt Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Names:

Dewing, Thomas Wilmer, 1851-1938  Search this

Friedensohn, Elias, 1924-  Search this

Mayhew, Richard, 1934-  Search this

Nadelman, Elie, 1882-1946  Search this

Regensburg, Sophy, 1885-1974  Search this

Ross, Alvin, 1920-1975  Search this

Schmidt, Katherine, 1898-1978  Search this

Tooker, George, 1920-2011  Search this

Wilde, John, 1919-2006  Search this

Extent:

1.4 Linear feet ((on 2 microfilm reels))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1952-1967

Scope and Contents:

Material relating to the three New York City galleries owned by Isaacson: Hewitt Gallery, Robert Isaacson Gallery and Durlacher Bros.

Correspondence with dealers, collectors, museums, and art organizations, 1959-1966; 2 sales ledgers, 1956-1961; statements, 1957-1959; artists' accounts unpaid; 4 subject files, 1955-1967, pertaining to group shows, "Painters of the Beautiful" exhibition, Gerome exhibition, and Vassar exhibition; artists' files containing resumes, correspondence concerning the sale and exhibition of their work, price lists, financial material, clippings, exhibition catalogues, and photographs of 27 artists including Thomas Wilmer Dewing, Elias Friedensohn, Richard Mayhew, Elie Nadelman, Sophy Regensburg, Alvin Ross, Katherine Schmidt, George Tooker, and John Wilde.

Biographical / Historical:

Art galleries; New York City.

Provenance:

Donated 1976 by Robert Isaacson.

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:

Gallery owners -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Function:

Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State)

Identifier:

AAA.isaarobe

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-isaarobe

Collection Creator:

J.L. Hudson Gallery  Search this

Extent:

0.3 Linear feet (Boxes 3-4)

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1962-1972

Scope and Contents:

Client files document the gallery's transactions with various galleries, art schools, and arts organizations through loan documentation, shipping and receiving reports, artwork lists, and correspondence.

Collection 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.

Collection Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Collection Citation:

J.L. Hudson Gallery records, 1958-1973. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.

Identifier:

AAA.jlhuds, Series 5

See more items in:

J.L. Hudson Gallery records

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-jlhuds-ref19

Creator:

Katz, Ethel, 1895-1989  Search this

Names:

Bishop, Isabel, 1902-1988  Search this

Gallagher, Sears, 1869-1955  Search this

Hand, Patricia  Search this

Hee, Marjorie Wong  Search this

Schneider, Theophile, b. 1872  Search this

Extent:

1.7 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Drawings

Sketchbooks

Date:

1883-1974

Summary:

The papers of painter and educator Ethel Katz date from 1883 to 1974 and measure 1.7 linear feet. The scattered papers include biographical material, correspondence, photographs, printed material, extensive sketches and sketchbooks, and writings.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of painter and educator Ethel Katz date from 1883 to 1974 and measure 1.7 linear feet. The scattered papers include biographical material, correspondence, photographs, printed material, extensive sketches and sketchbooks, and writings.

Letters are from Katz's relatives in France, galleries, art organizations, and the Civil Defense Volunteer Office regarding her work during World War II. Other correspondents include her pupils and colleagues from the Art Students League, including Patricia Hand, Marjorie and Hon-Chew Hee, Jose Morales, and Stewart Klonis. One letter dated 1883 is from Katz's father, painter Theophile Schneider written upon arrival in the United States. Photographs depict Katz, her family, her friends, and her paintings, and Theophile Schneider. Writings are on art and include art supply lists and outlines for class lectures at the Art Students League. Katz's sketches, drawings and sketchbooks comprise the bulk of the collection, and include figure drawings and landscape sketches from the United States West, New England, and Eastern Canada. Works by others are by Isabel Bishop and Patricia Hand.

Arrangement:

Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.

Biographical / Historical:

Ethel Katz (1895-1989) was a painter and educator active in New York City, New York. She was a longtime instructor at the Art Students League.

Ethel Katz was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1895 to painter Theophile Schneider, and Julia Schneibler. Katz began her formal art education at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, continued at the Art Students League, and completed a summer term in Colorado with Randall Davey. Katz returned to the Art Students League in 1943 where she taught Saturday classes for young adults and children. During World War II, Katz volunteered with the Greater New York Bureau of Arts and Decorations for the American Women's Voluntary Services and with the Civilian Defense Volunteer Office.

Katz produced many landscape paintings, inspired by her trips to Colorado and the United States West, New England, and Eastern Canada. Her works were exhibited at Midtown Galleries, Weyhe Galleries, and the New York Water Color Club among many others. She showed her work in a father and daughter exhibit at the Riverside Museum in 1938.

Provenance:

Ethel Katz donated her papers in several installments from 1972 to 1977.

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

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Women painters  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Drawings

Sketchbooks

Citation:

Ethel Katz papers, 1883-1974. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Processing of this collection received federal support from the Collections Care Initiative Fund, administered by the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative and the National Collections Program

Identifier:

AAA.katzethe

See more items in:

Ethel Katz papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-katzethe

Collection Creator:

Katz, Ethel, 1895-1989  Search this

Extent:

1.7 Linear feet (Boxes 1-3)

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1883-1974

Scope and Contents:

Letters are from Katz's relatives in France, galleries, art organizations, and the Civil Defense Volunteer Office regarding Katz's work during World War II. Other correspondents include her pupils and colleagues from the Art Students League including Patricia Hand, Marjorie and Hon-Chew Hee, Jose Morales, and Stewart Klonis. One letter is from Theophile Schneider.

Photographs depict Katz, her family, her friends, and her paintings, and her father Theophile Schneider. Photographers include Alman & Co., Laura Gilpin, William Charles Nortzel, J. E. Purdy, and G. Schuhmann.

Writings are on art and include art supply lists and outlines for class lectures at the Art Students League.

Katz's sketches, drawings and sketchbooks comprise the bulk of the collection, and include figure drawings and landscape sketches from the United States West, New England, and Eastern Canada. Sketches may include notations on location and color. Sixty-four figure drawings are done in silverpoint. Works by other include a painted sketch of Katz by Isabel Bishop and of illustrated greeting cards by Patricia Hand.

Collection 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.

Collection Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Collection Citation:

Ethel Katz papers, 1883-1974. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Processing of this collection received federal support from the Collections Care Initiative Fund, administered by the Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative and the National Collections Program

Identifier:

AAA.katzethe, Series 1

See more items in:

Ethel Katz papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-katzethe-ref50

Creator:

Washington Project for the Arts (D.C.)  Search this

Extent:

39 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

[ca. 1975-1990.]

Scope and Contents:

By-laws, notes and minutes of board meetings; correspondence files; administrative records; exhibitions and other program files; clippings, press releases, exhibition catalogs and announcements, and other printed material; and miscellany. Included are 8 ft. of records related to the exhibition, "War and Memory: in the Aftermath of Vietnam."

Biographical / Historical:

Visual and performing art organization; Washington, D.C. Opened in 1975.

Provenance:

Donated by the Washington Project for the Arts via Program Director Richard Powell, 1988. "War and Memory" records donated 1991 by the WPA via Philip Brookman.

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.

Function:

Arts organizations -- Washington (D.C.)

Identifier:

AAA.washproj

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-washproj

Creator:

Fendrick Gallery  Search this

Names:

Barbara Fendrick Gallery  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Arneson, Robert, 1930-1992  Search this

Bailey, William, 1930-2020  Search this

Benes, Barton Lidic  Search this

Brush, Daniel  Search this

Castle, Wendell, 1932-2018  Search this

Cottingham, Robert, 1935-  Search this

Drake, James, 1946-  Search this

Dreyfuss, John, 1949-  Search this

Dusenbery, Walter, 1939-  Search this

Frankenthaler, Helen, 1928-2011  Search this

Gilliam, Sam, 1933-  Search this

Johns, Jasper, 1930-  Search this

KaskeyRaymond J., 1943-  Search this

Lalanne, Claude  Search this

Lalanne, François Xavier  Search this

Maria da Conceição  Search this

Paley, Albert  Search this

Raffael, Joseph, 1933-  Search this

Summer, Carol  Search this

Tenneson, Joyce, 1945-  Search this

Woodyard, William  Search this

Extent:

106.4 Linear feet

0.008 Gigabytes

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Gigabytes

Account books

Photographs

Date:

1952-2001

Summary:

The records of the Fendrick Gallery measure 106.4 linear feet and 0.008 GB and span the years 1952 to 2001. The bulk of the collection is comprised of artist's files that document the gallery's relations with and representation of over 300 contemporary artists and sculptors, including Robert Arneson, William Bailey, Daniel Brush, Wendell Castle, Robert Cottingham, James Drake, John Dreyfuss, Walter Dusenbury, Roger Essley, Helen Frankenthaler , Sam Gilliam, Jasper Johns, Raymond Kaskey, Claude and Francois Lalanne, Albert Paley, Joseph Raffael, Carol Summer, and numerous other artists. Also found are subject, exhibition, commission, administrative, and financial files, as well as files documenting the gallery's relationship with other museums and galleries.

Scope and Content Note:

The records of the Fendrick Gallery measure 106.4 linear feet and 0.008 GB and span the years 1952 to 2001. The bulk of the collection is comprised of artist's files that document the gallery's relationships with and representation of over 300 contemporary artists, including Robert Arneson, William Bailey, Daniel Brush, Wendell Castle, Robert Cottingham, James Drake, John Dreyfuss, Walter Dusenbury, Roger Essley, Helen Frankenthaler, Sam Gilliam, Jasper Johns, Raymond Kaskey, Claude and Francois Lalanne, Albert Paley, Joseph Raffael, Carol Summer, and numerous other artists. Also found are subject, exhibition, commission, administrative, and financial files, as well as files documenting the gallery's relationship with other museums and galleries.

Series 1, Artist's Files, measures almost 42 linear feet and dates from 1962-2001. Found here are files documenting the gallery's relationship with over 300 contemporary artists. Files typically contain correspondence, sales receipts, printed materials, exhibition catalogs and announcements, commission information, photographs, slides, and other materials.

Series 2, Albert Paley, 1970-2001, and undated, provides detailed documentation (14.5 linear feet) of the Fendrick gallery's representation of prominent American metal sculptor Albert Paley. The gallery represented Paley from the early 1980s through the early 1990s and devoted a great deal of its resources promoting Paley's work through exhibitions and commissioned sales. Correspondence between the Fendrick Galleries and Paley Studios is found in this series, along with publicity materials, commission proposals and sketches, exhibition materials, and audio-visual and photographic documentation of Paley's work. Researchers should also consult Series 3 for additional documentation of Paley's commissioned projects.

Series 3, Commissioned Works and Projects, 1972-2000, and undated, documents the variety of commissions and special projects the gallery arranged and managed on behalf of its represented artists. Because privately commissioned work and government-sponsored public art projects represented a significant source of revenue for the Fendrick galleries, the gallery devoted a substantial amount of time and resources towards securing these projects. These files contain applications, proposals, sketches, correspondence, photographs and other material arranged by name of project.

Series 4, Exhibition Files, 1961, 1970-1996, and undated, houses files relating to exhibitions organized by Fendrick Gallery. Found here are exhibition announcements, invitations, and catalogs; specific named exhibition files; and files concerning special projects or exhibitions, often jointly curated with other galleries or institutions. The Fendrick gallery was also actively involved in various governmental programs, such as Art in the Embassies Program, and organized traveling exhibits or loaned artwork to them.

The gallery's relationships with other galleries, museums, institutions, and art organizations is documented in Series 5, Museums and Galleries Files, 1952-2000, and undated. Many of the files concern loans, exhibition venues, and joint exhibitions or projects.

Series 6, Subject Files, 1952, 1960-2001, and undated contain numerous files arranged by subject heading. Here, researchers will find information collected and maintained by the gallery on various art medium, artists of interest, exhibition catalogs from museums and other galleries, information about small and fine art presses. Of particular interest are several folders entitled "Fine Art Printers & Publishers." Barbara Fendrick's early years in the art business centered upon exhibiting, promoting, and selling prints produced by young, emerging American artists. The information found here documents her growing personal relationships with some of the most prominent artists and printmakers of this era.

Records documenting administrative, business, operating, and financial affairs are arranged in Series 7, Administrative and Financial Files, 1960-2001, and undated. Found here are records of both the Barbara Fendrick Gallery (New York) and the Fendrick Gallery (Washington, D.C.), as well as files that document Barbara Fendrick's role as art consultant, appraiser, lecturer, exhibition juror, and guest curator. Found are numerous inventory cards, insurance records, consignment files, general correspondence, lists, loan files, notebooks, real estate files, card files on artists and clients, and history files. Of particular interest are the Day Books/Dailies maintained by the New York gallery staff consisting of entries and notes regarding prospective clients and their interests. The Telephone Log Books contain details of telephone conversations with artists, clients, dealers, and other art professionals. Series 7 also houses the financial records of both galleries, including invoices, financial statements, expenses, accounts, and tax records.

Arrangement:

The Fendrick Gallery records were processed to the series, subseries, and folder level. The collection is arranged into seven series. Items within folders, for the most part, were not fully sorted or preserved. When possible, materials were generally arranged at least by year. Within Series 1, Artists' Files, each set of folders for a particular artist are only given span dates. Due to the amount and complexity of material compiled on the artist Albert Paley, his files are arranged into a separate series of their own.

Series 1: Artists Files, 1962-2001, undated (Box 1-42, OV 108-110; 41.5 linear ft.)

Series 2: Albert Paley, 1970-2001, undated (Box 42-54; Box 107, OV 111-113, 117-118, FC 119; 14.6 linear ft., ER01; 0.001 GB)

Series 3: Commissioned Works and Projects, 1972- 2000, undated (Box 54-57; 3.5 linear ft.)

Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1961, 1970-1996, undated (Box 58-63; 5.5 linear feet)

Series 5: Museums and Galleries Files, 1952-200, undated (Box 64-73; 9.25 linear feet)

Series 6: Subject Files, 1952, 1960-2001, undated (Box 73-88, OV 115-116, FC 120; 15.6 linear ft.)

Series 7: Administrative and Financial Files, undated (Box 88-106; OV, ER02-ER03; 0.008 GB)

Historical Note:

The Fendrick Gallery was established in 1960 as a "by appointment only" gallery out of Barbara Fendrick's Washington, D.C., area home. Initially the gallery promoted contemporary American and European prints by emerging artists and also commissioned print editions by nationally-known artists. During the mid 1960s, the Fendrick Gallery also coordinated and produced art exhibitions on a contract basis for the United States Information Agency. The gallery was responsible for organizing the first large American art exhibition at the Department of State and the Federal Reserve.

In May, 1970 the Fendrick Gallery moved into a three-story townhouse in Georgetown and began presenting regular exhibitions open to the public. The gallery offered many prominent American artists, such as Robert Arneson, Jim Dine, Helen Frankenthaler, Jasper Johns, Louise Nevelson, and Robert Rauschenberg their first solo shows in the nation's capital. The Fendrick Gallery also represented many nationally known sculptors, such as John Dreyfuss, Walter Dusenbery, Raymond Kaskey, and Albert Paley.

Over the years, Fendrick Gallery promoted many emerging artists who were breaking down the barriers between art and craft in the areas of clay, furniture, metal, and book arts. The gallery held the first major show of contemporary ceramics on the East Coast, with the 1976 exhibition, Clay USA. The gallery also received critical acclaim for its exhibitions in the area of "book arts" and held four shows featuring the works of prominent American and international book artists.

In 1987 and 1988, the gallery expanded and opened the Barbara Fendrick Gallery in the Soho section of New York City. The New York location operated as both a gallery space and storage area and was often referred to as "The Warehouse." Both the Fendrick Gallery and the Barbara Fendrick Gallery closed in the summer of 1991, but Barbara Fendrick continues to work as an art consultant, appraiser, exhibition juror, lecturer, and guest curator.

Provenance:

The records of the Fendrick Gallery were donated to the Archives of American Art by Barbara Fendrick in 1999, with an addition to the records in 2001.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Use of unmicrofilmed material requires an appointment.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Topic:

Art -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Furniture designers  Search this

Artists -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Sculptors  Search this

Artists' books  Search this

Printmakers  Search this

Metal-workers  Search this

Function:

Art galleries, Commercial -- Washington (D.C.)

Genre/Form:

Account books

Photographs

Citation:

Fendrick Gallery records, 1952-2001. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.fendgall

See more items in:

Fendrick Gallery records

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-fendgall

Creator:

Milton, Peter Winslow, 1930-  Search this

Milton, Peter Winslow, 1930-  Search this

Subject:

Albers, Josef  Search this

Hooven, Peter  Search this

Finkelstein, Irving L.  Search this

McNulty, Kneeland  Search this

Peterdi, Gabor  Search this

Maryland Institute, College of Art  Search this

Franz Bader Gallery  Search this

Associated American Artists  Search this

Print Club (Philadelphia, Pa.)  Search this

Topic:

Prints -- Technique -- United States  Search this

Prints, American  Search this

Prints -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Theme:

Lives of American Artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)8325

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210497

AAA_collcode_miltpete

Theme:

Lives of American Artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210497

Creator:

Milton, Peter, 1930-  Search this

Names:

Associated American Artists  Search this

Franz Bader Gallery  Search this

Maryland Institute, College of Art -- Faculty  Search this

Print Club (Philadelphia, Pa.)  Search this

Albers, Josef  Search this

Finkelstein, Irving L.  Search this

Hooven, Peter, 1934-  Search this

McNulty, Kneeland  Search this

Peterdi, Gabor  Search this

Extent:

1.4 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1962-1983

Scope and Contents:

Correspondence files, project files, teaching files, writings, biographical material, inventories, receipts and price lists of prints, and printed material document Milton's printmaking career.

Primarily correspondence (1 foot), arranged chronologically, 1963-1977, and alphabetically by gallery or organization, relating mainly to exhibitions and sales of Milton's work, with galleries, museums, art organizations, colleagues, and collectors. Contained in some files are clippings, draft replies, inventories, consignment agreements, receipts, and a few photographs. Alphabetical file titles include Alma Pelis Gallery, Associated American Artists, C. Troup Gallery, Comsky Gallery, FAR Gallery, Fein/Art, Franz Bader Gallery, Graphics Gallery, Imprint Gallery, Kneeland McNulty, Museo La Tertulia, Optik Gallery, Orr's Gallery, Gabor Peterdi, Pickard Art Galleries, Pratt Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Priscilla Hartley Gallery, Print Club, Talisman Prints, and Joan Weinberg.

Included in the chronological files are letters, some lengthy, from Peter and Coille Hooven. The McNulty file contains research material for a catalog on Milton's etchings, and includes information on Josef Albers and Gabor Peterdi.

Project files, 1969-1974, regard Irving Finkelstein's article about Milton published in "Artists Proof" in 1971, and Milton's commission for the "Jolly Corner Suite" prints to illustrate "Bartelby" by Melville for Aquarius Press. Teaching files, ca. 1962-1965, include syllabi and notes for classes taught by Milton at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Printed material, ca. 1964-1970, includes exhibition announcements and reproductions of Milton's work.

Biographical / Historical:

Printmaker, educator; New Hampshire. Studied with Josef Albers and Gabor Peterdi at Yale University, where he received a BFA (1954) and an MFA (1962). Taught at the University of Bridgeport (1959-1960), Yale University (1960-1961) and the Maryland Institute College of Art (1961-1968).

Provenance:

Donated 1988 by Peter W. Milton.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Occupation:

Etchers -- New Hampshire  Search this

Printmakers -- New Hampshire  Search this

Educators -- New Hampshire  Search this

Topic:

Prints -- Technique -- United States  Search this

Prints, American  Search this

Prints -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.miltpete

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-miltpete

Creator:

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Names:

Betty Parsons Gallery  Search this

Bess, Forrest, 1911-1977  Search this

Congdon, William, 1912-1998  Search this

Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956  Search this

Reinhardt, Ad, 1913-1967  Search this

Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970  Search this

Extent:

61.1 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sketchbooks

Interviews

Video recordings

Drawings

Date:

1916-1991

bulk 1946-1983

Summary:

The Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers measure 61.1 linear feet and date from 1916 to 1991, with the bulk of the material dating from 1946-1983. Records provide extensive documentation of the gallery's operations from its inception in 1946 to its closing in 1983 and of the activities of Betty Parsons as one the leading art dealers of contemporary American Art in the latter half of the twentieth century, particularly the work of the Abstract Expressionists. Over one third of the of the collection is comprised of artists files containing correspondence, price lists, and printed materials. Additional correspondence is with galleries, dealers, art institutions, private collectors, and the media. Also found are exhibition files, exhibition catalogs and announcements, sales records, stock inventories, personal financial records, and photographs. Betty Parsons's personal papers consist of early curatorial files, pocket diaries, personal correspondence, and evidence of her own artwork, including sketchbooks, and files documenting her personal art collection.

Scope and Content Note:

The Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers measure 61.1 linear feet and date from 1916 to 1991, with the bulk of the material dating from 1946-1983. Records provide extensive documentation of the gallery's operations from its inception in 1946 to its closing in 1983 and of the activities of Betty Parsons as one the leading art dealers of contemporary American Art in the latter half of the twentieth century, particularly the work of the Abstract Expressionists. Over one third of the of the collection is comprised of artists files containing correspondence, price lists, and printed materials. Additional correspondence is with galleries, dealers, art institutions, private collectors, and the media. Also found are exhibition files, exhibition catalogs and announcements, sales records, stock inventories, personal financial records, and photographs. Betty Parsons's personal papers consist of early curatorial files, pocket diaries, personal correspondence, and evidence of her own artwork, including sketchbooks, and files documenting her personal art collection. Personal papers also include personal photographs.

Artists files, the largest and most extensive series, consist of a wide variety of documents, including biographical materials, correspondence with or related to the artist, exhibition catalogs and announcements, sales and expense invoices, clippings, price lists, and photographs of the artist, exhibitions, and artwork. The files reflect Parsons's close personal relationships with certain artists, particularly Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Clyfford Still, and Barnett Newman. Extensive documentation is also found for Forrest Bess, William Congdon, Paul Feeley, Thomas George, Alexander Liberman, Seymour Lipton, Richard Pousette-Dart, Jesse Reichek, and Jack Youngerman. Historians and researchers will find these files to be an invaluable resource both in tracing Betty Parsons's role in promoting Abstract Expressionism and researching individual artists.

Exhibition files primarily document the gallery's infrequent group or themed exhibitions. Of particular note are the files on The Ideographic Picture, which was organized by Barnett Newman and included his work, as well as that of Pietro Lazzari, Boris Margo, Ad Reinhardt, Mark Rothko, Theodoros Stamos, and Clyfford Still. Price lists, artist biographies and exhibition schedules are housed in the general exhibition files. Loan exhibition files provide documentation of artwork borrowed by other galleries or institutions for exhibitions, as well as shows outside of the gallery that were organized by Betty Parsons. Also found are gallery exhibition guest books, and announcements and catalogs.

Gallery correspondence is primarily with galleries and dealers, museums, arts organizations, and collectors. Scattered letters from artists are also found, although the bulk of the artists' correspondence is filed in the Artists Files. Also found here are memoranda and letters between Betty Parsons and her staff that contain detailed information concerning Parsons's schedule and gallery activities. Similar correspondence is found amongst the correspondence files within the series Betty Parsons papers.

Appraisal and conservation files include correspondence, appraisal invoices, forms, and appraisal requests and other information from the Art Dealers Association of America, and conservation invoices and reports. The majority of the appraisal records contain information about the specific works of art, including artist, title, date, current owner and the estimated value at the time of the request. Conservation records document conservation treatments undertaken by outside conservators to gallery stock.

Sales, purchases, stock and inventory are well documented in the sales and inventory records. The records provide detailed information about individual sales, prices of individual pieces of artwork, consignments, and loans. Most sales records also include detailed information about the buyer and are a valuable resource for provenance research. Files documenting the general administration, routine business operations, and financial transactions (not individual sales) of the gallery are housed in the general business and financial records. These records include ledgers, receipts, tax records, and banking records. There is some limited information about works of art scattered amongst the receipts and in the "in/out slips" files. Legal records house general legal documents and those concerning specific lawsuits. Of particular note is the file detailing the lawsuit between Betty Parsons and Sidney Janis over the fifth floor of 24 West 57th Street.

The remainder of the collection consists of Betty Parsons's personal papers which document her career prior to opening her own gallery, her work as an artist, and her personal art collection.

Some information about Parsons's work prior to opening her own gallery is found in the early curatorial files she retained from her curatorial and administrative work at the Wakefield Gallery and the Mortimer Brandt Gallery. Clippings, correspondence, announcements, exhibition lists and exhibition files are found. For both positions, she kept only the exhibition files for a small group of exhibitions organized around a specific theme, the most notable being the exhibition of Pre-Columbian Sculpture at the Wakefield Gallery.

Biographical materials include copies of her biography, family genealogies, photographs of Parsons, interviews with Colette Roberts and WYNC radio, memberships, photographs, and ephemera, including a collection of programs and invitations from events that she attended. Throughout her life Parsons gave generously of her time to various cultural and charitable institutions and was awarded for her contributions. There are also a number of files that document her speaking engagements, her participation as a juror in numerous juried exhibitions, charitable work, and awards that she received.

Parsons's personal correspondence files reflect how deeply Parsons's life was intertwined with the gallery. There are letters from museum directors, dealers, artists seeking representation, and personal letters from artists with whom she had close personal relationships, most notably Larry Bigelow, Alexander Calder, William Condon, and Ad Reinhardt. There are also letters from the English artist Adge Baker, with whom Parsons was romantically involved. Correspondence also includes several files of postcards and Christmas cards.

Pocket diaries and engagement calendars, spanning from 1933-1981, record social engagements, meetings, vacations, and telephone numbers. Also found are circa two linear feet of notebooks and sketchbooks, many of which are annotated with addresses, poetry, journal entries, and other observations of people, places, and travels. Writings by others include writings about Betty Parsons or the Betty Parsons Gallery, such as Lawrence Alloway's unpublished typescript titled "An American Gallery" and other topics.

Printed material consists of exhibition announcements and catalogs, art magazines, and newspaper and magazine clippings about Betty Parsons, her family and acquaintances, artists, and other art related topics, coupled with a miscellaneous selection of clippings, and a video recording, on topics that presumably captured Parsons's attention.

Personal art work records document Betty Parsons's career as an artist through inventories, group and solo exhibitions files, price lists, appraisals, sales and consignment invoices. Photographs are primarily reproductions of her works of art, although there are scattered photographs of exhibition installations.

Betty Parsons's private art collection files document her extensive personal collection of art that included works by Jackson Pollock, Agnes Martin, Romare Bearden, Barnett Newman, and Mark Rothko, in addition to Amlash sculpture from ancient Persia and primitive sculpture from New Hebrides. These files include inventories, lists, exhibition records, sales and purchase invoices, and photographs. There are also files for donations and loans from Parsons's personal collection to museums and fund raising auctions for several non-profit institutions.

Finally, the personal financial records provide information about the Parsons's family finances and her personal financial success as an art dealer. In addition to her own investments, Parsons inherited shares in family investments through the estates of her parents, J. Fred Pierson, Jr. and Suzanne Miles Pierson, and younger sister, Emily Rayner. Real estate files include correspondence, utility bills, receipts, area maps, and land plots for houses in Sheepscot, Maine and St. Maartens, Netherlands Antilles. Tax returns, ledger worksheets, receipts, banking statements, deposit slips, and cancelled checks are among the other financial records.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as seven series. Many of the series are further divided into subseries.

Series 1: Artists Files, 1935-1983 (19.4 linear feet; Boxes 1-18, 51, 55-56, OVs 53, 65)

Series 2: Exhibition Files, 1941-1983 (2.9 linear feet; Boxes 18-21, 51, 55, OVs 54, 66)

Series 3: Correspondence Files, 1941-1983 (3.9 linear feet; Boxes 21-24, 52, 56)

Series 4: Appraisal Files, 1954-1983 (0.7 linear feet; Box 24)

Series 5: Sales and Inventory Records, 1946-1983 (3.9 linear feet; Boxes 25-28, 51)

Series 6: General Business and Financial Records, 1946-1983 (9.3 linear feet; Boxes 28-38, 51, 56)

Series 7: Betty Parsons Personal Papers, 1916-1991 (21 linear feet; Boxes 38-51, 55-64, OVs 65-67)

Historical Note:

Betty Parsons (1900-1982) was one of the leading art dealers in New York City specializing in modern art, particularly the work of the Abstract Expressionists, and an abstract painter and sculptor in her own right. She opened Betty Parsons Gallery in 1946 at 15 E. 57th St., later moving to 24 W. 57th St.

The history of the Betty Parsons Gallery is inextricably bound to the life and experiences of its founder. Betty Parsons was born Betty Bierne Pierson on January 31, 1900 in New York City. She enjoyed a privileged childhood, which included vacation homes in Newport and Palm Beach. Her only formal education was a five-year stint at the prestigious Chapin School from 1910-1915, where she met many of the women who would become life-long friends and supporters. In the spring of 1920, she married Schuyler Livingston Parsons from one of New York's oldest families. The marriage ended after only three years and the couple traveled to Paris where they could obtain a divorce on the grounds of incompatibility. She retained her married surname and purchased a house on the rue Boulard in Paris, where she remained for ten years, pursuing studies in painting and sculpture.

Financial constraints forced Parsons to return to the United States in 1933. She first traveled west to California, but it was her return to New York in 1935 that marked the start of her career as an art dealer. Her first opportunity to connect with the New York art world came after a successful exhibition of her watercolors at the Midtown Galleries where the owner, Alan Gruskin, noted Parson's faithful and wealthy group of supporters and offered her work installing exhibitions and selling paintings on commission. Her work for the Midtown Galleries led to a second position in the Park Avenue gallery of Mary Sullivan, one of the founders of the Museum of Modern Art. Here, Parsons learned the business of running a gallery. By 1940 Parsons was ready to take on more independent responsibility and agreed to manage a gallery within the Wakefield Bookshop. In this job, she exercised full curatorial control by selecting artists and organizing exhibitions. She championed then unknown contemporary American artists and the gallery's roster soon included Saul Steinberg, Hedda Sterne, Alfonso Ossorio, Joseph Cornell, Walter Murch, and Theodore Stamos. Although the majority of the exhibitions were solo shows, there were a few group shows and themed exhibitions, such as Love in Art (1941) and Ballet in Art (1942). Under Parson's direction, the gallery hosted an important exhibition of Pre-Columbian sculpture, curated by Barnett Newman.

When the owners of the Wakefield Bookshop decided to close the gallery late in 1944, Mortimer Brandt, a dealer who specialized in Old Master paintings and drawings, offered her a position as head of the newly created contemporary section of his gallery. Many of the artists who had shown with Parsons at the Wakefield Gallery followed her to her new gallery, where they were joined by Ad Reinhardt, Boris Mango, and Hans Hofmann. While the exhibitions garnered attention from the press and the interest of contemporary artists, the contemporary section was not a financial success and Brandt opted to close his gallery in 1946.

Using $1000 of her own money and an additional borrowed $4000, Parsons sublet the space that previously housed Mortimer Brandt's contemporary section, on the fifth floor of 15 East 57th Street, and opened the Betty Parsons Gallery.

In many respects the early years of the Betty Parsons Gallery were the most vital, as it was during the period of 1947-1951 that the gallery became linked with the Abstract Expressionists and the history of post-WWII American Art. In an unpublished history of the gallery, noted art critic Lawrence Alloway stated that the significance of the gallery's early exhibitions ranks with Durand-Ruel's Impressionists exhibitions or Kahnweiler's shows of the Cubists. Betty Parsons Gallery quickly became one of the most prestigious galleries in New York City associated with new American Art of all styles. Her close friend Barnett Newman organized the gallery's inaugural exhibition of Northwest Coast Indian Art and he soon began to exhibit his own work at the gallery. When Peggy Guggenheim's Art of This Century Gallery closed, Jackson Pollock, Clyfford Still, and Mark Rothko joined Parsons' growing stable of artists. Although Parsons continued to promote and exhibit many of the artists whom she had previously discovered, these four artists dominated this period. Newman, Pollock, Still, and Rothko worked closely together, holding themselves apart from the other artists somewhat. They were actively involved in the curatorial process and often hung their own shows. For these artists, the exhibition itself was an artistic act of creation.

Parsons provided a supportive environment and allowed her artists enormous freedom in planning and designing their exhibitions. She was not, however, an aggressive salesperson. During this early period the gallery ledgers document sales to an impressive array of museums including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago, as well as important collectors such as Edward Root and Duncan Phillips. Nevertheless, the art that the gallery promoted was not yet widely accepted. Sales were few, prices were low and the business would not turn a profit for several years. Meanwhile, there was mounting pressure from Pollock, Newman, Still, and Rothko to drop some of the other artists from Parsons' stable and focus all resources on them. They wanted to be promoted to a larger audience and have their work sold at higher prices, but Parsons enjoyed discovering new artists and did not want to be restricted in this endeavor. The year 1951 marks the last time that Pollock's drip paintings or the monumental works of Newman, Rothko or Still were shown at the Betty Parsons Gallery.

In the following years the Betty Parsons Gallery continued to attract a diverse group of talented artists. Ellsworth Kelly, Richard Tuttle, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jack Youngerman had their first New York exhibitions at the Betty Parsons Gallery. Parsons opened Section Eleven in 1958, a short-lived annex to the main gallery, so that she could promote younger, less well-known artists. It closed in 1960 due to the administrative difficulties in running two essentially separate galleries.

In 1962, Sidney Janis, another prominent art dealer, started proceedings to evict Parsons from the floor that they shared on 15 East 57th Street. The Betty Parsons Gallery moved to 24 West 57th Street in 1963, where it remained until it closed in 1983, following Parsons' death the preceding year. Throughout the gallery's history, Parsons continued to promote faithful artists such as Hedda Sterne and Saul Steinberg, who had been with her from the beginning and to seek out new talent, both for her main gallery and for other venues, such as the short-lived Parsons-Truman Gallery, which she opened in 1974 with former Parsons Gallery director Jock Truman to show works on paper by emerging artists.

In addition to being an art dealer, Betty Parsons was a respected artist and collector. With her connoisseur's eye and connections, Parsons amassed an impressive private collection of art. She bought her first piece while an art student in Paris in the 1920s, a small gouache by Zadkine, but did not begin acquiring works in earnest until she was established as an art dealer. Partial inventories of her personal collection show that the majority of her collection contained works by artists associated with the gallery. Mark Rothko, Hans Hofmann, Ad Reinhardt, Agnes Martin, and Kenzo Okada were among the artists represented. Many were gifts from the artists, such as an ink drawing by Jackson Pollock, inscribed "For Betty." Selections from her collection appeared in small museums across the United States, including a traveling exhibition organized by Fitch College, New York, in 1968. In her role as a promoter of contemporary American art, Parsons lent generously from her collection, particularly to the federal Art in the Embassies Program. Throughout her life she also donated works to a variety of museums, most notably, the Whitney Museum of American Art, Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark.

Parsons frequently claimed that her desire to pursue a career as an artist stemmed from a visit to the Armory Show when she was thirteen. In her late teens, after pressuring her father for art lessons, she studied with the sculptor Gutzon Burglum of Mount Rushmore fame. In Paris, she continued her studies first with Antoine Bourdelle, whose sculptures she had admired at the Armory Show, and later with Ossip Zadkine. The first exhibition of her work, figurative watercolors and sculptures, took place in Paris in 1927. As she matured as an artist, her art became more abstract. Her late works were painted wood sculptures that she pieced together from wood that she found near her studio in Long Island. Parsons's work was exhibited in more than thirty solo exhibitions, including, Betty Parsons; Paintings, Gouaches and Sculpture, 1955-1968, at the Whitechapel Gallery in London. During her lifetime, she would not allow her works to be shown in her own gallery. Shortly after she died of a stroke in 1982, In Memoriam, Betty Parsons: Late Sculptures, opened at the Betty Parsons Gallery.

Related Material:

Also found in the Archives of American Art are oral history interviews with Betty Parsons, June 4-9, 1969, by Paul Cummings, and June 11, 1981 by Gerald Silk.

Separated Material:

Some of the material originally loaned for microfilming in 1968 and 1969 was not included in later donations and can be viewed on microfilm reels N68/62-N68/74 and N69/105-N69/106. Loaned materials are not described in the container listing in this finding aid.

Provenance:

The gallery donated some records in 1974, many of which had been loaned earlier for microfilming. The bulk of the collection was donated in 1984 and 1986 by William Rayner and Christopher Schwabacher, executors of the Estate of Betty Parsons. Additional material was donated by William Rayner in 1998 and Christopher Schwabacher in 2017. Additional material was donated in 2018 by the Lee Hall estate via Carolyn Crozier and Deborah Jacobson, co-executors. Hall was Parsons's biographer and had the material in her possession at the time of Parsons's death. An additional photograph of Parons and Marie Carr Taylor by Henri Cartier-Bresson was donated in 2021 by Mary Carpenter, who inherited the photograph from her mother, Nan Thorton Jones, who received it as a gift from Taylor.

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

Gallery owners -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Women art dealers  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Abstract expressionist  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sketchbooks

Interviews

Video recordings

Drawings

Citation:

Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers, 1916-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art and The Walton Family Foundation.

Identifier:

AAA.parsbett

See more items in:

Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-parsbett

Collection Creator:

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

circa 1938-1983

Scope and Contents note:

These files reflect how deeply Parsons's life was intertwined with the gallery as correspondence with dealers, museum directors, researchers, collectors, arts organizations, gallery staff, and artists predominate in this subseries, although letters from friends are scattered throughout. Letters address a variety of topics including requests for Parsons to be a jurist for juried exhibitions, exhibitions and sales of her own art work, references for artists, requests for interviews, questions from researchers, and communications from gallery staff. Letters from Jock Truman, include his original cover letter (1961) and updates concerning gallery business (1964, 1966-1968, and 1972).

Letters from Parsons include a letter of introduction for her former husband Schuyler Parsons to Peggy Guggenheim (1965) and a suggestion to collector Paul Mellon (1976) that Barnett Newman's Stations of the Cross belongs in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.. Parsons response to a researcher (1979) provides her insights concerning the early history of the gallery and her connection with the Abstract Expressionists. Other significant correspondents include Ossip Zadkine (1956), Jacqueline Monnier (1978 and 1982), and Judith Rothschild (1980). Finally, letters that post-date Parsons death in July, 1982 include condolence letters to gallery staff and correspondence between Jack Tilton, her former assistant at the gallery and William Rayner, her nephew and the executer of her estate, to establish prices for her art work.

Arrangement:

Files are arranged chronologically by year with undated correspondence at the end of the series.

Series Restrictions:

Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.

Collection Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Collection Citation:

Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers, 1916-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art and The Walton Family Foundation.

Identifier:

AAA.parsbett, Subseries 7.3.2

See more items in:

Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers

Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers / Series 7: Betty Parsons Personal Papers / 7.3: Correspondence

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-parsbett-ref1587

Collection Creator:

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1945-1982

Scope and Contents note:

Files consist of correspondence with museums, galleries, dealers, colleges and universities, arts organizations, and associations. Correspondence typically relates to the general operations of the gallery, including loans, sales, prices, appraisals, conservation, damages, shipping, insurance, exhibitions, and requests for information about artists. requests for photographs, and slides, shipping, including promotion, exhibition, and sale of work by gallery artists.

Files are arranged alphabetically according to the name of the institution or the surname of the individual. When the name of a business or institution also represents the name of an individual, the file is arranged by the name of the business. For example, correspondence with the Sidney Janis Gallery is filed under "S".

Collection Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.

Collection Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Collection Citation:

Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers, 1916-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art and The Walton Family Foundation.

Identifier:

AAA.parsbett, Subseries 3.1

See more items in:

Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers

Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers / Series 3: Correspondence Files

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-parsbett-ref765

Creator:

Halper, Nathan  Search this

Names:

H.C. Gallery (Provincetown, Mass.)  Search this

H.C.E. Gallery (Provincetown, Mass.)  Search this

Kootz Gallery (N.Y.)  Search this

National Association of Women Artists (U.S.)  Search this

Sun Gallery (Provincetown, Mass.)  Search this

Avery, Milton, 1885-1965  Search this

Botkin, Henry, 1896-1983  Search this

Brodie, Gandy, 1925-1975  Search this

Caro, Anthony, 1924-  Search this

Cuddihy, John Murray  Search this

Gottlieb, Adolph, 1903-1974  Search this

Hartley, Marsden, 1877-1943  Search this

Hofmann, Hans, 1880-1966  Search this

Kootz, Samuel Melvin, 1898-1982  Search this

Motherwell, Robert  Search this

Smith, David, 1906-1965  Search this

Stankiewicz, Richard, 1922-1983  Search this

Extent:

4.2 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Gallery records

Visitors' books

Date:

1952-1979

Summary:

Records of four of Nathan Halper's Provincetown galleries measure 4.2 linear feet and date from 1952-1979. The records relate to Kootz Gallery, H-C Gallery, HCE Gallery, and Sun Gallery - all based in Provincetown. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence with artists, estate executors, collectors, galleries, and museums. There are also scattered business and financial records documenting operations and sales, photographs and slides, printed materials, and one poem. Correspondents include Milton Avery, Anthony Caro, John Murray Cuddihy, Marsden Hartley, Hans Hoffman, Samuel Kootz, Robert Motherwell, David Smith, Richard Stankeiwicz, and many others.

Scope and Contents note:

Records of four of Nathan Halper's Provincetown galleries measure 4.2 linear feet and date from 1952-1979. The records relate to Kootz Gallery, H-C Gallery, HCE Gallery, and Sun Gallery - all based in Provincetown. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence with artists, estate executors, collectors, galleries, and museums. There are also scattered business and financial records documenting operations and sales, photographs and slides, printed materials, and one poem. Correspondents include Milton Avery, Anthony Caro, John Murray Cuddihy, Marsden Hartley, Hans Hoffman, Samuel Kootz, Robert Motherwell, David Smith, Richard Stankeiwicz, and many others.

Biographical material consists of one literary poem.

The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence with many artists, estate executors, gallery partners, collectors, galleries, and museums regarding works of art, sales, account balances, requests for information, and general updates.

Scattered business records are found for all four galleries and include a Kootz Gallery guest register, address books, corporation and partnership agreements for the Kootz, H-C, HCE, and Sun galleries, insurance policies, and a Kootz Gallery employee file. Both the guest register and address books were also used as general business related notebooks.

Financial material consists of inventory stock books, price lists and sales, checkbook registers, and general expense invoices/receipts for the four galleries. The undated stock books list artists' names, general artwork identification information, and prices. Additional sales information is found in price lists, correspondence, sales notebooks, and checkbook registers. Invoices and receipts also document general operating expenses.

Printed material includes newspaper clippings on the Provincetown art scene and major artists represented by Halper, three exhibition catalogs, and an event calendar from the National Association of Women Artists.

Photographic material consists of prints and slides of the Kootz, H-C, and HCE galleries; black and white and color prints of exhibitions by Harry Botkin, Adolph Gottlieb, Robert Motherwell, and Hans Hofmann; and black and white prints, color slides, and transparencies of select works of art shown at the galleries.

Arrangement note:

The collection is arranged as 6 series:

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1953-1970 (Box 1; 1 folder)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1952-1979 (Boxes 1-2; 1.3 linear feet)

Series 3: Business Records, 1953-1970 (Box 2; .7 linear feet)

Series 4: Financial Material, 1953-1970 (Boxes 3-4; 2 linear feet)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1952-1976 (Box 5; 3 folders)

Series 6: Photographic Material, 1953-1969 (Box 5; 11 folders)

Biographical/Historical note:

Nathan Halper (1907-1983) worked in Provincetown, Massachusetts as a contemporary American art dealer, writer, and James Joyce scholar.

Nathan Halper first moved to Provincetown, Massachusetts in 1936 where he met and eventually married his wife, Helen Marjorie Windust Halper. During the late 1940s and early 1950s, their circle of friends included artists, writers, and academics drawn to the Provincetown art colony. Through friendships with Adolph Gottlieb and Fritz Bultman, Halper was introduced to Hans Hofmann, his students, and other abstract expressionist artists.

In 1949, Halper was invited to give a talk on James Joyce at Forum 49, a Provincetown summer lecture series on the future of art organized by Weldon Kees and held in a gallery at 200 Commercial Street. Speakers ranged from Jackson Pollock to poet laureate Howard Nemerov, and the series also presented one of the first major exhibitions of abstract expressionism in America. In 1952, Halper became the treasurer of the Provincetown Art Association (est. 1914), an influential social nexus that connected artists, galleries, patrons, and the public through memberships and annual events.

In 1953, he entered into a partnership with New York art dealer Sam Kootz and helped establish the Kootz Gallery in Provincetown. Their stable initially consisted of abstract expressionists Kootz represented in New York: Robert Motherwell, Hans Hofmann, Adolph Gottlieb, Fritz Bultman, and William Baziotes. Halper and Kootz mutually agreed to dissolve their partnership in 1954 and Halper opened the H-C Gallery with John Murray Cuddihy in 1955. After Cuddihy's departure at the end of the 1956 season, Halper opened the HCE Gallery (1957-1967), a name inspired by Joyce's Finnegan's Wake. In 1962, Halper entered into a one year partnership with Noah Goldowsky to help finance and run the Sun Gallery.

After the dissolution of the Kootz Gallery, Halper continued to represent Motherwell and, for a short time, Gottlieb in the Provincetown area, but quickly added other artists to the HCE stable. Through its relationship with New York dealers, such as Martha Jackson Gallery, Andre Emmerich Gallery, and Waddington Galleries, HCE was able to exhibit and sell works by Milton Avery, Gandy Brodie, Anthony Caro, Edwin Dickinson, Marsden Hartley, Hans Hoffman, Wolf Kahn, William King, Jan Muller, Elie Nadelman, David Smith, Richard Stankiewicz, Tal Streeter, and Anthony Vevers, among others.

Related Archival Materials note:

Also found in the Archives of American Art are the Kootz Gallery records and oral history interviews with Nathan Halper conducted by Dorothy Seckler, July 17, 1963 and by Robert Brown, July 8-August 14, 1980. Columbia University also holds Nathan Halper's papers concerning his literary scholarly work.

Provenance:

The Nathan Halper business records were donated by Nathan Halper in 1979. Additional materials were donated in 1983 and 1984 by his wife Helen Marjorie Windust Halper.

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 dealers  Search this

Gallery directors -- Massachusetts -- Provincetown  Search this

Topic:

Art -- Massachusetts -- Provincetown  Search this

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Function:

Art galleries, Commercial -- Massachusetts

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Gallery records

Visitors' books

Citation:

Nathan Halper business records, 1952-1979. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Identifier:

AAA.halpnath

See more items in:

Nathan Halper business records

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-halpnath

Collection Creator:

Catlin, Stanton L. , 1915-1997  Search this

Extent:

13.1 Linear feet (Boxes 16-28, OV 58, 60)

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1939-1994

Scope and Contents:

Professional files contain acquisition reports, building plans, financial records, loan requests, event and program plans, staff records, and policies and procedures created during Catlin's positions as curator for the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, as assistant director of the Yale University Art Gallery, and as director of the Center for Inter-American Relations' and Syracuse University's art galleries. Other files include records on arts organizations, conferences, fellowships, grant applications, membership files, and recommendation letters written by Catlin.

Arrangement:

This series is arranged as 4 subseries.

6.1: Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 1950-1973

6.2: Yale University Art Gallery, 1953-1972

6.3: Center for Inter-American Relations, 1941-1989

6.4: Other Files, 1939-1994

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Collection Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Collection Citation:

Stanton L. Catlin papers, 1911-1998, bulk 1930-1994. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund

Identifier:

AAA.catlstan, Series 6

See more items in:

Stanton L. Catlin papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-catlstan-ref16

Creator:

Allied Artists of America  Search this

Names:

Aiken, Charles Avery, 1872-1965  Search this

Detwiller, Fred  Search this

Farndon, Walter, 1876-1964  Search this

Gervasi, Frank, b. 1895  Search this

Greacen, Edmund W., 1876-1949  Search this

Kautzky, Theodore, 1896-1953  Search this

Lockman, DeWitt McClellan, 1870-1957  Search this

Montana, Pietro, 1890-1978  Search this

Pleissner, Ogden M.  Search this

Extent:

3.6 Linear feet ((on 3 microfilm reels))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1914-1977

Scope and Contents:

Constitution; minutes of meetings; financial reports; correspondence; annual exhibitions and membership information.

REELS 847, 853-854: Minutes of meetings, 1914-1955; 550 clippings; 40 catalogs and announcements; 13 letters; 48 photographs of works of art; and a scrapbook, 1941-1954.

UNMICROFILMED: Constitution and bylaws, minutes of annual meetings and board of directors meetings, financial reports, correspondence, and miscellaneous financial records.

Biographical / Historical:

Art organization, New York, N.Y. Formed 1914 for "the advancement of American art by opening new avenues of opportunity for the exhibition of meritorious works of art..." principally by giving annual exhibitions. Notable members included Edmund Greacen, Dewitt Lockman, Pietro Montana, Walter Farndon, Charles Aiken, Ogden Pleissner, Frank Gervasi, Fred Detwiller, and Ted Kautzky.

Provenance:

Donated 1972 & 1978 by Allied Artists of America.

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.

Function:

Arts organizations -- New York (State)

Identifier:

AAA.alliarti

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-alliarti

Collection Creator:

Smithson, Robert  Search this

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1961-1984

Scope and Contents note:

General correspondence includes a handful of letters drafted by Smithson and Holt, with the bulk of the subseries comprising of letters from artists, art critics, collectors, museums, galleries, art organizations, universities, real estate brokers, and businesses.

There is correspondence of note from the Dwan Gallery (Virginia Dwan) and from artist friends Carl Andre, Dan Flavin, Konrad Fischer, Dan Graham, Peter Hutchinson, Will Insley, Ray Johnson, Gyorgy Kepes, Sol Lewitt, Lucy Lippard, Toby Mussman, Claes Oldenburg, Dennis Oppenheim, Robert Wade, and Dennis Wheeler. There is also substatial correspondence between Holt and Robert Hobbs regarding the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art's retrospective Smithson exhibition in 1982.

Collection Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Periodicals, and phonographs from Robert Smithson's personal library are currently stored offsite. Contact References Services for more information.

Collection Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

The donor has retained all intellectual property rights, including copyright, that they may own in the following material: two holiday cards found in box 11, folders 23-24.

Collection Citation:

Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt papers, 1905-1987, bulk 1952-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Identifier:

AAA.smitrobe, Subseries 2.2

See more items in:

Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt papers

Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt papers / Series 2: Correspondence

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-smitrobe-ref31

Creator:

Frank K. M. Rehn Galleries  Search this

Frank K. M. Rehn Galleries  Search this

Subject:

Burchfield, Charles Ephraim  Search this

Dasburg, Andrew  Search this

Speicher, Eugene Edward  Search this

Bartlett, Frederic Clay  Search this

Bellows, George  Search this

Coleman, Glenn O.  Search this

Cook, Howard Norton  Search this

Cuthbert, Virginia  Search this

Brook, Alexander  Search this

Chappell, Warren  Search this

Clancy, John C.  Search this

Marsh, Felicia Meyer  Search this

Marsh, Reginald  Search this

Mangravite, Peppino  Search this

Orton, J. Robert  Search this

Pepper, Charles Hovey  Search this

McFee, Henry Lee  Search this

Melchers, Gari  Search this

Hawthorne, Charles Webster  Search this

Henri, Robert  Search this

Gellatly, John  Search this

James, Alexander  Search this

Luks, George Benjamin  Search this

Kroll, Leon  Search this

Hopper, Edward  Search this

Hopper, Jo N. (Josephine Nivison)  Search this

Young, Mahonri Mackintosh  Search this

Winters, Denny Sonke  Search this

Phillips, Duncan  Search this

Tucker, Richard Derby  Search this

Tucker, Allen  Search this

Spalding, John T.  Search this

Russo, Alexander  Search this

Poor, Henry Varnum  Search this

Strater, Henry  Search this

Spruance, Benton  Search this

Sparhawk-Jones, Elizabeth  Search this

Type:

Scrapbooks

Sketchbooks

Photographs

Topic:

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Works of art  Search this

Theme:

Sketches & Sketchbooks  Search this

Art Movements and Schools  Search this

Art Gallery Records  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)9193

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211388

AAA_collcode_franrehg

Theme:

Sketches & Sketchbooks

Art Movements and Schools

Art Gallery Records

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211388

Collection Creator:

Edwards, Ethel, 1914-1999  Search this

Extent:

2 Linear feet (Boxes 1-3)

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1940s-1990s

Scope and Contents:

Correspondence is both personal and professional. Correspondents include friends, colleagues, and family, including Edwards' husband Xavier Gonzalez. Additional correspondents include Franklin Backus, Sally Knudson Reynolds, artists Hall Groat and Immi Storrs, and galleries and arts organizations regarding exhibitions and sales of artwork.

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Collection Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Collection Citation:

Ethel Edwards papers, circa 1929-1999. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund

Identifier:

AAA.edwaethe, Series 2

See more items in:

Ethel Edwards papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-edwaethe-ref14

Creator:

Grace Borgenicht Gallery  Search this

Names:

Hokin Gallery  Search this

Library of Congress  Search this

Raab Gallery (London, England)  Search this

Avery, Milton, 1885-1965  Search this

Biederman, Charles Joseph, 1906-2004  Search this

Bolotowsky, Ilya, 1907-1981  Search this

Brandt, Grace Borgenicht, 1915-2001  Search this

Burlin, Paul, 1886-1969  Search this

Chirino, Martín, 1925-  Search this

Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964  Search this

De Rivera, José Ruiz, 1904-1985  Search this

Grausman, Philip, 1935-  Search this

Gussow, Roy, 1918-2011  Search this

Kahn, Wolf, 1927-  Search this

Extent:

18.2 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Scrapbooks

Date:

circa 1953-1996

Summary:

The records of New York City Grace Borgenicht Gallery date from circa 1953 to 1996 and measure 18.2 linear feet. The records include administrative files, correspondence, financial and legal records, exhibition files, printed material, two scrapbooks, and photographic negatives of artwork. The majority of the collection consists of artists' files.

Scope and Contents:

The records of New York City Grace Borgenicht Gallery date from circa 1953 to 1996 and measure 18.2 linear feet. The records include administrative files, correspondence, financial and legal records, exhibition files, printed material, two scrapbooks, and photographic negatives of artwork. The majority of the collection consists of artists' files.

Administrative files focus on advertising, events, gallery renovation, artists' insurance, and writings about the gallery. Correspondence concerns galleries, artists, works of art, and gallery prints and includes correspondence with the Library of Congress, Hokin Gallery, and Raab Gallery in Berlin. Exhibition files are found for exhibitions of Milton Avery, Paul Burlin, Stuart Davis, and Wolf Kahn, and several artists from Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Canada, as well as for international art fairs. Artists' files mainly contain correspondence with galleries and patrons regarding the artists and their work, and with artists. Files are found for Milton Avery, Charles Biederman, Ilya Bolotowsky, Martin Chirino, Stuart Davis, Jose De Rivera, Roy Gussow, Philip Grausman, and Wolf Kahn, among many others. Financial and legal records include sales and operations ledgers, artists' contracts, and documents concerning arts organizations. Printed materials consist of exhibition announcements and catalogs. Two scrapbooks include clippings and other printed materials. Also found are photographic negatives of artwork.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 8 series.

Series 1: Administrative Records, 1970-1995 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1950s-1995 (2 linear feet; Boxes 1-3)

Series 3: Exhibition Files, circa 1970-1996 (1.3 linear feet; Boxes 3-4)

Series 4: Artists Files, circa 1950s-1995 (11.2 linear feet; Boxes 4-13, 16-22)

Series 5: Financial and Legal Records, 1953-1995 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 13-15)

Series 6: Printed Material, circa 1950s-1995 (0.8 linear feet; Box 15)

Series 7: Scrapbooks, circa 1950s-circa 1980s (0.3 linear feet; Box 23)

Series 8: Photographic Materials, circa 1950s-circa 1980s (0.8 linear feet; Boxes 24-25)

Biographical / Historical:

In May 1951 Grace Borgenicht Brandt (1915-2001) opened the Grace Borgenicht Gallery on 57th Street in New York City with an exhibition of Jimmy Ernst. At that time, the gallery was one of a handful that represented contemporary American artists. Jimmy Ernst, Milton Avery, Ilya Bolotowsky, Edward Corbett, Jose de Rivera, Roy Gussow, Wolf Kahn, and Gabor Peterdi were among the artists represented by the gallery.

The gallery held multiple exhibitions for individual artists such as Milton Avery, Wolf Kahn, Paul Burlin, and Stuart Davis. Although Borgenicht's main focus was American contemporary artists, the gallery also held several exhibitions featuring artists from Canada, Germany, Japan, Korea, and Mexico.

The Grace Borgenicht Gallery closed in 1995.

Related Materials:

Also found at the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Grace Borgenicht Brandt conducted by Dorothy Seckler on January 10, 1963.

Separated Materials:

The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming (reel D112) including 72 letters from artists Leonard Baskin, Edward Corbett, Sidney Gordin, Wolf Kahn and Elbert Weinberg. They are addressed to gallery director Grace Borgenicht (Grace Borgenicht Brandt), and regard the artists' their work, travels, exhibition plans, and other activities. Also included is a photograph of Brandt and a resume. Loaned materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.

Material lent for microfilming is available on 35mm microfilm reel D112 at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.

Provenance:

Owner Grace Borgenicht Brandt originally lent material for microfilming in 1963. She donated additional papers in 1996.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the 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.

Function:

Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State)

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Scrapbooks

Citation:

Grace Borgenicht Gallery records, circa 1953-1996. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund

Identifier:

AAA.gracborg

See more items in:

Grace Borgenicht Gallery Records

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-gracborg