Watercolor of Audubon's Victorian garden, showing American natural plantings.
Related Materials:
John J. Audubon Garden related holdings consist of 1 folder (1 slide (col.))
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Sponsor:
A project to describe images in this finding aid received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.
The papers of art collector Charles Rand Penney measure 23.1 linear feet and date from 1923 to 1994 with the bulk of the collection dating from 1945 to 1994. The majority of the collection consists of Penney's art collection files, which include printed materials, correspondence, notes, and photographic materials. Also found within the papers are catalogs from exhibitions that featured artwork from Penney's collection.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of art collector Charles Rand Penney measure 23.1 linear feet and date from 1923 to 1994 with the bulk of the collection dating from 1945 to 1994. The collection consists primarily of Penney's art collection files which include printed materials, correspondence, notes, and photographic materials. Also found within the papers are catalogs from exhibitions that featured artwork from Penney's collection.
Artists of significance represented in Penney's art collection files include Jean Arp, John James Audubon, Milton Avery, Harry Beroia, Alexander Calder, Stuart Davis, Philip Evergood, Emil Ganso, Robert Goodnough, Red Grooms, Edward Hopper, John Marin, Reginald Marsh, Joan Miro, Henry Moore, Louise Nevelson, Isamu Noguchi, Beverly Pepper, George Segal, John Sloan, Theodoros Stamos, Saul Steinberg, and Ulfert Wilke, among many others. Also included are files for artists that participated in theToronto 20 portfolio project in 1965. The files do not include Penney's files relating to Charles Burchfield, Wester New York state artists, or objects from the Arts and Craft movement.
A few notable exhibition catalogs found in the series of catalogs of the Charles Rand Penney art collection are Charles Burchfield: The Charles Rand Penney Collection, The Graphic Art of Emil Ganso, Drawings from the Collection of Charles Rand Penney, Quilts Coverlets Hooked Rugs from the Collection of Charles Rand Penney, The Charles Rand Penney Collection: Twentieth Century Art, and An American Visionary: Watercolors and Drawings of Charles E. Burchfield.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 2 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Art Collection Files, 1923-1994 (Box 1-23, OV 24; 22.7 linear feet)
Series 2: Catalogs of the Charles Rand Penney Art Collection, 1966-1991 (Box 23, 0.2 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Charles Rand Penney (1923-2010) was an art collector from Buffalo, New York. He was well known for his collection of art by Western New York artists, but also collected art from Europe, Africa, Oceania, and other regions of the United States. His travels contributed to the eclectic mix of paintings, drawings, sculptures, hooked rugs, quilts, and tribal art found within his art collection.
Penney cited receiving the watercolor Warrior in 1933 from Western New York artist Bob Blair as the beginning of his life as an art collector. Years later, Penney served in World War II, attended law school, and began practicing law in the 1950s. His collections grew quickly during the late 1950s through 1970s. Penney collected over 100,000 works of art during his lifetime, much of it guided by dealers James and Merle Goodman.
In 1963, Penney began donating artwork to the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester, New York. In total, approximately 400 works of art were donated to the gallery including Big Diamond by David Smith and Beverly Pepper's Vertical Ventaglio (1967-1968). Penney also donated over 1000 works of art to the Burchfield Art Center in Buffalo, New York.
Related Materials:
Also found at the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Charles Rand Penney conducted by Robert F. Brown on August 14-16, 1981. Additional files relating to the Charles Rand Penney Foundation (1963-1976) are located at the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y. Files relating to Western New York state artists, Charles Burchfield, and American Arts and Crafts are located at the Burchfield-Penney Center at Buffalo State College, Buffalo, New York.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 1993-1994 by Charles Rand Penney.
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.
Ca. 850 pages of selected art related excerpts from Sill's diaries. The diaries date from 1832 to 1854 and document his own painting activities, his association with the Artists and Amateurs Association, Artists' Fund Society, and Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He gives his reactions to the work of other artists as seen in exhibitions in Philadelphia and New York, especially at the National Academy of Design, as well as in private collections. He writes about panoramas shown in Philadelphia, purchases of works of art for himself and others, commissions to artists to paint pictures for him, etc. In particular he writes frequently of his friend, the collector and patron Edward L. Carey, and of Carey's collection. He often mentions John Sartain, James R. Lambdin, Peter F. Rothermel, Daniel Huntington, Thomas Sully, William H. Furness, Emanuel Leutze, George L. Saunders, Samuel B. Waugh, Paul Weber, William J. Hubard, Monachesi, and John Neagle. He tells of the founding and subsequent activities of the Art-Union of Philadelphia; the sale of Joshua Shaw's paintings and his misfortunes; the work and ill natured personality of William Page; meeting with and a drawing and description of John J. Audubon; a controversy between Robert W. Weir and Samuel F. B. Morse about who will paint the Mayflower Compact; V. G. Audubon's efforts to get subscribers for his father's book; and Bowen's lithographic shop.
He characterizes Edward Watmough and William E. Winner.
Biographical / Historical:
Collector, amateur painter; Philadelphia, Pa.
Provenance:
Microfilmed for the Archives of American Art in 1955 by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Diaries donated to the Society by Edward Madiera.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
The Charles Henry Hart autograph collection dates from 1731-1917 and measures 1.71 linear feet comprised of 232 letters, portrait prints, and other documents signed by American artists. There is a .01 linear foot (6 items) unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2021 that includes a letter from Winslow Homer to Mr. Clarke, November 28, 1892; typed and annotated lists of autographs of artists in the collections of Charles Henry Hart; handwritten note about English painter and engraver, John Keyse Sherwin, undated; handwritten note regarding Gennearino Persico, miniature artist, July 18, 1826.
Scope and Contents:
The Charles Henry Hart autograph collection dates from 1731-1917 and measures 1.71 linear feet comprised of 232 letters, portrait prints, and other documents signed by American artists. There is a .01 linear foot (6 items) unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2021 that includes a letter from Winslow Homer to Mr. Clarke, November 28, 1892; typed and annotated lists of autographs of artists in the collections of Charles Henry Hart; handwritten note about English painter and engraver, John Keyse Sherwin, undated; handwritten note regarding Gennearino Persico, miniature artist, July 18, 1826.
Originally titled by Hart as "The History of Art in America as Told in a Remarkable Collection of Autograph Letters and Documents of Celebrated American Artists of the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Century," the collection includes letters and other items signed by Thomas Anshutz, John J. Audubon, William Merritt Chase, Frederic Edwin Church, John Singleton Copley, Kenyon Cox, Thomas Eakins, Jervis McEntee, Samuel F.B. Morse, Charles Willson Peale, Raphaelle Peale, Rembrandt Peale, Rubens Peale, Titian Peale, James Daivd Smillie, Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Sully, Abbott Handerson Thayer, John Vanderlyn, Elihu Vedder, John Quincy Adams Ward, Benjamin West, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, and many others.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in 2 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Charles Henry Hart autograph collection, 1731-1917 (226 items; Box 1-5)
Series 2: Unprocessed Addition, 1826-1892 and undated (6 items; MMS folder 6)
Biographical / Historical:
Charles Henry Hart (1847-1918) was a historian, lawyer, writer, and director, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 1882-1904. Widely, he published on the subject of 18th and 19th century portraiture in the United States.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds the personal papers of Charles Henry Hart, dating from 1774-1930, bulk 1888-1918.
Papers of Charles Henry Hart, 1888-1894, are also located at The New York Public Library Archives & Manuscripts.
Provenance:
The Charles Henry Hart autograph collection was donated to the Archives of American Art in 1954 as an anonymous gift. It is assumed that Hart assembled the letters. Original collation was two letterbooks entitled "The History of Art in America as Told in a Remarkable Collection of Autograph Letters and Documents of Celebrated American Artists of the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Century." Additional six items donated in 2021 by Ty West, who found the compiled material among his grandfather-in-law's belongings.
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.
Letters and documents of 19th century Americans, outstanding in literature and the arts.
Correspondents include: Washington Allston, Alexander Anderson, John Audubon, Samuel P. Avery, John Warner Barber, Mathew B. Brady, John Casilear, Vincent Colyer, Christopher P. Cranch, Felix O. C. Darley, Daniel P. Huntington, Washington Irving, James J. Jarves, Charles Lanman, Charles Leslie,Benjamin Lossing, Samuel F. B. Morse, Rembrandt Peale, Thomas B. Read, Thomas A. Richards, Thomas B. Thorpe, William D. Washington, and Benjamin West.
Biographical / Historical:
Editor; New York City. Edited, with his brother George, Literary World, 1847, and published a journal with him, 1848-1853. Also, edited CYCLOPAEDIA OF AMERICAN LITERATURE, 1855.
Provenance:
Microfilmed 1956 by the Archives of American Art with other art-related papers in the Manuscript Division of the New York Public Library. Included in the microfilming project were selected papers of the Art Division and the Prints Division.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
The papers of sculptor and architect John Frazee measure 0.6 linear feet, and date from 1819-1966, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1819-1893. These scattered papers contain documentation of Frazee's early career as a gravestone carver, his commission to design the New York Customs House, and his busts of John Jay, the Marquis De Lafayette, and other famous figures. There is also correspondence with family members, genealogical materials, sketches of Frazee monuments and stone engravings, poems and notes by Frazee, printed materials, a few financial documents, photographs of works of art, and a plaster cast of a medal.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of sculptor and architect John Frazee measure 0.6 linear feet, and date from 1819-1966, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1819-1893. These scattered papers contain documentation of Frazee's early career as a gravestone carver, his commission to design the New York Customs House, and his busts of John Jay, the Marquis De Lafayette, and other famous figures. There is also correspondence with family members, genealogical materials, sketches of Frazee monuments and stone engravings, poems and notes by Frazee, printed materials, a few financial documents, photographs of works of art, and a plaster cast of a medal.
Biographical information consists primarily of family history and genealogical materials.
Correspondence is mostly with family members, although there are a few letters from others regarding his work. The majority of letters written by John Frazee are to his first and second wives, Jane and Lydia respectively. Other letters are addressed to his brother Noah and reflect his sorrow at the premature deaths of his first wife and some of his young children. In these letters, he talks about the grave markers he designed for his family members, and includes sketches of the markers and lettering. In another illustrated letter written to Lydia Frazee, John describes and sketches his experience on a railroad train in 1834. General correspondence includes letters of praise by the sons of John Jay and the Marquis de Lafayette for Frazee's busts of their fathers. There is also one letter from John J. Audubon. The majority of letters concerning busts for the Boston Athenaeum are photocopies.
There is one file documenting documenting John Frazee's congressional commission as the designer of the New York Customs House. The file contains a draft of the petition by Frazee for the position, the subsequent grant of the petition by President Tyler, and a detailed report written by Frazee to Congress of the work completed on the building.
Artwork consists of scattered unsigned sketches of grave markers designed by Frazee. It is not clear whether Frazee completed the sketches, or if they were done at a later date by someone else.
Writings and notes include poems written by Frazee and scattered notes referencing Frazee's works. There is also one small ledger of Frazee's purchases and scattered receipts. Printed materials consist of a clipping and two catalogs. One catalog is about Frazee's design of the Washington Monument in the New York Customs House, and the other is of the New York Historical Society's art collection, which includes pieces by Frazee.
Photographs are of Frazee's busts including Chief Justice John Marshall, Daniel Webster and Nathaniel Bowditch as well as an image of a bust of John Frazee by another sculptor. There is one plaster cast of a medal commemorating Napoleon Bonaparte.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 9 series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Information, circa 1825-1966 (Box 1-2; 4 folders)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1819 - circa 1880s, circa 1960s (Box 1; 6 folders)
Series 3: New York Customs House Commission File, circa 1837-1841 (Box 1; 1 folder)
Series 4: Artwork, 1830 - circa 1840s (Box 1; 1 folder)
Series 5: Writings and Notes, 1824 - circa 1890s (Box 1; 4 folders)
Series 6: Financial Materials, 1838-1853 (Box 1; 2 folders)
Series 7: Printed Material, 1848-1889, 1942 (Box 1; 4 folders)
Series 8: Photographs, circa 1910s, circa 1930s (Box 1; 1 folder)
Series 9: Plaster Cast, circa 1800s (Box 1; 1 folder)
Biographical Note:
John Stark Frazee (1790-1854) worked as an sculptor and architect primarily in New York City. He is best known for his design of the New York Customs House and his busts of notable American public figures, including John Wells, John Jay, John Marshall, and Daniel Webster.
Born in Rahway, New Jersey in 1790, Frazee began his career as a bricklayer. He lost a young son in 1815 and carved a memorial sculpture to commemorate his son's life. In 1818 he started a marble workshop in New York City specializing in memorials and grave markers. Sadly, many of Frazee's monuments were completed for deceased family members including his first wife Jane and several children. His reputation grew and he was well known for tasteful, simple, and well-executed memorials. Frazee began to receive private commissions for monuments and cenotaphs throughout New York. Frazee did not have formal training and developed a realistic style of carving that was heavily influenced by the neoclassical style.
By the mid 1820s, Frazee began to receive public commissions to carve busts of famous Americans. His bust of John Wells is considered to be the first carved marble bust made by an American born sculptor. In 1831, he received a Congressional commission to sculpt a bust of John Jay. Later, Frazee sculpted busts of Chief Justice John Marshall, Daniel Webster and others for the Boston Athenaeum.
After achieving considerable recognition for his sculpting abilities, President John Tyler appointed Frazee as the designer of the New York Customs House. He oversaw construction from 1834-1840. It is likely that Frazee created many of the decorative sculptural elements within the building as well. John Frazee died in 1854 in Rhode Island.
Separated Material:
A few exhibition catalogs and printed materials microfilmed on reel 1103 were later transfered to The Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery Library.
Provenance:
The John Frazee papers were donated by the sculptor's great granddaughter Marguerite Heath and grand niece Theresa Eliot in several increments between 1973-1978.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers 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:
Architects -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Letters from Ord to longtime friend Waterton, criticizing John James Audubon.
Biographical / Historical:
Ord was a naturalist and philologist.
Provenance:
Microfilmed for the Archives of American Art, 1955. Selected from the American Philosophical Society's collection of George Ord letters to Charles Waterton, 1832-1864 (74 items).
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
The papers of Cincinnati art historian, museum director, and Audubon and Peale scholar, Edward H. Dwight (1919-1981), measure 18.6 linear feet and date from 1821-2001, with the bulk of the material dating from 1950-1979. Dwight's papers include biographical material, writings by Dwight, and research files on John James Audubon, Raphaelle Peale, and others, documenting Dwight's extensive contribution to the study of American painting, particularly naturalist, portrait, and still-life painting.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Cincinnati art historian, museum director, and Audubon and Peale scholar, Edward H. Dwight (1919-1981), measure 18.6 linear feet and date from 1821-2001, with the bulk of the material dating from 1950-1979. Dwight's papers include biographical material, writings by Dwight, and research files on John James Audubon, Raphaelle Peale, and others, documenting Dwight's extensive contribution to the study of American painting, particularly naturalist, portrait, and still life painting.
Dwight's biographical material includes two address books, a calendar, a small amount of personal correspondence including letters and postcards from Schomer and Ruth Lichtner, and printed material documenting his work as a museum curator and director.
Writings and notes include correspondence about Dwight's writings, drafts and typescripts of articles on Audubon and other artists, and lecture notes.
The bulk of the collection comprises Dwight's research material on Audubon and includes correspondence related to his research with scholars, collectors, publications, museums, and libraries, including: the American Museum of Natural History, the Audubon Society, the Cincinnati Historical Society, the Louisiana State Museum, Annie R. coffin, Waldemar H. Fries, John Francis McDermott, and the collections of G. Edmund Gifford, Jr., Paul F. Laning, and Morris Tyler.
Copies of Audubon's correspondence, including letters from Audubon's father-in-law, Benjamin Bakewell, son Victor G. Audubon, and grandchildren, form a substantial portion of Dwight's research files. Notes and card files reflecting Dwight's research by categories such as life event, activity, geographical area, and subject of study, further illuminate his research and provide cross references to the Audubon letters and other material.
Data compiled and supplemented with reproductions of Audubon's artwork forms another substantial portion of Dwight's research, and provides detailed information about individual Audubon works and works attributed to him.
Dwight's subject files on Audubon house collated research on individuals, subjects, and events that intersected with Audubon's life and work, as well as Audubon research from other sources and scholars. They include copies of documents, such as the journal of Audubon collaborator John G Bell, and a scrapbook of granddaughter, Maria Audubon; documents relating to Audubon collaborators such as John Bachman and Maria Martin; material related to collections of Audubon's work; and information concerning editions of his prints, such as the Havell Edition, engraved and hand-colored by the firm of Robert Havell Sr. and Jr. in the 1830s.
Printed material used by Dwight in his research includes original American newspapers, from states including New England, New York, and Pennsylvania, dating from 1821 to the 1870s, which include articles on Audubon, as well as later magazines, journals, catalogs, and news clippings on Audubon. A small number of photographs, slide transparencies, and negatives of Audubon's artwork can be found at the end of the series.
Dwight's research material on Raphaelle Peale, Charles Willson Peale, Rembrandt Peale, James Peale, and other Peale family members, includes correspondence requesting and responding to requests for information; material collated by subject on Peale collectors, family history, miniatures, portraits, silhouettes, still lifes, and other subjects; and photographs of artwork.
Other research files document Dwight's interest in other artists such as Aaron H. Corwine, Robert S. Duncanson, and artists from the Cincinnati area in general. They include catalogs of data compiled on individual works of art, subject files, notes and index card files, printed material, and photographs of artwork. Of special note are eleven issues of John Held, Jr.'s, mail art correspondence sent to Dwight by the Mohammed Center for Restricted Communications.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as five series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1944-1980 (8 folders; Box 1, OV 20)
Series 2: Writings and Notes, 1954-circa 1979 (0.9 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 3: Audubon Research Material, 1821-circa 1979 (13 linear feet; Boxes 1-14, OVs 20-23)
Series 4: Peale Research Material, circa 1930-2001 (1.9 linear feet; Boxes 14-16)
Series 5: Other Research, 1881-1980 (2.7 linear feet; Boxes 16-19)
Biographical / Historical:
Cincinnati art historian and museum director, Edward H. Dwight (1919-1981), conducted extensive research on American painting, in particular the works of John James Audubon, Charles Willson Peale, and Raphaelle Peale. He was also credited with rediscovering the Cincinnati artist, Aaron H. Corwine.
Dwight attended Yale and Cornell Universities, and studied art at the Cincinnati Art Academy and the School of Fine Arts of Washington University, St. Louis. From 1946 he held posts, including curator of American Art, at the Cincinnati Art Museum, until becoming director of the Milwaukee Art Center in 1955. In 1962 he left Milwaukee to direct the Munson-Williams-Proctor Art Institute Museum of Art, where he remained until the end of his career. He was the author of numerous articles for publications including Antiques, Audubon, Art in America, The Art Gallery, The Art Quarterly, and Canadian Art, and lectured widely on contemporary art, Spanish painting, and American painting.
In 1955 Dwight published the article "Aaron Houghton Corwine: Cincinnati Artist" in Antiques magazine. With this, and the exhibition, Rediscoveries in American Painting (1955), which he launched at the Cincinnati Art Museum, Dwight revived interest in this all but forgotten painter.
Dwight wrote many scholarly articles on Audubon's life and work throughout his career, in addition to writing catalogs for, and curating, exhibitions of Audubon's work. In 1960 he was awarded a $7,500 fellowship from the Ford foundation to pursue a reevaluation of Audubon, and to reexamine some long-held assumptions and exagerrations about Audubon's life and personality. He focused primarily on the artist-naturalist's original drawings and paintings, especially portraits and pictures of birds, animal life, and insects. Dwight was awarded an additional fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1973, to continue his research on Audubon.
Dwight's scholarly interest also extended to Raphaelle Peale and the Peale family of artists. In the 1960s and 1970s he wrote and published several articles about Raphaelle Peale, his father, Charles Willson Peale, and his brothers, Rembrandt and James. Dwight was working on a book about the family, and a catalog raisonné of Raphaelle Peale, when he died.
Dwight was an accomplished photographer and his work was included in at least eight exhibitions from 1951 to 1972, including two one-man exhibitions at Louisiana State University (1952), and Weyhe Gallery (1972).
Provenance:
The Audubon materials were donated to the Archives of American Art by Dwight's widow, Ruth R. White, in 1982-1983. The Peale material was donated in 2002 by the Barra Foundation, Inc., which had received them from Ruth R. Dwight as they relate to the Foundation's mission to support scholarship in cultural history in the Philadelphia area. In 1983, the Barra Foundation loaned the documents to Dr. William H. Gerdts, an art historian, who was to continue Dwight's work on a catalog raisonné of Raphaelle Peale. Dr. Gerdts made limited use of the materials and the Barra Foundation then transferred them to the Archives of American Art in 2002.
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.
2 Microfilm reels (200 items on 2 partial microfilm reels)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Microfilm reels
Date:
circa 1783-1845
Scope and Contents:
The microfilmed John James Audubon and Audubon family letters contain letters from John James Audubon to his wife, Lucy, and his son Victor. Letters refer to personal affairs, ornithology, and publications. Also included is a fragment of Audubon's journal from New Orleans, 1821.
Biographical / Historical:
John James Audubon (1785-1851) was an ornithologist, naturalist, painter, and illustrator born in Haiti to a French plantation owner. His work, The Birds of America was originally published as a four-volume elephant folio with 435 hand-colored plates of life-size depictions of individual bird species. The accompanying text was published separately in five volumes as Ornithological Biography.
Audubon married educator and philanthropist Lucy Bakewell (1787-1874). Bakewell supported the family financially while Audubon worked on The Birds of America.
Audubon's sons Victor Gifford and John Woodhouse Audubon were also artists and assisted their father with the business of publishing his work.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds the microfilmed letters to Samuel G. Morton from Victor and John James Audubon, 1836-1840, and the microfilmed Victor Audubon letters to John L. Le Conte, 1852.
Harvard University Houghton Library holds the John James Audubon papers, 1813-1880 and the John James Audubon letters and drawings, 1805-1892. The American Philosophical Society holds the John James Audubon Papers, 1821-1845. Tulane University Special Collections holds the John James Audubon papers, 1807-1927. Princeton University Library Special Collections holds the John James Audubon Collection, 1788-1970. The New York Public Library Archives & Manuscripts Division holds the John James Audubon correspondence, 1827-1857. Yale University Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library holds the Victor Gifford Audubon collection, 1845-1859.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming, 1955, by the American Philosophical Society.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Research material for exhibitions curated by Reynolds at the Grey Art Gallery, for articles, essays, and his graduate studies; and miscellaneous correspondence and subject files.
Files on exhibitions curated by Reynolds at the Grey Art Gallery, including Louis Comfort Tiffany: The Paintings (1979), John James Audubon and His Sons (1982), Samuel F.B. Morse and the Grand Style (1983), Giovannie Boldini and Society Portraiture (1984), and Walter Gay, 1856-1937 (1984), containing correspondence with owners of works of art, galleries, auction houses and museums; issues of the Grey Art Gallery Bulletin containing writings by Reynolds; files relating to published and unpublished writings, including Reynolds' master's thesis on A.D.O. Browere and other writings done as a graduate student at Brooklyn College, articles, essays, and other writings on Theodore Wores, Irving Wiles, Leopold Seyffert, John Singer Sargent, the architecture of the Brooklyn Museum, and other subjects.
Also included are writings by others; miscellaneous correspondence; printed material; photographs of works of art; and files regarding Reynolds' participation in New York State funded art projects, including New York: The State of Art (1977), Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Arts For Transit (1981-1985), and the New York State Council on the Arts' Museum Aid panel (1983-1986). Some of the Grey Art Gallery exhibition files contain related correspondence added by Reynolds after the exhibition.
Biographical / Historical:
Art historian; New York, N.Y. and Newark, N.J. Born 1949. Died 1990. Curator of painting and sculpture at the Newark Museum, N.J., 1983-1990; the Grey Art Gallery and Study Center, New York University, 1977-1983, and curatorial assistant at the Brooklyn Museum, 1972-1977. Specialized in 19th and 20th century American painting. Wrote numerous articles on art.
Provenance:
Donated 1991 by the Gary Reynolds estate, via Paul Himmelstein, executor.
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.
Letters to Newnam written in response to queries regarding portraits Newnam is painting or selling. Included are letters, 1937, from Victor Morris Tyler, Morris Tyler, and Constance Rourke regarding a Henry Inman portrait of John J. Audubon which Newnam wishes to copy; from Mildred Steinbach,1952, Asst. Librarian at the Frick Art Reference Library regarding portraits by Thomas Eakins of Frank Linton and Samuel Meyers; from Hannah J. Howell, 1952-3, Librarian at the Frick Art Reference Library regarding photographs of Gilbert Stuart's portraits of Edward Penington and Mrs. Penington; from Raymond Rubicam, 1955, regarding his purchase of a portrait by William K. Hewitt of his great uncle Jonathan Rubicam; also included is a photograph of the portrait; from Howell, 1957, thanking Newnam for a photo of a painting by Gustavus Hesselius; letters and a photograph regarding a portrait of Baroness Brudenell, 1966 and 1970; and a letter from Marguerite Coolbaugh, 1978, regarding a photograph of Abraham Lincoln.
Biographical / Historical:
Art dealer and portrait painter; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Provenance:
Donated 1994 by Edward A. Newnam.
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:
Portrait painters -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
Art dealers -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
1 Microfilm reel (16 items on partial microfilm reel)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Microfilm reels
Date:
1836-1840
Scope and Contents:
This microfilm collection consists of letters to Samuel G. Morton from Victor and John James Audubon.
Biographical / Historical:
Samuel G. Morton (1799-1851) was a physician, anatomy professor, naturalist, and physical anthropologist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is most known for his work, Crania Americana, which was widely accepted and endorsed by pro-slavery advocates.
John James Audubon (1785-1851) was an ornithologist, naturalist, painter, and illustrator. His work, The Birds of America was originally published as a four-volume elephant folio with 435 hand-colored plates of life-size depictions of individual bird species. The accompanying text was published separately in five volumes as Ornithological Biography.
Victor Audubon (1809-1862) was John James Audubon's son. Along with his brother, John Woodhouse Audubon, he assisted his father with the production and sale of The Birds of America and The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America. Audubon continued to manage the business aspects of his father's work after John James Audubon's death.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds the microfilmed Victor Audubon letters to John L. Le Conte, 1852, and the microfilmed John James Audubon and Audubon family letters, circa 1783-1845. The American Philosophical Society holds the Samuel George Morton papers, 1819-1850.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1955 by the American Philosophical Society.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
REEL 3657: One 1840 dauguerrotype of Haines's family home, Wyck House by Walter R. Johnson; a letter, 1839, from Jane and Hannah Haines to "dear brother" John S. Haines; and a letter, 1839, from Robert Haines to Reuben describing Johnson's use of dauguerrotype equipment owned by the University of Pennsylvania.
REEL 3666: Pages from an account book detailing a loan Reuben Haines made to Rembrandt Peale for travel in Europe. [microfilm title: Wyck Family papers]
REEL 3898: Letters to Reuben Haines from John J. Audubon (regarding the publication of BIRDS IN AMERICA), Rembrandt Peale, John Trumbull, and Titian R. Peale; and letters from Rembrandt Peale to his wife, Eleanor, describing his 1830 trip to Europe; and two letters to B. Wistar. [microfilm title: Robert Bowne Haines papers]
Biographical / Historical:
Art patron; Germantown, Pa. Benefactor to Rembrandt Peale among others. Robert Bowne, Jane and Hannah Haines were his children.
Other Title:
Wyck Family papers [microfilm title, reel 3666]
Robert Browne Haines [microfilm title, reel 3898]
Provenance:
Microfilmed 1987 as part of AAA's Philadelphia Arts Documentation Project.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Photocopy of a letter to J. L. Alden, dated January 27, 1841, expressing concern about a remittance due Audubon. Audubon asks that Alden write and remit the money on receipt of the letter and sends his good wishes for Alden and his family, and kindest remembrances for Captain Crocker, his lady, and Mr. Page. Also included is a typescript of the letter.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, illustrator, ornithologist and naturalist; New York.
Provenance:
Donated 1954 by Miss Mabel Zahn.
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.
LeConte, John L. (John Lawrence), 1825-1883 Search this
Extent:
1 Microfilm reel (3 items on partial microfilm reel)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Microfilm reels
Date:
1852
Scope and Contents:
This microfilm collection contains letters from Victor Audobon to John Lawrence LeConte concerning Audubon's father, John James Audubon.
Biographical / Historical:
Victor Audubon (1809-1862) was a painter and the son of illustrator and naturalist John James Audubon. Along with his brother, John Woodhouse Audubon, he assisted his father with the production and sale of The Birds of America and The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America. Audubon continued to manage the business aspects of his father's work after John James Audubon's death.
John L. LeConte (1825-1883) was an entomologist, an active member of the American Philosophical Society, and a founding member of the American Entomological Society.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds the microfilmed letters to Samuel G. Morton from Victor and John James Audubon, 1836-1840, and the microfilmed John James Audubon and Audubon family letters, [circa 1783-1845]. Yale University Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library holds the Victor Gifford Audubon collection, 1845-1859. The American Philosophical Society holds the John James Audubon Papers, 1821-1845; the John L. (John Lawrence) LeConte papers, 1812-1897; and the LeConte family papers, 1827-1901.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming by the American Philosophical Society for the Archives of American Art, 1955. Selected from ASP's John Lawrence LeConte papers.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Tenacious of life the quadruped essays of John James Audubon and John Bachman John James Audubon and John Bachman ; edited and with original commentary by Daniel Patterson and Eric Russell
