Wenley, A. G. (Archibald Gibson), 1898-1962 Search this
Extent:
24 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Correspondence
Photographs
Diaries
Maps
Place:
China -- Description and Travel
China
USA -- New York -- New York
Date:
1904-1998
bulk 1935-1980
Scope and Contents:
Papers of art collectors Pauline Baerwald Falk (1910-2000) and Myron (Johnny) Falk Jr. (1906-1992), 1904-1998. Created and collected by the Falks, this collection includes: biographical data; black-and-white and color prints of art objects and people; photo albums of art objects in the Falk's art collection; symposium papers, scholarly reviews, and newspaper articles on Chinese art; Professor Alfred Salmony's lecture notes, Metropolitan Museum; purchase invoices for Chinese art, Japanese art, and Korean art; photographs, receipts, itineraries, one seal, atlases, and journals relating to the Falk's various trips to Asia and Europe, personal correspondence and correspondence with art dealers; guest books from 17 East 66th Street, New York and 888 Park Ave., New York, signed by guests from 1949-1997; committee papers; exhibition loan forms, Mr. Falk's notes about the collection and sale results from property consigned for sale; and four reels 16mm motion picture film taken during the Falk's 1937 trip to Asia.
Arrangement:
The collection is organized into five series. 1. Correspondence; 2. Personal papers; 3. Professional papers; 4. Travel related materials; 5. Falk art collection related materials.
Biographical / Historical:
Myron S. (Johnny) Falk Jr., and his wife Pauline Baerwald Falk were active philanthropists, prominent Asian art collectors and were both active in the Jewish and Art communities.
The purchase that started their collection happened while on their 1935 honeymoon in the English countryside where they came upon two blue-and-white Ming Dynasty porcelain dishes. Later, taking one of the inaugural Pan Am Clipper flights to China in 1937, their collecting began in earnest. There are home movies in the collection taken by Johnny that document their trip to a largely untouched China. However, because China was closed to the West starting in 1950, they were unable to return until 1979.
As collectors, the Falks made a good team. Due to his engineering background from school, Johnny became an expert on firing techniques and glazes; while Pauline was known as the ''eye.'' Their fervent and long-term involvement in the Asian art community led them to become close friends with the biggest dealers in America and Europe.
Johnny and Pauline collected wares of the Song dynasty, archaic bronzes, jades, stone sculptures, several fine Ming and Qing porcelains, Korean ceramics, and nearly 100 Japanese paintings. After more than fifty years collecting their art work totaled over 700 items.
Johnny and Pauline lent their artworks to museums, advised art institutions in the United States and abroad, and fostered the training of a new generation of curators, scholars and other professionals in the Asian art field.
Johnny was an investment banker, philanthropist and prominent collector of Asian art. He was a longtime trustee of the Asia Society and helped found the Oriental Art Council, Roebling Society of the Brooklyn Museum and Japan Society Gallery. He also served as a director of the New York Foundation and Hebrew Technical Institute, a board member of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies and chairman of the Bennington College board of trustees.
Pauline was a philanthropist, collector of Asian art, president of the Jewish Board of Family and Children Services, and founder of the New Lincoln School in Manhattan. She worked with displaced Jewish refugees before and during World War II. She was active in the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and became a founding member of the National Refugee Service, the Council for Jewish Women and the Jewish Social Service Association.
Together they were strong supporters of the Asia Society, the Chinese Art Society, they helped establish the Friends of Asia House Gallery in 1971, and founded the Friends of the China Institute in America Gallery. They also established the "Archives of Chinese Art" in 1945 an important scholarly journal that is published today by The Asia Society as the "Archives of Asian Art," and are among the founding members of the Friends of the Far Eastern Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Friends of Asian Art at the Brooklyn Museum.
Local Numbers:
FSA A2002.03
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
1 film positive (silent, 16 minutes, black and white, 16mm)
Type:
Archival materials
Film positives
Home movies
Motion pictures (visual works)
Place:
China -- Description and Travel
Philippines
Hong Kong
China
USA -- New York -- New York
Date:
1937
Scope and Contents:
One of four reels 16mm motion picture film taken during Johnny and Pauline Falk's 1937 trip to China, Korea and Japan. Kodak had only recently made color film available, so this may be the earliest color footage of many of the locations the Falks visited.
广州 厦门 汉口重庆
Biographical / Historical:
The Falks took one of the inaugural Pan Am Clipper flights to China in 1937. Myron S. (Johnny) Falk Jr., and his wife Pauline Baerwald Falk were active philanthropists, prominent Asian art collectors and were both active in the Jewish and Art communities.
0:00 - 0:39: Alameda Airport, boarding the Philippine Clipper (March 24-25); 0:39 - 0:49: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (March 26); 0:49 - 2:49: 1. Pan American Airways Hotel at Midway / Wake Island (March 27-30); 2:49 - 4:34: Military parade of soldiers and children, Guam (March 31); 4:24 - 4:52: Manila (April 1); 4:55 - 5:47: Xiamen (April 5); 5:47 - 6:30: Hong Kong Harbor, on the boat to Kowloon (April 6); 6:30 - 6:38: Ruins of St. Paul's in Macau (April 8); 6:38 - 6:42: ? 6:42 - 7:04: Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Guangzhou (April 10-11); 7:04 - 7:32: Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall or Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou; 7:32 - 7:36: Hills outside of Guangzhou (April 10-12); 7:36 - 7:41: ? 7:41 - 8:09: Train from Guangzhou to Wubei on Hangkow Railroad (April 12); 8:09 - 8:11: Locals somewhere near train station between Guangzhou and Wubei (April 12); 8:12 - 8:20: Viewing Temple of the Six Banyan Trees from a distance, railroad stations along Hangkow RR (April 12); 8:20 - 8:33: Wuhan, along the Yangtze. Perhaps taken from the Chinese Customs House (April 12); 8:33 - 8:44: Nina & George Blowers, Hankou (April 13); 8:44 - 8:57: Hangkow Country Club (April 14); 8:57 - 9:06: Spectators in Hankou watching plane departure (April 15); 9:06 - 10:43: Pilot Hugh Chen preparing to fly a small Loening, views of Hankou port, Standard Oil Company, men carrying gasoline barrels (April 15); 10:43 - 11:30: Airport in Shasi District of Jingzhou, watching planes land and take off (April 15); 11:30 - 12:30: Crossing Yangtze river at Chongqing, looking out onto the mountains (April 16); 12:30 - 14:52: Taking "chairs" up into Chongqing hillside, looking out onto the hills, visited temple with many graves, looked down at Yangzi and Chongqing industry (April 16); 14:52 - 15:16: "Mr. Hamburger" or "Mr. Reuss" and Falks in Chongqing, home of a K.Z. Yang (April 17); 15:16 - 16:13: Crossing Yangzi in Chongqing on the way to Shanghai (April 17)
Local Numbers:
FSA A2002.03 4.1
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Art, Asian -- Collectors and collecting Search this
1 film positive (silent, 14 minutes, black and white, 16mm)
Type:
Archival materials
Film positives
Home movies
Motion pictures (visual works)
Place:
China -- Description and Travel
Shanghai (China)
Beijing (China)
Date:
1937
Scope and Contents:
One of four reels 16mm motion picture film taken during Johnny and Pauline Falk's 1937 trip to China, Korea and Japan. Kodak had only recently made color film available, so this may be the earliest color footage of many of the locations the Falks visited.
上海 杭州 北京
Biographical / Historical:
The Falks took one of the inaugural Pan Am Clipper flights to China in 1937. Myron S. (Johnny) Falk Jr., and his wife Pauline Baerwald Falk were active philanthropists, prominent Asian art collectors and were both active in the Jewish and Art communities.
0:00 - 1:16: Landing at Shanghai airport, met by "Mr. Chung's car" (April 17); 1:17 - 1:52: Shanghai Harbor, ferry crossing the water, Mrs. Falk and K.C. Chung (April 17); 1:52 - 2:13: riding up "dike road" to Hangzhou from Shanghai with K.C. Chung (April 20); 2:13 - 2:24: Heavy rainfall on the sightseeing tour in Hangzhou, tea at the "largest temple in grove" (April 21); 2:24 - 3:37: Hangzhou, walking along the dike road that cuts off a part of the lake (April 21); 3:37 - 3:43: Huanglong Cave ("Grotto of Yellow Dragon"); in Hunan (April 22); 3:34 - 3:53: Winter Palace (Beihai Park) Pavilion, White Dagoba, Beijing (April 27); 3:53 - 5:51: Forbidden City (April 28-29); 3:51 - 6:11: Scenes from the train from Beijing to Hankou (April 30); 6:11 - 7:38: Donkey ride up to Great Wall from the Hankou pass (April 30); 7:38 - 8:11: Ming Tombs and stone elephant, Beijing (April 30); 8:11 - 8:41: Funeral procession, Beijing (April 30/May 1); 8:41 - 8:50: Duobao Glazed Tile Pagoda, Summer Palace, Beijing (May 1); 8:50 - 9:04: Summer Palace (May 1); 9:04 - 9:55: The Pagoda of Buddhist Virtue with KC Chung and his mother, Summer Palace, Beijing (May 1); 9:55 - 10:07: Summer Palace, Archway, bronze male lions (May 1); 10:08 - 10:14: Pagoda of Buddhist Virtue (May 1); 10:14 - 10:24: Viewing Pagoda of Buddhist Virtue from boat (Unknown date, likely May 1-7); 10:30 - 10:39: Banbi Bridge, Summer Palace (May 7); 10:39 - 10:55: Hall of the Sea of Wisdom, Summer Palace (May 7); 10:56 - 11:01: In the Summer Palace grounds (May 7); 11:01 - 11:12: Duobao Glazed Tile Pagoda, Summer Palace (May 7); 11:12 - 11:15: Detail of dragon head on Summer Palace roof (May 7); 11:15 - 11:21: Stupa, Summer Palace (May 7); 11:21 - 11:26: Bronze lion, Summer Palace (May 7); 11:26 - 11:32: Mrs. Falk and (likely) Mrs. Finnell in the Summer Palace grounds (May 7); 11:32 - 11:41: Lama monument, Beijing (May 4); 11:41 - 12:09: Lama monument, bas reliefs from Lama tomb (May 4); 12:09 - 13:32: Scenes from the Temple of Confucius, Beijing (May 4); 13:32 - 14:32: Nine Dragon Screen, Beihai Park, Beijing (April 27)
Local Numbers:
FSA A2002.03 4.2
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Art, Asian -- Collectors and collecting Search this
1 film positive (silent, 12 minutes, black and white, 16mm)
Type:
Archival materials
Film positives
Home movies
Motion pictures (visual works)
Place:
China -- Description and Travel
Beijing (China)
Date:
1937
Scope and Contents:
One of four reels 16mm motion picture film taken during Johnny and Pauline Falk's 1937 trip to China, Korea and Japan. Kodak had only recently made color film available, so this may be the earliest color footage of many of the locations the Falks visited.
北京 承德 热河
Biographical / Historical:
The Falks took one of the inaugural Pan Am Clipper flights to China in 1937. Myron S. (Johnny) Falk Jr., and his wife Pauline Baerwald Falk were active philanthropists, prominent Asian art collectors and were both active in the Jewish and Art communities.
0:00 - 0:42: Sedan chairs and donkey ride in Western Hills (April 25); 0:42 - 1:40: "Feast Day of first Yuan Emperor" festival and procession, Western Hills (April 25); 1:40 - 1:46: unknown woman and elderly man at the "Mummy Temple" in Western Hills (April 25); 1:46 - 2:38: "Mummy Temple" in Western Hills (April 25); 2:38 - 4:02: Continued procession, sedan chair and donkey rides in Western Hills (April 25); 4:02 - 4:14: Forbidden City, Beijing (April 27); 4:14 - 5:03: Temple of Heaven, Beijing (April 27); 5:03 - 5:15: Mrs. Falk and friends at the Temple of Heaven, Beijing (April 27); 5:15 - 5:59: Temple of Heaven, Beijing (April 27); 5:59 - 6:06: Putuo Zongcheng Temple, Chengde (May 11); 6:06 - 6:28: Puning Temple, Chengde (May 11); 6:28 - 7:36: Puning Temple, unknown statues, Chengde (May 11); 7:36 - 7:40: Xumifushou Temple (Temple of Happiness and Longevity of the Sumeru Mountain, Chengde (May 11); 7:40 - 8:10: Liuli-Wanshou pagoda (Glazed Tile Pagoda of Longevity) Xumifushou Temple, Chengde (May 11); 8:10 - 9:17: Putuo Zongcheng Temple, Chengde; (May 11); 9:17 - 9:33: Main hall of the Putuo Zongcheng temple surrounding Wanfaguiyi Hall, Chengde (May 11); 9:33 - 9:40: Looking down at the Sarira Pagoda, Chengde (May 11); 9:40 - 10:02: Corner pavilion of Wanfaguiyi, Putoh Zongcheng Temple, Chengde (May 11); 10:02 - 10:54: Putuo Zongcheng Temple, Chengde (May 11); 10:54 - Villagers in Chengde, ruins 11:30 - 11:47: Sarira Pagoda at Chengde Mountain Resort (May 11); 11:47 - 11:55: Mrs. Falk and friends (May 11)
Local Numbers:
FSA A2002.03 4.3
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Art, Asian -- Collectors and collecting Search this
1 film positive (silent, 12 minutes, black and white, 16mm)
Type:
Archival materials
Film positives
Home movies
Motion pictures (visual works)
Place:
China -- Description and Travel
Korea
Japan
Date:
1937
Scope and Contents:
One of four reels 16mm motion picture film taken during Johnny and Pauline Falk's 1937 trip to China, Korea and Japan. Kodak had only recently made color film available, so this may be the earliest color footage of many of the locations the Falks visited.
沈阳 서울 京都 日光 鎌倉
Biographical / Historical:
The Falks took one of the inaugural Pan Am Clipper flights to China in 1937. Myron S. (Johnny) Falk Jr., and his wife Pauline Baerwald Falk were active philanthropists, prominent Asian art collectors and were both active in the Jewish and Art communities.
0:00 - 1:08: Qing Tombs, Shenyang (May 14); 1:08 - 1:33: Injeongjeon Hall, Changdeokgung Palace, Seoul, Peony gardens and another building - not sure exactly which building within the palace (May 15); 1:33 - 1:48: Wongaksa Pagoda at Tapgol Park, Seoul (May 15); 1:48 - 2:00: Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, Gyeongbokgung Palace (May 16); 2:00 - 2:06: Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul (May 16); 2:06 - 2:11: Yasaka Shrine OR Kamigamo Shrine, Kyoto (May 18); 2:11 - 2:22: Kyoto Schoolchildren (May 18-19); 2:22 - 2:25: Horyu-ji temple, Nara (May 19); 2:25 - 4:01: Riding on the rapids of the Hozugawa River, Kyoto (May 20); 4:01 - 6:00: Nikko Tosho-gu, Nikko, Japan (May 23); 6:00 - 8:09: Daibutsu, Kamakura, Japan (May); 8:09 - 9:29: Unknown residence, perhaps "Ernst and the children" as mentioned in the diary, likely in Kyoto (May 21); 9:29 - 11:40: Unknown ryokan or the Miyako Hotel in Kyoto (date unknown); 11:40 - 12:00: Mrs. Falk and unknown friends appearing to be on board a ship (date unknown)
Local Numbers:
FSA A2002.03 4.4
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Art, Asian -- Collectors and collecting Search this
