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Ferargil Galleries records

Creator:
Ferargil Galleries  Search this
Names:
Arkell, Bartlett  Search this
Benton, Thomas Hart, 1889-1975  Search this
Bliss, Lizzie P. (Lizzie Plummer), 1864-1931  Search this
Carlsen, Emil, 1853-1932  Search this
Dabo, Leon, 1868-1960  Search this
Davey, Randall, 1887-1964  Search this
Davies, Arthur B. (Arthur Bowen), 1862-1928  Search this
Diedrich, Hunt  Search this
Lawson, Ernest, 1873-1939  Search this
Lowrie, Agnes Potter  Search this
Lucioni, Luigi, 1900-1988  Search this
Miller, Barse, 1904-1973  Search this
Parrish, Maxfield, 1870-1966  Search this
Parsons, Lloyd  Search this
Pike, John, 1911-1979  Search this
Platt, Dan Fellows, 1873-1938  Search this
Price, F. Newlin (Frederic Newlin)  Search this
Sample, Paul, 1896-1974  Search this
Sawyer, Wells, 1863-1960  Search this
Van Soelen, Theodore  Search this
Van Vleck, Natalie, 1901-1974  Search this
Willams, Lois  Search this
Photographer:
Käsebier, Gertrude, 1852-1934  Search this
Extent:
18.7 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Prints
Drafts (documents)
Gallery records
Scrapbooks
Sketches
Date:
circa 1900-1963
Summary:
The Ferargil Galleries records date from circa 1900-1963 and document the activities of this New York gallery that dealt primarily in American contemporary art from shortly after its 1915 founding by Frederic Newlin Price (1884-1963) to it's closure in 1955. 18.7 linear feet of records include incoming and outgoing correspondence with artists, dealers, schools and colleges, and museums and other art institutions; artist files; estate and legal records including papers relating to the Arthur B. Davies estate; gallery business and financial records; printed material; scrapbooks; scattered personal papers of Price; artwork; and photographs of artists, exhibitions and artwork.
Scope and Content Note:
The Ferargil Galleries records date from circa 1900-1963 and document the activities of this New York gallery that dealt primarily in American contemporary art from shortly after its 1915 founding by Frederic Newlin Price (1884-1963) to it's closure in 1955. 18.7 linear feet of records include incoming and outgoing correspondence with artists, dealers, schools and colleges, and museums and other art institutions; artist files; estate and legal records including papers relating to the Arthur B. Davies estate; gallery business and financial records; printed material; scrapbooks; scattered personal papers of Price; artwork; and photographs of artists, exhibitions and artwork.

Correspondence is both incoming and outgoing and documents the day-to-day activities of the galleries, primarily from the 1920s to the 1950s. Significant correspondence with, or relating to, many of the artists represented by Ferargil Galleries can be found here including correspondence with Bartlett Arkell, Thomas Hart Benton, Randall Davey, Hunt Diedrich, Ernest Lawson, Agnes Potter Lowrie, Luigi Lucioni, Barse Miller, Maxfield Parrish, John Pike, Paul Sample, Wells M. Sawyer, Theodore van Soelen and many others.

Artist files consist primarily of material compiled about artists represented by Ferargil Galleries, including biographical information, press releases for exhibitions, and scattered price lists and information about individual works of art.

Estate and legal records include estate inventories for the estates of Lizzie P. Bliss, Arthur B. Davies, and Dan Fellows Platt, and document several legal actions involving Ferargil Galleries. Of particular significance are the records documenting Price's involvement with the estate of Arthur B. Davies, including correspondence with Davies's wife, Virginia, and sales and inventory records for Davies's artwork at Ferargil Galleries and elsewhere.

Business and financial records date primarily from the 1920s and document inventories, sales, insurance, shipping, and taxes for the bulk of the gallery's operating years.

Printed material contains Ferargail Galleries exhibition catalogs and announcements from 1918 to the 1950s in addition to scattered printed material from other galleries and one folder relating to Arthur B. Davies.

Scrapbooks provide a more comprehensive and detailed history of the gallery's exhibitions, through multiple news clippings of press coverage, in addition to catalogs, announcements, and photographs. Of particular note is a circa 1908 photograph of Arthur B. Davies taken by Gertrude Kasëbier.

Scattered personal records of Frederic Newlin Price document Price's work with the Benjamin West Society at Swarthmore College and further reveal Price's interests through an inventory of his art collection and drafts and copies of his writings on artists such as Arthur B. Davies, and on changing trends and tastes in the art world.

A small series of artwork includes 6 pencil sketches, a print, 3 plans, and an Arthur B. Davies exhibition catalog mock-up with pencil sketches, all by unidentified artists.

Gallery photograph files include some photos of artists such as Emil Carlsen, Leon Dabo, Lloyd Parsons, Natalie Van Vleck and Lois Williams, in addition to 13 folders of photos relating to collections and exhibitions, and photographs of artwork.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 9 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Correspondence, 1920s-1963 (Boxes 1-15; 6.0 linear ft.)

Series 2: Artist Files, circa 1920s-1950s (Boxes 16-17; 0.7 linear ft.)

Series 3: Estate and Legal Records, circa 1925-circa 1939 (Boxes 17-18; 0.3 linear ft.)

Series 4: Business and Financial Records, 1919-1956 (Boxes 18-21; 1.2 linear ft.)

Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1900-1956 (Boxes 21-22; 0.7 linear ft.)

Series 6: Scrapbooks, circa 1920s-1950s (Boxes 23-34, 40, OV 41; 5.4 linear ft.)

Series 7: Frederic Newlin Price Records, 1920s-1950s (Box 34; 6 folders)

Series 8: Artwork, circa 1920s-circa 1950s (Box 34, OV 41; 2 folders)

Series 9: Photographs, circa 1920-1950s (Boxes 35-39, OV 40; 4.4. linear ft.)
Historical Note:
Frederic Newlin Price (1884-1963) opened Ferargil Galleries in 1915 at 24 East 49th Street and 607 Fifth Avenue in New York City. Art critic W. Frank Purdy (1865-1943)was the President of the Art Alliance of America in 1918 and director of the School of American Sculpture worked at the galleries as director of sculpture.

Named from a combination of "fer" (ferrous-iron) and "argil" (clay), Ferargil Galleries dealt in wrought iron, sculpture, paintings and prints, and focused on exhibitions of work by American artists such as George Bellows, Thomas Hart Benton, Emil Carlsen, John Steuart Curry, Arthur B. Davies, W. Hunt Diederich, Thomas Eakins, Edward Hicks, Ernest Lawson, Albert P. Ryder and Grant Wood. Ferargil was also known for its representation of a group of contemporary watercolorists including Charles Dickinson, Phil Dike, Hardie Gramatky, Barse Miller, and Paul Sample.

In 1927 the business moved to 37 East 57th Street (later 63 East 57th Street) and housed a print room, a sculpture gallery with a fountain, and the main painting galleries.

In 1931 Price became the Director of the newly-formed Benjamin West Society at his alma mater, Swarthmore College. There, he promoted the arts at Swarthmore through annual lectures and exhibitions by contemporary artists and also acquired artwork for the college, primarily by Benjamin West. Price served as President of the American Art Dealers Association in the early 1930s and published a number of books and articles on artists including Arthur B. Davies, Walter Griffin, Eric Hudson, Ernest Lawson, Arthur P. Ryder and Horatio Walker.

Price closed Ferargil Galleries in 1955.
Separated Material:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming (reels D321-D322, and N68-14-N68-15) including personal and business correspondence with artists and other records. Lent materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
In 1958, Frederic Newlin Price donated circa 70 letters to the Archives of American Art and loaned material for microfilming on reels D321-D322. The remaining records were donated anonymously in 1968.
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:
Art, American -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Gallery owners  Search this
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Prints
Drafts (documents)
Gallery records
Scrapbooks
Sketches
Citation:
Ferargil Galleries records, 1900-1963. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.feragall
See more items in:
Ferargil Galleries records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93168e3a9-3aa5-43c5-8811-da96c9975228
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-feragall
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Elizabeth Bliss Parkinson

Interviewee:
Parkinson, Elizabeth Bliss, 1907-2001  Search this
Interviewer:
Cummings, Paul  Search this
Names:
Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Bliss, Lizzie P. (Lizzie Plummer), 1864-1931  Search this
Davies, Arthur B. (Arthur Bowen), 1862-1928  Search this
Extent:
51 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1978 Jan. 3
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Elizabeth Bliss Parkinson conducted 1978 Jan. 3, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Parkinson speaks of her childhood with her aunt, Lizzie Bliss, Bliss' relationship with Arthur B. Davies, the formation of Bliss' art collection, and her involvement in the establishment of the Museum of Modern Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Elizabeth Bliss Parkinson (1907-2001) was a patron and collector from New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 17 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
Transcript: Patrons must use microfilm copy.
Topic:
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Art patrons -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.parkin78
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9eba1359a-8169-4341-b28e-7e917c0f24a7
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-parkin78
Online Media:

Lizzie P. Bliss scrapbook and papers

Creator:
Bliss, Lizzie P. (Lizzie Plummer), 1864-1931  Search this
Extent:
2.1 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 1 reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Date:
1927-1979 and [undated]
Scope and Contents:
Materials relating to European art, containing mostly photographs of paintings, many of them Old Master paintings.
Biographical / Historical:
Lizzie P. bliss (1864-1931) was an art collector and patron in New York, N.Y. Bliss, also called Lillie, was one of the founders of the Museum of Modern Art.
Related Materials:
Also in the Archives is a scrapbook containing photographs of the Bliss art collection, notes, letters, and clippings lent for microfilming on reel 2200.
Provenance:
Scrapbook originally lent and microfilmed 1970 by Bliss's niece, Elizabeth Bliss Parkinson, but was refilmed in 1981 because original film was illegible. Source of unmicrofilmed material is unknown.
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:
Art patrons -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Collectors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Arts administrators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Women arts administrators  Search this
Art, Modern  Search this
Art, European  Search this
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Identifier:
AAA.blislizz
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9a1905593-8893-4e33-b3bc-62d42d9d6450
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-blislizz

Oral history interview with Abraham Walkowitz

Interviewee:
Walkowitz, Abraham, 1880-1965  Search this
Interviewer:
Cowdrey, Mary Bartlett, 1910-1974  Search this
Lerner, Abram  Search this
Names:
"291" (Gallery)  Search this
Armory Show (1913: New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Society of Independent Artists (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Bliss, Lizzie P. (Lizzie Plummer), 1864-1931  Search this
Boswell, Peyton, 1904-  Search this
Chase, William Merritt, 1849-1916  Search this
Cox, Kenyon, 1856-1919  Search this
Cézanne, Paul, 1839-1906  Search this
Davies, Arthur B. (Arthur Bowen), 1862-1928  Search this
Duncan, Isadora, 1877-1927  Search this
Epstein, Jacob, Sir, 1880-1959  Search this
Hassam, Childe, 1859-1935  Search this
Kuhn, Walt, 1877-1949  Search this
Monet, Claude, 1840-1926  Search this
O'Keeffe, Georgia, 1887-1986  Search this
Pach, Walter, 1883-1958  Search this
Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this
Extent:
66 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Interviews
Sound recordings
Date:
1958 December 8-22
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Abraham Walkowitz conducted by Abram Lerner and Mary Bartlett Cowdrey for the Archives of American Art.
Walkowitz discusses his childhood and schooling; travelling abroad; influence of Claude Monet exhibit; his book, "Artists of Walkowitz: 100 Portraits"; Paul Cezanne's death; meeting artists in Europe; his 1908 exhibition of modern art at the Julius Haas Gallery, New York; getting Max Weber a show at the Haas Gallery; Steiglitz and his "291" Gallery; the Armory Show, especially the roles of Arthur B. Davies, Walt Kuhn, and Walter Pach; reactions to Nude Descending a Staircase; the Society of Independent Artists; thoughts on criticism of his work; his relationship with the critic Peyton Boswell; the importance in his work of dancer Isadora Duncan; opinions on American art, modern art, art schools, students and patrons; good art versus bad art; and the role of critics. Among others he recalls are Lizzie Bliss, William Merritt Chase, Kenyon Cox, The Eight, Jacob Epstein, Childe Hassam, and Georgia O'Keeffe.
Biographical / Historical:
Abraham Walkowitz (1880-1965) was a painter in New York, New York.
General:
Sound has been lost on tape reels; reels discarded.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Art critics  Search this
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century  Search this
Eight (Group of American artists)  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.walkow58
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw986f86904-6674-4d01-85b2-1e29fcc0b3a4
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-walkow58
Online Media:

Lizzie P. Bliss scrapbook and papers, 1927-1979 and [undated]

Creator:
Bliss, Lizzie P. (Lizzie Plummer), 1864-1931  Search this
Type:
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Lizzie P. Bliss scrapbook and papers, 1927-1979 and [undated]. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Women arts administrators  Search this
Art, Modern  Search this
Art, European  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Patronage  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)6764
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)208889
AAA_collcode_blislizz
Theme:
Women
Patronage
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_208889

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