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Washington Gallery of Modern Art records

Creator:
Washington Gallery of Modern Art (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Names:
Corcoran Gallery of Art  Search this
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Eisenstein, Julian Calvert, 1921-  Search this
Hopps, Walter  Search this
Millard, Charles  Search this
Nordland, Gerald  Search this
Extent:
15.7 Linear feet
0.523 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Interviews
Sound recordings
Date:
1959-1992
Summary:
The records of the Washington Gallery of Modern Art measure 15.7 linear feet and 0.523 GB and date from 1959 to 1992. The records document the history of the gallery through Board of Directors meeting minutes, various committee meetings minutes and agendas, bylaws, and other trustee records; correspondence and other materials associated with each of the four gallery directors over the course of the gallery's existence; general correspondence; exhibition files, proposed exhibitions, collection files, and other curatorial and registrar records; financial records; development and membership records; tour guide information, gift shop finances and orders, and other museum services; and clippings, catalogs, and other printed and digital material.
Scope and Contents:
The records of the Washington Gallery of Modern Art measure 15.7 linear feet and 0.523 GB and date from 1959 to 1992. The records document the history of the gallery through Board of Directors meeting minutes, various committee meetings minutes and agendas, bylaws, and other trustee records; correspondence and other materials associated with each of the four gallery directors over the course of the gallery's existence; general correspondence; exhibition files, proposed exhibitions, collection files, and other curatorial and registrar records; financial records; development and membership records; tour guide information, gift shop finances and orders, and other museum services; and clippings, catalogs, and other printed and digital material.

Trustee records includes general administrative documents such as the bylaws of the gallery, certificates of incorporation, permits, and a history of the organization. Also included are the agendas and minutes for quarterly board of trustee meetings between 1962 and 1968, correspondence and agendas for various committees, annual reports, and president's records belonging to Julian Eisenstein, Carleton B. Swift, Jr., and Helen "Leni" Stern.

Director's records are arranged according to the tenure of each director of the gallery: Adelyn Breeskin (June 1962-May 1964), Gerald Nordland (June 1964-July 1966), Charles Millard (July 1966-June 1967), and Walter Hopps (August 1967-October 1968). Documents include correspondence with notable individuals, reports made to the board of trustees, and documents regarding exhibitions during each director's tenure.

Correspondence is arranged by year and includes correspondence from 1987 and 1992 between various researchers and Dr. Julian Eisenstein, chairman of the Board of Trustees for the gallery, concerning the history of the gallery.

Curatorial records include loan agreements and other documentation regarding exhibitions held at the gallery, information regarding proposed exhibitions for the gallery, and the collection files for objects in the permanent collection. Also included are transcripts and recordings of interviews from the "Popular Image" exhibition.

Financial documents include general ledgers, miscellaneous accounts arranged alphabetically, copyright information, stocks, and financial reports. Development records include attendance and sales information for each exhibition at the gallery, membership drive statistics and solicitation forms, information from foundations who contributed to the gallery, and membership lists.

Museum service documents include consignment records, rental agreements, museum shop sales and catalog orders, guided tour documents, docent training information, and volunteer lists. Public relation records are primarily on benefits, recitals, and other special events hosted by the gallery. Printed materials include brochures, newspaper clippings, press releases and exhibition catalogs.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into nine series. The arrangement is based on a pre-existing finding aid created by the Washington Gallery of Modern Art.

Series 1: Trustee Records, 1959-1968 (1.8 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)

Series 2: Director's Records, 1962-1968 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 2-4)

Series 3: Correspondence, 1961-1992 (0.9 linear feet; Boxes 4-5)

Series 4: Curatorial/Registrar Records, 1962-1969 (6.4 linear feet; Boxes 5-11, OV 18, 0.523 GB; ER01)

Series 5: Financial Records, 1962-1969 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 11-13)

Series 6: Development/Membership Records, 1962-1968 (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 13-14)

Series 7: Museum Services, 1962-1968 (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 14-15)

Series 8: Public Relations, 1963-1968 (0.1 linear feet; Box 15)

Series 9: Printed Material, 1961-1968 (1.3 linear feet; Boxes 15-17, OV 18)
Biographical / Historical:
The Washington Gallery of Modern Art (established 1961; closed 1968) was a gallery in Washington, D.C. The Washington Gallery of Modern Art was a non-profit institution organized for the purpose of presenting significant exhibitions of contemporary American painting and sculpture. In conjunction with exhibitions, the gallery also sponsored lectures, concerts, films, tours, and an art rental service designed to encourage the understanding and appreciation of contemporary art. It was located at 1503 21st Street, NW, Washington, D.C. Among its directors were Gerald Nordland, Charles Millard, Adelyn Breeskin and Walter Hopps. In 1968, the Washington Gallery of Modern Art sold its permanent collection to the Oklahoma Art Center and its programs were incorporated into the Corcoran Gallery of Art. At that time, the Washington Gallery of Modern Art turned over all assets to the Corcoran.
Provenance:
Donated 1965 by the Washington Gallery of Modern Art, in 1996 and 2002 by the Washington Gallery of Modern Art via Dr. Julian Eisenstein, one of the founders of the Gallery and President of Board of Trustees (1961-1966), in 2004 via Linda Lichtenberg Kaplan, director of public affairs (1965-1967), and in 2015 by the Corcoran Gallery of Art via David S. Julyan representative for the Trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. One announcement for an exhibition by Mary Meyer was donated in 2009 by former director and curator (1966-1974) Charles Millard.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Arts administrators -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Function:
Arts organizations -- Washington (D.C.)
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Citation:
Washington Gallery of Modern Art records, 1959-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.washgall
See more items in:
Washington Gallery of Modern Art records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93cd65ad2-0502-43a3-ab5e-968307ccc58c
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-washgall
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Adelyn Dohme Breeskin

Interviewee:
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Interviewer:
Cummings, Paul  Search this
Extent:
29 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1974 June 27
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Adelyn Breeskin conducted 1974 June 27, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art, at the artist's office in Washington, D.C., 1974 June 27.
Biographical / Historical:
Adelyn Dohme Breeskin (1896-1986) was a curator and art historian from Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 1 hr., 3 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 available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Art historians -- Maryland -- Baltimore  Search this
Art museum curators -- Maryland -- Baltimore  Search this
Art museum directors -- Maryland -- Baltimore  Search this
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Women art historians  Search this
Women museum curators  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.breesk74
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw97f6a3978-ba4c-423f-bdbf-ecdbe38263c5
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-breesk74
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Adelyn Dohme Breeskin

Interviewee:
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Interviewer:
Haifley, Julia Link  Search this
Names:
Baltimore Museum of Art  Search this
Walters Art Gallery (Baltimore, Md.)  Search this
Extent:
24 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1979 June 20
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Adelyn Breeskin conducted 1979 June 20, by Julie Haifley, for the Archives of American Art.
Breeskin speaks of her childhood and growing up in Baltimore; attending Bryn Mawr College and Radcliffe; her art work; the influence of Katherine B. Child; the Stuart Club; travel abroad; the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Walters Art Gallery; prints and printmaking; teaching; the Garrett Collection of prints; and published writings on Mary Cassatt.
Biographical / Historical:
Adelyn Dohme Breeskin (1896-1986) was an art historian and curator from Baltimore, Maryland. and Washington, D.C.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound cassette. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 30 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.
Occupation:
Art historians -- Maryland -- Baltimore  Search this
Art museum curators -- Maryland -- Baltimore  Search this
Art museum directors -- Maryland -- Baltimore  Search this
Topic:
Women art historians  Search this
Women museum curators  Search this
Function:
Art museums -- Maryland -- Baltimore
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.breesk79
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94784c2c3-3595-46ac-b7f5-9f8351d9ca92
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-breesk79
Online Media:

Elsie Driggs papers

Creator:
Driggs, Elsie, 1898-1992  Search this
Names:
Baltimore Museum of Art  Search this
Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts  Search this
Heckscher Museum  Search this
Montclair Art Museum  Search this
Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute  Search this
Newark Museum  Search this
Walker Art Center  Search this
Wichita State University  Search this
Yale University. Art Gallery  Search this
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Brook, Alexander, 1898-1980  Search this
Bruce, Edward, 1879-1943  Search this
Daniel, Charles, 1878-1971  Search this
Sanford, Cynthia Holthusen  Search this
Steegmuller, Francis, 1906-1994  Search this
Sterne, Maurice, 1878-1957  Search this
Extent:
0.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Date:
1924-1979
Summary:
The scattered papers of New York City painter Elsie Driggs date from 1924 to 1979 and measure 0.2 linear feet. Included are correspondence, writings by Driggs, personal business records, printed materials, and portrait and family photographs.
Scope and Contents:
The scattered papers of New York City painter Elsie Driggs date from 1924 to 1979 and measure 0.2 linear feet. Included are correspondence, writings by Driggs, personal business records, printed materials, and portrait and family photographs.

Correspondence includes letters from the Baltimore Museum of Art, Adelyn Breeskin, Alexander Brook, Edward Bruce, Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, dealer Charles Daniel, Heckscher Museum, Montclair Art Museum, Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute, Newark Musuem, Cynthia Sanford, Francis Steegmuller, Maurice Stern, Jenny Strauss, Walker Art Center, Wichita State University, and Yale University Art Gallery.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 5 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Correspondence, 1924-1979 (3 folders; Box 1)

Series 2: Writings and Notes, circa 1960 (2 folders; Box 1)

Series 3: Personal Business Records, 1964-1979 (1 folder; Box 1)

Series 4: Printed Material, 1964-1978 (1 folder; Box 1)

Series 5: Photographs, 1925-1961 (4 folders; Box 1)
Biographical / Historical:
Elsie Driggs (1898-1992) was a New York City Precisionist painter, curator, and art critic.

Born in Connecticut, Elsie Driggs attended the Art Students League in New York City. She traveled through Italy where she found inspiration from the works of Piero Della Francesca. After settling in New York City, she became active in the Precisionist movement, which reacted to skyscrapers and other modern building projects. Later in her career, she painted watercolors under the federal Public Works of Art project. Driggs was married to fellow artist Lee Gatch.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art holds an oral history interview with Elsie Driggs conducted by Francine Tyler October 30-December 5, 1985.
Provenance:
Elsie Driggs donated her papers to the Archives of American Art in several accretions between 1963 and 1980.
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.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Curators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art critics -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women art critics  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Citation:
Elsie Driggs papers, 1924-1979. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.drigelsi
See more items in:
Elsie Driggs papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9947dc829-ad03-4398-950d-b30694e54b2d
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-drigelsi

Romaine Brooks papers

Creator:
Brooks, Romaine  Search this
Names:
Acten, Harold  Search this
Barney, Natalie Clifford  Search this
Bizardel, Yvon  Search this
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Brooks, Romaine  Search this
Castelnou, Jean-Pierre  Search this
Dreyfus-Barney, Laura  Search this
Gauthier-Villars, Louis  Search this
Lahovary, Janine  Search this
Mac'Avoy, Edouard, 1905-  Search this
Mariano, Nicky  Search this
McClelland, Donald  Search this
Noailles, Charles, vicomte de  Search this
Strozzi, Uberto  Search this
Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964  Search this
Extent:
3 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Poems
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Manuscripts
Sound recordings
Diaries
Notes
Interviews
Date:
1910-1973
Summary:
The papers of painter Romaine Brooks measure 3 linear feet and date from 1910 to 1973. Found are biographical sketches, correspondence, seven journals, writings and notes, printed materials, a scrapbook, and photographs. Most of the materials focus on Brooks' later life while living in Paris and Nice, France and Fiesole, Italy and make little reference to her paintings and portraits.
Scope and Contents note:
The papers of painter Romaine Brooks measure 3 linear feet and date from 1910 to 1973. Found are biographical sketches, correspondence, seven journals, writings and notes, printed materials, a scrapbook, and photographs. Most of the materials focus on Brooks' later life while living in Paris and Nice, France and Fiesole, Italy and make little reference to her paintings and portraits.

Biographical information includes biographical sketches and a sound recording of an interview of Brooks.

Personal business records consists of one receipt, in French, for an item purchased by Brooks.

Correspondence is scattered and the bulk of it dates from 1950-1969. About half of the correspondence is in French and includes only a few of Romaine's replies. Notable correspondents include Harold Acten, Laura Barney, Yvon Bizardel, Adelyn Breeskin, Jean-Pierre Castelnau, Louis Gauthier-Villars, Janine Lahovary, Edouard MacAvoy, Nicky Mariano, Donald McClelland, Charles de Noailles, David Scott, Alan Searle, and Uberto Strozzi. Letters make little reference to Brooks's paintings, however some discuss her health and relationship with Natalie Barney. Also found is a small amount of Natalie Barney's personal correspondence dating from 1924-1968.

Writings and notes includes seven handwritten journal notebooks which contain Romaine's thoughts, quotes from poetry and literature, references to museums and works of art throughout Europe, and drafts of letters. Also found is a manuscript of No Pleasant Memories, Brooks's autobiography, and A War Interlude, a book she wrote describing her life in Italy during World War II.

Printed material includes a copy of Natalie Barney's poetry, a poem by Brooks, a large-format copy of Gabriele D'Anunzio's poem Sur Une Image de la France Croisse Piente Par Romaine Brooks; magazines and exhibition catalogs concerning Brooks' art; clippings; and a nameplate for Eyre de Lanux, one of Barney's lovers.

There is one scrapbook which includes newsclippings, the majority of which are in French, concerning Brooks and her artwork from 1910 to 1931.

Photographs are of Brooks, of Brooks in her studio surrounded by her art; prints of photos of Brooks's mother and family; photographs of works of art including a photo of Brooks's portrait on John Cocteau hanging in the Louvre. Notable photographers include Carl Van Vecten and Perou.
Arrangement note:
The collection is arranged as 7 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Information, circa 1967-1968 (Box 1; 2 folders)

Series 2: Personal Business Records, 1967 (Box 1; 1 folder)

Series 3: Correspondence, 1924-1969, bulk 1950-1969 (Boxes 1-3; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 4: Writings and Notes, circa 1930s-1959 (Boxes 3-4; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1910-1973 (Boxes 4-6; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 6: Scrapbook, 1910-1931 (Box 6; 1 folder)

Series 7: Photographs, circa 1910-1970s (Box 5-6, OV7-8; 0.3 linear feet)
Biographical/Historical note:
Romaine Brooks (1874-1970) was a wealthy portrait painter who lived abroad for most of her life in Paris, and Nice, France, and Fiesole, Italy.

Beatrice Romaine Goddard was born in Rome, Italy on May 1, 1874 to Ella Waterman and Major Henry Goddard. Although born into wealth and privilage, Romaine did not have a happy childhood. Her mother was abusive to her, but doted on her mentally ill brother. Brooks' mother arranged for her to live with a poor family in a New York City tenement in exchange for meager payments, which were later stopped, while her brother and sister stayed with their mother. Later, she was sent to boarding school.

Eventually, Brooks left for Europe and took voice lessons and studied art in France and Italy. Her brother died in 1901 and her mother became physically ill. Brooks returned to the United States to tend to her mother who died less than a year after her son's death. Upon her mother's death, Brooks and her sister became heiress' to their grandfather, Issac S. Waterman Jr's substantial fortune. Brooks then began to lead a life of wealth and travel.

In 1903, Brooks married a friend, John Ellingham Brooks who was a homosexual. Brooks was bisexual, although according to her biographer Meryl Secrest she may have just enjoyed the companionship of living with someone. They lived together for a year until she left when he disapproved of her public androgynous style of dress.

Romaine first traveled to London and then returned to Paris, where she lived in the 16th arrondissement. She engaged in an elite social life and painted many of the friends in her circle. Brooks chose to paint portraits in a gray color palette, depicting many women in male dress. The somber nearly colorless palette and cross-dress of the sitter gave the paintings an androgynous look. One of her most notable paintings was her own self-portrait that represented this style. Inspired by James McNeill Whistler, Romaine largely ignored the Cubist and Fauvist movements.

In 1909, she met Gabriele D'Annunzio and engaged in a love affair. Among her other lovers are Ida Rubinstein, the Princess de Polignac, and the American writer, Natalie Barney. Natalie and Romaine were involved for fifty years, despite Barney's various affairs and other lovers. They shared a home with two separate wings, which allowed Brooks to be by herslf while Barney entertained friends.

In the 1930s, Brooks abandoned painting and created line drawings, which were featured in Bizarre magazine. After 1935, however, Brooks largely stopped being an active artist. She wrote her autobiography in the 1930s, No Pleasant Memories, as well as an account of her time spent in Italy.

During World War II, Brooks and Barney fled to Italy, where Brooks remained after the war ended. Her later life was marked with self-imposed isolation, even refusing to see Barney during her visits. Romaine Brooks died in 1970 in Nice, France.

After her death, Adelyn Breeskin curated an exhibit of her works at the National Collection of Fine Arts (1971) in Washington, D.C., and at the Whitney Museum of American Art (1971).
Provenance:
The Romaine Brooks papers were donated by Meryle Secrest, Brooks's biographer, in 1999. Secrest received the letters and notebooks directly from Brooks's estate and compiled the remainder. Additional papers were transfered from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American Art via the Smithsonian Institution Archives in 1986.
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.
Occupation:
Portrait painters -- France  Search this
Topic:
World War, 1939-1945  Search this
Portrait painting  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this
Genre/Form:
Poems
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Manuscripts
Sound recordings
Diaries
Notes
Interviews
Citation:
Romaine Brooks papers, 1910-1973. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.brooroma
See more items in:
Romaine Brooks papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95424da05-2cf3-4604-9e03-a53a5684bf6e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-brooroma
Online Media:

Arnold Geissbuhler papers

Creator:
Geissbuhler, Arnold, 1897-1993  Search this
Names:
Bourdelle, Emile Antoine, 1861-1929  Search this
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Browne, Margaret Fitzhugh, 1884-1972  Search this
Bänninger, Otto Charles, 1897-  Search this
Forbes, Edward Waldo, 1873-1969  Search this
Geissbuhler, Elisabeth Chase  Search this
Giacometti, Alberto, 1901-1966  Search this
Giacometti, Giovanni, 1868-1933  Search this
Goodyear, A. Conger (Anson Conger), 1877-1964  Search this
Grafly, Charles, 1862-1929  Search this
Richier, Germaine, 1904-1959  Search this
Extent:
0.3 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 6 reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings
Sketchbooks
Date:
1915-1977
Scope and Contents:
Biographical material, correspondence (1920-1977), diaries, notes and writings, art works, subject files (1939-1968), printed material (1919-1971), and photographs (1919-1929) document Geissbuhler's artistic activities in Paris and New England.
Reels 1267-1268: Many letters (1920-1971), written by Geissbuhler to his wife Elisabeth Chase Geissbuhler, are illustrated. Other correspondents include Adelyn Breeskin, Margaret Browne, Edward W. Forbes, and A. Conger Goodyear. Art works consist of 26 sketchbooks (1915-1962), annotated in French and English, and over 600 figure studies (1922-1970). Printed material includes a Sculptors' Guild brochure, art course announcements (1958), and clippings (1924-1971). Other materials consist of 2 autobiographical accounts, an award from the Cambridge Centennial Exhibition (1946), an address book and calling cards.
Reel 1271: Printed material includes reproductions of Geissbuhler's work, an advertisement for the Academie Julian (1919), an exhibition announcement (1921), and a clipping (1925). Photographs (1919-1922) and a photograph album (1921-1929) contain images of Geissbuhler in his studio, his works, his family, and friends including Otto Banninger, Antoine Bourdelle, Alberto Giacometti, his father Giovanni Giacometti, and Germaine Richier. Sixteen photographs show art classes, primarily Bourdelle's classes (1919-1922), and Charles Graffley's studio (1921). Other materials consist of biographical notes, an award certificate and 4 sketches (1918).
Reel 1331: Correspondence consists of letters received from Antoine and Rhoda Bourdelle (1921-1977) and general correspondence concerning art business matters (1927-1971). A diary in 8 volumes (1921-1922) contains some illustrated entries. Printed material (1934-1971) consists of 40 exhibition catalogs, 8 clippings, and a school brochure. Four loose sketches are undated. Seven subject files concerning Geissbuhler's sculpture projects contain letters, business records, notes, and clippings.
Reel 1813: Photographs of Geissbuhler's work and one of his house, ca. 1924-1933.
Unfilmed: Letters (1937-1941) concern Geissbuhler's work for the WPA, Treasury Department, and the Federal Works Agency, primarily the Medford project and the Foxboro, Massachusetts, post office project. Other material consists of 3 forms, 2 exhibition catalogs, a press release concerning government projects, 2 rolled charcoal drawings and 2 photographs of the sculptural relief "Straw Cutting and Weaving" from the Foxboro, Massachusetts post office project, and notes.
Biographical / Historical:
Sculptor; Dennis, Mass. Born in Delemont, Switzerland. In 1914, Geissbuhler traveled to Zurich to become a sculptor's apprentice in the studio of Otto Munch. He attended the Kunst Gewerbe School and worked as Munch's assistant until 1919. In that year, Geissbuhler went to Paris to study with Antoine Bourdelle at the Academie Julian. He maintained a studio in Paris until 1927, when he travelled to the United States and married Elisabeth Chase, a Boston sculptor whom he met in Bourdelle's class. They moved to New England in 1933, and in 1937 he became an art instructor at Wellesley College.
Provenance:
Material on reels 1267-1268, 1271, 1331 and 1813 lent for microfilming 1977-1978; unmicrofilmed material donated 1984 all by Arnold Geissbuhler.
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:
Sculptors -- Massachusetts  Search this
Sculptors -- Switzerland  Search this
Topic:
Expatriate artists -- Massachusetts  Search this
Federal aid to the arts -- Massachusetts  Search this
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century  Search this
Genre/Form:
Drawings
Sketchbooks
Identifier:
AAA.geisarno
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9860cccdd-d4ac-4fe8-9325-396c05fadde6
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-geisarno

Robert M. Frash papers relating to Loren MacIver

Creator:
Frash, Robert M., 1913-  Search this
Names:
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
MacIver, Loren, 1909-1998  Search this
Extent:
0.8 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1937-1982
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence with MacIver; photographs of MacIver's paintings; writings and notes, including texts for Frash's catalog of MacIver; business records with numerous galleries and individuals; exhibition catalogs and announcements; reviews and articles about MacIver; a tape recording containing commentary by Frash on some of MacIver's works; and miscellaneous printed material.
Also, 12 letters, 1969-1979 from Adelyn Breeskin and an unpublished manuscript by Breeskin on MacIver's work, 36 p., annotated by MacIver. The text was to serve as an introduction to a book on MacIver.
Biographical / Historical:
Art historian; Newport Beach, Calif. Interested in painter Loren MacIver. In 1983 Frash curated the exhibition "Five Decades: Loren MacIver" at the Newport Harbor Art Museum.
Provenance:
Donated 1983 by Robert Frash.
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:
Art historians -- California  Search this
Painters -- California  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Art -- Exhibitions -- California -- Newport Beach  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.frasrobe
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw96201d8cb-10b9-4fe4-82ca-06dba004f31a
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-frasrobe

Murray Lebwohl correspondence

Creator:
Lebwohl, Murray  Search this
Names:
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Cassatt, Mary, 1844-1926  Search this
De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this
Extent:
8 Items
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1965-1968
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence, 1965, between Lebwohl and Willem de Kooning regarding de Kooning's painting "The Clam Diggers" purchased by Lebwohl; and, correspondence, 1968, between Lebwohl and Adelyn D. Breeskin concerning Breeskin's research for her catalogue raisonne of the graphic work of Mary Cassatt.
Biographical / Historical:
Paper conservator, collector; Arlington, Va., Washington, D.C.
Provenance:
Donated 2002 by Murray Lebwohl.
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.
Topic:
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.lebwmurr
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw99aabc401-2f4b-4d43-9414-0ca31e9c71f2
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-lebwmurr

Avis Berman research material on art and artists

Creator:
Berman, Avis  Search this
Names:
Bearden, Romare, 1911-1988  Search this
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Foster, James W., 1920-  Search this
Gross, Chaim, 1904-1991  Search this
Lawrence, Jacob, 1917-2000  Search this
Nakian, Reuben, 1897-1986  Search this
Rosenthal, Gertrude, 1903-  Search this
Sloan, Helen Farr, 1911-2005  Search this
Extent:
2.4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Sound recordings
Date:
1976-1994
Summary:
Avis Berman research material on art and artists measures 2.4 linear feet and dates from 1976-1994. Included are interviews conducted by Berman, correspondence, printed material, and drafts of writing for articles and essays published by Berman in preparation for various books, articles and exhibitions, magazines and museum and gallery catalog essays. Subjects include Romare Bearden, Adelyn Breeskin, Howard Chandler Christy, Chaim Gross, Geoffrey Holder and Carmen de Lavallade, Jacob Lawrence, Marisol, Mary Miss, Reuben Nakian, Maxfield Parrish, Helen Farr Sloan, John Sloan, Raphael Soyer, and others.
Scope and Contents:
Avis Berman research material on art and artists measures 2.4 linear feet and dates from 1976-1994. Included are interviews conducted by Berman, correspondence, printed material, and drafts of writing for articles and essays published by Berman in preparation for various books, articles and exhibitions, magazines and museum and gallery catalog essays. Subjects include Romare Bearden, Adelyn Breeskin, Howard Chandler Christy, Chaim Gross, Geoffrey Holder and Carmen de Lavallade, Jacob Lawrence, Marisol, Mary Miss, Reuben Nakian, Maxfield Parrish, Helen Farr Sloan, John Sloan, Raphael Soyer, and others.

Correspondence consists primarily of letters received from artists and art professionals Berman contacted during her research process for various assignments. This type of correspondence also appears in the artist and art workers files and the topical files of this collection.

The artist and art workers files contains a wide range of research material including correspondence, notes, and copies of published articles and book chapters, generally collected in preparation for a writing assignment. Some drafts for those writing assignments appear in the files as well.

Topical files consist of research materials compiled by Avis Berman on topics she researched and deloped primarily for the sake of writing projects, including correspondence, notes, and copies of published sources.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in three series:

Series 1: Correspondence, 1983-1989 (0.1 Linear feet: Box 1)

Series 2: Artists and Art Workers Files, circa 1976-1990 (1.2 Linear feet: Box 1-2)

Series 3: Topical Files, circa 1980-1994 (1.1 Linear feet: Box 2-3)
Biographical / Historical:
Avis Berman (1949- ) is a writer, curator, and historian of American art, architecture and culture based in New York, N.Y. She holds a bachelor's degree from Bucknell University and an master's degree from Rutgers Univerisy, both in English literature. She is the author of numerous books including Rebels on Eighth Street: Juliana Force and the Whitney Museum of American Art; James McNeill Whistler; and Edward Hopper's New York. She was also co-author and editor of Katharine Kuh's memoir, My Love Affair with Modern Art: Behind the Scenes with a Legendary Curator.

Berman has written numerous articles on subjects including painting, sculpture, photography, illustration, design, architecture, and the social history of the visual arts for a broad range of publications including The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, The Washington Post, Smithsonian, Saturday Review, The Boston Book Review, American Art, ARTnews, The San Francisco Examiner, The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Baltimore Sun, Art in America, Art & Antiques, House & Garden, and Architectural Digest.

Throughout the 1980s 1990s and 2000s Avis served as a consultant for the Archives of American Art, Washington, D.C., in her capacity as interviewer for the oral history project for which she has researched and interviewed countless artists, collectors, and other figures in the art world in Europe and the United States.
Related Materials:
Also in the Archives are the Avis Berman research material on Katharine Kuh, 1939-2006, research material on Julianna Force, circa 1930-2020, research material on Elie Nadelman, 2001, and an interview of Reuben Nakian conducted by Berman for the Archives Oral History Program, June 1981.
Provenance:
The collection was donated incrementally by Avis Berman 1981-1993 and 2021.
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:
Interviews with Gross, Lawrence, and Nakian: Authorization to quote or reproduce for purposes of publication requires written permission from Avis Berman. Contact Reference Services for more information.
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: All writings by Avis Berman.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art critics -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Authors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Women art dealers  Search this
Women art historians  Search this
Women authors  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Citation:
Avis Berman Research Material on Art and Artists, 1976-1994. Archives of American Art., Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.bermavis
See more items in:
Avis Berman research material on art and artists
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw931cc7ccb-00f0-4063-aa72-d41609a612e5
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-bermavis

NCFA records relating to Synchroma machine

Creator:
National Collection of Fine Arts (U.S.)  Search this
Names:
National Museum of American Art (U.S.)  Search this
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Elliott, Stanley B.  Search this
Guilbeau, Honore (Honore Cooke), 1907-  Search this
Extent:
21 Items ((on partial microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1969-1972
Scope and Contents:
Records relating to a possible demonstration and exhibition of a Synchroma machine at the National Collection of Fine Arts. Correspondence is between Adelyn Breeskin and Jan Mulhert of the museum's 20th century department and inventors Stanley Elliott and Honore Guilbeau. Photographs, descriptive statements, and clippings are also included.
Biographical / Historical:
The National Collection of Fine Arts, a branch of the Smithsonian Institution, changed its name through an act of Congress to the National Museum of American Art in 1980. The Syncroma machine creates constantly changing visual images using sonic inputs supplied by the artist.
Provenance:
Adelyn Breeskin represented NCFA in this gift to the Archives.
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:
Kinetic artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Synchroma  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.naticoll
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9649300d1-61dd-4c8c-9de1-7a71e6a46ee3
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-naticoll

Oral history interview with Adelyn Dohme Breeskin

Interviewee:
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Interviewer:
Haifley, Julia Link  Search this
Extent:
53 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1979 August 1-14
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Adelyn Dohme Breeskin conducted 1979 August 1-14, by Julia Haifley, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Adelyn Dohme Breeskin (1986-1986) was a museum director and art historian from Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 32 min.
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: Patrons must use microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Art museum curators -- Maryland -- Baltimore  Search this
Art museum directors -- Maryland -- Baltimore  Search this
Art historians -- Maryland -- Baltimore  Search this
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Women art historians  Search this
Women museum curators  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.breesk79aug
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw991f2d43f-8073-4316-81bf-30ec3cb6f837
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-breesk79aug
Online Media:

Alma Thomas papers

Creator:
Thomas, Alma  Search this
Names:
Art in Embassies Program (U.S.)  Search this
Martha Jackson Gallery  Search this
Bader, Franz, 1903-1994  Search this
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Johnson, Nathalie J. Cole  Search this
Sarg, Tony, 1882-1942  Search this
Tarbary, Celine  Search this
Taylor, Joshua Charles, 1917-  Search this
Thomas, J. Maurice (John Maurice), 1900 or 1901-  Search this
Extent:
5.5 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Audiocassettes
Video recordings
Photographs
Date:
circa 1894-2001
Summary:
The papers of Washington, D.C. painter and art educator Alma Thomas, date from circa 1894-2001 and measure 5.5 linear feet. The papers document Thomas's work as a teacher, and her development and success as a painter of the Washington Color School, through biographical material, letters, notes and writings, personal business records, exhibition files, printed materials, scrapbooks, photographs, an audio recording, and two video recordings.
Scope and Contents note:
The papers of Washington, D.C. painter and art educator Alma Thomas, date from circa 1894-2001 and measure 5.5 linear feet. The papers document Thomas's work as a teacher, and her development and success as a painter of the Washington Color School, through biographical material, letters, notes and writings, personal business records, exhibition files, printed materials, scrapbooks, photographs, an audio recording, and two video recordings.

Biographical material includes identity cards, chronologies, an audio recording including a biographical account, and scattered documentation of Thomas's education and teaching careers with D.C. Public Schools, Howard University, and Thomas Garrett Settlement in Wilmington, Delaware. Also found are records relating to Thomas's participation in a summer marionette class taught by Tony Sarg in 1934, and a tour of European art centers which Thomas took in 1958.

Letters relate primarily to the exhibition of Thomas's work and related events and are from galleries, museums, other art institutions, colleagues, and friends including Franz Bader, Adelyn Breeskin, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Howard University Gallery of Art, Martha Jackson Gallery, Nathalie J. Cole Johnson, Vincent Melzac, Celine Tabary, and Joshua Taylor.

Notes and writings include four notebooks and autobiographical writings by Thomas, a "Birthday Book," and an annotated engagement calendar. J. Maurice Thomas's writings about Alma Thomas, her research for a bibliography on James Weldon Johnson, and writings by others, including Jacob Kainen, about Alma Thomas, are also found here.

Exhibition files contain a wide variety of documentation for many group and solo exhibitions of Thomas's work from the early 1950s through a 1998-2000 traveling retrospective exhibition, including solo exhibitions at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1972. The records include letters from Franz Bader Gallery, David Driskell at Fisk University, and Vincent Melzac. Photographs include Thomas with individuals including William Buckner, Jeff Donaldson, David Driskell, James W. Herring, and Vincent Melzac. Also found is a photograph of the 1951 Little Paris Studio Group picturing Lois Mailou Jones, Celine Tabary, Alma Thomas, and others. Two video recordings are of events related to the 1998-2000 retrospective at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art and the Columbus Museum of Art. Records documenting a 1981-1982 exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of American Art, A Life in Art: Alma Thomas, includes the script of a video written by Adolphus Ealey.

Personal business records include price lists, gift and loan receipts, and files concerning the Art in Embassies Program, the Martha Jackson Gallery, a benefit auction for the Corcoran School of Art, and the designation of the Thomas family home in Washington, D.C. as a historic property.

Eleven scrapbooks document Thomas's teaching career through the activities of the art classes she taught at Shaw Junior High School.

Printed materials include announcements and catalogs for exhibitions and other events; clippings which document Thomas's career and subjects of interest to her; Christmas cards featuring block prints designed by Thomas; and other programs and publications featuring Thomas.

Photographs are of Alma Thomas, family, and friends and colleagues including Sam Gilliam, James V. Herring, and Nathalie V. Cole Johnson; art classes taught by Thomas; Thomas's homes in Columbus, Georgia and Washington, D.C.; and exhibitions not documented in Series 4: Exhibition Files, including photographs of Alma Thomas at an opening at Barnett Aden Gallery with Alonzo Aden and others.
Arrangement note:
The papers have been arranged into 8 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1911-2001 (Box 1; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 2: Letters, circa 1930-2001 (Boxes 1-2; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 3: Notes and Writings, circa 1920s-circa 1998 (Box 2; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1951-2000 (Boxes 2-3, OV 7; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 5: Personal Business Records, circa 1950s-1994 (Box 3; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 6: Printed Material, circa 1908-2000 (Boxes 3-5, OV 7; 1.8 linear feet)

Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1930-1946 (Box 5; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 8: Photographs, circa 1894-2001 (Boxes 5-6; 0.6 linear feet)
Biographical/Historical note:
Washington, D.C. painter and art educator Alma Thomas (1891-1978) was known for her abstract paintings filled with dense patterns of color, and was considered a major artist of the Washington Color School.

Thomas was born in Columbus, Georgia, in 1894, and was the eldest of the four daughters of John Harris Thomas and Amelia Cantey Thomas. The family moved to Washington, D.C. in 1906 and Thomas was first introduced to art classes at Armstrong Technical High School. Following her graduation in 1911 she took a course in kindergarten teaching at the Miner Normal School, and subsequently worked as a substitute teacher in the Washington, D.C. public school system until 1914, when she took a teaching position on the Eastern shore of Maryland. From 1916 to 1923 she taught kindergarten at Thomas Garrett Settlement House in Wilmington, Delaware.

Thomas originally enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D.C. as a home economics major in 1921, but after studying under Lois Mailou Jones amd James V. Herring in Herring's newly established art department, she earned a Bachelor's degree in Fine Art in 1924, and became the first person to graduate from the program. Thomas then began her teaching career at Shaw Junior High School in Washington, D.C. that lasted from 1924, until her retirement in 1960. During this time she established community arts programs that would encourage her students to develop an appreciation of fine arts. Activities included marionette programs, distribution of student-designed holiday menu cards for dinners given for soldiers at the Tuskegee Veterans' Hospital, art clubs, lectures, and student exhibitions. In 1943 she became the founding vice president of Barnett Aden Gallery, which was established by James V. Herring and Alonzo Aden and was the first integrated gallery in Washington, D.C.

In 1934 Thomas earned an M.A. degree in Art Education from Columbia University. At American University in Washington, D.C., she studied creative painting under Joe Summerford, Robert Gates, and Jacob Kainen from 1950 to 1960, and began to break away from representational painting and experiment more seriously with Abstract Expressionism. In 1958 she participated in a tour of the art centers of Western Europe under the auspices of the Tyler School of Fine Arts at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Following her retirement from teaching in 1960, Thomas devoted herself full-time to painting, and continued to develop her signature style. She was inspired by nature and the desire to express beauty through composition and color, and refused to be constrained by societal expectations related to her race, gender, and age, achieving her greatest success in the last decade of her life. Her work was exhibited at the Dupont Theatre Art Gallery, Franz Bader Gallery, and the Howard University Gallery of Art, before she was honored in 1972 with exhibitions at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Thomas's work has been exhibited at the White House and can be found in the permanent collections of major museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Separated Materials note:
In 1979, J. Maurice Thomas loaned papers for microfilming. Most, but not all, of the loaned material was later donated and is described in this finding aid. Loaned materials not donated at a later date are available on reels 1541-1543 and are not described in the container listing of this finding aid.
Provenance:
J. Maurice Thomas, the artist's sister, loaned portions of the collection for microfilming in 1979. Most, but not all of this material was then later donated in several accretions by J. Maurice Thomas, between 1979 and 2004. Charles Thomas Lewis, Thomas' nephew, gave additional papers in 2010.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copies requires advance notice.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Painters -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Educators -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Topic:
Painting, American  Search this
African American artists  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Washington Color School (Group of artists)  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Women painters  Search this
African American educators  Search this
African American painters  Search this
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Audiocassettes
Video recordings
Photographs
Citation:
Alma Thomas papers, circa 1894-2001. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.thomalma
See more items in:
Alma Thomas papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98cd54656-ee02-4a0d-81ad-6db24f1be010
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-thomalma
Online Media:

Research material on Martha Jackson

Creator:
Rand, Harry  Search this
Names:
Martha Jackson Gallery  Search this
National Museum of American Art (U.S.) -- Exhibitions  Search this
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Brooks, James, 1906-1992  Search this
Calcagno, Lawrence, 1913-  Search this
Diebenkorn, Richard, 1922-1993  Search this
Dine, Jim, 1935-  Search this
Falkenstein, Claire, 1908-1997  Search this
Gilhooly, David  Search this
Hartigan, Grace  Search this
Hultberg, John, 1922-  Search this
Jackson, Martha Kellogg  Search this
Jenkins, Paul, 1923-2012  Search this
Katz, Alex, 1927-  Search this
Nevelson, Louise, 1899-1988  Search this
Stanczak, Julian, 1928-2017  Search this
Wayne, June, 1918-2011  Search this
Extent:
0.4 Linear feet ((on 2 microfilm reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1953-1984
Scope and Contents:
Research material for an exhibition THE MARTHA JACKSON MEMORIAL COLLECTION held at the National Museum of American Art, June 21-September 15, 1985, and a catalog (Smithsonian Institution Press, 1985). Included are clippings and press releases, 1953-1975, and letters, 1979-1984, from artists and Jackson's colleagues and employees including Herb Aach, Garo Antreasian, Amy Baker, Dorothy Beskind, Dennis Bing, Norman Bluhm, Naomi Blum, Grace Borgegenicht, Mrs. Toni Borgzinner, Keith Boyle, Charles Brady, Adelyn Breeskin, James Brooks, Fritz Bultman, Lawrence Calcagno, Christo Capralos, Vardea Chryssa, Christopher Colt, Richard Diebenkorn, Jim Dine, Hisao Domoto, Seymour Drumlevitch, Frank Duncan, Claire Falkenstein, David Gilhooly, Ives Goucher, Clement Greenberg, Grace Hartigan, Gottfried Honegger, John Hultberg,
Harry Jackson, Paul Jenkins, Alfred Jenson, Lester Johnson, Alex Katz, Lillian Kiesler, Kenneth Koch, Lee Krasner, Elaine Kurtz, Bruce Lowney, Alexandra Luke, Ed McGowin, Carlos Merida, Sadamasa Motonaga,Louise Nevelson, Tom Parish, Jackson Pollock (Betty Parsons Gallery concerning Pollock),Israel Rosen, John Salt, Peter Spinelli, Julian Stanczak, Francisco Toledo, June Wayne, and Edward Weiss. Several of the correspondents wrote brief memoirs of their relationships with Jackson.
Biographical / Historical:
Art historian, curator; National Museum of American Art, Washington, D.C. Jackson (1907-1969) was an art collector, dealer, and painter. She operated the Martha Jackson Gallery, New York City. Her collection was given to the National Museum of American Art in 1981 by her estate.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1988 by Harry Rand. The Martha Jackson memorial collection was donated to the National Museum of American Art in 1981 by Jackson's estate.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Art historians  Search this
Museum curators  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.randharr
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw989edfcdc-8f5d-4760-87a0-b924d52dae78
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-randharr

Eugenie Gershoy papers

Creator:
Gershoy, Eugenie, 1901?-1983 or 6  Search this
Names:
Art Students League (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Federal Art Project (N.Y.)  Search this
Woodstock Artists Association (Woodstock, N.Y.)  Search this
Yaddo (Artist's colony)  Search this
Baker, Mildred, 1905-  Search this
Blanch, Arnold, 1896-1968  Search this
Blanch, Lucile, 1895-1981  Search this
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Calder, Alexander Stirling, 1870-1945  Search this
Dehn, Virginia  Search this
Force, Juliana, 1876-1948  Search this
Fruhauf, Aline, 1909-1978  Search this
Gottlieb, Harry, 1895-  Search this
Hart, Agnes, 1912-1979  Search this
Knight, Frederic C., 1898-1979  Search this
Marantz, Irving, 1912-1972  Search this
Millay, Edna St. Vincent, 1892-1950  Search this
Nakian, Reuben, 1897-1986  Search this
Picken, George, 1898-  Search this
Pollet, Joseph C., 1897-1979  Search this
Presser, Josef, 1906-1967  Search this
Refregier, Anton, 1905-  Search this
Scaravaglione, Concetta, 1900-1975  Search this
Soyer, Moses, 1899-1974  Search this
Soyer, Raphael, 1899-1987  Search this
Thomson, Virgil, 1896-  Search this
Varda, Jean  Search this
Extent:
7.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Prints
Christmas cards
Sketchbooks
Sketches
Photographs
Place:
Woodstock (N.Y.)
Date:
1914-1983
Summary:
The papers of sculptor and art instructor, Eugenie Gershoy, measure 7.2 linear feet and date from 1914 to 1983. The collection documents Gershoy's career through biographical material, correspondence, business records, notes, writings, artwork, printed material, and photographs.
Scope and Content Note:
The Eugenie Gershoy papers date from 1914 to 1983, measure 7.2 linear feet, and reflect Gershoy's career as a sculptor and teacher. The collection contains biographical material, correspondence, business records, notes, writings, artwork of Gershoy and others, printed material including exhibition catalogs, and photographs with subjects including Gershoy, her friends and colleagues, her studio, and her artwork.

Correspondence forms the bulk of the collection and includes correspondence between Gershoy and her siblings and their families regarding her activities, as well as with colleagues, many of whom were associated with the Woodstock Artist Association, and many of whom were museum colleagues.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into eight series according to material type. The contents of each series have been arranged chronologically.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1939-1971 (boxes 1, 8-9; 3 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1914-1983, undated (boxes 1-6, 8-9; 5.8 linear ft.)

Series 3: Business Records, 1952-1978 (box 6; 5 folders)

Series 4: Notes, 1967-1970, undated (box 6; 3 folders)

Series 5: Writings, 1970, undated (box 6; 2 folders)

Series 6: Artwork, 1932-1978, undated (boxes 6, 8-9, OV 10, 26 folders)

Series 7: Printed Material, 1932-1983, undated (boxes 7, 9; 19 folders)

Series 8: Photographs, 1916-1983, undated (boxes 7, 9; 12 folders)
Biographical Note:
Born in Krivoi Rog, Russia on January 1, 1901, Eugenie was the youngest of the Gershoy children. The family immigrated to New York City in 1903. She later became a U.S. citizen.

With the aid of two scholarships, she attended the Art Students League and studied under A. Stirling Calder, Leo Lentelli, Kenneth Hayes Miller, Boardman Robinson, and Carl Walters. During the late 1920s and early 1930s, she maintained a studio with Harry Gottlieb in Woodstock, New York. From 1936 to 1939, under the WPA Federal Art Project, she worked in conjunction with Max Spivak on murals for the children's recreation room in the Astoria branch of the Queens Borough Public Library, New York.

Gershoy's first solo show was at the Robinson Gallery in New York in 1940. Following a year of teaching at the New Orleans Art School, she moved to San Francisco in 1942. In 1946 she taught ceramics at the California School of Fine Arts, and in May 1950, she studied at Yaddo.

In addition to visits to England and France in the early 1930s, Gershoy travelled to Mexico and Guatemala in 1947, 1948, and 1961. She worked in Paris in 1951 and toured Africa, India, and the Orient in 1955.

Eugenie Gershoy died in 1986.
Related Material:
Related material in the Archives of American Art includes a transcribed oral history interview with Eugenie Gershoy conducted by Mary McChesney for the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts Oral History Program, October 15, 1964. A link to the transcript is provided from the online catalog.
Provenance:
The Eugenie Gershoy papers were donated to the Archives of American Art between 1975 and 1983 by the artist.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Patrons must use microfilm copy.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Draftsmen (artists) -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Ceramicists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women ceramicists  Search this
Women sculptors  Search this
Function:
Artists' studios -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Prints
Christmas cards
Sketchbooks
Sketches
Photographs
Citation:
Eugenie Gershoy papers, 1914-1983. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.gerseuge
See more items in:
Eugenie Gershoy papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9140504d0-90c4-45af-91c8-9c39b74aa139
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-gerseuge

Adelyne Dohme Breeskin papers

Creator:
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Names:
National Collection of Fine Arts (U.S.)  Search this
National Museum of American Art (U.S.)  Search this
Avery, Milton, 1885-1965  Search this
Cassatt, Mary, 1844-1926  Search this
MacIver, Loren, 1909-  Search this
Extent:
2.5 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Date:
circa 1934-1986
Summary:
The papers of Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington D.C. art historian and museum curator Adelyn Dohme Breeskin, measure 2.5 linear feet and date from circa 1934-1986. The papers provide scattered documentation of Breeskin's career, focusing on writings and lectures delivered in the United States and abroad, and briefly documenting her work as an art exhibition juror, as a consultant, and as a teacher of a community art course. The collection also includes papers documenting some of Breeskin's research on Loren MacIver, Mary Cassatt, and others, and is comprised of biographical material, personal and professional correspondence with artists, friends, and colleagues, manuscript and lecture notes and drafts, professional files, sound recordings, and a few photographs.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington D.C. art historian and museum curator Adelyn Dohme Breeskin, measure 2.5 linear feet and date from circa 1934-1986. The papers provide scattered documentation of Breeskin's career, focusing on writings and lectures delivered in the United States and abroad, and briefly documenting her work as an art exhibition juror, as a consultant, and as a teacher of a community art course. The collection also includes papers documenting some of Breeskin's research on Loren MacIver, Mary Cassatt, and others, and is comprised of biographical material, personal and professional correspondence with artists, friends, and colleagues, manuscript and lecture notes and drafts, professional files, sound recordings, and a few photographs.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as four series:

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1938-1986 (0.6 linear feet; Box 1, OVs 4-6)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1940-1970 (0.5 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Writings and Lectures, circa 1934-1981 (1 linear foot; Boxes 1-2)

Series 4: Professional Files, 1945-1984 (0.4 linear feet; Boxes 2-3)
Biographical / Historical:
Adelyn Dohme Breeskin (1896-1986) was an art historian and museum curator in Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. She was the first woman to be named director of a major American museum, the Baltimore Museum of Art.

Adelyn Dohme took her first museum job in the print department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she worked with Kathryn B. Child under the supervision of William Mills Ivins. She left the museum in 1920 to marry violinist Elias Breeskin, and the couple had three children before divorcing in 1930.

Following her divorce, Breeskin returned to her native Baltimore and took a position as a curator with the Baltimore Museum of Art. In 1942 she was appointed director of the museum and remained in that position until 1962. As director she gave Milton Avery and Mary Cassatt's graphics their first museum shows.

Breeskin served as commissioner for the American contingent of the Venice Biennale in 1960 and was director of the Washington Gallery of Modern Art from 1962-1964. She then became a special consultant in twentieth-century art for the Smithsonian's National Collection of Fine Art and served as the museum's curator of contemporary painting and sculpture from 1968 to 1974.

Breeskin authored two catalogue raisonnés of Mary Cassatt's work, and conducted extensive research for a monograph on Loren MacIver, although the monograph was ultimately not published. In 1985 Breeskin received the Smithsonian Institutions highest award, the Gold Medal for Exceptional Service, and at the time of her death in 1986, was senior curatorial adviser.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds oral history interviews with Adelyn Breeskin conducted by Paul Cummings in 1974, and Julie Haifley in 1979.
Provenance:
Portions of the collection were donated to the Archives of American Art in a series of gifts from Adelyn Breeskin, 1979-1985. Material relating to Loren MacIver was donated 1979-1987 by Breeskin and Robert Frash, who had possession of Breeskin's research materials on MacIver for an exhibition on MacIver he curated in California. Letters from Georgia O'Keeffe, Stanton Macdonald-Wright, and Lawrence Calcagno, an exhibition catalog for Calcagno, and the file on Milton Avery, were donated by the National Museum of American Art on January 28, 1981. The birthday book was a gift from Breeskin's daughter, Gloria Breeskin Peck, in 2015. The sound recordings were transferred from the National Museum of American Art, circa 1984.
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:
Art museum curators -- Maryland -- Baltimore  Search this
Art historians -- Maryland -- Baltimore  Search this
Art museum directors -- Maryland -- Baltimore  Search this
Topic:
Women art historians  Search this
Women museum curators  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Citation:
Adelyn Dohme Breeskin papers, circa 1934-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.breeadel
See more items in:
Adelyne Dohme Breeskin papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98710b071-3f06-4f02-a54b-d26d215a0ed4
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-breeadel

Biographical Material

Collection Creator:
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Extent:
0.6 Linear feet (Box 1, OVs 4-6)
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1938-1986
Scope and Contents:
Found in this series is a "birthday book" of letters, cards, and artwork given to Breeskin on the occasion of her 90th birthday, with illustrated greetings from artists including Grace Hartigan and Jacob Kainen; family estate papers; news clippings about Breeskin; and resumes and employment related documents including a federal employment application and correspondence related to the professional opportunities Breeskin was exploring in preparation for resigning her position at the Baltimore Museum of Art in 1962.

Photographs include a studio portrait of Breeskin by Leonard L. Greif taken just prior to her retirement from the Baltimore Museum of Art in 1962, and photographs of Breeskin with others including with Betty Parsons in March 1973; with Edwin A. Daniels, Raphael Soyer, William Finn, and Joseph Hirshhorn after receiving an honorary degree at the Maryland Art Institute in 1975; and with Charles C. Cunningham, Tatayana Grossman, and Clyfford Still at an unidentified event, circa 1970s. Also found is a sound recording of a farewell dinner held for Breeskin at the Baltimore Museum of Art in 1962, and a sound recording of a 1969 interview with Sally Avery.
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:
Adelyn Dohme Breeskin papers, circa 1934-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.breeadel, Series 1
See more items in:
Adelyne Dohme Breeskin papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw96d39ae4d-5568-40ad-a8ad-1fe1dd30a249
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-breeadel-ref1

Sound Recording of Breeskin's Baltimore Museum of Art Farewell Dinner

Collection Creator:
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Extent:
1 Sound tape reel
Container:
Box 1, Folder 6
Type:
Archival materials
Audio [31027000867487]
Sound tape reels
Date:
1962 April 16
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:
Adelyn Dohme Breeskin papers, circa 1934-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Adelyne Dohme Breeskin papers
Adelyne Dohme Breeskin papers / Series 1: Biographical Material
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c24b48cd-2912-42b6-8fbc-d165a2d850d4
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-breeadel-ref10

Sound Recording of Lecture "Artists I Have Known"

Collection Creator:
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Extent:
1 Sound cassette (Original sound cassette is stored offsite.)
Container:
Item IM100RC.053
Type:
Archival materials
Audio [31027000009981]
Sound cassettes
Date:
1981 March 8
Restrictions:
Researchers may access digitized audiovisual materials in the Archives' Washington, D.C. or New York, N.Y. Research Centers by appointment.
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:
Adelyn Dohme Breeskin papers, circa 1934-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Adelyne Dohme Breeskin papers
Adelyne Dohme Breeskin papers / Series 3: Writings and Lectures / 3.2: General Writings and Lectures
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw91d7e2f89-893f-4cb8-a88a-881ce2af994d
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-breeadel-ref100

Sound Recording of Interview with Sally Avery by Adelyn Breeskin

Collection Creator:
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Extent:
1 Sound tape reel
Container:
Box 1, Folder 7
Type:
Archival materials
Audio [31027000867487]
Sound tape reels
Date:
1969, December 10
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:
Adelyn Dohme Breeskin papers, circa 1934-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Adelyne Dohme Breeskin papers
Adelyne Dohme Breeskin papers / Series 1: Biographical Material
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9bfdff788-ab80-4b18-8b38-72699bb7d9e6
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-breeadel-ref11

Sound Recording of Interview with Sally Avery by Adelyn Breeskin, Duplicates

Collection Creator:
Breeskin, Adelyn Dohme, 1896-1986  Search this
Extent:
3 Sound cassettes
Container:
Box 1, Folder 8
Type:
Archival materials
Audio [31027000867487]
Sound cassettes
Date:
1969 December 10
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:
Adelyn Dohme Breeskin papers, circa 1934-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Adelyne Dohme Breeskin papers
Adelyne Dohme Breeskin papers / Series 1: Biographical Material
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw998e3c7b5-ff0a-4ba7-a12d-6194792b24e6
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-breeadel-ref12

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