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Margaret De Patta papers

Creator:
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Names:
California College of Arts and Crafts (San Francisco, Calif.)  Search this
California Labor School  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Nanny's Design Gallery  Search this
Oregon State System of Higher Education  Search this
San Francisco Metal Arts Guild  Search this
Barson, Fred  Search this
Bielawski, Eugene  Search this
Davis, Adelle  Search this
Designs Contemporary  Search this
Fleisher, Janet  Search this
Flory, Alice  Search this
McHendrie, Janet  Search this
Ries, Victor, 1907-  Search this
Untracht, Oppi  Search this
Extent:
2.7 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Sketchbooks
Designs
Drawings
Date:
circa 1930-2012
Summary:
The papers of California jewelry designer Margaret De Patta measure 2.7 linear feet and date from circa 1930 to 2012. The papers include correspondence, writings, teaching files, exhibition files, personal business records, printed material, artwork and sketchbooks, and photographs.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of California jewelry designer Margaret De Patta measure 2.7 linear feet and date from circa 1930 to 2012. The papers include correspondence, writings, teaching files, exhibition files, personal business records, printed material, artwork and sketchbooks, and photographs.

Personal and professional correspondence is with family, friends, artists, galleries, museums, and universities. Notable correspondents include Fred Barson, Adelle Davis, Janet Fleisher, Alice Flory, Janet McHendrie, Victor Ries, Oppi Untracht, and Nanny's Design Gallery.

Writings include essays, personal statements, and notes. There is also an outline for a book on design and an annotated calendar.

Teaching files consist of course materials, administrative records, meeting minutes, and limited correspondence from the California Labor School. There are also a few folders from the California College of Arts and Crafts and the Oregon State System of Higher Education.

Exhibition files include announcements, correspondence, inventories, price lists, loan forms, and other material for Margaret De Patta shows at museums and galleries.

Personal business records consist of financial, legal, and administrative records on Margaret De Patta's jewelry designs and sales, as well as material related to Designs Contemporary, the jewelry production business created and managed by De Patta and her husband Eugene Bielawski. There is also material on large gifts and loans to museums and universities, and files relating to the San Francisco Metal Arts Guild.

Printed materials are mostly clippings about Margaret De Patta and other subjects, along with a few magazines and periodicals, including the San Francisco Metal Arts Guild newsletters, 1952-1964.

There is one sketchbook and several folders of drawings, jewelry designs, and flatware designs.

The bulk of the photographs are of jewelry and other objects designed by Margaret De Patta. There are a few photographs of Margaret De Patta working on jewelry and other subjects, such as a trip to Japan and her house on Laidley Street in California.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as 8 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Correspondence, 1946-2011 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Writings, circa 1935-1963 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Teaching Files, 1944-1969 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1948-2012 (0.4 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)

Series 5: Personal Business Records, 1943-2001 (0.9 linear feet; Box 2)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1938-1981 (0.1 linear feet; Box 3)

Series 7: Artwork and Sketchbook, circa 1930-circa 1960 (0.2 linear feet; Box 3)

Series 8: Photographs, circa 1935-1967 (0.4 linear feet; Boxes 3-4, OV 5)
Biographical / Historical:
San Francisco contemporary jewelry designer Margaret De Patta, née Strong, was born in Tacoma, Washington in 1903 and raised in San Diego, California. She was among the first contemporary studio jewelers and a proponent of modernism. De Patta studied painting at the San Diego Academy of Fine Arts from 1921-1923, the California School of Fine Arts from 1923-1925, and the New York Art Students League from 1926-1929.

Margaret De Patta began to create jewelry when she designed her own modernist wedding ring for her marriage to Sam De Patta in 1929. By the mid-1930s, she had become an accomplished jeweler whose work was frequently shown in galleries and museums. Her jewelry was featured in the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco. Around 1939, De Patta also started collaborating with Francis Sperisen, a noted San Francisco lapidary. De Patta designed the shapes of the jewelry using Lucite and wood, and Sperisen would use her models as a reference for the actual gem cutting.

From 1940-1941, De Patta attended the Chicago Bauhaus (now the Institute of Design) where she studied under Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. De Patta's time at the school was formative and Moholy-Nagy was tremendously impressed with her work. She also met her future second husband Gene Bielawski while she was a student in Chicago.

In 1941, De Patta returned to San Francisco, divorced Sam De Patta, and renovated her Laidley Street house in Glen Park. In 1946, she married Eugene Bielawski. The couple taught at the California Labor School. They also moved to Napa and founded Designs Contemporary, a business for producing jewelry that was as high quality as De Patta's handcrafted pieces at more affordable prices. Since all aspects of the business were conducted by the two of them, the workload became overwhelming and Designs Contemporary closed in 1957.

In 1951, Margaret De Patta was a founding member of the San Francisco Metal Arts Guild, established to promote the metal arts and specifically address the unique needs of studio jewelers. During her lifetime, she befriended many artists and continued to create jewelry, teach, and lecture. De Patta died by suicide in 1964. Her innovative jewelry designs continue to be influential today.
Provenance:
The Margaret De Patta papers were donated in two installments in 2003 and 2015 by Martha Bielawski, the second wife of Margaret De Patta's second husband, Eugene Bielawski. These papers were collected as part of the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Jewelers -- California -- San Diego  Search this
Educators -- California -- San Diego  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women designers  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Sketchbooks
Designs
Drawings
Citation:
Margaret De Patta papers, circa 1930-2012. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.depamarg
See more items in:
Margaret De Patta papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94fb09f4d-503c-448e-b346-616d80a939d3
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-depamarg
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Irena Brynner

Interviewee:
Brynner, Irena  Search this
Interviewer:
Fisch, Arline M.  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Craft Students League -- Faculty  Search this
Metal Arts Guild  Search this
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.) -- Faculty  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Renwick Gallery  Search this
Society of North American Goldsmiths  Search this
Bergman, Franz  Search this
Campbell, David Robert, 1907-1963  Search this
Daniels, Grete  Search this
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Faber, Aaron  Search this
Jensen, Georg Arthur, 1866-1935  Search this
Jeremias, Trudy  Search this
Renk, Merry, 1921-2012  Search this
Resnikoff, Florence Lisa Herman  Search this
Rosene, Caroline Gleick, 1907-  Search this
Stackpole, Ralph, 1885-1973  Search this
Winston, Robert, 1915-  Search this
Extent:
67 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2001 April 26-27
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Irena Brynner conducted 2001 April 26-27, by Arline M. Fisch, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Brynner's home and studio, New York, New York.
Brynner speaks of her childhood in Vladivostok in Primorski Krai, Russia; her artistic family including her cousin Yul Brynner; fleeing from Russia to Darian (on the southern tip of the Liaotung peninsula, in the Kwantung Leased Territory of Manchuria); her art studies in Lausanne, Switzerland; her father's illness during World War II; moving with her mother to San Francisco in 1946; her studies with Ralph Stackpole and Franz Bergman in San Francisco; her relationship with architect Frank Merwin; teaching art in Catholic schools in San Francisco; her decision to make jewelry after seeing Claire Falkenstein's sculpture; working as an apprentice to Caroline Rosene and Franz Bergman; forming the Metal Arts Guild with Bob Winston, Merry Renk, Florence Resnikoff, Margaret De Patta, and others; and introducing forging and three-dimensional jewelry in the Metal Arts Guild. She also talks about her move to New York City in 1957; acting as her own agent; "open-air art shows" in San Francisco; her first show at Walker & Eberling; starting her own shop; teaching at the Craft Students League and at MoMA's Institute of Modern Art, at Victor D'Amico's invitation, circa 1962; her friendships with students and clients; her book, "Jewelry as an Art Form" (New York : Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1979) and its influence; learning to work with a Henes water welder; the treatment of women artists in America; her move to Geneva, Switzerland, in 1972, and the difficulties of starting a shop there; and her return to New York and reestablishing her career in the United States. Brynner also discusses her interest in singing, her voice lessons, her public performances of Russian classical music, and her health.
She comments on the intuitive development of her jewelry; the influence of Margaret De Patta; learning wax techniques from Bob Winston at Mills College; her progression from geometric to organic forms; her large-scale sculpture; her invention of "wrap-around earrings"; her use of niobium in the 1980s; drawing inspiration from Antonio Gaudi, Alberto Jaccometti, and others; involvement with the community of artists in the San Francisco Bay Area; the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG); craft periodicals; her exhibitions at the Little Gallery of the Museum of Contemporary Crafts, the Musée de l'horlogerie et de l'émaillerie in Geneva, the Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C., and others; her work in museum collections; serving as a juror; and writing her memoir. Brynner recalls Georg Jensen, Grete Daniels, Trudy Jeremias, Aaron Faber, David Campbell, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Irena Brynner (1917-2003) was a jeweler from New York, New York. Arline M. Fisch (1931- ) is a metalsmith from San Diego, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 7 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 41 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 administrators.
Occupation:
Painters -- New Jersey -- Roosevelt  Search this
Printmakers -- New Jersey -- Roosevelt  Search this
Illustrators -- New Jersey -- Roosevelt  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women printmakers  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.brynne01
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95c304fce-983c-4d4f-95d4-8c5bfadff677
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-brynne01
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Betty Cooke

Interviewee:
Cooke, Betty, 1924-  Search this
Interviewer:
Yager, Jan, 1951-  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Cranbrook Academy of Art -- Students  Search this
Maryland Institute, College of Art -- Faculty  Search this
Maryland Institute, College of Art -- Students  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Beene, Geoffrey  Search this
Bertoia, Harry  Search this
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Morton, Philip  Search this
Nakashima, George, 1905-1990  Search this
Steinmetz, Bill  Search this
Extent:
132 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2004 July 1-2
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Betty Cooke conducted 2004 July 1-2, by Jan Yager, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Baltimore, Maryland.
Cooke speaks of her family and growing up in Baltimore, Maryland; taking art classes in high school; attending the Maryland Institute, College of Art; apprenticing in a jeweler's studio; teaching design at the Maryland Institute; buying a house and setting up a studio and shop in it; showing her work in the MoMA "Good Design" Exhibition; marrying fellow artist Bill Steinmetz; working as a design consultant; designing interiors for bowling alleys and restaurants; early jewelry designs; studying one summer at Cranbrook Academy of Art; selling works in various galleries; her interest in folk art; using wood and stones in her pieces; creating a wall mural for a school; working with the Rouse Company; opening The Store Ltd. at Cross Keys and designing the modern interior; her trademark designs; making jewelry on commission; and showing her work in exhibitions. Cooke also speaks of her current studio space and routine; sketching designs; documenting her work; traveling to Mexico, China, Morocco, and London; her current involvement with the Maryland Institute, College of Art; renovating a barn for a new studio; the function and wearability of her jewelry; having a retrospective show in 1995; designing for Geoffrey Beene; her interest in painting and sculpture; defining design versus craft; the market for jewelry; how her work has changed over time; sources of inspiration; collecting objects; deciding to go into retail; choosing metals and tools; masculine and feminine jewelry; and being a female artist. Cooke also recalls Margaret De Patta, Harry Bertoia, Philip Morton, George Nakashima, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Betty Cooke (1924- ) is a jeweler and metalsmith of Baltimore, Maryland. Jan Yager is a jeweler from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
General:
Originally recorded on 5 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 8 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hr., 2 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 administrators.
Occupation:
Jewelers -- Maryland -- Baltimore  Search this
Metal-workers -- Maryland -- Baltimore  Search this
Topic:
Decorative arts  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women designers  Search this
Function:
Artists' studios
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.cooke04
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94615c64b-45d5-4415-a2ba-a76412a92057
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-cooke04
Online Media:

Brents Carlton papers

Creator:
Carlton, Brents, 1903-1962  Search this
Names:
Art Students League (New York, N.Y.) -- Students  Search this
Golden Gate International Exposition (1939-1940 : San Francisco, Calif.)  Search this
Arnautoff, Victor Mikhail, 1896-1979  Search this
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Dean, Mallette, 1907-  Search this
Helser, Carrie Carlton  Search this
Neuhaus, Eugen, 1879-1963  Search this
Nichols, Dale, 1904-  Search this
Smith, Judson, 1880-1962  Search this
Extent:
4.7 Linear feet
0.528 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Photographs
Prints
Sketches
Scrapbooks
Date:
1903-2014
Summary:
The papers of sculptor and painter Brents Carlton measure 4.7 linear feet and 0.528 GB and date from 1903 through 2014. The collection consists of biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, notes, a scrapbook, exhibition files, art work, photographs, digital photographs, and printed material.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of sculptor and painter Brents Carlton measure 4.7 linear feet and 0.528 GB and date from 1903 through 2014. The collection consists of biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, notes, a scrapbook, exhibition files, art work, photographs, digital photographs, and printed material.

Biographical materials include several autobiographical accounts, school-related materials, a student card from the Art Students' League, and other identification cards.

Correspondence consists primarily of letters from family members and colleagues, including letters from Victor Arnautoff, H. Mallette Dean, Margaret De Patta, Eugen Neuhaus, Dale Nichols, and Judson T. Smith.

Personal business records include bank passbooks, pharmacy licensing records, receipts, income tax records, and ledgers of income, expenses, and art work sold.

Notes consists of Brents Carlton's address book, notebooks, and meeting minutes, as well as notes written by his daughter Carrie Carlton Helser.

There is one scrapbook. Exhibition files include correspondence, notes, photographs, and printed material related to the Golden Gate International Exhibition and other shows. There are also sketches, drawings, and prints by Carlton in the artwork series.

Photographic material includes an album, slides, negatives, and prints depicting Brents Carlton and his artwork, friends, family, and studios.

Printed material includes magazines, brochures, catalogs, and clippings.

A 2015 addition to the Brents Carlton papers includes additional biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, photographic material, and printed material.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 10 series. Series 10 consists of a 2015 addition to the papers that was not integrated into the other series, although there are similar types of materials.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1921-1944 (0.1 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1922-1987 (0.2 linear feet; Boxes 1, 6)

Series 3: Personal Business Records, 1924-1959 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 4: Notes, circa 1923-2009 (0.1 linear feet; Boxes 1, 6, 0.013 GB; ER01)

Series 5: Scrapbook, 1928-1962 (0.2 linear feet; Box 6)

Series 6: Exhibition Files, 1927-1983 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1, OV 8)

Series 7: Art Work, 1924-1962 (0.3 linear feet; Box 1, 6, OV 8)

Series 8: Photographs, 1923-circa 1960 (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, 6-7)

Series 9: Printed Material, 1923-2012 (0.2 linear feet; Box 2)

Series 10: 2015 Addition to the Brents Carlton Papers, 1903-2014 (2.3 linear feet; Boxes 2-5, 7, 0.515 GB; ER02-ER03)
Biographical / Historical:
Brents Carlton was a sculptor and painter who worked primarily in San Francisco, California.

Brents Carlton was born on October 31, 1903, in Roswell, New Mexico; his family later moved to Arkansas. In 1924, Carlton moved to San Francisco to attend the California School of Fine Arts for four years. From 1928 to 1929, he studied under a scholarship at the Art Students' League in New York, after which he returned to San Francisco and established his own studio at Polk Street. In order to support his family, Carlton was also employed as a pharmacist for 30 years.

In 1937, Carlton moved to a studio on Montgomery Street. In 1938, Carlton was commissioned to create four of his most notable works for the Golden Gate International Exposition (1939-1940) on Treasure Island: two large cast concrete figures for the Fountain of Western Waters at the Court of Pacifica, and two 18-foot bas-relief figures for the façade of the California State Building. He married Jessie Bosworth in 1939 and they had a daughter Carrie.

In the mid-1940s, Carlton relocated to a new studio above the pharmacy on Mission Street, where he worked. Due to failing health in the late 1950s, Carlton switched from sculpture to painting. Brents Carlton died of cancer on September 6, 1962 in San Francisco. His works have been exhibited in the California Palace of the Legion of Honor, the Oakland Art Gallery, and the San Francisco Museum.
Provenance:
The Brents Carlton papers were donated by the artist's daughter Carrie Carlton Helser in 1991 and 2015.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Painters -- California  Search this
Topic:
Sculptors -- California  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Prints
Sketches
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Brents Carlton papers, 1903-2014. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.carlbren
See more items in:
Brents Carlton papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw90c442493-a9cb-43e5-a7f1-1b3e1d362974
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-carlbren
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Merry Renk

Interviewee:
Renk, Merry, 1921-2012  Search this
Interviewer:
Fisch, Arline M.  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
750 Studio  Search this
American Craft Council  Search this
Institute of Design (Chicago, Ill.) -- Students  Search this
Metal Arts Guild  Search this
Mobilia Gallery  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
School of Industrial Design (Trenton, N.J.) -- Students  Search this
University of California, Berkeley. Department of Art -- Faculty  Search this
Albers, Josef  Search this
Asawa, Ruth  Search this
Bates, Kenneth F. (Kenneth Francis), 1904-1994  Search this
Brancusi, Constantin, 1876-1957  Search this
Brynner, Irena  Search this
Cunningham, Imogen, 1883-1976  Search this
Curtis, Earle  Search this
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Godfrey, Mary Jo Slick  Search this
Guermonprez, Trude, 1910-1976  Search this
Hall, Doris.  Search this
Nordness, Lee  Search this
Oliver, Olive  Search this
Tajiri, Shinkichi, 1923-2009  Search this
Tawney, Lenore  Search this
Extent:
49 Pages (Transcript)
1 Item (sound file (4 min. 15 sec.) Audio excerpt, digital)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Interviews
Sound recordings
Date:
2001 January 18-19
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Merry Renk conducted 2001 January 18-19, by Arline M. Fisch, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Renk's home and studio, San Francisco, California.
Renk speaks of her family background; growing up during the Depression; her father's creativity and encouragement; early inspiration from "the structure of nature"; attending the School of Industrial Arts in Trenton, N.J., and later the Institute of Design in Chicago; student life at the Institute of Design; establishing a studio and gallery, 750 Studio, at 750 North Dearborn, in Chicago, in 1947, with two other students, Mary Jo Slick [Godfrey] and Olive [Bunny] Oliver; managing 750 Studio and organizing exhibitions of Harry Callahan, Henry Miller, Lazlo Maholy-Nagy, Warren and Ethel MacKenzie, Doris Hall, and others; working with enamels; early "primitive" spirals; decision to be a jeweler; the importance of the "wearability" of jewelry; moving to San Francisco in 1948; living in Paris, 1950-1951; relationship with Shinkichi Tajiri; visiting Constantin Brancusi; traveling with Lenore Tawney through Spain and Morocco; settling in San Francisco; friendship with sculptor and neighbor Ruth Asawa; learning about Josef Albers from Asawa, resulting in experiments with folded metal; meeting her second husband, potter Earle Curtis on Halloween 1954; purchasing and remodeling their home; teaching part-time at the University of California, Berkeley and in workshops; her children, Baunnie and Sandra; managing motherhood and jewelry making in a two-artist household; drawing as a form of inventory; the influence of Lee Nordness; learning the plique-à-jour technique of enameling through trial and error; early influence of Doris Hall's work; working with wire; use of natural forms and interlocking forms; the process of making Wedding Crown (1968) for the exhibition Objects USA; making wedding crowns for her daughters; her shift from non-objective art to portraiture and symbolic imagery in the early 1970s; making large-scale sculpture in 1974, then "drifting back" to jewelry; importance of working independently; her "memory paintings" in the 1980s; evolution of her name from Mary Ruth Gibbs to Merry Renk Curtis (married Stanley Renk in 1941); her involvement with local guilds such as the Metal Arts Guild of San Francisco and national organizations such as the American Craft Council (ACC); lack of critical writing about her work; the value of exhibitions; various pieces in museum collections; early ACC conferences; her long friendship with photographer Imogen Cunningham; posing for Cunningham; becoming an ACC fellow; her jewelry tools; the process of painting compared to jewelry making. She also mentions Kenneth Bates, Trude Guermonprez, Irena Brynner, the Mobilia Gallery in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and her mentor Margaret de Patta.
Biographical / Historical:
Merry Renk (1921-2012) was a jeweler, painter, and sculptor from San Francisco, California. Arline M. Fisch (1931-) is a metalsmith from San Diego, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 9 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 administrators.
Topic:
Enamel and enameling  Search this
Enamelers -- California -- San Francisco -- Interviews  Search this
Jewelry making  Search this
Jewelers -- California -- San Francisco -- Interviews  Search this
Painters -- California -- San Francisco -- Interviews  Search this
Sculptors -- United States -- Interviews  Search this
Sculptors -- California -- Interviews  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Women jewelers  Search this
Women sculptors  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.renk01
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9db1ea880-0f5e-4937-988b-b95afea04788
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-renk01
Online Media:

Interview with Merry Renk

Interviewer:
Lauria, Jo  Search this
Names:
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Renk, Merry, 1921-2012  Search this
Extent:
1 Item
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Sound recordings
Date:
April 28, 2012
Scope and Contents:
An interview with San Francisco goldsmith Imogene "Tex" Gieling conducted by Jo Lauria, April 28, 2012 for her article on jeweler and designer Margaret De Patta, "Margaret De Patta: Pioneer of Modern Studio," in Ornament magazine, September 2012 issue.
Biographical / Historical:
Jo Lauria (1954- ) is a curator and arts writer from Sherman Oaks, California.
General:
Also found on both SD cards is an interview of Imogene "Tex" Gieling conducted 2012 April 28, by Jo Lauria, for the Archives of American Art.
Provenance:
Donated 2014 by Jo Lauria.
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.
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.laurjo
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e85a1d70-8570-44a0-8ba5-0fa2695bf85f
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-laurjo

Designs Contemporary

Collection Creator:
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Container:
Box 2
Type:
Archival materials
Collection 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.
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:
Margaret De Patta papers, circa 1930-2012. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Margaret De Patta papers
Margaret De Patta papers / Series 5: Personal Business Records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw928f4bcc3-c6f2-43ff-94f7-19b8350a4e29
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-depamarg-ref100

Billing Ledger

Collection Creator:
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 8
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1951-1963
Collection 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.
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:
Margaret De Patta papers, circa 1930-2012. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Margaret De Patta papers
Margaret De Patta papers / Series 5: Personal Business Records / Designs Contemporary
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw97f3b90ec-3d0a-4606-b307-4b2fdd2ff9f8
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-depamarg-ref101

Business Name Filing and Business Plan

Collection Creator:
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 9
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1956
Collection 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.
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:
Margaret De Patta papers, circa 1930-2012. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Margaret De Patta papers
Margaret De Patta papers / Series 5: Personal Business Records / Designs Contemporary
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9294dbf1c-5f18-467e-9297-d2aab38b80e3
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-depamarg-ref102

Invoices

Collection Creator:
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 10
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1943-1959
Collection 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.
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:
Margaret De Patta papers, circa 1930-2012. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Margaret De Patta papers
Margaret De Patta papers / Series 5: Personal Business Records / Designs Contemporary
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9099df618-38e7-406d-bfa2-de96aa4c1640
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-depamarg-ref103

Promotional Letter and Retailers List

Collection Creator:
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 11
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1949-1952
Collection 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.
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:
Margaret De Patta papers, circa 1930-2012. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Margaret De Patta papers
Margaret De Patta papers / Series 5: Personal Business Records / Designs Contemporary
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ee484297-6b3c-4db4-80a4-cb4f8ae6fdea
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-depamarg-ref104

Stationary

Collection Creator:
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 12
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1949-circa 1957
Collection 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.
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:
Margaret De Patta papers, circa 1930-2012. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Margaret De Patta papers
Margaret De Patta papers / Series 5: Personal Business Records / Designs Contemporary
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw947e7a116-f4a9-4300-b392-d6884d63ce91
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-depamarg-ref105

Donation of Moholy-Nagy Artwork to Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Collection Creator:
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 13
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1989-1996
Collection 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.
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:
Margaret De Patta papers, circa 1930-2012. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Margaret De Patta papers
Margaret De Patta papers / Series 5: Personal Business Records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c0f98206-f0cd-4bd1-896b-ee9066e06b0c
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-depamarg-ref106

Eugene Bielawski Legal Document

Collection Creator:
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 14
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1966
Collection 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.
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:
Margaret De Patta papers, circa 1930-2012. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Margaret De Patta papers
Margaret De Patta papers / Series 5: Personal Business Records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9332cbc7b-5c92-40b3-8255-4d737b8dc84d
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-depamarg-ref107

Gifts and Loans to the Oakland Museum of California

Collection Creator:
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 15
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1967-2001
Collection 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.
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:
Margaret De Patta papers, circa 1930-2012. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Margaret De Patta papers
Margaret De Patta papers / Series 5: Personal Business Records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw977686dfe-e98f-43da-ae67-3a7c053fff86
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-depamarg-ref108

Gifts to the Museum of Contemporary Crafts

Collection Creator:
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 16
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1956-1976
Collection 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.
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:
Margaret De Patta papers, circa 1930-2012. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Margaret De Patta papers
Margaret De Patta papers / Series 5: Personal Business Records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw90b38c179-28f2-4226-b14b-8b00ee60465c
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-depamarg-ref109

Correspondence

Collection Creator:
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Extent:
0.4 Linear feet (Box 1)
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1946-2011
Scope and Contents:
This series includes personal and professional correspondence with family, friends, artists, galleries, museums, universities, and arts organizations on the subject of exhibitions, loans, travels, jewelry designs, and business inquiries. Notable correspondents include Adelle Davis, Alice Flory, Victor Ries, and Oppi Untracht.
Arrangement:
Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent or subject. There is one folder of miscellaneous correspondence at the end of the series for letters with just one or two letters each from various individuals.
Collection 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.
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:
Margaret De Patta papers, circa 1930-2012. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.depamarg, Series 1
See more items in:
Margaret De Patta papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9a1e4cacc-da04-430d-bf2c-6eacef506a8b
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-depamarg-ref11

Invoices and Records

Collection Creator:
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 17-18
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1944-1959
Collection 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.
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:
Margaret De Patta papers, circa 1930-2012. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Margaret De Patta papers
Margaret De Patta papers / Series 5: Personal Business Records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95e9e3231-8c20-41fe-8395-594a43fda7a1
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-depamarg-ref110

Information on Special Orders

Collection Creator:
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 19
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1957-1964
Collection 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.
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:
Margaret De Patta papers, circa 1930-2012. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Margaret De Patta papers
Margaret De Patta papers / Series 5: Personal Business Records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9d19f7e80-820e-48e3-aa49-376ab66fdc5e
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-depamarg-ref111

Inventory and Price List

Collection Creator:
De Patta, Margaret, 1903-1964  Search this
Container:
Box 2, Folder 20
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1950-circa 1960
Collection 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.
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:
Margaret De Patta papers, circa 1930-2012. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Margaret De Patta papers
Margaret De Patta papers / Series 5: Personal Business Records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw963566b4f-dbb2-4f2a-bb75-e2e4f0e66399
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-depamarg-ref112

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