The scattered records of the ACA (American Contemporary Art) Galleries date from 1917 through 1963 and include writings by founder Herman Baron, artists Philip Evergood and Anton Refregier, and art critic Elizabeth McCausland; printed materials; and photographs of Baron, ACA artists, art collectors, works of art, and exhibitions. Correspondence is with David Burliuk, Philip Evergood, William Gropper, Lewis Mumford, Moses Sawyer, Max Weber, and others. Also found is a small group of Herman Baron's personal papers.
Scope and Content Note:
The scattered records of the ACA (American Contemporary Art) Galleries date from 1917 through 1963 and include writings by founder Herman Baron, artists Philip Evergood and Anton Refregier, and art critic Elizabeth McCausland; printed materials; and photographs of Baron, ACA artists, art collectors, works of art, and exhibitions. Correspondence is with David Burliuk, Philip Evergood, William Gropper, Lewis Mumford, Moses Sawyer, Max Weber, and others. Also found is a small group of Herman Baron's personal papers.
The records are a rich resource for documenting the Social Realist artists and the militant socialist artists during the great depression and the post-World War II era of "McCarthyism".
Correspondence with ACA artists consists of letters from Philip Evergood, David Burliuk, William Gropper, Robert Gwathmey, Joseph Hirsch, Lewis Mumford, Elizabeth Olds, Alton Pickens, Moses Soyer, Max Weber, and Art Young. Some of the letters concern the socialist and communist views of some of the artists, including responses to Congressional Representive George A. Dondero's public statements and attacks on modern art as a conspiracy to spread communism in the United States. There is a letter written by Holger Cahill to the editor of Time magazine concerning WPA artists. Also found is a letter from Raphael Soyer written to the ACA Galleries concerning the American Artists' Congress.
Writings include Herman Baron's written history of the ACA Galleries and scattered pages of Baron's book on Joe Jones and William Gropper. There are essays and writings by art critic Elizabeth McCausland, and artists Anton Refregier and Philip Evergood. Printed materials consist of ACA publications, newspaper clippings, published articles, printed illustrations by Philip Evergood, and printed materials about Congressman Dondero.
Photographs are of David Burliuk, Bruce Calder, Nicolai Cikovsky, Hy Cohen, Robert Cronbach, Alexander Dobkin, Philip Evergood, Mike Gold, Chaim Gross, William Gropper, Joe Jones, Mervin Jules, Irene Rice Pereia, Geri Pine, Philip Reisman, Vic Shifreen, Harry Sternberg, Moses Soyer, Raphael Soyer, James Baare Turnbull, Nicky Walker, Abraham Walkowitz, Nat Werner, and Art Young. Photographers include Berenice Abbott, Arnold Newman, and Alfredo Valente. Additional photographs are of unidentified installations or exhibitions.
Herman Baron's personal papers include letters written to his wife and friends during World War I, writings by Baron for various magazines including Glazier's Journal. Personal photographs are of Herman Baron in his army uniform. There is also an obituary for Herman Baron written by art critic Elizabeth McCausland.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 5 series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Correspondence, circa 1930s-1960s (Box 1; 0.25 linear feet)
Series 2: Writings and Notes, 1938-circa 1960s (Box 1; 8 folders)
Series 3: Printed Material, 1939-1960 (Box 2; 4 folders)
Series 4: Photographs, circa 1930s-circa 1960s (Box 2; 0.25 linear feet)
Series 5: Herman Baron Personal Papers, circa 1910s, 1940s-1960s (Box 2-3; 0.3 linear feet)
Historical Note:
Herman Baron, Stuart Davis, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, and Adolf Dehn founded the American Contemporary Art (ACA) Galleries on August 16, 1932. Located at 1269 Madison Avenue in New York City, the galleries' first show featured watercolorist Hy Cohen. Baron encouraged freedom of expression and did not censor the artworks displayed in his gallery. As a result, the gallery became an outlet for generally unknown and socially conscious artists, including the Social Realists.
Born in Lithuania in 1892, Herman Baron immigrated to the United States as a child. He served in World War I and later attended New York University. Baron founded and edited Glazier's Journal (later Glass Digest) in 1924 as the first journal for the professional glazing trade. Additionally, he wrote short stories and plays for American Hebrew and Young Israel.
In response to economic issues facing the art market during the depresssion of 1930s, ACA Galleries organized relief efforts to financially support their artists. During this period, the gallery became closely allied with militant artists' organizations and some of the more politically radical artists. In 1935, the ACA Galleries and Herman Baron hosted the first meeting of the American Artists' Congress in the gallery space.
The ACA Galleries featured exhibitions of works by artists David Burliuk, Stuart Davis, Philip Evergood, William Gropper, Robert Gwathmey, Joe Jones, Rockwell Kent, Lee Krasner, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Lewis Mumford, Louise Nevelson, Alton Pickens, Moses Soyer, Raphael Soyer, Max Weber, Art Young, and others. Baron also organized exhibitions of many artists employed by or associated with the Works Progress Administration of the federal arts program. Due to the progressive nature of the works of art found in the ACA Galleries, Herman Baron came under considerable criticism during the McCarthy Era. Baron was condemned by Representative George A. Dondero for supporting "un-American" sympathies and was forced often to defend his gallery and artists.
For years the gallery focused on artists rights and supporting the work of artists, rather than a profit. In the 1950s, a shift occurred when Baron's nephew Sidney Bergen initiated professional business practices and transformed the gallery into a profitable venture. Now located at 529 West 20th Street in New York City, ACA Galleries continues to promote and support various social causes.
Related Material:
The Archives of American Art holds the Herman Baron papers, dating from 1937-1967 which were donated by Syracuse University, George Arents Research Library in 1984. Some exhibition catalogs may be found here.
Provenance:
Ella Baron, widow of the ACA Galleries' founder Herman Baron, donated the records to the Archives of American Art in 1965 and 1966.
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.
Dondero, George A. (George Anthony), 1883-1968 Search this
Extent:
0.2 Items (linear ft.(on partial microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1949-1965
Scope and Contents:
Papers relating to Dondero's efforts to alert the Congress and the public to the alleged dangers of communism in the arts.
Included are: correspondence, 1950-1965; two addresses on art and communism, 1957; two photos of Dondero and twelve of a mural which he criticized; bibliographic notes by Dondero; selections from the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD and from the American Legion FIRING LINE; a copy of a memorandum from the House Un-American Activities Committee, 1956; and a few clippings.
Biographical / Historical:
Congressman (Royal Oak, Mich.)
Provenance:
The donor, Robert Dondero, is the son of George Dondero.
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.
Correspondence, photographs, writings, scrapbooks, sketchbooks, awards and printed material.
REEL D295: Correspondence with buyers, museum curators, and students, and with Irving Berlin, George A. Dondero, Robert Philipp, and Malcolm Vaughan; drafts of articles; scrapbooks; photographs of Brackman's paintings; clippings; and other publications.
REELS 2339-2340: Biographical data, with typescript of Kristin Smith's 1968 unpublished essay on Brackman; correspondence, including letters from Irving Berlin, Huntington Hartford, Harold L. Ickes, Robert Philipp, John D. Rockefeller, David O. Selznick, and others; printed material, including newspaper clippings, magazine articles, reproductions, exhibition catalogs, and announcements; awards; 2 scrapbooks, 1930-1952; and 8 undated sketchbooks.
REEL 2380: Photographs, including personal photographs of Brackman, his friends, his students; of Herbert Turner, his home, his school, and studio; and photographs of Brackman's works of art.
UNMICROFILMED: Writings by Brackman for his lectures; typescripts and a copy of BRACKMAN: HIS ART AND TEACHING by Kenneth Bates; and printed material including newspaper clippings, by-laws for the "Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts Manufacturers and Commerce," London, and the "Royal Society of Arts," London, and a 1957 edition of the journal, THE ARTIST.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter and educator; New York, N.Y. Born in Russia. Studied at Francisco Ferrer School, with Robert Henri, and with George Bellows. Came to United States in 1908. Taught at the Art Students League. Died 1980.
Provenance:
Material on reel D295 lent 1966 by Robert Brackman. Portions of this material were subsequently given by Brackman's widow, Frances, with her gift of all other materials, 1981. Twenty-seven personal photographs from reel 2380 were returned to Frances Brackman at her request.
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:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Topic:
Painting, American -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Art -- Study and teaching -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Correspondence between Cecil Chamberlain, a board member for the Society of Western Artists, and Congressman George A. Dondero pertaining to Dondero's March 25, 1949 speech to Congress, Communists Maneuver to Control Art in the United States. Chamberlain asks Dondero to send copies of his speech in the Congressional Record exposing the Artist Equity Association to the Society of Western Artists. Dondero replies by thanking Chamberlain for his interest in exposing Communist influences in the world of art and writes that he is glad to send copies of the speech.
Biographical / Historical:
George A. Dondero (1883-1968) was a Congressman from Michigan. D.C. Dondero was known for mounting an attack on Modern Art during the 1950s. In 1952, he told Congress that Modern Art was a conspiracy by Moscow to spread Communism in the United States.
Provenance:
Donated 2009 by the Oregon State University Libraries via Head of Special Collections, Cliff Mead. The letters, appearing to be an incomplete string of correspondence, were found by a staff member in the History Department Archives.
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.
