The records of the Sheldon Ross Gallery, Birmingham, Michigan, measure 1.8 linear feet and are dated 1970-2007, with the bulk of materials dating from 1976-1995. The majority of the collection consists of artists' files. About half of the materials relate to Romare Bearden's work and his relationship with Sheldon Ross, the gallery owner. Also included are artists' files regarding George Grosz and Michigan artists. The contents of artists' files vary but generally include biographical information, printed materials and photographic images. The collection also contains correspondence, exhibition files, and photographs documenting the gallery's activities.
Scope and Contents note:
The records of the Sheldon Ross Gallery, Birmingham, Michigan, measure 1.8 linear feet and are dated 1970-2007, with the bulk of materials dating from 1976-1995. The majority of the collection consists of artists' files. About half of the materials relate to Romare Bearden's work and his relationship with Sheldon Ross, the gallery owner. Also included are artists' files regarding George Grosz and Michigan artists. The contents of artists' files vary but generally include biographical information, printed materials and photographic images. The collection also contains correspondence, exhibition files, and photographs documenting the gallery's activities.
The gallery records document its exhibition history, exhibition reviews, sales of artwork, and Ross' significant projects. Also included are photographs and slides documenting much of the artwork exhibited. Materials relating to Romare Bearden include writings by and about Bearden and his artwork and correspondence between Bearden and Ross during the years 1976-1989. There are many catalogs of Bearden's solo exhibitions at galleries, museums, and institutions, as well as exhibition reviews from newspapers and magazines, and images of Bearden's works.
The gallery exhibited other well-known artists including 20th century American artists and German Expressionists, notably George Grosz, who instructed Bearden at the Art Students League in New York. Found in the records are exhibition catalogues, price lists, inventory cards and artists' background materials. Also found is correspondence with museums, artists and clients, and slides and other photographic material of artwork offered by the gallery. Of note is correspondence between Sheldon Ross and the FBI concerning Ross' participation as an expert witness in a prosecution of individuals who were involved in Romare Bearden forgeries.
There are drawings of Sheldon Ross and The Sheldon Ross Galley by his son, Robert Ross. Photographs are of Sheldon Ross and Romare Bearden, Sheldon Ross with family and friends, and the predecessor gallery, Middle Earth Gallery.
Arrangement note:
The collection is arranged in 7 Series. Materials are generally arranged by record type and chronologically thereafter.
Series 1: Gallery History, 1976-2000 (Box 1, OV 4; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1982-1999 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)
Series 3: Exhibition Files, 1976-1988 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)
Series 4: Artists' Files, 1968-2007 (Boxes 1-2; 0.9 linear feet)
Series 5: Printed Material, 1976-2000 (Box 2; 2 folders; OV 4; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 6: Drawings by Robert Ross, after 1975, (OV 5; 0.1 linear feet)
Series 7: Photographic Materials, circa 1970-2000 (Boxes 2-3, OV 5; 0.2 linear feet)
Biographical/Historical note:
The Sheldon Ross Gallery (1975-1993), Birmingham, Michigan, and later Sheldon Ross Fine Arts and Sheldon Ross Fine Arts LLC (1993-2000) were operated by Sheldon Ross until his death in 2000. The Sheldon Ross Gallery was the only gallery in the Detroit area to consistently show German Expressionist art, emphasizing graphics. However, the gallery and Ross are best known for their early and continued support of Romare Bearden's work. The exhibition history shows a balance between an interest in local artists and an effort to offer diverse artwork from broad based sources.
Provenance:
The records were donated to the Archives of American Art in 2010 by Phyllis Ross, widow of Sheldon Ross.
Restrictions:
Use of original materials requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access 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.
Sheldon Ross Gallery records, circa 1970-2007, bulk 1976-1995. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Support provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
An interview of Serge Sabarsky conducted 1993 April 22, by Rose-Carol Washton Long, for the Archives of American Art.
Sabarsky talks about his youth in Vienna, where he worked as a designer for a theater and a circus before leaving for Paris after the Anschluss. He recalls being an avid reader, where he gained most of his education and his credo that life is a steady, learning process. He remembers coming to New York and working in the garment business, fighting in WWII, and returning to work as a contractor in New York. He describes how, after many years as a contractor, he bought his first work of art and decided in 1968 to open a gallery specializing in German and Austrian expressionism. Sabarsky discusses the art industry, his customers, and his work putting together travelling exhibitions. He mentions the classes in art dealing that he has taught at New York University.
Biographical / Historical:
Serge Sabarsky (1912-1996) was an art dealer, operating the Serge Sabarsky Gallery, New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 10 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. Funding for this interview was provided by the Art Dealers Association.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Gallery owners -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
The records of Carus Gallery measure 3.2 linear feet and date from 1967-2002. This collection documents Dorothea Carus Isserstedt's management of the New York gallery through a small amount of business and personal correspondence; business records regarding acquisitions, sales, and consignments; intentories of artwork and rare books; exhibition catalogs, press clippings, and other printed material; and photographs depicting artwork and exhibition installations.
Scope and Contents:
The records of Carus Gallery measure 3.2 linear feet and date from 1967-2002. This collection documents Dorothea Carus Isserstedt's management of the New York gallery through a small amount of business and personal correspondence; business records regarding acquisitions, sales, and consignments; intentories of artwork and rare books; exhibition catalogs, press clippings, and other printed material; and photographs depicting artwork and exhibition installations.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as 5 series.
Series 1: Correspondence, 1974-2000 (4 folders; Box 1)
Series 2: Business Records, 1971-1996 (1.8 linear feet; Box 1-2)
Series 3: Inventories, 1973-2002 (0.6 linear feet; Box 2-3)
Series 4: Printed Material, 1967-1992 (0.6 linear feet; Box 3-4)
Series 5: Photographic Material, 1980s-1990s (4 folders; Box 4)
Biographical / Historical:
The Carus Gallery was founded by Dorothea Carus Isserstedt (1914-2002). The gallery's primary interest was in European Graphic Arts, specifically German Expressionism, and Russian Constructivism. The gallery exhibited works by Alexander Archipenko, Ernst Barlach, Max Beckmann, Heinrich Campendonk, Otto Dix, Lyonel Feininger, Natalia Goncharova, George Grosz, Erich Heckel, Alexej Jawlensky, Wassily Kandinsky, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Paul Klee, Gustav Klimt, Max Klinger, Kathe Kollowitz, El Lissitzky, Kazimir Malevich, László Moholy-Nagy, Marlow Moss, Otto Mueller, Edvard Munch, Emil Nolde, Christian Rohlfs and Egon Schiele.
In 1968, following the death of her parents, Isserstedt opened the Carus Gallery, which was located on the ground level of her home at 243 E 82nd street in New York. The gallery was relocated to Madison Avenue in 1974 and finally to 1044 Madison Avenue where it remained until Isserstedt's retirement in 1996.
Dorothy was born in 1914 in Elberfeld, Germany. She studied art history and archeology at Freiburg University, receiving a doctorate in 1944. Towards the end of World War II Dorothy escaped to East Germany where she settled in Hamburg and found work as a supervisor with the British Forces Network. In 1952 she immigrated to Yorkville, NY where she worked in her father's print and framing shop. Dorothy became an American citizen in 1957.
Provenance:
The records were donated to the Archives in 2004 by Dr. Gheorghe Costinescu and Mrs. Silvelin von Scanzoni Costinescu, the heirs and executors of Dorothy Carus Isserstedt's estate.
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.
