One letter to Fisher from Joseph Allen, state director, Northern California Federal Art Project; a photograph of Fisher; and four photographs of her work.
Biographical / Historical:
Bernice Fisher is a ceramist and painter from San Francisco, Calif. Painted canvases and created ceramics for the Federal Art Project.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1965 by Bernice Fisher.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Painters -- California -- San Francisco Search this
Ceramicists -- California -- San Francisco Search this
An interview of Alfred Victor Frankenstein conducted 1965 Nov. 9, by Mary McChesney, for the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project.
Frankenstein speaks of the WPA mural project and its value; problems with the project; Hans Hofmann's influence; the influence of surrealism; the Coit Tower murals and the controversy surrounding them; the easel painting project and its value; political problems with the Federal Art Project; the project's relevance to current problems; art in architecture; the Index of American Design. He recalls Beniamino Bufano.
Biographical / Historical:
Alfred Victor Frankenstein (1906-1981) was an art historian from San Francisco, Calif.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Restrictions:
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Art historians -- California -- Interviews Search this
2 Reels (ca.20 items (on partial microfilm reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Reels
Place:
United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945 -- California -- Oakland -- Photographs
United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945 -- California -- Oakland -- Photographs
Date:
1934-1958
Scope and Contents:
Photographs and clippings.
Reel NDA 1: Photographs of marble panels for the Alameda County Courthouse in Oakland, California done for the Federal Art Project.
Reel NDA 3(frames 21-30): Newpaper clippings from San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles papers on Simpson's murals and mosaics, 1934 and 1958.[untitled on microfilm]
Biographical / Historical:
Marian Simpson (1899-1978) was a painter and mosaicist from Berkeley, Calif. Worked on the Federal Art Project of the Work Projects Administration.
Provenance:
Material on reel NDA 1 lent for microfilming 1964 by Marian Simpson; and material on reel NDA 3 lent 1964 by Lewis Ferbrache.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Photographs of Kingman, his family, and his work; and a New Yorker article about him.
Biographical / Historical:
Dong Kingman (1911-2000) was a Chinese American painter and illustrator based in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City. Kingman taught at Columbia University and Hunter College. He worked for the Works Progress Administration.
Related Materials:
Dong Kinman papers also at Syracuse University.
Provenance:
The lender, Lewis Ferbrache, collected papers for AAA from artists and administrators of the various government funded art programs of the Depression. It was part of a larger nation-wide, collecting project, "New Deal and the Arts."
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
An interview of William Gaskin conducted 1964 Feb. 28, by Lewis Ferbraché, for the Archives of American Art.
Gaskin speaks of his education at the San Francisco Institute of Art; his early interest in theater and literature; and his involvement with the WPA-FAP in San Francisco. He discusses a WPA mosaic project; how artists' careers were affected by the WPA; and the effects of politics on the WPA. He mentions Beniamino Bufano, Hilaire Hiler, and Dong Kingman.
Biographical / Historical:
William Gaskin, b. 1892; d. 1968, Art administrator of San Francisco, Calif.
Provenance:
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Restrictions:
Transcript: Patrons must use microfilm copy.
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Topic:
Art -- Study and teaching -- California Search this
An interview of Patricia Stanley Cunningham conducted 1964 July 28, by Mary Fuller McChesney, for the Archives of American Art.
Cunningham speaks of her training at the University of California, Berkeley; her work for the Federal Art Project as a muralist in public school buildings and on the easel painting project; how her work was supervised; artists she knew; and the effect of the Federal Art Project on her career. She recalls Bruce Ariss, Burton Boundey, Beniamino Bufano, and Amalie Waldo.
Biographical / Historical:
Patricia Stanley Cunningham (1907-1984) was a painter, sculptor, designer, and muralist from Carmel, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 48 min.
Provenance:
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
An interview of Nicholas Brigante conducted 1964 May 25, by Betty Hoag for the Archives of American Art.
Brigante speaks of his work on the watercolor easel project for the Federal Art Project; his background and the influence of Chinese painting; his association with the Los Angeles Art Students League; other artists involved in the project; the project's effect on the community, and on the careers of artists. He recalls Ben Berlin, Val Costello and Stanton Macdonald-Wright.
Biographical / Historical:
Nicholas P. Brigante (1895-1989) was a painter in Los Angeles, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 41 min.
Provenance:
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Restrictions:
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945 -- California -- San Francisco
United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945 -- California -- San Francisco
Date:
1938-1941
Scope and Contents:
Publicity, correspondence, clippings, photographs, travel receipts, and telegrams relating to the dedication of the Noah's Ark murals by Dorothy Puccinelli and Helen Forbes at Fleishacker Mother's House in San Francisco Zoo; and correspondence, field reports, committee lists, publicity, photographs relating to National Art Week in Northern California.
Biographical / Historical:
Director of Information, Federal Art Project; Northern California.
Provenance:
The materials microfilmed are from the files of Arthur Painter, but were loaned to AAA through Lewis Ferbrache who was a collector for AAA's "New Deal and the Arts" project.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
An interview of Margery Magnani conducted 1965 July 7, at the artist's home in San Francisco, Calif., by Mary Fuller McChesney, for the Archives of American Art New Deal and the Arts Project.
Biographical / Historical:
Margery Magnani (1918-1997) was an art administrator for the Federal Art Project from San Francisco, Calif.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hrs., 4 min.
Provenance:
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Arts administrators -- California -- San Francisco -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Dorr Bothwell conducted 1965 February 27, by Mary Fuller McChesney, for the Archives of American Art. Bothwell describes her education and art training in San Francisco; painting for the Public Works of Art Project; Federal Art Project murals in Los Angeles; effects of the federal projects on her artistic development; and friends and colleagues Grace Clements, Lorser Feitelson, and Stanton Macdonald-Wright.
Biographical / Historical:
Dorr Bothwell Mural (1902-2000) was a painter and printmaker from Joshua Tree, California. Charter member of the Society of San Francisco Women Artists. Co-wrote "Notan: the Dark-Light Principle of Design."
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 58 min.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
REEL LA 4: Drafts of two manuscripts, "Road to Market" and "Native Village," both stories set in Mexico, probably written under the WPA-Federal Art Project San Diego.
REEL LA 9: Photographs of Messenger's work, unidentified and undated.
REEL LA 10: Stories written by Messenger to accompany paintings made for a school under the WPA-Federal Art Project in San Diego, Calif.
Biographical / Historical:
Writer and artist; San Diego, California.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1964 by Ivan Messenger.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project Search this
Extent:
2 Sound tape reels (Sound recording, 5 in.)
23 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound tape reels
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1964 June 25-30
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Donal Hord conducted 1964 June 25-30, by Betty Hoag for the Archives of American Art.
Hord speaks of his sculpture work for the Federal Art Project in San Diego; his early training and travel; his interest in Indian subject matter; the influence of Mexican art; his stone carvings; and his techniques and materials.
Biographical / Historical:
Sculptor; San Diego, Calif.
General:
Sound quality is poor.
Unrelated interviews conducted by Betty Hoag are also on these tapes, including Belle Baranceanu and Hilda Preibisius, and James M. and Helen Bess Clarke.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Topic:
Sculptors -- California -- San Diego -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Ben Cunningham conducted 1964 October 24, by Harlan Phillips for the Archives of American Art.
Cunningham speaks of his early career in San Francisco during the Depression; the art market there; working as a muralist in the Federal Art Project; political and media problems encountered by the project, including strikes by workers; the work of the Index of American Design in California; working on naval architecture during Work War II; and his philosophies about painting. He recalls Joseph Danysh, William Gaskin, and Hilaire Hiler.
Biographical / Historical:
Ben Cunningham (1904-1975) was a painter, educator, and mural painter in New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 8 min.
Sound quality is poor.
Provenance:
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Federal Art Project (Calif.) -- Photographs Search this
Extent:
0.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Place:
United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945
Date:
circa 1937-1941
Scope and Contents:
137 b&w photographs compiled by Ferdinand Perret relating to the WPA Southern California Art Project. Depicted are the WPA-FAP Print Department, Los Angeles; Canoga Park petrachrome in progress, 1940; George Washington High School petrachrome in progress; Long Beach Municipal Auditorium tile mosaic; petrachrome seal of Santa Monica, Santa Monica City Hall, 1941; and works of art by Paul Babcock, Glenn Bannister, Grace Clements, Henry Gilbert de Kruif, Ethel Evans, Miriam Farrington, Lorser Feitelson, Henry Helmle, Donal Hord, E.D. Horsky, Harold Gebhardt, Paul Julian, Albert King, Ludwig Kuszewski, Paul Hambleton Landacre, Henry Lion, Helen Lundeberg, Stanton Macdonald-Wright, Buckley MacGurrin, Benjamin Newton Messick, Marjorie Morse, Jean Swiggett, Harry Mann Waddell, and others. Many of the photographs are duplicates. Also found is a letter from California artist, Benjamin Messick to Perret regarding printed material for Perret's research libary.
Biographical / Historical:
Perret was a painter and art restorer whose work led him to begin serious art research. He amassed a large collection of material relating to California art and artists.
Related Materials:
The Ferdinand Perret research material on California art and artists collection is located at the Smithsonian Institution Smithsonian American Art Museum Library.
Provenance:
Transferred in 1993 and 2015 from the National Museum of American Art Library, where it been received in 1949 as part of the Ferdinand Perret Research Library of the Arts and Affiliated Sciences.
Restrictions:
Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Topic:
Art, American -- California -- Photographs Search this
Federal aid to the arts -- California -- Photographs Search this
An interview of Hansel Hagel conducted 1964 Oct. 8 by Mary McChesney for the Archives of American Art.
The interview was conducted at the artist's home in Santa Rosa, California. Hagel speaks of her early life in Germany; her interest in photography; coming to the United States in 1931; photographing social conditions in Chinatown; her work with the Federal Art Project in San Francisco; her opinions on the merits of the Federal Art Project; the photography of the period outside the FAP.
Biographical / Historical:
Photographer; San Francisco, Calif; married to photographer Otto Hagel; b. 1909.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
6 Reels (ca. 700 items (on 6 partial microfilm reels.))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Reels
Place:
United States -- Social conditions -- California
United States -- Economic conditions -- California
Date:
1935-1964
Scope and Contents:
Photographs, clippings, writings, and publications relating to the Federal Art Project in California, particularly San Francisco.
Reel NDA 1, frames 752-767: Correspondence and lists relating to exhibitions of works by San Francisco artists.
Reel NDA 2: Articles from the San Francisco Art Association BULLETIN, 1934-1940 and MAGAZINE OF ART, October 1937.
Reel NDA 3(frames 13-20): Exhibtion catalog of Federal Art Project work at the University of California, Berkeley, Art Gallery, 1936.[Microfilm title University of California Art Gallery]
Reel NDA 14: Clippings, photographs, and press releases relating to the decoration by the FAP of the Enlisted Men's Club at Fort Ord, California; and photographs and biographical information relating to about 20 artists employed by FAP in Northern California.[Microfilm title Fort Ord, California and WPA-FAP, San Francisco]
Reel NDA 17: Photographs of sculpture, murals, easel work, graphics, and other works of art by various artists working for the FAP in California; and a list of artists on the Graphic Arts Project, San Francisco.
Reel NDA 20: Photographs of artists and works of art for the FAP in San Francisco.
Reel NDA 27: One publication of the University of California's Medical School murals, 1939; one photograph of project personnel, San Francisco; one newspaper article: "Bernard Zakheim and the U.C. Medical School," December 6, 1964.
Biographical / Historical:
Federal aid art project during the Depression. The Federal Art Project (FAP) fell under the jurisdiction of Federal Project No. 1 of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Established in May 1935 specifically as a work relief program for unemployed artists. Each state and territory had its own programs and were administered aid from the federal government via a local agency.
Other Title:
Fort Ord, California [microfilm title, reel NDA 14]
WPA-FAP, San Francisco [microfilm title, reel NDA 14]
Provenance:
Material on reels NDA 1, NDA 3, NDA 14, NDA 17, NDA 20 and NDA 27 lent for microfilming 1964 by Lewis Ferbrache; and material on reel NDA 2 lent for microfilming 1964 by Marian Simpson.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Typescript of Danysh's unpublished reminiscences regarding his experiences in the 1930s as Western Regional Director of the WPA Federal Art Project. Notes and drafts are also included. Danysh provides candid portraits of many WPA artists and administrators.
Biographical / Historical:
Died 1984.
Provenance:
Donated 1988 by Elizabeth D. Danysh, Danysh's widow.
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.
An interview of William Abbenseth conducted 1964 November 23, by Mary Fuller McChesney, for the Archives of American Art.
Abbenseth discusses his training in photography; his WPA assignments including photomurals of San Francisco architecture, for the Index of American Design, and the California Housing Authority, the Artists at Work series, documentation of the New York World's Fair, and other projects; his relationship with Benjamin F. Cummingham, Ray Dannenbaum, Joseph A. Danysh, Hy Hirsch, and Beatrice Judd Ryan; and his involvement with the f/64 Group.
Biographical / Historical:
William Abbenseth (1898-1972) was a photographer in San Francisco, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 54 minutes.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
United States. Work Projects Administration Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Extent:
0.6 Linear feet ((ca. 165 items))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1935-1943
Scope and Contents:
Photographs of artists at work and photographs of their works of art.
Biographical / Historical:
The Federal Art Project (FAP) fell under the jurisdiction of Federal Project No. 1 of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The WPA was established in May 1935 specifically as a work relief program for the millions of individuals left unemployed during the Depression. Its name changed to the Work Projects Administration in 1939 when it fell under the administrative hand of the newly created Federal Works Agency. The FAP was created in August 1935 to aid unemployed artists, following the precedent set by the Public Works of Art Project and other Treasury department art relief projects. The 48 states and territories were divided into regions and administered through the regional office.
Provenance:
Donated 1975 by Richard Russell.
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:
New Deal, 1933-1939 -- California -- Photographs Search this
Federal aid to the arts -- California -- Photographs Search this
Art and state -- California -- Photographs Search this
Federal aid to public welfare -- California -- Photographs Search this
An interview of Amelie Kneass conducted 1965 Mar. 28, by Mary McChesney, for the Archives of American Art New Deal and the Arts Project. Kneass discusses her involvement in FAP.
Biographical / Historical:
Amelie Kneass was the administrator for Federal Art Project, California.
Provenance:
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
