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Hugo Gellert papers

Creator:
Gellert, Hugo, 1892-1985  Search this
Names:
American Artists' Congress  Search this
Art of Today Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Artist's Committee of Action (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Artists Coordination Committee (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Artists Council  Search this
Artists for Victory, Inc.  Search this
Committee to Defend V.J. Jerome  Search this
Hungarian Word, Inc.  Search this
National Society of Mural Painters (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Derkovits, Gyula, 1894-1934  Search this
Evergood, Philip, 1901-1973  Search this
Fast, Howard, 1914-2003  Search this
Fiene, Ernest, 1894-  Search this
Gellert, Ernest  Search this
Gellert, Lawrence, 1898-1979  Search this
Gottlieb, Harry, 1895-  Search this
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971  Search this
Lie, Jonas, 1880-1940  Search this
Refregier, Anton, 1905-  Search this
Reisman, Philip, 1904-  Search this
Sequenzia, Sofia  Search this
Extent:
6.9 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Photographs
Date:
1916-1986
Summary:
The papers of graphic artist, muralist, and activist Hugo Gellert measure 6.9 linear feet and date from 1916 to 1986. They document his career as an artist and organizer for the radical political left through an interview, legal papers, financial records, family papers, artifacts, correspondence, writings, organizational records, extensive printed materials (many of them illustrated by Gellert), photographs, and artwork.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of graphic artist, muralist, and activist Hugo Gellert measure 6.9 linear feet and date from 1916 to 1986. They document his career as an artist and organizer for the radical left through an oral interview conducted by Sofia Sequenzia, legal papers, financial records, family papers, artifacts, correspondence, writings, organizational records, clippings, exhibition catalogs, various printed materials illustrated by Gellert, pamphlets, periodicals, mass mailings, photographs, and artwork.

Biographical Material includes an audio interview with Gellert; official documents related to memberships, property, and legal matters; financial documents that include bills, receipts, and contracts related to professional activities; papers of Gellert's brothers, Lawrence and Ernest; and artifacts. Correspondence is with other artists, writers, publishers, activists, friends, and family, including Ernest Fiene, Rockwell Kent, Harry Gottlieb, William Gropper, Philip Evergood, Howard Fast, and Jonas Lie. Writings include essays, book projects, notes, and notebooks written by Gellert; and stories and articles by other authors, including typescripts of early twentieth-century Hungarian short stories collected by Gellert.

Organizational Records are related to political and art organizations in which Gellert was an active organizer, officer, and in some cases, a founder. Because of his central role in many of these organizations, records often contain unique documentation of their activities. Records are found for the American Artists Congress, the Art of Today Gallery, the Artists Committee of Action, the Artists Coordination Committee, the Artists Council, Artists for Victory, Inc., the Committee to Defend V.J. Jerome, Hungarian Word, Inc., the National Society of Mural Painters, and other organizations.

Printed materials include a variety of political publications and periodicals with illustrations by Gellert, including New Masses, Art Front, Magyar Szo, and American Dialog; clippings related to his career, exhibition catalogs, political pamphlets, Hungarian literature, and mass mailings received from political organizations. Photographs contain a few personal photographs but are mostly news and publicity photographs, many of which depict prominent Communists and other newsmakers. Artwork includes sketches, drawings, designs, prints, and production elements for Gellert's artwork, as well as prints and drawings by Philip Reisman, Gyula Derkovits, and Anton Refregier.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 7 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1917-1982 (Box 1 and OV 9; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1920-1986 (Boxes 1-2, 8; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings, circa 1916-1970 (Boxes 2 and 8; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 4: Organizational Records, circa 1920-1977 (Boxes 3, 8, and OV 9; 1 linear foot)

Series 5: Printed Materials, circa 1920-1986 (Boxes 4-6, 8, and OV 9; 3 linear feet)

Series 6: Photographs, circa 1920-1959 (Boxes 6-7; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 7: Artwork, 1927-1981 (Box 7, OV 10; 0.4 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
Graphic artist, muralist, and activist Hugo Gellert was born Hugo Grünbaum in Budapest, Hungary in 1892, the oldest of six children. His family immigrated to New York City in 1906, eventually changing their family name to Gellert.

Gellert attended art school at Cooper Union and the National Academy of Design. As a student, he designed posters for movies and theater, and also worked for Tiffany Studios. A number of student art prizes with cash awards enabled him to travel to Europe in the summer of 1914, where he witnessed the outbreak of World War I, an experience which helped shape his political beliefs. Aesthetically, he was also influenced by a folk revival among Hungarian artists at the time of his trip, and was more impressed, he later said, with the street advertising in Paris than he was with the cubism he saw in the Louvre.

Returning to the United States, Gellert became involved in the Hungarian-American workers' movement, and contributed drawings to its newspaper, Elöre (Forward). He remained involved in Hungarian-American art and activism throughout his life, including membership in the anti-fascist group, the Anti-Horthy League. When members of the fascist Horthy government unveiled a statue of a Hungarian hero in New York in 1928, Gellert hired a pilot and dropped leaflets on the group, a stunt for which he was arrested. In the 1950s, Gellert served as director of Hungarian Word, Inc., a Hungarian-language publisher in New York.

Gellert's political commitment and art remained deeply intertwined throughout his life, as he continually sought to integrate his commitment to Communism, his hatred of fascism, and his dedication to civil liberties. Throughout the 1910s and 1920s, he contributed artwork to several magazines of the radical left, including Masses and its successors Liberator and New Masses, both of which featured Gellert's artwork on their inaugural issue. Through Masses, he came to know other radicals such as Mike Gold, John Reed, Louise Bryant, Max Eastman, Floyd Dell, Anton Refregier, William Gropper, Harry Gottlieb, Bob Minor, and Art Young, and with them he followed the events of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia with sympathy and growing political fervor.

His brother, Ernest Gellert, also a socialist and activist, was drafted into the military but refused to serve. He died of a gunshot wound under suspicious circumstances while imprisoned at Fort Hancock, New Jersey, as a conscientious objector. Traumatized by this event, Gellert fled to Mexico to avoid conscription. In 1920 to 1922, he taught art at the Stelton School in New Jersey, a radical, utopian community school. He participated in the cultural scene of Greenwich Village, working on set designs, publications, and graphic art for political productions. He founded the first John Reed Club in 1929 with a group of Communist artists and writers including Anton Refregier, Louis Lozowick, and William Gropper. Initially, the group held classes and exhibitions, and provided services for strikes and other working-class activism. Later, John Reed Clubs formed around the country and became a formal arm of the United States Communist Party (CPUSA).

In the late 1920s, Gellert became a member of the National Society of Mural Painters (which, partly due to Gellert's activism in the group, became the Mural Artists' Guild local 829 of the United Scenic Artists Union of the AFL-CIO in 1937. Other members included Rockwell Kent, Anton Refregier, Arshile Gorky, and Marion Greenwood). In 1928, he created a mural for the Worker's Cafeteria in Union Square, NY. Later murals include the Center Theater in Rockefeller Center, the National Maritime Union Headquarters, the Hotel and Restaurant Workers' Union Building, NYC, the interior of the Communications Building at the 1939 World's Fair, and the Seward Park Housing Project in 1961.

In 1932, Gellert was invited to participate in a mural exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, and submitted a political mural about the robber barons of contemporary American politics and industry called Us Fellas Gotta Stick Together - Al Capone. The museum attempted to censor the mural, along with the murals of William Gropper and Ben Shahn. Other artists threatened to boycott the exhibition over the censorship and were successful in restoring them to the show.

The cooperation of artists in this controversy foreshadowed a larger protest in 1934, organized by Gellert, Saul Belman, Stuart Davis, and Zoltan Hecht, when Diego Rivera's pro-labor mural was destroyed at Rockefeller Center. After the incident, the group formed the Artists' Committee of Action and continued to fight censorship and advocate for artists' interests and welfare. They also co-published the magazine Art Front with the Artists' Union, a labor organization. Gellert served for a time as editor of Art Front, and chairman of the Artists' Committee of Action.

Gellert was active in producing both art and strategic policy for the cultural arm of the CPUSA, and he worked to mobilize the non-communist left, often referred to as the Popular Front. In 1933 he illustrated Karl Marx's Capital in Lithographs, and in 1935, he wrote a Marxist, illustrated satire called Comrade Gulliver, An Illustrated Account of Travel into that Strange Country the United States of America. Other published graphic works include Aesop Said So (1936) and a portfolio of silkscreen prints entitled Century of the Common Man (1943).

Other artist groups he helped to found and/or run include the American Artist's Congress, a Communist organization founded with Max Weber, Margaret Bourke-White, Stuart Davis, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Harry Sternberg, and others, which held symposia and exhibitions between 1936 and 1942; the Artists' Coordination Committee, an umbrella group of national organizations which sought protections for federally-employed and unionized artists; Artists for Victory, Inc., which formed in 1942 to mobilize artists in support of the war effort; and the Artists' Council, formed after the war to advocate for artists' welfare and employment.

Gellert maintained his loyalty to the Communist party throughout the post-war period despite growing disillusionment in the Popular Front over the actions of Josef Stalin, and despite the intense anti-communist crusades in the late 1940s and 1950s. He was investigated by the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and was nearly deported. He spent a number of years during this period in his wife's native Australia. Returning to the United States in the early 1950s, he threw his efforts into the defense of others who faced prison, deportation, and the blacklist following the HUAC hearings. He established The Committee to Defend V.J. Jerome in 1951 when Jerome, the cultural commissioner of CPUSA, was convicted under the Smith Act. The writer Dorothy Parker was the group's treasurer.

In 1954, Gellert established the Art of Today Gallery in New York City with Rockwell Kent and Charles White to provide an exhibition venue for blacklisted artists. Exhibitions included Maurice Becker, Henry Glintenkamp, Harry Gottlieb, Kay Harris, and Rockwell Kent. Gellert served as the gallery's secretary until it closed in 1957.

In the 1960s until his death in 1985, Gellert continued his activism through involvement in grassroots political organizations. Unlike many of his radical contemporaries, Gellert lived to see the revival of some of the ideas of the progressive era of the thirties in the countercultural years of the late 1960s and early 1970s. There were retrospectives of his work in Moscow in 1967 and in his native Budapest in 1968, and he appeared in Warren Beatty's film Reds in 1981.

Sources used for this essay include James Wechsler's 2003 dissertation "The Art and Activism of Hugo Gellert: Embracing the Spectre of Communism," his essay "From World War I to the Popular Front: The Art and Activism of Hugo Gellert," ( Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts number 24, Spring 2002), and Jeff Kisseloff's biographical essay for the 1986 Hugo Gellert exhibition at the Mary Ryan Gallery.
Related Material:
Among the holdings of the Archives of American Art are an oral history with Hugo Gellert from 1984, a recording of a lecture Gellert gave at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1985, and additional records of Artists for Victory, Inc., 1942-1946.

The Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives at New York University holds additional papers of Hugo Gellert.
Provenance:
A portion of the papers were donated in 1970 by Hugo Gellert. Additional papers were donated by Gellert and his wife, Livia Cinquegrana, in 1983 and 1986.
Restrictions:
The collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.
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.
Topic:
Artists' writings  Search this
Politics in art  Search this
Works of art  Search this
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Graphic artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Photographs
Citation:
Hugo Gellert papers, 1916-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.gellhugo
See more items in:
Hugo Gellert papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9eb96ed42-b751-47f6-a0ca-038014c8800e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-gellhugo
Online Media:

Brooklyn Museum interviews of artists

Creator:
Brooklyn Museum  Search this
Names:
Listening to pictures (1968-1973: Brooklyn Museum)  Search this
Anderson, Lennart, 1928-2015  Search this
Antonakos, Stephen, 1926-2013  Search this
Arisman, Marshall  Search this
Barker, Walter  Search this
Baskin, Leonard, 1922-2000  Search this
Bauermeister, Mary, 1934-  Search this
Benton, Thomas Hart, 1889-1975  Search this
Bishop, Isabel, 1902-1988  Search this
Brackman, Robert, 1898-  Search this
Butchkes, Sydney, 1922-  Search this
Casarella, Edmond, 1920-1996  Search this
Constant, George  Search this
Dash, Robert  Search this
De Creeft, José, 1884-1982  Search this
Dombek, Blanche, 1914-  Search this
Doyle, Tom, 1928-  Search this
Ernst, Jimmy, 1920-1984  Search this
Estern, Neil, 1926-  Search this
Evergood, Philip, 1901-1973  Search this
Frankenthaler, Helen, 1928-2011  Search this
Freilicher, Jane, 1924-2014  Search this
Goldin, Leon, 1923-  Search this
Goodman, Sidney  Search this
Graziani, Sante, 1920-  Search this
Greene, Balcomb, 1904-1990  Search this
Grillo, John, 1917-  Search this
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Gross, Chaim, 1904-1991  Search this
Gussow, Roy, 1918-2011  Search this
Gwathmey, Robert, 1903-1988  Search this
Hartigan, Grace  Search this
Hopper, Edward, 1882-1967  Search this
Jaffe, Nora  Search this
Jenkins, Paul, 1923-2012  Search this
Kawabata, Minoru, 1911-  Search this
Kienbusch, William, 1914-1980  Search this
Knaths, Karl, 1891-1971  Search this
Koch, John, 1909-1978  Search this
Kosama, Yayoi  Search this
Lam, Jennett, 1911-  Search this
Lang, Steven, 1944-1971  Search this
Laurent, Robert, 1890-1970  Search this
Lawrence, Jacob, 1917-2000  Search this
Levine, Jack, 1915-2010  Search this
Lipchitz, Jacques, 1891-1973  Search this
Lipton, Seymour, 1903-1986  Search this
Margo, Boris, 1902-1995  Search this
Meyer, Ursula, 1915-  Search this
Moller, Hans, 1905-  Search this
Murch, Walter  Search this
Nevelson, Louise, 1899-1988  Search this
Odate, Toshio  Search this
Offner, Elliot  Search this
Ohlson, Douglas Dean, 1936-  Search this
Okada, Kenzo, 1902-1982  Search this
Palmer, Amanda, 1931-  Search this
Pereira, I. Rice (Irene Rice), 1902-1971  Search this
Peterdi, Gabor  Search this
Reinhardt, Ad, 1913-1967  Search this
Richards, Bill, 1936-  Search this
Rivers, Larry, 1925-2002  Search this
Sanchez, Emilio, 1921-1999  Search this
Schrag, Karl  Search this
Shahn, Ben, 1898-1969  Search this
Sheeler, Charles, 1883-1965  Search this
Sopher, Aaron, 1905-1972  Search this
Soyer, Moses, 1899-1974  Search this
Soyer, Raphael, 1899-1987  Search this
Thon, William, 1906-2000  Search this
Weinberg, Albert  Search this
Zorach, Marguerite, 1887-1968  Search this
Zorach, William, 1887-1966  Search this
Interviewer:
Jacobowitz, Arlene  Search this
Extent:
7 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Transcripts
Interviews
Sound recordings
Date:
1965-1968
Summary:
Interviews of 72 artists, and transcripts for all but five, conducted by Arlene Jacobowitz, the Associate Curator for the Department of Painting and Sculpture at the Brooklyn Museum, between 1965 and 1968. The artists discuss their work in the museum collection. Also included are 38 edited excerpts of the interviews, approximately 2-3 min. in length, used as "audio-labels" in the 1968 "Listening to Pictures" installation at the museum.
Scope and Content Note:
Interviews of 72 artists, and transcripts for all but five, conducted by Arlene Jacobowitz, the Associate Curator for the Department of Painting and Sculpture, between 1965 and 1968. The artists discuss their work in the museum collection. Also included are 38 edited excerpts of the interviews, approximately 2-3 min. in length, used as "audio-labels" in the 1968 "Listening to Pictures" installation.

The artists interviewed are: Lennart Anderson, Stephen B. Antonakos, Marshall Arisman, Walter Barker, Leonard Baskin, Mary Bauermeister, Thomas Hart Benton, Isabel Bishop, Robert Brackman, Sydney Butchkes, Edmund Casarella, George Constant, Robert Warren Dash, Jose DeCreeft, Blanche Dombek, Tom Doyle, Jimmy Ernst, Neil Estern, Philip Evergood, Helen Frankenthaler, Jane Freilicher, Leon Goldin, Sidney Goodman, Sante Graziani, Balcomb Greene, John Grillo, William Gropper, Chaim Gross, Roy Gussow, Robert Gwathmey, Grace Hartigan, Edward Hopper, Nora Jaffe, Paul Jenkins, Minoru Kawabata, William Kienbusch, Karl Knaths, John Koch, Yayoi Kosama, Jennett Lam, Steven Lang, Robert Laurent, Jacob Lawrence, Jack Levine, Jacques Lipchitz, Seymour Lipton, Boris Margo, Ursula Meyer, Hans Moller, Walter Murch, Louise Nevelson, Toshio Odate, Elliot Offner, Douglas Ohlson, Kenzo Okada, Amanda Palmer, Irene Rice Pereira, Gabor Peterdi, Ad Reinhardt, Bill Richards, Larry Rivers, Emilio Sanchez, Karl Schrag, Ben Shahn, Charles Sheeler, Aaron Sopher, Moses Soyer, Raphael Soyer, William Thon, Albert Weinberg, and William and Marguerite Zorach.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as a single series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Interviews, 1965-1968 (Box 1-7; 7 lin. ft.)
Historical Note:
The interview program at the Brooklyn Museum was begun by Arlene Jacobowitz in the spring of 1965 with artists whose works were on exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. In 1968, excerpts from the interviews were incorporated into an exhibition entitled "Listening to Pictures," in which visitors could access the sound recordings using headphones while standing before the painting being discussed. The exhibition opened April 28, 1968, and was gradually disassembled, 1971-1973.
Related Material:
The Brooklyn Museum Archives houses the records of the Departments of European Painting and Sculpture, American Painting and Sculpture, Contemporary Art (1897-2005), which contain records relating to the work of Arlene Jacobowitz.
Provenance:
This collection was donated to the Archives of American Art by Dierdre Lawrence of the Brooklyn Museum in 1989.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment. Researchers may view the original reels for the archival notations on them, but original reels are not available for playback due to fragility.
Rights:
Authorization to quote or reproduce for purposes of publication requires written permission from the interviewee. Citations must read:"Interview between [artist's name] and [interviewer's name] from the "Listening to Pictures" program of the Brooklyn Museum. Archives of American Art. Gift of the Brooklyn Museum." Contact Reference Services for more information.
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Topic:
Artists -- United States -- Interviews  Search this
Art, American -- Exhibitions  Search this
Genre/Form:
Transcripts
Interviews
Sound recordings
Citation:
Interview between [artist's name] and [interviewer's name] from the "Listening to Pictures" program of the Brooklyn Museum. Gift of the Brooklyn Museum. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.broomuse
See more items in:
Brooklyn Museum interviews of artists
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9bdcd26e1-568c-4c81-8ba1-e07f5afbdfad
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-broomuse
Online Media:

Prisoner and Four Riflemen, (painting)

Painter:
Gropper, William 1897-1977  Search this
Medium:
Gouache, wash, and charcoal on paper
Type:
Paintings
Owner/Location:
Princeton University Art Museum Princeton New Jersey 08544 Accession Number: x1946-252
Topic:
Landscape  Search this
Figure group--Male  Search this
Object--Weapon--Gun  Search this
State of Being--Other--Imprisonment  Search this
Control number:
IAP 32040586
Data Source:
Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_ari_372121

Hostages, (painting)

Painter:
Gropper, William 1897-1977  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Type:
Paintings
Owner/Location:
Newark Museum 49 Washington Street Newark New Jersey 07101 Accession Number: 44.172
Date:
1942
Topic:
Figure group  Search this
State of Being--Other--Imprisonment  Search this
Control number:
IAP 31820731
Data Source:
Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_ari_446978

Alfredo Valente papers

Creator:
Valente, Alfredo  Search this
Names:
Alfredo Valente Gallery  Search this
Aronson, Boris, 1900-1980  Search this
Avery, Milton, 1885-1965  Search this
Benton, Thomas Hart, 1889-1975  Search this
Blatas, Arbit  Search this
Burliuk, David, 1882-1967  Search this
Carreño, Mario  Search this
Dalí, Salvador, 1904-1989  Search this
DeMartini, Joseph, 1896-1984  Search this
Dobkin, Alexander, 1908-  Search this
Evergood, Philip, 1901-1973  Search this
Gottlieb, Adolph, 1903-1974  Search this
Greenwood, Marion, 1909-1970  Search this
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Gross, Chaim, 1904-1991  Search this
Grosz, George, 1893-1959  Search this
Gwathmey, Robert, 1903-1988  Search this
Harmon, Lily, 1912-  Search this
Hartley, Marsden, 1877-1943  Search this
Haucke, Frederick, 1908-  Search this
Kelekian, Dikran, 1868-1951  Search this
Kleinholz, Frank, 1901-  Search this
Kuniyoshi, Yasuo, 1889-1953  Search this
Lassen, Ben, d. 1968  Search this
Lawrence, Jacob, 1917-2000  Search this
Lax, David, 1910-  Search this
Lebduska, Lawrence, 1894-1966  Search this
Liberte, Jean, 1896-1965  Search this
Marsh, Reginald, 1898-1954  Search this
Masson, André, 1896-1987  Search this
Menkes, Sigmund, 1896-1986  Search this
Miller, Henry, 1891-1980  Search this
Ormandy, Eugene, 1899-1985  Search this
Orozco, José Clemente, 1883-1949  Search this
Rome, Harold, 1908-  Search this
Rose, Iver, 1899-1972  Search this
Ryan, Sally, 1916-1968  Search this
Soyer, Moses, 1899-1974  Search this
Soyer, Raphael, 1899-1987  Search this
Stark, Margaret, 1915-1988  Search this
Teichman, Sabina  Search this
Toney, Anthony  Search this
Tschacbasov, Nahum, 1899-  Search this
Walkowitz, Abraham, 1880-1965  Search this
Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this
Wilson, Ben, 1913-  Search this
Extent:
1 Linear foot ((partially microfilmed on 3 reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Video recordings
Date:
1941-1978
Scope and Contents:
Photographs of artists; letters; printed material; and a motion picture film.
REEL D284: Exhibition catalogs, 1941-1952, from the Valente Gallery, and clippings; a letter and a sketch from Henry Miller; and a scrapbook containing photographs by Valente of 41 artists, their art work and clippings. Photographs of artists include Boris Aronson, Milton Avery, Arbit Blatas, David Burliuk, Mario Carreño, Joseph DeMartini, Alexander Dobkin, Philip Evergood, Jose Ferrer, Adolph Gottlieb, Marion Greenwood, William Gropper, Chaim Gross, George Grosz, Robert Gwathmey, Lily Harmon, Marsden Hartley, Frederick Haucke, Frank Kleinholz, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Ben Lassen,Sigmund Menkes, Jose Clemente Orozco, Abraham Rattner, Iver Rose, Sally Ryan, Moses Soyer, Raphael Soyer, Margaret Stark, Sabina Teichman, Anthony Toney, Nahum Tschacbasov, Abraham Walkowitz and Ben Wilson.
REEL 2802: A letter from the National Gallery of Art regarding Valente's film "Art Discovers America"; exhibition catalogs on and written by Valente; clippings; and 30 photographs by Valente of 20 artists.
REEL 3480: Two letters from Henry Miller, dated 1943 and 1945. The letters refer to a "watercolor pad and brushes", and Miller also thanks Valente for a portrait of Abe Rattner.
UNMICROFILMED: Photographs by Valente of artists, each accompanied with the artists' self-portrait. Included are Milton Avery, Arbit Blatas, David Burliuk, Mario Carreño, Alexander Dobkin, Philip Evergood, Chaim Gross, Lily Harmon, Frank Kleinholz, Ben Lassen, David Lax, Lawrence H. Lebduska, Jean Liberte, Jose Orozco, Harold Rome, Moses Soyer, Raphael Soyer, Margaret Stark, Sabina Teichman, Anthony Toney, Nahum Tschacbasov, Abraham Walkowitz, and Ben Wilson and 4 photographs of composer Eugene Ormandy which are on the back of the Blatas portraits.
UNMICROFILMED: "Art Discovers America" (MGM shorts), ca. 1945, a 16mm b&w, 400 ft. film regarding the "new public interest" in American art. The film traces the trend back to the exhibition of The Eight, and shows various artists at work, including John Sloan, Thomas Hart Benton, Reginald Marsh, and Abraham Walkowitz. The film was produced by Regency Pictures. Valente was the photographer and co-director along with Hal Frater.
REEL 439-441 AND SCANNED Photos of artists, previously microfilmed under Photos of Artists I, have subsequently been scanned and returned to the Valente papers.
Biographical / Historical:
Photographer; New York City.
Provenance:
Material on reel D284 lent for microfilming by Valente, 1966; Mrs. Valente subsequently donated the scrapbook, 1979. Material on reels 2802, and 3480 donated by Mr. & Mrs. Valente, 1966 through 1979. Unmicrofilmed material donated by Harold Rome, 1988. An additional 35 photos of artists were donated by Valente ca. 1966, and microfilmed on reels 439-441 with AAA's Photographs of Artists Collection I; search under Valente for more information. Many of the photographs are duplicates.
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:
Photographers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Art and photography -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Artists -- United States -- Photographs  Search this
Portrait photography -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Video recordings
Identifier:
AAA.valealfr
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw96dd15bae-a22b-4d09-8845-ff5fe98139a0
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-valealfr

Max Weber papers

Creator:
Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this
Names:
American Artists' Congress  Search this
Forum Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Biddle, George, 1885-1973  Search this
Davies, Arthur B. (Arthur Bowen), 1862-1928  Search this
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Gross, Chaim, 1904-1991  Search this
Hartley, Marsden, 1877-1943  Search this
Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971  Search this
Kroll, Leon, 1884-1974  Search this
Newman, Barnett, 1905-1970  Search this
Soyer, Raphael, 1899-1987  Search this
Zorach, William, 1887-1966  Search this
Extent:
11.8 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Sound recordings
Motion pictures (visual works)
Date:
1902-2008
Summary:
The papers of New York painter and sculptor Max Weber measure 11.8 linear feet and date from 1902-2008. The collection documents Weber's career as an artist through scattered biographical material; correspondence with artists, curators, universities, arts organizations, and others; exhibition and gallery files; personal business records; writings by Weber and others; exhibition catalogs, news clippings, and other printed material; photographs of Weber, exhibitions, and works of art; audio recordings and motion picture films. Also included are records maintained by Joy Weber on the exhibition and sale of Weber's work after his death.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of New York painter and sculptor Max Weber measure 11.8 linear feet and date from 1902-2008. The collection documents Weber's career as an artist through scattered biographical material; correspondence with artists, curators, universities, arts organizations, and others; exhibition and gallery files; personal business records; writings by Weber and others; exhibition catalogs, news clippings, and other printed material; photographs of Weber, exhibitions, and works of art; audio recordings and motion picture films. Also included are records maintained by Joy Weber on the exhibition and sale of Weber's work after his death.

Biographical material includes biographical summaries, obituaries, award certificates, and a small amount of family memorabilia. Weber's personal and professional correspondence includes discussions of exhibitions, sales, and donations of his work, as well was requests to teach, write, or lecture. Also found is correspondence with arts organizations, clubs, and committees in which he participated. A small amount of family correspondence is also included. Artists that Weber corresponded with include George Biddle, Arthur Davies, William Gropper, Chaim Gross, Marsden Hartley, Rockwell Kent, Leon Kroll, Barnett Newman, Raphael Soyer, and William Zorach, among many others. Weber also corresponded with many art historians and critics, gallery owners, and art patrons. Joy Weber's correspondence primarily concerns the exhibition, loan, sale, and authentication of her father's artwork.

Exhibition files document various solo and group exhibitions of Weber's work. Five reels of motion picture film include footage of an exhibition at the Forum Gallery in 1975. Gallery files include correspondence, inventories, sales and loan records, gallery publications, and other documentation. Most files for exhibitions and galleries were created by Joy Weber after Max Weber's death in 1961. Personal business records include documents on sales, loans, and gifts of Max Weber's artwork; scattered financial documents; and mortgage and property records. Also found are files regarding his participation in the American Artists' Congress and art juries. Weber's writings primarily concern art theory, impressions of other artists, and social and political issues. Additionally there are notes, drafts speeches, and writings by others about Weber.

Printed material is extensive and includes exhibition publications, press releases, and two published booklets written by Weber: "Art Consciousness" and "Things." Also found are news clippings, brochures, newsletters, and publications produced by art organizations, schools, and museums. Photographs include portraits and snapshots of Weber, depicting him working in his studio, participating in art juries, at art openings, and with his family. Photographs also depict installation views of exhibitions and numerous photographs of Weber's artwork. Audiovisual materials include one sound recording of a National Gallery program on Max Weber and five reels of motion picture film that include home movies and footage of an exhibition at the Forum Gallery in 1975.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 9 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1905-1995 (Box 1; 10 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1902-2007 (Box 1-5; 4.2 linear feet)

Series 3: Exhibition Files, 1919-2003 (Box 5-6; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 4: Gallery Files, 1926-2005 (Box 6-7; 0.9 linear feet)

Series 5: Personal Business Records, 1906-2006 (Box 7; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 6: Writings, circa 1910s-1999 (Box 7-8; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 7: Printed Material, 1909-2008 (Box 8-10, 12; 2.6 linear feet)

Series 8: Photographs, 1930s-circa 2000 (Box 10-11; 1.1 linear feet)

Series 9: Audiovisual Material, 1954-2000 (Box 11, FC 13-17; 0.7 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
Max Weber (1881-1961) was a painter and sculptor in New York City.

Weber was born in Bialystok, Russia. When he was ten years old his family moved to Brooklyn, New York. From 1898 to 1900 he attended Pratt Institute and studied theory and practice of design under Arthur Wesley Dow. After graduating he briefly taught drawing in Lynchburg, Virginia, and Duluth, Minnesota. In 1905 he moved to Paris to attend the Académie Julian, studying under Jean-Paul Laurens, and later attended classes at the Académie Colarossi and Académie de la Grande Chaumiere. In 1907 he attended Henri Matisse's studio class. The influence of Matisse and friend Henri Rousseau transformed Weber's painting style to include elements of cubism and fauvism.

Weber returned to New York in 1909, and over the next few years he frequently exhibited at Alfred Stieglitz's gallery 291. Initially his work was panned by American critics for being too modern. Despite criticism, Weber exhibited his work extensively in the 1910s and also began creating abstract sculptures. In 1914 he helped his friend Clarence H. White open the White School of Photography and taught art history there for four years. Also in 1914 his Cubist Poems were published in London. His second book of poetry Primitives was published in 1926.

In 1916 Weber married Frances Abrams. He began to explore narrative subjects in his paintings and in 1918 began carving woodblock prints. He also taught at the Art Students League for the 1919-1921 and 1926-1927 sessions. By the early 1920s he was recognized as an important American artist, serving as a leader in art organizations such as the Society of Independent Artists. In 1930 Weber became the first American modernist to have a retrospective exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art.

In the 1930s Weber became more active in political and socialist causes, participating in many organizations throughout the Depression and World War II. In 1937 he became the National Chairman of the American Artists' Congress. By the 1940s, his work was widely known and influenced a new generation of American painters. He continued to exhibit extensively, received many awards, such as the Temple Gold Medal at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and often served on art juries. In 1955 he was elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters and received an honorary doctorate from Brandeis University. He died in Great Neck, New York, in 1961.
Related Material:
Also found at the Archives of American Art is an Allen L. Wetmore letter from Max Weber, April 15, 1946.
Separated Material:
Material lent for microfilming in 1959 and 1969 which was not included in the 2011 donation is available on microfilm reels NY59-6 to NY59-10, N69-82 to N69-88, and N69-112.
Provenance:
Material was lent for microfilming in 1959 by Max Weber and in 1969 by Mrs. Max Weber and daughter, Joy Weber. The bulk of the microfilmed material and additional papers were donated in 2011 by Joy Weber.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy 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.
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painting, American  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Sound recordings
Motion pictures (visual works)
Citation:
Max Weber papers, 1902-2008. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.webemax
See more items in:
Max Weber papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw917740067-13ca-42b3-a394-14c9d399c717
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-webemax
Online Media:

Privilege: The Modern Game with Social Significance

Creator:
Morey, Robert  Search this
Names:
Bacon, Peggy, 1895-1987  Search this
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971  Search this
Schreiber, Georges, 1904-  Search this
Vance, Esther  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (game (51 playing cards, 2 informational cards, 1 instruction sheet), paper, col., 9 x 6 cm.)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1938
Scope and Contents:
A card game designed by social scientist Robert Morey created to teach socialism to Americans in the 1930s. Artists Rockwell Kent, Peggy Bacon, Esther Vance, William Gropper, and George Schreiber designed the deck of cards. There are two special cards, Honesty and Kindness and five suits consisting of six numbered cards and four face cards representing various occupations including a banker, an artist, a professor, a lawyer, and many others.
Biographical / Historical:
Social scientist, New Haven, Conn. and Canandaigua, N.Y.
Publication, Distribution, Etc. (Imprint):
New Haven, Conn.: Robert Morey, 1938.
Provenance:
Donated 2007 by the National Museum of American History who received the cards from from Roger B.Taylor, who found them when he moved into the former home of Morey.
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:
Card games  Search this
Socialism  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.morerobe
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c43d1be1-1a2c-4cd4-9e79-43081d7d467c
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-morerobe

The ACA Galleries records

Creator:
ACA Galleries  Search this
Names:
American Contemporary Art Gallery  Search this
Abbott, Berenice, 1898-1991  Search this
Baron, Herman, 1892-1961  Search this
Burliuk, David, 1882-1967  Search this
Cahill, Holger, 1887-1960  Search this
Dondero, George A. (George Anthony), 1883-1968  Search this
Evergood, Philip, 1901-1973  Search this
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Gwathmey, Robert, 1903-1988  Search this
Hirsch, Joseph, 1910-1981  Search this
McCausland, Elizabeth, 1899-1965  Search this
Mumford, Lewis, 1895-1990  Search this
Olds, Elizabeth, 1896-1991  Search this
Pickens, Alton  Search this
Refregier, Anton, 1905-  Search this
Soyer, Moses, 1899-1974  Search this
Soyer, Raphael, 1899-1987  Search this
Valente, Alfredo  Search this
Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this
Young, Art, 1866-1943  Search this
Photographer:
Newman, Arnold, 1918-2006  Search this
Extent:
1 Linear foot
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Writings
Photographs
Date:
1917-1963
Summary:
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.
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
World War, 1914-1918  Search this
Politics in art  Search this
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Writings
Photographs
Citation:
ACA Galleries records, 1917-1963. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.acagall
See more items in:
The ACA Galleries records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw97838f702-80fc-493a-940a-86b9373c8141
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-acagall
Online Media:

Oral history interview with William Gropper

Interviewee:
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Interviewer:
Hooton, Bruce Duff, 1928-  Search this
Extent:
1 Sound tape (Sound recording: 1 sound tape, 7 in.)
20 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound tapes
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1965 June 12
Scope and Contents:
Interview of William Gropper conducted 1965 June 12, by Bruce Hooton, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
William Gropper (1897-1977) was a painter from New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
Transcript available through interlibrary loan or with an appointment at AAA offices.
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.groppe65
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw973ce2542-3e8e-46df-822a-d61cc84432b4
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-groppe65

Brooklyn Museum records

Creator:
Brooklyn Museum  Search this
Names:
Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences  Search this
Federal Art Project  Search this
Albee, Grace  Search this
Albers, Josef  Search this
Alps, Glen  Search this
Arms, John Taylor, 1887-1953  Search this
Ballinger, Maxil, 1914-  Search this
Baskin, Leonard, 1922-2000  Search this
Beny, Roloff  Search this
Boyd, Fiske, 1895-1975  Search this
Broner, Robert, 1922-  Search this
Casarella, Edmond, 1920-1996  Search this
Cassatt, Mary, 1844-1926  Search this
Citron, Minna Wright, 1896-1991  Search this
Conover, Robert F. (Robert Fremont), 1920-  Search this
Day, Worden, 1916-1986  Search this
Deshaies, Arthur  Search this
Drewes, Werner, 1899-1985  Search this
Fox, William Henry, 1858-1952  Search this
Frasconi, Antonio  Search this
Fuchs, Emil, 1866-1929  Search this
Goldin, Leon, 1923-  Search this
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Hart, George Overbury, 1868-1933  Search this
Hayter, Stanley William, 1901-1988  Search this
Heller, Helen West, d. 1955  Search this
Hoff, Margo  Search this
Jones, John Paul, 1924-  Search this
Kohn, Misch, 1916-  Search this
Lachaise, Isabelle Nagle, d. 1957  Search this
Lang, David, b. 1897  Search this
Martinelli, Ezio, 1913-1980  Search this
Moy, Seong  Search this
Pennell, Joseph, 1857-1926  Search this
Pierce, Danny, 1920-  Search this
Pozzatti, Rudy, 1925-  Search this
Sager, Peter  Search this
Schanker, Louis, 1903-1981  Search this
Schrag, Karl  Search this
Suba, Susanne, 1913-  Search this
Sykes, Maltby  Search this
Takal, Peter, 1905-  Search this
Von Wicht, John, 1888-1970  Search this
Wald, Sylvia, 1915-2011  Search this
Warsager, Hyman J., 1909-1974  Search this
Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this
Whistler, James McNeill, 1834-1903  Search this
Yoshida, Tōshi, 1911-  Search this
Zoellner, Richard  Search this
Extent:
25 Items (reels of microfilm)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1823-1963
Scope and Contents:
Included are extensive memoirs of William Henry Fox director of the museum for over 25 years; scattered records of the Brooklyn Institute, 1823-1873; catalogs for Brooklyn Museum exhibits (4 1/2 reels) and for exhibits held in various galleries and museums, primarily in N.Y. (14 reels); brief records of the Dept. of Painting and Sculpture primarily relating to Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Washington; records of the Dept. of Prints and Drawings, mainly regarding exhibitions, including correspondence, much of it with curator Una Johnson, correspondence with art dealers, files on artists, and statistics on exhibitions, 1936-1939; and records of the Registrar's office, 1933-1936, regarding the museum's involvement in the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration, mainly the Graphic Arts Division.
Dept. of Prints & Drawings artists files relate to: Grace Albee, Josef Albers, Glen Alps, Maxil Ballinger, Leonard Baskin, Wilfred Roloff Beny, Fiske Boyd, Robert Broner, Edmond Casarella, Minna Citron, Robert Conover, Worden Day, Arthur Deshaies, Werner Drewes, Antonio Frasconi, Leon Goldin, William Gropper, Stanley William Hayter, Helen West Heller, Margo Hoff, John Paul Jones, Misch Kohn, David Lang, Ezio Martinelli, Seong Moy, Danny Pierce, Rudolph Pozzatti, Peter Sager, Louis Schanker, Karl Schrag, Susanne Suba, Maltby Sykes, Peter Takal, John Von Wicht, Sylvia Wald, Hyman Warsager, Max Weber, Toshi Yoshida, Richard Zoellner, and others.
Other correspondents of note (reels BR21-22) include John Taylor Arms, Mary Cassatt (1 letter, 1903), George Overbury "Pop" Hart, Mrs. Gaston Lachaise, Joseph Pennell (re Whistler), and a group from art dealers.
Also included are papers of and related to Austrian artist Emil Fuchs, including letters regarding commissions, a list of books and prints, and miscellany.
Biographical / Historical:
The Brooklyn Museum had its roots in the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, founded 1823. The Museum was formed in 1889.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1964-1965 by Brooklyn Museum.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Painters  Search this
Museum administrators -- New York (State) -- New York -- Brooklyn  Search this
Museum directors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Brooklyn  Search this
Function:
Art museums -- New York (State)
Identifier:
AAA.broomuse2
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9257fe609-786c-4cd2-a001-0e559a2159a1
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-broomuse2

John Stockton De Martelly papers

Creator:
De Martelly, John Stockton, 1903-1980  Search this
Names:
Arms, John Taylor, 1887-1953  Search this
Benton, Thomas Hart, 1889-1975  Search this
Christ-Janer, Albert, 1910-1973  Search this
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Extent:
642 Items ((on one microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sketchbooks
Scrapbooks
Date:
1907-1980
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence, 1932-1980, with John Taylor Arms, Thomas Hart Benton, William Gropper, Albert Christ-Janer, and others; photographs, ca. 1907-1980, of De Martelly and his paintings; a notebook containing mostly technical notes; transcripts of poetry by De Martelly; instructions from De Martelly's lithography class; a sketchbook containing notes and pencil sketches; loose sketches in pencil; financial material, including receipts and invoices; certificates and awards; a scrapbook containing clippings and letters; exhibition catalogues and announcements; magazine and newspaper clippings; reproductions of De Martelly's paintings and illustrations; clippings on Chief Okemos, of whom De Martelly painted a portrait; and miscellany.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter and graphic artist (Okemos, Mich.)
Provenance:
The lender, Joey Geraci, is the daughter of De Martelly.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Graphic artists  Search this
Painters  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sketchbooks
Scrapbooks
Identifier:
AAA.demajohn
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ee53224d-a5b3-461b-9108-db85e5c85706
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-demajohn

Irving F. Burton papers

Creator:
Burton, Irving F. (Irving Frederick), 1918-  Search this
Names:
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Johnson, Eastman, 1824-1906  Search this
Kuniyoshi, Yasuo, 1889-1953  Search this
Sargent, John Singer, 1856-1925  Search this
Sloan, John, 1871-1951  Search this
West, Benjamin, 1738-1820  Search this
Whistler, James McNeill, 1834-1903  Search this
Extent:
0.6 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1816-1967
Scope and Contents:
Files on artists in Burton's collection; and letters, documents and printed material collected by him.
Files: 58 files on artists in Burton's collection primarily containing a few photographs of works of art. Also found in the files are photocopies of notes, letters from curators and dealers, and printed material. Artists include Thomas Anshutz, Claude Bentley, Albert Bierstadt, Albert Blakelock, Warren Brandy, Charles Burchfield, Rosalba Carriera, William M. Chase, Thomas Cole, Jasper F. Cropsey, Charles Culver, Stuart Davis, Charles Demuth, Roelof De Vries, Thomas W. Dewing, Asher B. Durand, George H. Durrie, Thomas Eakins, Lyonel Feininger, Morris Graves, William Harnett, Childe Hassam, Marsden Hartley, Martin Johnson Heade, Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, Thomas Hovenden, George Inness, Eastman Johnson, James Kearns, John F. Kensett, Earl Krentzin, Le Gendre, John Marin, Reginald Marsh, Gari Melchers, Jerome Myers, George L. K. Morris, Guy Pène du Bois, John F. Peto, Maurice Prendergast, Constance Richardson, Theodore Robinson, John Singer Sargent, Sarkis Sarkisian, Ben Shahn, Charles Sheeler, Everett Shinn, Adam Silo, John Sloan, Tintoretto, Mark Tobey, John Vanderlyn, Elihu Vedder, Robert Vickery, Franklin Watkins, Max Weber, and James McNeill Whistler. These files are unmicrofilmed.
Letters and other manuscript materials include: a letter from William Gropper to Burton (1964) discussing a museum's purchase of Yasuo Kuniyoshi's portrait of Gropper, and mentioning Gropper's spatter technique; a letter from Eastman Johnson, dated June 8, 1985 to an unknown recipient; a document certifying an artist's shipment, signed by Benjamin West, July 20, 1819; and 3 letters written by John Singer Sargent to: S.H. Church, July 3, 1906, to Mr. Lull, June 15, 1922, and to Mrs. Winthrop Chandler, June 12, 1924. The letter to Church declines an invitation to the dedication of the new Carnegie Institute in spring 1907.
Printed materials include: a book REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE U.S. COAST SURVEY FOR 1854 (published in 1855) with an engraving "View of the Eastern Extremity of Anacapa Island - From the Southward" by James McNeill Whistler in the margin of a map in the appendix; a book GIST OF ART by John Sloan (1944) inscribed "To an old friend J. K. Hulliung / John Sloan, Hotel Chelsea, April 1951," decoratively bound by Hulliung and held in a fur-covered box and containing 3 clippings about Sloan (1949-1951); a book AN ISLAND GARDEN by Celia Thaxter with illustrations by Childe Hassam (1894); a calendar, AMERICAN BLOCK PRINT CALENDAR with a print by a different artist for every week of the year (1937).
Biographical / Historical:
Art collector; Detroit, Mich. Dr. Burton's collection consisted of mainly 19th and 20th century American paintings. He started his collection in 1957. The first purchases were two paintings by Edward Hopper and Morris Graves, through a show sponsored by the Friends of Modern Art at the Detroit Institute of Arts. By 1966, the collection consisted of over 60 paintings, drawings and etchings, and over 100 objects such as pottery, bronzes, glass, etc.
Other Title:
John Singer Sargent papers (microfilm title)
Benjamin West papers (microfilm title)
Provenance:
Donated by Irving Burton, 1962-1997. Three books were placed in AAA's library.
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  Search this
Topic:
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- United States  Search this
Art, American  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.burtirvi
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98bb81d4e-3522-4ec8-b163-992114e07138
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-burtirvi

Joseph Kaplan papers

Creator:
Kaplan, Joseph, 1900-1980  Search this
Names:
Audubon Artists (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Corcoran Gallery of Art  Search this
National Academy of Design (U.S.)  Search this
United States. Public Works Administration  Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this
Avery, Milton, 1885-1965  Search this
DeMartini, Joseph, 1896-1984  Search this
Gottlieb, Adolph, 1903-1974  Search this
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Gross, Chaim, 1904-1991  Search this
Ishigaki, Aya  Search this
Ishigaki, Eitarō, 1893-1958  Search this
Kaplan, Virginia  Search this
Lozowick, Louis, 1892-1973  Search this
Soyer, Raphael, 1899-1987  Search this
Wilson, Sol  Search this
Extent:
4.8 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sketches
Date:
1915-1977
Summary:
The papers of the painter, photographer, printmaker, and teacher Joseph Kaplan measure 4.8 linear feet and date from 1915-1977. The bulk of the collection consists of printed material, specifically exhibition catalogs. Also found are a large number of photographs taken of and by Kaplan. The papers also include biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, and artwork. There is a 0.3 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2021 that includes travel slides taken in Mexico and Provincetown, Massachusetts by Joseph Kaplan, circa 1940-1950, and a photograph of Kaplan by Arnold Newman, circa 1950.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of the painter, photographer, printmaker, and teacher Joseph Kaplan measure 4.8 linear feet and date from 1915-1977. The bulk of the collection consists of printed material, specifically exhibition catalogs. Also found are a large number of photographs taken of and by Kaplan. The papers also include biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, and artwork. There is a 0.3 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2021 that includes travel slides taken in Mexico and Provincetown, Massachusetts by Joseph Kaplan, circa 1940-1950, and a photograph of Kaplan by Arnold Newman, circa 1950.

Biographical material contains a few of Kaplan's personal documents, a number of certificates and medals he recieved during his lifetime, a travel itinerary notebook, and a few hand-written notes.

Kaplan's correspondence is primarily from colleagues, art organizations, galleries, museums, and colleges and universities such as the Corcoran Gallery of Art, National Academy of Design, and Audubon Artists, inc. Also found are letters from friends and colleagues such as Chaim Gross, Adolph Gottlieb, Raphael Soyer, Louis Lozowick, Milton Avery, and Sol Wilson, as well as a large number of letters to his wife Virginia written during his travels.

Personal business records concern Kaplan's art sales, loans, exhibition notifications, and his involvment in the WPA. His artwork is documented in price lists and inventory lists. Some of the material consists of routine transactions not necessarily related to Kaplan's work, including bank records, an address list, and income and expense reports.

Printed Material includes news clippings, exhibition catalogs, exhibition annoucenments, and invitations for Kaplan shows. There are a few published copies and page proofs of Kaplan's commerical artwork.

Artwork includes four Kaplan etchings, three of which are metal plates and one linoleum block. Also included are a few unidentified pen and pencil sketches.

Photographs depict Kaplan, mainly later in his life, and his family. Also found are four of Virginia Kaplan's photograph albums containing images of her and friends from early adulthood. Photographs of Kaplan's friends and colleagues include images of Aya and Eitaro Ishigaki, Chaim Gross, Raphael Soyer, William Gropper, and Joseph De Martini. Also included are photographs taken by Kaplan of New York City, his travels, and artist demonstrations. There are also a large number of photographs of Kaplan's artwork.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 7 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1919-1975 (Box 1, 5, OV 7; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1929-circa 1975 (Box 1, OV 7; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 3: Personal Business Records, circa 1920-1977 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 4: Printed Material, 1915-1975 (Box 1, 2, 3, OV 7; 2.3 linear feet)

Series 5: Artwork, circa 1940-circa 1960 (Box 3, 5; 2 folders)

Series 6: Photographic Material, 1917-circa 1975 (Box 4, 6, OV 7; 1.3 linear feet)

Series 7: Unprocessed Addition, circa 1940-1950 (Box 8, OV 9; 0.3 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Joseph Kaplan (1900-1980) was a painter, printmaker, photographer, and teacher who worked primarly in New York and Provincetown. He was most active in the 1940s through the 1950s. Earlier in his career he worked on several WPA Federal Art Projects and Treasury Relief Art Projects.

Joseph Kaplan was born in Minsk, Russia and immigrated with his family to the United States in 1888 at the age of 12. He married Virginia Haber in 1927 and they had no children.

Kaplan studied at the Eductional Alliance Art School and the Art Students League. He went to Provincetown in the mid-twenties as a student of Charles W. Hawthorne with whom he previously studied with at the National Academy of Design. Afterwards he revisited Provincetown intermittently and began to regard the Cape as his summer studio, working there each summer since 1948.

In 1948 he won the first of many gold medals from the Audubon Artists at the National Academy of Design for a marine painting. He was also the first recipient of the John J. Newman Memorial Medal, given by the National Society of Painters in Casein for his Wellfleet, Low Tide. The Shore Studios in Provincetown, the Harry Salpeter Gallery and then Krasner Gallery in New York City represented Kaplan's artwork.

Kaplan predominantly worked in watercolor and oil paint, depicting landscapes and seascapes, and becoming acclaimed as a Colorist and Romanticist. He occasionally painted figures and, as he gained recognition, he traveled extensively in search for subjects. In 1968 Kaplan recieved a grant from Chapelbrook Foundation to live and work for a year in Mexico.

Kaplan's work was included frequently in group exhibitions and he participated in more then 30 major shows in his lifetime. Throughout his career he was a member of many art organizations including Artists League of America, Audubon Artists, Provincetown Art Association, and Cape Cod Art Association. He was continually active in the art life in Provincetown serving as board members, trustees, and judges. He also occasionally taught at art schools including the American Artist School and John Reed Club, and taught a number of private pupils.

Joseph Kaplan died on February 28th, 1980 at the age of 79 in Brewster, Massachusetts.
Separated Materials:
307 nitrate negatives donated to the Archives of American Art with the Joseph Kaplan papers have been removed and are stored in off-site storage. Negatives were duplicated onto safety based film and only select prints were made.
Provenance:
The Joseph Kaplan papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Marilyn Kearney in 1981. Additional papers were donated by Deborah Meyer in 2021.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
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 -- Massachusetts -- Provincetown  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Photographers -- Massachusetts -- Provincetown  Search this
Photographers -- New York (State)  Search this
Printmakers -- Massachusetts -- Provincetown  Search this
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sketches
Citation:
Joseph Kaplan papers, 1915-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.kapljose
See more items in:
Joseph Kaplan papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9407e127f-553c-4730-a748-ad683c5835aa
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-kapljose
Online Media:

Saul Zalesch collection of artists' letters and documents

Collector:
Zalesch, Saul E.  Search this
Names:
Brooklyn Art Association  Search this
Society of American Artists  Search this
Baldridge, C. LeRoy  Search this
Bearden, Romare, 1911-1988  Search this
Bellows, George, 1882-1925  Search this
Benton, Thomas Hart, 1889-1975  Search this
Betts, Louis, 1873-1961  Search this
Bishop, Isabel, 1902-1988  Search this
Champney, James Wells, 1843-1903  Search this
Church, Frederic Edwin, 1826-1900  Search this
Church, Frederick S. (Frederick Stuart), 1842-1924  Search this
Doughty, Thomas, 1793-1856  Search this
Duveneck, Frank, 1848-1919  Search this
Duveneck, Josephine W. (Josephine Whitney), 1891-1978  Search this
Fenollosa, Ernest Francisco, 1853-1908  Search this
Foster, Ben, 1852-1926  Search this
Gardner, Isabella Stewart, 1840-1924  Search this
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Hassam, Childe, 1859-1935  Search this
Henri, Robert, 1865-1929  Search this
Indiana, Robert, 1928-  Search this
La Farge, John, 1835-1910  Search this
La Farge, John, 1835-1910  Search this
Lage, William Potter  Search this
Lichtenstein, Roy, 1923-1997  Search this
Lippold, Richard, 1915-2002  Search this
Martin, Homer Dodge, 1836-1897  Search this
Merry, C. M.  Search this
Millet, Francis Davis, 1846-1912  Search this
Opper, Frederick Burr, 1857-1937  Search this
Pennell, Joseph, 1857-1926  Search this
Redfield, Edward Willis, 1869-1965  Search this
Rogers, John, 1829-1904  Search this
Sargent, John Singer, 1856-1925  Search this
Stankiewicz, Richard, 1922-1983  Search this
Story, Franklin H.  Search this
Story, William Wetmore, 1819-1895  Search this
Sully, Thomas, 1783-1872  Search this
Teal, William P.  Search this
Vedder, Elihu, 1836-1923  Search this
Weir, Julian Alden, 1852-1919  Search this
Williams, Gluyas, 1888-  Search this
Extent:
58 Items ((portions microfilmed on 1 reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1834-1973
Scope and Contents:
Artists' letters and documents collected by Zalesch and letters written to him in response to inquiries concnering autographs and biographical information.
REEL 3097: Twenty-six letters (1845-1973) written by George Bellows, Thomas Hart Benton, Isabel Bishop, Frederick Stuart Church, Thomas Doughty, Ernest Fenollosa, Ben Foster, Isabella Stewart Gardner, Childe Hassam, Robert Henri, John La Farge, Homer Dodge Martin, Joseph Pennell, Edward Willis Redfield, John Rogers, John Singer Sargent, Richard Stankiewicz, Thomas Sully, and Elihu Vedder. Also included are a Harvard University bond for William Wetmore Story's tuition signed by Franklin H. Story (1834) and a biographical questionnaire completed by John La Farge for The Cyclopedia of American Biography (1925).
UNMICROFILMED: Letters written by Roy Lichtenstein, William Gropper, Gluyas Williams, Ordway Partridge, Frederick Burr Opper, James Wells Champney, C. Gray Parker, Ben Foster, Louis Betts, Cyrus Le Roy Baldridge, Richard Lippold, Romare Bearden, Isabel Bishop, Thomas Hart Benton, Richard Stankiewicz, and others; a brochure for a work of art by Robert Indiana; a certificate from The Brooklyn Art Association for one share of capital stock in the name of William Potter Lage; one page of correspondence documenting a decision made for the Society of American Artists containing a note from Francis D. Millet to J. Alden Weir, followed by a note from Weir to Frederic Church, signed "O.K." by Church.
Vol. XXVI, no. 5, Feb. 1924 periodical, Old Hughes, published by the students of Hughes High school in Cincinnati, Ohio containing a published exchange of letters between principal C. M. Merry and Josephine W. Duveneck, daughter-in-law of painter Frank Duveneck about the Hughes High School purchasing a painting by Duveneck, and a reminiscence of Duveneck by William P. Teal, head of the art department at Hughes High School.
Biographical / Historical:
Saul Zalesch, an art historian, began collecting artists' letters around 1981.
Provenance:
This collection of letters was lent for microfilming by Zalesch in 1984 (reel 3097). Zalesch donated an additional three letters in 1993, twenty-five in 1999, one letter in 2008, and a publication in 2009.
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 -- United States  Search this
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.zalesaul
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw944fc0c8c-cd38-4b95-87d2-9a809479294d
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-zalesaul

Ann Uhry Abrams interview of William Gropper

Interviewer:
Abrams, Ann Uhry  Search this
Abrams, Ann Uhry  Search this
Names:
Armory Show (1913: New York, N.Y.)  Search this
New York Tribune. (New York.)  Search this
Bellows, George, 1882-1925  Search this
Henri, Robert, 1865-1929  Search this
Ray, Man, 1890-1976  Search this
Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this
Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this
Interviewee:
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Extent:
1 Item (sound cassette (45 min.), analog)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Sound recordings
Date:
1974 May 11
Scope and Contents:
An interview with William Gropper conducted by Ann Uhry Abrams as a part of research for her Ph.D. dissertation, "Catalyst for Change: American Art and Revolution, 1906-1915," Emory University, 1975.
Gropper discusses art classes as a youth in New York, the 1913 Armory show, and working for the New York Tribune as a young adult. He recalls Robert Henri, George Bellows, Man Ray, Alfred Stieglitz, Max Weber and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Ann Uhry Abrams is an art historian and professor in Atlanta, Georgia.
Provenance:
Donated 2013 by Ann Uhry Abrams.
Restrictions:
Use of interview 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.gropwill3
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw919713a57-7c62-4f71-93db-35258aba65c8
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-gropwill3

William Gropper letter to Jane SoRelle

Creator:
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Names:
SoRelle, Jane  Search this
Extent:
1 Item ((on partial microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1964
Scope and Contents:
A letter from Gropper to Jane SoRelle, 1964, introducing himself and explaining his intended absence from the Rome exhibition which SoRelle is arranging. He comments on the consequences of his blacklisting by Joseph McCarthy, and his hope that Carlo Levy will look at the work he produced from 1953-1956, following the McCarthy investigations.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, cartoonist, lithographer; Croton-on-Hudson, New York. WPA muralist and painter of social comment.
Provenance:
Donor unknown.
Restrictions:
Patrons must use microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Cartoonists -- New York (State)  Search this
Lithographers -- New York (State)  Search this
Painters -- New York (State)  Search this
Topic:
Art -- Political aspects  Search this
Painting -- Social conditions -- New York (State)  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.gropwill2
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9800fc7c0-2da3-410b-807e-fdc77baab037
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-gropwill2

Playboy : a portfolio of art and satire

Topic:
Playboy (New York, N.Y.)
Names:
Arens, Egmont, 1889-1966  Search this
Biddle, George, 1885-1973  Search this
Blum, Jerome, 1884-1956  Search this
Chapin, James, 1887-1975  Search this
Dehn, Adolf, 1895-1968  Search this
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Robinson, Boardman, 1876-1952  Search this
Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this
Zorach, Marguerite, 1887-1968  Search this
Zorach, William, 1887-1966  Search this
Extent:
9 Volumes (ill. plates, ports, 30 cm.)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Volumes
Date:
1919-1924
Scope and Contents:
Complete bound run [v.1-9, 1919-1924]. Contains many original hand-pulled woodcuts and linocuts. Among the many contributing artists are George Biddle, Jerome Blum, James Chapin, Adolf Dehn, William Gropper, Alfred Maurer, Boardman Robinson, John Storrs, F. Vollaton, Max Weber, and Marguerite and William Zorach. Ezra Pound, Dorothy Parker, and Robert C. Benchley are among the many well known literary contributors.
Biographical / Historical:
Art periodical, New York, N.Y, devoted to the exposition of contemporary literary and artistic expression. Playboy ran from January 1919 to June 1924. Publication was suspended from July 1921 to February 1923. Nos. 4-5 issued in one number. Issue for 1st quarter 1923 called v. 2, no. 1 but would be no. 8 in whole numbering sequence.
Publication, Distribution, Etc. (Imprint):
New York : Egmont Arens, 1919-1924.
General:
"A portfolio of art and satire."
Provenance:
One issue (v.2, no.1, 1923) donated 1981 by Irving Burton, an art collector and member of the Archives' Board of Trustees. A complete bound run donated by Mildred Baker, 1993. Baker, in addition to being an assistant to Holger Cahill, who served as director on the Federal Art Project and organizer of several art exhibitions in New York in the 1930s, also worked for the College Art Association and a gallery on 57th Street.
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:
Artists  Search this
Topic:
Magazine illustration  Search this
Art publishing  Search this
Art -- Periodicals  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.playboy
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw980710134-cc4b-499d-9b31-5a1954deaa4f
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-playboy

William Gropper papers

Creator:
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Names:
Federal Art Project  Search this
Heritage Gallery  Search this
Crowninshield, Frank, 1872-1947  Search this
Gropper, Sophie  Search this
Henri, Robert, 1865-1929  Search this
Horowitz, Benjamin, 1912-  Search this
Lozowick, Louis, 1892-1973  Search this
Parsons, Frank Alvah, 1868-1930  Search this
Soyer, Raphael, 1899-1987  Search this
Extent:
3.3 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Drawings
Date:
1916-1983
Summary:
The papers of painter, illustrator, muralist, and political activist William Gropper measure 3.3 linear feet and date from 1916-1983. Almost one-half of the collection consists of printed materials, including full issues of New Masses, Liberator, and Der Hammer, all featuring illustrations by Gropper. Circa 600 letters include those written to Gropper by Frank Crowninshield, Robert Henri, Louis Lozowick, Raphael Soyer, and others. Also found are photographs of Gropper, his family, colleagues, and friends, as well as scattered writings and notes, business records, biographical information, three drawings, and a fabric sample designed by Gropper.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of painter, illustrator, muralist, and political activist William Gropper measure 3.3 linear feet and date from 1916-1983.

Three folders of scattered Biographical Information are found for William Gropper, his wife Sophie and their children. Business Records consist of lists of artwork, price lists, contracts, receipts, and other financial records. Scattered Writings and Notes include mostly writings about Gropper by others, lists of works of art, and miscellaneous writings. Works of Art include three original drawings by Gropper and a sample of fabric designed by Gropper. Circa 600 letters within the papers were written to William Gropper between 1916 and 1977 (bulk, 1970s), although Sophie Gropper's correspondence is also included. Found here are letters from Frank Crowninshield, Robert Henri, Louis Lozowick, Frank Alva Parsons, Raphael Soyer, and others. There are also letters concerning Gropper's participation in the Federal Art Project and from Ben Horowitz of the Heritage Gallery who represented Gropper's artwork.

Almost one-half of the collection consists of Printed Materials, including full issues of New Masses, Liberator, and Der Hammer, all featuring illustrations by Gropper. Also found are auction and exhibition catalogs, clippings, press releases, and printed reproductions of Gropper's artwork.

Photographs are of Gropper, his family, colleagues, friends, family vacations, and works of art.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into seven series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Information, circa 1942-1982 (Box 1; 3 Folders)

Series 2: Business Records, circa 1936-1983 (Box 1; 8 Folders)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, circa 1947-1978 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 4: Works of Art, circa 1940s, 1952, after 1958 (Box 1, OV 4; 2 Folders)

Series 5: Correspondence, circa 1916-1983 (Box 1; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 6: Printed Material, circa 1919-1983 (Box 1-3, OV 4; 1.4 linear feet)

Series 7: Photographs, after 1937-circa 1980s (Box 3; 0.8 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
William Gropper was born on December 3rd, 1897 in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. His family was impoverished and his parents worked in the New York garment factories. To help his family, Gropper took odd jobs throughout New York City. When he was not busy working, Gropper nurtured his artistic talents by drawing cartoons on sidewalks and the sides of buildings.

In 1912, Gropper began formal art education at the Ferrer School in Greenwich Village where he was influenced by the Ashcan School of social realists, particularly artists Robert Henri and George Bellows. After the Ferrer School, Gropper studied at the New York School of Fine and Applied Arts on a scholarship granted by Frank Alvah Parsons. Following his education, Gropper worked simultaneously at the New York Tribune and Rebel Worker as a draftsman and cartoonist respectively. He continued a career as a cartoonist and illustrator for publications such as Vanity Fair, New Masses, The Nation, Freiheit, and various Jewish and Hebrew publications for more than thirty years. Gropper's cartoons typically portrayed the everyday worker and the injustices he suffered.

Gropper, who was also a painter, produced powerful imagery of social protest. His subjects included industrial strikes and the labor wars of the coal mining and steel industries. Additionally, William Gropper received several commissions from the Federal Arts Project, Works Progress Administration to create murals for various public buildings around the country, including one for the United States Department of the Interior building in Washington, D.C. Here, he created Construction of the Dam to represent the combination of labor and technology to construct various dams on the Colorado River. The Guggenheim Foundation awarded a fellowship to Gropper to travel to the impoverished Dust Bowl region. This trip inspired a series of illustrations that appeared in The Nation. Gropper's trips to Russia and Poland also served to inspire his art.

Later in his career, William Gropper exhibited his artwork throughout the United States and the world. Gropper was also one of the originial members of the Artists Equity Association founded in 1947. Gropper's artwork can be found in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institution, The National Gallery of Art, The Butler Institute of American Art, Princeton University, The Phillips Collection, The William J. Clinton Presidential Library as well as many other museums and universities. William Gropper remained in New York City and the surrounding area with his wife, Sophie until his death in 1977.
Related Material:
Among the holdings of the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview of William Gropper conducted by Bruce Hooton in 1965. The Louis Lozowick papers contain documentation of Lozowick's research and writings for a biography of Gropper.

The Special Collections Research Center at the Syracuse University Library also holds a collection of William Gropper's papers.
Provenance:
The collection was donated by Sophie Gropper, Gropper's widow, in 1984.
Restrictions:
The collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.
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.
Topic:
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Political activists  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art -- Political aspects  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Drawings
Citation:
William Gropper papers, 1916-1983. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.gropwill
See more items in:
William Gropper papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e430368f-2088-4e89-b931-4d3f5fbcfb4e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-gropwill
Online Media:

Matthew Baigell papers

Creator:
Baigell, Matthew  Search this
Names:
Benton, Thomas Hart, 1889-1975  Search this
Cézanne, Paul, 1839-1906  Search this
Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964  Search this
Gottlieb, Harry, 1895-  Search this
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Lichtenstein, Roy, 1923-1997  Search this
Lozowick, Louis, 1892-1973  Search this
Macdonald-Wright, Stanton, 1890-1973  Search this
Marsh, Reginald, 1898-1954  Search this
Sherman, Hoyt Leon, 1903-  Search this
Weichsel, John, 1870-1946  Search this
Extent:
0.2 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 1 reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
[ca. 1965-1985]
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence, writings and research material concerning Thomas Hart Benton and Baigell's other writings. Also included is a ca. 1965 interview with Hoyt Sherman conducted by Baigell.
REEL 2086: Letters, notes, and writings, some illustrated, ca. 1967-1972, from Thomas Hart Benton to Baigell for Baigell's writings and biography of Benton. Benton writes about synchronism, cubism, regionalism, social realism, John Weichsel, Stuart Davis, Stanton Macdonald-Wright, Reginald Marsh, and others, and his life. Inluded is a copy of Benton's 53-page handwritten manuscript, "The Thirties," describing his mural commissions and the controversies with the social realists over his regionalist style of painting. Also included are 2 letters from Louis Lozowick, and one each from William Gropper and Harry Gottlieb in response to Baigell's questions of social realism, regionalism, and art in the 1930's.
ADDITION: Letters, research notes, and writings on Thomas Hart Benton, as well as correspondence with Dorothy Dehner, Doris Lee, Louis Lozowick, Raphael Soyer and Ben Shahn, among others, relating to Baigell's book, "The American Scene: American Painting of the 1930s," (1974). Also included is an interview with colleague Hoyt Sherman conducted by Baigell, ca. 1965, in which Sherman discusses perception, Cézanne, and Sherman's most famous pupil, Roy Lichtenstein, who always testified that he was profoundly influenced by Sherman's methods and philosophy. Sherman analyzes Lichtenstein's work and recalls the artist during his student days at Ohio State University, and discusses his possible impact on Lichtenstein.
Biographical / Historical:
Art historian; New York, N.Y. b. 1933. Baigell is associate professor of art, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Provenance:
Donated 1980, 2002 and 2004 by Matthew Baigell.
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  Search this
Topic:
Cubism  Search this
Regionalism  Search this
Social realism  Search this
Muralists  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.baigmatt
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94d4cf4fb-79e9-4295-aa94-38cab9c55b0f
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-baigmatt

Works of Art, Construction of the Dam, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.

Collection Creator:
Gropper, William, 1897-1977  Search this
Container:
Box 3, Folder 28
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
after 1937
Collection Restrictions:
The collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.
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:
William Gropper papers, 1916-1983. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
William Gropper papers
William Gropper papers / Series 7: Photographs
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9653956ec-9db9-4f7e-a406-944300f6ebac
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ead_component:sova-aaa-gropwill-ref100

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