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Oral history interview with Grace Borgenicht Brandt

Interviewee:
Brandt, Grace Borgenicht, 1915-2001  Search this
Interviewer:
Seckler, Dorothy Gees, 1910-1994  Search this
Names:
Grace Borgenicht Gallery  Search this
Baskin, Leonard, 1922-2000  Search this
De Rivera, José Ruiz, 1904-1985  Search this
Ernst, Jimmy, 1920-1984  Search this
Kahn, Wolf, 1927-2020  Search this
Extent:
7 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1963 January 10
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Grace Borgenicht Brandt conducted by Dorothy Seckler on 1963 January 10 for the Archives of American Art.
Brandt speaks of the beginnings of the Grace Borgenicht Gallery, her development as a dealer. She recalls the artists Leonard Baskin, Jose de Rivera, Jimmy Ernst and Wolf Kahn.
Biographical / Historical:
Grace Borgenicht Brandt (1915-2001) was an art dealer and collector in New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 38 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' 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.
Occupation:
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Collectors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Women art dealers  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Art, American  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.brandt63
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ce047d6d-7036-44b7-8a69-98e21ddeed6e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-brandt63
Online Media:

Grace Borgenicht Gallery Records

Creator:
Grace Borgenicht Gallery  Search this
Names:
Hokin Gallery  Search this
Library of Congress  Search this
Raab Gallery (London, England)  Search this
Avery, Milton, 1885-1965  Search this
Biederman, Charles Joseph, 1906-2004  Search this
Bolotowsky, Ilya, 1907-1981  Search this
Brandt, Grace Borgenicht, 1915-2001  Search this
Burlin, Paul, 1886-1969  Search this
Chirino, Martín, 1925-  Search this
Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964  Search this
De Rivera, José Ruiz, 1904-1985  Search this
Grausman, Philip, 1935-  Search this
Gussow, Roy, 1918-2011  Search this
Kahn, Wolf, 1927-  Search this
Extent:
18.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Date:
circa 1953-1996
Summary:
The records of New York City Grace Borgenicht Gallery date from circa 1953 to 1996 and measure 18.2 linear feet. The records include administrative files, correspondence, financial and legal records, exhibition files, printed material, two scrapbooks, and photographic negatives of artwork. The majority of the collection consists of artists' files.
Scope and Contents:
The records of New York City Grace Borgenicht Gallery date from circa 1953 to 1996 and measure 18.2 linear feet. The records include administrative files, correspondence, financial and legal records, exhibition files, printed material, two scrapbooks, and photographic negatives of artwork. The majority of the collection consists of artists' files.

Administrative files focus on advertising, events, gallery renovation, artists' insurance, and writings about the gallery. Correspondence concerns galleries, artists, works of art, and gallery prints and includes correspondence with the Library of Congress, Hokin Gallery, and Raab Gallery in Berlin. Exhibition files are found for exhibitions of Milton Avery, Paul Burlin, Stuart Davis, and Wolf Kahn, and several artists from Germany, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Canada, as well as for international art fairs. Artists' files mainly contain correspondence with galleries and patrons regarding the artists and their work, and with artists. Files are found for Milton Avery, Charles Biederman, Ilya Bolotowsky, Martin Chirino, Stuart Davis, Jose De Rivera, Roy Gussow, Philip Grausman, and Wolf Kahn, among many others. Financial and legal records include sales and operations ledgers, artists' contracts, and documents concerning arts organizations. Printed materials consist of exhibition announcements and catalogs. Two scrapbooks include clippings and other printed materials. Also found are photographic negatives of artwork.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 8 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Administrative Records, 1970-1995 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1950s-1995 (2 linear feet; Boxes 1-3)

Series 3: Exhibition Files, circa 1970-1996 (1.3 linear feet; Boxes 3-4)

Series 4: Artists Files, circa 1950s-1995 (11.2 linear feet; Boxes 4-13, 16-22)

Series 5: Financial and Legal Records, 1953-1995 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 13-15)

Series 6: Printed Material, circa 1950s-1995 (0.8 linear feet; Box 15)

Series 7: Scrapbooks, circa 1950s-circa 1980s (0.3 linear feet; Box 23)

Series 8: Photographic Materials, circa 1950s-circa 1980s (0.8 linear feet; Boxes 24-25)
Biographical / Historical:
In May 1951 Grace Borgenicht Brandt (1915-2001) opened the Grace Borgenicht Gallery on 57th Street in New York City with an exhibition of Jimmy Ernst. At that time, the gallery was one of a handful that represented contemporary American artists. Jimmy Ernst, Milton Avery, Ilya Bolotowsky, Edward Corbett, Jose de Rivera, Roy Gussow, Wolf Kahn, and Gabor Peterdi were among the artists represented by the gallery.

The gallery held multiple exhibitions for individual artists such as Milton Avery, Wolf Kahn, Paul Burlin, and Stuart Davis. Although Borgenicht's main focus was American contemporary artists, the gallery also held several exhibitions featuring artists from Canada, Germany, Japan, Korea, and Mexico.

The Grace Borgenicht Gallery closed in 1995.
Related Materials:
Also found at the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Grace Borgenicht Brandt conducted by Dorothy Seckler on January 10, 1963.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming (reel D112) including 72 letters from artists Leonard Baskin, Edward Corbett, Sidney Gordin, Wolf Kahn and Elbert Weinberg. They are addressed to gallery director Grace Borgenicht (Grace Borgenicht Brandt), and regard the artists' their work, travels, exhibition plans, and other activities. Also included is a photograph of Brandt and a resume. Loaned materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Material lent for microfilming is available on 35mm microfilm reel D112 at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
Provenance:
Owner Grace Borgenicht Brandt originally lent material for microfilming in 1963. She donated additional papers in 1996.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the 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.
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Grace Borgenicht Gallery records, circa 1953-1996. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.gracborg
See more items in:
Grace Borgenicht Gallery Records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9a97cdc91-d409-492d-b265-0d59b0a53130
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-gracborg
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Wolf Kahn, 1977 Nov. 28-1978 Jan. 6

Interviewee:
Kahn, Wolf, 1927-  Search this
Interviewer:
Cummings, Paul, 1933-1997  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Wolf Kahn, 1977 Nov. 28-1978 Jan. 6. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Painting, American  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)11598
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212772
AAA_collcode_kahn77
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_212772
Online Media:

Blue Hills in the Green Mountains, (painting)

Painter:
Kahn, Wolf 1927-2020  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Type:
Paintings
Owner/Location:
Lincoln Glenn Gallery New York New York
Date:
1981
Topic:
Landscape--Mountain--Green Mountains  Search this
Landscape--Tree  Search this
Control number:
IAP 68900022
Data Source:
Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museums
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_ari_480153

Oral history interview with Wolf Kahn

Interviewee:
Kahn, Wolf, 1927-2020  Search this
Interviewer:
Cummings, Paul  Search this
Extent:
2 Sound tape reels (Sound recording, 5 in.)
169 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound tape reels
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1977 Nov. 28-1978 Jan. 6
Scope and Contents:
Interview with Wolf Kahn, conducted by Paul Cummings for the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution in his New York City studio, on November 28, 1977 and January 16, 1978.
Kahn speaks of being raised by his grandparents in Germany in the 1930s; coming to England via the children's transport prior to the outbreak of World War II; emigrating to the US after the war; joining the Navy; his art classes at the Hofmann School; his early exhibitions in New York and involvement at the Hansa Gallery; living in Oregon; his artistic influences, including Bonnard, Van Gogh, Kokoschka, and Soutine; the New York art scene in the 1950s, including at the Artists' Club; meeting his wife Emily; the change in his style after visiting Venice; his use of colors and pastels; exhibiting at Grace Borgenicht's Gallery; his experiences teaching art at Haystack and other schools; the idea of the "problem" in formalist art; his working methods; and his impressions of contemporary art and art students. Kahn also recalls Barnett Newman, Meyer Schapiro, Franz Klein, Willem de Kooning, Stuart Davis, Hans Hofmann, Joan Mitchell, Felix Pasilis, Clement Greenberg, Stefan Wolpe, Allan Kaprow, Fairfield Porter, Tom Hess, Richard Bellamy, Grace Borgenicht, Frank O'Hara, Milton Avery, Jim Dine, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Wolf Kahn (1927-2020) was a painter from New York, N.Y.
General:
Sound quality is poor.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives' 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.
Topic:
Painting, American  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.kahn77
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw938201a5e-af3a-4481-970e-b6480738300a
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-kahn77
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Nell Blaine

Interviewee:
Blaine, Nell, 1922-1996  Search this
Interviewer:
Seckler, Dorothy Gees, 1910-1994  Search this
Names:
American Abstract Artists  Search this
Jane Street Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Bell, Leland  Search this
Day, Worden, 1916-1986  Search this
Freilicher, Jack  Search this
Freilicher, Jane, 1924-2014  Search this
Hofmann, Hans, 1880-1966  Search this
Kahn, Wolf, 1927-2020  Search this
Kresch, Albert  Search this
Rivers, Larry, 1925-2002  Search this
Ross, Alvin, 1920-1975  Search this
Solomon, Hyde, 1911-  Search this
Extent:
37 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1967 June 15
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Nell Blaine conducted 1967 June 15, by Dorothy Seckler, for the Archives of American Art.
Blaine speaks of her family background; her competitive spirit; commercial art; becoming a "disciple" of Hans Hofmann; Hofmann as a teacher; the influence of Arp, Helion, Leger and Mondrian; the American Abstract Artists group; the Jane Street Gallery; jazz musicians; painting in Paris, Italy, Mexico, Greece, England, and elsewhere; her paralysis caused by polio; design work with Alvin H. Ross; her interest in color and light; landscape and figurative paintings; and the contemporary art scene. She recalls Leland Bell, Worden Day, Jane and Jack Freilicher, Wolf Kahn, Albert Kresch, Larry Rivers, Hyde Solomon, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Nell Blaine (1922-1996) was a painter in New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' 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.
Occupation:
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women printmakers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.blaine67
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw90dab60cd-70c6-4a88-a98b-da4794a49583
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-blaine67
Online Media:

B.R. Kornblatt Gallery records

Creator:
B. R. Kornblatt Gallery  Search this
Names:
Chicago International Art Exposition  Search this
Chin, Mel, 1951-  Search this
Clapsaddle, Jerry, 1941-  Search this
Davis, Gene, 1920-1985  Search this
De Looper, Willem  Search this
Ferguson, John, 1939-  Search this
Frankenthaler, Helen, 1928-2011  Search this
Kahn, Wolf, 1927-  Search this
Kornblatt, Barbara R. (Barbara Rodbell), 1931-  Search this
Landfield, Ronnie, 1947-  Search this
LeWitt, Sol, 1928-2007  Search this
Motherwell, Robert  Search this
Neri, Manuel, 1930-  Search this
Rauschenberg, Robert, 1925-2008  Search this
Rosenberg, Karl  Search this
Rothschild, Amalie, 1916-  Search this
Stella, Frank  Search this
Todd, Mike, 1935-  Search this
Van Alstine, John, 1952-  Search this
Extent:
4.1 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gallery records
Photographs
Date:
1971-1992
Summary:
The records of the B. R. Kornblatt Gallery of Baltimore, Md. and Washington, D.C. measure 4.1 linear feet and date from 1971 to 1992. The collection consists primarily of artists' files along with a few exhibition files and sales records.
Scope and Contents:
The records of the B. R. Kornblatt Gallery of Baltimore, Md. and Washington, D.C. measure 4.1 linear feet and date from 1971 to 1992. The collection consists primarily of artists' files along with a few exhibition files and sales records.

Exhibition files are found for the Chicago International Art Exposition (1983-1988), the International Sculpture '90 (1990) exhibition, and exhibitions of African art. Artists' files contain correspondence, photographs and slides, resumes, and financial and printed material for numerous artists associated with the gallery or of interest to the gallery, including Mel Chin, Jerry Clapsaddle, Gene Davis, John Ferguson, Wolf Kahn, Willem de Looper, Helen Frankenthaler, Ronnie Landfield, Manuel Neri, Sol LeWitt, Robert Motherwell, Robert Rauschenberg, Karl Rosenberg, Amalie Rothschild, Frank Stella, Michael Todd, John Van Alstine, and others. The collection also contains sales records.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 3 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Exhibition Files, 1981-1990 (0.5 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Artists' Files, 1971-1992 (3.0 linear feet; Box 1-4, OV 5)

Series 3: Sales Records, 1988-1992 (0.5 linear feet; Box 4)
Biographical / Historical:
Barbara R. Kornblatt established the B. R. Kornblatt Gallery in 1975 on 326 North Charles Street in Baltimore, Maryland. The gallery specialized in American painting, sculpture, and works on paper. In 1980, Kornblatt moved the gallery to 406 Seventh Street, N.W. in Washington, D. C. where it became the mainstay of downtown commercial art galleries. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the gallery began feeling the effects of the economic recession, and then suffered a fire in the building. Kornblatt closed the gallery in 1991.
Provenance:
The B.R. Kornblatt Gallery records were donated by Barbara R. Kornblatt in 1992.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the 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.
Topic:
Art, Modern -- 20th century  Search this
Art, African -- 20th century -- Exhibitions  Search this
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- Washington (D.C.)
Art galleries, Commercial -- Maryland
Genre/Form:
Gallery records
Photographs
Citation:
B. R. Kornblatt Gallery records, 1971-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.brkornbl
See more items in:
B.R. Kornblatt Gallery records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw952769c43-32aa-4240-ae84-88610180a0a7
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-brkornbl

Wolf Kahn papers

Creator:
Kahn, Wolf, 1927-2020  Search this
Names:
Brandt, Grace Borgenicht, 1915-2001  Search this
Extent:
250 Items ((on one microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1956-1969
Scope and Contents:
Personal correspondence; museum and gallery correspondence, including letters with Kahn's dealer Grace Borgenicht Brandt; 4 sketchbooks, photographs and catalogs.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter; New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1969 by Wolf Kahn.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Painters  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.kahnwolf
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw99200c2fc-1d9c-49b3-a971-c5fcccfa899d
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-kahnwolf

Dorothy Gees Seckler Collection of Sound Recordings Relating to Art and Artists

Creator:
Seckler, Dorothy Gees, 1910-1994  Search this
Names:
Art in America  Search this
Velvet Underground (Musical group)  Search this
Asher, Elise, 1914-  Search this
Avery, Sally  Search this
Beck, Margit, 1915-1997  Search this
Bellow, Saul  Search this
Bultman, Fritz, 1919-1985  Search this
Cale, John  Search this
Cavallon, Giorgio, 1904-1989  Search this
Cohen, Jean  Search this
Cunningham, Merce  Search this
De Diego, Julio, 1900-  Search this
Drexler, Rosalyn  Search this
Flexner, James Thomas, 1908-2003  Search this
Frankenthaler, Helen, 1928-2011  Search this
Freed, William, 1904-  Search this
Fuller, R. Buckminster (Richard Buckminster), 1895-  Search this
Gelb, Jan, 1906-1978  Search this
Gorelick, Shirley, 1924-2000  Search this
Greenwood, Marion, 1909-1970  Search this
Hofmann, Hans, 1880-1966  Search this
Jones, John  Search this
Kahn, Wolf, 1927-  Search this
Karolik, Maxim  Search this
Katz, Alex, 1927-  Search this
Marcus, Marcia, 1928-  Search this
Margo, Boris, 1902-1995  Search this
Martin, Fletcher, 1904-1979  Search this
McLuhan, Marshall, 1911-1980  Search this
Middleman, Raoul F., 1935-  Search this
Motherwell, Robert  Search this
Newman, Barnett, 1905-1970  Search this
Nico, 1938-1988  Search this
Noguchi, Isamu, 1904-1988  Search this
Orlowsky, Lillian, 1914-2004  Search this
Pearlstein, Philip, 1924-  Search this
Refregier, Anton, 1905-  Search this
Rivers, Larry, 1925-2002  Search this
Ross, Alvin, 1920-1975  Search this
Rothschild, Judith  Search this
Saint-Phalle, Niki de, 1930-  Search this
Segal, George, 1924-2000  Search this
Shahn, Ben, 1898-1969  Search this
Tinguely, Jean, 1925-  Search this
Ustinov, Peter  Search this
Warhol, Andy, 1928-  Search this
Whyte, William Hollingsworth  Search this
Wyeth, Andrew, 1917-2009  Search this
Extent:
1.6 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1962-1976
Summary:
The Dorothy Gees Seckler collection of sound recordings relating to art and artists measures 1.6 linear feet and dates from 1962 to 1976. Recordings include 17 interviews conducted by Seckler, one interview by John Jones, and 17 additional recordings of mostly contemporary art-related programs and interviews taped from radio and television broadcasts. Recordings are on 26 sound cassettes and 25 sound tape reels.
Scope and Contents:
The Dorothy Gees Seckler collection of sound recordings relating to art and artists measures 1.6 linear feet and dates from 1962 to 1976. Recordings include 20 interviews conducted by Seckler, one interview by John Jones, and 17 additional recordings of mostly contemporary art-related programs and interviews taped from radio and television broadcasts. Recordings are on 26 sound cassettes and 25 sound tape reels.

Interviews with Artists consist of 17 interviews by Dorothy Seckler with artists including Elise Asher, Fritz Bultman, Judith Rothschild, Giorgio Cavallon, Marcia Marcus, Jean Cohen, William Freed, Lillian Orlowsky, Shirley Gorelick, Hans Hofmann, Wolf Kahn, Raoul Middleman, Robert Motherwell, Helen Frankenthaler, Olin Orr, Larry Rivers, Alvin Ross, George Segal, Jean Tinguely, and Niki de Saint Phalle. Several interviews are with two subjects at once. Many of these interviews were conducted in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and are referenced in her introduction to the catalog for the exhibition Provincetown Painters, 1890's – 1970's held at the Everson Museum and the Provincetown Art Association in 1977, and several interviews were conducted as research for articles Seckler wrote and published in Art in America. Also found are group interviews on specific subjects, including an interview with Julio de Diego, Marion Greenwood, Fletcher Martin, and Anton Refregier on the Woodstock art colony, and with Sally Avery, Boris Margo, Jan Gelb, Margit Beck and others on Op Art. In September of 1966, Seckler recorded some of Andy Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable in Provincetown, which includes a performance by Nico and the Velvet Underground, as well as an interview with one of the band's members, John Cale. A single interview conducted by John Jones of George Segal appears to have been copied by Seckler to prepare for her April 1966 interview of Segal.

Broadcast materials include sound recordings of television and radio broadcast programs taped off the air presumably by Seckler. Most programs are interviews, with subjects including Maxim Karolik, James Thomas Flexner, R. Buckminster Fuller, Merce Cunningham, Alex Katz, Phillip Pearlstein, Roslyn Drexler, Barnet Newman, Saul Bellow, Ben Shahn, Marshall McLuhan, Isamu Noguchi, Andrew Wyeth, and William H Whyte. Other recordings include documentary programs related to contemporary art, book reviews, and a comedy performance with actor Peter Ustinov.

Photographs include 12 color slides from October of 1967 that appear to have been shot in Provincetown, Mass. Subjects include Dorothy Seckler and two other unidentified women.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged in 3 series.

Series 1: Interviews with Artists, 1962-1976 (1 linear foot; Box 1)

Series 2: Broadcast Materials, 1962-1972 (0.8 linear feet; Boxes 2-3)

Series 3: Photographs, 1967 (1 folder; Box 3)
Biographical / Historical:
Dorothy Gees Seckler was an art historian, critic, journalist, and artist active in New York City and Provincetown, Mass. Born Dorothy Elizabeth Gees in Baltimore, MD in 1910, she completed the program in Advertising Design at Maryland Institute College of Art in 1931 and was awarded a traveling scholarship upon graduation, which she used to study in Europe. She later received a masters degree from Columbia University in Art History and Art Education, and worked during World War II as head of an illustration unit in the Army's Judge Advocate General's office.

After the war, she worked at the Museum of Modern Art as an art historian in the education office until 1950, when she began writing for ARTnews magazine, reviewing New York gallery shows for its "Gallery Notes" section, and exploring painters' processes in the "Paints a Picture" series. She later served as contributing editor for Art in America from the late 1950s through the late 1960s, where her published work included features on Robert Rauschenberg and Louise Nevelson, as well as broad surveys of contemporary art such as "A Folklore of the Banal" (Winter 1962) and "Audience is His Medium" (February 1963). She taught at New York University and City College of New York, and wrote a long essay on the history of the Provincetown's art colony, published in Art in America in 1959, and later updated for the catalog for the 1977 exhibition Provincetown Painters, 1890's - 1970's. Between 1962 and 1968, she conducted thirty oral history interviews for the Archives of American Art and served as one of its manuscript collectors.

Throughout her career as a writer and critic, Seckler painted and worked in collage, and her work was shown in several Provincetown galleries, and in the Provincetown Art Center and Museum. She married Jerome Seckler in 1937 and they had one son. Seckler received the American Federation of Arts Award for outstanding writing in the field of American Art in 1952. She died in 1994.
Related Materials:
Other related materials in the Archives' collections include several additional interviews conducted by Seckler for its oral history program, a full recording and transcript of the August 28, 1963 symposium on pop art, for which brief sound notes are found in this collection, and a transcript of the John Jones interview with George Segal in the John Jones interviews with artists collection, 1965 Oct. 5-1965 Nov. 12.
Separated Materials:
In 2012, several duplicates of recordings Seckler made for the Archives of American Art's oral history program were removed from the collection including: Peter and Riva Dechar (1965 and 1967), David von Schlegell (1967), Joan Mitchell (1965), Theresa Schwartz (1965), Paul Burlin (1962), Ibram Lassaw (1964), Jack Tworkov (1962), Allan Kaprow (1968), Edwin Dickinson (1962), Nathan Halper (1963), Louise Nevelson (1964-1965), Karl Knaths (1962), and Stephen Greene (1968). Joan Mitchell's 1965 oral history interview remains with the Seckler collection because reel 2 of this recording also contains a discussion of optical art that belongs in the Seckler collection. The oral history interview has been digitized and is available through the Archives' oral history program.
Provenance:
The bulk of the collection, including the interviews with the Provincetown artists, was donated 1995 by Don Seckler, son of Dorothy Seckler. The source of acquisition for the Seckler interviews with the Woodstock artists is unknown.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Optical art  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Dorothy Gees Seckler collection of sound recordings relating to art and artists, 1962-1976. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.seckdoro
See more items in:
Dorothy Gees Seckler Collection of Sound Recordings Relating to Art and Artists
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9af226ceb-11fb-469d-ae6f-d35718934f26
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-seckdoro

Jack Stewart papers

Creator:
Stewart, Jack, 1926-2005  Search this
Names:
New York City Transit Authority  Search this
World Trade Center (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Yale University -- Students  Search this
Baxter, Violet  Search this
Egan, Charles, 1911-  Search this
Gold, Nancy  Search this
Goulet, Lorrie, 1925-  Search this
Kahn, Wolf, 1927-  Search this
Romano, Clare  Search this
Thomas, Steffen, 1906-  Search this
Toney, Anthony  Search this
Townsend, Rodman  Search this
Walker, Herbert Brooks, 1927-  Search this
Weiner, Sam  Search this
Extent:
9.9 Linear feet
7.31 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Drawings
Sound recordings
Paintings
Sketchbooks
Interviews
Transcripts
Video recordings
Date:
1926-2010
Summary:
The Jack Stewart papers are dated 1926-2010 and measure 9.9 linear feet and 7.31 GB. A significant portion of the collection concerns Stewart's dissertation, "Subway Graffiti: An Aesthetic Study of Graffiti on the Subway" (New York University, 1989), related research, writings, and exhibitions on the subject. Biographical materials, correspondence, writings, printed and digital material, artwork, sketchbooks, and photographic materials document his career as a painter, muralist, designer, educator and administrator.
Scope and Content Note:
The Jack Stewart papers are dated 1926-2010 and measure 9.9 linear feet and 7.31 GB. A significant portion of the collection concerns Stewart's dissertation, "Subway Graffiti: An Aesthetic Study of Graffiti on the Subway" (New York University, 1989), related research, writings, and exhibitions on the subject. Biographical materials, correspondence, writings, printed and digital material, artwork, sketchbooks, and photographic materials document his career as a painter, muralist, designer, educator and administrator.

Biographical materials include a "Video Archive" in digital format, consisting mainly of Jack Stewart being interviewed on several occasions by Nancy Gold for her television show, "What It Takes." In addition to discussions about Stewart's career, the shows include examples of his paintings and murals along with views of him at work.

Correspondence mostly documents Stewart's artistic career and work as an educator and administrator; there is some personal correspondence, as well. Of particular note are letters to Rodman Townsend who commissioned a mural about the human brain; they discuss the details of the project and its evolution, brain research, and subsequent exhibitions of related paintings. Illustrated letters and greeting cards with original artwork are from Violet Baxter, Lorrie Goulet, Wolf Kahn, Clare Romano, Anthony Toney, and Sam Weiner. Herbert Brooks Walker sent several pieces of mail art and, while in Italy, collected graffiti information for Stewart. Letters Stewart wrote to his mother span decades; the best represented periods are the years he served in the U.S. Army and studied at Yale University.

Writings and notes consist of Stewart's dissertation ("Subway Graffiti: An Aesthetic Study of Graffiti on the Subway"), miscellaneous writings and notes, and art and architecture notebooks. Dissertation documentation includes the manuscript, drafts, and related records. Among the miscellaneous writings and notes - published and unpublished - are shorter pieces, articles, student papers, and teaching notes. Of particular interest are notes/instructions for a performance piece titled "Endless Subway," "Memories of Steffan Thomas" and "My Recollection of Charles Egan." Also found are minutes of Cooper Union adjunct faculty meetings (1965-1966), and reports written when provost of the Rhode Island School of Design. Art and architecture notebooks (5 volumes) were compiled while at Yale University.

Research files on graffiti contain many sound recordings and some transcripts of interviews with graffiti writers, voluminous lists of graffiti writers' names/tags, correspondence, notes, photographs, and a wide variety of printed material. Some of the material is in digital format. Stewart began collecting these materials as his interest in graffiti developed. They were used for his dissertation and material continued to be added after the dissertation was completed.

Printed material mentioning Stewart or containing reproductions of his work includes exhibition catalogs, posters, and newsletters.

Artwork by Jack Stewart consists of drawings, paintings, and one etching; also found are designs and plans for tables, murals, and other projects. Drawings include figure studies, heads, and landscapes; most are in pencil and some in ink. The small number of paintings are oil on canvas (removed from stretchers), and gouache on paper and board. Sketchbooks (44 volumes) contain mostly pencil drawings and sketches, and a few studies for paintings and murals. Two volumes include writings about travels and events; of particular interest are "Notes on Kline's funeral May 1962," "Visit to Roman Bronze Art Foundry," and "Notes on My Development."

Photographic materials consist mainly photographs, but also include digital images and 35-mm color slides. Images of Stewart include views of him with paintings and working in his studio. Identified individuals with whom he appears are: Regina Stewart (wife), Brandon Stewart (son), Lil Stewart (mother), Ninalee Craig, Irving Sandler, and students in Urbino, Italy. Photographs of artwork document murals such as Raw Material (composed of shirt labels), and Versailles Hotel in Miami Beach; among the paintings documented are State of the Union, Icons of Western Art and Revelation XVI-16 (both with keys to individuals portrayed). Exhibition openings and installations are shown in photographs, color slides, and video recordings. Also found are photographs of the World Trade Center site taken by Stewart in December 2001.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 9 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1926-circa 2009 (Boxes 1,11; 0.6 linear foot, ER01-ER02, 3.92 GB)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1944-2009 (Boxes 1-2; 0.7 linear foot)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, circa 1947-2003 (Boxes 2-5; 3.1 linear foot)

Series 4: Research Files on Graffiti, 1972-2010 (Boxes 5-7,11; 2.8 linear foot, ER03-ER05, 3.18 GB)

Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1945-2002 (Boxes 8, 11, OV 13; 0.7 linear foot)

Series 6: Scrapbooks, circa 1990-2003 (Box 8; 0.2 linear foot)

Series 7: Artwork, 1946-2000 (Boxes 8, 11, OV 12; 0.3 linear foot)

Series 8: Sketchbooks, 1951-2004 (Boxes 8-9; 1.3 linear foot)

Series 9: Photographic Materials, circa 1950s-2010 (Boxes 10-11; 0.4 linear foot, ER06-ER07, 0.208 GB)
Biographical Note:
Jack Stewart (1926-2005) was a painter, muralist, designer, educator and administrator in New York City. After developing an interest in graffiti in the 1970s, Stewart eventually wrote a dissertation on the subject, "Subway Graffiti: An Aesthetic Study of Graffiti on the Subway" (New York University, 1989) and was recognized as an expert on mass transit art.

Jack Stewart began studying art at the High Museum School in his hometown of Atlanta when he was 10 years old. At age 14, he began a 4 year apprenticeship with painter and sculptor Steffen Thomas. After serving in World War II, he enrolled at Yale University (B.F.A. 1951) as a sculpture student, but soon switched to the painting department where he studied with Josef Albers and Willem de Kooning. After graduation, Stewart began receiving mural commissions and enrolled in classes at Columbia University School of Architecture (1951-1953). His interest in architecture was tied to understanding how to work effectively with architects on mural projects. Later, Stewart developed an interest in graffiti which he pursued through graduate study at New York University (M.A., 1975 and Ph.D., 1989).

Stewart created murals in ceramic tile, mixed media and stained glass. In addition to mosaic murals, he designed tables with mosaic tops. As an outgrowth of his mosaic work, Stewart developed a technique for laminating stained glass onto plate glass that, by eliminating the need for lead, opened new design possibilities. Mural commissions included work for Hamilton Hotel in Chicago, Versailles Hotel in Miami Beach, Public School 28 in New York City, and several ocean liners. The most unusual mural, Raw Material commissioned by Cluett Peabody and Company, was composed of shirt labels embedded in acrylic.

Beginning in 1950 Stewart participated regularly in group shows and enjoyed solo exhibitions mainly in the New York City area. He also showed in Philadelphia, Georgia, Rhode Island, Mexico and Italy, and was included in exhibitions circulated by the American Federation of Arts.

Stewart taught at the college level for nearly thirty years, including: The New School (art and architecture, 1953-1958); Pratt Institute (interior architectural design, 1955-1960); The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (painting, drawing, human anatomy, art history, 1960-1976; Art Department Chairman, 1971-1976); International Center of Mythymna, American Division, Lesbos, Greece (summer school, 1962-1965); Columbia University (M.F.A. program instructor, 1966-1976); and New York University (drawing, 1967-1975). In 1976 he was appointed Vice President and Provost of the Rhode Island School of Design.

Stewart was active in several professional organizations. He served as New York Artists Equity Association Secretary (1986-1987) and President (1987-1989); President of the National Society of Mural Painters (1996-2000); member of the advisory board of the Steffen Thomas Museum and Archives, Buckhead, GA (1997- 2000s); and President of the Fine Arts Federation of New York (2003-2004). The National Academy of Design elected Jack Stewart an Academician in 1995.

Jack Stewart and Margot Schwarzhaupt, an artist, were married in 1947; they had one son, Brandon. Painter and arts administrator, Regina Serniak, became Jack Stewart's wife in 1976.

Jack Stewart died in New York City in 2005.
Related Materials:
Jack Stewart papers, 1926-2015, are located at Emory University Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library.
Provenance:
Donated in 2010 by Regina Stewart, widow of Jack Stewart.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. This collection is copyright restricted.
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:
Arts administrators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Street art  Search this
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Mail art  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Graffiti art  Search this
Designers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Genre/Form:
Drawings
Sound recordings
Paintings
Sketchbooks
Interviews
Transcripts
Video recordings
Citation:
Jack Stewart papers, 1926-2010. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.stewjack
See more items in:
Jack Stewart papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw99c355e0c-59b2-47e7-ab80-c8ea7d8bf859
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-stewjack

Wolf Kahn papers, 1956-1969

Creator:
Kahn, Wolf, 1927-  Search this
Subject:
Brandt, Grace Borgenicht  Search this
Citation:
Wolf Kahn papers, 1956-1969. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)7644
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209807
AAA_collcode_kahnwolf
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209807

Interview with Wolf Kahn

Creator:
Kahn, Wolf, 1927-  Search this
Seckler, Dorothy Gees, 1910-1994  Search this
Subject:
Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts (Provincetown, Mass.)  Search this
Type:
Sound Recording
Place:
New York, N.Y.
Provincetown, Mass.
Date:
1968 September 17
Citation:
Wolf Kahn and Dorothy Gees Seckler. Interview with Wolf Kahn, 1968 September 17. Dorothy Gees Seckler Collection of Sound Recordings Relating to Art and Artists, 1962-1976. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)13828
See more items in:
Dorothy Gees Seckler Collection of Sound Recordings Relating to Art and Artists, 1962-1976
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_13828

The contemporary landscape : June 7 - July 1, 1988 : Wolf Kahn ... [et al.]

Author:
Associated American Artists  Search this
Subject:
Kahn, Wolf 1927-  Search this
Physical description:
[16] p. : ill. ; 16 x 23 cm
Type:
Exhibitions
Place:
United States
Date:
1988
20th century
Topic:
Landscape prints  Search this
Prints, American  Search this
Prints  Search this
Call number:
NE954.2 .A51 1988
NE954.2.A51 1988
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_388582

Wolf Kahn : new landscapes

Author:
Kahn, Wolf 1927-  Search this
Gerald Peters Gallery  Search this
Subject:
Kahn, Wolf 1927-  Search this
Physical description:
1 v. : col. ill. ; 23 x 31 cm
Type:
Exhibitions
Place:
United States
Date:
1988
C1988
20th century
Topic:
Landscape painting  Search this
Call number:
N40.1.L133 G35 1988
N40.1.K133G35 1988
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_378588

Wolf Kahn

Author:
Kahn, Wolf 1927-  Search this
Frank, Elizabeth 1945-  Search this
Ameringer Yohe Fine Art  Search this
Subject:
Kahn, Wolf 1927-  Search this
Physical description:
31 p. : col. ill. ; 24 x 28 cm
Type:
Books
Exhibitions
Date:
2004
C2004
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_744046

Wolf Kahn : April 21 to May 17, 1979 : opening April 21, 4 to 6 PM

Author:
Kahn, Wolf 1927-  Search this
Rosand, David  Search this
Grace Borgenicht Gallery  Search this
Subject:
Kahn, Wolf 1927-  Search this
Physical description:
[6] p. : ill. (some col.) ; 29 cm
Type:
Books
Exhibitions
Date:
1979
Call number:
ND237.K15 A4 1979
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_895698

Wolf Kahn's America : an artist's travels / paintings, pastels, and text by Wolf Kahn ; with an introduction by John Updike

Author:
Kahn, Wolf 1927-  Search this
Subject:
Kahn, Wolf 1927- Travel  Search this
Physical description:
168 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 27 x 26 cm
Type:
Biography
In art
Place:
United States
Date:
2003
C2003
Topic:
Artists  Search this
Call number:
N40.1.K133 U63 2003
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_717879

Wolf Kahn / by Justin Spring ; with an essay by Louis Finkelstein

Author:
Spring, Justin 1962-  Search this
Finkelstein, Louis  Search this
Subject:
Kahn, Wolf 1927- Criticism and interpretation  Search this
Physical description:
164 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 32 cm
Type:
Biography
Place:
United States
Date:
1996
Topic:
Artists  Search this
Call number:
N40.1.K133 S7 1996
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_501499

Wolf Kahn : April 5-29, 2000

Author:
Kahn, Wolf 1927-  Search this
Beadleston Gallery  Search this
Subject:
Kahn, Wolf 1927-  Search this
Physical description:
[48] p. : col. ill. ; 21 x 28 cm
Type:
Books
Exhibitions
In art
Place:
Southern States
Date:
2000
C2000
Call number:
ND237.K15 A4 2000
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_759406

Wolf Kahn : 50 years of pastels / Wolf Kahn ; organized by Jerald Melberg Gallery

Title:
50 years of pastels
Fifty years of pastels
Author:
Kahn, Wolf 1927-  Search this
Jerald Melberg Gallery  Search this
Subject:
Kahn, Wolf 1927-  Search this
Physical description:
[46] p. : col. ill. ; 28 x 22 cm
Type:
Exhibitions
Date:
2000
20th century
Topic:
Pastel drawing, American  Search this
Call number:
NC139.K27 A4 2000
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_800220

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