Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Search Results

Collections Search Center
218 documents - page 1 of 11

Oral history interview with Jacob Kainen

Topic:
Art front
Interviewee:
Kainen, Jacob  Search this
Interviewer:
Berman, Avis  Search this
Creator:
Mark Rothko and His Times Oral History Project  Search this
Names:
ACA Galleries  Search this
Art Students League (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Mark Rothko and His Times Oral History Project  Search this
Pratt Institute  Search this
Davis, Gene, 1920-1985  Search this
Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964  Search this
De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this
Gorky, Arshile, 1904-1948  Search this
Graham, John, 1887-1961  Search this
Hayter, Stanley William, 1901-1988  Search this
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Margo, Boris, 1902-1995  Search this
McNeil, George, 1908-1995  Search this
Noland, Kenneth, 1924-2010  Search this
Reinhardt, Ad, 1913-1967  Search this
Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970  Search this
Schnitzler, Max, 1903-  Search this
Solman, Joseph, 1909-2008  Search this
Thomas, Alma  Search this
Extent:
6 Cassettes (Sound recording, analog.)
108 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Cassettes
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1982 Aug. 10-Sept. 22
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Jacob Kainen conducted 1982 Aug. 10-1982 Sept. 22, by Avis Berman, for the Archives of American Art's Mark Rothko and His Times oral history project.
Kainen speaks about his family and educational background; early interest in art; his studies at the Art Students League and Pratt Institute; showing at the ACA Gallery; the community of artists in New York in the late 1930s; writing for ART FRONT; his employment by the graphic arts division of the WPA-FAP in New York; his move to Washington, D.C., in 1942, to work for the Smithsonian Institution; his first marriage to Bertha Friedman and their children; his career in Washinton, D.C. as a curator, painter, printmaker, writer, and teacher; the FBI investigation of his background; and the art scene in Washington, D.C. Kainen also recalls artists he has known including Stuart Davis, Joseph Solman, John Graham, Mark Rothko, Pietro Lazzari, Willem de Kooning, Max Schnitzler, Arshile Gorky, Gene Davis, Alma Thomas, George McNeil, Kenneth Noland, Boris Margo, Stanley Hayter, and Ad Reinhardt. He discusses Mark Rothko's influences, how he "hated the art industry" and was secretive about his art materials. Kainen also recalls encountering Rothko in Provincetown in 1968 and comments on his art and his suicide. Jacob Kainen's wife, Ruth, was also present and contributed her recollections.
Biographical / Historical:
Jacob Kainen (1909-2001) was a painter, printmaker, and curator from Washington, D.C. Studied at the Art Students League and Pratt Institute; died at age 91.
Provenance:
This interview was conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's Mark Rothko and his Times oral history project, with funding provided by the Mark Rothko Foundation.
Others interviewed on the project (by various interviewers) include: Sonia Allen, Sally Avery, Ben-Zion, Bernard Braddon, Ernest Briggs, Rhys Caparn, Elaine de Kooning, Herbert Ferber, Esther Gottlieb, Juliette Hays, Sidney Janis, Buffie Johnson, Louis Kaufman, Jack Kufeld, Katharine Kuh, Stanley Kunitz, Joseph Liss, Dorothy Miller, Betty Parsons, Wallace Putnam, Rebecca Reis, Maurice Roth, Sidney Schectman, Aaron Siskind, Joseph Solman, Hedda Sterne, Jack Tworkov, Esteban Vicente and Ed Weinstein. Each has been cataloged separately.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Painters -- Washington (D.C.) -- Interviews  Search this
Topic:
Abstract expressionism  Search this
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
Printmakers -- Washington (D.C.) -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.kainen82
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9b3fdd057-20aa-4e92-aaae-8b8e30d39212
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-kainen82
Online Media:

The Historical Records of the Barnett-Aden Gallery

Creator:
Barnett-Aden Gallery  Search this
Names:
Anacostia Community Museum  Search this
Corcoran Gallery of Art  Search this
Howard University  Search this
Howard University. Gallery of Art  Search this
Aden, Alonzo J., 1906-1963  Search this
Asher, Lila Oliver  Search this
Driskell, David C.  Search this
Ealey, Adolphus  Search this
Greene, Carroll  Search this
Herring, James V. (James Vernon)  Search this
Johnson, Robert L., 1946 April 8-  Search this
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Long, Richard, 1945-  Search this
Porter, James A. (James Amos), 1905-1970  Search this
Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962  Search this
Spellman, Gladys Noon  Search this
Thomas, Alma  Search this
Wells, James Lesesne, 1902-1993  Search this
Extent:
0.5 Cubic feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Correspondence
Ephemera
Catalogues
Business records
Place:
Washington (D.C.)
South Carolina
Date:
1954-1989
bulk 1961-1977
Summary:
The Historical Records of the Barnett-Aden Gallery showcases one of the first galleries owned and operated by African Americans. The work of the Gallery was invaluable as they opened the exhibition space to established and unknown artists regardless of race or gender.
Scope and Contents:
The Historical Records of Barnett-Aden Gallery collection includes historical background materials on the gallery, its founders James V. Herring and Alonzo Aden as well as Adolphus Ealey, its steward after its closure in 1969. The materials include correspondence, business records, photographs, exhibition catalogues, and clippings.
Arrangement:
The materials in this collection have been kept at the folder level and separated into four series. The materials have been ordered and organized based on the content. Within each series and subseries, the folders are organized as close to the collection's original order as when it was acquired.
Historical Sketch:
The Barnett-Aden Gallery, suggested to be the first African American privately-owned gallery in the U.S, open its doors on October 16, 1943. The gallery was founded by artist and scholar James V. Herring alongside his protegee, curator Alonzo Aden. The gallery was housed in a private home that they shared, located on 127 Randolph Street NW in Washington, DC. These men aimed to create an art gallery that provided a venue for underrepresented artists of all races and genres. It was this partnership that laid the foundation for the shift in African American representation in modern art. Aden stated that the gallery's aims were to help foster new talent while also bringing "art of superior quality" to the community. Throughout its history, the gallery held almost 200 exhibitions and showcased the work of over 400 artists.

James Vernon Herring was born on January 7, 1887 in Clio, South Carolina to an African American mother, Alice Herring (1860-1942), and white father, William Culbreth. As a young man, he moved to Washington, DC for better educational opportunities. Herring was educated at the Howard Academy, a preparatory high school located at nearby Howard University campus. Herring received his undergraduate degree from Syracuse University and completed graduate studies at Columbia and Harvard Universities. Trained in art and classical studies with a focus on French impressionism, Herring was initially brought on Howard University's faculty as architecture instructor in 1920. This experience inspired Herring to create the Department of Art at the university where he convinced former home economics student and future prominent visual artist, Alma Thomas to be the art school's first graduate in 1924. Herring continued to mentor and discover young artists as was the case with Alonzo Aden.

Alonzo Aden was born on May 6, 1906 in Spartanburg, South Carolina to Naomi Barnett (1883-1956) and Ephraim Aden (1859-1917). His working-class parents wanting more for their eldest son, decided to send him to live with relatives in Washington, DC for greater educational opportunities. Aden did well academically and completed some studies at Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) before finally entering Howard University in 1927. The following year, Herring opened the Howard University Gallery of Art and installed Aden as its first curator. Aden initially pursued a career as an educator but became more interested in art history and after his graduation from Howard in 1933, he pursued studies in museum and curatorial work.

Recent scholarship has suggested that Herring and Aden were in a romantic as well as working relationship. Working together in the Howard Gallery of Art, they sought to provide a space for art students, local artists and other relatively unknown artists from around the world. Living together since 1929, Herring supported Aden's post-graduate pursuits including his studies of African arts and crafts in galleries across Europe as well as his curatorial work at the American Negro Exposition in Chicago in 1940. Aden returned to Washington to great acclaim and continued his work with Herring at the Howard Gallery of Art.

The Gallery was housed in a Victorian townhouse located in the then middle-class African American neighborhoods of LeDroit Park and Logan Circle (present-day Bloomingdale). Research notes that the house was purchased during the late 1920s by Herring with some assistance of artist Alma Thomas (or vice versa). Both were listed as owners of the property until 1933 when Aden was listed as the co-owner. In 1943, Aden resigned as head of the Howard Gallery for unknown reasons which led Herring and Aden to open a gallery in their home. The gallery was named after Aden's mother Naomi, who also served as an early benefactor of the gallery giving $1,000 in support. It was the support of various benefactors alongside Herring's salary as a Howard professor and Aden's several "government jobs" that kept the gallery afloat during its time in the home. The first floor of the gallery consisted entirely of exhibition space with the second-floor space interchanged between exhibition, study, and living spaces over the years. Herring's library, also located on the upper floors, was used for research by students and local scholars. Herring and Aden never saw the gallery as a truly profitable venture but instead wanted to offer avenues for the artists to showcase their work. As policy, each artist retained all money earned from sales but were required to donate at least one work of art to the Barnett-Aden collection.

The gallery, the first of its kind in Washington at the time, exhibited works of artists regardless of race; African American artists displayed alongside their more notable white peers. Notable artists featured in the gallery include Henri Matisse, Paul Cezanne, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, and M.C. Escher were exhibited alongside notable African American artists Richmond Barthé, Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Charles White, Selma Burke as well as many others. Several Howard professors who went on to have notable art careers also exhibited their work at the gallery including James Porter, Lois Mailou Jones, and James Lesesne Wells. Many of the artists featured in the gallery were also greatly involved in the operations. Alma Thomas served gallery's vice president before she began exhibiting her work there in 1950s. Artist and scholar, David Driskell served as the associate director of the gallery after Aden's death.

The gallery held five to eight exhibitions every year including a special annual anniversary exhibition. In 1944, the gallery opened a show featuring Brazilian modern artist, Candido Portinari, who had previously completed a mural at the Library of Congress, that sparked great interest at the gallery. The exhibition opening brought in visitors from all over Washington including members of the president's cabinet, foreign ambassadors and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. This renewed interest created a somewhat hectic pace in keeping up with the work of the gallery. This pace coupled with the full-time jobs and other ventures including a gift shop enabled the gallery to act as a luminary of the African American and local arts community in Washington.

In 1961, while preparing for the annual anniversary exhibition, Alonzo Aden died suddenly. Herring with aid of his friends and students took on the management of the gallery after his partner's death but was unable to keep the pace of Aden's work and the attendance declined. In 1969, Herring died in the home leaving behind a formidable legacy. The home and its contents including the gallery's art collection was sold in order to settle the debts of Herring's estate. The collection was divided amongst three individuals. Artist and former Herring student, Adolphus Ealey inherited the bulk of the collection that featured 250 significant works. Herring's books, graphic drawings, and prints were given to Herring associate and friend, Dr. Felton J. Earls, while the sculptures went to art collectors and friends Dr. and Mrs. Cecil Marquez.

The portion of the collection owned by Ealey was described as the preeminent selection from the gallery's collection. The size and ongoing upkeep of the collection was significant which caused the collection to be moved several times over the years. The collection which out of necessity was originally stored in Ealey's Southwest Washington apartment then moved a to a house in LeDroit Park and then to another space in the Washington neighborhood of Fort Lincoln. Ealey collaborated with colleagues and institutions to have it exhibited in various locations but also bid to find the collection a permanent home. During the 1970s, the collection was featured at the Museum of Afro-American Culture and History in Philadelphia, the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum) and the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

Unable to find an institutional home for the collection, Ealey was forced to sell the collection in 1989 to the Florida Endowment Fund for Higher Education. Ealey stipulated that collection must remain intact but also that the new owners had to develop educational and outreach programs focused on African Americans in the arts. Failing to find consistent opportunities to exhibit the collection, the owners were forced to sell the collection. In 1998, Robert L. Johnson, then chairman and founder of the television channel, Black Entertainment Television (BET), purchased the collection. The collection went on a national tour then was displayed for some time at the BET headquarters in Washington. In 2015, Johnson donated selections from the gallery collection to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in an effort to preserve the legacy of the Barnett-Aden Gallery and the tireless work of James V. Herring and Alonzo Aden for generations to come.

Historical Timeline

1897 -- James Vernon Herring was born January 7 in Clio, South Carolina.

1906 -- Alonzo James Aden was born May 6 in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

1914-1916 -- While attending Syracuse University, Herring taught summer classes at Wilberforce University in Ohio for two summers.

1917 -- Herring graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelors of Pedagogy in Art degree.

1917-1920 -- Herring served as YMCA secretary for the YMCA in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and then Camp Lee, Virginia. Herring also held teaching positions at Straight College in New Orleans and Bennett College in North Carolina

1920 -- Alonzo was sent to Washington, D.C. to live with his uncle, James Aden, and his wife Laura.

1921 -- Herring was initially hired as architectural drawing instructor at Howard University and after negotiations established Department of Art later that same year.

1927 -- Herring organized an exhibition of Howard U. students' artwork that toured the Deep South U.S. Aden enrolled in Howard University in pursuit of an education degree.

1930 -- The Howard University Gallery of Art formally opened on April 7. Aden was hired as gallery assistant.

1933 -- Aden received his Bachelor of Arts in Education; Herring added Aden's name as co-owner of the 127 Randolph Place home.

1934-1939 -- Aden engaged in post-graduate study and museum curatorial work around the U.S. and Europe.

1940 -- Aden served as art curator for the American Negro Exposition (the "Negro's World Fair") in Chicago

1943 -- Aden resigned his position at the Howard University Gallery of Art for undisclosed reasons. The Barnett-Aden Gallery was founded by James V. Herring and Alonzo Aden. The first exhibition, "American Paintings for the Home" featured Elizabeth Catlett, Lois Mailou Jones, Malvin Gray Johnson, James Lesesne Wells, Jacob Lawrence, and many others.

1944 -- First anniversary exhibition featuring artist Candido Portinari, Brazilian artist who was already known in Washington from his mural for the Library of Congress. It was attended by the First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt. Exhibition, "The Negro in Art" and "American Paintings for the Home" featuring Catlett, James A. Porter, Wells, Jones, Richmond Barthé, Hale Woodruff, Betsy Graves Reyneau and others.

1946 -- Exhibition, "Paintings by Lois Mailou Jones" and featured paintings of Jacob Lawrence for Third Anniversary exhibition.

1947 -- Fourth Anniversary Exhibition, "Recent Paintings by Charles White". Exhibition of Elizabeth Catlett, "Paintings, Sculpture, and Prints of The Negro Woman".

1948 -- Exhibition, "Paintings and Drawings by James A. Porter".

1949 -- Exhibition, "Sylvia Carewe".

1950 -- "Exhibition of Six Washington Artists" featuring Romare Bearden, Samuel Bookatz, Bernice Cross, Robert Gates, Norma Mazo, and James A. Porter. "Exhibition "Paintings and Prints by James Lesesne Wells."

1951 -- Exhibition, "Three Washington Artists" featuring Richard Dempsey, Sam Herman, and Jack Perlmutter Exhibition, "Herman Maril: Paintings in Retrospect, 1931-1951"

1953 -- Tenth Anniversary Exhibition, "Eighteen Washington Artists" featuring Sarah Baker, Samuel Bookatz, William Calfee, Bernice Cross, Robert Franklin Gates, Jacob Kainen, Marjorie Phillips, James Porter, and James Lesesne Wells.

1954 -- Exhibition "Six Washington Painters" featuring Theresa Abbott, Gabriel Cherin, Gloria Besser Green, Alma W. Thomas, and Anita Wertheim.

1955 -- Twelfth anniversary exhibition focused on "Jack Perlmutter".

1957 -- Exhibition, "David C. Driskell: Exhibition of Paintings"

1958 -- Exhibition "Norman Lewis: Paintings"

1959 -- Sixteenth Anniversary Exhibition of "Paintings by Pietro Lazzari, Helen Rennie, Alma Thomas, Andrea De Zerega". Exhibition of "Religious Paintings and Prints by James L. Wells and Sculpture by Selma Burke"

1962 -- Alonzo Aden died suddenly at the age of 56 on October 13 in Washington D.C. Herring solely inherits the Gallery collection.

1969 -- Herring dies at age 84 in Washington, DC. on May 29. Artist Adolphus Ealey inherits the bulk of the gallery collection along with Dr. Felton J. Earls and Dr. and Mrs. Cecil Marquez.

1974 -- Two exhibitions of the collection at the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum and the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

1989 -- Collection sold to Florida Endowment Fund for Higher Education.

1998 -- Robert Johnson, founder and former CEO of Black Entertainment Television (BET) purchased the entire collection and serves as administrators over the collection.
Provenance:
Acquired through a purchase by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Access to collection materials requires an appointment.
Rights:
The NMAAHC Archives can provide reproductions of some materials for research and educational use. Copyright and right to publicity restrictions apply and limit reproduction for other purposes.
Topic:
Photographs  Search this
Art  Search this
Business  Search this
LGBTQ+  Search this
Museums  Search this
African American artists  Search this
Painting, American  Search this
Galleries  Search this
Education  Search this
finance  Search this
Local and Regional  Search this
HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)  Search this
Genre/Form:
Correspondence
Ephemera
Catalogues
Business records
Citation:
Historical Records of the Barnett-Aden Gallery, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Identifier:
NMAAHC.A2014.63.32
See more items in:
The Historical Records of the Barnett-Aden Gallery
Archival Repository:
National Museum of African American History and Culture
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/io3ab33c70c-0c97-4ae6-b532-0055f1a78617
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nmaahc-a2014-63-32

Pietro Lazzari papers, 1878-1998

Creator:
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Subject:
Phillips, Duncan  Search this
Rust, John D.  Search this
Onassis, Jacqueline Kennedy  Search this
Thomas, Norman  Search this
Stevenson, Adlai E. (Adlai Ewing)  Search this
Roosevelt, Eleanor  Search this
Apollo 17 (Spacecraft)  Search this
Type:
Prints
Sketchbooks
Photographs
Slides (photographs)
Motion pictures (visual works)
Paintings
Citation:
Pietro Lazzari papers, 1878-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Portrait sculpture, American -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Works of art  Search this
Muralists -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Sculpture, American -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Sculptors -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Theme:
Sketches & Sketchbooks  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9747
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212114
AAA_collcode_lazzpiet
Theme:
Sketches & Sketchbooks
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_212114
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Pietro Lazzari, 1964

Interviewee:
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Interviewer:
Phillips, Harlan B. (Harlan Buddington),, 1920-  Search this
Subject:
United States. Dept. of the Treasury. Section of Fine Arts  Search this
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Pietro Lazzari, 1964. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
Mural painting and decoration  Search this
Sculptors -- Washington (D.C.) -- Interviews  Search this
Theme:
New Deal  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)12397
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)213617
AAA_collcode_lazzar64
Theme:
New Deal
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_213617
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Pietro Lazzari

Interviewee:
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Interviewer:
Phillips, Harlan B. (Harlan Buddington), 1920-  Search this
Creator:
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this
Names:
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this
United States. Dept. of the Treasury. Section of Fine Arts  Search this
Extent:
77 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1964
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Pietro Lazzari conducted in 1964, by Harlan Phillips, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Pietro Lazzari (1898-1979) was a sculptor and painter from Washington, D.C. Lazzari studied art in Paris and at the Ornamental School of Rome. After several trips to the United States during the late 1920s, he settled here permanently in 1929. Following his marriage in 1934, he worked on two murals for the U.S. Section of Fine Arts. Moved to Washington, D.C., 1942, and began teaching and doing his art work. He is known for his bronze busts of humanitarians, most notably Pope Paul VI, Adlai Stevenson, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Represented by the Betty Parsons Gallery in New York. Was very active in the Washington, D.C. art community.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 1 hr., 58 min.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Occupation:
Painters -- Washington (D.C.) -- Interviews  Search this
Topic:
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
Mural painting and decoration  Search this
Sculptors -- Washington (D.C.) -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.lazzar64
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9f37a1cd9-45d9-4348-b825-9f74e72d73a2
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-lazzar64
Online Media:

Pietro Lazzari papers

Creator:
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Names:
Apollo 17 (Spacecraft)  Search this
Onassis, Jacqueline Kennedy, 1929-1994  Search this
Phillips, Duncan, 1886-1966  Search this
Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962  Search this
Rust, John D.  Search this
Stevenson, Adlai E. (Adlai Ewing), 1900-1965  Search this
Thomas, Norman, 1884-1968  Search this
Extent:
12.84 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Prints
Sketchbooks
Photographs
Slides (photographs)
Motion pictures (visual works)
Paintings
Date:
1878-1998
Summary:
The papers of muralist and sculptor, Pietro Lazzari, measure 12.84 linear feet and date from 1878 to 1998. The papers document Lazzari's life and career through biographical material, correspondence, business records, notes, writings, artwork, photographs, and printed material.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of muralist and sculptor, Pietro Lazzari, measure 12.84 linear feet and date from 1878 to 1998. The collection documents Lazzari's life and career through biographical material, correspondence, business records, notes, writings, artwork, photographs, and printed material.

Biographical material includes biographical sketches and various identification documents. Correspondence comprises letters exchanged between Lazzari, family members, and colleagues and includes about a hundred letters concerning post office murals in several states.

Notebooks contain drawings and annotated diagrams in addition to notes on artwork and designs for inventions. Writings are both by and about Lazzari and include autobiographical material. Artwork includes sketchbooks, loose sketches, prints, and paintings.

Almost a quarter of the collection consists of photographs which include images of Lazzari, his family and colleagues, and gallery installations. Also found are photographs of several notable individuals.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as ten series according to material type. For each series, material within folders is arranged chronologically. Glass plate negatives are housed separately and closed to researchers.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1880-1980 (box 1; 4 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1895-1998, undated (boxes 1-2; 1.7 linear ft.)

Series 3: Personal Business Records, 1925-1993, undated (box 2; 0.4 linear ft.)

Series 4: Notes, 1915-1979, undated (boxes 3, 13, OV 14; 1 linear ft.)

Series 5: Writings, 1910-1979, undated (box 4, 13; 0.4 linear ft.)

Series 6: Artwork, 1918-1979, undated (boxes 4-5, 13, OV 14; 0.9 linear ft.)

Series 7: Printed Material, 1905-1994, undated (boxes 5-8, 13, OV 14; 3.8 linear ft.)

Series 8: Photographs, 1878-1980, undated (boxes 8-13, MGP 1, MGP 4; 3.8 linear ft.)

Series 9: Motion Picture Film, undated (FC 15; 1 film can)

Series 10: Artifact, undated (box 12; 1 folder)
Biographical Note:
Pietro Lazzari was born in Rome, on May 15, 1898. At the age of 15, he was apprenticed to Roman sculptor, Jerace. Four years on the Italian front in World War I interrupted his studies, until he could return to the Ornamental School of Rome, where he received a Master Artist degree in 1922. Lazzari's first solo exhibition was at the Theatre of the Independents in Rome. He was also employed by newspaper Il Messaggero to illustrate articles with athletes' portraits.

Lazzari visited the United States in 1925, exhibiting in a group show at the New Gallery in the New York the following year. He also married American social worker Elizabeth Paine in 1926. After four more trips between the United States and Italy, he permanently settled in New York City in 1929. In addition to participating in major art exhibitions, he was hired by a New York newspaper to make courtroom sketches at the Lindbergh kidnapping trial. Divorcing his first wife in 1932, Lazzari married Evelyn Cohen in 1934, and became a U.S. citizen in 1936. Between 1936 and 1942, he worked on four post office murals for the U.S. Section of Fine Arts and began experimentation that led to his own method of painting in polychrome concrete.

In 1942, Lazzari moved to Washington, D.C. and participated in the war effort. He also taught painting and sculpture at The American University, and from 1948 to 1950, he headed the Art Department at Dumbarton College. In 1950, he received a Fulbright Fellowship for research in techniques of Etruscan Art.

Lazzari is known for his bronze busts of humanitarians, most notably Pope Paul VI, Adlai Stevenson, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Represented by the Betty Parsons Gallery in New York, he was also very active in the Washngton, D.C. art community, where he was represented by the Caresse Crosby Gallery.

Pietro Lazzari died on May 1, 1979 in Bethesda, Maryland.
Related Material:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is one sound tape reel of a transcribed interview with Pietro Lazzari, conducted by Harlan Phillips in 1964.
Provenance:
The Pietro Lazzari papers were donated to the Archives of American Art in 1989 by Evelyn C. Lazzari, widow of Pietro Lazzari, and in 1998 by her estate.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use 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:
Portrait sculpture, American -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Works of art  Search this
Muralists -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Sculpture, American -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Sculptors -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Genre/Form:
Prints
Sketchbooks
Photographs
Slides (photographs)
Motion pictures (visual works)
Paintings
Citation:
Pietro Lazzari papers, 1878-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.lazzpiet
See more items in:
Pietro Lazzari papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c1076b1d-cfcb-4c35-82b7-058eb79dc787
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-lazzpiet
Online Media:

Glass Plate Negatives

Collection Creator:
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Extent:
11 Glass negatives
Container:
Box MGP 1
Type:
Archival materials
Negatives
Glass negatives
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
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:
Pietro Lazzari papers, 1878-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Pietro Lazzari papers
Pietro Lazzari papers / Series 8: Photographs
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95ac9b79b-34d5-40e0-a4f7-c3929f0f7ca5
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-lazzpiet-ref291

Glass Plate Negatives

Collection Creator:
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Extent:
6 Glass negatives
Container:
Box MGP 4
Type:
Archival materials
Negatives
Glass negatives
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
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:
Pietro Lazzari papers, 1878-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Pietro Lazzari papers
Pietro Lazzari papers / Series 8: Photographs
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ff5e339f-9950-4f63-a760-bb01632ff9e1
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-lazzpiet-ref292

Artwork

Collection Creator:
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Extent:
0.9 Linear feet (Boxes 4-5, 13, OV 14)
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1918-1979, undated
Scope and Contents note:
Artwork consists of sketchbooks, prints, paintings on paper and an unstretched canvas by Lazzari. Loose sketches by Lazzari include 36 drawings of individuals at the Lindbergh kidnapping trial. There is also an antique (18th century?) print of soldiers capturing a prisoner by an unidentified artist.
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
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:
Pietro Lazzari papers, 1878-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.lazzpiet, Series 6
See more items in:
Pietro Lazzari papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98c79e1c6-f1e0-4e6b-9299-4a1cb9bc571c
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-lazzpiet-ref101

Sketchbooks (see also sol 13)

Collection Creator:
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Container:
Box 4, Folder 28-49
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1918-1960, undated
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
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:
Pietro Lazzari papers, 1878-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Pietro Lazzari papers
Pietro Lazzari papers / Series 6: Artwork
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw945213377-e7c6-4213-937c-8cf7cb516aa7
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-lazzpiet-ref102

Sketchbooks (see also sol 13)

Collection Creator:
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Container:
Box 5, Folder 1-4
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1960-1979
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
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:
Pietro Lazzari papers, 1878-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Pietro Lazzari papers
Pietro Lazzari papers / Series 6: Artwork
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9eba76b87-8f23-4a51-b6b2-2be5a80c7a7a
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-lazzpiet-ref103

Loose sketches (see also OV 14)

Collection Creator:
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Container:
Box 5, Folder 5-12
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1913-1978, undated
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
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:
Pietro Lazzari papers, 1878-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Pietro Lazzari papers
Pietro Lazzari papers / Series 6: Artwork
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95c8d2100-5c82-4ea5-b83e-7450c05064ae
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-lazzpiet-ref104

Sketches of individuals at the Lindbergh trial

Collection Creator:
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Container:
Box 5, Folder 13-14
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1935
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
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:
Pietro Lazzari papers, 1878-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Pietro Lazzari papers
Pietro Lazzari papers / Series 6: Artwork
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw992cfdace-6c3c-492c-bbb7-4fba8da46320
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-lazzpiet-ref105

Prints and Paintings (see also sol 13, OV 14)

Collection Creator:
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Container:
Box 5, Folder 15
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
undated
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
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:
Pietro Lazzari papers, 1878-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Pietro Lazzari papers
Pietro Lazzari papers / Series 6: Artwork
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9750d0140-31d7-4a09-ad20-c42e71892bc4
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-lazzpiet-ref106

Prints

Collection Creator:
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Container:
Box 5, Folder 16
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
undated
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
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:
Pietro Lazzari papers, 1878-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Pietro Lazzari papers
Pietro Lazzari papers / Series 6: Artwork
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9f484c472-a9c7-4f70-b811-c6d488a03bf8
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-lazzpiet-ref107

Painting on unstretched canvas

Collection Creator:
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Container:
Box OV 14
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1972
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
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:
Pietro Lazzari papers, 1878-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Pietro Lazzari papers
Pietro Lazzari papers / Series 6: Artwork
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9527abeea-62ba-4502-aea1-7f6f6a836638
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-lazzpiet-ref108

Oversized artwork by others, antique (18th century?) print and sketchbooks from Boxes 4-5

Collection Creator:
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Container:
Box 13
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1918-1979, undated
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
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:
Pietro Lazzari papers, 1878-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Pietro Lazzari papers
Pietro Lazzari papers / Series 6: Artwork
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9a615779a-35de-4c6b-865c-a43b5c517e97
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-lazzpiet-ref109

Printed material

Collection Creator:
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Extent:
3.8 Linear feet (Boxes 5-8, 13, OV 14)
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1905-1994, undated
Scope and Contents note:
Printed material consists of clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs for Lazzari and others, press releases, programs, calendars of events, posters, miscellaneous brochures, books and booklets concerning art-related topics, miscellaneous publications illustrated by Lazzari, and reproductions of artwork.

Books illustrated by Lazzari include the following: The Man and the Horse, undated; Nuclear Man, 1954; The Walking Cross, 1956; and Important Women of Washington, D.C.: 18 Drawings by Pietro Lazzari, 1961. Other books illustrated by Lazzari include: New World Writing, by the New American Library, 1953 (with an entry illustrated by Lazzari); Washington Is Wonderful, by Dorothea Jones, 1956; Merchants of Labor: The Mexican Bracero Story[autographed] by Ernesto Galarza, 1964.

Miscellaneous printed material includes a map of military maneuvers in Northern Italy, 1909 and a blueprint for the layout of pylon and murals for UAW Regional Building, Grand Rapids Township, Michigan, 1967.
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
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:
Pietro Lazzari papers, 1878-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.lazzpiet, Series 7
See more items in:
Pietro Lazzari papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw90b74364a-5a10-416e-9a85-480abb1b6fae
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-lazzpiet-ref111

Clippings

Collection Creator:
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Container:
Box 5, Folder 17-57
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1905-1962, undated
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
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:
Pietro Lazzari papers, 1878-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Pietro Lazzari papers
Pietro Lazzari papers / Series 7: Printed material
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9a49135d0-5f24-42fd-9c09-555e00887310
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-lazzpiet-ref112

Clippings

Collection Creator:
Lazzari, Pietro, 1898-1979  Search this
Container:
Box 6, Folder 1-9
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1963-1992
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
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:
Pietro Lazzari papers, 1878-1998. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Pietro Lazzari papers
Pietro Lazzari papers / Series 7: Printed material
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94f56914a-d140-4a5e-bace-e1ab3f64aaf5
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-lazzpiet-ref113

Modify Your Search







or


Narrow By