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Joaquin Torres-García papers

Creator:
Torres-García, Joaquín, 1874-1949  Search this
Names:
Doesburg, Theo van, 1883-1931  Search this
Dreier, Katherine Sophie, 1877-1952  Search this
Duchamp, Marcel, 1887-1968  Search this
González, Julio, 1876-1942  Search this
Miró, Joan, 1893-  Search this
Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this
Summerfield, Anne, 1917-  Search this
Xceron, Jean, 1890-1967  Search this
Łunkiewicz-Rogoyska, Maria Ewa, 1895-1967  Search this
Extent:
0.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1921-1974
Summary:
The papers of Joaquin Torres-García measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1921 to 1974. The papers document Torres-García's career as an artist and writer through twenty-eight photocopied letters from Katherine Dreier, Marcel Duchamp, Julio Gonzalez, Joan Miro, Piet Mondrian, Jean Xceron, Theo Van Doesburg, Michel Seuphor, and Maria Ewa Łunkiewicz-Rogoyska, 1921-1943; an essay "Le Planisme de Torres-Garcia" by Van Doesburg, 1929; photographs of Torres-García's work; clippings, 1929-1971; and 7 exhibition announcements and catalogs, 1921-1974.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Joaquin Torres-García measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1921 to 1974. The papers document Torres-García's career as an artist and writer through twenty-eight photocopied letters from Katherine Dreier, Marcel Duchamp, Julio Gonzalez, Joan Miro, Piet Mondrian, Jean Xceron, Theo Van Doesburg, Michel Seuphor, and Maria Ewa Łunkiewicz-Rogoyska, 1921-1943; an essay "Le Planisme de Torres-Garcia" by Van Doesburg, 1929; photographs of Torres-García's work; clippings, 1929-1971; 7 exhibition announcements and catalogs, 1921-1974.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into one series

Series 1: Joaquin Torres-Garcia papers, 1921-1974 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
Biographical / Historical:
Joaquin Torres-García (1874-1949) was a painter and writer from Uruguay. Torres-García was born in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1874, and he emigrated to Spain in 1891 where he began his artistic career. He primarily worked in Spain, but he also spent time in the United States, Uruguay, and other parts of Europe. Torres-García sought to integrate classicism and modernism in his works and he was a proponent of the Latin American Constructivist movement. He collaborated with Antoni Gaudi on the stained glass windows for the Palma Cathedral and La Sagrada Familia, and he also created frescoes for the Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya. In addition to his artwork, Torres-García published over 150 books, essays and articles in Catalan, Spanish, French and English, and delivered more than 500 lectures. He founded several art schools in Spain and Montevideo and a number of artistic groups, including the first European abstract-art group. Torres-García founded the magazine Cercle et Carré (Circle and Square) in Paris in 1929. Torres-García died on 8 August 1949.
Provenance:
Copies of letters donated by Cecilia Torres, Torres-García's daughter-in-law in 1977. Originals owned by the Getty Research Institute, History of Art and the Humanities.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Painters -- Uruguay  Search this
Authors  Search this
Painters -- Spain  Search this
Topic:
Latino and Latin American artists  Search this
Constructivism (Art)  Search this
Citation:
Joaquin Torres-García papers, 1921-1974. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.torrjoaq
See more items in:
Joaquin Torres-García papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9fab2a394-4725-416a-a929-c8e5a70b7a59
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-torrjoaq

Oral history interview with Peter Agostini

Interviewee:
Agostini, Peter  Search this
Interviewer:
Roberts, Colette, 1910-  Search this
Names:
Columbia University -- Faculty  Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this
Bontecou, Lee, 1931-  Search this
Chamberlain, John, 1927-2011  Search this
Chryssa, 1933-2013  Search this
Cornell, Joseph  Search this
Cézanne, Paul, 1839-1906  Search this
De Chirico, Giorgio, 1888-  Search this
De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this
Demuth, Charles, 1883-1935  Search this
Di Suvero, Mark, 1933-  Search this
Dove, Arthur Garfield, 1880-1946  Search this
Dubuffet, Jean, 1901-1985  Search this
Duchamp, Marcel, 1887-1968  Search this
Ferber, Herbert, 1906-1991  Search this
Flannagan, John Bernard, 1895?-1942  Search this
Giacometti, Alberto, 1901-1966  Search this
Greenberg, Clement, 1909-1994  Search this
Hague, Raoul, 1905-1993  Search this
Hare, David, 1917-1992  Search this
Hartley, Marsden, 1877-1943  Search this
Hopper, Edward, 1882-1967  Search this
Judd, Donald, 1928-1994  Search this
Kaprow, Allan  Search this
Kienholz, Edward, 1927-  Search this
Kline, Franz, 1910-1962  Search this
Kohn, Gabriel, 1910-1975  Search this
Kolbe, Georg, 1877-1947  Search this
La Tour, Onya, 1896-1976  Search this
Lachaise, Gaston, 1882-1935  Search this
Lassaw, Ibram, 1913-2003  Search this
Lippold, Richard, 1915-2002  Search this
Lipton, Seymour, 1903-1986  Search this
Macdonald-Wright, Stanton, 1890-1973  Search this
Maillol, Aristide, 1861-1944  Search this
Manship, Paul, 1885-1966  Search this
Marca-Relli, Conrad, 1913-2000  Search this
Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this
Marisol, 1930-2016  Search this
Matisse, Henri, 1869-1954  Search this
Melville, Herman, 1819-1891  Search this
Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this
Morris, Robert, 1931-2018  Search this
Nakian, Reuben, 1897-1986  Search this
Noguchi, Isamu, 1904-1988  Search this
O'Keeffe, Georgia, 1887-1986  Search this
Oldenburg, Claes, 1929-  Search this
Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809-1849  Search this
Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956  Search this
Pompon, François, 1855-1933  Search this
Reinhardt, Ad, 1913-1967  Search this
Rivera, Diego, 1886-1957  Search this
Roszak, Theodore, 1907-1981  Search this
Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970  Search this
Samaras, Lucas, 1936-  Search this
Scarpitta, Salvatore, 1919-2007  Search this
Segal, George, 1924-2000  Search this
Sheeler, Charles, 1883-1965  Search this
Smith, David, 1906-1965  Search this
Smith, Tony, 1912-1980  Search this
Spaventa, George, 1918-  Search this
Stankiewicz, Richard, 1922-1983  Search this
Sugarman, George, 1912-1999  Search this
Tobey, Mark  Search this
Whitman, Walt, 1819-1892  Search this
Zorach, William, 1887-1966  Search this
Extent:
99 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Interviews
Sound recordings
Date:
1968
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Peter Agostini conducted in 1968, by Colette Roberts, for the Archives of American Art at 151 Avenue B, New York, New York.
Mr. Agostini speaks of his childhood spent living throughout the five boroughs of New York; his interactions with clients of his father's acting employment agency; his early education in Catholic school and the creative freedom allotted by the nuns; his first feelings of isolation as an artist at the age of seven; the development of a sense of communication as the result of the loss of his mother at the age of three and time spent at a school for orphans; his early realization and vision of artistic destiny; his religious interests which lead to mysticism in his earlier work; his time spent working freely in the DaVinci Studio with Spaventa; the discovery by Hess of his works in Gallerie Grimaud; his attainment of the Longview Grant; his working experience throughout the Depression as part of the WPA casting plaster mannequins while working indirectly with Pollack as well as Marca Relli; his subsequent move to designing department store windows (use of Mondrian-like forms and lines); his feelings of his position as an observer; the importance of communication through art (communication without words); his rejection of the Abstract Expressionist group and choice of independence; the influence of the sculpture of Kolbe and Bache in the thirties; Clement Greenberg's distaste for his work; his feelings about the relative failure to sell his work due its unusual edginess and mystery; his role in the introduction of the work of contemporary European artists (Chausserian, Gauthier, Modrian) to the American group; his description of his own work as "traditionless"; his feelings of self-importance as one of the most original sculptors in the art world; his influence on the younger generation, particularly Marisol; the enslavement to originality that the younger generation faces; his attitudes towards American Art forms and their lack of rebellious spirit; the virtues of the American writers, such as Poe, Whitman, and Melville as American "knapsack" writers; his personal technique which places an emphasis on the "skin" or volume of something; his attempt to create quiet art, or art that merely indicates features; his frustration with teaching and the problems of regurgitated knowledge; the role of Meyer Shapiro in his teaching career at Columbia; the formation of the Club and its similarity to the Cubist's café scene; his opinions on the relationship of sex and sensuality in American art; his personal struggles, including the loss of his second wife and two of his brothers, in addition to the estrangement of his only daughter by his first wife; his feelings on the role of psycho analysis and personal history in a work of art; his present works which feature the "swell." For the majority of the second half of the interview Ms. Roberts asks Mr. Agostini to express his opinions on the work of: Kline; DeKooning; Duchamp; Oldenburg; La Tour; DeChirico; Maillol; Pompon; Rothko; Chardin; Cezanne; Giacometti; Reinhardt; Chryssa; Tony Smith; Segal; Lachaise; Zorach; Manship; Flannagan; Kelly; Lassaw; David Smith; Hare; Lipton; Ferber; Lippold; Roszak; Nakian; Noguchi; Hague; Kohn; di Suvero; Chamberlain; Kaprow; Sugarman; Stankiewicz; Bontecou; Scarpitta; Cornell; Keinholz; Rivera; Judd; Robert Morris; O'Keeffe; Samaras; Mark Tobey; Marin; Pollock; Hartley; Dove; Macdonald-Wright; Demuth; Sheeler; Hopper; Mirot; Matisse; DuBuffet.
Biographical / Historical:
Peter Agostini (1913-1993) was a sculptor from New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 28 digital wav files. Duration is 10 hrs., 37 min.
Transferred from 4 3" reels.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics, and administrators.
Topic:
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Abstract expressionism  Search this
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.agosti68
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94f33a1ab-e475-4a6f-8b0b-f9822b288239
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-agosti68
Online Media:

Rose Fried Gallery Records

Creator:
Rose Fried Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Names:
Pinacotheca Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Baertling, Olle, 1911-1981  Search this
Cornell, Joseph  Search this
Cunningham, Ben, 1904-1975  Search this
Delaunay, Sonia  Search this
Etrog, Sorel, 1933-  Search this
Ferren, John, 1905-1970  Search this
Fried, Rose  Search this
Hendler, Raymond, 1923-  Search this
Kandinsky, Wassily, 1866-1944  Search this
Macdonald-Wright, Stanton, 1890-1973  Search this
Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this
Morgan, Russell  Search this
Picabia, Francis, 1879-1953  Search this
Richter, Hans, 1888-1976  Search this
Torres-García, Joaquín, 1874-1949  Search this
Xceron, Jean, 1890-1967  Search this
Extent:
8.1 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1936-1972
bulk 1945-1970
Summary:
The Rose Fried Gallery records measure 8.1 linear feet and date from 1936 to 1972 with the bulk of materials dating from 1945 to 1970. The majority of the collection consists of artists files documenting the gallery's relationship with abstract, modern, and Latin American artists; additional named subject files; and scattered administrative and financial files. Individual artists and subject files contain a wide variety of documentation, such as correspondence, photographs, financial records, and printed materials.
Scope and Contents:
The Rose Fried Gallery records measure 8.1 linear feet and date from 1936 to 1972 with the bulk of materials dating from 1945 to 1970. The majority of the collection consists of artists files documenting the gallery's relationship with abstract, modern, and Latin American artists; additional named subject files; and scattered administrative and financial files. Individual artists and subject files contain a wide variety of documentation, such as correspondence, photographs, financial records, and printed materials.

Scattered administrative records document the founding and history of the Rose Fried Gallery, biographical materials about Rose Fried, as well as scattered administrative correspondence, press releases, and gallery catalogs. There are two sound recordings of interviews with Rose Fried in which she discusses the origins of the Rose Fried Gallery and some of the gallery's shows.

The bulk of the records consist of alphabetical artists' and clients' files documenting the gallery's dealings with individual artists, clients, other galleries, museums, and universities. Contents of individual files vary but may include correspondence, contractual agreements, financial records, printed material, and photographs. A few of the artists represented in the files include Olle Baertling, Joseph Cornell, Ben Cunningham, Sonia Delaunay, Sorel Etrog, John Ferren, Raymond Hendler, Wassily Kandinsky, Stanton MacDonald-Wright, Piet Mondrian, Russell Morgan, Francis Picabia, Hans Richter, Joaquin Torres-Garcia, and Jean Xceron, among many others.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as two series.

Missing Title

Series 1: General Administrative Records, 1947-1970 (9 folders; Box 1)

Series 2: Artists' and Clients' Files, 1936-1972 (7.9 linear feet; Boxes 1-8, OV 9)
Historical Note:
Rose Fried established the Rose Fried Gallery in the 1940s in New York City, New York. Fried established the gallery when she took over the Pinacotheca Gallery owned by Dan Harris. The Gallery specialized in abstract and modern art, and represented cubists, futurists, Dadaists, and masters of Latin American art. The Rose Fried Gallery was instrumental in introducing the American public to many abstract painters, including Mondrian and Kandinsky. The Gallery remained operational until Fried's death in 1970.
Provenance:
The Rose Fried Gallery Records were donated by Rose Fried and her brother and executor Paul Fried in multiple accretions between 1968 and 1974.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy also requires advance notice. 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.
Topic:
Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Hispanic American artists  Search this
Art, Abstract  Search this
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Rose Fried Gallery Records, 1936-1972, bulk 1945-1970. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.rosefrig
See more items in:
Rose Fried Gallery Records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9569b41d1-4af0-4362-ab53-a5579055a8df
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-rosefrig
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Ilya Bolotowsky

Interviewee:
Bolotowsky, Ilya, 1907-1981  Search this
Interviewer:
Cummings, Paul  Search this
Creator:
Diller, Burgoyne, 1906-1965  Search this
Names:
American Abstract Artists  Search this
American Artists' Congress  Search this
Art Students League (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Black Mountain College (Black Mountain, N.C.)  Search this
Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors  Search this
G.R.D. Studio (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
National Academy of Design (U.S.)  Search this
Public Works of Art Project  Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this
Yaddo (Artist's colony)  Search this
Albers, Josef  Search this
Browne, Byron, 1907-1961  Search this
Dlugoszewski, Lucia, 1931-2000  Search this
Drewes, Werner, 1899-1985  Search this
Gorky, Arshile, 1904-1948  Search this
Greenberg, Clement, 1909-1994  Search this
Greene, Balcomb, 1904-1990  Search this
Greene, Gertrude, 1904-1956  Search this
Hawthorne, Charles Webster, 1872-1930  Search this
Holtzman, Harry  Search this
Johnson, William H., 1901-1970  Search this
Léger, Fernand, 1881-1955  Search this
Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this
Neilson, Raymond P. R. (Raymond Perry Rodgers), 1881-1964  Search this
Neumann, J. B. (Jsrael Ber)  Search this
Olinsky, Ivan G. (Ivan Gregorewitch), 1878-1962  Search this
Ozenfant, Amédée, 1886-1966  Search this
Spivak, Max, 1906-1981  Search this
Vogel, Joseph, b. 1911  Search this
Extent:
197 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Place:
Wyoming
Date:
1968 March 24-April 7
Scope and Contents:
Interview of Ilya Bolotowsky conducted 1968 March 24-April 7, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Bolotowsky, a lively raconteur, recalls a host of episodes from his personal and professional life. He speaks of his childhood in Russia and Azerbaijan; the effects of war and communism; the family's flight as refugees into Georgia and then to present-day Istanbul; and his early education with a private tutor and at a Jesuit school in Istanbul. Bolotowsky recalls his family's emigration to the United States by ship in 1923; his first impressions of New York City; and early visits to the city's museums. He relates numerous anecdotes about faculty and fellow students at the National Academy of Design, including Ivan Olinsky, Raymond Neilson, Charles Hawthorne, Amedee Ozenfant, and William Henry Johnson.
He speaks of various early exhibitions of his work, including those with the Art Students League, G.R.D. Studio, and the J.B. Neumann Gallery. He also describes a stay at Yaddo in 1934.
Bolotowsky recounts his participation in the Public Works of Art Project as a teacher of art to delinquent children; later work on the mural project of the Works Progress Administration; the picketing of WPA offices, providing anecdotes about Max Spivak and Joseph Vogel; military service during World War II, first working on a Russian dictionary of technical terms and then as a liason officer with the Soviet Air Force in Nome, Alaska.
Upon his return from the military, Bolotowsky immediately resumed his painting career, and describes his involvement with artists' organizations such as the American Abstract Artists, the American Artists' Congress, the Concretionists, the Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors, and the Ten; he mentions in these contexts such personalities as Byron Browne, Burgoyne Diller, Werner Drewes, Arshile Gorky, Clement Greenberg, Balcomb and Gertrude Greene, Harry Holtzman, Fernand Leger, Piet Mondrian, and Meyer Schapiro.
Bolotowsky gives an extensive description of his experiences filling in for Joseph Albers for a year at Black Mountain College, and goes on to discuss his subsequent teaching positions at the University of Wyoming (including a discussion of the impact of the Wyoming landscape on his painting), Brooklyn College, Southampton College, and SUNY New Paltz. He devotes great attention to the development of his painting, his understanding of neo-plasticism and abstraction, and his efforts in filmmaking and playwriting.
Biographical / Historical:
Ilya Bolotowsky (1907-1981) was a Russian-American abstract painter in New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 12 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hr., 37 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others. Funding for the interview was provided by the New York State Council on the Arts.
Restrictions:
ACCESS RESTRICTED; written permission required.
Occupation:
Filmmakers  Search this
Playwrights  Search this
Topic:
Art and state  Search this
Concretionists (Group of artists)  Search this
Emigration and immigration  Search this
Experimental films  Search this
Federal aid to the arts -- United States  Search this
Painting, Abstract -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Playwriting  Search this
Philadelphia Ten (Group of artists)  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
World War, 1939-1945  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.boloto68
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ad928b0a-0396-445d-959c-d696af2c54e8
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-boloto68

Oral history interview with Emily Tremaine

Interviewee:
Tremaine, Emily Hall, 1908-1987  Search this
Interviewer:
Cummings, Paul  Search this
Names:
Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this
Extent:
48 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1973 January 24
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Emily Tremaine conducted 1973 January 24, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Tremaine discusses her mother's interest in art; A. Everett Austin's influencing her to collect art; education abroad; discovery of Piet Mondrian; Miller Company collection of architectural paintings; her personal collection; pop artists and art; and life as a collector.
Biographical / Historical:
Emily Tremaine (1908-1987) was an art collector from New York, N.Y. who was born in Butte, Montana.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 38 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- History  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.tremai73
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ab89a3e5-f0de-401a-b4b9-8a21de0c4759
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-tremai73
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Raquel Rabinovich

Interviewee:
Rabinovich, Raquel, 1929-  Search this
Interviewer:
McElhinney, James Lancel, 1952-  Search this
Names:
Hispanic American Arts Center (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Station Hill Press  Search this
Beethoven, Ludwig van, 1770-1827  Search this
Borges, Jorge Luis, 1899-1986  Search this
Braque, Georges, 1882-1963  Search this
Cézanne, Paul, 1839-1906  Search this
Del Giocondo, Lisa, 1479-  Search this
Denes, Agnes  Search this
Farina, Ernesto, 1912-  Search this
Herzberg, Julia P.  Search this
Johns, Jasper, 1930-  Search this
Kelly, Robert, 1956-  Search this
Lenin, Vladimir Ilʹich, 1870-1924  Search this
Lhote, André, 1885-1962  Search this
Maggi, Marco, 1957-  Search this
Martin, Agnes, 1912-2004  Search this
Mondolfo, Rodolfo, 1877-1976  Search this
Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this
Pavia, Philip, 1915-2005  Search this
Perón, Juan Domingo, 1895-1974  Search this
Picasso, Pablo, 1881-1973  Search this
Quasha, George  Search this
Rockburne, Dorothea  Search this
Schwabsky, Barry  Search this
Stein, Charles, 1944-  Search this
Strauss, David Levi  Search this
Velázquez, Diego, 1599-1660  Search this
Weintraub, Linda  Search this
Zimmer, William, 1946-2007  Search this
Extent:
4 Items (Sound recording: 4 sound files (3 hr., 6 min.), digital, wav)
64 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Interviews
Sound recordings
Place:
Argentina -- Description and Travel
Denmark -- Copenhagen -- Description and Travel
Egypt -- description and travel
France -- Paris -- Description and Travel
India -- description and travel
Machu Picchu Site (Peru)
Nepal -- Description and Travel
New York (N.Y.) -- Description and Travel
Thailand -- description and travel
Date:
2012 September 25 and October 9
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Raquel Rabinovich conducted 2012 September 25 and October 9, by James McElhinney, for the Archives of American Art, at Rabinovich's home, in Rhinebeck, New York.
Rabinovich speaks of growing up in Argentina; becoming aware of art; reproductions and books; European art; her Jewish heritage; her parents moving to Argentina before World War I; Jewish persecution; her parents' background; living in Cordoba; speaking Spanish and Yiddish growing up; quiet reflections; church; art exposure; traveling and moving to Paris; the influence of Ernesto Farina; Peron's dictatorship and rebellion; attending medical school and the call of art; political activities and spending time in jail; meeting Jose and moving to Scotland; Paris and exposure to artwork; teachings of Andre Lhote; her early works; abstraction; painting; the Mona Lisa; darkness and light; "The Dark is Light Enough"; exposure to literature and poetry; living in Copenhagen; meeting Jorge Luis Borges; the Book of Sand; her siblings; her children and her relationship to them; staying up to date with current events; libraries and a lack of books growing up; meditation; texture and the monochromatic works; interest in Jasper Johns' work; meeting Jasper Johns; living in New York; trip to Machu Picchu and spending the night outdoors; "Cloister, Crossing, Passageway 1.32"; glassworks and transparency; exhibiting artwork; her divorce; Rodolfo Mondolfo; environment and exposure; quiet contemplation; spending time with artwork; commissioned work near High Falls; "River Library"; libraries as places of knowledge; minimalism; the 1980s; her daughter's wedding and her relationship with Jose; stones; traveling to Nepal, Thailand, India, and Egypt; temples; Buddhism; "Chhodrtens"; garbhagrihas; NEA fellowship and residency in Paris; "Thrones for the Gods"; INTAR Gallery; "Gateless Gates"; artifacts; Pabhavikas sculpture; Charles Stein; Linda Weintraub; George Quasha; Station Hill Press; "Enfolded Darkness" and "Light Unworn". Rabinovich also recalls Baron Hughes, Beethoven, Lenin, Diego Velazquez, Andre Lhote, Mondrian, Picasso, Braque, David Levi Straus, Robert Kelly, Cezanne, Philip Pavia, Agnes Martin, Dorothea Rockburne, Barry Schwabsky, Bill Zimmer, Agnes Denes, Louisa Valenzuela, Julia Herzberg, and Marco Maggi.
Biographical / Historical:
Raquel Rabinovich (1929- ) is a painter and sculptor in Rhinebeck, New York. James McElhinney (1952- ) is a painter and educator from New York, New York.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Political activists  Search this
Topic:
Buddhism  Search this
Minimal art  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women sculptors  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.rabino12
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9103ced7f-d453-4d0e-bbe4-9a51f4389c0e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-rabino12
Online Media:

Elenore Lust papers

Creator:
Lust, Elenore, 1909-1997  Search this
Names:
Norlyst Gallery  Search this
Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this
Extent:
0.9 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1940-1991
bulk 1943-1949
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter and gallery owner Elenore Lust measure 0.9 linear feet and date from circa 1940 to 1991, with the bulk of the material dating from 1943-1949. Four scrapbooks containing letters, photographs and printed material, annotated by Lust, document her career as a painter, teacher, and owner of the Norlyst Gallery. Also found are items related to Piet Mondrian, including two letters from Mondrian to Lust.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection the papers are arranged as one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Elenore Lust (1909-1997) was an art dealer, gallery owner, and painter in New York City, New York and Mount Holly, New Jersey. Lust studied painting at the Art Students League and opened the Norlyst Gallery at 59 West 56th Street, New York, in partnership with Jimmy Ernst in March 1943. Ernst left the business after several years and Lust continued to operate the gallery until 1949, when she closed its doors to pursue other interests. Lust later opened the Norlist (new spelling) Art Studio in Mount Holly, New Jersey.
Provenance:
Elenore Lust donated her papers to the Archives of American Art in 1988 and 1991.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Gallery owners -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Gallery owners -- New Jersey -- Mount Holly  Search this
Art dealers -- New Jersey -- Mount Holly  Search this
Painters -- New Jersey -- Mount Holly  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women art dealers  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Scrapbooks  Search this
Citation:
Elenore Lust papers, circa 1940-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.lustelen
See more items in:
Elenore Lust papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw930847134-5410-4579-86b7-9bb1f7dbc084
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-lustelen

American Abstract Artists records

Creator:
American Abstract Artists  Search this
Names:
Albers, Josef  Search this
Archipenko, Alexander, 1887-1964  Search this
Billings, Henry, 1901-  Search this
Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976  Search this
Feininger, Lyonel, 1871-1956  Search this
Gurin, Ruth  Search this
Hasegawa, Saburō, 1906-1957  Search this
Holtzman, Harry  Search this
Mason, Alice Trumbull, 1904-1971  Search this
Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this
Rabkin, Leo  Search this
Rousseau, Irene  Search this
Extent:
1.6 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Date:
1936-1983
Summary:
The records of the American Abstract Artists measure 1.6 linear feet and date from 1936 through 1983. The records document the founding of the organization in 1936, membership activities, general administration, and exhibitions via correspondence, member writings, financial and legal records, printed materials, and photographs.
Scope and Contents:
The records of the American Abstract Artists measure 1.6 linear feet and date from 1936 through 1983. The records document the founding of the organization in 1936, membership activities, general administration, and exhibitions via correspondence, member writings, financial and legal records, printed materials, and photographs.

Correspondence mainly relates to the exhibitions and member activities of the American Abstract Artists. There are letters from Josef Albers, Alexander Archipenko, Alexander Calder, Lyonel Feininger, Harry Holtzman, Piet Mondrian, and Irene Rousseau, President Emeritus of the American Abstract Artists. Official bulletins sent to members are also found among the correspondence.

Administrative records include founding prospectus, meeting minutes, lists of members, and drafts and amendments to the American Abstract Artists constitution.

Member writings are by Saburo Hasegawa, Henry Billings, Leo Rabkin, and Ruth Gurin. Financial and legal records include ledger books, insurance documents, and other financial material. Printed materials include announcements for the American Abstract Artists' annual exhibitions, as well as exhibition posters. Finally, there are two photographs of collage paintings by members.
Arrangement:
The arrangement and description in this finding aid refer to unmicrofilmed portions of the collection. Legacy microfilm arrangement is not reflected.

The collection is arranged as 6 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Correspondence, 1937-1982 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 2: Administrative Records, 1937-1982 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 3: Member Writings, 1938-1954 (Box 1; 4 folders)

Series 4: Financial and Legal Records, 1942-1983 (Box 1-2; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 5: Printed Materials, 1936-1982 (Box 2-3, OV 4; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 6: Photographs, 1963 (Box 3; 1 folder)
Biographical / Historical:
The American Abstract Artists group was established in 1936 in New York, New York by a group of painters and sculptors. The American Abstract Artists contributed to the introduction of abstract art to the American public through exhibitions, publications, and lectures.

During the era of the formation of the American Abstract Artists, abstraction was not critically accepted. In 1937, the American Abstract Artists held their first exhibition at the Squibb Galleries in New York City. It received negative reactions from both the press and the public - the exhibition had a high attendance but poor reviews. The American Abstract Artists addressed the role of the critic through their publications, specifically the 1940 pamphlet "The Art Critics! How Do They Serve the Public? What Do They Say? How Much Do They Know?—Let's Look at the Record!"

The group was most active from 1937 to 1942, and supported the critical success of Abstract Expressionism in later decades.
Related Materials:
Among the holdings of the Archives of American Art are the Ruth Bowman Interviews of American Abstract Art members, 1963-1965, and Susan C. Larsen's Interviews of American Abstract Art members, 1973-1978.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming available on 35 mm microfilm reels D539, N59-11, N69-72, N69-96, N69-97, N69-137, and N70-48. Much of this material and the papers on reels N70-48 and N59-11 were included in subsequent gifts, and may have been microfilmed again. Loaned materials not donated later are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
The Archives of American Art acquired the American Abstract Artists records in three installments by Presidents Emeriti of the American Abstract Artists. Alice Trumball Mason first lent papers for microfilming in 1959, and she later gifted the majority of this material in 1969. Following, Leo Rabkin donated records in 1969, and Irene Rousseau gave more papers in 1983.
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.
Occupation:
Painters  Search this
Topic:
Sculptors  Search this
Art, Abstract -- United States  Search this
Function:
Arts organizations -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Citation:
The American Abstract Artists records, 1936-1983. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.amerabst
See more items in:
American Abstract Artists records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw92b03614e-a730-42e2-be4b-abd670d0bfd6
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-amerabst
Online Media:

Lillian and Frederick Kiesler papers

Creator:
Kiesler, Lillian, 1910?-2001  Search this
Names:
Anthology Film Archives  Search this
Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts  Search this
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation  Search this
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
University of Iowa, Museum of Art  Search this
Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this
Adnan, Etel  Search this
Andres, Jo  Search this
Arnaud, Leopold, 1895-1984  Search this
Bartos, Armand P., 1910-  Search this
Bultman, Fritz, 1919-1985  Search this
Buscemi, Steve, 1958-  Search this
Castelli, Leo  Search this
Copley, Alfred L.  Search this
Diller, Burgoyne, 1906-1965  Search this
Dlugoszewski, Lucia, 1931-2000  Search this
Dorazio, Piero, 1927-  Search this
Dorazio, Virginia Dortch  Search this
Dreier, Katherine Sophie, 1877-1952  Search this
Dubuffet, Jean, 1901-  Search this
Duchamp, Marcel, 1887-1968  Search this
Hawkins, Erick  Search this
Hodges, Alice  Search this
Hofmann, Hans, 1880-1966  Search this
Holtzman, Harry  Search this
Howe, George, 1886-1955  Search this
Kamler, Richard  Search this
Kiesler, Frederick  Search this
MacIver, Loren, 1909-  Search this
Meredith, Burgess, 1907-1997  Search this
Milius, Tom  Search this
Miller, Henry, 1891-  Search this
Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this
Montgomery, Chandler  Search this
Owen, Jane Blaffer, 1915-2010  Search this
Purdy, James  Search this
Takaezu, Toshiko  Search this
Tawney, Lenore  Search this
Zogbaum, Wilfrid, 1915-1965  Search this
Extent:
49.1 Linear feet
0.001 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Scrapbooks
Sound recordings
Diaries
Interviews
Scripts (documents)
Motion pictures (visual works)
Date:
circa 1910s-2003
bulk 1958-2000
Summary:
The papers of New York artist Lillian Kiesler and architect and sculptor Frederick Kiesler measure 49.1 linear feet and 0.001 GB and date from circa 1910s-2003, with the bulk of the material from 1958-2000. The collection documents their personal and professional lives and the legacy of Frederick Kiesler's work through biographical material, correspondence, legal, financial and business records, teaching files, exhibition and performance files, artwork, subject files, printed and digital material, writings and interviews, monographs, photographic material, and sound and video recordings. Also found are papers related to Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann and the papers of artist Alice Hodges.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of artist, performer, and arts educator Lillian Kiesler and sculptor, architect, set designer, educator, and writer Frederick Kiesler measure 49.1 linear feet and 0.001 GB and date from circa 1910s-2003, with the bulk of the material from 1958-2000. The collection documents their personal and professional lives and the legacy of Frederick Kiesler's work through biographical material, correspondence, legal, financial and business records, teaching files, exhibition and performance files, artwork, subject files, printed and digital material, writings and interviews, monographs, photographic material, and sound and video recordings. Also found are papers related to Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann and the papers of artist Alice Hodges.

The collection is arranged into two series: the Lillian Kiesler Papers (Series 1) and the Frederick Kiesler Papers (Series 2). Measuring 41.1 linear feet, the Lillian Kiesler Papers (Series 1) make up the bulk of the collection and document her personal life and professional career as an artist, actor, teacher, arts benefactor and promoter of Frederick Kiesler's legacy. The series spans her lifetime, although most of the material is dated after 1965. Among her papers are biographical materials, correspondence, legal and financial records, teaching files, exhibition and performance files, artwork, subject files, printed material, monographs, papers related to Frederick Kiesler and his legacy, papers of and related to Hans Hofmann, papers of Alice Hodges, photographic material, and sound and video recordings.

Found among Lillian Kiesler's personal papers are address books, numerous calendars and appointment books, and diaries and journals. Her correspondence is extensive and contains business correspondence with John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, The University of Iowa Museum of Art, and Erick Hawkins Dance Foundation, and personal letters and greeting cards from friends, family, artists, scholars, and researchers, including Etel Adnan, Alcopley, Fritz Bultman, Steve Buscemi, Mike Diamond, Burgoyne Diller, Lucia Dlugoszewski, Piero Dorazio, Jean Dubuffet, Jay Gottlieb, Erick Hawkins, Burgess Meredith, Henry Miller, James Purdy, and Herrel Thomas. Of interest is a letter from Harry Holtzman postmarked March 13, 1935 describing his initial meeting with Mondrian, and a letter from E.B. Gordon describing Henry Miller in Paris.

Materials related to Lillian Kiesler's estate and last wishes can also be found, as well as teaching plans, student work, and writings by Lillian Kiesler's mentor and friend, New York University professor Chandler Montgomery. Various printed material, correspondence, scripts, and rehearsal schedules from Lillian Kiesler's exhibitions and performances are also found, and among the directors, artists and writers represented are Jo Andres, Steve Buscemi, Cindy Lugar, Tim Miller and James Purdy. Artwork contains photographs by Bob Del Fredici, drawings by Piero Dorazio, and notes to Frederick Kiesler from Lillian Kiesler.

Subject files about artists, friends, colleagues, performances, and organizations in which she supported, such as the Anthology Film Archives, include printed materials and research materials. Signed exhibition catalogs of Loren MacIver, Dina Ghen, Lenore Tawney, and Toshiko Takaezu, and a reprint article inscribed by Alcopley can be found, as well as numerous inscribed monographs, including books inscribed by Max Weiler and Piero Dorazio, an inscribed first edition of Henry Miller's Black Spring (1936), and a 1937 monograph by Harry Holtzman titled American Abstract Artists.

Series 1 also includes materials related to her husband Frederick Kiesler, papers of and related to Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann, and the personal papers of artist Alice Hodges. The Papers Related to Frederick Kiesler were primarily created or compiled by Lillian Kiesler and document her work on behalf of Frederick Kiesler's legacy. Of interest are letters from Frederick Kiesler to Lillian Kiesler and Alice Hodges; a bound volume of correspondence to Piero Dorazio; an inventory of objects in the Frederick Kiesler estate; photographs of artwork; an interview (sound recordings and transcript) with Lillian Kiesler about Frederick Kiesler for "Music of the Age," included on the tape is a portion of a Frederick Kiesler interview (1965); a recording of Lillian Kiesler interviewing Richard Kamler about Frederick Kiesler; and Frederick Kiesler's dialogue with Leo Castelli (undated).

Lillian Kiesler was a student of Hans Hofmann (1880-1966) in New York City and Provincetown, Massachusetts, as well as an enthusiastic volunteer promoter and assistant to The Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts. The bulk of the papers of and related to Hans Hofmann were created or compiled by Lillian Kielser and are about Hofmann's career and legacy. However, also found are some papers of Hans Hofmann, including letters from Hofmann to Lillian Kiesler and Alice Hodges describing his artwork, life in Provincetown, and issues with The Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts, typed and handwritten lectures given by Hofmann, Hofmann's 1941 address to the American Abstract Artists (AAA), three boxes of card files on students of the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts in New York City and Provincetown, and photographs of Hofmann and his house in Provincetown taken by Wilfrid Zogbaum and Tom Milius.

The artist Alice Hodges (b. unknown-1965) was a close friend of Lillian Kiesler, a former secretary to Frederick Kiesler, and a student of Hans Hofmann. Included among her personal papers is some correspondence from Hans Hofmann and Katherine Drier and numerous postcards from Hodges and Lillian Kiesler's trip to Europe in 1950, posters and printed material from her exhibitions, an oversized scrapbook chronicling Lillian Kiesler's teaching career, records from the United States Treasury War Bond Art Auction in 1945, original artwork and greeting cards made by Hodges and Lillian Kiesler, and 31 rolled negative strips in metal canisters of Frederick Kiesler sculptures, Provincetown and Hans Hofmann, Wellfleet, Empire State Music Festival (1955), and travels to Colorado and Europe, some of which may be printed and found in this subseries.

Photographs found in the Lillian Kiesler Papers are mostly black and white and color snapshots of Lillian Kiesler's friends and family at events and at home, including candid photos of Hans Hofmann, Alice Hodges, Frederick Kiesler, and Alcopley. Slides prepared by Lillian Kiesler for a lecture on Frederick Kiesler and her lecture notes on index cards are found. Sound and video recordings include recordings of productions in which Lillian Kiesler performed, and music, film, or live stage performances written, directed, or performed by friends.

Measuring 7.1 linear feet, Frederick Kiesler's personal papers (Series 2) document his professional career and date from 1923-1992. Biographical materials include his curriculum vitae, four passports, and numerous appointment books and notes from late in his life. Correspondence with architects, publishers, editors, universities, museums, galleries, manufacturers, artists and friends includes letters from L. Alcopley, Leopold Arnaud, Armand P. Bartos, Piero and Virginia Dorazio, George Howe, Kay Johnson, Jane Owen, and others. There are also photocopied letters from Katherine Dreier, Marcel Duchamp, and Piet Mondrian. Business and financial records from the 1940s to mid-1960s comprise a significant bulk of this series and are primarily tax returns and receipts and statements used to file tax returns. Materials on the publication of "Inside the Endless House" (1966), the International Theatre Exposition (in German) in 1924 and other exhibits from shortly after his death are found, as well as student artwork and papers from Kiesler's classes in the mid-1950s. A bound copy of the "Bibliography of Writings of and About Frederick Kiesler" compiled by Lillian Kiesler is found, as well as printed material about Frederick Kiesler and a handful of photographs of artwork.

Users should note that Lillian Kiesler's and Frederick Kiesler's papers contain similar types of material that often overlap in subject matter, especially among the Papers Related to Frederick Kiesler (Subseries 1.10) in Series 1 and the Frederick Kiesler Papers (Series 2). This collection contains limited material related to Lillian Kiesler prior to the 1940s and Frederick Kiesler prior to his arrival in the United States in 1926.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into two series. Each series is divided into several subseries, with the arrangement described in detail in the series descriptions.

Missing Title

Series 1: Lillian Kiesler papers, circa 1910s-2003 (Box 1-39, 47-52, OV 53-57; 41.1 linear feet, ER01; 0.001 GB)

Series 2: Frederick Kiesler papers, 1923-1992 (Box 40-46, OV 53; 7.1 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
Frederick Kiesler (1890-1965) was a sculptor, architect, set designer, educator, and writer active in New York and Connecticutt. Lillian Kiesler (1911-2001) was a performer, arts educator, and painter married to Frederick Kiesler. She was also active in the administration of the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts.

Frederick Kiesler was born in Romania in 1890, although he gave various other dates for his birth and regularly cited Vienna as his birthplace. He arrived in the United States with his wife Steffi in 1926 for the International Theatre Exposition at Steinway Hall in New York City. They stayed in the United States and were granted citizenship in 1936.

Kiesler secured a teaching position at Columbia University's School of Architecture in 1930, and from 1934 through 1957 he was the scenic design director at The Juilliard School of Music. He also lectured at Yale University from 1950-1952. Often labeled a Surrealist, Kiesler's work was experimental and frequently described as ahead of its time. He published, lectured, and participated in numerous exhibitions throughout his career. He is known for his theory of "coreallism;" "The Space House" (1933), a full-scale model of a single family home; an installation designed for Peggy Guggenheim's Art of This Century gallery in 1942; "The Endless House" drawings and model (1950); "The Universal Theatre" (1961) model; and the Shrine of the Book (1965), a building to exhibit the Dead Sea Scrolls in Jerusalem. He died in New York City in December 1965.

Lillian Olinsey met architect and sculptor Frederick Kiesler in 1934. After years of friendship, they were married in 1964, a year and a half before Frederick's death in 1965.

Lillian Kiesler studied art at the Art Students League, Cooper Union, and the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts, where she also assisted Hofmann and the school administration. She taught art to children and young adults for twenty years in New York City. From 1945 to 1955, she taught at the Greenwich House Art workshops and the Woodward School, followed by the Brooklyn Museum (1948-1958), Barnard School (1953-1963), New York University School of Education (1955-1966), and Juilliard School of Visual Arts (1963-1965). Lillian was involved in the performing arts and between the late 1970s through the 1990s she performed in New York City with numerous directors, notably Jo Andres, Steve Buscemi, Richard Foreman, John Jesurun, Cindy Lubar, and Tim Miller. She frequently performed with her close friend, painter Maryette Charlton, who was the executor of the Lillian Kiesler estate.

Lillian Kiesler tirelessly promoted Frederick Kiesler's work and legacy after his death in 1965. From the late 1980s through the 1990s, she delivered lectures about his work at universities and museums, gave interviews, corresponded with researchers, and organized his papers to donate to the Harvard Theatre Collection, Yale School of Art and Architecture, and the Archives of American Art. In 1997, she helped found the Frederick and Lillian Kiesler Foundation in Vienna, Austria. She endowed the Austrian Frederick Kiesler Prize, an award given to a notable contributor to the field of architecture. The first recipient was Frank Gehry in 1998. Lillian Kiesler passed away in 2001 in New York City.
Related Material:
The holdings of the Archives of American Art include the Hans Hofmann Papers, 1904-1978 and the Maryette Charlton Papers, 1929-1998. Additional Frederick Kiesler papers are available at the Museum of Modern Art, the Harvard Theater Collection, and the Yale School of Art and Architecture.
Separated Material:
Some of the materials related to Frederick Kiesler were initially loaned for microfilming on reels 57 and 127-128. This material is not described in the container listing of this finding aid. Most, but not all, of the loaned material was later donated and has been merged with the other accretions.
Provenance:
The collection was donated by Lillian Kiesler and Maryette Charlton, executrix of her estate, in several accessions between 1980-2002. Some of the papers related to Frederick Kiesler were originally loaned for microfilming in 1971, most of which was later donated in 1980. Additional papers related to Frederick Kiesler were donated in 1993. Papers related to Hans Hofmann were given in 1981. Lillian Kiesler's papers were donated in 2000 by Lillian Kiesler, and in 2002, by Maryette Charlton.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Set designers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Educators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Authors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Performance artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art patrons -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Architects -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Exhibition designers  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women performance artists  Search this
Function:
Art schools -- Massachusetts
Art Schools -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Sound recordings
Diaries
Interviews
Scripts (documents)
Motion pictures (visual works)
Citation:
Lillian and Frederick Kiesler papers, circa 1910s-2003, bulk 1958-2000. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.kieslill
See more items in:
Lillian and Frederick Kiesler papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw92be035c5-5063-4d6e-8ac2-5f08c17ef915
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-kieslill
Online Media:

Karl Knaths papers

Creator:
Knaths, Karl, 1891-1971  Search this
Names:
Roseberg, Paul and Company  Search this
Einstein, Carl, 1885-1940  Search this
Hofmann, Hans, 1880-1966  Search this
Knaths, Karl, 1891-1971  Search this
Malevich, Kazimir Severinovich, 1878-1935  Search this
Mehler, F. A.  Search this
Meierhans, Joseph, b. 1890  Search this
Mocsanyi, Paul  Search this
Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this
Phillips, Duncan, 1886-1966  Search this
Phillips, Marjorie, 1895-1985  Search this
Extent:
8.9 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Diaries
Sketchbooks
Paintings
Manuscripts
Prints
Sketches
Transcripts
Date:
1890-1973
bulk 1922-1971
Summary:
The papers of cubist painter Karl Knaths measure 8.9 linear feet and date from 1890 to 1973, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1922 to 1971. The collection includes biographical material, personal and professional correspondence, four diaries, 22 notebooks and notes on theoretical color and compositional approaches to painting, published and draft copies of essays on art, miscellaneous printed material, 132 sketchbooks and other artwork.
Scope and Contents note:
The papers of cubist painter Karl Knaths measure 8.9 linear feet and date from 1890 to 1973, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1922 to 1971. The collection includes biographical material, personal and professional correspondence, four diaries, 22 notebooks and notes on theoretical color and compositional approaches to painting, published and draft copies of essays on art, miscellaneous printed material, and 132 sketchbooks and additional artwork.

Biographical material consists of a copy of Knaths's curriculum vitae, a press release, and miscellaneous personal financial records.

Correspondence in the collection documents Knaths's relationships with family, friends, and business associates after his move to Provincetown, Massachusetts in 1919. Notable correspondents include Duncan and Marjorie Phillips, artist Joseph Meierhans, and the gallery Paul Rosenberg and Co.

The papers include three of Knaths's personal diaries (1916-1919, 1948) and a diary written by F.A. Mehler in 1890. Additional writings include lecture notes from classes that Knaths both attended and taught; 22 notebooks that explore his interest in articulating a color and compositional theory of painting; loose notes on various artists, projects, and facets of painting; several of his completed essays on art, including "Decorative Material" and "Pictorial Analysis;" and a draft of his unpublished manuscript "Ornament and Glory." Writings by others include 15 lecture transcripts from courses taught by Hans Hofmann during the 1930s, Knaths's translations of essays by Piet Mondrian, Kazimir Malevitch, and Carl Einstein, and a biographical essay on Karl Knaths by Paul Mocsanyi.

Printed materials in the collection include clippings, exhibition catalogs, and programs related to Knaths's one-man exhibitions and group shows, and the books Syracuse University Centennial Collection of Art (1970) and Karl Knaths: Five Decades of Painting (1973).

The bulk of the collection consists of 132 sketchbooks and additional artwork. Sketchbooks date from the 1920s to the 1970s and document Knaths's early figurative and landscape studies and later explorations of cubist style and compositional experiments with color, line, and form. Additional artwork includes numerous color charts and diagrams that Knaths kept to inform his painting color palette; outlines of compositional works on both graphed and regular paper; loose pencil sketches and pastels of figures, landscapes, and compositional experiments; and finished paintings and prints.
Arrangement note:
The collection is arranged as 6 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1950s-1971 (Box 1, 8; 6 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1923-1971 (Box 1; .5 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings, 1890, 1916-1968 (Boxes 1-3, 8, OV 14, OV 19; 2 linear feet)

Series 4: Printed Material, circa 1920s-1973 (Box 3, OV 19; 10 folders)

Series 5: Sketchbooks, circa 1920s-1970s (Boxes 3-6, 9-13; 4.5 linear feet)

Series 6: Artwork, circa 1920s-1970s (Box 6, 13, OV 15-18, OV 20-22; 1.8 linear feet)
Biographical/Historical note:
Karl Knaths (1891-1971), born Otto G. Knaths, lived and worked in Provincetown, Massachusetts and was known for his cubist style of painting.

Knaths was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and studied at the Art Institute of Chicago in his early twenties. The 1913 Armory Show provided his first major encounter with modernist art styles and the works of Paul Cezanne and Vincent Van Gogh. In 1919, Knaths moved to Provincetown and began to explore cubist perspectives in his own work, which drew much of its inspiration from the fishing culture and landscapes of his Cape Cod environs. Intellectually curious and drawn to art theory, Knaths recorded his thoughts on composition rules, color classifications, and the potential intersections between music, space, and color theory in notebooks, notes, and sketchbooks throughout his career.

The patronage of art collector Duncan Phillips led to Knaths's first one-man show at the Phillips Collection in 1929. The following year, he landed a solo show at New York's Daniel Gallery. Knaths joined the Works Progress Administration in 1934 and painted murals and other works for a year and a half. From 1938 to 1950, he also taught painting and art theory during a six week course held at the Phillips Art School, and was a guest lecturer at Black Mountain College, North Carolina (1944) and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine (1948). From 1945 to 1971, he was represented by the art gallery Paul Rosenberg and Co. Knaths died in 1971 in his home in Provincetown, at the age of 80.
Related Archival Materials note:
The Archives of American Art holds one oral history interview with Karl Knaths conducted by Dorothy Seckler in 1962; a transcript of a 1968 lecture delivered by Knaths at the Provincetown Art Association in Provincetown, Massachusetts; and a 1955 video recording documenting Knaths's Cape Cod influenced artwork, directed by Jack Calderwood.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds material lent for microfilming (reel D81) including one sketchbook. Lent materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
In 1962, Karl Knaths lent the Archives of American Art a sketchbook and a selection of papers for microfilming. Upon Knath's death in 1972, these papers, excluding the sketchbook, along with additional materials, were willed to the Archives. His executor, Kenneth Desmarais, donated additional material from Knaths's estate in 1977 and 1980.
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:
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Cape Cod  Search this
Topic:
Painting -- Study and teaching  Search this
Painting -- Technique  Search this
Cubism  Search this
Art -- Technique  Search this
Color in art  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Genre/Form:
Diaries
Sketchbooks
Paintings
Manuscripts
Prints
Sketches
Transcripts
Citation:
Karl Knaths papers, 1890-1973, bulk 1922-1971. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.knatkarp
See more items in:
Karl Knaths papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9cf903b6a-d529-4267-91e3-c358928a643c
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-knatkarp
Online Media:

Emily Hall Tremaine papers

Creator:
Tremaine, Emily Hall, 1908-1987  Search this
Names:
Wadsworth Atheneum  Search this
Johnson, Philip, 1906-2005  Search this
Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this
Von Romberg, Maximillian (Baron)  Search this
Extent:
8.9 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Sound recordings
Video recordings
Date:
circa 1890-2004
Summary:
The papers of art collector Emily Hall Tremaine measure 8.9 linear feet, date from circa 1890 to 2004, and document the development of Tremaine's seminal collection of modernist, pop, and contemporary art. The papers comprise biographical material including a sound recording, personal correspondence, art collection files, artist files, exhibition loan files including a video recording, and reproduction request files. Also found are two scrapbooks documenting Tremaine's first marriage to Baron Maximilian von Romberg; and photographs of Tremaine, her family and friends, and works of art from her collection.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of art collector Emily Hall Tremaine measure 8.9 linear feet, date from circa 1890 to 2004, and document the development of Tremaine's seminal collection of modernist, pop, and contemporary art. The papers comprise biographical material including a sound recording, personal correspondence, art collection files, artist files, exhibition loan files including a video recording, and reproduction request files. Also found are two scrapbooks documenting Tremaine's first marriage to Baron Maximilian von Romberg; and photographs of Tremaine, her family and friends, and works of art from her collection.

Biographical material relates to the Hall, von Romberg, and Tremaine families, and includes a sound recording about the Tremaine family. Correspondence is with family members, including Tremaine's three husbands, her mother, and her sister Elizabeth, and includes Christmas cards with reproductions of artwork from Tremaine's collection.

Art collection files include inventory binders and document the purchase dates, prices, market value, and provenance of artwork purchased by the Tremaines. Artist files provide further detail on works by individual artists, and track the purchase, sale, trade, loan, and donation of many of those works. Of note is extensive documentation of the provenance, restoration, and sale of Piet Mondrian's Victory Boogie Woogie which was sold in 1988.

Exhibition loan files document loans from the Tremaine collection for exhibitions in the United States and abroad. Records of a 1984 Wadsworth Atheneum exhibition of artwork from the Tremaine collection include a video recording of a lecture by Philip Johnson. Requests for permission to reproduce images from the Tremaine collection document the extensive publication history of many of the works of art.

Two scrapbooks document the courtship and marriage of Emily Hall and Maximilian von Romberg and record von Romberg's passions for polo and aviation.

Photographic material primarily documents Tremaine's personal life, through portraits of Tremaine, her sister, and parents; wedding pictures from her marriage to von Romberg; photos of friends and members of Santa Barbara high society, including Clark Gable, Ruth and Walter Pidgeon, and Jeanne and Juan Reynal; and photos of the home Emily shared with von Romberg on the Brunninghausen Estate in Montecito, California. Two dismantled photograph albums include photos of artwork in the Tremaine collection.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as eight series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Materials, circa 1910-1980 (7 folders; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1905-1985 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Art Collection Files, circa 1950-1985 (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 1, 9)

Series 4: Artist Files, 1936-2004 (4.6 linear feet; Boxes 2-6, 9)

Series 5: Exhibition Loan Files, 1960-2001 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 6-7)

Series 6: Reproduction Request Files, circa 1964-1989 (0.6 linear feet; Box 8)

Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1931-1937 (0.3 linear feet; Boxes 9-10)

Series 8: Photographic Materials, circa 1890-1997 (0.8 linear feet; Boxes 8, 10-11)
Biographical / Historical:
Art collector Emily Hall Tremaine (1908-1987) lived in New York City and Madison, Connecticut, and was known for having assembled one of the most noteworthy collections of post World War II art focused on modernist, pop, and contemporary artists.

Tremaine was born in Butte, Montana, to mining executive William Hubbard Hall and his wife, Elizabeth Smith Hall. Her first marriage to Baron Maximilian von Romberg was well publicized in the society pages of the time and ended with von Romberg's death in a plane accident in 1938. Tremaine's second marriage to sugar heir Adolph B. Spreckels, Jr., ended in divorce in 1940.

While Tremaine collected art in the 1930s, it was not until her 1945 marriage to industrial executive Burton Tremaine that she began acquiring works in earnest. Together, the Tremaines assembled a collection that initially focused on American and European modern artists and would eventually include emerging pop and contemporary art. Their first purchase was Piet Mondrian's unfinished painting, Victory Boogie Woogie, now owned by the Gemeentemuseum. The collection would eventually number over four hundred works of art and range from paintings by Picasso, Kandinsky, and Georges Braque to works by Jasper Johns, Claes Oldenburg, Roy Lichtenstein, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. While single pieces were sold, traded, or donated throughout Tremaine's active collecting years, the bulk of the collection was sold at auction in 1988 and 1991 to raise funds for the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation. Tremaine died from complications of emphysema in 1987.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Emily Hall Tremaine conducted by Paul Cummings, January 24, 1973.
Provenance:
The papers were donated in 2005 by Tremaine's step-grandson, Burton G. Tremaine III.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References 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:
Collectors -- Connecticut  Search this
Collectors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Sound recordings
Video recordings
Citation:
Emily Hall Tremaine papers, circa 1890-2004. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.trememil
See more items in:
Emily Hall Tremaine papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e24e4f17-ece1-4794-a312-e11aa6e0b047
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-trememil
Online Media:

Keith Warner papers

Creator:
Warner, Keith, 1895-1959  Search this
Names:
"291" (Gallery)  Search this
American Place (Gallery)  Search this
Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this
Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976  Search this
Dorcely, Roland  Search this
Macdonald-Wright, Stanton, 1890-1973  Search this
Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this
Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this
O'Keeffe, Georgia, 1887-1986  Search this
Rosenburg, Paul  Search this
Russell, Morgan, 1886-1953  Search this
Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this
Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this
Extent:
0.7 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Illustrated letters
Sketches
Date:
1935-1975
Summary:
The papers of American art collector Keith Warner measure 0.7 linear feet and date from 1935 to 1975. Correspondence, collecting files, and artwork detail Warner's role as a collector of art in the mid-twentieth century. Present in the collection are materials related to Alexander Calder, Roland Dorcely, Stanton MacDonald-Wright, Piet Mondrian, Alfred Stieglitz, and Max Weber.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of American art collector Keith Warner measure 0.7 linear feet and date from 1935 to 1975. Correspondence, collecting files, and artwork detail Warner's role as a collector of art in the mid-twentieth century. Present in the collection are materials related to Alexander Calder, Roland Dorcely, Stanton MacDonald-Wright, Piet Mondrian, Alfred Stieglitz, and Max Weber.

Warner's relationships with artists are documented in extensive letters which make up the bulk of the collection. Subjects range from exhibitions, the art market, artists' methods and works, art criticism, and collecting to personal subjects. Letters from Roland Dorcely and Alexander Calder include illustrated letters and postcards. Letters from Calder discuss a mix of business and personal matters, including a discussion of the design of jewelry commissioned for Warner's wife, Edna. Letters from Dorcely document Warner's cultivation, criticism, and collection of Dorcely's work, as well as the hardships of Haitian artists and Dorcely's views on art. The letters are in French with some English translations.

Correspondence with Alfred Stieglitz documents his common endeavor with Warner in collecting the paintings of John Marin, and Stieglitz's gallery, An American Place. Letters associated with An American Place continue after Stieglitz's death in 1946. Found with Alfred Stieglitz's letters are two letters from Georgia O'Keeffe. Max Weber letters include comments on his painting and sculpting, his retrospective show at the Whitney, the art press, national politics, and also refer to Stieglitz and Marin. An extensive group of correspondence with Stanton MacDonald-Wright is mostly undated; MacDonald-Wright writes freely about Stieglitz, the "291" group of artists, and his partner in Synchromism, Morgan Russell. Also included are letters from Piet Mondrian related to collecting, as well as letters from unidentified correspondents.

Warner's collecting files consist of diverse materials concerning his research, writing, and relationships with artists whose paintings he collected, particularly Roland Dorcely and Stanton MacDonald-Wright. Included are biographical sketches; writings about and by the artists, including manuscripts and published materials; newspaper and magazine clippings; exhibition announcements and catalogs; and photographs of works of art. Writings by Roland Dorcely, on the subject of his artistic process and perspective, include handwritten essays in French as well as typed English translations. Published articles from Script magazine (1945-1946) by Stanton MacDonald-Wright document his career as an art critic. Writings on Alexander Calder and Paul Rosenburg, taken from Warner's journal on Calder, and on the early relationship of Alfred Stieglitz and Georgia O'Keeffe, documented on a visit with Stieglitz on May 3, 1944, are also present.

Artwork consists of work by Alexander Calder and Roland Dorcely. Calder's work includes sketches proposing mobiles with notations as to material, scale, and cost. Dorcely's work includes sketches in graphite and ink of abstract figures and objects.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 3 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Correspondence, 1940-1963 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1-2)

Series 2: Collecting Files, circa 1940-1975 (12 folders; Box 2, OV 3)

Series 3: Artwork, circa 1945-circa 1965 (2 folders; Box 2)
Biographical / Historical:
Keith Warner (1895-1959) was an American art collector. Warner was born and lived in Gloversville, New York, and maintained a manufacturing business that took him to New York City intermittently. Warner began collecting Chinese porcelains after World War I, and a few years later his interest shifted to American abstract painting. Warner retired from business in 1944. His collection was sold gradually after his death, mostly to private collectors, though some works are in museums in the United States and Japan.
Provenance:
The Keith Warner papers were donated in 1992 by Edna K. Allen, wife of Keith Warner.
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.
Topic:
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- New York (State)  Search this
Artists -- United States  Search this
Art -- Haiti  Search this
Art, Abstract -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Art criticism  Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Synchromism (Art)  Search this
Art, American  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Illustrated letters
Sketches
Citation:
Keith Warner papers, 1935-1975. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.warnkeit
See more items in:
Keith Warner papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw97cf79e0a-b1cc-4c06-bf03-80608f90eb97
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-warnkeit
Online Media:

Piet Mondrian / by Alden Thompson

Creator:
Thompson, Alden  Search this
Names:
Grandin, Ruth Thompson  Search this
Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this
Extent:
20 Pages ((on partial microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Date:
1971
Scope and Contents:
Photocopy of a typescript labeled ""From several mss., dated 1971, compiled by R.T.G., 1982."
Biographical / Historical:
Alden Thompson was an art historian and writer. His sister, Ruth Thompson Grandin, is a painter from Putney, Vermont.
Provenance:
Donated 1984 by Emily Mason. Her relationship to Thompson is unclear.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Art historians  Search this
Painters  Search this
Topic:
Painting, Abstract  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.thomalde
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw982d88a69-af12-4e2d-9068-500d095fa6e7
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-thomalde

Kate Steinitz papers

Creator:
Steinitz, Kate Traumann, 1889-1975  Search this
Names:
Bauhaus  Search this
Berlinische Galerie  Search this
Elmer Belt Library of Vinciana  Search this
Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nürnberg  Search this
San Francisco Museum of Art  Search this
Berg, Ilse  Search this
Chagall, Marc, 1887-1985  Search this
Gabo, Naum, 1890-1977  Search this
Graeff, Werner, 1901-1978  Search this
Grosz, George, 1893-1959  Search this
Höch, Hannah, 1889-1978  Search this
Leonardo, da Vinci, 1452-1519  Search this
Lissitzky, El, 1890-1941  Search this
Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this
Nebel, Otto, 1892-1973  Search this
Schwitters, Kurt, 1887-1948  Search this
van Biema, Carrie  Search this
Extent:
4.3 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Sketches
Manuscripts
Journals (accounts)
Collages
Paintings
Greeting cards
Visitors' books
Travel diaries
Date:
circa 1910-2002
Summary:
The papers of artist, collector, librarian, and scholar Kate Steinitz measure 4.3 linear feet and date from circa 1910 to 2002. The collection documents Steinitz's life and career in Germany and the United States through biographical material; correspondence; writings, including manuscripts and travel diaries; exhibition files; personal business records; printed material; travel scrapbooks; artwork; and photographs.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of artist, collector, librarian, and scholar Kate Steinitz measure 4.3 linear feet and date from circa 1910 to 2002. The collection documents Steinitz's life and career in Germany and the United States through biographical material; correspondence; writings, including manuscripts and travel diaries; exhibition files; personal business records; printed material; travel scrapbooks; artwork; and photographs.

Biographical material consists of life and travel documents, various membership cards, news clippings, and memorial cards. Also included are letters of recommendation, a resume, and an award from the president of Germany.

Correspondence is with friends, family, colleagues, and various organizations. Artists represented include Carrie van Biema, El Lissitzky, Piet Mondrian, and others. Correspondence with arts organizations include San Francisco Museum of Art, Berlinische Galerie, Germanisches Nationalmuseum, and others.

Published writings by Steinitz include articles, books, and book reviews. Unpublished writings include two travel diaries and an illustrated journal, an autobiographical essay with a sketch of the Traumann family tree, manuscripts, lectures, poems, and notes. Writings by others include a guest register with sketches and comments by visitors, a memorial speech, biographical essays, and miscellaneous notes.

Steinitz's professional activities during her career as a librarian and curator of the Elmer Belt Library of Vinciana are documented through published articles and books, informal reports, correspondence, scrapbooks, sketches, and photographs.

Files pertaining to exhibitions of Steinitz's artwork and collection are documented through three exhibition catalogs, correspondence, inventories, photographs, and printed ephemera. Materials related to the Schwitters-Steinitz Collection, which was compiled by Steinitz and is available at the National Gallery of Art Library in Washington, D.C., include a finding aid and photocopies documenting the exhibition Collaborative Works by Kate Steinitz and Kurt Schwitters from the Schwitters-Steinitz Collection (1994).

Personal business records include an appraisal of Steinitz's art and book collection. Documents pertaining to Steinitz's publishing activities include sales agreements and legal services rendered for the book Kurt Schwitters: A Portrait from Life (1968) written by Steinitz and contracts with Whitman Publishing Company for a children's book by Tom Seidmann-Freud.

Printed material consists of published illustrations and stationary by Steinitz; clippings about Steinitz, Kurt Schwitters, and others; reproductions of artwork; and miscellaneous invitations and announcements. Also found are three children's books written and illustrated by Tom Seidmann-Freud and a book of poems with an illustrated book jacket by Joachin Ringelnatz.

Steinitz's personal and professional trips to Europe are documented through six travel scrapbooks which include sketches, photographs, notes, and printed ephemera such as postcards, receipts, and maps.

Artwork by Steinitz consists of travel sketches and a mock-up sketch for the book Manuscripts of Leonardo da Vinci: Their History, With a Description of the Manuscript Editions in Facsimile (1948). Artwork by others includes miscellaneous sketches, prints, and paintings. Of note are greeting cards with prints by Werner Graeff and a collage by Otto Nebel.

Photographs and negatives consist of portraits and snapshots of Steinitz as well as family, friends, and artists. Photographs by Steinitz include a self-portrait and images of artists, artwork, and Bauhaus architecture. Photographs of Steinitz's apartments in Los Angeles include images of a Man Ray table that was given to Jake Zeitlin. Artists represented include Piet Mondrian, Naum Gabo, Kurt Schwitters, Hannah Höch, El Lissitzky, Marc Chagall, George Grosz, and others.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 10 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1915-1976 (Box 1; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1922-1998 (Boxes 1-2; 0.9 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings, 1921-2002 (Box 2; 1.0 linear feet)

Series 4: Elmer Belt Library of Vinciana, 1948-1989 (Boxes 2-3; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 5: Exhibition Files, 1939-2001 (Box 3; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 6: Personal Business Records, 1938-1993 (Box 3; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 7: Printed Material, 1913-2002 (Boxes 3-5; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 8: Travel Scrapbooks, 1966-1974 (Box 4; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 9: Artwork, circa 1928-1974 ( Boxes 4-5; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 10: Photographic Material, circa 1910-1979 (Boxes 4-5; 0.3 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Kate Steinitz (1889-1975) was an artist, collector, librarian, and scholar who worked in Berlin and Hanover, Germany and Los Angeles, California. Steinitz was born in Beuthen, Silesia, Germany, (now Poland) to Arnold and Magdelena Traumann; the family relocated to Berlin in 1899. From 1908 to 1911, Steinitz studied drawing and painting under Käthe Kollwitz and Lovis Corinth and attended lectures by art historian, Heinrich Wölfflin. While visiting Paris with her mother in 1912, Steinitz continued her studies at the Sorbonne and Académie de la Grande Chaumière.

Steinitz married physician, Ernst Steinitz in 1913. The couple had three daughters including Ilse, Lotti, and Beate. In 1917, the family moved to Hanover, Germany. Over the next 17 years, the Steinitz household served as a salon for visiting artists including Naum Gabo, Hannah Höch, El Lissitzky, and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. Visitors' notes and drawings from this era are documented in Steinitz's guestbook, Zu Gast bei Kate Steinitz, published by Galerie Gmurzynska in 1977.

Steinitz was most active as a fine artist while living in Hanover. Her paintings under glass were first exhibited in 1921 at Herbert von Garvens' gallery. Steinitz had her first solo exhibition in 1922 at the Gurlitt Gallery in Berlin. In 1926, her work was included in the International Exhibition of Modern Art at the Brooklyn Museum in New York.

Steinitz also collected art and her collection included artworks by El Lissitzky, Kurt Schwitters, László Moholy-Nagy, Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, Auguste Rodin, Otto Nebel, Franz Marc, and others. In 1925, she collaborated with German artist Kurt Schwitters and Dutch artist Theo van Doesburg on Die Scheuche Märchen, a typographic children's book published by Aposs and Merz Verlag. Steinitz and Schwitters also collaborated on Der Zusammenstoss, an opera libretto. Steinitz compiled an archival collection documenting Schwitters' life and career which was later acquired by the National Gallery of Art Library in Washington, D.C. in 1976.

As a journalist, Steinitz wrote about art and lifestyle topics for newspapers and magazines in Hanover and Berlin. Growing Nazi influences caused the family to leave Germany for New York City in 1936. As Chairman of the Art Committee of Friendship House, a cultural organization for refugees, Steinitz organized the New Americans (1939-1940) exhibition of paintings, drawings, and sculpture by European refugees at the World's Fair in New York.

After finalizing her U.S. citizenship in 1944, Steinitz relocated to Los Angeles where she resided for the remainder of her life. From 1945 to 1961, she served as a librarian for Elmer Belt's Leonardo da Vinci library. When Belt donated the library to the University of California, Los Angeles in 1961, Steinitz was named honorary curator of the Elmer Belt Library of Vinciana. In 1969, Steinitz's literary contributions on Leonardo da Vinci earned her an invitation to deliver the lecture for the IX Lettura Vinciana in Venice, Italy.

The biographical information included here draws upon the following sources: Wilson Library Bulletin, Vol. 45 (1970) and Kate Steinitz: Art into Life into Art, exhibition catalog, Severin Wunderman Museum (1994).
Related Materials:
Kate Steinitz compiled a collection of archival materials about German artist and writer Kurt Schwitters and donated the materials to the National Gallery of Art Library located in Washington, D.C.

Kate Traumann Steinitz papers are also located at UCLA Library Special Collections.
Provenance:
The Kate Steinitz papers were donated to the Archives of American Art in 1999 by Ilse Berg, daughter of Kate Steinitz.
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:
Librarians -- Germany  Search this
Art historians -- Germany  Search this
Librarians -- California -- Los Angeles  Search this
Art historians -- California -- Los Angeles  Search this
Illustrators -- Germany  Search this
Illustrators -- California -- Los Angeles  Search this
Curators -- Germany  Search this
Topic:
Art -- Private collections  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Curators -- California -- Los Angeles  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- Germany  Search this
Dadaism  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Sketches
Manuscripts
Journals (accounts)
Collages
Paintings
Greeting cards
Visitors' books
Travel diaries
Citation:
Kate Steinitz papers, circa 1910-2002. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.steikate
See more items in:
Kate Steinitz papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c048e0ef-0901-463d-89c4-3b7cebdff828
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-steikate
Online Media:

Mondrian in the Sidney Janis Family Collections, New York / edited by Herbert Henkels

Title:
Mondrian : from figuration to abstraction
Author:
Mondrian, Piet 1872-1944  Search this
Henkels, H  Search this
Haags Gemeentemuseum  Search this
Subject:
Mondrian, Piet 1872-1944  Search this
Janis, Sidney 1896-1989 Art collections  Search this
Janis, Harriet 1898-1963 Art collections  Search this
Physical description:
70 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 33 cm
Type:
Exhibitions
Place:
New York (State)
New York
Date:
1988
Topic:
Art--Private collections  Search this
Call number:
N40.1.M74 H46 1988
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_561999

Mondrian, Reinhardt : influence and affinity : October 24-December 13, 1997, 32 East 57th Street New York, NY, PaceWildenstein

Author:
Mondrian, Piet 1872-1944  Search this
Reinhardt, Ad 1913-1967  Search this
PaceWildenstein (Firm)  Search this
Subject:
Reinhardt, Ad 1913-1967  Search this
Mondrian, Piet 1872-1944 Influence  Search this
Physical description:
54 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 27 cm
Type:
Exhibitions
Place:
United States
Date:
1997
Topic:
Monochrome painting  Search this
Call number:
ND237.R316 A4 1997
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_650329

Referencing Mondrian no. 1 : Ilya Bolotowsky, Burgoyne Diller, Fritz Glarner, Harry Holtzman, Charmion von Wiegand : October 17-November 18, 1995

Title:
Referencing Mondrian number one
Author:
Washburn Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Subject:
Mondrian, Piet 1872-1944 Influence  Search this
Bolotowsky, Ilya 1907-1981  Search this
Diller, Burgoyne 1906-1965  Search this
Glarner, Fritz 1899-1972  Search this
Holtzman, Harry  Search this
Von Wiegand, Charmion  Search this
Physical description:
[8] p. : col. ill., ports. ; 21 cm
Type:
Exhibitions
Place:
United States
Date:
1995
[1995]
Topic:
Painting, Abstract  Search this
Call number:
ND212.5.A2 R44 1995
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_653884

Letter from Piet Mondrian to Elenore Lust, New York, New York

Creator:
Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this
Lust, Elenore, 1909-1997  Search this
Subject:
Norlyst Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Valentine Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Type:
Correspondence
Date:
194-?
Citation:
Piet Mondrian. Letter from Piet Mondrian to Elenore Lust, New York, New York, 194-?. Elenore Lust papers, circa 1940-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Exhibitions  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)19791
See more items in:
Elenore Lust papers, circa 1940-1991, bulk 1943-1949
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_19791

Oral history interview with John Opper

Topic:
Art front
Interviewee:
Opper, John  Search this
Interviewer:
Sandler, Irving, 1925-  Search this
Names:
American Abstract Artists  Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Cleveland School of Art -- Faculty  Search this
Cleveland School of Art -- Students  Search this
United States. Work Projects Administration  Search this
Hofmann, Hans, 1880-1966  Search this
Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this
Extent:
129 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1968 Sept. 9-1969 Jan 3
Scope and Contents:
An interview of John Opper conducted 1968 Sept. 9-1969 Jan 3, by Irving Sandler, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
John Opper (1908-1994) was a painter from Amagansett, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hrs., 17 min.
Location of the first of the three tapes is unknown.
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.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Art -- Philosophy  Search this
Function:
Arts organizations
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.opper68
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9d33da1ac-4bac-4cc3-8599-7aadb3e672e4
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-opper68
Online Media:

Design for the decoration of a plate [painting] / (photographed by Walter Rosenblum)

Artist:
Mondrian, Piet 1872-1944  Search this
Photographer:
Rosenblum, Walter 1919-2006  Search this
Type:
Photograph
Topic:
Abstract  Search this
Image number:
ROS R0000228
See more items in:
Photograph Study Collection
Data Source:
Photograph Study Collection, Smithsonian American Art Museum
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_jul_129695

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