200 Items (Ca. 200 items (on 3 partial microfilm reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1893-1954
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence, sketches and sketchbooks, printed material, writings and photographs.
REEL 3257: Norton's passport; 2 photographs of him and his work; a bibliography; letters to Norton's wife (some illustrated), his mother, ca. 1898, when he was with the Rough Riders, and correspondence concerning mural commissions; subject files on the Jefferson County Court House murals in Birmingham, Ala. and at the Logan Museum, Beliot College; his memorial exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago, and obituaries and condolence letters received by his wife; cancelled checks; a typescript of writings by his children regarding a trip to Mexico City; a contract for a mural; an award; clippings; his memorial biography, JOHN W. NORTON: AMERICAN PAINTER; a sketchbook and sketches; and a scrapbook containing illustrated letters, photographs and sketches.
REEL 3367: A typed draft of Norton's story "White Man's Luck"; Norton's United Scenic Artists' union card; 9 sketches and a sketchbook of drawings, notes and a draft of Norton's last letter to Tom Lea, 1933.
REEL 4074: Twelve letters, many illustrated, from John to his family including his son "Bud" (John Francis Norton); a magazine article on Norton from Northwest Architect; an address and a poem by Norton; and 19 photographs and a 5 page manuscript written by Madge Norton, John's wife, describing their trip to Arizona in 1904.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, muralist; Chicago, Ill. Taught at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Provenance:
Passport and photographs donated 1984 by Mr. and Mrs. John Norton Garrett, Norton's grandson. Material on reels 3257 & 3367 lent for microfilming by Mr. & Mrs. Garrett, 1984, as part of the Archives of American Art's Texas Project. Material on reel 4074 lent for microfilming, 1987, by John C. Norton, John Norton Garrett and Katherine Norton Smalley, grandsons and granddaughter of John W. Norton as part of AAA's Chicago project.
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.
An interview of William Walker conducted 1991 June 12-14, by Victor Sorell, for the Archives of American Art.
Walker discusses his childhood in Birmingham, Alabama and Chicago, Illinois; painting murals in Memphis; the Chicago Mural Group, the Wall of Respect in Chicago, the Wall of Dignity in Detroit and other murals; subject matter and use of black historical figures such as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Elijah Muhammad; use of narrative; public response to the murals; and artists he worked with including Eugene Edaw, Mark Rogovin, John Weber and Mitchell Caton.
Biographical / Historical:
William Walker (1927- ) is an Afroican American mural painter from Chicago, Illinois.
General:
Originally recorded 3 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 8 min.
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.
Genealogical material; letters; business records; notes; writings; art works; scrapbooks; printed material and photographs.
Notes and charts concerning the Spier and Cameron families, 1928-1938; letters, 1868-1947, include a few childhood notes, letters to his parents describing his courses, instructors; to classmates while at the Art Students League in New York, while studying art in Paris, and to his wife, Marie, in Chicago; and letters to Cameron from colleagues.
Among the business records are an application for letters patent, with colleague Mark Salomon, for a device used in the transformation of theater scenery, 1905, and copyright cards for paintings, 1911-1917; notes; a notebook, 1936; 38 cards, 1917-1920, containing information about art works; an undated draft and a typescript, 1940, for an autobiographical acccount "The Cusp of Gemini".
Art works by Cameron include a sketchbook, 1882-1883, primarily of costumed figures, 10 unbound sketches, 21 oil sketches, undated and 1899, some of which are studies for murals, an etching, and 2 copies of a lithograph portrait of a woman. Works by others include a pencil portrait, 1918, of Cameron by Fitzpatrick, and an ink sketch "Winter Morning" by Svend Svensen. Five scrapbooks, 1894-1968 contain clippings and photographs of Cameron, his wife, family members, and works of art.
Also included are clippings, 1888-1950, exhibition announcements and catalogs, 1899-1946, a catalog, 1926, for works by John Singer Sargent, and other printed material; material concerning Cameron's instructor Jean Paul Laurens, and reproductions of works of art including 43 engraved copies of classic works. Photographs, 1890-1918, include 19 of Cameron, 22 of his wife, 18 of family and friends, miscellaneous travel views, and works of art by the Camerons and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Mural painter; Chicago, Ill. Studied at the Chicago Academy of Design, the Art Students League of New York, and was a student of Cabanel, Constant and Laurens in Paris. His wife, Marie Gelon Cameron, was born in Paris, and was also a student of Cabanel, Constant and Laurens.
Provenance:
Donated 1988 by Arthur B. Carpenter and Marjorie L. Kimberlin, Cameron's nephew and niece.
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.
Occupation:
Art students -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Writings, biographical material, photographs, and printed material.
REEL N69-110: An autobiography to 1918, in which Katz writes of his childhood in a Jewish community in Austro-Hungary, his education there, cultural life in Vienna, studies in Munich, effects of art masterpieces on him, a visit to London, the prominent persons he knew, service in the Austro-Hungarian army, his art, and other topics. Also included are a resume; retrospective catalog with prices; clippings; photographs of his paintings; and an essay by Katz, "Atelier 17," on boredom; interpretations of his own work and of others'.
REEL 2081: Two published articles by Katz; four photographs of him and seven photographs of his works of art; a seven page career resume; a brochure on his 1933 mural "Give Us This Day Our Daily Light," and clippings.
REEL 3090: A pamphlet, "Give Us This Day Our Daily Light," about Katz's now destroyed 1933 mural in the Johns-Manville Building, Century of Progress Exposition, Chicago.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, writer; Bronx, N.Y. b. 1887, in Austria; d. 1982
Provenance:
Material on reel N69-110 donated 1969 by Katz. Material on reel 2081 lent for microfilming 1980 by Allan Armstrong for AAA's Texas Project. Material on reel 3090 donated 1979 by Ruth Guernsey.
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:
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Topic:
Mural painting and decoration -- Illinois -- Chicago Search this
Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- United States Search this
Correspondence; slides and photographs of art work; catalogs and clippings; photographs, watercolor studies, and a detailed listing of mural projects in civic buildings and schools done by Pollock and other artists, including Mitchell Siporin, for the Illinois Federal Art Project; clippings and photocopied correspondence concerning the portrait of Lt. Commander Waldron painted by Pollock; Syracuse University School of Art annual reports; lithographs; and watercolors.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, educator; Chicago, Ill. and Syracuse, N.Y. Teaches at Syracuse University School of Art. Was a muralist as well as supervisor of the Chicago Federal Art Project.
Provenance:
Donated 1979-1983 by Merlin F. Pollock.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
Filmed in Calapai's studio in Glencoe, Ill. Calapai discusses his work, and demonstrates the printing of an etching. Biographical information is presented, including Calapai's early training, his work as a muralist for the WPA, studying with William Stanley Hayter in New York, his work on illustrations for Thomas Wolfe's Look Homeward Angels, his watercolors, and his work on a series of prints of Christ now owned by the Vatican. The video is a presentation of the Highland Park [Illinois] Public Library.
Biographical / Historical:
Printmaker, muralist, painter, teacher; Glencoe, Ill.
Publication, Distribution, Etc. (Imprint):
Highland Park, Ill. : Highland Park Public Library, 1989, c1990.
Series Statement:
Viewpoints.
Provenance:
Donated 1990 by the Highland Park Public Library.
Rights:
Authorization to publish, quote or reproduce requires written permission from Highland Park Public Library. Contact Reference Services for more information.
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Letters, scrapbooks, and printed material documenting the development of the Shapiro's art collection. Correspondence, primarily from dealers, museums, art organizations and artists, includes letters from Enrico Baj, Aaron Bohrod (recommending Ben Shahn as a muralist), George Buehr, Jose Luis Cuevas, Leon Golub, Margo Hoff, Miyoko Ito, Sidney Janis, Ellen Lanyon, Pierre Matisse, Ida Meyer-Chagall (discussing her father's work), Abbott Pattison, Irving Petlin, Abraham Rattner, and Kay Sage Tanguy (discussing her husband's work). Printed material consists of 11 exhibition announcements and catalogs (1952-1984), and clippings (1965-1985).
Four scrapbooks (1943-1955) contain clippings, some dealing with the "Art to Live With" program, exhibition catalogs, a letter from Richard Daley (1958), a 3-page typescript "Surrealism Then and Now" by Doris Lane Butler (1958), press releases (1959), and a letter from R. J. Nedved of the Illinois Society of Architects (1967).
Biographical / Historical:
Born 1904. Died 1996. Joseph Shapiro began collecting in 1942 and was drawn to works in the Surrealist tradition. While establishing one of the most important art collections in Chicago, Shapiro and his wife Jory enjoyed personal friendships with artists and used their collection to educate and increase public appreciation of modern art in Chicago. Shapiro was a founder of the Museum of Contemporary Art and served on its board as President from 1967 until 1974.
Provenance:
Material on reel 3759 (fr. 1-320) donated 1986; and material on fr. 323-569 lent for microfilming 1986 all by Joseph R. Shapiro.
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.
An interview with Merlin F. Pollock conducted 1979 July 30 and 1980 July 30, by Robert Brown, for the Archives of American Art. Pollock speaks of his training at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Fontainebleau, France; his work as instructor of mural painting at the Art Institute of Chicago, 1935-1943; his paintings of Alaska commissioned by the government in 1937 and his work as supervisor of mural painting for the Illinois WPA, 1940-1943. He also discusses Chicago artists and his own murals for the government.
Biographical / Historical:
Merlin F. Pollock (1905-1996) was a painter and teacher, Chicago, Ill.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 40 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.
Occupation:
Painters -- United States -- Interviews Search this
Topic:
Mural painting and decoration, American -- Illinois -- Chicago Search this
Arts administrators -- Illinois -- Interviews Search this
Muralists -- United States -- Interviews Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sponsor:
Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.
Notes (1940-1941); printed material (1937-1938) and photographs (1934-1937) documenting the New Deal art work of mural painter Emmanuel Jacobsen.
A list of historic figures proposed for inclusion in the Herzl Junior College mural illustrating "Significant Men and Women in the History of Science and Civilization"; a 3-page typewritten list (1940) of artists representing the Illinois Art Project in the "American Art Today" exhibition at the New York World's Fair; an 11-page bulletin listing January 1941 exhibitions; seven clippings concerning exhibitions by Illinois artists (1937-1938); a 1938 exhibition catalog "Art for the Public by Chicago Artists" and a copy of the May 1937 issue of FORTUNE magazine containing an article on "Unemployed Arts".
Subjects of photographs include the murals for the Mann School, Oak Park, Illinois; Bloom Township High School, Chicago Heights, Illinois (1936-1937); Herzl Junior College, Chicago, Illinois; Jacobson at work; an unused sketch; a tapestry and Ethel Spears at work on a mural.
Provenance:
Donated 1988 by Emmanuel Jacobson.
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.
The papers of artist Ellen Lanyon measure 62.6 linear feet and 84.47 GB and date from circa 1880-2015, bulk 1926-2013. Biographical material; correspondence; interviews; writings; journals; project files; teaching files; exhibition files; personal business records; printed and broadcast material; scrapbooks; photographic material; artwork; sketchbooks; as well as sound and video recordings and digital material, provide a comprehensive view of Lanyon's career and of art circles in Chicago and New York. Correspondence with artists and friends make up a significant portion of the collection. Project and exhibition files reflect her professional and artistic career. Thousands of slides and photographs document her life and artwork over seven decades, and over seventy sketchbooks are filled with student sketches, portraits of friends and family, and preliminary drawings.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of artist Ellen Lanyon measure 62.6 linear feet and 84.47 GB and date from circa 1880-2015, bulk 1926-2013. Biographical material; correspondence; interviews; writings; journals; project files; teaching files; exhibition files; personal business records; printed and broadcast material; scrapbooks; photographic material; artwork; sketchbooks; as well as sound and video recordings and digital material, provide a comprehensive view of Lanyon's career and of art circles in Chicago and New York.
Biographical material documents Lanyon's major life events and includes calendars; addresses and contacts; life documents; awards; diplomas and school records; resumes; horoscope readings and natal chart; residence documents; personal memorabilia; family papers and memorabilia; digital material; and items relating to Lanyon's memorial.
Correspondence, both personal and professional, consists of letters, postcards, holiday and greeting cards exchanged with family, friends, artists, collectors, publishers, print shops, museums, galleries, and cultural and educational institutions. Some material is in digital format. Notable correspondents include Judy Chicago, Leon Golub, Red Grooms, Richard Hunt, Joyce Kozloff, Lucy Lippard, Gladys Nilsson, Irving Petlin, Edward Plunkett, Dorothea Rockburne, Miriam Schapiro, Buzz Spector, May Stevens, and Michelle Stuart.
Fourteen interviews are with Ellen Lanyon conducted by various interviewers on behalf of a number of organizations and consist of transcripts, sound recordings, and video recordings, some in digital format.
Writings include general writings, lectures, presentations, and thirty-seven notebooks by Lanyon. A few writings by others about Lanyon and several sound recordings of lectures by other artists are also found here.
Twenty-five journals intermittently record Lanyon's reflections on her day-to-day life including her work, obligations, and relationships.
Project files include professional activities and files documenting projects and commissions. Files may contain project proposals, correspondence, printed and digital material, applications, contracts, research notes, invoices, receipts, notebooks, sketches, plans, organizational records, and photographic material. Three multi-year projects are extensively documented, including theMiami Metamorphosis mural, Riverwalk Gateway mural, and Hiawatha Rail Line mural.
Teaching files consist of correspondence, memoranda, course descriptions and proposals, rosters, administrative documents, and printed material from a number of institutions, including Cooper Union, where Lanyon taught from the 1970s to her retirement in 1993.
Exhibition files include files for individual exhibitions, exhibitions by women artists, and chronological files. Files may contain correspondence, inventories, consignment records, layout plans, printed and digital material, and photographic material.
Personal business, inventory, and estate records document the financial and administrative history of Lanyon's career and artworks.
Printed material, broadcast material, and published video recordings document Lanyon's career, art movements in Chicago and New York, and the women's movement in art. Files may contain books, booklets, broadsides, radio and television broadcasts, brochures, exhibition announcements and catalogs, lecture announcements, news and magazine clippings, newspapers and newsletters, periodicals, press releases, programs, video recordings, digital material, source material, and posters.
Eight scrapbooks contain predominantly clippings and exhibition material documenting Lanyon's career.
Photographic material consists of thousands of prints, slides, transparencies, digital photographs, and negatives of Lanyon, family, friends, artists, places, and artwork.
A small number of artworks include a self-portrait Lanyon carved in wood, a childhood painting, a photo collage, sketches, and one folder of assignments for an art course. Artworks by others are a hand colored photograph album by Marcia Palazzolo and prints distributed by Landfall Press.
Seventy-one sketchbooks are filled with student sketches, portraits of friends and family, and preliminary drawings done in pencil, watercolor, and colored pencil.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as fifteen series
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1880-2014, bulk 1926-2015 (5.3 linear feet; Box 1-6, 62, 3.94 GB; ER01-ER04)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1936-2013 (14.3 linear feet; Box 6-20, 1.51 GB; ER05-ER11)
Series 3: Interviews, circa 1975-2012 (0.7 linear feet; Box 20-21, 7.07 GB; ER12-ER19)
Series 4: Writings, Lectures, and Notebooks, circa 1947-2015 (3.2 linear feet; Box 21-24, 0.712 GB; ER20-ER24)
Series 5: Journals, 1967-2013 (1 linear foot; Box 24-25)
Series 6: Project Files, 1952-2014 (5.8 linear feet; Box 25-31, 62, OV 66, 13.42 GB; ER25-ER32)
Series 7: Teaching Files, 1953-2010 (0.9 linear feet; Box 31)
Series 8: Exhibition Files, circa 1944-2013 (2.7 linear feet; Box 32-34, 63, 3.87 GB; ER33-ER37)
Series 9: Personal Business, Inventory, and Estate Records, circa 1950-2015 (3 linear feet; Box 34-37, 9.10 GB; ER38-ER46)
Series 10: Printed and Broadcast Material, and Published Video Recordings, 1937-2013 (13.3 linear feet; Box 37-49, 63, OV 67-77, 2.18 GB; ER47-ER49)
Series 11: Scrapbooks, 1946-2013 (0.6 linear feet; Box 49-50)
Series 12: Photographic Material, circa 1920-2015 (7.7 linear feet; Box 50-57, 63, 42.44 GB; ER50-ER71)
Series 13: Artwork, circa 1938-1979 (0.2 linear feet; Box 58, 63)
Series 14: Sketchbooks, circa 1940-2010 (3.4 linear feet; Box 58-60, 64, 65)
Series 15: Unidentified Sound and Video Recordings, and Electronic Records, circa 1974-2013 (0.5 linear feet; Box 60-61)
Biographical / Historical:
Ellen Lanyon (1926-2013) was an American painter and printmaker working in Chicago and New York. She was born in Chicago, Illinois to Howard and Ellen (Nellie) Lanyon. Lanyon received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1948 and married classmate and artist Roland Ginzel that same year. In 1950, she received her MFA from the University of Iowa. As part of her post graduate work, Lanyon studied at the Courtauld Institute, University of London on a Fulbright Fellowship.
In the late 1940s, Lanyon began exhibiting her work and was featured in several Chicago and Vicinity Annual shows as well as the Momentum exhibitions. Influenced by surrealism, magic realism, and the work of the Chicago Imagists and the Hairy Who, Lanyon's subjects range from portraits of friends and family, to objects from her collection of curios, to flora and fauna. She produced paintings, drawings, print editions, artist's books, and some ceramics. In addition to her own artwork, Lanyon took on numerous commissions including the Riverwalk Gateway murals in Chicago, the Hiawatha Transit murals in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and a variety of illustration work.
Lanyon was active in many professional organizations and women's organizations including the College Art Association (CAA) and the Women's Caucus for Art. She organized panels at CAA, contributed writings and editing to journals, including Heresies, and served on a variety of panels and juries. Lanyon was also on the Board of the Ox-Bow Summer School of Painting, which she attended in her youth. Over the course of her career, she taught at many colleges and universities, including Cooper Union, where she was Associate Professor.
Throughout her career, Lanyon participated in exhibitions around the country, including a retrospective of her work at the National Museum for Women in the Arts in 1999. She was also the recipient of many awards and grants including the Logan Price and a National Endowment for the Arts grant.
Lanyon and Ginzel had two children, Andrew and Lisa Ginzel.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Ellen Lanyon conducted by James Crawford in 1975.
Provenance:
A majority of the collection was donated in 2015 by Andrew Ginszel, Ellen Lanyon's son and executor. Lanyon also donated material in 1990. Portions of the collection were lent for microfilming from 1977-1981 by Lanyon and subsequently donated.
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.
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.
The papers of African American painter, muralist, and arts educator Hale Woodruff measure 0.6 linear feet and date from 1920 to 1977 with the bulk of the collection dating from the 1960s to the 1970s. The papers contain biographical material, professional files, writings, printed material, photographs, and photocopies of a scrapbook, and of artwork.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Hale Woodruff measure 0.6 linear feet and date from 1920 to 1977, with the bulk of the collection dating from the 1960s to the 1970s. The papers contain biographical material, professional files, writings, printed material, photocopies of a scrapbook, photographs, and photocopies of artwork.
Biographical material includes a resume, awards and honorary degrees, and an interview transcript.
Professional files consist of correspondence, committee files, and materials related to exhibitions and projects.
Writings include an illustrated notebook; drafts and copies of lectures, statements, articles, book reviews, and exhibition text; and notes on note cards, as well as photocopies of notes Woodruff took in Mexico while studying with Diego Rivera.
Printed Material includes exhibition announcements, exhibition catalogs, publications in which Woodruff is featured, clippings, and other assorted printed material.
The scrapbook consists of photocopies of scrapbook pages. The originals do not appear in the collection, but mostly contained clippings and printed material, with some correspondence.
Photographs include black and white photographs with an accompanying piece of correspondence, and photocopies of photographs of artwork.
Artwork includes photocopies of sketches and drawings.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as seven series.
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1966-1977 (Box 1; 4 folders)
Series 2: Professional Files, 1944-1973 (Box 1; 4 folders)
Series 3; Writings, 1920-1977, undated (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet)
Series 4; Printed Material, 1920s-1970s (Box 2, 4 folders)
Series 5: Scrapbook, 1927-1928, 1940-1960 (Box 2, 1 folder)
Series 6: Photographic Material, 1926-1977 (Box 2, 2 folders)
Series 7: Artwork, 1939-1952, undated (Box 2, 1 folder)
Biographical / Historical:
Hale Aspacio Woodruff (1900-1980) was an African American painter, muralist, and arts educator. His most well-known works are the Amistad murals, painted between 1939 and 1940 for Talladega College's Savery Library.
Woodruff was born in Cairo, Illinois, and grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. He studied at the John Herron Art Institute in Indianapolis, and at the Art Institute of Chicago. After winning an award from the Harmon Foundation, he traveled to Paris and attended the Academie Moderne and the Academie Scandinave. He also spent a summer studying mural painting in Mexico with Diego Rivera.
In 1931, Woodruff established one of the earliest art departments at a Black college at Atlanta University – teaching classes at the University's Laboratory High School, Morehouse College, and Spelman College as well. He also established the Atlanta Annuals, one of the earliest national exhibition opportunities for African American artists. In 1946 he moved to New York and taught in the art department at New York University until his retirement in 1968.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Hale Woodruff conducted by Al Murray, November 18, 1968.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American of Art also holds material lent for microfilming (reel 4222), the majority of which was included in subsequent donations. Loaned materials not donated at a later date remain with the lender and are not described in the container listing of this finding aid.
Provenance:
The Hale Woodruff papers were lent for microfilming by Woodruff in 1970. Most of the material was subsequently donated in 1978, along with additional material.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Educators -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
The papers of Los Angeles painter, printmaker, and educator, Charles W. White, measure 12.9 linear feet and date from 1933 to 1987, with the bulk of the material dating from the 1960s to the 1970s. The collection contains biographical material, including a sound recording of an interview with White; personal and professional correspondence; writings by White and others about his philosophy of art, his life, and career; professional files documenting White's participation in a variety of boards, committees, juries, symposiums, professional projects, and commissions; teaching files documenting White's tenure at Otis Art Institute; extensive printed material charting White's career from the 1930s until his death; scrapbooks primarily documenting his early career; and a small series of photographs.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Los Angeles painter, printmaker, and educator, Charles W. White, measure 12.9 linear feet and date from 1933 to 1987, with the bulk of the material dating from the 1960s to the 1970s. The collection contains biographical material including a sound recording of an interview with White; personal and professional correspondence; writings by White and others about his philosophy of art, his life, and career; professional files documenting White's participation in a variety of boards, committees, juries, symposiums, professional projects, and commissions; teaching files documenting White's tenure at Otis Art Institute; extensive printed material charting White's career from the 1930s until his death; scrapbooks primarily documenting his early career; and a small series of photographs.
Biographical material includes documentation of awards received by White, biographical notes, resumes, White's high school report cards, interview transcripts and a sound recording of an interview, and records related to Elizabeth Catlett from the 1940s.
Correspondence includes scattered letters from family and friends but is primarily professional. White's correspondence was often conducted by Benjamin Horowitz and, occasionally, by Frances White, although some scattered original drafts of letters by White can also be found in this series. The series documents many aspects of White's career including: his relationship with Horowitz and Heritage Gallery as his representative; sales, loans, and exhibitions of White's artwork at many museums, galleries, and art institutions; the publication of his work in journals, magazines, and books, and it's use in the film and music industries; and his relationships with others in the arts and the entertainment industry including Richmond Barthé, Margaret Burroughs, Bing Davis, David Driskell, Lorraine Hansberry, and Harry Belafonte's company, Belafonte Enterprises.
Writings by White include two addresses made to the Annual Conference of Negro Artists, statements on his philosophy of art, and an autobiographical essay. Writings by others include drafts of Benjamin Horowitz's book Images of Dignity:The Drawings of Charles White.
White's professional activities are further documented through records related to the many boards, committees, and exhibition and art contest juries he served on, as well as lectures he delivered, and panels and symposiums he participated in. White's professional files also contain records relating to fellowships he received and document projects such as designs for books, films, and magazines.
White's teaching files primarily relate to Otis Art Institute and contain some records related directly to his work there as well as general faculty and board material. The records document, to some extent, White's role as spokesperson for the faculty and students during the transfer of the Otis charter to Parsons School of Design in 1979. Documentation of White's association with Howard University is minimal and includes letters related to his appointment and resignation in 1978-1979.
Gallery and exhibition files document specific solo and group exhibitions and include records on two visits White made to Germany in 1974 and 1978.
Printed material includes announcements, exhibition catalogs, articles in journals, magazines, and news clippings, and publications with artwork by White that provide extensive coverage of White's career from the 1930s to his death. Also found is printed material collected by White on other artists, and on subjects of interest to him.
Three disbound scrapbooks provide compilations of printed material and occasional letters further documenting White's career. A small series of photographs includes holiday card photos of White, Frances White, and their two children, and photos of White and others taken at a workshop in 1969.
Throughout the collection there are folders containing notes written by Frances White, circa 1980-1981, which provide important contextual information about people, organizations and subjects in the collection, and sometimes highlight the racism White encountered, particularly during his early career. The dates of these notes are not included in folder dates.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as nine series.
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1934-1979 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1937-1984 (Boxes 1-4, 13; 3.64 linear feet)
Series 3: Writings, 1936-circa 1981 (Boxes 4-5; 0.45 linear feet)
Series 4: Professional Activities, circa 1942-1982 (Boxes 5-6, 13, OV 15; 1.81 linear feet)
Series 5: Teaching Files, 1950-1979 (Boxes 6, 13; 0.72 linear feet)
Series 6: Gallery and Exhibition Files, 1946-1980 (Box 7, Box 14; 0.98 linear feet)
Series 7: Printed Material, 1933-1987 (Boxes 8-14, OVs 15-17; 4.8 linear feet)
Series 8: Scrapbooks, 1936-1970s (Box 12; 0.15 linear feet)
Series 9: Photographic Material, 1940-1976 (Box 12; 0.15 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, printmaker, and educator, Charles W. White (1918-1979), was a prominent figure in the Chicago Black Renaissance and became one of the most celebrated and influential African American artists of the twentieth century. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, White lived and worked in California beginning in 1956, and taught at the Otis Art Institute from 1965 until his death.
White began painting at a young age, earning first prize in a nationwide high school art contest. He studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he was awarded a full scholarship, from 1937-1938. After graduating from the school, White worked as a muralist for the Illinois Federal Arts Project sponsored by the Works Progress Administration from 1939 to 1940. He then received two fellowships from the Julius Rosenwald Foundation in 1942 and 1943 and created the mural The Contribution of the Negro to American Democracy at the Hampton Institute. From 1943-1945 he taught at the George Washington Carver School in New York City, and was artist-in-residence at Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1945.
White's first marriage to Elizabeth Catlett ended in divorce and he married Frances Barrett in 1950. The couple relocated to Los Angeles where White was represented by Benjamin Horowitz's Heritage Gallery. White was widely exhibited in Los Angeles, and at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Newark Museum, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and elsewhere. Working primarily in black and white or sepia and white drawings, paintings, and lithographs, White's artwork was primarily figurative and depicted African American history, socio-economic struggles, and human relationships.
Charles White received a number of awards and honors and in 1972 he was the third African American artist to be elected a full member of the National Academy of Design.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds the Charles W. and Frances White letters and photographs to Melvin and Lorraine Williamson, the Lucinda H. Gedeon research material on Charles W. White, and an oral history interview with Charles W. White conducted by Betty Hoag, March 9, 1965.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of loaned materials (reels LA7 and 3099). Reel LA7 includes photographs of White, his work, and a career resume. Reel 3099 contains 31 items consisting of three travel diaries kept by Frances White, photographs and a recording of their trip to Russia in 1950, and 11 record album covers designed by Charles White. Loaned materials were returned to the lenders after microfilming and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Charles White's "Black Experience Archive," originally received with the papers, was donated to Howard University's Moorland-Springarn Research Center in 1985 at the request of Frances White.
Provenance:
Photographs on reel LA7 and material on reel 3099 were lent to the Archives of American Art for microfilming in 1965 and 1982, by Benjamin Horowitz, White's dealer, and by Frances White. Material on reel 2041 was donated by the George Arents Research Library, Syracuse University, 1976, who had originally received it from Horowitz. The remainder of the papers were donated by Charles White, 1975-1978, and after his death by Frances White and Benjamin Horowitz, 1981-1989.
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.
Charles W. White papers, 1933-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Henry Luce Foundation. Funding for the digitization was provided by the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
Correspondence; notes and lectures on art; biographical data; clippings; and photographs of his murals and other works of art. All materials relate to Millman's work for the Federal Art Project in Illinois and Missouri.
Biographical / Historical:
Mural painter; Chicago, Illinois. Painted murals for the Federal Art Project in Chicago, Illinois.
Related Materials:
Edward Millman papers also at Syracuse University.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1965 by Mrs. Harry Millman, the sister-in-law of Edward Millman.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Interview of Ellen Lanyon conducted by James Crawford for the Archives of American Art.
Lanyon speaks of family background; interests in art and music and collecting objects and antiques; her early art education; remembrances of 1933 Chicago World's Fair; Art Institute; Oxbow Summer School of Painting; her work and techniques; exhibitions; Institute of Design; marriage and move to University of Iowa; Iowa art department, Iowa print group; Fulbright to England; travel in France and Italy; return to Chicago; founding of graphic workshop; Hairy Who group; The Imagists; Seven and Up exhibitions; Red Grooms in Chicago; and commissions. She recalls George Buehr, Margo Hoff, Dudley Crafts Watson, Vera Berdich, Joseph Hirsch, Carl Schneiwind, Kathleen Blackshear, Mauricio Lasansky, Gertrude Abercrombie, Julius Carleback, Roland Ginzel, and Edgar Rupprecht.
Biographical / Historical:
Ellen Lanyon (1926- ) is a painter and printmaker in New York and Chicago, Ill.
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.
Biographical material; correspondence; writings and notes; sketches; printed material and photographs document the life and career of Albert Henry Krehbiel.
Among the biographical documents is Krehbiel's marriage announcement. Correspondence, 1893-1945 and 1982-1985, consists mostly of illustrated letters from Krehbiel to his family and close friends. The earliest group of letters document his interest in the wheel. Another series, addressed to his sister Linda, includes a "Travel Log" of his transatlantic voyage to Europe and his sojourn there. Other letters written during the same years to his future wife, recount in detail his experiences as an American student in Paris and his travels. A group of letters written in the 1940s reveal Krehbiel's opinions on modern art and the social and political changes at the Cliff Dwellers, an important early Chicago art club. Also found are letters sent to Rebecca Krehbiel regarding her late father-in-law.
Writings and notes include Krehbiel's diary of 1938 containing impressions of Mies van der Rohe, newly appointed director of the Armour Institute. Krehbiel was the only in-place instructor that Mies van der Rohe kept on the staff; a 1906 notebook on Greek costumes, an undated notebook about murals for the State Capitol of South Dakota (Krehbiel did not receive the commission for these); typed proposals for murals in the State Capitol of South Dakota, and for the Supreme and Appellate court rooms in Springfield, Illinois, versions of a manuscript entitled "Life and the Model in Quick Sketches"; notebooks, 1930-1945, containing notes on art and other topics, journal entries, thumbnail sketches of his paintings and watercolors, and notes for talks; loose notes and sketches by Krehbiel and by his wife Dulah.
Published material about Krehbiel includes 1904, 1905 and 1906 issues of L'ACADEMIE JULIAN and newsclippings, 1907-1940 and undated. Photographs are of paintings by both Albert and Dulah Krehbiel, photographs of his studio and of Dulah posing for murals, and family photographs.
Biographical / Historical:
Art educator; mural painter; Chicago, Ill. Born in Iowa, Krehbiel was important as a teacher in Chicago. He was part of the conservative art establishment and painted in both an academic and Impressionist manner. Krehbiel helped set up the Chicago Art Institute Summer School of Painting in Saugatuck and later founded the Albert Krehbiel School of Painting there. He was on the faculties of the Art Institute from 1906-1945, and the Armour Institute, now Illinois Institute of Technology from 1913-1945. He began his studies at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1902. In 1903, he studied on scholarship at the Academie Julian in Paris under Jean-Paul Laurens. He remained in Europe until 1906, during which time he traveled and studied, winning four gold medals and the Prix de Rome. In 1906, he returned to Chicago, married a fellow artist, and joined the faculty of the Art Institute school. In 1907, he won a national competition for the murals in the Supreme and Appellate courtrooms in Springfield, Illinois.
Related Materials:
The Art Institute of Chicago, Institutional Archives holds papers of Dulah Evans Krehbiel and Albert Henry Krehbiel.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1987 by Rebecca Krehbiel, daughter-in-law of Albert Krehbiel.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Drawings and sketches, including 45 sketches depicting images from WWI (dismantled from bound portfolio), photographs of works of art, and one scrapbook of photographs and works of art.
Biographical / Historical:
Mural painter; Chicago, Illinois.
Provenance:
Donated 1991 by Anna Louise Gaspar.
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.
United States. Work Projects Administration Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Extent:
1 Linear foot ((on 2 partial microfilm reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings
Date:
1909-1961
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence, New Deal materials, exhibition and financial records.
Two brief biographies by Frances Foy for "Leading American Women"; Illinois Academy of Fine Arts membership cards for Foy and Dalstrom; correspondence, with the Art Institute of Chicago and other museums, local galleries, dealers, and arts organizations such as the Renaissance Society, American Federation of Arts, and Chicago Society of Etchers; a letter of 3/26/34 from fellow artist Rifka Angel regarding selection of artists for Public Works of Art Projects; New Deal art project materials, including correspondence about a mural commemorating Marian Anderson's 1939 concert at Lincoln Memorial and with federal agencies,concerning commissions, contracts, vouchers, drawings and blueprints for projects, announcements, speeches, and articles on the government art programs.
Exhibition records include receipts, loan agreements, checklists, and shipping forms. Financial records include invoices, pricelists, purchase orders, receipts, remittances, and vouchers from private customers. Printed materials include news clippings, brochures, advertisements from art supply companies; articles on exhibitions, newsletters from arts organizations, announcements and catalogs of exhibitions, and a copy of Dali's "Declaration of the Independence of the Imagination and the Rights of Man to His Own Madness" 1939.
Arrangement:
I. Biographical. II. Correspondence. III. New Deal materials. IV. Exhibitions. V. Financial. VI. Printed matter. VII. Lists and notes.
Biographical / Historical:
Muralists and painters; Chicago, Ill. Married in 1923. Worked on the Public Works of Art Project and Federal Art Project. Painted several post office murals. Belonged to local arts organizations such as the Renaissance Society and the No-Jury Society of Artists. Foy, who used her maiden name professionally, gained recognition locally for her paintings of flowers.
Provenance:
Donated 1987 by Lars M. Dalstrom, son of Frances Foy and Gustaf O. Dalstrom.
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.
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Introduction:
Chicago has one of the largest and most diverse Latino communities in the nation, with a rich history and a thriving artistic life; Latino Chicago is a multinational, multicultural community. The largest population is Mexicans, followed by Puerto Ricans, then Guatemalans. Smaller groups from the Caribbean and Central and South America include Ecuadorans, Colombians, Cubans, Peruvians, Salvadorans, and Chileans. A small group of Belizeans and Brazilians also consider themselves part of the community.
In partnership with the Old Town School of Folk Music, the Smithsonian Institution launched a research project in the spring of 2005. Twenty local researchers explored various aspects of Latino folklife in Chicago, recording the stories of artists and organizations, documenting special events and parades, foodways, and more. Two large questions guided the researchers: How do the arts shape, and how are they shaped by, community and identity? And, what characterizes Chicago's Latino community as unique and distinct from other Latino communities elsewhere?
One discovery was that diversity is key to community organization and shaping of identity. In Latino Chicago many types of diversity come into play - ethnic, national, regional, and generationaL Some community organizations are more inclusive of diverse groups and form international, multigenerational, or multiregional groups; others focus on preservation and assemble specialized groups who champion a single form. Besides music and dance, other artists are equally active in theater, poetry and spoken word, film, and graphic and mural arts.
In Chicago, numerous strong communities have formed. Chicago's Latino neighborhoods continue to be ports of entry where many new arrivals can feel right at home. Businesses in these neighborhoods thrive because they do not cater only to the needs of the local neighborhood; they are specialty supply centers for a larger community across the Midwest. Grocery stores, music, entertainment, clothing, and bridal shops line commercial strips that extend for miles.
Because there is such strong neighborhood identity and presence, it is possible for individuals to remain close to their traditions, food, music, language, religion, and other practices for their whole lives. However, those who leave the relative familiarity of the neighborhood and interact with people from other cultures can also explore multiple identities and add to the diversity of the community. Another discovery, then, was that professional musicians who work with various clienteles find that in a diverse community they must command a broad repertoire to appeal to a broader audience and increase their job opportunities.
Wherever you are in Chicago's Latino neighborhoods, you encounter a rich multisensory experience that is also highly localized, rooted in the ethnic and regional identities that define this diverse community. Heading west from the corner of 18th Street and Blue Island in the Pilsen neighborhood you enter a piece of Mexico (indeed, parts of all Mexico), run by Mexicans and catering to more than a million Mexicans who live in the Chicago area or travel there for supplies. Stand on Division Street and California Avenue, just twenty blocks north, and walk into Humboldt Park. You know you are in a Puerto Rican neighborhood because you just walked under a forty-foot-high iron gate in the shape of the Puerto Rican flag. Guatemalans, Peruvians, Ecuadorans, or Colombians also have their own neighborhoods - each unique, but all animated by the sound of nuestra música - the music of Chicago's thriving and vibrant Latino communities. The Smithsonian Folklife Festival offered visitors an opportunity to enjoy these diverse traditions first hand.
The 2006 program was the third in a multi-year sequence devoted to Latino music in the Americas (see also the 2004 2005 and 2009 programs).
Olivia Cadaval and Daniel Sheehy were Co-Curators and Juan Dies was Guest Curator. Cristina Díaz-Carrera was Research Coordinator and Courtney Lutterman was Research Assistant; Carlos Flores, Michael Orlove, Henry Roa, Silvia Rivera, David Roche, and Encarnación Teruel were Project Advisors.
Latino Chicago was part of the multi-year Nuestra Música: Music in Latino Culture project produced in partnership with the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, in collaboration with the Cultural Institute of Mexico and supported by the Smithsonian Latino Initiatives Fund and the Music Performance Fund. The Smithsonian Institution thanked the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, for supporting the participation of AfriCaribe, Carlos Mejía, Gustavo López, The Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of Chicago, Nelson Sosa, Nahuí Ollin/Tarima Son, and Sones de México Ensemble.
Researchers:
Yolanda Androzzo, Rita Arias Jirasek, Katherinne Bardales, Nashma Carrera Massari, Evelyn Delgado, Juan Dies, Sue Eleuterio, Lilia Fernández, Lidia Huante Mendoza, Melanie Maldonado, Christopher Martin, Argelia Morales, José Luis Ovalle, Lisa Rathje, Paul Tyler
Presenters:
Yolanda Androzzo, Katherinne Bardales, Nashma Carrera Massari, Lidia Huante Mendoza, Lisa Rathje, Cynthia Vidaurri, Matthew Mulcahy
Banda Ansiedad -- Banda AnsiedadJustino Román, managerSimplicio Román, 1981-, keyboard, accordion, Chicago, IllinoisMoisés Román, 1984-, electric bass, Chicago, IllinoisMelesio Román, voice, Chicago, IllinoisSalomón Román, drums, Chicago, IllinoisJesús Ocampo, 1986-, synthesizer, electric tuba, Chicago, IllinoisAlejandro Ocampo, 1983-, alto saxophone, Chicago, Illinois
Los Chalanes -- Los ChalanesRoberto Arce, 1933-, guitar, Kissimmee, FloridaAlfredo Espinosa, 1936-, cajón, guitar, Chicago, Illinois
Latin Street Dancing, Inc. -- Latin Street Dancing, Inc.Victor Manuel Ceja, 1982-, dancer, Chicago, IllinoisRosa Guadalupe Villanueva, 1987-, dancer, Chicago, Illinois
Carlos Mejía Guatemalan Marimba -- Carlos Mejía Guatemalan MarimbaCarlos Mejía, 1957-, marimba, Chicago, IllinoisKatalina Trujillo, 1990-, marimba, Chicago, Illinois
The Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of Chicago -- The Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of ChicagoJosé Luis Ovalle, 1959-, artistic director, Chicago, IllinoisMatiana Medrano Ovalle, artistic director, Chicago, Illinois
Sones de México Ensemble of Chicago -- Sones de México Ensemble of ChicagoVictor G. Pichardo, 1961-, artistic director, vocals, huapanguera, jarana, guitar, clarinet, Oak Park, IllinoisJuan Dies, 1964-, vocals, guitarrón, Chicago, IllinoisLorena Íñiguez, 1976-, vihuela, jarana, small percussion, Chicago, IllinoisVictor Zacbé Pichardo, 1986-, percussion, Oak Park, IllinoisJosé Juan Rivera, 1977-, vocals, requinto, violin, Chicago, IllinoisJavier Saume, drums, percussion, Chicago, Illinois
Nelson Sosa, 1947-, guitar, Chicago, Illinois
Paola Alemán, singer, Chicago, Illinois
Community Radio
Radio Arte -- Radio ArteSilvia Rivera, 1980-, Radio Arte manager, Chicago, IllinoisArgelia Morales, 1978-, interviewer, Chicago, IllinoisTania Unzueta Carrasco, 1983-, youth radio producer, Chicago, IllinoisDulce Jatziri García, youth radio producer, Chicago, Illinois
Son de Madera -- Son de MaderaRamón Gutiérrez Hernández, requintoJuan Pérez, bassLaura Marina Rebolloso Cuellar, leona (jarocho bass guitar)Andrés Vega Hernández, jarana
Suni Paz, 1935-, Canoga Park, California
Rafael Manríquez, voice, guitar, charango, Berkeley, California
Collection Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 2006 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
