Search Results

Creator:

Bunn, William E. L., 1910-2009  Search this

Names:

United States. Dept. of the Treasury. Section of Fine Arts  Search this

United States. Dept. of the Treasury. Section of Painting and Sculpture  Search this

United States. General Services Administration  Search this

W.A. Sheaffer Pen Company  Search this

Allen, Lee, 1910-2006  Search this

Wood, Grant, 1891-1942  Search this

Extent:

13.4 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Blueprints

Sketchbooks

Drawings

Transcriptions

Watercolors

Sketches

Interviews

Designs

Diaries

Date:

1863-2009

Summary:

The papers of painter, muralist, and designer William E. L. Bunn measure 13.4 linear feet and date from 1863-2009. The collection documents Bunn's career as a painter, industrial designer, and his work on Treasury Department post office mural commissions through biographical material, scattered correspondence, project files, industrial design records, diaries and journals, writings and notes, printed material, photographs, and artwork. Also found are Bunn's papers regarding Grant Wood.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of painter, muralist, and designer William E. L. Bunn measure 13.4 linear feet and date from 1863-2009. The collection documents Bunn's career as a painter, industrial designer, and his work on Treasury Department post office mural commissions through biographical material, scattered correspondence, project files, industrial design records, diaries and journals, writings and notes, printed material, photographs, and artwork. Also found are Bunn's papers regarding Grant Wood.

Biographical material consists of certificates, school records, Bunn family genealogy records, an interview transcript, and an autobiographical file maintained by Bunn containing professional summaries, lists of works, one motion picture film reel of home movies, and other records. Correspondence documents exhibitions, awards, mural projects, and other commissions. Of note is correspondence with the General Services Administration, friend and fellow artist Lee Allen, and illustrated envelopes Bunn sent to his wife Annavene.

Project files contain photographs, notes, sketches, correspondence, and news clippings. Included is Bunn's notebook "Index to Projects" which provides additional information. Industrial design records include drawings and blueprints, employment records, photographs and publications, primarily from his work at Sheaffer Pen Company and Cuckler Steele Span Company.

Bunn's papers relating to Grant Wood include documentation from the Grant Wood Art Festival, as well as printed material, notes, and correspondence about Wood. Also found are photographs, including two photographs of Wood and photographs of his residence in Iowa City. Forty-one diaries and journals date from 1929-1951 and 1969-2003. Early diaries document art projects and school activities while he was a student at University of Iowa. Later journals document his work, travel, expenditures, and goals. Writings and notes include to-do lists, documentation on people Bunn knew, his artworks, lists of personal belongings, and topics of interest, such as astrology and steamboats. Also found are five notebooks on various subjects.

Printed material consists of exhibition catalogs, magazines, news clippings, and Treasury Department bulletins. Also found are announcements of mural competitions, postcards, and published images of steamboats. Photographs depict Bunn, his family, friends, and artwork. Additional photographs depict various subjects that were of interest to Bunn, including nature scenes, steamboats, airplanes, and bridges.

Artwork includes costume and theater designs created as part of William Bunn's thesis at University of Iowa. Also included are drawings and watercolors for potential art projects, as well as preliminary drawings and studies or technical drawings from his work as an industrial designer. Additionally, there are four sketchbooks, two of which include sketches and notes for the post office murals in Minden, Nebraska, and Hamburg, Iowa.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 10 series:

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1910-2009 (Box 1, 12, FC 33; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1927-2006 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 3: Project Files, circa 1925-2002 (Box 1-3, 12, OV 15-19, RD 31; 2.2 linear feet)

Series 4: Industrial Design Records, circa 1944-1977 (Box 3, 12, OV 20; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 5: Papers Relating to Grant Wood, 1935-2006 (Box 3-4, 12; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 6: Diaries and Journals, 1929-2003 (Box 4-6; 2.2 linear feet)

Series 7: Writings and Notes, circa 1928-2004 (Box 6-7; 1.0 linear foot)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1896-2009 (Box 7-8, 12, OV 21; 1.4 linear feet)

Series 9: Photographs, 1863-1990s (Box 8-9, 13; 1.6 linear feet)

Series 10: Artwork, circa 1926-2004 (Box 9-11, 14, OVs 22-30, RD 32; 2.3 linear feet)

Biographical Note:

William E. L. Bunn (1910-2009) was a designer, muralist, and painter in Ft. Madison, Iowa and Ojai, California. Bunn was born in Muscatine, Iowa and received his B.A. in Graphic and Plastic Arts and an M.A. in Theater Design, both from the University of Iowa. In 1937 he was awarded a one-year post-graduate fellowship as an art intern for Grant Wood. From 1938 to 1942 he won four commissions from the Treasury Department to produce murals for Federal buildings. He also exhibited paintings, primarily depicting Mississippi River steamboats, at the National Academy of Design, Art Institute of Chicago, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and other group shows. Beginning in 1943 Bunn worked as an industrial designer at several companies including Sheaffer Pen Company (1946-1967) and Cuckler Steele Span Company (1967-1977). After his retirement, he and his wife, Annavene, moved to California, and he continued to paint. Bunn was also active in the Theosophical Society and had an interest in aviation.

Provenance:

The collection was donated by William E. L. Bunn in 1989 and in 2010 by Bunn's daughter, Chari Petrowski. In 1986 two sketchbooks and sketches were transferred with Bunn's permssion from the General Services Administration, which had received them from Bunn.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate copy requires advance notice.

Rights:

The William E. L. Bunn papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Topic:

Designers -- Iowa  Search this

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

Muralists -- Iowa  Search this

Mural painting and decoration -- Middle West  Search this

New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Blueprints

Sketchbooks

Drawings

Transcriptions

Watercolors

Sketches

Interviews

Designs

Diaries

Citation:

William E. L. Bunn papers, 1863-2009. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.bunnwill

See more items in:

William E. L. Bunn papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-bunnwill

Artist:

Ross Dickinson, born Santa Ana, CA 1903-died La Jolla, CA 1978  Search this

Medium:

oil on canvas

Dimensions:

39 7/8 x 50 1/8 in. (101.4 x 127.3 cm.)

Type:

Painting

Date:

1934

Topic:

Landscape\mountain  Search this

Landscape\farm  Search this

Landscape\valley  Search this

New Deal\Public Works of Art Project\California  Search this

Architecture Exterior\domestic\farmhouse  Search this

Credit Line:

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the U.S. Department of Labor

Object number:

1964.1.40

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection

Department:

Painting and Sculpture

On View:

Smithsonian American Art Museum, 1st Floor, South Wing

Data Source:

Smithsonian American Art Museum

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk75bc18638-1cc7-4961-a2bf-866f990ba581

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:saam_1964.1.40

Creator:

Watson, Forbes, 1880-1960  Search this

Names:

Art Students League (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Pepsi-Cola Company  Search this

Public Works of Art Project  Search this

Red Cross  Search this

United States. Dept. of the Treasury. Section of Fine Arts  Search this

United States. Dept. of the Treasury. Section of Painting and Sculpture  Search this

United States. Public Buildings Administration. Section of Fine Arts  Search this

Adams, Ansel, 1902-1984  Search this

Barr, Alfred H., Jr., 1902-1981  Search this

Beal, Gifford, 1879-1956 -- Photographs  Search this

Brancusi, Constantin, 1876-1957  Search this

Bruce, Edward, 1879-1943  Search this

Citron, Minna Wright, 1896-1991  Search this

Coleman, Glenn O., 1887-1932  Search this

Dows, Olin, 1904-1981  Search this

Genthe, Arnold, 1869-1942  Search this

Glackens, Ira, 1907-1990  Search this

Klonis, Stewart, 1901-1989  Search this

Kroll, Leon, 1884-1974 -- Photographs  Search this

Kuniyoshi, Yasuo, 1889-1953  Search this

Kuniyoshi, Yasuo, 1889-1953 -- Photographs  Search this

Mangravite, Peppino, 1896-  Search this

Manship, Paul, 1885-1966  Search this

Marsh, Reginald, 1898-1954 -- Photographs  Search this

Matisse, Henri, 1869-1954  Search this

Morgenthau, Henry, 1891-1967  Search this

Pène Du Bois, Guy , 1884-1958  Search this

Ray, Man, 1890-1976  Search this

Rowan, Edward Beatty, 1898-1946  Search this

Saint-Gaudens, Homer, b. 1880 -- Photographs  Search this

Shimin, Symeon, 1902-  Search this

Sterne, Maurice, 1878-1957  Search this

Tucker, Allen, 1866-1939  Search this

Watson, Nan, 1876-1966  Search this

Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this

Zorach, William, 1887-1966  Search this

Photographer:

Gallatin, A. E. (Albert Eugene), 1881-1952  Search this

Sheeler, Charles, 1883-1965  Search this

Extent:

13.92 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Notes

Photographs

Drafts (documents)

Scrapbooks

Place:

United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945

New York N.Y. -- Buildings, structures, etc., Photographs

Date:

1840-1967

bulk 1900-1960

Summary:

The papers of New York City art critic, writer, and lecturer Forbes Watson date from 1840-1967 with the bulk of materials dating from 1900-1960 and measure 13.92 linear feet. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, business records relating to the Arts Publishing Corporation, records documenting Watson's work for the Public Works of Art Project and the Section of Painting and Sculpture, reference files, an exhibition file from the Pepsi-Cola Company's Third Annual Exhibition, writings and notes, ten scrapbooks and loose pages, printed materials, and photographs.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of New York City art critic, writer, and lecturer Forbes Watson date from 1840-1967 with the bulk of materials dating from 1900-1960 and measure 13.92 linear feet. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, business records relating to the Arts Publishing Corporation, records documenting Watson's work for the Public Works of Art Project and the Section of Painting and Sculpture, reference files, an exhibition file from the Pepsi-Cola Company's Third Annual Exhibition, writings and notes, ten scrapbooks and loose pages, printed materials, and photographs.

Biographical material includes Watson's Harvard diploma, documents concerning his service with the Red Cross in World War II, biographical accounts, and obituaries.

Correspondence is primarily with colleagues and includes scattered letters from Alfred H. Barr, Jr., Ira Glackens, Allen Tucker, and Max Weber. Other letters are from artists, art historians, and museum curators. A notebook contains shorthand drafts of letters from Watson.

Business records include personal business records consisting of various tax and stock records. The Arts Publishing Corporation records concern Watson's tenure as editor of The Arts magazine and contains a contract, correspondence, financial records, stockholders reports, press releases, a scrapbook, and issues of The Arts. Also included are business records pertaining to the Art in Federal Buildings, Inc..

The U.S. Treasury Department file is the largest series and documents Watson's federal employment as technical director, chief advisor, and consultant for Treasury Department's public art programs - the Public Works of Art Project and the Section of Painting and Sculpture. The files contain correspondence, financial reports, prospectuses, exhibition files, typescripts, clippings, exhibition catalogs, miscellaneous printed material, and photographs, and a scrapbook. The files contain a record of Watson's and other federal administrators' interactions with many artists during the Depression Era. Correspondence is primarily between Watson and Edward Bruce, Olin Dows, Henry and Elinor Morgenthau, and Edward B. Rowan. Found are scattered letters from artists including Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Paul Manship, and William Zorach, among many others. There are exhibition files for "Art for Bonds," "Army at War," and "War Against Japan." There are also photographs of U. S. Treasury Department events including a radio broadcast by John Dewey, Robert La Follette, Jr., and Sumner Welles.

Documents from the Pepsi-Cola Company's Third Annual Exhibition at the National Academy of Design contains a prospectus, an exhibition catalog and artists' statements.

Artist/Patron files contain reference material concerning painters, sculptors, photographers, dancers, composers, authors, art collectors, art dealers, and museum administrators. Files may include writings, notes, artworks, exhibition catalogs and other printed materials. Of particular note are photographs, which include portrait photographs of artists and of artists in their studios. Notable photographers include Ansel Adams, Arnold Genthe, Man Ray, photographs of New York City by Charles Sheeler and a photo of Henri Matisse by A. E. Gallatin. Files for Nan Watson, Symeon Shimin, and Glenn O. Coleman contain artworks. A file for Constantin Brancusi contains legal documents concerning U. S. Customs vs. Brancusi.

Art and Architecture files consist of reference material including photographs and notes concerning miscellaneous unattributed art works, American architecture, and furnishings.

Notes and writings consist of miscellaneous notes and typescripts of lectures and published articles, and notebooks.

Nine scrapbooks and loose scrapbook pages contain clippings of articles written by Watson, lists, and exhibition announcements and catalogs. Additional printed material includes clippings, copies of the Hue and Cry newspaper, exhibition announcements and catalogs, press releases, calendars of events, brochures for the Art Students League, book catalogs, published books, and miscellaneous printed material.

Photographs are of Forbes Watson; family members including his wife, painter Nan Watson; and members of the Art Students League including Peggy Bacon, Minna Citron, Stewart Klonis, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, and Reginald Marsh. There are also photographs of juries for the Carnegie Institute International Exhibitions that include colleagues Alfred H. Barr, Jr., Gifford Beal, Guy Pene DuBois, Leon Kroll, Henri Matisse, Homer Saint-Gaudens, and Maurice Sterne.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 11 series:

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1902-1960 (Box 1; 4 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1913-1960 (Box 1; 33 folders)

Series 3: Business Records, 1920-1944 (Box 1-3, 14, 22; 2.0 linear feet)

Series 4: U. S. Treasury Department File, 1926-1945 (Box 3-6, 14, 17, 22, OV 21; 3.4 linear feet)

Series 5: File for Pepsi-Cola Company's Third Annual Exhibition "Paintings of the Year," 1946 (Box 6; 5 folders)

Series 6: Artist/Patron Files, 1840-1967 (Box 6-9, 15, OV 21; 2.8 linear feet)

Series 7: Art and Architecture File, 1929-1930 (Box 9; 35 folders)

Series 8: Notes and Writings, 1875-1950 (Box 9-10, 22; 1.3 linear feet)

Series 9: Scrapbooks, 1904-1951 (Box 9, 11, 14, BV 18, BV 19, BV 20; 1.8 linear feet)

Series 10: Printed Material, 1900-1961 (Box 10, 12-13, 16-17, 22; 1.5 linear feet)

Series 11: Photographs, 1900-1950 (Box 13, 22; .4 linear feet)

All material is arranged chronologically, with the exception of the Artist/Patron Files which are arranged alphabetically.

Biographical Note:

Forbes Watson (1879-1960) worked primarily in New York City and Washington, D.C. as an art critic, writer, lecturer, and consultant to the U. S. Treasury Department's Public Works of Art Project and Section of Painting and Sculpture (Section of Fine Arts).

Forbes Watson was born on November 27, 1879 in Boston, the son of stockbroker John Watson and his wife Mary. Watson grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, attending the Phillips Academy in Andover, and graduating from Harvard University in 1902. After a brief period of freelance writing, he was hired by The New York Evening Post as an art critic in 1911 and worked there until 1917. In 1910, he married Agnes, professionally known as painter Nan Watson.

During World War I, Watson served with an American volunteer ambulance unit with the French army, later working with the American Red Cross in Paris. After the war, he moved back to New York City and worked as art critic for The World, from the early 1920s until 1931 and as editor of The Arts magazine from 1923-1933. Watson also lectured at the Art Students League, and at various universities and arts organizations.

In 1933, Watson moved to Washington, D.C. to serve as technical director of the U. S. Treasury Department's short-lived Public Works of Art Project. In October 1934, Watson was employed as Chief Adviser to the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture (later renamed the Section of Fine Arts) and later as Consultant to the Secretary's Office of the Treasury. During World War II, he organized various traveling exhibitions including "Art for Bonds" that promoted the sale of war bonds. Watson retired in 1946 and lived in Gaylordsville, Connecticut.

Watson was the author of numerous essays and reviews, and several books including American Painting Today and Winslow Homer, a biography of the noted American artist. With Edward Bruce, he produced a pictorial volume Art in Federal Buildings, Vol. I: Mural Designs. At his death he was working on his autobiography.

Forbes Watson died on May 31, 1960 in New Milford, Connecticut.

Provenance:

The Forbes Watson papers were donated by Watson's widow, Nan Watson, in 1961. An additional folder of material was donated in 2018 by the Museum of Modern Art via Michelle Elligott, Chief of Archives, Library and Research.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment.

Rights:

The Forbes Watson papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Occupation:

Art critics -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Arts administrators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Art and state  Search this

Art, American  Search this

Art publishing  Search this

Architecture, New York State, New York -- Photographs  Search this

Architecture -- New York, N.Y. -- Photographs  Search this

New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this

World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this

Authors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

Genre/Form:

Notes

Photographs

Drafts (documents)

Scrapbooks

Citation:

Forbes Watson papers, 1840-1967, bulk 1900-1960. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.watsforb

See more items in:

Forbes Watson papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-watsforb

Creator:

Shuster, Will  Search this

Names:

Public Works of Art Project  Search this

Henri, Robert, 1865-1929  Search this

Karig, Walter, 1898-  Search this

La Farge, Oliver, 1901-1963  Search this

Nash, Willard Ayer, 1898-1943  Search this

Scott, Winfield Townley, 1910-1968  Search this

Sheridan, John E., 1880-1948  Search this

Sloan, John, 1871-1951  Search this

Wheelock, Warren, 1880-1960  Search this

Extent:

12 Reels (ca. 3000 items (on 12 microfilm reels))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Reels

Place:

United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945 -- New Mexico

Date:

[undated] and 1914-1970

Scope and Contents:

Correspondence with John Sloan and others, writings, poems, original art works, scrapbooks, photographs, and Shuster's own descriptions of his work.

Reel NDA 3: Instructions, releases, speeches, manuscripts notes, photographs of Shuster's PWAP murals in New Mexico; and a typescript of a comedy written by Shuster.

Reels 169-177: 400 letters, 1917-1968, including correspondence with Robert Henri, Edgar Varese, John S. Velie, Walter Karig, and family members. Other materials consist of diaries, 1918, 1928, 1933-1934, 1937-1962, and 1964-1969; photographs of Shuster, family, and friends, and his work; original drawings, watercolors, oils and etchings; sketchbooks; poems, lectures, and stories by Shuster; a record of his works; scrapbooks, 1920-1928, 1923-1935, and 1935-1963; and material relating to John Sloan, who was Shuster's close friend and his teacher in 1920.

Reel 277: Materials relating to John Sloan, including letters from him 1922-1951; notes by Winifield Townley Scott recording conversations with Helen Shuster and Mrs. Sloan after Sloan's death and commenting on Sloan's work, tributes by Oliver LaFarge and others, and clippings. Additional correspondents are John Sheridan, Robert Henri, Warren Wheelock, Willard Nash, and the Veterans Administration, concerning Shuster's medical disability. Also included are poems by Shuster, 1925-1939, and other Santa Fe residents, including Scott; and correspondence and printed material relating to Shuster's participation in various Santa Fe festivals.

Reel 4283: Five letters from Sloan to Shuster. Three letters are illustrated and contain detailed instructions and advice on etching technique. A fourth letter, dated Jan 2, 1922, includes a recipe for gesso preparation and an offer from Sloan to pay Shuster's entry fee to "show in the Independents." Sloan in his two page letter, dated January 3, 1947, comments on the pace of his work; his participation in a "Mr. & Mrs. Exhibition" at the Laurel Gallery; a production of Eugene O'Neill's "The Ice Man Cometh"; and the Whitney Annual.

Arrangement:

Letters arranged chronologically.

Biographical / Historical:

Painter, printmaker, and writer active in Santa Fe, N.M.; b. 1893; d. 1969

Provenance:

The material borrowed from Will Shuster in October 1964 (reel NDA 3) was part of a project of AAA to document New Deal art projects throughout the U.S. The bulk of the Will Shuster papers (reels 169-177, 277) were lent by his widow, Selma Dingee Shuster. Five letters from John Sloan (Reel 4283) were lent in 1989 by her estate.

Restrictions:

The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.

Occupation:

Painters  Search this

Printmakers  Search this

Topic:

Art, American -- New Mexico -- Santa Fe  Search this

Art festivals  Search this

New Deal, 1933-1939 -- New Mexico  Search this

Art and state -- New Mexico  Search this

Federal aid to the arts -- New Mexico  Search this

Mural painting and decoration -- 20th century -- New Mexico  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.shuswill

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-shuswill

Creator:

National Association of Civilian Conservation Corps Alumni  Search this

Ward, C.E.  Search this

Civilian Conservation Corps (U.S.)  Search this

Bidwell, Timothy  Search this

Bires, Andrew, G.  Search this

Extent:

155 Cubic feet (330 boxes, 57 map folders)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Panoramas

Photographs

Newspapers

Pamphlets

Audiovisual materials

Newsletters

Books

Blueprints

Cartoons (humorous images)

Logs (records)

Manuals

Magazines (periodicals)

Menus

Memoirs

Rosters

Poems

Sheet music

Date:

1853-2009, undated

bulk 1933-1942

Summary:

The Archival collections of the National Association of Civilian Conservation Corps Alumni (NACCCA) donated in 2006. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), created as part of the New Deal legislation initiated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, was a public work relief program for unemployed men designed to reduce high unemployment during the Great Depression. The CCC carried out a broad natural resource conservation program on national, state, and municipal lands from 1933 to 1942. This collection contains papers, photographs, and ephemera collected and created by alumni of the CCC and donated to the NACCCA archives.

Scope and Contents:

This material was acquired by the National Association of Civilian Conservation Corps Alumni (NACCCA)from CCC alumni and originally housed in the NACCCA archives in St. Louis, Missouri. Photographic materials, including loose photos, slides, snapshots, group photos, panoramic photos, and albums and binders of photographs; printed materials, including newspapers published by individual companies, camps and districts, and the national CCC newspaper, Happy Days; materials documenting each camp, including camp histories, personal memoirs, blueprints of camps and projects worked on; the papers of C.E. Ward, Educational Director of the CCC's 3rd Corps, which document the planning and implementation of educational activities in that region; miscellaneous materials, including camp rosters, cartoons, menus, poems, pamphlets, booklets, magazines, manuals, enrollee discharge papers, work logs, and sheet music; and other more recent materials such as research papers, books on the CCC, selected audiotape and video interviews with some of the alumni; and other miscellaneous items. The collection is arranged into nine series.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into nine series.

Series 1: Scrapbooks, 1853-2003, undated

Series 2: State Material, 1922-2008, undated

Series 3: Publications, 1924-2006, undated

Series 4: C.E. Ward, 3rd Corps, 1933-2001, undated

Series 5: Photographs, 1929-2008, undated

Series 6: General Ephemera, 1915-2006, undated

Series 7: Bidwell Addendum, 1933-1987, undated

Series 8: Bires Addendum, 1934-1985, undated

Series 9: Audiovisual Materials, 1933-2009, undated

Biographical / Historical:

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a New Deal era program, created in 1933 to reduce unemployment, a direct result of the Great Depression. The CCC provided national conservation work across the United States for young, unmarried men. Veterans could be enrolled in the CCC after verification of their service by the Veteran's Administration. Veterans were exempt from the age and marriage restriction. Projects included planting trees, bulding flood barriers, combatting forest fires, maintaining forest roads and trails, and building recreational facilities in the National Park system and a host of other projects. There were separate CCC programs for Native Americans of recognized tribes and African Americans. In 1942, with the waning of the Great Depression and America's entry into World War II in December 1941, resources devoted to the CCC (men and materials) were diverted to the war effort. Congress ceased funding for the CCC and liquidation of the CCC was included in the Labor-Federal Security Appropriation Act (56 Stat. 569) on July 2, 1942, and for the most part completed by June 30, 1943. Appropriations for the liquidation of the CCC continued through April 20, 1948.

Related Materials:

Materials at Other Organizations

National Archives and Records Administration

Record Group 35, Civilian Conservation Corps

Provenance:

Collection donated by National Association of Civilian Conservation Corps Alumni in 2006.

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research use.

Researchers must handle unprotected photographs with cotton gloves. Researchers may use reference copies of audio-visual materials. When no reference copy exists, the Archives Center staff will produce reference copies on an "as needed" basis and as resources allow.

Viewing film portions of the collection requires special appointment, please inquire; listening to LP recordings is only possible by special arrangement.

Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs and negatives. Special arrangements required to view materials in cold storage. Using cold room materials requires a three hour waiting period. Contact the Archives Center at 202-633-3270.

Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

Conservation of natural resources -- 1930-1950  Search this

Depressions -- 1929 -- United States  Search this

National parks and reserves  Search this

New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this

State parks  Search this

Genre/Form:

Panoramas

Photographs -- 20th century

Newspapers

Pamphlets

Audiovisual materials

Newsletters

Books

Blueprints -- 20th century

Cartoons (humorous images)

Logs (records)

Manuals

Magazines (periodicals) -- 20th century

Menus

Memoirs

Rosters

Poems

Sheet music -- 20th century

Citation:

Civilian Conservation Corps Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0930

See more items in:

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0930

Creator:

Biddle, George, 1885-1973  Search this

Names:

Federal Art Project  Search this

Justice Dept. Building (Washington, D.C.)  Search this

National Library Building (Rio de Janerio, Brazil)  Search this

Supreme Court Building (Mexico City, Mexico)  Search this

United States. Dept. of the Treasury. Section of Fine Arts  Search this

United States. Dept. of the Treasury. Section of Painting and Sculpture  Search this

Berenson, Bernard, 1865-1959  Search this

Brewer, Bessie Marsh, d. 1952  Search this

Brooks, Van Wyck, 1886-1963  Search this

Diederich, William Hunt, 1884-1953  Search this

Kuniyoshi, Yasuo, 1889-1953  Search this

Pascin, Jules, 1885-1930  Search this

Poor, Anne, 1911-2011  Search this

Poor, Henry Varnum, 1887-1970  Search this

Pound, Ezra, 1885-1972  Search this

Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945  Search this

Shahn, Ben, 1898-1969  Search this

Sterne, Maurice, 1878-1957  Search this

Extent:

0.76 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Diaries

Place:

United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945

Date:

circa 1910-1970

Summary:

The papers of New York painter and muralist George Biddle (1885-1973), measure 0.76 linear feet and date from circa 1910-1970. The collection includes a certificate signed by President Harry Truman, transcripts of Biddle's diaries, a manuscript of a memoir about meeting President Franklin Roosevelt, three letters from William Hunt Diederich's daughter, transcripts of letters from Bernard Berenson, sketches and mural studies, and two glass plate negatives.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of New York painter and muralist George Biddle (1885-1973), measure 0.76 linear feet and date from circa 1910-1970. The collection includes a certificate signed by President Harry Truman, transcripts of Biddle's diaries, a manuscript of a memoir about meeting President Franklin Roosevelt, three letters from William Hunt Diederich's daughter, transcripts of letters from Bernard Berenson, sketches and mural studies, and two glass plate negatives.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as one series.

Series 1: George Biddle Papers, circa 1910-1970 (0.7 linear feet; Box 1, OVs 2-4, MGP4)

Biographical / Historical:

New York painter and muralist George Biddle (1885-1973) proposed to President Franklin Roosevelt the establishment of a federal relief program for artists during the Depression, and subsequently painted a number of government murals under the auspices of the Federal Art Project, including murals for the Department of Justice in 1935.

Biddle was born to a prominent Philadelphia family and graduated from Harvard College. He studied at the Académie Julian and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and served in the United States Army in World War I, before returning to New York where he had his first series of one-man shows.

In 1933 Biddle wrote to long-time friend President Franklin Roosevelt, to suggest a work relief program that supported mural painters. Although the idea initially met with opposition, Biddle persisted and the resulting art projects of the Works Progress Administration went on to support the production of thousands of paintings in government buildings throughout the country during the Depression.

In 1940 Biddle was invited by the Mexican government to create a mural for the supreme court building in Mexico City. Biddle had visited Mexico in 1928 where he had traveled and sketched with Diego Rivera, and seen firsthand the value of government sponsored art programs.

In addition to his murals, Biddle was also known for his portraits, lithographs, and paintings. His work can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and others. His work has been shown throughout the United States, Europe, Mexico, Japan, and India in over a hundred one-man shows and group exhibitions.

Related Materials:

Originals of the edited diary transcripts in this collection are in the Library of Congress, Manuscript Division. The unedited diary has many more entries than the edited version and includes more details about Biddle's daily life and work, versions of articles by Biddle, and lists of his works of art through 1934.

Separated Materials:

The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming, including one of Biddle's original diaries, 1933-1935 (reel D127), records from the Federal Art Project, personal correspondence, articles and talks relating to Artists Equity (reels P17-P18), and a photocopy of Biddle's inventory notebook listing artwork and exhibitions (reel 4909). While the inventory notebook was discarded after microfilming, all other loaned materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.

Provenance:

The papers on reels P12-P18 were loaned for microfilming in 1954 by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, PA. George Biddle lent the material on reel D127 in 1963 and donated the rest of the collection to the Archives of American Art between 1966-1970. In 1972, Michael Biddle, George Biddle's son, gifted a photocopy of an inventory notebook that was discarded after microfilming.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.

Rights:

The George Biddle papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Topic:

New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

Mural painting and decoration, American  Search this

Art and state -- United States  Search this

Muralists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Diaries

Citation:

George Biddle papers, circa 1910-1970. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Glass plate negatives in this collection were digitized in 2019 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.

Identifier:

AAA.biddgeor

See more items in:

George Biddle papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-biddgeor

Creator:

Bruce, Edward, 1879-1943  Search this

Names:

Public Works of Art Project  Search this

United States. Dept. of the Treasury. Section of Fine Arts  Search this

Biddle, George, 1885-1973  Search this

Dornbush, Adrian, 1900-  Search this

Dows, Olin, 1904-1981  Search this

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962  Search this

Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945  Search this

Stein, Leo, 1872-1947  Search this

Sterne, Maurice, 1878-1957  Search this

Extent:

8.9 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Diaries

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Place:

United States -- Politics and government -- 1933-1945

United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945

Date:

1902-1960

bulk 1932-1942

Summary:

The Edward Bruce papers measure 8.9 linear feet and date from 1902 to 1960, with the bulk of the material dating from 1932 to 1942. The collection documents Bruce's work as an artist, art collector, exhibition juror, and federal government art administrator, particularly his tenure as Director of the U. S. Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts. Well over one-half of the collection consists of extensive correspondence with artists, art collectors and dealers, arts associations, galleries, and government officials, including President and Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Scope and Content Note:

The Edward Bruce papers measure 8.9 linear feet and date from 1902 to 1960, with the bulk of the material dating from 1932 to 1942. The collection documents Bruce's work as an artist, art collector, exhibition juror, and federal government art administrator, particularly his tenure as Director of the U. S. Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts. Well over one-half of the collection consists of extensive correspondence with many notable artists and government officials. Also found is scattered biographical material, office diaries and speeches, personal financial material, printed material, four scrapbooks, and photographs.

A small amount of biographical material includes birth records and many awards and certificates. Bruce's correspondence files comprise over half of this collection, containing correspondence with family, friends, artists, art organizations, political figures, museums, art galleries, and government agencies. Found within the files is extensive correspondence with friend and art critic Leo Stein and artist friend Maurice Sterne. Additional artists Bruce corresponded with include George Biddle, Adrian Dornbush, and Olin Dows. Also included is correspondence documenting his career as Chief of the Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts with government colleagues and officials, much of it concerning his role on various federal arts committees, including the Commission of Fine Arts. There is also extensive correspondence with Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt concerning federal and public art projects.

Writings include office diaries and notebooks containing notes, addresses, lists of Section of Fine Arts projects, and dated work entries. There are copies of numerous written speeches given by Bruce on the importance of art, public art projects, and political issues. Financial material consists of a small number of items documenting Bruce's financial activity such as tax and insurance records, bills, a cash book, and house leases. Printed material documents Edward Bruce's career as an artist and federal arts projects and programs. Found are news clippings and magazine articles, exhibition catalogs, brochures, bulletins from the Section of Fine Arts, published speeches, and miscellaneous publications. Four scrapbooks contain news clippings, letters, photographs, and other printed material highlighting Bruce's career.

Extensive photographs include photographs of Bruce's artwork, portraits of Bruce, the Bruces with family and with friends and at many special events, including an NBC radio broadcast and at an exhibition with Eleanor Roosevelt. There are also photographs taken by Bruce during his travels and while living in Anticoli Carrado, Italy.

Arrangement:

The Edward Bruce collection is arranged into 7 series:

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1904-1938 (Box 1, OV 11; 3 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1921-1957 (Boxes 1-6; 5.5 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings, circa 1931-1942 (Box 6; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 4: Financial Material, circa 1909-1913, circa 1928-1943(Box 6, 0.3 linear feet)

Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1919, circa 1926-1943, 1960 (Box 7, 0.5 linear feet)

Series 6: Scrapbooks, 1922-1941 (Box 7-8; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 7: Photographs, circa 1902-1943 (Box 7, 9-10; 1.0 linear foot)

Although the collection no longer matches the exact filmed order, large groups of materials have been maintained in film order, particularly the correspondence. Microfilm reel and frame number notations are provided at the folder level when known.

Biographical Note:

Edward Bruce was born in 1879 in Dover Plains, New York. Though he enjoyed painting at a young age, he pursued a career in law and graduated from Columbia Law School in 1904. He practiced law in New York and in Manila, Philippines and was actively involved in international issues. He became president of the Pacific Development Corporation of California, was a lobbyist for the Philippine Independence Bill, and, in 1933, attended the London Economic Conference as a silver expert.

In 1923 Bruce gave up his career in law and business and began to paint, particularly landscapes. He and his wife Peggy spent the next six years in Anticoli Carrado, Italy where he studied painting from his friend and fellow artist Maurice Sterne. Bruce returned to the United States in 1929 and settled in California, exhibiting his artwork to much public and critical praise. In addition, Bruce was an avid collector of Chinese art.

In 1933 Bruce was appointed Chief of the newly established Public Works of Art Project, a federal government New Deal program within the U.S. Treasury Department, that employed artists to decorate numerous public buildings and parks. Though this federal program lasted less than a year, Bruce worked with Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr., to establish the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture in 1934 - later renamed the Section of Fine Arts in 1938. Bruce was appointed Director of the department and played a primary role in securing federal government support for American artists. In 1940 he was appointed to the Commission of Fine Arts by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Bruce received many honors and awards during his lifetime both for his work as an artist and for his capable and dedicated administration of federal arts programs. Despite poor health, he continued his work for the Section of Fine Arts until shortly before his death in 1943.

Related Material:

Other resources in the Archives relating to Edward Bruce include an oral history interview with Margaret (Peggy) Bruce on October 11, 1963 conducted by Harlan Phillips. Miscellaneous Manuscript Collections include one file of material, 1933-1960, concerning Edward Bruce that was donated by the U.S. General Services Administration in 1986 and microfilmed on reel 3960.

Also available at the Archives are two collections of records loaned by the U.S. National Archives from their Public Buildings Administration records and the records of the Public Works of Art Project for microfilming by the Archives. Microfilm reels DC1-DC 13 and DC116-DC128 contain Edward Bruce's files and correspondence, respectively.

Separated Material:

A book Art in Federal Buildings by Forbes Watson and Edward Bruce was donated to AAA with Bruce's papers and microfilmed with the rest of collection on Microfilm Reel D91-D92, and then transferred to the Smithsonian American Art Museum Library.

Provenance:

The Edward Bruce papers were donated by Margaret (Peggy) Bruce, Edward Bruce's wife, in 1962. Additional printed material, financial records, and photographs of artwork were donated by Mrs. Bruce's niece, Maria Ealand in 1979.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. The collection is partially microfilmed. Use of material not microfilmed requires an appointment.

Rights:

The Edward Bruce papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Occupation:

Painters  Search this

Arts administrators  Search this

Topic:

New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

Art, American  Search this

Art and state  Search this

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Genre/Form:

Diaries

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Citation:

Edward Bruce papers, 1902-1960 (bulk 1932-1942). Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Identifier:

AAA.brucedwa

See more items in:

Edward Bruce papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-brucedwa

Creator:

Cahill, Holger, 1887-1960  Search this

Names:

American Artists' Congress  Search this

American Council of Learned Societies  Search this

American Federation of Arts  Search this

Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Cartoonists Guild  Search this

Federal Art Project (U.S.)  Search this

Federal Music Project (U.S.)  Search this

Federal Theatre Project (U.S.)  Search this

Index of American Design  Search this

New York World's Fair (1939-1940 : New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Shakers  Search this

The Design Laboratory (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Treasury Relief Art Project  Search this

United States. Work Projects Administration  Search this

United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this

Abbott, Berenice, 1898-1991  Search this

Brown, Samuel Joseph, 1907-  Search this

De Rivera, José Ruiz, 1904-1985  Search this

Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this

Hopkins, Harry Lloyd, 1890-1946  Search this

Knaths, Karl, 1891-1971  Search this

Miller, Dorothy Canning, 1904-2003  Search this

Morris, Carl, 1911-1993  Search this

Olds, Elizabeth, 1896-1991  Search this

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962  Search this

Rowan, Edward Beatty, 1898-1946  Search this

Scaravaglione, Concetta, 1900-1975  Search this

Segal, George, 1924-2000  Search this

Speck, Walter, 1895-  Search this

Ward, Lynd, 1905-1985  Search this

Weisenborn, Rudolph, b. 1881  Search this

Extent:

15.8 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Prints

Government records

Interviews

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Slides (photographs)

Photograph albums

Drawings

Place:

United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945

United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945

Date:

1910-1993

bulk 1910-1960

Summary:

The papers of Holger Cahill (1887-1960) date from 1910 to 1993, with the bulk of the material dating from 1910-1960, and measure 15.8 linear feet. The collection offers researchers fairly comprehensive documentation of Cahill's directorship of the Works Progress/Projects Administration's (WPA) Federal Art Project (FAP) in addition to series documenting his work as a writer and art critic. Material includes correspondence, reports, artist files, scrapbooks, printed material, and photographs.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of Holger Cahill (1887-1960) date from 1910 to 1993, bulk 1910-1960, and measure 15.8 linear feet. The collection offers researchers fairly comprehensive documentation of Cahill's directorship of the FAP in addition to series documenting his work as a writer and art critic. FAP records include national and state administrative reports, records of community art centers, photographic documentation of state activities, artist files, divisional records about teaching, crafts, murals, and poster work, files concerning the Index of American Design, scrapbooks, and printed material.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into nine series:

Series 1: Biographical Material and Personal Papers, 1931-1988 (Box 1; 19 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence Files, 1922-1979, 1993 (Boxes 1-2; 1.5 linear ft.)

Series 3: Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project, 1934-1970 (Boxes 2-14, 18, MMs009; 10.75 linear ft.)

Series 4: Writings, Lectures and Speeches, 1916-1960 (Boxes 14-15, 18; 1.0 linear ft.)

Series 5: Minutes of Meetings and Panel Discussions, Non-FAP, 1939-1947 (Box 15; 5 folders)

Series 6: Notes and Research Material, 1935-1970 (Boxes 15-16; 0.25 linear ft.)

Series 7: Artwork, undated (Boxes 16, 18; 2 folders)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1910-1985 (Boxes 16-17; 1.8 linear ft.)

Series 9: Photographs, circa 1917-1960 (Box 17; 6 folders)

Biographical Note:

Holger Cahill was born Sveinn Kristjan Bjarnarson in Iceland in a small valley near the Arctic Circle, on January 13, 1887. His parents, Bjorn Jonson and Vigdis Bjarnadottir, immigrated to the United States from Iceland sometime later in the 1880s. In 1904, his father deserted the family, forcing Sveinn to be separated from his mother and sister to work on a farm in North Dakota. He ran away and wandered from job to job until settling in an orphanage in western Canada, where he attended school and became a voracious reader.

As a young man, he worked at many different jobs and attended night school. While working on a freighter, he visited Hong Kong, beginning his life-long interest in the Orient. Returning to New York City, he eventually became a newspaper reporter, continued his studies at New York University, and changed his name to Edgar Holger Cahill. In 1919 he married Katherine Gridley of Detroit. Their daughter, Jane Ann, was born in 1922, but the couple divorced in 1927.

Cahill met John Sloan circa 1920, and they shared a residence. Cahill also wrote publicity (until 1928) for the Society of Independent Artists, through which he made many friends in the arts. From 1922 to 1931, he worked under John Cotton Dana at the Newark Museum, where he received his basic experience in museum work, organizing the first large exhibitions of folk art.

From 1932 to 1935, he was the director of exhibitions for the Museum of Modern Art. In 1935, Cahill was appointed director of the Works Progress/Projects Administration (WPA) Federal Art Project (FAP), until its end in June 1943. In 1938, Cahill organized a countrywide exhibition "American Art Today" for the New York World's Fair. He also married MoMa curator Dorothy Canning Miller in that year.

Profane Earth, Cahill's first novel, was published in 1927, followed by monographs on Pop Hart and Max Weber, miscellaneous short stories, and a biography of Frederick Townsend Ward, entitled A Yankee Adventurer: The Story of Ward and the Taiping Rebellion. Following the end of the Federal Art Project, Cahill wrote two novels, Look South to the Polar Star (1947) and The Shadow of My Hand (1956).

Holger Cahill died in Stockbridge, Massachusetts in July 1960.

Provenance:

The Holger Cahill papers were donated to the Archives of American Art through a series of gifts by Cahill's widow, Dorothy C. Miller, between 1964 and 1995.

Restrictions:

The microfilm of this collection has been digitized and is available online via the Archives of American Art website.

Rights:

The Holger Cahill papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Occupation:

Arts administrators  Search this

Topic:

Federal aid to the public welfare  Search this

Art and state  Search this

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this

Public officers  Search this

Genre/Form:

Prints

Government records

Interviews

Scrapbooks

Photographs

Slides (photographs)

Photograph albums

Drawings

Citation:

Holger Cahill papers, 1910-1993, bulk 1910-1960. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the digitization of the microfilm of this collection was provided by Jane Blumenfeld.

Identifier:

AAA.cahiholg

See more items in:

Holger Cahill papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-cahiholg

Creator:

Inverarity, Robert Bruce, 1909-1999  Search this

Names:

Federal Art Project (Calif.)  Search this

Federal Art Project (Ill.)  Search this

Federal Art Project (Iowa)  Search this

Federal Art Project (N.Y.)  Search this

Federal Art Project (Or.)  Search this

Federal Art Project (Utah)  Search this

Federal Art Project (Wash.)  Search this

Museum of International Folk Art (N.M.)  Search this

Deutsch, Hilda, 1911-  Search this

Duchamp, Marcel, 1887-1968 -- Photographs  Search this

Graves, Morris, 1910- -- Photographs  Search this

Morris, Carl, 1911-1993  Search this

Ray, Man, 1890-1976 -- Photographs  Search this

Tobey, Mark  Search this

Extent:

13.8 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Scrapbooks

Sound recordings

Sketchbooks

Interviews

Photographs

Drawings

Place:

United States -- Economic conditions, 1918-1945 -- Washington (State)

Date:

circa 1840s-1997

Summary:

The papers of artist, photographer, museum director, anthropologist, and writer Robert Bruce Inverarity are dated circa 1840s-1997 and measure 12.7 linear feet. Biographical information, correspondence, writings and notes, subject files, art work, scrapbooks, sound recordings, printed material and photographs are found within the papers. They document Inverarity's work as Director of the Federal Art Project in Seattle and Director of the Art and Craft Project for the State of Washington, as well as his other professional work. Nineteenth century material consists of a Japanese print, printed material, and photographs.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of artist, photographer, museum director, anthropologist, and writer Robert Bruce Inverarity are dated circa 1840s-1997 and measure 13.8 linear feet. Biographical information, correspondence, writings and notes, subject files, art work, scrapbooks, sound recordings, printed material and photographs are found within the papers. They document Inverarity's work as Director of the Federal Art Project in Seattle and Director of the Art and Craft Project for the State of Washington, as well as his other professional work. Nineteenth century material consists of a Japanese print, printed material, and photographs.

Among the biographical information are awards and certificates, biographical and genealogical notes, and educational records. Correspondence concerns Inverarity's activities as Director of the WPA Federal Arts Project in Washington State, 1936-1941. Additional personal and professional correspondence, 1929-1993, documents his activities as a museum director, consultant, collector, and writer. Among the friends and colleagues with whom he corresponded are: Max Ernst and Dorothea Tanning, Rockwell and Sally Kent, Stanton MacDonald-Wright, Wolfgang Palen, Juliet and Man Ray, Mark Tobey, Edward Weston, and various individuals associated with the WPA.

Manuscripts of a few of Inverarity's many articles on topics such as anthropology, museology, and information storage and retrieval are among his writings and notes. Also included are the manuscript of an unpublished book, Tobey Remembered, along with drafts, notes, correspondence, research materials, and photocopies of Tobey's letters to him and others. Other writings consist of book reviews, children's books, a catalog of the Inverarity Collection, and a copy of his 1946 master's thesis, "The Social-Economic Position of the American Artist." Several journals, 1928-1966, survive, including one that records his 1932 trip to study the Haida Indians of the Queen Charlotte Islands.

Subject files include general subjects such as "Folk Art" and "Preservation." Files on the museums where Inverarity was the director contain some official records as well as general information. Art work by Inverarity includes eight volumes of sketch books, 1928-1942, commercial work for Boeing, notes and drawings for book designs. Among the work by other artists are drawings, paintings and prints by friends. Of particular interest are display panels for a small exhibit on airbrush stencil prints produced by the Washington State WPA Federal Art Project. Other noteworthy items are pencil sketches and a watercolor by Mark Tobey, and prints by Hiroshige and Jan Matulka.

Five scrapbooks, 1928-1979, contain newspaper clippings, miscellaneous printed items, and a small number of photographs and letters. Three volumes document his career as an artist and museum director. One consists of biographical information and items designed by Inverarity, and another concerns publication and marketing of his monograph Art of the Northwest Coast Indians.

Sound recordings consist of interviews and conversations. An extensive interview with Inverarity about his life and career was conducted by Craig Gilborn in 1990. Bruce and Jane Inverarity in conversation with former colleague Ernie Johnson and his wife Helen about his departure from the Museum of International Folk Art were recorded in 1980. Also included is a 1981 conversation with Grace T. Stevenson containing references to Mark Tobey and Morris Graves.

Printed material includes many items about or produced by the WPA Federal Art Project. Among the items written by Inverarity are many articles on a wide variety of topics, his book Art of the Northwest Coast Indians, and two published portfolios. Printed material by other authors includes articles, books and reports about or mentioning Inverarity, and books designed or illustrated by him. Among the miscellaneous printed items are catalogs and brochures of the schools where Inverarity taught and studied, and a few ephemeral items designed by him.

Photographs are of art work, people, places, the Washington State WPA Federal Art Project, and miscellaneous subjects. All photographs known to be by Inverarity are clearly marked. Art work includes views of Inverarity's collection of his own work and that of other artists hanging in his home. Photographs of people include artists, friends, colleagues, and various groups. Of special interest are Inverarity's portraits of artists, among them Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, Morris Graves, Hilaire Hiler, Rico Le Brun, Stanton Macdonald-Wright, Man Ray, Dorothea Tanning, and Mark Tobey. Photographs of places include the museums where Inverarity was director, places in which he lived, and travel pictures. Of note are a large group of photographs (copy prints) taken in 1932 while studying the Haida Indians in British Columbia. Nineteenth century photographs of family homes, Europe, and South America may have been taken by his father. Photographs of the Washington State WPA Federal Arts Project are of individual works of art, exhibition installations, mosaic procedures and local art centers. Many, probably intended for display, are mounted in groups on large cardboard panels. Miscellaneous subjects include art photographs by Inverarity and the microreader he invented.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as nine series. Correspondence is in chronological order, Biographical Information and Subject Files are arranged alphabetically by folder title. Other series have been organized into subseries and arrangement is as described in the Series Descriptions/Container List below. Unless noted otherwise, material within folders is arranged chronologically.

Series 1: Biographical Information, 1934-1997, undated (Box 1, OV 18; 0.25 linear ft.)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1928-1993, undated (Box 1; 0.75 linear ft.)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, 1928-1993, undated, (Boxes 2-3; 1.5 linear ft.)

Series 4: Subject Files, 1938-1990, undated (Boxes 3-6, OV 19-20; 2.5 linear ft.)

Series 5: Art Work, circa 1840s-1969, undated (Boxes 6, 12, 16, OV 21; 1.3 linear ft.)

Series 6: Scrapbooks, 1928-1991, undated (Boxes 7-8; 1.1 linear ft.)

Series 7: Sound Recordings, 1980-1990 (Box 8; 3 folders)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1902-1995, undated (Boxes 8-11, 13, OV 22; 3.4 linear ft.)

Series 9: Photographs, circa 1870s-1990, undated (Boxes 11, 14-17, OV 23; 3.0 linear ft.)

Biographical Note:

Robert Bruce Inverarity (1909-1999) showed artistic leanings as a boy, and from an early age was fascinated by puppetry and Northwest Coast native culture. During much of his youth, Inverarity's family lived in Canada, but returned to their native Seattle when he was a teenager. After graduating from high school, he made a 500 mile journey on foot along the coasts of the Vancouver Islands, collecting Indian artifacts and studying the area's tribal legends.

He studied briefly with Mark Tobey in Seattle, where the two shared a studio; when Tobey departed for Chicago, Inverarity succeeded him as an art teacher at the Cornish School. He spent the next few years in California working as an artist, exhibiting, and occasionally teaching. From there, he moved to Vancouver where he was Director of the School of Creative Art. In 1932, Inverarity made a three month trip to the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, for the purpose of studying the Haida Indians.

Upon his return to the United States in 1933, Inverarity joined the University of Washington Drama School as a puppetry instructor; in 1938 he published a highly regarded Manual of Puppetry. During 1936-37, he took a leave of absence from the university to assume the position of State Director of the Federal Art Project, where he remained until 1939. He then became State Director of the Art and Crafts Project (1939-1941). The U.S. Navy appointed Inverarity Chief of Design for Camouflage (1941-1943) and he later served as an Official Navy War Artist (1943-1945).

During his early years as a teacher and administrator, Inverarity continued making art and participated in a wide variety of exhibitions. He published a portfolio, 12 Photographs by R. B. Inverarity (1940). In the following year, Movable Masks and Figures of the North Pacific Coast Indians, a portfolio of his watercolors reproduced as silkscreen prints, appeared. Although Inverarity stopped exhibiting in 1941, he continued to produce art; notable work of this period includes photographic portraits of a number of artist friends (Max Ernst, Dorothea Tanning, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray).

After World War II, Inverarity completed his formal education. He earned a Bachelor's degree in art and anthropology from the University of Washington (1946), and then studied with Hilaire Hiler at Freemont University in Los Angeles, where he was awarded a Master's degree in fine arts (1947) and a Ph.D. (1948).

Inverarity began his museum career in 1949 when he was appointed the first director of the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a position that combined his interest in, and knowledge of, anthropology and art. While in Santa Fe, he published Art of the North West Coast Indians (1950). During his five year tenure as director, the museum participated in a pilot study for coding visual files, a project of the anthropological group, Human Resources Area Files, Inc. When Inverarity was dismissed from the Museum of International Folk Art in 1954, most of the staff resigned in protest, and the American Association of Museums investigated the situation.

Inverarity then became the first director of the Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake, New York, where he remained for eleven years. In addition to planning the museum's building, and developing collections and programs, Inverarity continued his involvement with the visual files project of the Human Resources Area Files, Inc., studying information storage and retrieval, developing a "microreader," and publishing Visual Files Coding Index (1960). In addition, he published many articles on a variety of topics and was active in organizations for anthropologists and museum professionals.

After his 1965 departure from the Adirondack Museum, Inverarity went to California and worked as an illustrator and book designer at the University of California Press. He returned to the east coast in 1969 to assume the directorship of the Philadelphia Maritime Museum. During this period, he remained active in professional associations and traveled to study museums abroad. He retired in 1976 and moved to La Jolla, California.

Robert Bruce Inverarity died in 1999.

Separated Material:

Originals of most of the drawings and sketches loaned by Mr. Inverarity were returned to him after filming and were not subsequently donated. This material is available on 35 mm microfilm reel D/NDA/I, frames 392-409.

Provenance:

Robert Bruce Inverarity donated his papers to the Archives in several installments between 1965 and 1993. Additional papers were received from his estate in 1999. He also loaned a small number of additional drawings and sketches for microfilming which were returned to him. A few of these drawings were included with the papers he subsequently donated to the Archives of American Art.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.

Rights:

The Robert Bruce Inverarity papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Occupation:

Arts administrators  Search this

Painters  Search this

Topic:

Puppet theater  Search this

New Deal, 1933-1939 -- Washington (State)  Search this

Works of art  Search this

Federal aid to the arts -- Washington (State)  Search this

Art and state -- Washington (State)  Search this

Genre/Form:

Scrapbooks

Sound recordings

Sketchbooks

Interviews

Photographs

Drawings

Citation:

Robert Bruce Inverarity papers, circa 1840s-1997. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.inverobe

See more items in:

Robert Bruce Inverarity papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-inverobe

Creator:

Bisttram, Emil, 1895-1976  Search this

Subject:

Berninghaus, Oscar E. (Oscar Edmund)  Search this

Dows, Olin  Search this

Macdonald-Wright, Stanton  Search this

Ufer, Walter, Mrs  Search this

Saarinen, Eero  Search this

Higgins, Victor  Search this

Phillips, Bert Geer  Search this

Jonson, Raymond  Search this

Public Works of Art Project  Search this

Treasury Relief Art Project  Search this

United States. Dept. of the Treasury. Section of Fine Arts  Search this

Topic:

Federal aid to the arts -- Arizona  Search this

Art and state -- Arizona  Search this

Federal aid to the arts -- New Mexico  Search this

New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this

Art and state -- New Mexico  Search this

Painting, Abstract  Search this

Taos School of Art  Search this

Design  Search this

Symmetry  Search this

Proportion (Art)  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)9018

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211207

AAA_collcode_bistemil

Theme:

Art Movements and Schools

Lives of American Artists

Government Sponsorship of the Arts

New Deal

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211207

Creator:

Bisttram, Emil, 1895-1976  Search this

Names:

Public Works of Art Project  Search this

Treasury Relief Art Project  Search this

United States. Dept. of the Treasury. Section of Fine Arts  Search this

Berninghaus, Oscar E. (Oscar Edmund), 1874-1952  Search this

Dows, Olin, 1904-1981  Search this

Higgins, Victor, 1884-1949  Search this

Jonson, Raymond, 1891-1982  Search this

Macdonald-Wright, Stanton, 1890-1973  Search this

Phillips, Bert Geer, 1868-1956  Search this

Saarinen, Eero, 1910-1961  Search this

Ufer, Walter, Mrs  Search this

Extent:

2.3 Linear feet ((on 6 microfilm reels))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1902-1982

Scope and Contents:

Papers relating to work done for the Federal Art Project; business and personal letters; printed material; biographical data; correspondence; and photographs.

REEL 79: Correspondence, memoranda, and other material relating to federal art programs in New Mexico and Arizona. Includes correspondence with Public Works of Art Project administrators about a mural in Taos County Court House done by Bisttram, Bert G. Phillips, and Victor Higgins; memoranda; press releases and reports; catalogs of Treasury Department art projects shown at the Corcoran Gallery; and Federal Art Project dismissals and a proposal for a Bureau of Fine Arts.

REEL 581: Business and personal letters to and from Bisttram, including a letter from Lily and Eero Saarinen, and letters from Raymond Jonson; clippings; 91 catalogs; 22 reproductions of Bisttram's work; newspaper and magazine articles describing the artist colony at Taos and Santa Fe.

REEL 2787: Baptismal and naturalization records; correspondence; a photograph of Bisttram; clippings and printed material.

REELS 2892-2894: Biographical material; one or more letters from Ray Jonson, Stanton Macdonald-Wright; Oscar Berninghaus, Mrs. Walter Ufer, and other artists; correspondence with Olin Dows and others involved in the Treasury Relief Art Project, with galleries, museums, art organizations, and students; writings and notes; the draft for a book about Dynamic Symmetry; drafts for a book The Creative Process in the New Age; sketches and drawings; business, financial, and legal records; exhibition catalogs and announcements; certificates and awards; transcripts of interviews of Bisttram; and photographs of Bisttram and his paintings.

Biographical / Historical:

Painter; Taos, N.M. Was an exponent of Dynamic Symmetry, a painting technique.

Provenance:

Papers microfilmed on reel 581were lent for microfilming 1973, and some was subsequently donated with a gift in 1983 (and refilmed on reels 2892-2894).

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Occupation:

Painters -- New Mexico -- Taos  Search this

Topic:

Federal aid to the arts -- Arizona  Search this

Art and state -- Arizona  Search this

Federal aid to the arts -- New Mexico  Search this

New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this

Art and state -- New Mexico  Search this

Painting, Abstract  Search this

Taos School of Art  Search this

Design  Search this

Symmetry  Search this

Proportion (Art)  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.bistemil

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-bistemil

Creator:

Collier, Nina Perera  Search this

Names:

Federal Art Project  Search this

Federal Music Project (U.S.)  Search this

Federal Theatre Project (U.S.)  Search this

Federal Writers' Project (U.S.)  Search this

Index of American Design  Search this

New York World's Fair (1939-1940 : New York, N.Y.)  Search this

United States. Federal Emergency Relief Administration  Search this

United States. Work Projects Administration  Search this

United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this

Extent:

1,500 Items ((on 2 microfilm reels))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Place:

United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945

United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945

Date:

1934-1950

Scope and Contents:

Correspondence and records regarding the Index of American Design, Federal Art Project, Federal Recreation Project, National Symphony Orchestra Summer Concerts, Washington Summer Concerts Association; New York World's Fair, National Fact Finders Exhibition, Federal Writer's Project, Federal Music Project, Federal Theater Project, and the movement for permanent government art programs.

Biographical / Historical:

Administrator for the Section of Professional and non-Manual Projects of Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), Washington, D.C. Became publicist for the Information Service of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). FERA was the forerunner of the WPA.

Provenance:

Lent for microfilming by Nina Perera Collier.

Restrictions:

The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.

Occupation:

Arts administrators  Search this

Public officers  Search this

Topic:

New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

Federal aid to the public welfare  Search this

Art and state  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.collnina

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-collnina

Creator:

O'Connor, Francis V., 1937-  Search this

Subject:

National Endowment for the Arts  Search this

United States  Search this

Federal Art Project  Search this

United States  Search this

Topic:

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this

Transcripts  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)9095

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211289

AAA_collcode_oconfran

Theme:

Government Sponsorship of the Arts

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211289

Creator:

Block, Lou, 1895-1969  Search this

Federal Art Project (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Subject:

Index of American Design  Search this

Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

American Artists' Congress  Search this

Place:

United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945

Topic:

New Deal, 1933-1939 -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Federal aid to the arts -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Art and state -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Federal aid to public welfare -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Mural painting and decoration, American  Search this

African American artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)6746

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)208871

AAA_collcode_bloclou

Theme:

African American

Government Sponsorship of the Arts

New Deal

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_208871

Creator:

Heil, Walter, 1890-1973  Search this

M.H. De Young Memorial Museum  Search this

Public Works of Art Project  Search this

Extent:

5.6 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Place:

United States -- Social conditions -- California -- San Francisco

Date:

1929-1973

Scope and Contents:

Correspondence, writings, notes, photographs, and personal calendars.

UNMICROFILMED: Correspondence; photographs; engagement calendars; printed and manuscript material; catalogues; business material.

Reel NDA 3: Two notebooks containing names and addresses of San Francisco and Bay area artists interested in being employed on the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP); payroll data; artists submitting work ideas; reports of artists; record of sketches and paintings submitted by Bay area artists, Dec. 1933-Jan. 1934; report of the Regional Committee of PWAP (Region 15)--Northern California discussing the work executed for the Project in Northern California, Nevada, Utah, and Hawaii; and miscellaneous correspondence.

Biographical / Historical:

Director of the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, Calif., 1933-196 and the Region 15--Northern California, Nevada, and Utah--director of the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP).

Provenance:

Mrs. Leyland Stevens, daughter of Walter Weil, donated the papers in 1974. In 1983, 2 engagement calendars and 5 items of correspondence were found at the M.H. De Young Museum and turned over to the Archives. In 1964, Lewis Ferbrache loaned some material for microfilming on reel NDA 3; originals were returned to Lewis Ferbrache after microfilming.

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 -- California -- San Francisco  Search this

Museum directors -- California -- San Francisco  Search this

Topic:

New Deal, 1933-1939 -- California  Search this

Federal aid to the arts -- California -- San Francisco  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.heilwalt

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-heilwalt

Creator:

Block, Lou, 1895-1969  Search this

Federal Art Project (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Names:

American Artists' Congress  Search this

Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Index of American Design  Search this

Extent:

47 Items ((on partial microfilm reel))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Place:

United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945

Date:

1936-1938

Scope and Contents:

Papers relating to Block's involvement as a supervisor in the WPA Federal Art Project New York City office and as a member of the Artists Congress.

Frames 825-889: Photographs of murals in New York City, many unidentified, and photographs of strike and picketing by Artists' Union [microfilm title WPA-FAP, New York].

Frames 1013-1300: Correspondence and memoranda regarding rejection of murals for the Harlem Hospital by black artists, and charges of racism and segregation in the FAP; memos and reports by Block on the Index of American Design in New York City, including a roster of master artists on the Index; memos relating to cutbacks and quotas on the FAP; memos from the Supervisors Association of the FAP; Artists Congress report to membership, November 1936; issues of AMERICAN ARTIST; Index of American Design exhibition catalogs; and other printed material.

Biographical / Historical:

Administrator, Federal Art Project; New York, N.Y.

Provenance:

Lent for microfilming 1965 by Louis Block.

Restrictions:

The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.

Occupation:

Arts administrators  Search this

Topic:

New Deal, 1933-1939 -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Federal aid to the arts -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Art and state -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Federal aid to public welfare -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Mural painting and decoration, American  Search this

African American artists  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.bloclou

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-bloclou

Creator:

Federal Art Project (U.S.)  Search this

Names:

Federal Art Project. National Art Week  Search this

Federal Music Project (U.S.)  Search this

Federal Theatre Project (U.S.)  Search this

Federal Writers' Project (U.S.)  Search this

Index of American Design  Search this

United States. Work Projects Administration  Search this

United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this

Cahill, Holger, 1887-1960  Search this

Rourke, Constance, 1885-1941  Search this

Extent:

70 Microfilm reels

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Microfilm reels

Place:

United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945

United States -- Social conditions -- 1935-1945

Date:

1935-1948

Scope and Contents:

Selected records from the United States National Archives and Records Administration of the Federal Art Project (FAP) of the Work Projects Administration. Records cover a broad range of topics. The bulk are from the Central Files, "States" and "General Subject" series, 1935-1944. Also microfilmed are materials from series Federal Art Project, Federal Project #1, WPA, among them records related to the Index of American Design; and records of the Chicago Field Finance office relating to allocations of works of art.

General Subject Files is comprised of correspondence, memoranda, receipts, reports, and business files. Found on reels DC44-DC49 are correspondence and memoranda of the the FAP; materials relating to Art for the Millions published during the WPA; receipts for loans of works of art.and other correspondence, memoranda, business records, reports, and lists of artists. Found on reels. DC45, and DC49-DC50 are materials relating to the two National Art Weeks of 1940 and 1941; regional correspondence, 1939; reports, 1939; and papers relating to exhibitions held for WPA artists.

Central Files, "States", on reels DC62-DC111, is comprised of general correspondence, memoranda, telegrams, reports, and records of FAP activities at the state level. Much of the material is between state administrators and national directors. There are occasional occurrences of letters from individual citizens seeking assistance. Topics covered include FAP, Federal Writers' Project, Federal Theater Project, Federal Music Project, Index of American Design, and other projects under Federal Project # 1 of the WPA. New York City has its own separate file.

Federal Art Project, Federal Art Project #1, series appears on reels DC51-DC61 are broken down into "General Correspondence File", reels DC51-DC59, consisting of ca. 80 files with a variety of titles, for example Artist's oil paints, Congressional correspondence, Index of American Design (mostly reel DC53), Museum of Modern Art, News releases, Salary increases, etc.; and "Regional Correspondence Files," reels DC60-DC61, for Ohio, Washington state, and California; publicity and exhibition material; and "Regional and State Correspondence Files," Alabama to Michigan. Among the persons represented are Holger Cahill, Lawrence Morris, Thomas C. Parker, Russell C. Parr, and Constance Rourke.

Chicago Field Finance office records relating to allocations of works of art are found on reels DC129-DC130 and include requests for allocations of funds, requests for loans, receipts for allocations of works of art, shipping receipts, miscellaneous forms and correspondence.

Arrangement:

Microfilm reels DC44-50: General Subject Files. Reels DC51-61: Federal Art Project, Federal Project #1, WPA. Reels DC62-DC111: Central Files: "States" (reel DC53 is exclusively related to the Index of American Design). DC129-DC130: Chicago Field Finance office records relating to allocations of works of art. Most series are arranged alphabetically by subject, artist, state, territory, and district. Researchers should note that the arrangement of the records on microfilm reflects the order and arrangement as existed during the microfilming project, 1964-1966, and may not correspond to the original order of the records currently maintained by the National Archives in Record group 69,

Biographical / Historical:

The Federal Art Project (FAP) fell under the jurisdiction of Federal Project No. 1 of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to aid unemployed artists, following the precedent set by the Public Works of Art Project and other Treasury department art relief projects. Holger Cahill was appointed director of the FAP and remained in that position throughout its existence. The WPA was established in May 1935 specifically as a work relief program for the millions of individuals left unemployed during the Depression. Its name changed to the Work Projects Administration in 1939 when it fell under the administrative hand of the newly created Federal Works Agency.

The FAP projects included a broad range of events and activities which generated the various publications and materials found in the central files of the general subject series. ART FOR THE MILLIONS was a publication project about the accomplishments of the FAP consisting of a series of articles by Project workers. In addition to creating work for artists, the FAP sought to increase art appreciation as well as art sales among the general public. In doing so it devised a plan which created National Art Week. National Art Week was observed in both 1940 and 1941, and although the scale was grand and participation by the public impressive, the financial return on both occasions was minute, putting an end to plans for future National Art Weeks.

Provenance:

Series and files microfilmed by AAA were selected from the National Archives record group 69, records of the Work Projects Administration. Additional records of the WPA are preserved at the National Archives. FAP series and files not microfilmed by AAA include: additional records of the Federal Art Project (FAP), National Archives boxes, 27-58 and records of the FAP in Ohio, ca. 1937-1940; Division of Information, "Primary File" of the FAP and National Art Week; and photographic prints and negatives in the Still Picture Division, National Archives Building.

Restrictions:

The Archives does not own the original records. Use is limited to microfilm copy.

Topic:

Federal aid to public welfare  Search this

Art and state -- United States  Search this

New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.fedeartp09

See more items in:

Selected Federal Art Project of the Work Projects Administration records from the United States National Archives (microfilm)

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-fedeartp09

Creator:

Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945  Search this

Hopkins, Harry Lloyd, 1890-1946  Search this

Names:

American Institute of Architects  Search this

Federal Art Project  Search this

Federal Theatre Project (U.S.)  Search this

Public Works of Art Project  Search this

Treasury Relief Art Project  Search this

United States. Dept. of the Treasury. Section of Fine Arts  Search this

United States. President (1933-1945 : Roosevelt)  Search this

Biddle, George, 1885-1973  Search this

Bruce, Edward, 1879-1943  Search this

Chambless, Edgar, d. 1936  Search this

Dows, Olin, 1904-1981  Search this

Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971  Search this

Rockefeller, Nelson A. (Nelson Aldrich), 1908-1979  Search this

Zorach, William, 1887-1966  Search this

Extent:

4 Microfilm reels

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Microfilm reels

Place:

United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945

United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945

Date:

1932-1942

Scope and Contents:

Correspondence of Roosevelt, Edward Bruce, Nelson Rockefeller, Hopkins, George Biddle, William Zorach, Olin Dows, Rockwell Kent and others regarding the Public Works of Art Project, the Federal Theater Project, and the Federal Art Project; reports on regional Federal Art Project offices in Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Pennsylvania; shipping receipts for works of art; clippings; photographs of works of art; correspondence between White House staff and members of the American Institute of Architects concerning federal architecture, 1934; correspondence of Edgar Chambless regarding his urban design, "Roadtown"; and miscellaneous correspondence.

Biographical / Historical:

President of the United States of America, 1933-1945. Instituted the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and its programs. Harry L. Hopkins was the Director of the WPA. The Federal Art Project was one of five projects in Federal Project No. 1 of the WPA. Holger Cahill was director.

Provenance:

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Library donated the microfilm copies of these papers to AAA in 1982. The microfilming was done by the donor.

Restrictions:

The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.

Rights:

Authorization to publish, quote, or reproduce must be obtained from Franklin D. Library, Hyde Park N.Y.

Topic:

New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

Federal aid to the public welfare  Search this

Art and state  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.roosfran

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-roosfran

Creator:

O'Connor, Francis V.  Search this

Names:

Federal Art Project  Search this

National Endowment for the Arts  Search this

United States. Work Projects Administration  Search this

United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this

Extent:

23.4 Linear feet

0.001 Gigabytes

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Gigabytes

Date:

1920-2009

Summary:

The papers of New York art historian Francis O'Connor measure 23.4 linear feet and 0.001 GB and date from 1920-2009. Found within the papers are artist and exhibition files, questionnaires, transcripts, writings, project files, and printed and digital material that pertain to O'Connor's research and publications on the New Deal and the Federal Arts Project of the Works Progress Administration.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of New York art historian Francis O'Connor measure 23.4 linear feet and date from 1920-2009. Found within the papers are artist and exhibition files, questionnaires, transcripts, writings, project files, and printed and digital material that pertain to O'Connor's research and publications on the New Deal and the Federal Arts Project of the Works Progress Administration.

The "NCFA Library" consists of research materials collected, created, and compiled during the course of O'Connor's research project supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities for his books Federal Support for the Visual Arts (1969) and Art for the Millions (1973). Files contain administrative records, artists' files, and questionnaires and essays that document the administration of New Deal art projects. The files were collated by O'Connor into a set that remains intact.

The publications series consists of additional research and administrative materials specifically related to O'Connor's four publications on the WPA/FAP and New Deal artists: Federal Support for the Visual Arts: The New Deal and Now (1969), New Deal Art Projects: An Anthology of Memoirs (1972), Art for the Millions (1973), and Federal Art Patronage Notes (newsletter, 1974-1984).

New Deal research files are more general research materials collected by or sent to O'Connor in the course of his academic career. These include information on New Deal administrators and state specific WPA projects; photocopies of original WPA activity and reports; and New Deal scholarship, academic symposia, and conferences.

New Deal exhibitions include announcement and catalogs of contemporary New Deal art exhibitions in the U.S. from the 1960s to the 1990s. Project files are related to three publically and privately funded New Deal research projects O'Connor directed or participated in. Printed materials consists of press coverage of federal arts patronage in the United States dating from the 1960s to 2008.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 6 series. There is some overlap in series reflecting O'Connor's original order.

Series 1: NCFA Library, 1920-1974 (6.7 linear feet; Boxes 1-7, OV 28)

Series 2: Publications, 1939-1985 (4.3 linear feet; Boxes 7-11, BV 25-26, OV 27)

Series 3: New Deal Research Files, 1930-2009 (5.6 linear feet; Boxes 11-16)

Series 4: New Deal Exhibitions, 1961-1997 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 17-18)

Series 5: Project Files, 1935-1999 (2 linear feet; Boxes 18-20, ER01; 0.001 GB)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1963-2008 (3.4 linear feet; Boxes 20-24)

Biographical / Historical:

New York art historian and poet Francis O'Connor (1937- ) is best known for his research and writings on the New Deal art programs of the Depression and the Roosevelt Administration. O'Connor received his Ph. D. from Johns Hopkins University in 1965 and taught contemporary European and American art history at the University of Maryland from 1964 to 1970. While at Maryland, he organized the country's first comprehensive exhibition of New Deal art programs since their ending in 1943. From 1967 to 1968, he also headed a research program for the National Endowment for the Arts to analyze the effectiveness of New Deal art patronage, which eventually led to the publication of Federal Support for the Visual Arts: The New Deal and Now (1969), New Deal Art Projects: An Anthology of Memoirs (1972), Art for the Millions (1973).

In addition to his work on New Deal art patronage, throughout the 1980s and 1990s, O'Connor continued to teach and lecture at universities, consulted on federally and privately funded research projects, and published critical essays for exhibition catalogs, anthologies and academic journals. He is a member of the College Art Association, International Association of Art Critics, and founded the Association of Independent Historians of Art in 1982.

Separated Materials:

Bound assemblies of periodicals were transferred to the Smithsonian Art Libraries in 2010, which retained relevant volumes and made final decisions regarding disposition of any remaining items.

Provenance:

The papers were donated by Francis O'Connor to the National Collection of Fine Arts, now the Smithsonian American Art Museum, which subsequently transferred the papers, with O'Connor's permission, to the Archives of American Art in 1974. In 2010, O'Connor donated an additional 15.8 linear feet of papers to the Archives.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings and electronic media with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. The Artists' Questionanaires require permission from each artist before publishing, quoting, or reproducing. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Rights:

The Francis V. O'Connor papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Francis O'Connor has retained any intellectual property rights, including copyright, he may possess. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Occupation:

Art historians  Search this

Topic:

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this

Transcripts  Search this

Citation:

Francis V. O'Connor papers, 1920-2009. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Identifier:

AAA.oconfran

See more items in:

Francis V. O'Connor papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-oconfran

Creator:

Watson, Forbes, 1879-1960  Search this

Subject:

Sheeler, Charles  Search this

Saint-Gaudens, Homer  Search this

Marsh, Reginald  Search this

Kuniyoshi, Yasuo  Search this

Kroll, Leon  Search this

Barr, Alfred H., Jr.  Search this

Zorach, William  Search this

Gallatin, A. E. (Albert Eugene)  Search this

Adams, Ansel  Search this

Citron, Minna Wright  Search this

Bruce, Edward  Search this

Brancusi, Constantin  Search this

Glackens, Ira  Search this

Genthe, Arnold  Search this

Klonis, Stewart  Search this

Dows, Olin  Search this

Coleman, Glenn O.  Search this

Pène Du Bois, Guy  Search this

Matisse, Henri  Search this

Morgenthau, Henry  Search this

Kuniyoshi, Yasuo  Search this

Manship, Paul  Search this

Mangravite, Peppino  Search this

Shimin, Symeon  Search this

Beal, Gifford  Search this

Sterne, Maurice  Search this

Ray, Man  Search this

Rowan, Edward Beatty  Search this

Watson, Nan  Search this

Weber, Max  Search this

Tucker, Allen  Search this

United States  Search this

United States. Dept. of the Treasury. Section of Fine Arts  Search this

Art Students League (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Pepsi-Cola Company  Search this

Public Works of Art Project  Search this

Red Cross  Search this

United States  Search this

Type:

Notes

Photographs

Drafts (documents)

Scrapbooks

Place:

United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945

New York N.Y. -- Buildings, structures, etc., Photographs

Topic:

Arts (Magazine)  Search this

Art and state  Search this

Art, American  Search this

Art publishing  Search this

Architecture, New York State, New York -- Photographs  Search this

Architecture -- New York, N.Y. -- Photographs  Search this

New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this

World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war  Search this

Authors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)11027

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211525

AAA_collcode_watsforb

Theme:

Government Sponsorship of the Arts

Architecture & Design

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211525