An interview of Christine Jeannette Abel conducted 1965 June 5, by Betty Hoag McGlynn, for the Archives of American Art. Abel discusses her educational background and studies with Frank Tolles Chamberlin, Armin Carl Hansen and David Alfaro Siqueiros; her teaching experience and impressions of Fletcher Martin as a student; and her experience assisting Helen Katherine Thorps on a Federal Art Project mural for the Marobia, California post office.
Biographical / Historical:
Christine Jeannette Abel (1890-1970) was a painter, mural painter, sculptor, and educator from California.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 23 min.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Restrictions:
For information on how to access this interview contact Reference Services.
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project Search this
United States. Work Projects Administration Search this
Extent:
21 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Interviews
Date:
1965 May 12
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Victor Alessandro conducted 1965 May 12, by Sylvia Loomis, for the Archives of American Art.
Alessandro describes his work as conductor of the Oklahoma City Symphony Orchestra under the Federal Music Project, and he discusses the value of Work Projects Administration art programs.
Biographical / Historical:
Victor Alessandro (1915-1976) was the Symphony conductor of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. and San Antonio, Texas. Worked under the Federal Music Project.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 46 minutes.
Provenance:
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
An interview of Merle Armitage conducted 1964 February 6, by Sylvia Loomis, for the Archives of American Art.
Armitage speaks of his role as Public Works of Art Project regional chairman of Southern California, including his supervision of 126 artists involved in painting, drawing, sculpture, lithography and mural projects; experimental work in PWAP easel painting projects; censorship of subject matter in a mural for the Frank Wiggins Trade School; his opposition to government subsidized art programs; his impressions of Edward Bruce, Dalzell Hatfield, James Milford Zornes, and others associated with the PWAP. Armitage also speaks of the American Institute of Graphic Arts and contemporary book design.
Biographical / Historical:
Merle Armitage (1893-1975) was an art administrator and graphic artist of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 48 min.
Provenance:
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
An interview of Atlee B. Ayres conducted 1965 May 13, by Sylvia Loomis, for the Archives of American Art New Deal and the Arts Project. Ayres discusses his association with the WPA in San Antonio, Texas, 1934-1935, including his selection of local artists for Public Works of Art Project exhibits, WPA painting and architectural projects, and the growth of the arts in Texas.
Biographical / Historical:
Atlee B. Ayres (1873-1969) was a architect in San Antonio, Texas.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 49 min.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project Search this
Extent:
22 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1965 May 1
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Paul G. and Alberta von Ottenfeld Babcock conducted 1965 May 1, by Betty Hoag, for the Archives of American Art New Deal and the Arts Project. The Babcocks speak of their backgrounds and educations, and their work with the Federal Art Project, including easel paintings, murals and mosaics.
Biographical / Historical:
Paul G. Babcock (1905-1996) and Alberta von Ottenfeld Babcock (1910-1992) were painters from Glendora, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 57 min.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Tugwell, Rexford G. (Rexford Guy), 1891-1979 Search this
Extent:
34 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1965 February 25
Scope and Contents:
An interview of C.B. Baldwin conducted 1965 February 25, by Richard K. Doud, for the Archives of American Art. Baldwin speaks of his family's influence on his development; working in Washington, D.C. with Rexford Tugwell for the Department of Agriculture; the New Deal projects which led to the formation of the Farm Security Administration; the photography project of the Farm Security Administration; finding photographers for the project; the usefulness of the work produced by the FSA. He recalls Roy Stryker.
Biographical / Historical:
C. B. (Calvin Benhan) Baldwin (1902-1975) was an administrator with the Farm Security Administration. The Farm Security Administration, under its Historic Section photographed the harsh living conditions of poverty-stricken rural and urban America during the late 1930s through the 1940s.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 5 min.
Provenance:
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Topic:
Documentary photography -- United States Search this
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project Search this
Names:
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project Search this
Extent:
19 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1965 February 21
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Bernice Fisher Banks conducted 1965 February 21, by Mary Fuller McChesney, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Bernice Fisher Banks (1906- ) was a sculptor from Alameda, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 41 min.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Restrictions:
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its Oral History Program interviews available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. Quotation, reproduction and publication of the recording is governed by restrictions. If an interview has been transcribed, researchers must quote from the transcript. If an interview has not been transcribed, researchers must quote from the recording. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project Search this
Names:
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project Search this
Extent:
35 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1964 August 1
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Belle Baranceanu and Hilda Preibisius conducted by Betty Hoag on 1964 August 1 for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Belle Baranceanu (1902-1988) was a printmaker; San Diego, California. Hilda Preibisius was an illustrator from San Diego, California.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 1 hr., 25 min.
Provenance:
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
An interview of Charles Barrows conducted 1965 March 11, by Sylvia Loomis, for the Archives of American Art New Deal and the Arts Project.
Barrows speaks of his education at the Art Students League; moving to New Mexico; working on the Public Works of Art Project, and later on the Federal Art Project; public perception of the Federal Art Project; the effects of the Project on art and artists; making prints based on Indian paintings. He recalls Gustave Baumann and Vernon Hunter.
Biographical / Historical:
Charles Barrows (1903-1988) was a printmaker in New Mexico.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 29 min.
Provenance:
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
An interview of Frederic Stewart Bartlett conducted 1964 November 11, by Sylvia Loomis for the Archives of American Art.
Bartlett speaks of his early life in Colorado; his early museum experience at the Denver Art Museum; the art centers started under the New Deal; unnoticed artists of America; the art of the banal; contemporary problems in museums. He recalls Donald Bear, Gladys Caldwell, Frank Mechau and Holger Cahill.
Biographical / Historical:
Frederic (Fred) Stewart Bartlett (1905-1988) was a museum director in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 4 min.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project Search this
Extent:
18 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
circa 1963
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Philip Fletcher Bell conducted circa 1963, by Harlan Phillips, for the Archives of American Art.
Bell speaks of a mural painting project he ran for the Federal Art Project; his work as a director of a children's art center in Washington, D.C.; how students were chosen for the center; how the center was administered; some of the projects that were done by the center; and his philosophies of teaching drawing and art to children.
Biographical / Historical:
Philip Fletcher Bell (1907-1964) was an art administrator and painter from Washington, D.C.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 53 min.
Provenance:
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
An interview of George Biddle conducted in 1963, by Harlan Phillips, for the Archives of American Art.
Biddle speaks of his background in Philadelphia; his Harvard education in preparation for a law career; literary acquaintances; travel; the beginning of his art career; his preoccupation with portraiture; his tragic and pleasant works; the importance of mood; his drawing techniques; drawing from nature; color experimentation; Stieglitz's circle; the susceptibility of artists to change during the 1930s; his involvement with the Public Works of Art Project; government censorship of his murals; his involvement with artists overseas during World War II; and his aesthetic philosophy. He recalls Max Weber, Maurice Sterne, George Grosz, William Zorach, Kenneth Hayes Miller, Peggy Bacon, Marsden Hartley, Charles Demuth, Edith Halpert, Boardman Robinson, Reginald Marsh, Thomas Hart Benton, Henry Billings, Ned Bruce, Holger Cahill, Philip Evergood, Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, David Siqueiros, and Rufino Tamayo.
Biographical / Historical:
George Biddle (1885-1973) was a painter and sculptor, in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.
General:
Originally recorded 3 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 9 digital wav files. Duration is 13 hr., 56 min.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project Search this
Extent:
28 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1965 November 29
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Herbert J. Brown conducted 1965 November 29, by Geoffrey Swift, for the Archives of American Art. Brown speaks of his background in music, duties in the Federal Art Project of Massachusetts, artists and their works associated with the Project, the Index of American Design, and government support of artists.
Biographical / Historical:
Herbert J. Brown was an art administrator from Natick, Massachusetts. Assistant State Director for Federal Art Project, Massachusetts.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 47 min.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Occupation:
Arts administrators -- Massachusetts -- Natick -- Interviews Search this
