Search Results

Collection Creator:

Booth, Virginia  Search this

Container:

Box 4, Folder 5

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1999 January 11

undated

Collection Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

Collection Rights:

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

Collection Citation:

Virginia "Jimmie" Booth Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

Virginia "Jimmie" Booth collection

Virginia "Jimmie" Booth collection / Series 5: American Designers

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0729-ref89

Creator:

Zogbaum, Elisabeth Ross  Search this

Names:

Kline, Franz, 1910-1962  Search this

Extent:

11.5 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Drawings

Scrapbooks

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1892-circa 2005

bulk 1930-1990

Summary:

The Elisabeth Zogbaum papers regarding Franz Kline measure 11.5 linear feet and date from 1892 to circa 2005, bulk 1930-1990. Zogbaum was a close companion to the New York-based painter Franz Kline and she managed his estate after his death. These papers include biographical material on Franz Kline, documents related to the Franz Kline estate and Franz Kline Foundation, and other material about the artist compiled by Elisabeth Zogbaum. In addition to the aforementioned material, the collection also includes correspondence, exhibition files, printed material, Zogbaum's research and notes, photographic material, artifacts, sound recordings of interviews, and books from Franz Kline's personal library.

Scope and Contents:

The Elisabeth Zogbaum papers regarding Franz Kline measure 11.5 linear feet and date from 1892 to circa 2005, bulk 1930-1990. Zogbaum was a close companion to the New York-based painter Franz Kline and she managed his estate after his death. These papers include biographical material on Franz Kline, documents related to the Franz Kline estate and Franz Kline Foundation, and other material about the artist compiled by Elisabeth Zogbaum. In addition to the aforementioned material, the collection also includes correspondence, exhibition files, printed material, Zogbaum's research and notes, photographic material, artifacts, sound recordings, and books from Franz Kline's personal library.

Franz Kline biographical material includes Kline's passport, will, address books, biographical outlines, obituaries, health and financial records, high school yearbooks, military training camp material, bills and receipts, loose pages of a high school scrapbook, and other material. There are also drawings and sketches by Franz Kline and a few drawings by others.

Correspondence is divided into two sections: correspondence with Franz Kline and correspondence with Elisabeth Zogbaum. Franz Kline correspondence mostly consists of letters to Franz Kline from friends, colleagues, artists, museums, and galleries. Notable correspondents include Sabro Hasegawa, Hedy Lamarr, John Ferren, Jack Micheline, William Morris, and Shinichi Segui. Elisabeth Ross Zogbaum correspondence consists of condolence letters upon the death of Franz Kline and professional correspondence with museums, galleries, foundations and collectors regarding his art.

The estate of Franz Kline includes financial and legal records on the Franz Kline estate, which Elisabeth Zogbaum managed as the sole executrix. There are art inventories, price lists, condition reports, sales reports, correspondence, contracts, tax records, and documents related to Marlborough Gallery and other galleries.

The Franz Kline Foundation series includes a range of material, such as a survey of public and private collections with Franz Kline artwork, related to the catalogue raisonne which the foundation began work on but did not complete. The series also contains correspondence, administrative records, lists, inventories, and sound recordings.

Elisabeth Zogbaum research and notes includes lists, notes, printed material, correspondence, and sound recordings compiled by Zogbaum regarding Franz Kline. Zogbaum produced an audiovisual presentation consisting of slides of Kline's artwork and an accompanying soundtrack. She recorded dozens of conversations with artists, friends, dealers, and contemporaries of Kline, including James Brooks, Louise Bourgeois, Willem de Kooning, George McNeil, Joan Mitchell, Giuseppe Panza, Ludwig Sander, Aaron Siskind, Ray Spillenger, and Joe Stefanelli, among others.

Exhibition files consist of correspondence, loan forms and agreements, checklists, and itineraries on various posthumous Franz Kline exhibitions.

Printed material includes exhibition catalogs, announcements, clippings, press releases, newsletters, magazines, postcards, and other miscellaneous material. Most of the material is about Franz Kline, but there is also material about other artists.

Photographic material includes photographs of Franz Kline, Elisabeth Zogbaum, family, friends, other artists, houses, studios, artwork, exhibition installations, Japanese calligraphy, and other subjects. There are mostly photographic prints, but there are also a few negatives, slides, and transparencies. There is an album of Franz Kline's artwork. Franz Kline Library consists of various books which were probably in his office. Some books contain articles about Franz Kline or images of his artwork. The rest are miscellanous titles that have been inscribed to Kline. There are also books with artwork by the artist Phil May.

There is a random assortment of artifacts that belonged to Franz Kline including a metal lantern, model car, tea pot, dominoes, a ring, and other objects.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged as 10 series.

Series 1: Franz Kline Biographical Material, 1925-1962, circa 1998 (Box 1, OV 13; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1929-1998 (Boxes 1-2, OV 13; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 3: Estate of Franz Kline, 1955-1991 (Box 2; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 4: Franz Kline Foundation, circa 1961-1997, bulk 1980-1990 (Boxes 2-4, 19; 1.6 linear feet)

Series 5: Elisabeth Zogbaum Research and Notes, 1951-1995 (Box 4, 19, OV 14; 1.3 linear feet)

Series 6: Exhibition Files, 1954-1995, bulk 1963-1995 (Box 4; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 7: Printed Material, 1936-circa 2005 (Boxes 4-6, OV 14-15; 2.7 linear feet)

Series 8: Photographic Material, circa 1915-1962, bulk 1936-1962 (Boxes 6-7, OV 14; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 9: Franz Kline Library, 1892-1962 (Boxes 7-10, BV 16-18; 3.2 linear feet)

Series 10: Artifacts, circa 1930-circa 1962 (Boxes 11-12; 0.4 linear feet)

Biographical / Historical:

Elisabeth Zogbaum was a close friend and companion of Franz Kline. She was married to sculptor Wilfrid Meynell Zogbaum. Upon Kline's death in 1962, Elisabeth Zogbaum became the sole executrix of his estate and later the president of the Franz Kline Foundation.

Franz Kline was an Abstract Expressionist painter based in New York City. Kline was born in a coal-mining town in Pennsylvania in 1910. He studied art at Boston University and at the Heatherley Fine Art School in England. He moved to New York City in the late 1930s and became a widely recognized and acclaimed artist. He died in 1962.

Related Materials:

Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Elisabeth Zogbaum conducted by Garnett McCoy on December 3, 1981.

Provenance:

The Elisabeth Zogbaum papers regarding Franz Kline were donated to the archives in multiple installments from 1991 to 2010. The first 1991 donation was made by Elisabeth Ross Zogbaum. Subsequent donations in 2004 and 2010 were made by her son, Rufus Zogbaum.

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.

Rights:

Images of works of art by Franz Kline copyright held by Franz Kline Estate / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Requests for permission to reproduce images of works of art by Franz Kline should be submitted to ARS.

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

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

Topic:

Abstract expressionism  Search this

Genre/Form:

Drawings

Scrapbooks

Sound recordings

Interviews

Citation:

Elisabeth Zogbaum papers regarding Franz Kline, 1892-circa 2005, bulk 1930-1990. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.klinfran

See more items in:

Elisabeth Zogbaum papers regarding Franz Kline

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-klinfran

Creator:

Du Mont, Allen B. (Allen Balcom), 1901-1965  Search this

Source:

Electricity and Modern Physics, Division of, NMAH, SI.  Search this

Names:

Du Mont Laboratories, Inc.  Search this

Former owner:

Electricity and Modern Physics, Division of, NMAH, SI.  Search this

Extent:

46 Cubic feet (138 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Clippings

Newsletters

Scrapbooks

Notebooks

Motion pictures (visual works)

Photographs

Date:

1884-1965

Scope and Contents:

While the collection is focused rather specifically on the development of television in America, including technical details, legal proceedings, marketing and advertisement, and manufacturing, it is also a rich source for the history of American advertising, work cultures, sales, and entertainment. There is also information about radio, mostly in periodicals collected by Du Mont. Information about Allen Du Mont is largely limited to his professional development and activities, except for a few travel photographs and information about and logbooks from his boat.

Materials date from 1884 to 1965, but the bulk come from the years 1931 1960; mostly scattered periodicals comprise the earlier years.

The collection includes correspondence, photographs, blueprints, films, videotapes, pamphlets, books, periodicals, newspaper and magazine clippings, annual reports, organization charts, stock records, ticker tape, legal documents, patent documents, bills, accountants' reports, meeting minutes, scrapbooks, technical drawings, advertisements, catalogs, and technical manuals. Processing included revising the previous series order, refoldering and reboxing all items, and completely revising the finding aid. Duplicates were weeded out; two copies were retained of any multiple item. Materials in binders were unbound. An example of each binder with the DuMont logo was retained, and the materials once contained therein refer to the appropriate binder in the container list. Plain office binders were discarded.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into 16 series.

Series 1: Personal Files, 1920s-1965

Series 2: Executive Records, 1938-1964

Series 3: Stock Records, 1937-1962

Series 4: DuMont Laboratories, Inc., Patents and Legal Proceedings, 1884-1960

Series 5: DuMont Laboratories, Inc., Financial Records, 1931-1964

Series 6: DuMont Laboratories, Inc., Operations, 1938-1958

Series 7: Radio Technical Planning Board, 1944-1946

Series 8: Federal Communications Commission, 1940-1959 and undated

Series 9: DuMont Laboratories, Marketing and Sales, 1939-1961 and undated

Series 10: Telecommunications for Venezuela, 1952-1957 and undated

Series 11: Du Mont Network, 1944-1952 and undated

Series 12: Du Mont Publications, 1933-1963 and undated

Series 13: Photographs, 1928-1960 and undated

Series 14: Clippings/Scrapbooks, 1933-1962

Series 15: Non-Du Mont Publications, 1892, 1907-1963 and undated

Series 16: Audiovisual Materials, 1948-1955

Biographical / Historical:

Allen Balcom Du Mont was born Jan. 29, 1901, in Brooklyn, NY to S. William Henry Beaman and Lillian Felton Balcom Du Mont. He contracted poliomyelitis when he was eleven and was confined to bed for nearly a year. During his illness, he began to amuse himself with a crystal radio set; by year's end, he had built a receiving and transmitting set. He was licensed as a ship's wireless operator when he was fifteen, and took a job a year later as a radio operator on a passenger vessel that ran between New York and Providence, RI. He worked as a radio operator for the next seven years.

Du Mont graduated in 1924 from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, with a degree in electrical engineering. He had already begun his first invention for the Sound Operated Circuit Controller, a device that turns a switch on or off when it hears a sharp sound; he used it to turn off his radio during commercials with a hand clap. Du Mont began working for the Westinghouse Lamp Company (later a division of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation), raising their output of radio tubes from 500 a day to 5,000 an hour in four years. For this, he received the Westinghouse Achievement Award in 1927. He left Westinghouse to become chief engineer at the De Forest Radio Company in 1928; his inventions increased output there to 30,000 radio tubes a day, and he was promoted to vice president in charge of production. In 1929, he received his first patent, for a radio tube mounting device.

He also worked with television at De Forest, using mechanical receivers with a spinning "Nipkow disk" that scanned electrical impulses and gave the effect of a motion picture. The De Forest experimental transmitter, W2XCD, in Passaic, NJ, broadcast television programs in 1930. Du Mont quickly concluded that there was no future in scanning discs; they produced a small, dark picture, and were difficult to build correctly. Others had developed television pictures that were produced by an electronic beam scanning rapidly across a florescent screen at the end of a tube. However, those cathode ray tubes were still imported from Germany, were very expensive, and burned out after only twenty five to thirty hours.

Du Mont left his job at De Forest in 1931 and started a cathode ray manufacturing business in a garage laboratory at his home. He developed a tube that lasted a thousand hours and could be manufactured inexpensively. There was almost no market for his tubes; gross sales income the first year was only $70. However, the tubes were an integral part of the cathode ray oscillograph, an instrument widely used in physics laboratories that measures and records changes in electrical current over time. The business, incorporated in 1935 as DuMont Laboratories, Inc., prospered in the oscillograph market. DuMont Labs moved in 1933 into a series of empty stores, then to a plant in Passaic, NJ, in 1937. Du Mont also acted as consultant to manufacturers with cathode ray tube problems and served as an expert witness in patent litigations.

Du Mont used the money he made from oscillographs to develop television. His innovations in making precise, quickly manufactured, inexpensive, long lasting cathode ray tubes made commercial television possible. In 1938, Du Mont sold a half interest in his company to the Paramount Pictures Corporation to raise capital for broadcasting stations. In 1939, the company became the first to market a television receiver for homes, and was part of a major display at the 1939 World's Fair in New York. Television development and sales were cut off by World War II, since DuMont Laboratories converted entirely to wartime production of oscillographs and to radar research. DuMont Laboratories returned to television production in 1946 and was the first company to market a postwar television set. By 1951 the company grossed $75 million a year and had four plants manufacturing television sending and receiving equipment in Passaic, Allwood, East Paterson, and Clifton, NJ. Du Mont had become the television industry's first millionaire. He was chosen in a Forbes magazine poll as one of the twelve foremost business leaders of America that same year, and was once characterized as "one of the very few inventors in the annals of American industry who have made more money from their inventions than anyone else has" (Rice, 36).

Du Mont began an experimental television station, W2XTV, in Passaic, NJ, in 1939. He added WABD (later WNEW TV) in New York City, WTTG in Washington, D.C., and WDTV (later KDKA) in Pittsburgh, PA. He concentrated on technology and business, leaving entertainment to others in the company. However, the DuMont Network "featured such names as Ernie Kovacs, Morey Amsterdam, Ted Mack, Ernest Borgnine, Jan Murray, and Dennis James. Its long running variety hour, Cavalcade of Stars, showcased not only Jackie Gleason but The Honeymooners, which made its debut as a Cavalcade sketch" (Krampner, 98). The 1950s superhero Captain Video became famous on the DuMont network, and Bishop Fulton Sheen's inspirational show, "Life is Worth Livinq," won surprisingly high ratings (Watson, 17). Ultimately, America's fourth network failed: in 1955, DuMont Broadcasting separated from Du Mont Laboratories, Inc., becoming the Metropolitan Broadcasting Company and, with the addition of other properties, Metromedia, Inc.

Du Mont testified frequently before the Federal Communications Commission to set technical standards for American television broadcast between 1945 and 1952. In 1946, Du Mont's company was one of several to oppose the Columbia Broadcasting System's petition to the FCC to establish color television standards; Du Mont preferred to wait for further research to develop all electronic color television, rather than the mechanical method CBS favored. He felt that method produced a picture far less than optimal, and would have required persons who did not own color sets to purchase adapters to receive broadcasts being produced in color. Standards were developed by the National Television Standards Committee in 1951 1953; the Federal Communications Commission accepted them in 1953, and regular transmission of color programs began on the major networks, including the DuMont Network, in 1954.

Sales of television receivers from DuMont Laboratories, Inc. peaked in 1954; by the late 1950s, the company was losing money. The Emerson Radio and Phonograph Company purchased the division that produced television sets, phonographs, and high fidelity and stereo equipment in 1958. In 1960 remaining Du Mont interests merged with the Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation. Du Mont was president of DuMont Laboratories, Inc., until 1956, when he became chairman of the Board of Directors. His title changed to Chairman and General Manager in 1959. In 1961 he became Senior Technical Advisor, Allen B. Du Mont Laboratories, Division of Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation.

Du Mont received many awards for his work, including honorary doctorates from Rennselaer (1944), Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute (1949), Fairleigh Dickinson College (1955), and New York University (1955). He received the Marconi Memorial Medal for Achievement in 1945, and an American Television society award in 1943 for his contributions to the field. In 1949, he received the Horatio Alger Award, "a yearly prize bestowed by the American Schools and Colleges Association on the man whose rise to fortune most nearly parallels the virtuous careers of Ben the Luggage Boy and Tattered Tom" (Rice, 35). He held more than thirty patents for developments in cathode ray tubes and other television devices. His inventions included the "magic eye tube" once commonly seen on radios and the Duovision, a television that could receive two programs simultaneously. Du Mont was also noted for success in predicted log power boat racing; in his television equipped Hurricane III, he became the national champion of the power cruiser division of the American Power Boat Association in 1953 1955 and 1958. Du Mont died November 15, 1965; his obituary appeared on the front page of the New York Times. He was survived by Ethel Martha Steadman, whom he married in 1926, and their two children, Allen Balcom, Jr., and Yvonne.

Sources

Current Biography 1946, pp. 162 164. Krampner, Jon. "The Death of the DuMont [sic] Network: A Real TV Whodunit." Emmy Magazine (July August 1990): 96 103.

Obituary, New York Times, 16 November 1965, 1:3.

Rice, Robert. "The Prudent Pioneer." The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 1951.

Watson, Mary Ann. "And they Said 'Uncle Fultie Didn't Have a Prayer . . . "11 Television Quarterly 26, no. 3(1993): 16 21.

Who's Who in America, 1962.

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center

Edward J. Orth Memorial Archives of the New York World's Fair, 1939-1940

Warshaw Collection, Worlds Expositions, New York World's Fair, 1939 (AC0060)

Larry Zim World's Fair Collection (AC0519)

George H. Clark "Radioana" Collection, ca. 1880-1950 (AC0055)

Division of Work and Industry

Related artifacts consist of cathode ray tubes, oscillographs, television receivers (including a Duoscope), and other instruments. See accession #:EM*315206, EM*315208, EM*315209, EM*327728, EM*327735, EM*327742, EM*327743, EM*327745, EM*327749, EM*327751, EM*327756, EM*327758, EM*327759, EM*327760, EM*327763, EM*327770, EM*328155, EM*328178, EM*328182, EM*328193, EM*328198, EM*328200, EM*328209, EM*328212, EM*328224, EM*328231, EM*328247, EM*328253, EM*328258, EM*328264, EM*328269, EM*328271, EM*328277, EM*328280, EM*328282, EM*328283, EM*328286, EM*328299, EM*328305, EM*328306, EM*328315, EM*328316, EM*328322, EM*328325, EM*328327, EM*328336, EM*328337, EM*328343, EM*328348, EM*328352, EM*328353, EM*328366, EM*328368, ZZ*RSN80323A74, ZZ*RSN80552U05, ZZ*RSN80748U09, ZZ*RSN80748U11, ZZ*RSN80844U09, and ZZ*RSN81576U01.

Library of Congress

Records of the Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, Inc. 1930 1960 (bulk 1945 1960). 56 lin. ft. Consists of nine series: Administrative Files, 1935 1960; General Correspondence, ca. 1930 1960; Interoffice Correspondence, ca. 1935 1960; Financial Records, 1932 1960; Sales and Advertising File, 1936 1960; Production and Engineering File, 1932 1960; Television File, ca. 1935 1960; Hearings File, 1935 1957; and General Miscellany, ca. 1937 1960. National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections number 68 2021; National Inventory of Documentary Sources number 2.1.243.

Wayne State University, Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs

John H. Zieger Papers, 1942 1980. 1 box (type not specified). Correspondence, clippings, leaflets, and memoranda, related to Zieger's union activities with Western Electric Employees Association and Allen B. Du Mont Laboratories. National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections number 91 2872.

Provenance:

Immediate source of acquisition unknown.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research. 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. Only reference copies of audiovisual materials may be used. Contact the Archives Center for more information: archivescenter@si.edu.

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:

Electricity  Search this

Television broadcasting  Search this

Televisions -- advertising  Search this

Television  Search this

Genre/Form:

Clippings -- 20th century

Newsletters

Scrapbooks -- 20th century

Notebooks

Motion pictures (visual works)

Photographs -- 20th century

Citation:

Allen Balcom Du Mont Collection, 1929-1965, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0018

See more items in:

Allen Balcom Du Mont Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0018

Collection Creator::

Wolle, Philip W., 1893-1969  Search this

Container:

Box 1 of 3

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7385, Philip W. Wolle Papers

See more items in:

Philip W. Wolle Papers

Philip W. Wolle Papers / Box 1

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-sia-faru7385-refidd1e199

Creator:

Meiere, M. Hildreth, d. 1961  Search this

Names:

Exposition internationale (1937 : Paris, France)  Search this

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

Peter A. Juley & Son  Search this

United States. Navy  Search this

Abbott, Berenice, 1898-1991  Search this

Dunn, Louise Meière  Search this

Extent:

27.3 Linear feet

0.068 Gigabytes

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Gigabytes

Slides (photographs)

Transcripts

Video recordings

Photographs

Poetry

Diaries

Sketchbooks

Place:

Spain -- History -- Civil War, 1936-1939

Date:

1901-2011

bulk 1911-1960

Summary:

The papers of Hildreth Meière measure 27.3 linear feet and 0.068 GB and date from 1901 to 2011, with the bulk of material dating from 1911 to 1960. The collection documents Meière's life and travels, and her long and prolific career as an architectural muralist through biographical material, correspondence, writings, thirteen diaries, files regarding her war relief work during the Spanish Civil War and World War II, printed and digital materials, extensive photographs and slides, eight sketchbooks, and two videocassettes and 93 reels of motion picture film documenting her travels, her volunteer efforts in Spain following the civil war, artwork, and home movies.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of Hildreth Meière measure 27.3 linear feet and 0.068 GB and date from 1901 to 2011, with the bulk of material dating from 1911 to 1960. The collection documents Meière's life and travels, and her long and prolific career as an architectural muralist through biographical material, correspondence, writings, thirteen diaries, files regarding her war relief work during the Spanish Civil War and World War II, printed and digital materials, extensive photographs and slides, eight sketchbooks, and two videocassettes and 93 reels of motion picture film documenting her travels, her volunteer efforts in Spain following the civil war, artwork, and home movies.

Biographical material includes an autobiographical narrative written by Meière, her many awards and certificates, membership information, passports, her U.S. Navy service records from World War I, documentation of her brief marriage and family genealogy, obituaries, and memorial service documentation. Also found are extensive writings and research conducted by Meière's daughter, Louise Meière Dunn, which include a complete list of Meière's commissions, detailed biographical narratives, and records of Meière's works held elsewhere.

The papers contain Meière's personal and family correspondence, travel correspondence, and business correspondence regarding professional activities. Much of the correspondence with family and friends was written during Meière's extensive travels over the world. Both family and travel correspondence have extensive indexes, summaries, and in some cases, transcripts prepared by Meière's daughter, Louise Meière Dunn. Some of the indexes, summaries and transcripts are digital. Writings include poetry and diaries kept during childhood and school years, travel diaries, essays and talks written about Meière's work, writings Meière prepared for committees of the National Mural Painters Association, and detailed travelogues of her trips to Constantinople and the Balkans in 1933, to Russia in 1936, her "Grand Tour" to Australia, Southeast Asia, India, Africa, and Europe in 1952-1953, and her "Holy Land" tour of the Middle East in 1954.

Civilian War Service Records document Meière's efforts at war relief organization during and after the Spanish Civil War and during World War II. The Spanish Civil War files include extensive photographs provided by the Spanish government as well as three motion picture films documenting refugees and damaged architecture and public artwork shot by Meière during a trip sponsored by Franco's government. World War II activities concern Meière's efforts to organize artists in the United States to design and execute murals and other works of public art at military facilities around the U.S.

Travel records include maps, ephemera, slides, and 83 motion picture films taken on trips abroad between 1933 and 1958. Trips include Eastern and Western Europe, the Mediterranean Region and the Middle East, South America, Mexico and Guatemala, India, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, and the UK. The motion picture films are mostly shot in Kodachrome color and many contain intertitles prepared by Meière to identify locations for travel lectures.

Printed materials consist primarily of clippings and publications that reference Meière's work, contain profiles of her, or contain published writings by her. A single published educational film is also found, given to her by an Australian filmmaker friend. Additional photographs, digital photographs and moving images include personal photographs of Meière, with portraits by Peter A. Juley and Sons and Berenice Abbott, photographs of many of her commissioned works, and a few photographs of artwork by others. Home movies show Meière with friends in 1926 and 1940. Among the photographic documentation of artworks by Meière and others are motion picture films of the 1939 New York World's Fair, the D.C. Municipal Building Frieze, and the 1937 Paris Fair; also found are 311 lantern slides and 201 glass copy negatives of her own completed works as well as murals she documented while traveling, notably murals in Norway and Oberammergau, Bavaria, taken in the 1930s.

Eight sketchbooks date to her early years as an art student and artist and include many figure studies, landscapes, and theatrical sketches made at home and abroad.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged in 8 series. Indexes, summaries, and transcripts prepared by Louise Meière Dunn that relate directly to archival materials in the collection are found throughout the collection with the material they describe. These indices are particularly rich in Series 2, Correspondence.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1915-2003 (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 1, 14, OV18)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1901-2011 (3 linear feet; Boxes 1-4, RD19, 0.038 GB; ER01-ER03)

Series 3: Writings, 1904-1960 (1.3 linear feet; Boxes 4-5)

Series 4: Civilian War Service Records, 1938-2006 (1.3 linear feet; Boxes 5-6, 15, FC 28-30)

Series 5: Travel Records, 1933-1958 (12.8 linear feet; Boxes 6-10, 15, OV18, FC 31-111)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1913-1998 (2.1 linear feet; Boxes 10-12, 15, FC 112)

Series 7: Photographs and Moving Images, 1915-1966 (5.8 linear feet; Boxes 12-13, 16, 20-27, FC 17, 113-127, 0.029 GB; ER04)

Series 8: Sketchbooks, 1911-1922 (0.4 linear feet; Box 13)

Biographical / Historical:

Hildreth Meière (1892-1961) was born in Flushing, New York, and had a prolific career from 1921-1961 as an architectural muralist working primarily in an Art Deco style. Meière painted murals and designed for various mediums including mosaic, metal, and stained glass. In 1956 the American Institute of Architects awarded Meière their Fine Arts Medal.

Meière was educated at New York's Convent of the Sacred Heart, Manhattanville, the Art Students League in New York, the California School of Fine Arts (now San Francisco Art Institute), and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, in addition to pursuing studies in Italy. Her major commissions include the Nebraska State Capitol at Lincoln, the National Academy of Sciences, the Resurrection Chapel of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. In New York, she designed the Art Deco plaques on the exterior wall of Radio City Music Hall; created mosaic interiors for the Irving Trust Building at 1 Wall Street; and provided ecclesiastical decorations for St. Patrick's Cathedral, St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, Temple Emanu-El, and elsewhere. She also created murals for the Chicago 1933 Century of Progress Fair, and the 1939 New York World's Fair.

She was also an active officer in the Art Students League and the National Society of Mural Painters. Some of her most inspired collaborations were with the architect Bertram Goodhue in the 1920s, and only his sudden death in 1924 put an end to them, although some projects were finished with the successor firm.

Meière died in 1961 at the age of 68. Her work is remembered in several major publications, including The Art Deco Murals of Hildreth Meière by Catherine Coleman Brawer and Kathleen Murphy Skolnik, with photographs by Meière's granddaughter, Hildreth Meière Dunn, published in 2014; and the catalog of the 2009 exhibition at St. Bonaventure University, curated by Brawer and photographed by Dunn, entitled Walls Speak: the Narrative Art of Hildreth Meière.

Provenance:

A majority of the collection placed on deposit 2001 by Louise Meière Dunn, daughter of Hildreth Meière. The collection was donated incrementally by Dunn through 2012. Donations occurred 2001-2007, and again in 2010-2012.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires and appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Topic:

War relief  Search this

Travel  Search this

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

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

World War, 1939-1945  Search this

World War I, 1914-1918  Search this

Women artists  Search this

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

Art commissions  Search this

Motion pictures (visual works)  Search this

Genre/Form:

Slides (photographs)

Transcripts

Video recordings

Photographs

Poetry

Diaries

Sketchbooks

Citation:

Hildreth Meière papers, 1901-2011, bulk 1911-1960. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the digitization of 84 reels of motion picture film in the collection was provided by The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at St. Bonaventure University through a generous grant from the Ruth Dayton Foundation. Glass plate negatives in this collection were digitized in 2019 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.

Identifier:

AAA.meiemari

See more items in:

Hildreth Meière papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-meiemari

Creator:

Seley, Jason, 1919-1983  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Topic:

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

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)8849

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211034

AAA_collcode_selejaso

Theme:

Sketches & Sketchbooks

Lives of American Artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211034

Creator:

Laigo, Val M., 1930-1992  Search this

Type:

Video recordings

Topic:

Asian American artists  Search this

Asian American art  Search this

Mural painting and decoration -- 20th century -- Washington (State) -- Seattle  Search this

Filipino American artists -- Washington (State) -- Seattle  Search this

Filipino American art  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)10455

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)213863

AAA_collcode_laigval

Theme:

Asian American

Lives of American Artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_213863

Artist:

Diego Rivera, 8 Dec 1886 - 24 Nov 1957  Search this

Sitter:

Diego Rivera, 8 Dec 1886 - 24 Nov 1957  Search this

Medium:

Lithograph on paper

Dimensions:

Sheet: 46.7 × 35.7 cm (18 3/8 × 14 1/16")

Type:

Print

Date:

1930

Topic:

Indeterminable  Search this

Diego Rivera: Visual Arts\Artist  Search this

Diego Rivera: Male  Search this

Diego Rivera: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter  Search this

Diego Rivera: Visual Arts\Artist\Painter\Muralist  Search this

Portrait  Search this

Credit Line:

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; The Abraham and Virginia Weiss Charitable Trust, Amy and Marc Meadows, in honor of Wendy Wick Reaves

Object number:

NPG.2016.75

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

Copyright:

© Banco de México Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust, Mexico, D.F. / Artists Rights

Society (ARS), New York

See more items in:

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Data Source:

National Portrait Gallery

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm488192a11-dc2d-435c-a806-3dffca4b50fb

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:npg_NPG.2016.75

Creator:

Nakashima, George, 1905-1990  Search this

Names:

Caldwell, Alfred, 1903-1998  Search this

Extent:

1 Linear foot

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1950-1991

Summary:

The papers of architect, craftsman, woodworker, and furniture designer George Nakashima measure 1.0 linear foot and date from 1950 to 1991. The collection is comprised of biographical material, correspondence, writings, subject files, and printed material that mostly relate to Nakashima's work in furniture design.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of architect, craftsman, woodworker, and furniture designer George Nakashima measure 1.0 linear foot and date from 1950 to 1991. The collection is comprised of biographical material, correspondence, writings, subject files, and printed material that mostly relate to Nakashima's work in furniture design.

Biographical materials consist of a curriculum vitae and obituaries. Correspondence is with clients, colleagues, and friends in the United Staes, Japan, and the Sri Aurobindo community. Writings by and about Nakashima include articles, essays, and a speech about his design processes. Subject files are on Alfred Caldwell, flush toilet systems, trademark, and wood and tree services. Printed material includes art reproductions, booklets, catalogs, clippings, and publicity material.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as five series.

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1990 (Box 1; 1 folder)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1950-1990 (Box 1; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings, 1953-1989 (Box 1, 2 folders)

Series 4: Subject Files, 1957-1980s (Box 1, 4 folders)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1954-1991 (Box 1, 0.2 linear feet)

Biographical / Historical:

George Nakashima (1905-1990) was a Japanese American architect, craftsman, woodworker, and furniture designer in New Hope, Pennsylvania. He was born in Spokane, Washington and received a bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of Washington in 1929. He also earned a master's degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1930.

After his studies, Nakashima traveled around the world by steamship. He spent time in France, North Africa, and Japan. While in Japan, he began working under architect Antonin Raymond. When Raymond's architecture company was commissioned to build for the Sri Aurobindo ashram in Puducherry, India, Nakashima became the onsite architect as well as a devotee of Sri Aurobindo. When World War II began, Nakashima returned to the U.S. with his wife, Marion, whom he met in Japan. George, Marion, and their infant daughter Mira were sent to a Japanese internment camp in Idaho in 1942. The Nakashimas were able to leave the camp after Raymond sponsored their release in 1943. Nakashima began working on Raymond's farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where he eventually built his workshop. Nakashima's son Kevin was born after the family relocated to Pennsylvania.

Nakashima's design work includes furniture lines for the Widdicomb Furniture Company and Knoll Furniture, and 200 pieces of furniture commissioned by Nelson Rockefeller. He also wrote a book titled The Soul of a Tree: A Master Woodworker's Reflections.

Nakashima died in 1990.

Provenance:

The papers were donated by Marion Nakashima, widow of George Nakashima, in 1991.

Restrictions:

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

Topic:

Architect-designed furniture  Search this

Artisans  Search this

Asian American artists  Search this

Asian American architects  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Furniture designers--Pennsylvania--New Hope  Search this

Furniture making  Search this

handicrafts  Search this

Woodworkers  Search this

Asian American art  Search this

Japanese American art  Search this

Japanese American artists  Search this

Japanese American architects  Search this

Japanese Americans -- Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945  Search this

Citation:

George Nakashima papers, 1950-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.nakageor

See more items in:

George Nakashima papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-nakageor

Creator:

Laigo, Val M., 1930-1992  Search this

Extent:

0.4 Linear feet

0.4 Linear feet (Addition)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Video recordings

Date:

1954-1998

Scope and Contents:

A resume; correspondence, 1954-1991, mainly regarding teaching positions at Seattle University and commissions; 7 sketches for mural projects; art inventories, 1970 and 1987; writings, including biographical notes, and a portion of his M.F.A. thesis "Hard Edge Variations," 1964; exhibition announcements; clippings; photographs of Laigo in his studio, Laigo with his paintings, and his family; 2 video tapes, 1990, taken by Marvin Herard of Laigo discussing his murals at the Seattle University Library.

ADDITION : A chronology; awards; clippings; magazine articles; writings; obituary; correspondence; and two video tapes, including Wing Luke Art Museum's January 29, 1994 Auction Honoring Val Laigo, and Seattle University Laigo Retrospective Show at the Kinsey Gallery, October 6 to November 19, 1992.

Biographical / Historical:

Val Laigo (1930-1992) was a Filipino American painter based in Seattle, Washington. Val Laigo was born in Naguilian, La Union, in the Phillipines. His family moved to the United States in 1931 and to Seattle in 1941. Laigo's full name Valeriano Emerenciano Montante Laigo.

Provenance:

Donated 1990 by Val Laigo and in 1994 and 1998 by his widow Austreberta Laigo.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Occupation:

Painters -- Washington (State) -- Seattle  Search this

Topic:

Asian American artists  Search this

Asian American art  Search this

Mural painting and decoration -- 20th century -- Washington (State) -- Seattle  Search this

Filipino American artists -- Washington (State) -- Seattle  Search this

Filipino American art  Search this

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Identifier:

AAA.laigval

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-laigval

Collection Creator:

Kuniyoshi, Yasuo, 1889-1953  Search this

Container:

Box 1, Folder 13

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1953

Collection Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.

Collection Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Collection Citation:

Yasuo Kuniyoshi papers, 1906-2016, bulk 1920-1990. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by Stephen Diamond, the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation, and the Terra Foundation for American Art. Glass plate negatives in this collection were digitized in 2019 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.

See more items in:

Yasuo Kuniyoshi papers

Yasuo Kuniyoshi papers / Series 1: Biographical Material

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-kuniyasu-ref110

Author:

Baekeland, L. H. (Leo Hendrik), 1863-1944  Search this

Collection Creator:

Baekeland, L. H. (Leo Hendrik), 1863-1944  Search this

Extent:

1 Item (6.0" x 4.0".)

Container:

Box 19, Folder 1

Type:

Archival materials

Biographies

Diaries

Place:

Yonkers (N.Y.) -- 1900-1910

Date:

1912 April 13-1912 November 21

Scope and Contents:

Inscription on flyleaf: "Journal from April 13, 1912 to November 21, 1912."

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection 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:

Laboratories  Search this

Automobiles -- 1900-1910  Search this

Tourism  Search this

Family -- 20th century  Search this

Genre/Form:

Biographies

Diaries -- 20th century

Collection Citation:

Leo Baekeland Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

See more items in:

Leo H. Baekeland Papers

Leo H. Baekeland Papers / Series 4: Diaries

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0005-ref300

Subject:

Frederick Stuart Church, American, 1842–1924  Search this

Collector:

Dr. Dudley Tenney, New York City  Search this

Object Name:

Ephemera

Type:

Ephemera

Made in:

USA

Date:

March 13, 1905

Credit Line:

Bequest of Erskine Hewitt

Accession Number:

1938-57-1070-375

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection

Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design Department

Data Source:

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kq4ee7d5d66-5581-43ad-8c78-5bbeec8f1964

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:chndm_1938-57-1070-375

Creator:

Groshans, Werner, 1913-1986  Search this

Groshans, Yetta  Search this

Subject:

Neel, Alice  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)10971

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)214761

AAA_collcode_groswern

Theme:

Lives of American Artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_214761

Creator:

DeMott, Helen, 1920-1997  Search this

Names:

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

Bland, Celia  Search this

Burkhardt, Rudy  Search this

Chester, Alfred, 1928-1971  Search this

Eastman, Max, 1883-1969  Search this

Finkelstein, Miriam  Search this

Johnson, Ray, 1927-  Search this

Ponsot, Marie  Search this

Rolick, Esther G., 1922-  Search this

Schloss, Edith, 1919-  Search this

Wright, Clifford, 1919-  Search this

Extent:

7.9 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Notes

Sketches

Photographs

Poems

Sound recordings

Watercolors

Video recordings

Scrapbooks

Manuscripts

Drawings

Travel diaries

Date:

1896-1997

Summary:

The papers of painter Helen DeMott measure 7.9 linear feet and date from 1896-1997. DeMott's painting career from 1940-1996 is documented through her numerous sketchbooks and original artwork. Also found is biographical material, correspondence, writings and poems, scrapbooks, printed material, photographic material, audio and video recordings, and scattered material from collagist Ray Johnson.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of painter Helen DeMott measure 7.9 linear feet and date from 1896-1997. DeMott's painting career from 1940-1996 is documented through her numerous sketchbooks and original artwork. Also found is biographical material, correspondence, writings and poems, scrapbooks, printed material, photographic material, audio and video recordings, and scattered material from collagist Ray Johnson.

The scattered biographical material contains official documents, DeMott's resume, circulars and receipts from the Art School of the National Academy of Design, and two obituaries. Correspondence includes letters from publishers regarding DeMott's book proposal "Geography into Landscape," correspondence with universities and scientific institutions regarding her Wave series, and personal correspondence including letters from photographer, filmmaker, and painter Rudy Burckhardt, writer Alfred Chester, painter Clifford Wright, and collagist Edith Schloss.

The bulk of the writings is DeMott's poetry, as well as some artist's statements, loose notes, a speech, travel diaries, and handwritten, typed, and edited manuscripts, including a typed manuscript of "Geography into Landscape." Writings by others include poetry by Celia Bland, Miriam Finkelstein, and Marie Ponsot. Scrapbooks document DeMott's research and artwork related to waves and includes clippings, photographs of artwork, sketches and notations, and typed notes on painting waves. Printed material includes magazine and newspaper articles about Helen DeMott and various other artists, and many articles related to water waves.

Photographic material includes black and white photographs of DeMott's artwork and personal photographs. Of interest is a 1943 photograph of a group at the Art Students League which includes Ester Rolick, Edith Schloss, Max Eastman, and Helen DeMott. Also found are slides and transparencies of artwork and slides for lectures on waves. Audiovisual Recordings include one reel-to-reel tape and five videotapes, some related to DeMott's study of waves.

There is one folder of material from collagist Ray Johnson containing scattered letters and mail art, exhibition fliers, and collages. Measuring 4.2 linear feet, the bulk of DeMott's papers are sketchbooks and original artwork spanning her artistic career. There are numerous loose sketches, notes, sketchbooks, holiday cards, watercolors, and oversized drawings in pencil, ink, and oil pastels, much of which is related to waves. Original artwork by others includes Esther Rolick and Edith Schloss.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into 9 series:

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1911-1997 (Boxes 1, 9; 7 folders)

Series 2: Letters and Correspondence, 1896, 1930-1995 (Boxes 1-2; 1.1 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings, 1950-circa 1996 (Boxes 2-3; 1.0 linear feet)

Series 4: Scrapbooks, 1967-1989 (Box 3; 2 folders)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1961-1996 (Boxes 3, 9; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 6: Photographic Material, circa 1920s-1996 (Boxes 3-4, 9; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 7: Audiovisual Recordings, 1975, 1978, undated (Box 4; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 8: Ray Johnson, 1947, 1963, undated (Box 4; 1 folder)

Series 9: Artwork, 1941-1996 (Boxes 4-9, OV 10-13; 4.2 linear feet)

Biographical Note:

Helen DeMott (1920-1997) was a New York City based painter and poet and well-known East Village community activist.

In the 1940s, DeMott attended the National Academy of Design and Art Students League. In the late 1960s, DeMott began focusing her work on the scientific study of waves, specifically the structure of water wave surfaces, a theme that remained in her work for the rest of her career. In 1974-1975, DeMott completed two building murals of water wave structures in New York City: Wave Spill, located at 155 First Avenue and 10th Street; and River Wave, at 509 Amsterdam Avenue. She had a solo exhibition at the Green Mountain Gallery in 1969, and exhibited at the ground-breaking alternative space, 112 Workshop/112 Greene Street in 1979. DeMott was received a number of grants and awards throughout her career including National Community Arts Competition winner in 1974, a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts (CAPS) in 1976, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in 1978, and a Gottleib Foundation grant in 1983. She passed away in 1997.

Provenance:

The Helen DeMott papers were a bequest to the Archives of American Art in 2003 by James Goldiner, executive for the estate of Helen DeMott.

Restrictions:

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

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Notes

Sketches

Photographs

Poems

Sound recordings

Watercolors

Video recordings

Scrapbooks

Manuscripts

Drawings

Travel diaries

Citation:

Helen DeMott papers, 1896-1997. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.demohele

See more items in:

Helen DeMott papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-demohele

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 Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

Art 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:

Groshans, Werner, 1913-1986  Search this

Groshans, Yetta  Search this

Interviewee:

Neel, Alice, 1900-1984  Search this

Extent:

2 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Date:

1928-1997

Summary:

The papers of Werner and Yetta Groshans measure 2.0 linear feet and date from 1928 to 1997. The papers document Werner Groshans career as a painter through correspondence, professional files, printed material, and photographs. Correspondence is with friends and colleagues, as well as art collectors, art organizations, and galleries. Also included is a file of correspondence in regards to Groshans jurying exhibitions. Professional material consists of awards and certificates, a statement on art written by Groshans, interviews with Alice Neel on three audio cassettes, a video retrospective on Groshans, and videos documenting Groshans artwork, one recorded just before his death. Printed material consists of magazine and newspaper clippings, exhibition catalogs, artist biographies and reports from the National Academy of Design, and Groshans' obituary. Also found are photographs of Groshans and photographs and slides of his artwork.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of Werner and Yetta Groshans measure 2.0 linear feet and date from 1928 to 1997. The papers document Werner Groshans career as a painter through correspondence, professional files, printed material, and photographs. Correspondence is with friends and colleagues, as well as art collectors, art organizations, and galleries. Also included is a file of correspondence in regards to Groshans jurying exhibitions. Professional material consists of awards and certificates, a statement on art written by Groshans, interviews with Alice Neel on three audio cassettes, a video retrospective on Groshans, and videos documenting Groshans artwork, one recorded just before his death. Printed material consists of magazine and newspaper clippings, exhibition catalogs, artist biographies and reports from the National Academy of Design, and Groshans' obituary. Also found are photographs of Groshans and photographs and slides of his artwork.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into four series.

Series 1: Correspondence,1928-1997 (1.0 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Professional Activity Files, 1948-1987 (0.2 linear feet; Box 2)

Series 3: Printed Material, 1948-1994 (0.6 linear feet; Box 2)

Series 4: Photographic Material, 1966-1980 (0.2 linear feet; Box 2)

Biographical / Historical:

Werner Groshans (1913-1986) was a painter in New Jersey and New York. He married Yetta Abromovitz in 1944.

Groshans was born in Germany and moved with his family to the United States at the age of thirteen. He began his studies at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art a year later. As a young adult during the Great Depression, he participated in the Works Progress Administration Easel Project for two years, allowing him to develop as an artist without the worry of finding full-time work. By the early 1960s, his artwork began to gain recognition, and in 1965 he was elected to the National Academy of Design. Groshans often worked from his memory of real places seen in nature, but his strange juxtapositions of objects and figures led William Gerdts, a graduate professor at the City University of New York, to describe his style as "Mysterious Realism."

Provenance:

The Werner Groshans papers were donated to the archives between 1992 and 1997 by Yetta Groshans, widow of Werner Groshans.

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

Painters -- New Jersey  Search this

Painters -- New York (State)  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Citation:

Werner and Yetta Groshans papers, 1928-1997. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.

Identifier:

AAA.groswern

See more items in:

Werner and Yetta Groshans papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-groswern

Creator:

Graham, Adelaide  Search this

Extent:

2 Cubic feet (6 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1914-1973, undated

Summary:

The collection consists of materials relating to the creation and operation of the restaurant chain known as the Coon Chicken Inn.

Scope and Contents:

The collection consists of materials collected by Maxon L. Graham, the founder and operator of Coon Chicken Inn. The restaurants were located in Salt Lake City, Utah; Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon and operated from the 1920s into the 1950s. There were materials in a loose leaf notebook consisting of personal papers, business ephemera and photographs. These materials are arranged by type. For preservation purposes the scrapbooks were dismantled and the covers and pages were placed in folders while still maintaining the original order.

Series 1, Coon Chicken Inn Business Records, 1926-1948, undated, consists of agreements, bills, checks, contracts, receipts, promotional materials and other business ephemera. There are also menus, matchbooks, postcards, placemats, table cards, sales checks, and recipes. The materials are arranged in chronological order.

Series 2, Maxon L. Graham Personal Papers, 1933-1942, undated, relates primarily to his professional activities and gun collection. The materials are arranged in chronological order. Series 3, Photographs, 1925-1930s,; undated, primarily documents interior, exterior, and aerial views of Coon Chicken Inns in Salt Lake City, Utah; Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon. There is also a photograph of Mr. Graham's gun collection and an unidentified group.

Series 4, Scrapbooks, 1917-1973, includes, two scrapbooks created to document the Coon Chicken Inn restaurants and the Graham family. Scrapbook One, 1917-1941, undated, includes a front cover, thirty eight loose sheets, seventy six pages and a back cover. The materials in this scrapbook are not arranged in any particular order and consist of menus, table cards, business cards, advertisements, brochures, photographs, newspaper clippings and publications. Some pages have small objects attached to them, including meal tokens, a belt buckle and a pointing hand. Materials relating to the Graham family include Maxon Graham's draft card, a wedding announcement and photographs of their homes. In addition there is an autographed photograph of entertainer Webb Holmes. The pages are numbered and divided into folders in the original order.

Scrapbook Two 1914-1973, undated, includes a front cover, thirty six loose sheets seventy two pages and a back cover. Materials in this scrapbook are not arranged in any particular order and consist of menus, table cards, checks, a survey for a building lot, advertisements, annual reports, a liquor permit, photographs of restaurant staff, newspaper clippings and publications. Personal materials relating to the Graham family include an obituary for Adelaide Graham, articles about the purchase of a private residence, realtor's advertisement for new home, a telegram about a party, M. L. Graham's international driver's license, Christmas cards and M.L. Graham's high school report card. The pages are numbered and divided into folders in the original order.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into four series.

Series 1, Coon Chicken Inn Business Records, 1926-1948, undated

Series 2, Maxon L. Graham Personal Papers, 1933-1942, undated

Series 3, Photographs, 1925-1930s, undated

Series 4, Scrapbooks, 1917-1973, undated

Biographical / Historical:

Coon Chicken Inn was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, by Maxon Lester Graham and his wife Adelaide Burt Graham. At only sixteen years of age, Mr. Graham was already an established businessman, having secured the ownership of a Metz automobile dealership in 1913. Newly married and in possession of both an easily-prepared fried chicken recipe and two thousand dollars from a recent business deal, the couple went into the restaurant business and opened the first Coon Chicken Inn in 1925. Initially it was a simple lunch counter that served hamburgers, chili, sandwiches, cakes, pies and their signature "southern fried Coon Chicken sandwich." The chicken was a big hit. The restaurant expanded after a 1927 fire, completely rebuilding on a larger scale. In 1929, the Grahams opened another Coon Chicken Inn in Seattle, Washington. The couple moved to Seattle, retaining the Salt Lake City restaurant. Business boomed, and a cabaret, dance floor, and orchestra were added to both restaurants along with larger dining rooms and delivery trucks for catering. In 1930, a third restaurant opened in Portland, Oregon. The Grahams operated their small chain successfully into the 1950s, when they closed the restaurants and leased out the properties.

This small restaurant chain is memorable, unfortunately, because of the image the Grahams choose as the logo, sign, and symbol to distinguish their establishments¬--a round, toothy, grinning face of an African American man wearing a porter's cap and a winking eye. The mouth of this huge head formed the entrance to the restaurants; customers literally walked in through the gaping mouth. According to an account written by Scott Farrar, the Graham's grandson, his grandfather decided "if a gimmick were added for the children it would help bring in the parents." The image appeared on every menu, napkin, utensil, and dish used in the restaurants; the Grahams may have seen the grinning face as representing persons skilled in the art of "southern" cooking, a highly-regarded cuisine until then virtually unavailable in Utah and the Pacific Northwest. Today, Coon Chicken Inn artifacts and other stereotypical images of African Americans are highly collectible items.

See website: http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/links/chicken/ for more information about Coon Chicken Inn.

Provenance:

The collection was purchased by the Museum from Maxon and Adelaide Graham's grandson in 2009.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection is open for research.

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.

Citation:

Coon Chicken Inn Records and Graham Family Papers, 1913-1973, Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.1153

See more items in:

Coon Chicken Inn Records and Graham Family Papers

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-1153

Creator:

Battcock, Gregory, 1937-  Search this

Names:

Bronx Museum of the Arts  Search this

International Association of Art Critics  Search this

Trylon & perisphere  Search this

William Paterson College of New Jersey -- Faculty  Search this

Battcock, Elizabeth  Search this

Beker, Gisela  Search this

Brown, Cee  Search this

Burton, Scott  Search this

Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976 -- Photographs  Search this

Carsman, Jon, 1944-  Search this

Christo, 1935-  Search this

Dalí, Salvador, 1904-  Search this

Dreva, Jerry  Search this

Frank, Peter, 1950-  Search this

George, John  Search this

Glusberg, Jorge  Search this

Goldstein, Al  Search this

Halbert, Jacques  Search this

Hess, Emil, 1889-1945  Search this

Levine, Les, 1935-  Search this

Livingston, Braniff  Search this

McGeehan, Robert, 1933-  Search this

Morley, Malcolm, 1931-  Search this

Nakagawa, Naoto, 1944-  Search this

Neri, Julio  Search this

Paik, Nam June, 1932-2006  Search this

Partch, Harry, 1901-1974  Search this

Peña, Rolando, 1942-  Search this

Picard, Lil  Search this

Pocock, Philip  Search this

Schult, Ha, 1939-  Search this

Van Baron, Judith  Search this

Varble, Stephen  Search this

Warhol, Andy, 1928-  Search this

Wechter, Vivienne Thaul  Search this

Whyte, Ron  Search this

Extent:

10.6 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Video recordings

Scrapbooks

Diaries

Photographs

Interviews

Date:

1952-circa 1980

Summary:

The papers of New York art critic, writer, educator, and painter, Gregory Battcock, measure 10.6 linear feet and date from 1952 to circa 1980. The collection includes biographical material, correspondence, published and unpublished writings, artists' files, personal business records, printed materials, scrapbooks, photographic materials, and artifacts that detail his involvement in both the mainstream and fringe art scenes of the 1970s.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of New York art critic, writer, educator, and painter, Gregory Battcock, measure 10.6 linear feet and date from 1952 to circa 1980. The collection includes biographical material, correspondence, published and unpublished writings, artists' files, personal business records, printed materials, scrapbooks, photographic materials, and artifacts that detail his involvement in both the mainstream and fringe art scenes of the 1970s.

Biographical materials contain address lists, six appointment books, a diploma and certificate, family history, identification documents, interviews, resumes, obituaries, a William Paterson College of New Jersey teaching file, and membership files for The Bronx Museum, International Association of Art Critics, and other organizations. Correspondence is with Battcock's mother, Elizabeth; friends and colleagues Peter Frank, John George, Al Goldstein, Braniff Livingston, Robert McGeehan, Julio Neri, Judith Van Baron, Ron Whyte, and others regarding social events, reprint permissions, book projects, travel arrangements, real estate, and freelance work.

Writings and notes include personal journal entries, drafts for articles and essays, manuscripts for published and unpublished works including "The Story of Film" and Breaking the Sound Barrier: A Critical Anthology of the New Music, his dissertation titled "Constructivism and Minimal Art: Some Critical, Theoretical and Aesthetic Correlations," book proposals, lectures, limericks, restaurant reviews, notes and writings by Jorge Glusberg and Vivienne Thaul Wechter.

Files for artists contain mostly printed material on Gisela Beker, Cee Brown, Jon Carsman, Christo, Jerry Dreva, Jacques Halbert, Emil Hess, Les Levine, Naoto Nakagawa, Nam Jun Paik, Harry Partch, Lil Picard, Philip Pocock, HA Schult, Andy Warhol, and others. The file for Salvador Dalí contains one video recording. Battcock's personal business records include contracts and payments for his writing, real estate papers, business agreements, papers regarding his father's estate, a loan agreement for Andy Warhol's "Self Portrait," and files detailing the theft of two painting by Malcom Morley from Battcock's residence.

Found in printed materials are clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, flyers, post cards, magazines, press releases, issues of Trylon & Perisphere and Gay magazines, and other material that features Battcock's writings. Additional clippings of Battcock's writings that appeared in the New York Free Press, New York Review of Sex and Politics, Domus, The Soho Weekly News, New York Arts Journal, Gay, and other publications are contained in ten scrapbooks.

Photographs are of Battcock, colleagues and friends, works of art from his personal collection, travel, and artists Alexander Calder, Andy Warhol, Nam Jun Paik, Julio Neri, Rolando Peña, Stephen Varble, and Scott Burton. Several keys with a detached keychain labeled 'studio' are in artifacts.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged as 9 series.

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1958-1980 (0.4 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1960s-circa 1980 (2.7 linear feet; Boxes 1-3, 12)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, 1966-1980 (2.7 linear feet; Boxes 4-6)

Series 4: Artists' Files, 1960s-1980 (0.6 linear feet; Box 6)

Series 5: Personal Business Records, 1966-1980 (0.5 linear feet; Box 6-7)

Series 6: Printed Materials, 1952-1980 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 7-8, 12-13)

Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1959-1980 (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 8-9, 12)

Series 8: Photographic Materials, 1960s-1980 (1.0 linear feet; Boxes 9-11)

Series 9: Artifacts, circa 1970s (0.1 linear feet; Box 11)

Biographical / Historical:

Gregory Battcock (1937-1980) was an art critic, writer, educator, and painter from New York, N.Y. He attended Michigan State University, the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome, and Hunter College for his undergraduate and graduate studies before receiving his Ph.D. from New York University in 1978. His dissertation was titled "Constructivism and Minimal Art: Some Aesthetic, Theoretical and Critical Correlations."

Battcock was a prolific writer and wrote numerous articles as a correspondent for Art & Artists and Domus magazines. His column, "The Last Estate," appeared in Gay magazine as well as other publications. In 1977, Battcock co-founded the short-lived magazine, Trylon & Perisphere, with his close friend, playwright Ron Whyte. Even though only three issues were printed, the magazine exhibited Battcock's predilection for art society gossip, and provocative imagery and prose. E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc. published several of Battcock's books including Why Art: Casual Notes on the Aesthetics of the Immediate Past, Breaking the Sound Barrier: A Critical Anthology of the New Music, and Idea Art: A Critical Anthology. In addition to his writing career, Battcock taught fine art at William Paterson College of New Jersey, was art critic for New York Free Press from 1967 to 1970, Editor-in-Chief of Arts Magazine from 1973 to 1975, and appeared in the Andy Warhol films The Illiac Passion, Horse, and Batman Dracula.

Battcock was murdered in Puerto Rico on December 25, 1980. At the time of his death he was working on "The Story of Film," which remains unpublished, and The Art of Performance: A Critical Anthology, which was published posthumously in 1984.

Related Materials:

Also found at the Archives of American Art is an audio interview recorded on December 11, 1969 with Gregory Battcock for the University Roundtable radio series. The recording forms part of the WFUV radio interviews relating to art, 1969-1973 collection.

Provenance:

The Gregory Battcock papers were donated in 1992 by Nancy Mahl, an artist who occupied a studio in Jersey City, N.J. that had formerly been leased by a moving and storage company, and who came upon Battcock's papers in the building. The papers had been shipped to the Jersey City building without the knowledge of Ron Whyte (executor of Battcock's estate) and the Rev. Paul William Bradley, who had arranged to have Battcock's papers stored after his death. Additional papers were donated 2003 by Rev. Paul W. Bradley, who inherited the papers after the death of his partner Ron Whyte.

Restrictions:

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

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

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

Topic:

Constructivism (Art)  Search this

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

Minimal art  Search this

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

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

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- Study and teaching  Search this

Art thefts  Search this

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

Genre/Form:

Video recordings

Scrapbooks

Diaries

Photographs

Interviews

Citation:

Gregory Battcock Papers, 1952-circa 1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund.

Identifier:

AAA.battgreg

See more items in:

Gregory Battcock papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-battgreg

Published by:

Alan Bell, American  Search this

Edited by:

Alan Bell, American  Search this

Subject of:

National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays, American, 1978 - 1990  Search this

Sweet Baby J'ai, American  Search this

Joseph F. Beam, American, 1954 - 1988  Search this

Nate N. Holden, American, born 1929  Search this

National Association of Black and White Men Together, American, founded 1980  Search this

Minority AIDS Project, American, founded 1985  Search this

Medium:

ink on paper (fiber product)

Dimensions:

H x W x D: 10 13/16 × 8 1/4 × 1/8 in. (27.4 × 20.9 × 0.3 cm)

Type:

magazines (periodicals)

Place made:

Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States, North and Central America

Date:

February 1989

Topic:

African American  Search this

Activism  Search this

Communities  Search this

Health  Search this

Identity  Search this

LGBTQ  Search this

Mass media  Search this

Medicine  Search this

Sexuality  Search this

Singers (Musicians)  Search this

U.S. History, 1969-2001  Search this

Credit Line:

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Alan Bell

Object number:

2018.108.3

Restrictions & Rights:

© BLK Publishing Company, Inc.

See more items in:

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Classification:

Documents and Published Materials-Published Works

Data Source:

National Museum of African American History and Culture

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5197f425f-addf-452d-a3bd-40e5387b7569

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmaahc_2018.108.3