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Lillian and Frederick Kiesler papers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Missing Title

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nora Speyer and Sideo Fromboluti papers

Creator:
Speyer, Nora  Search this
Fromboluti, Sideo, 1921-  Search this
Names:
Long Point Gallery (Provincetown, Mass.)  Search this
Extent:
2.5 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sketchbooks
Video recordings
Date:
circa 1940-2015
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Nora Speyer and Sideo Fromboluti measure 2.5 linear feet and date from the early 1940s until the 2010s. The collection documents Speyer's and Fromboluti's lives and works through biographical material, correspondence, writings, sketchbooks, artworks, photographic materials, personal business records, clippings and other printed materials, and audio-visual materials. Also found is biographical mrelating to Speyer's family, including her mother, sculptor Tillie Speyer, her brother James, a prominent museum curator, and her sister Darthea, a prominent gallerist in Paris. Also present are documents relating to the Speyer family's art collections.

Correspondence is primarily between Nora and family, with a smattering of other personal and professional correspondence. Photographic materials document both Speyer and Fromboluti at home and in their studios, while traveling, and with friends and family in New York, Woodstock, and Providence, where the couple were founding members of the Long Point Gallery. Also included are photographs, some in digital format, of their respective artworks and exhibitions. The collection includes one notebook and scattered unpublished writings by Nora and two sketchbooks and an unpublished memoir by Sideo. Printed material consists primarily of invitation cards and catalogues for exhibitions, along with publications about their collection of antiquities and a signed portfolio of prints by various Long Point Gallery artists. A small number of VHS tapes document a lecture by Fromboluti, an interview with fellow Long Point Gallery founder Robert Motherwell, and a Long Point Gallery dinner.
Biographical / Historical:
Nora Speyer (1923- ) and her husband Sideo Fromboluti (1921- ) are painters based in New York, NY and Wellfleet, Massachusetts and two of the founding members of Long Point Gallery in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
Provenance:
Donated in 2022 by Iona Fromboluti-Wirls, the artists' daughter.
Restrictions:
This collection is temporarily closed to researchers. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Provincetown  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sketchbooks
Video recordings
Identifier:
AAA.speynora
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98cb828b7-aaa9-47ff-9a36-53462ea855d5
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-speynora

A visit with Edwin Dickinson [videorecording] / produced by Dorothea Weeden ; filmed and edited by Don Kendall, 1970

Creator:
Dickinson, Edwin Walter, 1891-1978  Search this
Subject:
Dickinson, Edwin Walter  Search this
Weeden, Dorothea  Search this
Kendall, Don  Search this
Type:
Video recordings
Interviews
Citation:
A visit with Edwin Dickinson [videorecording] / produced by Dorothea Weeden ; filmed and edited by Don Kendall, 1970. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Wellfleet -- Interviews  Search this
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)7285
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209436
AAA_collcode_dickin70a
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209436

Xavier Gonzalez papers, 1908-1997

Creator:
Gonzalez, Xavier, 1898-1993  Search this
Subject:
Arpa Perea, José  Search this
Edwards, Ethel  Search this
Osver, Arthur  Search this
Adams, Philip Rhys  Search this
Spanish Institute (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Type:
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Travel sketches
Sketchbooks
Sketches
Prints
Place:
Egypt -- description and travel
Citation:
Xavier Gonzalez papers, 1908-1997. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Theme:
Sketches & Sketchbooks  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)8980
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211167
AAA_collcode_gonzxavi
Theme:
Sketches & Sketchbooks
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211167
Online Media:

Interview with Edwin W. Dickinson, 1970 Aug. 12

Creator:
Dickinson, Edwin Walter, 1891-1978  Search this
Weeden, Dorothea  Search this
Type:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Citation:
Interview with Edwin W. Dickinson, 1970 Aug. 12. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Wellfleet -- Interviews  Search this
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)10663
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)214255
AAA_collcode_dickin70
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_214255

Interview with Edwin W. Dickinson, 1972 June 13

Creator:
Dickinson, Edwin Walter, 1891-1978  Search this
Del Deo, Josephine Couch, 1925-  Search this
Subject:
Del Deo, Salvatore  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Interview with Edwin W. Dickinson, 1972 June 13. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Wellfleet -- Interviews  Search this
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)10668
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)214263
AAA_collcode_dickin72
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_214263

Nora Speyer and Sideo Fromboluti papers, circa 1940-2015

Creator:
Speyer, Nora  Search this
Fromboluti, Sideo, 1921-  Search this
Subject:
Long Point Gallery (Provincetown, Mass.)  Search this
Type:
Sketchbooks
Video recordings
Citation:
Nora Speyer and Sideo Fromboluti papers, circa 1940-2015. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Theme:
Art Collectors  Search this
Sketches & Sketchbooks  Search this
Women  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)22190
AAA_collcode_speynora
Theme:
Art Collectors
Sketches & Sketchbooks
Women
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_22190

Oral history interview with Edwin W. Dickinson, 1962 August 22

Interviewee:
Dickinson, Edwin Walter, 1891-1978  Search this
Interviewer:
Seckler, Dorothy Gees, 1910-1994  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Edwin W. Dickinson, 1962 August 22. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Wellfleet -- Interviews  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)11644
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212618
AAA_collcode_dickin62
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_212618
Online Media:

Oral history interview with James Lechay, 1998 July 9-Aug. 26

Interviewee:
Lechay, James, 1907-2001  Search this
Interviewer:
Brown, Robert F.  Search this
Subject:
Gorky, Arshile  Search this
Hartley, Marsden  Search this
Lechay, Myron  Search this
Margules, De Hirsh  Search this
Pollock, Jackson  Search this
Siqueiros, David Alfaro  Search this
Stieglitz, Alfred  Search this
Weber, Max  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with James Lechay, 1998 July 9-Aug. 26. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Wellfleet -- Interviews  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)11743
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)216379
AAA_collcode_lechay98
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_216379
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Edwin Dickinson, 1968 August 29

Interviewee:
Dickinson, Edwin Walter, 1891-1978  Search this
Interviewer:
Seckler, Dorothy Gees, 1910-1994  Search this
Type:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Edwin Dickinson, 1968 August 29. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Wellfleet -- Interviews  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)11838
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)229520
AAA_collcode_dickin68
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_229520

Oral history interview with James Lechay

Interviewee:
Lechay, James  Search this
Interviewer:
Brown, Robert F.  Search this
Names:
Gorky, Arshile, 1904-1948  Search this
Hartley, Marsden, 1877-1943  Search this
Lechay, Myron, 1898-1972  Search this
Margules, De Hirsh, 1899-1965  Search this
Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956  Search this
Siqueiros, David Alfaro, 1896-1974  Search this
Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this
Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this
Extent:
70 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1998 July 9-Aug. 26
Scope and Contents:
Interview of James Lechay, conducted by Robert F. Brown for the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution at Lechay's home in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, on July 9-Aug. 26, 1998.
Lechay speaks of his early childhood in the Bronx, N.Y.; copying paintings at the Metropolitan Museum under the tutelage of his elder brother Myron; discontinuing his study of psychology at the University of Illinois in 1929 to return to NYC to paint; taking odd jobs to counter his extreme poverty in the early 1930s; his first exhibition at Another Place (1936), a gallery run by De Hirsh Margules; praise from David Siqueiros, the Mexican muralist; his first trip to Provincetown (1930); exhibiting several times at the Whitney Museum (and others) but not at MoMA; touring NYC galleries on Fridays; meeting Marsden Hartley and Alfred Stieglitz; his friendship with Arshile Gorky; serving as a juror for the 1940s Momentum exhibition with Jackson Pollock and Max Weber; teaching at the University of Iowa in 1945, succeeding Philip Guston; his luck in having, since 1935, a New York dealer; his work as self-referential; being repelled by art fashions and not compromising his work in order to sell; the appearance of simplicity in his work. Lechay also recalls Raphael and Moses Soyer, Abraham Walkowitz, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
James Lechay (1907-2001) was a painter from Wellfleet, Mass.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hrs., 17 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
This transcript is open for research. Access to the entire audio recording is restricted. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Topic:
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Wellfleet -- Interviews  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.lechay98
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9b056ccd2-13d0-4eb3-b5ab-a4771bf9641d
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-lechay98
Online Media:

Xavier Gonzalez papers

Creator:
Gonzalez, Xavier, 1898-1993  Search this
Names:
Spanish Institute (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Adams, Philip Rhys, 1908-1993  Search this
Arpa Perea, José, 1858-1952  Search this
Edwards, Ethel, 1914-1999  Search this
Osver, Arthur, 1912-2006  Search this
Extent:
14.1 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Travel sketches
Sketchbooks
Sketches
Prints
Place:
Egypt -- description and travel
Date:
1908-1997
Summary:
The papers of Xavier Gonzalez, a New York and Massachusetts painter, sculptor, educator, and owner of the Wellfleet Art Gallery, measure 14.1 linear feet and date from 1908 to 1997. The collection consists of biographical materials, correspondence, writings, project files, business records, printed materials, scrapbooks, photographs, and artwork.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Xavier Gonzalez, a New York and Massachusetts painter, sculptor, educator, and owner of the Wellfleet Art Gallery, measure 14.1 linear feet and date from 1908 to 1997. The collection consists of biographical materials, correspondence, writings, commission project files, business records, printed materials, scrapbooks, photographs, and artwork.

Biographical materials include an address book and calendars, awards, passports, resumes, student rosters, and legal documents. Correspondence is with family, friends, and colleagues regarding Gonzalez's work and art school in Wellfleet, his uncle and artist Jose Arpa, and other personal and professional activities. Manuscripts for Notes About Painting, unpublished books, and various essays by Gonzalez, along with manuscripts by other authors are in writings.

Commission project files are found for a U.S. Bicentennial monument, murals in New York and Texas, paintings commissioned by the Department of the Interior and Life magazine, and educational aids for the U.S. Navy.

Business records include sales and inventory records for Gonzalez's Wellfleet Art Gallery, The Spanish Institute, and other galleries. Printed materials consist of printed representations of artwork, clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, invitations, press releases, and books including He Who Saw Everything, The Epic of Gilgamesh, illustrated by Gonzalez.

The collection also includes 72 numbered scrapbooks that contain sketches, printed materials, project plans, photographs, writings, correspondence, and business records. One of the scrapbooks contains a notebook labeled "Notes of Paris, Visits with Picasso, 1936-1938". Photographs are of Gonzalez, his artwork and studio, his family and friends, Ethel Edwards, student artwork, composer Aaron Copeland, museum director Philip R. Adams, and Art Students League director Stewart Klonis. Artwork includes illustrated notes to Ethel Edwards, folded and cutout paper projects, and pencil and painted sketches.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 9 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1932-1992 (0.5 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1930s-1995 (1.0 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)

Series 3: Writings, 1948-1993 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 2, 14)

Series 4: Project Files, 1942-1987 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 2-3, OV 22)

Series 5: Business Records, 1949-1997 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 3, OV 22)

Series 6: Printed Materials, 1928-1990s (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 4-5, OV 22)

Series 7: Scrapbooks, circa 1911-1980s (5.4 linear feet; Boxes 5-9, 14-20, OV 21)

Series 8: Photographs, 1908-1990s (3.5 linear feet; Boxes 9-12, 14)

Series 9: Artwork, circa 1950s-1980s (0.7 linear feet; Boxes 12-14)
Biographical / Historical:
Xavier Gonzalez (1898-1993) was a painter, sculptor, and educator who was active in New York, NY and Wellfleet, Massachusetts.

Gonzalez was born in Almeria, Spain and came to the United States at the age of 19. While working odd jobs in Chicago, he attended the Chicago Art Institute. Throughout his career, Gonzalez completed numerous commissions including murals in Texas and New York, a monument for the 1976 bicentennial celebration in New York, paintings for the Department of the Interior, and paintings of Egypt's Old Kingdom for Life magazine. During World War II, he designed posters and maps for the Navy. After the war, Gonzalez opened the Wellfleet Art Gallery with his wife, artist Ethel Edwards, in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. The gallery served as an exhibition space, studio, and art school where Gonzalez taught summer classes.

Gonzalez died in New York in 1993.
Related Materials:
Also found at the Archives of American Art are the papers of Xavier Gonzalez's wife, Ethel Edwards.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming on reels N68-113, N69-42, N69-43, and N70-53. Most of this material was included in subsequent gifts, but a comparison of the film and papers was not completed. Loaned materials not donated at a later date remain with the lender and are not described in the container listing of this finding aid.
Provenance:
Xavier Gonzalez first loaned the Archives of American Art material for microfilming in 1968, most of which was included in the later 1999 gift. Gonzalez also donated a small amount of papers in 1971. Additional materials were donated by the George Arents Research Library at Syracuse University in 1984 and 1992, and by the estate of Ethel Edwards Gonzalez in 1999.
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:
Painters -- Massachusetts  Search this
Topic:
Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Function:
Artists' studios -- Massachusetts
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Travel sketches
Sketchbooks
Sketches
Prints
Citation:
Xavier Gonzalez Papers, 1908-1997. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.gonzxavi
See more items in:
Xavier Gonzalez papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93becb94b-5293-4882-ad8f-7b144b25d9eb
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-gonzxavi

Interview with Edwin W. Dickinson

Creator:
Dickinson, Edwin Walter, 1891-1978  Search this
Interviewer:
Del Deo, Josephine Couch  Search this
Del Deo, Salvatore, 1928-  Search this
Extent:
1 Sound tape (5 in.)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound tapes
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1972 June 13
Scope and Contents:
An interview with Edwin W. Dickinson conducted on 1972 June 13 by Josephine and Salvatore Del Deo.
Biographical / Historical:
Edwin Walter Dickinson (1891-1978) was a painter in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Dickinson studied with William Merritt Chase at the Art Students League and was a member of Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors.
Provenance:
Donor unspecified.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Topic:
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Wellfleet -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.dickin72
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9befe74d2-b9c4-4fc6-96ac-0db70ae577ad
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-dickin72

Interview with Edwin W. Dickinson

Creator:
Dickinson, Edwin Walter, 1891-1978  Search this
Interviewer:
Weeden, Dorothea  Search this
Extent:
1 Sound tape (5 in.)
58 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound tapes
Pages
Interviews
Sound recordings
Date:
1970 Aug. 12
Scope and Contents:
An interview with Edwin W. Dickinson conducted on 1970 Aug. 12 by Dorothea Weeden.
Biographical / Historical:
Edwin Walter Dickinson (1891-1978) was a painter in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Dickinson studied with William Merritt Chase at the Art Students League and was a member of Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors.
Provenance:
Donor unspecified.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Topic:
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Wellfleet -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.dickin70
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw962805cc8-a47a-44b9-9191-19284c9f59eb
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-dickin70

Oral history interview with Edwin Dickinson

Interviewee:
Dickinson, Edwin Walter, 1891-1978  Search this
Interviewer:
Seckler, Dorothy Gees, 1910-1994  Search this
Extent:
37 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Interviews
Sound recordings
Date:
1968 August 29
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Edwin Dickinson conducted 1968 August 29, by Dorothy Seckler, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Edwin Walter Dickinson (1891-1978) was a painter from Wellfleet, Massachusetts.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 1 digital wav file. Duration is 1 hr., 30 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
For information on how to access this interview contact Reference Services.
Topic:
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Wellfleet -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.dickin68
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9f535d671-6831-4b01-a166-c3252ca3e935
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-dickin68
Online Media:

A visit with Edwin Dickinson [videorecording] / produced by Dorothea Weeden ; filmed and edited by Don Kendall

Creator:
Dickinson, Edwin Walter, 1891-1978  Search this
Names:
Dickinson, Edwin Walter, 1891-1978  Search this
Kendall, Don  Search this
Weeden, Dorothea  Search this
Extent:
1 Videocassettes (U-matic) ((10 min), sd., b&w, 3/4 in.)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Videocassettes (u-matic)
Video recordings
Interviews
Date:
1970
Scope and Contents:
Portions of taped interviews conducted by Weeden in the summer of 1970 and by Karl Fortess, ca. 1970, are combined with footage shot in fall 1970 in Dickinson's home and studio in Wellfleet, Mass. Dickinson speaks mostly of his painting.
Biographical / Historical:
Dickinson was a painter. Died 1978.
Provenance:
Donated 1993 by Robert S.D. Weeden.
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.
Topic:
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Wellfleet -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Video recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.dickin70a
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw92007797a-bee7-496e-b4d7-ac1eb548e47b
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-dickin70a

James Lechay papers

Creator:
Lechay, James  Search this
Names:
Lechay, Myron, 1898-1972  Search this
Extent:
4.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1928-1994
Scope and Contents:
Letters; reel-to-reel tape recordings; a transcript of an interview conducted by Sara London, 1994; two scrapbooks, 1936-1947 and 1948-1984; lecture notes including "A Few Notes on Myron Lechay" and other draft writings; photographs of exhibition installations; exhibition catalogs and announcements; magazine and newspaper clippings, and other printed material. Letters from Leonard Bocour, Wilfred P. Cohen, Philip Evergood, Frank Everly, Gerrit Hondius, Antoinette Kraushaar, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, De Hirsh Margules, Salvatore Meo, Max Weber, Sol Wilson, and others; reel-to-reel tape recordings include an interview of Lechay conducted by Karl Fortess, undated, a recording of Lechay, "Cedar Falls, May 1966," and a 1964 recording of Lechay and Irving Marantz, "SIU art exhibition," April 11, 1964. Also included are the papers of Lecahay's brother, painter Myron Lechay (0.2 linear ft.), including letters and postcards,1928-1946, from Valentine Dudensing, C. Adolph Glassgold, Stuart Davis, and others; writings; photographs of Myron Lechay and his works of art; checklists of works of art; catalogs, announcements, press releases, and other printed material; and miscellany.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter; Wellfleet, Mass.; Died 2001; taught at University of Iowa Myron Lechay was James Lechay's brother.
Provenance:
Donated 2005 by Daniel Lechay, son of James Lechay and nephew of Myron Lechay.
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 -- Massachusetts -- Wellfleet  Search this
Topic:
Painting -- Study and teaching  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.lechjame
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e5667712-5cd7-42d8-a770-c737e1c55111
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-lechjame

Oral history interview with Edwin W. Dickinson

Interviewee:
Dickinson, Edwin Walter, 1891-1978  Search this
Interviewer:
Seckler, Dorothy Gees, 1910-1994  Search this
Extent:
24 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1962 August 22
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Edwin W. Dickinson conducted 1962 August 22, by Dorothy Seckler, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Edwin W. Dickinson (1871-1978) was a painter in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2011 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 5 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Painters -- Massachusetts -- Wellfleet -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.dickin62
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw96748403c-6f99-457e-8ae5-9bf17cf9172b
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-dickin62
Online Media:

Donald C. Smith interviews relating to Edwin Dickinson

Creator:
Smith, Donald C., 1935-  Search this
Names:
Anderson, Lennart, 1928-2015  Search this
Cunningham, Francis, 1931-  Search this
De Champlain, Vera Chopak, 1928 or 9-  Search this
Dickinson, Edwin Walter, 1891-1978  Search this
Finkelstein, Louis  Search this
Extent:
0.6 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1981-1986
Summary:
The interviews conducted by artist and professor Donald C. Smith relating to artist Edwin Dickinson measure 0.6 linear feet and date from 1981 to 1986. The interviews were conducted as part of a research project on Dickinson. Smith interviewed a number of Dickinson's students to learn about his teaching philosophy. The interviewees are: Lennart Anderson, Francis Cunningham, Vera Chopak De Champlain, Edward (Ted) Denyer, Louis Finkelstein and Denver Lindsey.
Scope and Contents:
The interviews conducted by artist and professor Donald C. Smith relating to artist Edwin Dickinson measure 0.6 linear feet and date from 1981 to 1986. The interviews were conducted as part of a research project on Dickinson. Smith interviewed a number of Dickinson's students to learn about his teaching philosophy. The interviewees are: Lennart Anderson, Francis Cunningham, Vera Chopak De Champlain, Edward (Ted) Denyer, Louis Finkelstein and Denver Lindsey.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into one series.

Series 1: Interviews, 1981-1986 (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)
Biographical / Historical:
Donald C. Smith was an artist and educator in Rhode Island. He attended the University of Missouri in Columbia and received two degrees in painting. Smith has been a Visiting Artist and Lecturer at Harvard University, Yale University Summer School for Music and Visual Art, Brown University, Artist Union, Brooklyn College, Providence College, Rhode Island School of Design, and Wheelock College.

Edwin Walter Dickinson (1891-1978) was a painter in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Dickinson studied with William Merritt Chase at the Art Students League and was a member of Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors.
General:
Poor sound quality throughout.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is the Edwin Walters Dickinson papers, 1909-1971; the Philip Cecil Malicoat letters from Edwin Dickinson, 1927-1966; the Doug Frost writing on Edwin Dickinson, 1973 August 10; and oral history interviews conducted with Edwin Dickenson in 1970 and 1972.
Provenance:
Donated 1986 by Donald C. Smith.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Painters -- Rhode Island -- Providence  Search this
Educators -- Rhode Island -- Providence  Search this
Topic:
Art students -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Donald C. Smith interviews relating to Edwin Dickinson, 1981-1986. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.smitdona
See more items in:
Donald C. Smith interviews relating to Edwin Dickinson
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93c5bb245-3ceb-4820-8478-3decb256421c
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-smitdona

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