Search Results

Creator:

Schnakenberg, H. E. (Henry Ernest), 1892-1970  Search this

Subject:

Angel, John  Search this

Bacon, Peggy  Search this

Barye, Antoine-Louis  Search this

Beal, Gifford  Search this

Bierstadt, Albert  Search this

Billings, Henry  Search this

Bishop, Isabel  Search this

Blume, Peter  Search this

Bouché, Louis  Search this

Brooks, Van Wyck  Search this

Buller, Audrey  Search this

Cadmus, Paul  Search this

Calder, Alexander  Search this

Catherwood, Frederick  Search this

Congdon, William  Search this

Day, Horace Talmage  Search this

Dows, Olin  Search this

Duchamp, Marcel  Search this

Etting, Emlen  Search this

Evergood, Philip  Search this

Faulkner, Barry  Search this

Fiene, Ernest  Search this

Goff, Lloyd Lozés  Search this

Guys, Constantin  Search this

Hardy, Thomas  Search this

Harnett, William Michael  Search this

Hartl, Léon  Search this

Homer, Winslow  Search this

Hoyt, Whitney Ford  Search this

Inness, George  Search this

Ivins, William Mills  Search this

Johnson, Eastman  Search this

Kirstein, Lincoln  Search this

Kroll, Leon  Search this

Kuniyoshi, Yasuo  Search this

Laning, Edward  Search this

Lasker, Joe  Search this

Leighton, Clare  Search this

Locke, Charles  Search this

Low, Sanford B. D. (Sanford Ballard Dole)  Search this

Lucioni, Luigi  Search this

Marsh, Reginald  Search this

Miller, Kenneth Hayes  Search this

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Robus, Hugo  Search this

Saint-Gaudens, Homer  Search this

Savery, Rockland  Search this

Schmidt, Katherine  Search this

Shahn, Ben  Search this

Sheeler, Charles  Search this

Speicher, Eugene Edward  Search this

Stamos, Theodoros  Search this

Tait, Arthur Fitzwilliam  Search this

Watkins, Franklin Chenault  Search this

Watson, Forbes  Search this

Watson, Nan  Search this

Weisgard, Leonard  Search this

Artists Equity Association  Search this

American Academy of Arts and Letters  Search this

Citation:

Henry Ernest Schnakenberg papers, 1905-1969. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Art, Prehistoric  Search this

Painting, Modern -- 20th century  Search this

Etching  Search this

Theme:

Diaries  Search this

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)9102

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211296

AAA_collcode_schnh

Theme:

Diaries

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211296

Creator:

Midtown Galleries  Search this

Names:

Midtown-Payson Galleries  Search this

Betts, Edward H., 1920-  Search this

Bishop, Isabel, 1902-1988  Search this

Cadmus, Paul, 1904-1999  Search this

Coiner, Charles T., 1897-  Search this

Davis, Gladys Rockmore, 1901-1967  Search this

Etnier, Stephen, 1903-1984  Search this

Etting, Emlen, 1905-1993  Search this

Fiene, Ernest, 1894-  Search this

Gruskin, Alan D. (Alan Daniel), 1904-1970  Search this

Gruskin, Mary J.  Search this

Guston, Philip, 1913-1980  Search this

Hale, Nathan Cabot  Search this

Healey, Francis C.  Search this

Kingman, Dong, 1911-  Search this

Lahm, Ren'ee, 1897-1945  Search this

Magafan, Ethel, 1916-1993  Search this

Maldarelli, Oronzio, 1892-1962  Search this

Mangravite, Peppino, 1896-  Search this

Martin, Fletcher, 1904-1979  Search this

Meyer, Fred  Search this

Moller, Hans, 1905-  Search this

Nagler, Edith Kroger, 1890-1986  Search this

Nagler, Fred, 1891-1983  Search this

Palmer, William C., 1906-  Search this

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Peirce, Waldo, 1884-1970  Search this

Reinhardt, Siegfried, 1925-1984  Search this

Rosenthal, Doris Patty, 1889-1971  Search this

Saarinen, Lilian Swann, 1912-1995  Search this

Schoener, Jason  Search this

Sepeshy, Zoltan, 1898-1974  Search this

Shulkin, Anatol, 1899-1961  Search this

Simkhovitch, Simka, 1893-1949  Search this

Sokole, Miron, 1901-  Search this

Soyer, Isaac, 1902-1981  Search this

Taubes, Frederic, 1900-  Search this

Thon, William, 1906-2000  Search this

Varga, Margit, 1908-2005  Search this

Vickrey, Robert, 1926-2011  Search this

Wingate, Arline, 1906-1998  Search this

Extent:

86.82 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Video recordings

Date:

1904-1997

Summary:

The records of Midtown Galleries measure 86.82 linear feet and date from 1904 to 1997. The collection documents the operation and general administration of the business and includes artist records, exhibition material, inventories, financial records, photographs, and printed material.

Scope and Content Note:

Records of Midtown Galleries [including the addition], circa 1904-1997, comprise 86.82 linear feet on 117 microfilm reels. Records are sparse for the early years when the gallery was operated as a cooperative. As the business expanded and became profitable, recordkeeping was more systematic and thorough. Records consist of administrative correspondence, 1927-1989 and undated; exhibition records, 1934-1982 and undated; inventories and sales records, 1946-1980 and undated; financial records, 1933-1957; miscellaneous, 1934-1985 and undated; photographs, circa 1925-circa 1980; printed matter, 1932-1982 and undated; personal papers of Alan D. and Mary J. Gruskin, 1932-1983 and undated; and Papers of Francis C. Healey, 1932-1935 and undated An addition, represents scattered material, 1932-1997 and undated, that remained after the gallery closed in 1995. It includes administrative records, 1934-1995 and undated; photographs circa 1938-1988 and undated; artists records, 1932-1993 and undated; exhibitions, 1958-1993 and undated; videotapes, 1977-1988; and oversize printed matter, 1973-1977 and undated Because microfilmimg of the Midtown Galleries records was already underway when this material was received, it could not be integrated with the main portion of the collection.

Administrative correspondence is categorized as General Correspondence, Artists Correspondence, and Artists Applications. General Correspondence is with clients, collectors, museums and galleries, arts organizations, and businesses providing services to Midtown Galleries, and concerns routine business matters. Artists Correspondence contains both personal and business letters since the Gruskins were close friends of many artists represented by Midtown Galleries. Artists Applications consists of correspondence with artists seeking representation by Midtown Galleries. Both accepted and rejected artists are included in this subseries.

Exhibition records includes schedules and general correspondence about cooperative exhibitions and traveling shows. Exhibition files, arranged by title, contain correspondence concerning arrangements for each show.

Inventories include listings by artist and by warehouse location; also, lists of paintings on consignment, paintings returned to artists, loan/shipping log, and "traffic cards." Sales records include "groups totals,: artists account ledger, and sales slips.

Financial records consist of bills paid, banking records, accounting records, and tax returns with related documentation.

Miscellaneous items include manuscripts of Isabel Bishop Catalogue Raisonne and Biography by Karl Lunde and The Art of Philip Guston by Lester D. Longman. Also included are legal documents such as Act of Incorporation, partnership agreement, and leases; 32 guest registers, 1924-1985 and undated, and 15 samples of artist-designed fabrics produced by Onandoga Silk Co., 1946-1947.

Photographs of people include founders Alan D. Gruskin and Francis C. Healey, Mary J. Gruskin (Mrs. Alan D.) and many artists affiliated with Midtown Galleries. Photographs of works of art are by Midtown artists and others. Also, illustrations for Painting in the U.S.A. by Alan D. Gruskin; 2 albums of photographs of the work of Waldo Peirce, circa 1925-1930s (probably compiled by Peirce). Photographs of exhibitions include Midtown Galleries exhibitions and shows elsewhere featuring works by Midtown artists. Miscellaneous photographs include: Gruskin's Department Store (Pa.); models used by artists Julien Binford, Henry Koerner, and Doris Rosenthal; properties owned by Julien Binford and Hans Moeller; Anatol Shulkin's travel pictures of the Soviet Union; store window displays featuring Midtown artists, and fashion models at Midtown Galleries.

Printed matter includes material produced by Midtown Galleries: exhiition catalogs, 1932-1983 and undated; news releases, 1932-1983 and undated; Midtown News, 1965-1970; and miscellaneous items, 1943-1970 and undated Printed matter produced by others includes is comprised of artists files consisting mainly of newsclippings; also, articles about Midtown Galleries and the Gruskins.

Personal papers of Mary J. and Alan D. Gruskin contain biographical information, correspondence, financial records, miscellaneous items, calendars, and writings of Alan D. Gruskin. Correspondence, 1931-1970 and undated, with family and friends concerns personal business; also, letters of condolence on the death of Alan D. Gruskin, 1970. Financial records include personal finances and documentation of gifts of artwork to institutions, with appraisals and tax information. Calendars, 1939-1983, record both personal engagements and some business appointments. Writings of Alan D. Gruskin include manuscripts and drafts of columns, short stories, a screenplay, radio broadcasts, and lecture notes from courses at Harvard.

Papers of Francis C. Healey are comprised of correspondence that relates to both gallery and ersonal business. Also included are scripts and drafts for radio broadcasts, printed matter, press releases, and proposals for radio programs.

Administrative records received with the addition include general correspondence, correspondence with clients, and correspondence regarding gifts, sales and purchases. Records concerning the sale of Midtown Galleries to John Whitney Payson include Gruskin's and Payson's inventories. Also, included is a history of the gallery.

Photographs are of the Gruskins, their friends, and country house; also, views of Midtown exhibitions, openings, artists, and individual works of art.

Artists records are comprised mainly of artists files, largely containing printed matter. Among the artists records are a file of holiday cards by various artists, many with original artwork. Also included are catalogs of group shows featuring Midtown artists at other galleries

Exhibition materials include announcements, news releases, catalogs, miscellaneous printed matter, and a guest book. A small number of these items are dated after Payson's purchase of Midtown Galleries.

Videotapes of William Palmer, Isabel Bishop, and Robert Vickrey, as well as oversize printed matter relating to Midtown artists, complement the artists records.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into 10 series. A detailed explanation of the arrangement of each series is provided with the series descriptions. Each series is subdivided, often by record type, with categories usually arranged chronologically; exceptions are noted. Administrative correspondence (Series 1) is arranged alphabetically, as are many inventories sales records (Series 3). Photographs of people, exhibitions, and works of art (Series 6) are arranged alphabetically, as are the artists files and exhibition clippings portions of the printed matter (Series 7). The addition is described separately in Appendix A; and, wherever possible, reel and frame numbers of related materials received and filmed with the addition have been included in the main text's series descriptions.

Missing Title

Series 1: Administrative Correspondence, 1927-1989, undated (51 linear ft.)

Series 2: Exhibitions, 1932-1982, undated (4 linear feet)

Series 3: Inventories and Sales Records, 1932-1980, undated (5.3 linear ft.)

Series 4: Financial Records, 1933-1957 (3.5 linear feet)

Series 5: Miscellaneous, 1934-1985, undated (2 linear feet)

Series 6: Photographs, circa 1925-circa 1980 (6.5 linear feet)

Series 7: Printed Matter, 1932-1990, undated (7.25 linear ft.)

Series 8: Personal Papers of Alan D. and Mary J. Gruskin, 1904-1990, undated (4.5 linear feet)

Series 9: Papers of Francis C. Healey, 1932-1935, undated (0.5 linear ft.)

Series 10: Addition, 1932-1997, undated (2.5 linear feet)

Historical Note:

Alan D. Gruskin (1904-1970) hoped to become an artist, but while still a student realized that his talents were better suited to art administration than painting. Following graduation from Harvard University, he worked at a New York gallery that specialized in old masters, returning home to Pennsylvania after a year to pursue a writing career that ultimately proved unsuccessful. Gruskin returned to New York and opened Midtown Galleries at 559 Fifth Avenue in 1932. Specializing in work by living American artists, Midtown was one of a rather small number of commercial galleries in New York City that showed contemporary American art. Midtown Galleries represented academic and realist painters, and purposely avoided abstract art.

Founded during the Depression, Midtown Galleries was a shoe-string operation in its early years. Originally operated as a cooperative, Midtown Galleries' participating artists contributed to the costs and work of presenting exhibitions. Between 1932 and 1935, Gruskin served as "Art Director" of the gallery and his business partner, Francis C. Healey was "Publicity Director." Healey appears to have been responsible for weekly broadcasts on NBC radio designed to interest people in visiting the gallery. The 15-minute programs consisted of discussions with museum directors, curators, artists, writers, and musicians about a broad range of cultural topics. Copies of the scripts were offered for a dime, and the payments mailed by radio listeners bought Gruskin's meals. During this period, Gruskin lived in the gallery. After Healey's departure in 1935, Midtown Galleries ceased to be run as a cooperative.

Midtown Galleries usually represented approximately two dozen artists, and many remained with the gallery for decades. They included: Julien Binford, Isabel Bishop, Paul Cadmus, Gladys Rockmore Davis, Emlen Etting, Maurice Freedman, Dong Kingman, Oronzio Maldarelli, William C. Palmer, Waldo Peirce, Doris Rosenthal, Zoltan L. Sepeshy, Frederic Taubes, William Thon, Margit Varga, and Robert Vickrey.

Gruskin worked to educate and interest the public in American art and to promote the artists he represented. In addition to countless reviews, articles, and catalog essays, he wrote three books: Painting in the U.S.A. (1946), The Watercolors of Dong Kingman and How the Artist Works (1958), William Thon: The Artist and His Technique (1964). Gruskin advocated the use of fine art in advertising and industry, obtaining commissions for his artists and at the same time assisting clients in building corporate collections. A prime example is the Upjohn Company which, at Gruskin's urging, included reproductions of paintings in "Your Doctor Speaks," a series of public service announcements. Many of the paintings were purchased subsequently, forming the basis of the Upjohn Collection. A traveling exhibition, The Upjohn Company Collection of Contemporary American Paintings, was circulated by Midtown Galleries and featured in a Life magazine article about fine art and advertising. Another example is the fabric patterns, based on paintings by several of Midtown Galleries' artists, commissioned by the Onandoga Silk Company; the fabrics were used for dresses by popular designers, with fashion shows and window displays of paintings by the participating artists at selected department stores throughout the country. Working closely with architects and interior designers, Gruskin and Midtown Galleries were innovators in the use of domestic and business settings to showcase art with Art In Interiors, a series of exhibitions held annually between 1952 and 1961.

Midtown Galleries was a pioneer in circulating traveling exhibitions to colleges and art associations in communities distant from major art museums and commercial galleries. Beginning in 1936 and or more than 35 years, Midtown Galleries circulated 8-10 shows throughout the country each year; most were group shows organized around a theme, though occasional solo exhibitions were offered. Other important exhibitions off the premises were the Central Illinois Art Exposition, 1939, and the contemporary American art exhibition at the New York World's Fair, 1964-1965. The 1939 show organized by Gruskin for the Bloomington, Illinois, Art Association was a large exhibition of American art borrowed from a variety of institutions; the very well-publicized show was heavily attended, drawing visitors from a large area of the rural Midwest, many of whom had never visited a museum or seen original art.

Missing Title

1932 -- established as a cooperative gallery at 559 Fifth Ave. by Alan D. Gruskin (Art Director) and Francis C. Healey (Public Relations Director); Midtown Galleries presented programs on contemporary American art broadcast by NBC radio

1934-1935 -- Tudor City Art Galleries at 8 Prospect Place, New York City, featuring works by Midtown Galleries' artists and others, administered by Gruskin and Healey

1935 -- departure of Francis C. Healey; gallery moved to 605 Madison Ave.; gallery ceased to be run as a cooperative

1936 -- began traveling exhibitions to universities, museums, and regional art associations

1939 -- Central Illinois Art Exposition (Bloomington, Ill.)

1946 -- San Francisco branch opened and closed; publication of Painting in the U.S.A. by Alan D. Gruskin

1951 -- gallery moved to 17 East 57th Street

1958 -- publication of The Watercolors of Dong Kingman and How the Artist Works by Alan D. Gruskin

1962 -- gallery moved to 11 East 57th Street

1964 -- exhibition of contemporary American art at the New York World's Fair, organized by Midtown Galleries; shown in American Interiors Pavilion, this was the only exhibit of its kind at the Fair; publication of William Thon: The Artist and His Technique by Alan D. Gruskin

1966 -- loan of Midtown Galleries' records for microfilming by the Archives of American Art; this small selection, along with many other gallery records, was donated by Mary Gruskin to the Archives between 1972 and 1991, with an additional gift in 1997

1970 -- death of Alan D. Gruskin (1904-1970); Mary J. Gruskin assumes position of Director

1972 -- first portion of Midtown Galleries' records donated to the Archives of American Art by Mrs. Gruskin

1985 -- sale of Midtown Galleries to John Whitney Payson; Bridget Moore, Director, and Mary J. Gruskin, Director Emerita

1986 -- majority of Midtown Galleries' records acquired by the Archives of American Art

1990 -- name changed to Midtown-Payson Galleries; gallery moved to 745 Fifth Ave.

1991 -- additional gift of records by Mrs. Gruskin

1992 -- records arranged, described, and prepared for microfilming

1993 -- microfilming began; continued sporadically, in small segments

1995 -- Midtown-Payson Galleries closed

1997 -- additional gift of records by Mrs. Gruskin

1999 -- microfilming completed

Provenance:

Midtown Galleries loaned a small number of records consisting of news releases, 1939-1966, and exhibition schedules to the Archives of American Art for microfilming in 1966. Subsequently, Mary J. Gruskin donated this material, along with many other gallery records, to the Archives in several installments between 1972 and 1991; an additional gift was received in 1997. The portion loaned in 1966 is now integrated with the main records and has been refilmed in sequence. Unfortunately, the addition of 1997 was received in Washington, D.C. after microfilming was well underway. The addition has been microfilmed and described separately as Series 10. Wherever possible, the main text has been annotated with reel and frame numbers for related items contained in the addition.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Patrons must use microfilm copy.

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:

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

Function:

Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State)

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Video recordings

Citation:

Midtown Galleries records, 1904-1997. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

Identifier:

AAA.midtgall

See more items in:

Midtown Galleries records

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw914dd4711-6742-49ca-86c0-2e99aad538ea

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-midtgall

Creator:

Liberman, Alexander, 1912-1999  Search this

Names:

André Emmerich Gallery  Search this

Bennington College  Search this

Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum  Search this

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

Beaton, Cecil Walter Hardy, Sir, 1904-  Search this

Cartier-Bresson, Henri, 1908-  Search this

Chernow, Burt  Search this

Dalí, Salvador, 1904-1989  Search this

De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this

Dietrich, Marlene  Search this

Emmerich, André  Search this

Frankenthaler, Helen, 1928-2011  Search this

Greenberg, Clement, 1909-1994  Search this

Hopps, Walter  Search this

Klein, William  Search this

Kline, Franz, 1910-1962  Search this

Leibovitz, Annie, 1949-  Search this

Motherwell, Robert  Search this

Mulas, Ugo  Search this

Namuth, Hans  Search this

Newman, Barnett, 1905-1970  Search this

Newton, Helmut, 1920-  Search this

Parks, Gordon, 1912-2006  Search this

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Penn, Irving  Search this

Picasso, Pablo, 1881-1973  Search this

Ritts, Herb  Search this

Snowdon, Antony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of, 1930-  Search this

Steichen, Edward, 1879-1973  Search this

Vogel, Lucien  Search this

Vreeland, Diana  Search this

Extent:

59 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Drafts (documents)

Drawings

Scrapbooks

Interviews

Photographs

Sketches

Sound recordings

Transcripts

Video recordings

Date:

circa 1912-2003

Summary:

The papers of sculptor, painter, and publishing executive Alexander Semeonovitch Liberman date from circa 1913-2003 and measure 59 linear feet. Found within the papers are biographical materials; correspondence with family, galleries, museums, and many artists; numerous recorded interviews and transcripts with and by Liberman, including one of Walter Hopps; writings and writing project files; extensive subject files maintained by Liberman; exhibition files; printed materials; scattered drawings; and extensive photographs of Liberman's artwork, exhibitions, Liberman, and of Liberman with notable artists, dealers, collectors, and critics. Many of the photographs were taken by noted photograhers. Also found within the papers are unidentified sound and video recordings. Additional sound and video recordings have been integrated into other series.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of sculptor, painter, and publishing executive Alexander Semeonovitch Liberman date from circa 1913-2003 and measure 59 linear feet. Found within the papers are biographical materials; correspondence with family, galleries, museums, and many artists; numerous recorded interviews and transcripts with and by Liberman, including one of Walter Hopps; writings and writing project files; extensive subject files maintained by Liberman; exhibition files; printed materials; scattered drawings; and extensive photographs of Liberman's artwork, exhibitions, Liberman, and of Liberman with notable artists, dealers, collectors, and critics. Many of the photographs were taken by noted photograhers. Also found within the papers are unidentified sound and video recordings. Additional sound and video recordings have been integrated into other series.

Biographical materials include awards, biographies and chronologies, family history materials, membership cards, writings by Liberman's mother, and a scrapbook about his father.

Correspondence is extensive and concerns both personal and professional affairs. It is with artists and photographers, art magazines, organizations and museums, art collectors, businesses, and family. Notable correspondents include Cecil Beaton, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Burt Chernow, Salvador Dali, Robert Motherwell, Helen Frankenthaler, Barnett and Annalee Newman, Additional correspondence is found within the subject files compiled and organized by Liberman (series 6).

There are sound and video recordings and transcripts of interviews with and by Liberman, most completed for broadcast television and radio shows. Of particular interest are sound cassettes, a sound tape reel, and a transcript of an interview with Walter Hopps by Liberman.

Writings by Liberman include essays, short stories, and a play entitled 2+1. Writing project files were organized by Liberman for writing projects for which he was the author, collaborator, or subject. There are numerous files concerning Barbara Rose's book about Liberman Alexander Liberman that also include recorded interviews with Liberman and transcripts. Other books for which there are files include The Art and Technique of Color Photography, The Artist in His Studio, Vogue: The First 100 Years, Vogue History of Fashion Photography, and others.

Subject files were organized by Liberman for a wide variety of work projects, activities, topics, and entities of interest. Files cover commissions, the filming and distribution of the 1981 documentary film Alexander Liberman: A Lifetime Burning, Liberman's personal collection of art, gifts of artwork, and his relationship with galleries and dealers, particularly André Emmerich Gallery.

Exhibition files document exhibitions of Liberman's artwork, and include those held at André Emmerich Gallery, Bennington College, the Guggenheim, Museum of Modern Art, among other venues. Files contain correspondence, contracts, photographs, plans and drawings, notes, etc. Also found are inventory records of Liberman's artwork in the form of lists, index cards, bound registers, and notes.

Ten linear feet of printed materials include exhibition announcements and catalogs, books and book flyers, brochures, calendars, clippings, postcards, posters, press releases, and other materials.

There are scattered drawings and sketches found within the papers, some of which are sketches of sculpture pieces.

Nearly one-half of the collection is comprised of photographs of Liberman and his artwork, and of artists and colleagues, many of which were taken by noted photographers, including Cecil Beaton, Henri Cartier-Bresson, William Klein, Henri Lartique, Annie Leibowitz, Inge Morath, Ugo Mulas, Hans Namuth, Helmut Newton, Gordon Parks, Irving Penn, Herb Ritts, and Lord Snowden, among others. Subjects of note found in the photographs include Alfred Barr, Salvador Dali, Marlene Dietrich, Willem de Kooning, Andre Emmerich, Helen Frankenthaler, Clement Greenberg, Franz Kline, Robert Motherwell, Barnett Newman, Betty Parsons, Pablo Piccaso, Edward Steichen, Lucien Vogel, and Diana Vreeland, among many others.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into twelve series. Photographs retain Liberman's original numerical and alpha schemas and the corresponding indexes are found in the Inventory Records in Series 8.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Materials, circa 1930s-1999 (1 linear foot; Box 1, 56)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1944-1997 (4 linear feet; Boxes 1-5, 56, OV 65)

Series 3: Interviews, 1946-1996 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 5-7, 56)

Series 4: Writings, 1948-1995 (0.9 linear feet; Boxes 7-8)

Series 5: Writing Project Files, 1951-1997 (1.8 linear feet; Boxes 8-9, 56)

Series 6: Subject Files, 1946-2000 (6 linear feet; Boxes 9-15, 56, OV 66-67)

Series 7: Exhibition Files, 1954-1991 (0.7 linear feet; Boxes 15-16, 56, OV 68)

Series 8: Inventory Records, 1938-1998 (6 linear feet; Boxes 16-22)

Series 9: Printed Materials, 1932-2003 (10 linear feet; Boxes 22-31, 56-57, OV 69)

Series 10: Artwork, circa 1940s-1990s (0.4 linear feet; Boxes 32, 57, OV 70)

Series 11: Photographic Materials, circa 1912-1999 (26 linear feet; Boxes 32-55, 57-64, OVs 71-77)

Series 12: Unidentified Sound and Video Recordings, circa 1941-1999 (0.8 linear feet; Boxes 55, 64)

Biographical / Historical:

Alexander S. Liberman (1912-1999) was a sculptor, painter, photographer, graphic designer, writer, and publishing executive who worked primarily in New York City. He held senior positions at Condé Nast Publications for 32 years.

Alexander Semeonovitch Liberman was born in 1912 in Kiev Russia. He was educated in London and the École des Beaux Art in Paris. He began his journalistic career in Paris at VU magazine owned by Lucien Vogel and there he befriended photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson, Brassai, Robert Capa, and André Kértesz. He served in the French army for a short time in 1940, but he and his family fled Paris in 1941 to New York City. Condé Nast hired Liberman in 1941 as an assistant to the art director of Vogue magazine. Liberman became art director in 1943 and editorial director of Condé Nast Publications in 1962, a position he held until his retirement in 1994.

Liberman was also a photographer whose subjects included Georges Braque, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Marlene Dietrich, among others, many represented in his 1960 book entitled The Artist in his Studio and Marlene: An Intimate Photographic Memoir (1992). He was also the subject of the work of noted photographers Cecil Beaton, Irving Penn, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Gordon Parks, Lord Snowden, Jill Krementz, Henri Lartique, Annie Leibovitz, and Hans Namuth.

Liberman took up painting and sculpting in the 1950s. Although his first exhibition was at the Betty Parsons Gallery, he was primarily associated with the André Emmerich Gallery in New York City. His monumental sculptures were mostly assembled from industrial parts and painted and can be seen in museums and public sites worldwide.

Liberman was briefly married to Hildegarde Sturm. He married his second wife Tatiana Yacovleff du Plessix in 1942. Before their marriage, they fled occupied France together. She was a noted hat designer, working for Henri Bendel and Saks, where she became known as Tatiania of Saks. She died in 1991 and, in 1992, Liberman married Melinda Pechangco, a nurse who had earlier cared for Tatiania. Alexander Liberman died in 1999 in Miami, Florida.

Related Materials:

Related collections found at the Archives of American Art include the Dodie Kazanjian and Calvin Tomkins research materials on Alexander Liberman and numerous collections of gallery records.

Provenance:

The Alexander Liberman papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Liberman Art Partners in 2010 via Dodie Kazanjian.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. research center. Contact Reference Services for more information. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.

Rights:

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

Occupation:

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

Graphic designers  Search this

Topic:

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

Photography  Search this

Sculptors -- France -- Paris  Search this

Fashion photography  Search this

Painters -- France -- Paris  Search this

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

Photographers -- France -- Paris  Search this

Genre/Form:

Drafts (documents)

Drawings

Scrapbooks

Interviews

Photographs

Sketches

Sound recordings

Transcripts

Video recordings

Citation:

Alexander Liberman Papers, circa 1912-2003. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

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

Identifier:

AAA.libealex

See more items in:

Alexander Liberman papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw942e7024f-773e-4db8-b545-31138550580a

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-libealex

Creator:

Carton, Norman, 1908-1980  Search this

Subject:

De Kooning, Willem  Search this

D'Harnoncourt, Rene  Search this

Ferren, John  Search this

Greenberg, Clement  Search this

Hultberg, John  Search this

Kootz, Samuel Melvin  Search this

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Resnick, Milton  Search this

Citation:

Norman Carton papers, 1949-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Painting, American -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Theme:

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)6989

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209121

AAA_collcode_cartnorm

Theme:

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209121

Creator:

Midtown Galleries  Search this

Subject:

Moller, Hans  Search this

Meyer, Fred  Search this

Martin, Fletcher  Search this

Mangravite, Peppino  Search this

Maldarelli, Oronzio  Search this

Magafan, Ethel  Search this

Lahm, Ren'ee  Search this

Kingman, Dong  Search this

Healey, Francis C.  Search this

Hale, Nathan Cabot  Search this

Soyer, Isaac  Search this

Gruskin, Mary J.  Search this

Gruskin, Alan D. (Alan Daniel)  Search this

Fiene, Ernest  Search this

Taubes, Frederic  Search this

Thon, William  Search this

Sokole, Miron  Search this

Shulkin, Anatol  Search this

Simkhovitch, Simka  Search this

Schoener, Jason  Search this

Sepeshy, Zoltan  Search this

Rosenthal, Doris Patty  Search this

Saarinen, Lilian Swann  Search this

Peirce, Waldo  Search this

Reinhardt, Siegfried  Search this

Palmer, William C.  Search this

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Nagler, Edith Kroger  Search this

Nagler, Fred  Search this

Guston, Philip  Search this

Vickrey, Robert  Search this

Varga, Margit  Search this

Wingate, Arline  Search this

Bishop, Isabel  Search this

Betts, Edward H.  Search this

Cadmus, Paul  Search this

Coiner, Charles T.  Search this

Davis, Gladys Rockmore  Search this

Etnier, Stephen  Search this

Etting, Emlen  Search this

Midtown-Payson Galleries  Search this

Type:

Photographs

Video recordings

Citation:

Midtown Galleries records, 1904-1997. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

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

Theme:

Art Gallery Records  Search this

Art Market  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)7098

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209231

AAA_collcode_midtgall

Theme:

Art Gallery Records

Art Market

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209231

Creator:

Parsons, Betty, 1900-1982  Search this

Betty Parsons Gallery  Search this

Subject:

Bess, Forrest  Search this

Reinhardt, Ad  Search this

Rothko, Mark  Search this

Pollock, Jackson  Search this

Congdon, William  Search this

Betty Parsons Gallery  Search this

Type:

Sketchbooks

Interviews

Video recordings

Drawings

Citation:

Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers, 1916-1991, bulk 1946-1983. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Women art dealers  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Abstract expressionist  Search this

Theme:

Art Gallery Records  Search this

Art Market  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)7211

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209348

AAA_collcode_parsbett

Theme:

Art Gallery Records

Art Market

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209348

Creator:

Little, John, 1907-  Search this

Guild Hall of East Hampton  Search this

Subject:

Parker, Elizabeth  Search this

Kiesler, Frederick  Search this

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Namuth, Hans  Search this

Hofmann, Hans  Search this

Hunter, Sam  Search this

Signa Gallery  Search this

Citation:

John Little papers, 1935-1978. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- History -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Textile design -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

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

Decorative arts  Search this

Theme:

Craft  Search this

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)7896

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210063

AAA_collcode_littjohn

Theme:

Craft

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210063

Creator:

Finch College. Museum of Art  Search this

Varian, Elayne H. (Elayne Hanley), 1913-1987  Search this

Subject:

Acconci, Vito  Search this

Glimcher, Arnold B.  Search this

Benglis, Lynda  Search this

Anderson, David K.  Search this

Bochner, Mel  Search this

Benyon, Margaret  Search this

Janis, Sidney  Search this

Castelli, Leo  Search this

Brooks, James  Search this

Jackson, Martha Kellogg  Search this

Hollander, Irwin  Search this

Insley, Will  Search this

Gottlieb, Adolph  Search this

Graham, Dan  Search this

Smith, Tony  Search this

Siegelaub, Seth  Search this

Richter, Hans  Search this

Parsons, Betty  Search this

O'Doherty, Brian  Search this

Nauman, Bruce  Search this

Kirby, Michael  Search this

Chase, Doris  Search this

Cross, Lloyd G.  Search this

Davis, Douglas  Search this

Dwan, Virginia  Search this

Feigen, Richard L.  Search this

Wise, Howard  Search this

Weiner, Sam  Search this

Sonfist, Alan  Search this

Mazur, Michael  Search this

Meyer, Ursula  Search this

Lichtenstein, Roy  Search this

Levine, Les  Search this

Type:

Transcripts

Interviews

Photographs

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Museum records

Citation:

Exhibition records of the Contemporary Study Wing of the Finch College Museum of Art, 1943-1975, bulk 1964-1975. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

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

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

Gallery directors  Search this

Gallery owners  Search this

Theme:

Art Gallery Records  Search this

Art organizations  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)8114

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210285

AAA_collcode_finccoll

Theme:

Art Gallery Records

Art organizations

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210285

Creator:

Jacques Seligmann & Co.  Search this

Subject:

Hauke, Cesar M. de (Cesar Mange)  Search this

Glaenzer, Eugene  Search this

Haardt, Georges  Search this

Seligman, Germain  Search this

Seligmann, Arnold  Search this

Parker, Theresa D.  Search this

Waegen, Rolf Hans  Search this

Trevor, Clyfford  Search this

Seligmann, René  Search this

Seligmann, Jacques  Search this

De Hauke & Co., Inc.  Search this

Jacques Seligmann & Co  Search this

Eugene Glaenzer & Co.  Search this

Germain Seligmann & Co.  Search this

Gersel  Search this

Type:

Gallery records

Citation:

Jacques Seligmann & Co. records, 1904-1978, bulk 1913-1974. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Mackay, Clarence Hungerford, 1874-1938 -- Art collections  Search this

Schiff, Mortimer L. -- Art collections  Search this

Arenberg, duc d' -- Art collections  Search this

Liechtenstein, House of -- Art collections  Search this

Art -- Collectors and collecting -- France -- Paris  Search this

Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this

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

La Fresnaye, Roger de, 1885-1925  Search this

Art, Renaissance  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Art treasures in war  Search this

Art, European  Search this

Theme:

Art Gallery Records  Search this

Art Market  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)9936

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212486

AAA_collcode_jacqself

Theme:

Art Gallery Records

Art Market

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_212486

Creator:

American Museum of Natural History.  Search this

Subject:

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Shapiro, Harry L. (Harry Lionel)  Search this

Newman, Barnett  Search this

Wakefield Gallery  Search this

Betty Parsons Gallery  Search this

Citation:

American Museum of Natural History, Dept. of Anthropology correspondence with Barnett Newman and Betty Parsons, 1944-1946. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Theme:

Research and writing about art  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)10978

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)214812

AAA_collcode_amermuse

Theme:

Research and writing about art

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_214812

Creator:

Donati, Enrico, 1909-2008  Search this

Temkin, Ann, 1959-  Search this

Subject:

Breton, André  Search this

Brauner, Victor  Search this

Carone, Nicholas  Search this

De Chirico, Giorgio  Search this

Duchamp, Marcel  Search this

Ferren, John  Search this

Gorky, Arshile  Search this

Hare, David  Search this

Levy, Julien  Search this

Martins, Maria  Search this

Miró, Joan  Search this

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Picasso, Pablo  Search this

Reynal, Jeanne  Search this

Richter, Hans  Search this

Ward, Eleanor  Search this

Philadelphia Museum of Art  Search this

Type:

Interviews

Citation:

Oral history interview with Enrico Donati, 1997 Jan. 7. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

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

Surrealism  Search this

Theme:

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)11546

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)223335

AAA_collcode_donaenri

Theme:

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_223335

Creator:

Liberman, Alexander Semeonovitch, 1912-1999  Search this

Subject:

Leibovitz, Annie  Search this

Motherwell, Robert  Search this

Kline, Franz  Search this

Klein, William  Search this

Barr, Alfred H., Jr.  Search this

Hopps, Walter  Search this

Cartier-Bresson, Henri  Search this

Beaton, Cecil Walter Hardy, Sir  Search this

Penn, Irving  Search this

Parks, Gordon  Search this

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Newman, Barnett  Search this

Newton, Helmut  Search this

Mulas, Ugo  Search this

Namuth, Hans  Search this

Picasso, Pablo  Search this

Snowdon, Antony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of  Search this

Ritts, Herb  Search this

Vogel, Lucien  Search this

Steichen, Edward  Search this

Vreeland, Diana  Search this

Dalí, Salvador  Search this

Chernow, Burt  Search this

Dietrich, Marlene  Search this

De Kooning, Willem  Search this

Emmerich, André  Search this

Greenberg, Clement  Search this

Frankenthaler, Helen  Search this

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum  Search this

Bennington College  Search this

Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

André Emmerich Gallery  Search this

Type:

Drafts (documents)

Drawings

Scrapbooks

Interviews

Photographs

Sketches

Sound recordings

Transcripts

Video recordings

Citation:

Alexander Liberman papers, circa 1912-2003. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

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

Photography  Search this

Sculptors -- France -- Paris  Search this

Fashion photography  Search this

Painters -- France -- Paris  Search this

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

Photographers -- France -- Paris  Search this

Theme:

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)15871

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)295430

AAA_collcode_libealex

Theme:

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_295430

Creator:

Hall, Lee  Search this

Subject:

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Ajay, Abe  Search this

De Kooning, Elaine  Search this

De Kooning, Willem  Search this

Rhode Island School of Design  Search this

Betty Parsons Gallery  Search this

Type:

Interviews

Drawings

Sketchbooks

Diaries

Video recordings

Citation:

Lee Hall papers, circa 1870s-2017, bulk 1975-2010. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Theme:

Research and writing about art  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)17601

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)396548

AAA_collcode_halllee

Theme:

Research and writing about art

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_396548

Creator:

Schnakenberg, H. E. (Henry Ernest), 1892-1970  Search this

Names:

American Academy of Arts and Letters  Search this

Artists Equity Association  Search this

Angel, John, 1881-1960  Search this

Bacon, Peggy, 1895-1987  Search this

Barye, Antoine-Louis, 1796-1875  Search this

Beal, Gifford, 1879-1956  Search this

Bierstadt, Albert, 1830-1902  Search this

Billings, Henry, 1901-  Search this

Bishop, Isabel, 1902-1988  Search this

Blume, Peter, 1906-1992  Search this

Bouché, Louis, 1896-1969  Search this

Brooks, Van Wyck, 1886-1963  Search this

Buller, Audrey, 1902-  Search this

Cadmus, Paul, 1904-1999  Search this

Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976  Search this

Catherwood, Frederick, 1799-1854  Search this

Congdon, William, 1912-1998  Search this

Day, Horace Talmage, 1909-1984  Search this

Dows, Olin, 1904-1981  Search this

Duchamp, Marcel, 1887-1968  Search this

Etting, Emlen, 1905-1993  Search this

Evergood, Philip, 1901-1973  Search this

Faulkner, Barry, 1881-1966  Search this

Fiene, Ernest, 1894-  Search this

Goff, Lloyd Lozés, 1919-  Search this

Guys, Constantin, 1805-1892  Search this

Hardy, Thomas, 1921-  Search this

Harnett, William Michael, 1848-1892  Search this

Hartl, Léon, 1889-  Search this

Homer, Winslow, 1836-1910  Search this

Hoyt, Whitney Ford, 1910-1980  Search this

Inness, George, 1825-1894  Search this

Ivins, William Mills, 1881-1961  Search this

Johnson, Eastman, 1824-1906  Search this

Kirstein, Lincoln, 1907-  Search this

Kroll, Leon, 1884-1974  Search this

Kuniyoshi, Yasuo, 1889-1953  Search this

Laning, Edward, 1906-1981  Search this

Lasker, Joe  Search this

Leighton, Clare, 1899-  Search this

Locke, Charles, 1899-  Search this

Low, Sanford B. D. (Sanford Ballard Dole), 1905-1964  Search this

Lucioni, Luigi, 1900-1988  Search this

Marsh, Reginald, 1898-1954  Search this

Miller, Kenneth Hayes, 1876-1952  Search this

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Robus, Hugo, 1885-1964  Search this

Saint-Gaudens, Homer, b. 1880  Search this

Savery, Rockland  Search this

Schmidt, Katherine, 1898-1978  Search this

Shahn, Ben, 1898-1969  Search this

Sheeler, Charles, 1883-1965  Search this

Speicher, Eugene Edward, 1883-1962  Search this

Stamos, Theodoros, 1922-1997  Search this

Tait, Arthur Fitzwilliam, 1819-1905  Search this

Watkins, Franklin Chenault, 1894-1972  Search this

Watson, Forbes, 1880-1960  Search this

Watson, Nan, 1876-1966  Search this

Weisgard, Leonard, 1916-  Search this

Extent:

5.1 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 6 reels))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1905-1969

Scope and Contents:

Photographs, correspondence, appointment books, etchings, a scrapbook, printed materials, writings, and posters.

REEL D113: Primarily letters received from artists, 1940s-50s; background material for Ft.Lee and Amsterdam (N.Y.) murals; and miscellaneous printed material and photographs.

Correspondents include John Angel, Artists Equity, Peggy Bacon, Gifford Beal, Henry Billings, Isabel Bishop, Peter Blume, Louis Bouche, Van Wyck Brooks, Audrey Buller, Paul Cadmus, Alexander Calder, William Congdon, Horace T. Day, Olin Dows, Marcel Duchamp, Emlen P. Etting, Philip Evergood, Barry Faulkner, Ernest Fiene, Leon Hartl, Whitney F. Hoyt, William M. Ivins, Jr., Lincoln E. Kirstein, Leon Kroll, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Edward Laning, Joseph L. Lasker, Clare Leighton, Charles W. Locke, Sanford B.D. Low, Luigi Lucioni, Reginald Marsh, Kenneth H. Miller, Nat'l Institute of Arts and Letters, Betty Parsons, Hugo Robus, Homer Saint-Gaudens, Katherine Schmidt, Ben Shahn, Charles Sheeler, Eugene Speicher, Theodoros Stamos, Franklin C. Watkins, Forbes and Nan Watson, and Leonard Weisgard.

REEL 847: Photographs, including 67 of Schnakenberg and friends, 1 of a portrait of him by Lloyd Goff, 95 of his oil paintings, 33 of his watercolors, 25 of his works in unidentified media, 29 of works by other artists, and 46 of pre-Columbian art from Central and South America. Among artists whose works are included are Antoine Louis Barye, Albert Bierstadt, Frederick Catherwood, Constantin Guys, Thomas Hardy, William Harnett, Winslow Homer, George Inness, Eastman Johnson, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Reginald Marsh, Rockland Savery, Theodoros Stamos, and Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait.

REELS 850-853: Biographical information; personal and business correspondence; 17 diaries, mainly about Schnakenberg's travels, 1905-1960; appointment calendars, 1963-1969; 70 etchings by Schnakenberg; a scrapbook containing clippings, catalogs, and other printed material; a book published by G. Alan Chidsey on Schnakenberg; clippings, catalogs, and announcements; papers relating to gifts and acquisitions of works of art; receipts for Schnakenberg paintings from C.W. Kraushaar Galleries; a 650-page typescript for a book "The Background of Painting" by Schnakenberg; and drafts of speeches.

UNMICROFILMED: Six World War I posters designed by Schnakenberg; Christmas cards from artists and other friends; printed material; and a photograph of Lloyd Goff, inscribed to Schnakenberg, in front of one of his paintings, 1939.

Biographical / Historical:

Painter, etcher; Newton, Conn.

Provenance:

Material donated 1963-1971 by Schnakenberg and, after his death, by his estate.

Restrictions:

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

Occupation:

Etchers -- Connecticut -- Newton  Search this

Painters -- Connecticut -- Newton  Search this

Topic:

Art, Prehistoric  Search this

Painting, Modern -- 20th century  Search this

Etching  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.schnh

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9324de55d-c4b7-4bbe-9ff3-d60db8786f14

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-schnh

Collection Creator:

Hofmann, Hans, 1880-1966  Search this

Extent:

3 Linear feet (Box 1-3)

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1914-1966

Scope and Contents note:

The correspondence of Hans Hofmann consists mainly of incoming letters about personal and professional matters. Correspondents include museums, galleries, art dealers, collectors, former students, art historians, critics, fans, friends, and relatives. Although the date of Hofmann's reply is often noted on letters received, outgoing letters are limited to a small number of drafts and carbon copies. Because Hofmann's wife, Miz, often handled his business affairs and was friendly with his former students, many letters are addressed to her. Letters in foreign languages-mostly German, but some in Italian and French-are noted.

Correspondents include Art of This Century Gallery (Peggy Guggenheim), Baltimore Museum of Art, Hofmann's dealer Samuel M. Kootz, the Museum of Modern Art, Mortimer Brandt Gallery (Betty Parsons), Betty Parsons Gallery, Howard Putzel of 67 Gallery, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Their letters document arrangements for Hofmann's major exhibitions and also concern the loan, sale, and donation of paintings.

With the exception of a file titled "War Compensation," correspondence is limited to the years of Hofmann's residence in the United States. "War Compensation" correspondence and related records, 1912-1923, concern Hofmann's claim against the German government for personal property-including works of art-removed from his Paris apartment in 1914 while he was in Corsica. Correspondence documents attempts to learn the fate of his paintings and the claims process. The correspondents are painter Rudolph Levy, who may have sold Hofmann's paintings and possessions during the time he sublet the apartment; sculptor Eugen Steinhof, Monsieur Haven and Hermann Hailer, who would assist with the claim; and the Bund des Auslandsdeutschen, Bavarian Section. Supporting documentation consists of leases for his Paris apartment and a floorplan, drawn by Hofmann, that indicates placement of furniture and includes an inventory of possessions, including works of art, with values for each item.

Small quantities of additional correspondence are filed with other series. School of Fine Arts Records (Series 2) include inquiries from prospective students; requests for transcripts and recommendations; Immigration and Naturalization Service approval of the school; correspondence about foreign students; and correspondence with the Veterans Administration. Financial Records (Series 4) contain correspondence with the American Express Company, the Social Security Administration, and several banks. Estate Records (Series 9) include correspondence regarding taxes, Hofmann's Provincetown house, and legal matters concerning settlement of his estate. Papers of Renate Schmitz Hofmann (Series 10) include personal and estate correspondence, as well as condolence letters.

Arrangement:

Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by correspondent and also includes a few subject files (e.g. "Autograph Requests," "Car Accident," and "War Compensation"). Unknown, unsigned, or illegible letters are filed at the end of the series.

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. Contact Reference Services for more information.

Collection Rights:

Max Spoerri interview: Authorization to quote or reproduce for purposes of publication requires written permission from Max Spoerri. Contact Reference Services for more information.

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

Collection Citation:

Hans Hofmann papers, circa 1904-2011, bulk 1945-2000. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by 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.

Identifier:

AAA.hofmhans, Series 1

See more items in:

Hans Hofmann papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93134da51-6923-40a2-9989-fdcc837f8d8a

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-aaa-hofmhans-ref17

Creator:

Hall, Lee  Search this

Names:

Betty Parsons Gallery  Search this

Rhode Island School of Design  Search this

Ajay, Abe  Search this

De Kooning, Elaine  Search this

De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Extent:

7.4 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Interviews

Drawings

Sketchbooks

Diaries

Video recordings

Date:

circa 1870s-2017

bulk 1975-2010

Summary:

The papers of painter, author, and arts administrator Lee Hall measure 7.4 linear feet and date from circa 1870-2017, bulk 1975 to 2010. The papers document Hall's career through biographical material, correspondence, writings, studio records, printed material, photographic material, and artwork. Included is significant documentation on Hall's book projects, including biographies of Betty Parsons, Abe Ajay, and Willem and Elaine de Kooning.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of painter, author, and arts administrator Lee Hall measure 7.4 linear feet and date from circa 1870-2017, bulk 1975 to 2010. The papers document Hall's career through biographical material, correspondence, writings, studio records, printed material, photographic material, and artwork. Included is significant documentation on Hall's book projects, including biographies of Betty Parsons, Abe Ajay, and Willem and Elaine de Kooning.

Biographical material includes business cards, résumé and biographical texts, travel documents, and awards. Correspondence is professional and personal in nature and includes some collected historic correspondence from unknown authors. Correspondence regarding specific writing projects is found in the Writings series. The Writings series includes journals and notebooks focusing primarily on Hall's travels and study of Classics including the Greek language. The Writing Projects subseries includes titles intended for publication as well as college papers, essays, and lectures. Published titles are often accompanied by book proposals, contracts, research material, interviews, and correspondence. Also included are writings by others including reviews regarding Hall's art career. Studio records include artwork inventories, loan paperwork, and the mechanical for an exhibition catalog. Printed material includes exhibition invitations for Lee Hall's art career, exhibition catalogs for Hall's exhibitions and that of Betty Parsons, and general printed material regarding Elaine de Kooning, as well as press clippings on various topics. Photographic materials include images of Lee Hall and her circle of friends including Betty Parsons, images of Hall in her studio, installation images of Hall's exhibitions at the Betty Parsons Gallery, and extensive photographs of Hall's travels to the Mediterranean, primarily to Greece and Turkey. The Artwork series includes sketches, watercolors and other small paintings by Lee, as well as illustrated manuscripts for children's book titles.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in seven series:

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1970-2010 (0.2 Linear Feet; Boxes 1, 7)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1870-2016 (0.3 Linear Feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Writings, circa 1920-2010 (4.0 Linear Feet; Boxes 1-5)

Series 4: Studio Records, circa 1973-2010 (0.2 Linear Feet; Box 5)

Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1914-2016 (0.4 Linear Feet; Boxes 5, 7)

Series 6: Photographic Material, circa 1940-2017 (1.7 Linear Feet; Boxes 5-9)

Series 7: Artwork, circa 1950-2010 (0.6 Linear Feet; Boxes 6-7, Oversize 10)

Biographical / Historical:

Lee Hall (1935-2017) was a painter, author, and arts administrator who served as president of the Rhode Island School of Design from 1975-1983. Born in Lexington, North Carolina and raised in Florida following her parents' divorce, Lee Hall later returned to her birth state to attend the Woman's College of the University of North Carolina. She received her bachelor of fine arts in 1955, studying under the abstract painter John Opper. She eventually earned a masters degree in art education and a PhD in creative arts, both from New York University. Hall's paintings shared an Abstract Expressionist sensibility common with many of her peers at the Betty Parsons Gallery, imparted on the figurative tradition of landscape painting. Hall showed her paintings at the Betty Parsons Gallery from the late seventies until 1982 when the gallery closed following Parsons' death, after which she ceased exhibiting her work almost entirely until the last decade of her life. Hall maintained a studio at her home in South Hadley, Massachusetts throughout her life. A few years before Parson's death Hall had agreed to write Parsons' biography, finally released in 1991, on the condition that she and papers were made available for intensive research. Hall published titles on a wide variety of subjects including a comprehensive survey of American clothing (1992), and perhaps most notably the controversial biography of painters Elaine and Willem de Kooning (1993).

Separated Materials:

Three linear feet of Betty Parsons papers donated as part of the Lee Hall papers were transferred to the collection of Betty Parsons Gallery records and personal papers, also located at the Archives of American Art.

Provenance:

Donated in 2018 by the Lee Hall Estate via Carolyn Crozier and Deborah Jacobson, co-executors.

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 born-digital records or 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 -- Massachusetts  Search this

Authors -- Massachusetts  Search this

Arts administrators -- Rhode Island  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Drawings

Sketchbooks

Diaries

Video recordings

Citation:

Lee Hall Papers, circa 1870s-2017. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.halllee

See more items in:

Lee Hall papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw91d411a6e-e1cb-42cd-97de-96d9f710d658

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-halllee

Creator:

Finch College. Museum of Art  Search this

Varian, Elayne H.  Search this

Names:

Acconci, Vito, 1940-  Search this

Anderson, David K., 1935-  Search this

Benglis, Lynda, 1941-  Search this

Benyon, Margaret, 1940-  Search this

Bochner, Mel, 1940-  Search this

Brooks, James, 1906-1992  Search this

Castelli, Leo  Search this

Chase, Doris, 1923-  Search this

Cross, Lloyd G.  Search this

Davis, Douglas  Search this

Dwan, Virginia  Search this

Feigen, Richard L., 1930-  Search this

Glimcher, Arnold B.  Search this

Gottlieb, Adolph, 1903-1974  Search this

Graham, Dan, 1942-  Search this

Hollander, Irwin  Search this

Insley, Will, 1929-2011  Search this

Jackson, Martha Kellogg  Search this

Janis, Sidney, 1896-1989  Search this

Kirby, Michael  Search this

Levine, Les, 1935-  Search this

Lichtenstein, Roy, 1923-1997  Search this

Mazur, Michael, 1935-2009  Search this

Meyer, Ursula, 1915-  Search this

Nauman, Bruce, 1941-  Search this

O'Doherty, Brian  Search this

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Richter, Hans, 1888-1976  Search this

Siegelaub, Seth, 1941-  Search this

Smith, Tony, 1912-1980  Search this

Sonfist, Alan  Search this

Weiner, Sam  Search this

Wise, Howard  Search this

Extent:

20.9 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Transcripts

Interviews

Photographs

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Museum records

Date:

1943-1975

bulk 1964-1975

Summary:

The exhibition records of the Contemporary Study Wing of the Finch College Museum of Art measure 20.9 linear feet and date from 1943 to 1975, with the bulk of records dating from the period its galleries were in operation, from 1964 to 1975. Over two-thirds of the collection consists of exhibition files, which contain a wide range of documentation including artist files, checklists, correspondence, writings, photographs, interviews, numerous films and videos, artist statements, printed materials, and other records. Also found within the collection are administrative records of the museum, artist files, and papers of the Contemporary Wing's director and curator, Elayne Varian, which were produced outside of her work at Finch College.

Scope and Contents:

The exhibition records of the Contemporary Study Wing of the Finch College Museum of Art measure 20.9 linear feet and date from 1943 to 1975, with the bulk of records dating from the period its galleries were in operation, from 1964 to 1975. Over two-thirds of the collection consists of exhibition files, which contain a wide range of documentation including artist files, checklists, correspondence, writings, photographs, interviews, numerous films and videos, artist statements, printed materials, and other records. Also found within the collection are administrative records of the museum, artist files, and papers of the Contemporary Wing's director and curator, Elayne Varian, which were produced outside of her work at Finch College.

Administrative records include records relating to the general operation of the Contemporary Wing concerning fundraising, professional associations, budget, contact information for artists, donors, and lenders to exhibitions. Also found are records of the permanent collection of artworks acquired by the museum between 1964 and 1975 from contemporary artists and collectors of contemporary art.

Artist files contain basic biographical information on over 150 contemporary artists, with scattered correspondence, photographs, technical information about artworks, artist statements, and other writings. Artist files also include an incomplete run of artist questionnaires gathered by the New York Arts Calendar Annual for 1964.

Elayne Varian's personal papers include curatorial records, a course schedule and syllabus related to her teaching activities, and various writings. Curatorial projects documented in Varian's papers include three programs produced outside of Finch College, including a juried show at the New York State Fair in 1967, a film series at Everson Museum of Syracuse University, and an exhibition at Guild Hall in East Hampton in 1973. Several of Varian's writing projects involved interviews, which are also found in this series in the form of sound recordings and transcripts. Interview-based writing projects include individual profiles on Brian O'Doherty and Babette Newberger, and interviews conducted for an article on the artist-dealer relationship published in Art in America (January 1970). Dealers interviewed for the latter project include Leo Castelli, Virginia Dwan, John Gibson, Richard Feigen, Arnold Glimcher, Fred Mueller, Martha Jackson, Sidney Janis, Betty Parsons, Seth Siegelaub, and Howard Wise. Artists interviewed include Roy Lichtenstein, Adolph Gottlieb, and Charles Ross.

Exhibition files, comprising the bulk of the collection, document exhibitions held in the Contemporary Wing during its existence from 1964 to 1975. Types of records found in the series include exhibition catalogs, correspondence, loan agreements, lists, contact information, insurance valuations of artworks, photographs, biographical information on artists, clippings, posters, press releases, and other publicity materials. In addition to the rich textual and photographic records found for exhibitions, numerous audiovisual recordings are also found, some of which were made in preparation for an exhibition, some document mounted exhibitions, and others are artworks themselves or components of artworks exhibited in the galleries. Interviews with artists, dealers, and others involved in exhibitions include Alan Sonfist, Mel Bochner, Hans Richter, Ruth Richards, James Brooks and Janet Katz, Margaret Benyon, Irwin Hollander (transcript only), David Anderson, Doris Chase, Will Insley, Michael Kirby, Les Levine, Ursula Meyer, Brian O'Doherty, Charles Ross, Tony Smith, Douglas Davis, Jane Davis, Russ Connor, Les Levine, Michael Mazur, Paul Gedeohn, and physicists Lloyd G. Cross, Allyn Z. Lite, and Gerald Thomas Bern Pethick. Video artworks, recordings of performances, or components of multimedia artworks are found by artists Vito Acconci, Kathy Dillon, Douglas Davis, Dan Graham, Les Levine, Bruce Nauman, Michael Netter, Eric Siegel, and Robert Whitman. A film of the Art in Process: The Visual Development of a Structure (1966) exhibition is found, and video recordings of artists Lynda Benglis, Michael Singer, and Sam Wiener form as part of the documentation for the Projected Art: Artists at Work (1971) exhibition.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 4 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Administrative Records, 1950-1975 (2 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, 22, OV 23)

Series 2: Artist Files, 1958-1975 (2.4 linear feet; Boxes 3-4, 22, OV 23, FC 27-28)

Series 3: Elayne Varian Personal Papers, 1965-1970 (1.3 linear feet; Boxes 5-6)

Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1943-1975 (14.9 linear feet; Boxes 6-22, OV 24-25, FC 26)

Biographical / Historical:

The Contemporary Study Wing of the Finch College Museum of Art, later called simply the "Contemporary Wing," was established in 1964 by the president of Finch College, Roland De Marco, as an extension the Finch College Museum of Art in New York City.

Its mission was to educate art history students at the Manhattan women's college who were interested in working with contemporary art. DeMarco, himself an art collector, hired Elayne Varian as director and curator of the contemporary wing. DeMarco met Varian in the New York office of the prominent international art dealership Duveen Brothers, where she had worked since the mid-1940s, most recently as an art dealer. Varian received her art education in Chicago, where she studied art history and education at the University of Chicago, and took classes in film at the Bauhaus and in fine art the Art Institute of Chicago. Sensitive to emerging art movements in galleries and studios around the city of New York, as the contemporary wing's curator, Varian quickly established a reputation for thoughtfully conceived, cutting-edge exhibitions which were consistently well-received by the press.

Under Varian, the Contemporary Wing carried out a dual mission of showing work of living artists and educating students and the public about the artwork and museum work in general. Varian used the galleries to provide practical training to students interested in a gallery or museum career throughout its existence. For several years, she also maintained an assistantship position for post-graduate museum professionals to gain experience in the field, many of whom went on to careers in museums across New York State.

The Contemporary Wing's best-known exhibitions formed a series of six shows called Art in Process, held between 1965 and 1972. Each of the Art in Process shows took a different medium, including painting, sculpture, collage, conceptual art, installation art, and serial art, and brought the process of art-making into the gallery with the artworks in various ways. For example, for Art in Process V (1972), the show about installation art, the galleries were open to the public for the entire process of its installation, allowing visitors to watch the works take shape. Another show entitled Documentation (1968) exhibited artworks with documentation such as artist's notes, sales records, and conservation records, bringing to light the value of record-keeping in the visual arts. Two exhibitions entitled Projected Art were also innovative, with the first (1966-1967) bringing experimental films from the cinema to the galleries, and the second (1971) showing artists' processes via footage and slides of artists working. Another show, Artists' Videotape Performances (1971), involved both screening of and creation of works in the gallery using a range of experiments with recent video technology. The museum also participated in an experimental broadcast of an artwork entitled Talk Out! by Douglas Davis, in which a telephone in the gallery allowed visitors to participate in its creation while it was broadcast live from Syracuse, NY. Other exhibitions that showcased experimentation in art included N-Dimensional Space (1970), on holography in art, Destruction Art(1968), on destructive actions being incorporated into contemporary art-making, and Schemata 7 (1967), a show about the use of environments in contemporary art, whose working title was "Walk-in Sculpture."

Other popular exhibitions at the Contemporary Wing included shows on Art Deco (1970) and Art Nouveau (1969). Several shows mined the private collections of prominent contemporary art collectors including Martha Jackson, Betty Parsons, George Rickey, Paul Magriel, Jacques Kaplan, Josephine and Philip Bruno, and Carlo F. Bilotti. A number of exhibitions featured contemporary art from overseas including Art from Belgium (1965), Art from Finland (1973), Seven Swedish Painters (1965), and Art in Jewelry (1966), which featured mainly international jewelry artists. Retrospective exhibitions of Hans Richter, Hugo Weber, and James Brooks were also held.

Hundreds of contemporary artists were shown at the Contemporary Wing in the eleven years of its existence, including many who came to be leading figures in contemporary art, and some who already were, including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Mel Bochner, Eva Hesse, Lynda Benglis, Bruce Nauman, Robert Morris, Lawrence Weiner, Robert Smithson, Sol Le Witt, Dan Flavin, Philip Pearlstein, and Yayoi Kusama, to name just a few.

The Contemporary Wing and the entire Finch College Museum of Art shut its doors in 1975, when Finch College closed due to lack of funds. The permanent collection was sold at that time, and the proceeds were used to pay Finch College employee salaries. Elayne Varian went on to the position of curator of contemporary art at the John and Mabel Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florida. She died in 1987.

Related Materials:

Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with curator Elayne Varian conducted by Paul Cummings, May 2, 1975.

Provenance:

The Archives of American Art acquired these records from the Finch College Museum of Art after it closed permanently in June 1975.

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:

Video artists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

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

Museum curators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

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

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

Gallery directors  Search this

Gallery owners  Search this

Genre/Form:

Transcripts

Interviews

Photographs

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Museum records

Citation:

Exhibition records of the Contemporary Study Wing of the Finch College Museum of Art, 1943-1975. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources' Hidden Collections grant program. Funding for the digitization of two motion picture films was provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee, and for the remaining sound and video recordings from the Smithsonian's Collection Care Pool Fund. Funding for the digitization of the collection, not including audiovisual materials, was provided by The Walton Family Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Identifier:

AAA.finccoll

See more items in:

Exhibition records of the Contemporary Study Wing of the Finch College Museum of Art

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ed5f13a2-eeb3-452a-8735-204ff25576b5

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-finccoll

Interviewee:

Stephan, John Walter, 1906-1995  Search this

Interviewer:

Brown, Robert F.  Search this

Names:

Art Institute of Chicago  Search this

Betty Parsons Gallery  Search this

Fairleigh Dickinson University -- Faculty  Search this

Hunter College  Search this

Public Works of Art Project  Search this

United States. Work Projects Administration  Search this

Bennett, Rainey  Search this

Bohrod, Aaron  Search this

Breinin, Raymond, 1910-  Search this

Bulliet, C. J. (Clarence Joseph), 1883-1952  Search this

Cahill, Holger, 1887-1960  Search this

Calas, Nicolas  Search this

Constant, George  Search this

Coryllis, Peter  Search this

Cunningham, Inez  Search this

De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this

Denby, Bill  Search this

Ernst, Max, 1891-1976  Search this

Fabian, John  Search this

Flaherty, Robert Joseph, 1884-1951  Search this

Gendel, Milton  Search this

Goossen, E. C.  Search this

Greenberg, Clement, 1909-1994  Search this

Guggenheim, Peggy, 1898-1979  Search this

Harrison, Caleb  Search this

Johnson, Ben  Search this

Jones, Jack  Search this

Kiesler, Frederick  Search this

Kline, Franz, 1910-1962  Search this

Knopf, Alfred  Search this

Kuh, Katharine  Search this

Levy, Julien  Search this

MacLeish, Norman, 1898-1949  Search this

Matta, 1912-2002  Search this

Miller, Edgar, 1899-1993  Search this

Millman, Edward, 1907-1964  Search this

Moran, Connie, 1898-  Search this

Motherwell, Robert  Search this

Nathanson, Winn  Search this

Newman, Barnett, 1905-1970  Search this

Ossorio, Alfonso, 1916-1990  Search this

Ott, Peterpaul, 1895-1992  Search this

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Porter, Fairfield  Search this

Praz, Mario, 1896-1982  Search this

Robinson, Increase, 1890-1981  Search this

Rosenberg, Harold, 1906-1978  Search this

Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970  Search this

Sebartes, Jaime  Search this

Shapiro, Myra  Search this

Siporin, Mitchell, 1910-1976  Search this

Stephan, Dart  Search this

Still, Clyfford, 1904-1980  Search this

Torres, Jesús  Search this

Walgreen, Ruth  Search this

Watson, Dudley Crafts, 1885-  Search this

Watson-Schütze, Eva, 1867-1935  Search this

Weisenborn, Rudolph, b. 1881  Search this

Wheeler, Monroe, 1899-  Search this

Wilhelm, Jerry  Search this

Zadkine, Ossip  Search this

de Diego, Juan  Search this

Extent:

10 Items (Sound recording: 10 sound files (6 hr., 54 min.), digital, wav)

100 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1986 May 20-1987 May 7

Scope and Contents:

Interview of John Walter Stephan, conducted by Robert F. Brown for the Archives of American Art, at Newport, Rhode Island, on May 20, 1986 and May 7, 1987.

Stephan speaks of Chicago childhood and adolescence; life during the Depression; the Art Institute of Chicago; the 1930s Chicago leftist movement; the WPA and PWAP; The Tiger's Eye art magazine; Rome artistic and literary society; the New York School of artists; Betty Parsons Gallery; the Surrealists; teaching at Fairleigh Dickenson University; Hunter College; and his critiques of Pop and contemporary artists. Stephan also recalls Ruth Walgreen, Dart Stephan, Rainey Bennett, Clyfford Still, Juan de Diego, Caleb Harrison, Aaron Bohrod, Dudley Crafts Watson, Jack Jones, George Constant, Connie Moran, CJ Bulliet, Rudolph Weisenborn, Inez Cunningham, Eva Watson-Schütze, Jesus Torres, Edgar Miller, Katherine Kuh, Increase Robinson, Peterpaul Ott, Mitchell Siporin, Raymond Breinin, Holger Cahill, John Fabian, Eddie Millman, Winn Nathanson, Fairfield Porter, Norman MacLeish, Ossip Zadkine, Betty Parsons, Alfonso Ossorio, Max Ernst, Julien Levy, Peggy Guggenheim, Bill de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Franz Kline, Barney Newman, Nicolas Calas, Bob Motherwell, Monroe Wheeler, Myra Shapiro, Clement Greenberg, Harold Rosenberg, Alfred Knopf, Robert Flaherty, Jaime Sebartés, Frederick Kiesler, Robert Matta, Mario Praz, Bill Denby, Ben Johnson, Milton Gendel, Walter Auerbach, Jerry Wilhelm, Eugene Goossens, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

John Walter Stephan (1906-1995) was a painter.

General:

Originally recorded on 6 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 10 digital wav files. Duration is 6 hr., 54 min.

Provenance:

These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.

Occupation:

Painters -- Interviews  Search this

Topic:

Art, Modern -- 20th century  Search this

Great Depression  Search this

New York school of art  Search this

Pop art  Search this

Surrealism  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.stepha86

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw99597ee0d-a705-446d-af03-ff9fce4f051e

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-stepha86

Creator:

Carton, Norman, 1908-1980  Search this

Names:

D'Harnoncourt, Rene, 1901-1968  Search this

De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this

Ferren, John, 1905-1970  Search this

Greenberg, Clement, 1909-1994  Search this

Hultberg, John, 1922-  Search this

Kootz, Samuel Melvin, 1898-1982  Search this

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Resnick, Milton, 1917-2004  Search this

Extent:

0.8 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 1 reel))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1949-1980

Scope and Contents:

Correspondence; writings and notes; financial data; sketchbooks; photographs; exhibition catalogs and clippings.

UNMICROFILMED: Correspondence with galleries and others; writings and notes; consignment and sales statements and other financial records from the Gres Gallery and the Martha Jackson Gallery, 1955-1961; a guest book from exhibitions sponsored by the Rainbow Art League of New York, 1973-1975; 3 sketchbooks, containing watercolor sketches and ink, charcoal, pencil, and crayon drawings; exhibition announcements and catalogs; clippings, and other printed materials; and photographs of Carton, Willem de Kooning, Rene d'Haroncourt, John Ferren, Clement Greenberg, John Hultberg, Martha Jackson, Samuel M. Kootz, Betty Parsons, Milton Resnick, works of art by Carton, and gallery installations.

REEL 2787: Fifteen exhibition catalogs, twelve clippings, a resume, and a photograph of Carton in his studio with a model.

Biographical / Historical:

Painter and instructor; New York, N.Y.

Provenance:

Donated 1978 and 1984 by Mr. & Mrs. Norman Carton.

Restrictions:

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

Occupation:

Painters  Search this

Topic:

Painting, American -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Function:

Art museums -- United States

Identifier:

AAA.cartnorm

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw983bbdf28-3e8d-4ac6-8d65-3d6eb3110837

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-cartnorm

Interviewee:

Rankine, V. V., 1920-2004  Search this

Interviewer:

Kirwin, Liza  Search this

Names:

Betty Parsons Gallery  Search this

Black Mountain College (Black Mountain, N.C.)  Search this

David Herbert Gallery  Search this

Institute of Contemporary Arts (Washington, D.C.)  Search this

Jefferson Place Gallery  Search this

Albers, Josef  Search this

Bader, Franz, 1903-1994  Search this

Brooks, James, 1906-1992  Search this

Callahan, Harry M.  Search this

Cunningham, Merce  Search this

Davis, Gene, 1920-1985  Search this

De Kooning, Elaine  Search this

De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this

Denney, Alice  Search this

Dorrance, Nesta  Search this

Downing, Thomas, 1928-1985  Search this

Duncan, Augustin  Search this

Fuller, R. Buckminster (Richard Buckminster), 1895-1983  Search this

Gabo, Naum, 1890-1977  Search this

Gilliam, Sam, 1933-2022  Search this

Gorky, Agnes  Search this

Gorky, Arshile, 1904-1948  Search this

Graham, John, 1887-1961  Search this

Guston, Philip, 1913-1980  Search this

Halle, Kay  Search this

Hare, David, 1917-1992  Search this

Helburn, Theresa, 1887-1959  Search this

Johnson, Ray, 1927-1995  Search this

Kennedy, Kit  Search this

Kiesler, Frederick  Search this

Kinney, Gilbert H.  Search this

Krasner, Lee, 1908-1984  Search this

Lassaw, Ibram, 1913-2003  Search this

Leopold, Richard  Search this

Louis, Morris, 1912-1962  Search this

Magruder, Esther  Search this

Merrill, Kevin  Search this

Nelson, Wretha  Search this

Nevelson, Louise, 1899-1988  Search this

Newman, Bonnie  Search this

Noland, Kenneth, 1924-2010  Search this

Ozenfant, Amédée, 1886-1966  Search this

Pace, Stephen, 1918-2010  Search this

Parsons, Betty  Search this

Penn, Arthur, 1922-  Search this

Phillips, Duncan, 1886-1966  Search this

Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956  Search this

Rauschenberg, Robert, 1925-2008  Search this

Renault, Jean  Search this

Richman, Robert  Search this

Russo, Alexander  Search this

Sheridan, Walt  Search this

Sherman, Saul  Search this

Snelson, Kenneth, 1927-2016  Search this

Soyer, Moses, 1899-1974  Search this

Soyer, Raphael, 1899-1987  Search this

Sweeney, James Johnson, 1900-  Search this

Thomas, Dylan, 1914-1953  Search this

Truitt, Anne, 1921-2004  Search this

Warhol, Andy, 1928-1987  Search this

Yektai, Manoucher, 1922-  Search this

Youngerman, Jack, 1926-2020  Search this

Extent:

34 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Interviews

Sound recordings

Date:

1990 Mar. 2-22

Scope and Contents:

An interview of V. V. Rankine conducted 1990 Mar. 2-22, by Liza Kirwin, for the Archives of American Art.

Rankine discusses the evolution of her nickname, V.V.; discovering her dyslexia; growing up in Boston; auditioning for a part in, "The Philadelphia Story"; her art studies with Amedee Ozenfant from 1944 to 1946; her studies at Black Mountain College with Josef Albers and Willem De Kooning in 1947; her friendship with Morris Louis and watching him work; living with her brother-in-law Arshile Gorky, in New York City; her first one-woman show at the David Herbert Gallery in New York in 1962; exhibiting at the Betty Parsons Gallery in New York and at the Jefferson Place Gallery in Washington, D.C.; Robert Richman and the Institute of Contemporary Arts; the relationship between her painting and her sculpture; favorite shapes and materials; and her summer home in East Hampton and artist friends there. Rankine also recalls Robert Rauschenberg, Jack Youngerman, Manoucher Yektai, Betty Parsons, Ibram Lassaw, Buckminster Fuller, Elaine De Kooning, Arthur Penn, Richard Leopold, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Ken Noland, Morris Louis, Ray Johnson, Kenneth Snelson, David Hare, Frederick Kiesler, Raphael Soyer, Moses Soyer, Jean Renault, Agnes Gorky, Esther Magruder, James Johnson Sweeney, Jim Brooks, John Graham, Phillip Guston, Duncan Phillips, Theresa Helburn, Augustine Duncan, Tom Downing, Gene Davis, Alice Denney, Nesta Dorrance, Kevin Merrill, Sam Gilliam, Dylan Thomas, Kay Halle, Kit Kennedy, Naum Gabo, President Lyndon B. Johnson, Anne Truitt, Wretha Nelson, Franz Bader, Louise Nevelson, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Bonnie Newman, Alexander Russo, Walt Sheridan, Gilbert Kinney, Saul Sherman, Steve Pace, Lee Krasner, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

V.V. Rankine (1920-2004) was a painter and sculptor from Washington, D.C. Variable forms of the artist's name are notably E. R. (Elvine Richard) Rankine, Vivian Scott Rankine, and her married name, Mrs. Paul Scott.

General:

Originally recorded on 3 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hrs., 53 min.

Provenance:

These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.

Occupation:

Painters -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Sculptors -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Sound recordings

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.rankin90

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9962313c4-a6e1-43b3-b0a1-2b3ae06a7b90

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-rankin90