The Washburn Gallery records measure 47.9 linear feet and 4.805 gigabytes. The collection dates from 1906-2017, with the bulk of material dating from 1971-2010. Founded in 1971 by Joan Washburn, the New York gallery specializes in the work of 19th and 20th American artists, and has mounted hundreds of exhibitions in its four decade history. The collection documents the gallery's activities through administrative records, correspondence and subject files, artist files, exhibition files, art fair files, printed material, photographic material, and records from the Peridot Gallery, purchased by Washburn in 1971.
Scope and Contents:
The Washburn Gallery records measure 47.9 linear feet and 4.805 gigabytes. The collection dates from 1906-2017, with the bulk of material dating from 1971-2010. Founded in 1971 by Joan Washburn, the New York gallery specializes in the work of 19th and 20th American artists, and has mounted hundreds of exhibitions in its four decade history. The collection documents the gallery's activities through administrative records, correspondence and subject files, artist files, exhibition files, art fair files, printed material, photographic material, and records from the Peridot Gallery, purchased by Washburn in 1971.
Administrative records document the administrative and business operations of the gallery including building rentals, audits, insurance, and fraud and theft claims. Services sought by the gallery are also documented here and include advertising, conservation, framing, photography, and printing.
Correspondence and subject files pertain to the gallery's operation, promotion of its artists, research related to artworks, exhibitions, loans, sales, acquisitions, consignments, and publication requests and is with collectors, dealers, consultants, authors, journalists, curators, auction houses, as well as other colleagues.
Artist files comprise a significant bulk of the collection at 31.5 linear feet, and contain correspondence, appraisals, financial statements, sales records, inventories, loan agreements, consignments forms, photographic material, printed material, writings, and a few interview transcripts related to Washburn Gallery's stable of artists and those they exhibited. Frequent topics include sales, exhibitions at other institutions, special projects and commissions, conservation, and estate matters. With the exception of Ronald Bladen and Bruce Kurland, correspondence with the artists is rare.
Exhibition files document the gallery's four decade exhibition history and contain correspondence, price lists, floor plans, loan agreements, shipping receipts, invoices, sales records, photographic material of artworks and installations, digital images, and printed material including press releases, reviews and exhibition brochures. The exhibition files reflect the Washburn Gallery's history of mounting both solo exhibitions for their stable of artists as well as group exhibitions highlighting significant movements and themes in art history.
Art fair files document the Washburn Gallery's participation in the ACRO Art Fair, the Armory Show, Art Basel, Art Basel Miami Beach, Art Chicago, Art Miami, The Art Show, the San Francisco International Art Expo, VIP (Viewing in Private), and Works on Paper.
The printed material series primarily documents the activities of Washburn Gallery and its artists. Included is a comprehensive selection of brochures and announcements that the Washburn Gallery produced for each of its exhibitions. The photographic material series is small, and includes Joan Washburn and the gallery, artworks by various artists not included in the Art Files series, and slides for lectures given by Washburn. The bulk of the printed and photographic material is organized by artist and arranged in the Artist Files series.
Peridot Gallery records date from 1948-1971 and include printed material, photographs, and five scrapbooks. The scrapbooks contain clippings of reviews, as well as exhibition announcements and brochures from the gallery.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as eight series.
Series 1: Administrative Records, 1965-2011 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)
Series 2: Correspondence and Subject Files, 1919-2016, bulk 1971-2005 (4 linear feet; Boxes 2-6)
Series 3: Artist Files, 1906-2017, bulk 1971-2011 (31.5 linear feet, Boxes 6-37, 48; 4.081 gigabytes, ER01-04)
Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1921-2014, bulk 1972-2014 (7.4 linear feet, Boxes 37-45; 0.724 gigabytes, ER05-07)
Series 5: Art Fair Files, 1988-2011 (1.4 linear feet; Boxes 45-46)
Series 6: Printed Material, 1970-2016 (0.7 linear feet; Boxes 46-47)
Series 7: Photographic Material, 1970-2010 (0.2 linear feet; Box 47)
Series 8: Peridot Gallery Records, 1948-1971 (1.3 linear feet: Boxes 47-50)
Biographical / Historical:
The Washburn Gallery (1971- ) is a gallery in New York, New York, founded by Joan Washburn and specializing in the work of 19th and 20th American artists. Prior to Washburn's ownership in 1971, the gallery was know as Peridot Gallery.
In its inaugural year, the gallery exhibited watercolors and paintings by Jean Xceron from the 1930s, portraits by Joshua Johnson (Johnston) from the early 1800s, and bronze figurative sculptures by Richard Miller. Over the years, Washburn Gallery has represented artists working in a range of styles including abstract expressionism, surrealism, folk art, and contemporary painting and sculpture. Their stable has included James Abbe, Richard Baker, Richard Benson, Ronald Bladen, Norman Bluhm, James Brooks, Byron Browne, Arthur B. Carles, Nicolas Carone, Stuart Davis, Elaine de Kooning, Burgoyne Diller, Arshile Gorky, Marsden Hartley, Martin J. Heade, John William and John Henry Hill, Harry Holtzman, Bill Jensen, Joshua Johnson (Johnston), Gerome Kamrowski, Alice Trumbull Mason, Gwynn Murrill, Ray Parker, Ammi Phillips, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Anne Ryan, Albert Pinkham Ryder, Rolph Scarlett, Charles Shaw, David Smith, Leon Polk Smith, George Sugarman, Jack Youngerman, among many others.
Joan Washburn graduated from Middlebury College in 1951 and worked at the Kraushaar Galleries, the Wadsworth Atheneum, the Museum of Modern Art, Graham Gallery, and Sotheby's Parke-Bernet before founding Washburn Gallery. Washburn purchased Peridot Gallery in January 1971 and formally changed the name to Washburn Gallery in September of 1972. The gallery has had a number of locations on the Upper East Side of Manhattan since opening its doors, including operating an additional downtown location at 113 Greene Street from 1980-1986. Before relocating to the Chelsea neighborhood in 2017, Washburn Gallery was located at 20 West 57th Street since 1992.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Joan Washburn conducted by James Wechsler in 2007 and letters from Washburn in response to Lee Hall's book, Elaine and Bill: Portrait of a Marriage.
Provenance:
Donated to the Archives of American Art in 2017 by Joan Washburn, gallery founder and director.
Restrictions:
The collection is ACCESS RESTRICTED; use requires written permission. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Access to original papers, with permission, requires an appointment.
The papers of sculptor Richard McDermott Miller measure 3.4 linear feet and date from 1962 to 2001. The papers document his work as an artist and teacher in New York City through biographical material, financial and business records, writings, subject files, and correspondence. His personal records about the National Academy of Design, of which he was an active member and president, are included.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of sculptor Richard McDermott Miller measure 3.4 linear feet and date from 1962 to 2001. The papers document his work as an artist and teacher in New York City through biographical material, financial and business records, writings, subject files, and correspondence. His personal records about the National Academy of Design, of which he was an active member and president, are included.
Biographical material consists of a resume and exhibition history, as well as notes and correspondence not involving Miller's vocation. Financial and Business records contain account books of income and expenses, records of his bronzes and a register of his work. Writings include speeches Miller prepared as he practiced for his teaching career. Also found are miscellaneous texts and drafts of unknown purpose, and musings on art. Artwork consists of one ink drawing.
Subject files reflect Miller's activities in New York City. Of particular interest is his pursuit of gallery representation, which led him to friendship and affiliation with Louis Pollack and the Peridot Gallery. There are also files relating to the Sculptors' Guild and the National Sculpture Society. Correspondence is mainly with other artists, patrons and collectors.
A significant portion of Richard McDermott Miller's papers relates to the National Academy of Design. Included are financial and legal records, correspondence, and minutes stemming from his involvement with the Academy. This series is especially rich for the period of his presidency, 1989-1992.
The small number of photographs found in this collection are mainly promotional in nature, and some are annotated.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 9 series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1969-1997 (Box 1; 2 folders)
Series 2: Financial and Business Records, 1962-circa 2000 (Box 1: 0.4 linear ft.)
Series 3: Writings, 1968-1969 (Box 1; 2 folders)
Series 4: Artwork, 1985 (Box 1; 1 folder)
Series 5: Subject Files, 1962-2001 (Boxes 1-2; 1.2 linear ft.)
Series 6: Correspondence, 1963-2001 (Boxes 2-3; 0.8 linear ft.)
Series 7: National Academy of Design Files, 1972-2001 (Boxes 3-4; 1.0 linear ft.)
Series 8: Photographs, circa 1981 (Box 4; 1 folder)
Biographical Note:
Richard McDermott Miller (1922-2004) was a sculptor and educator in New York, NY. Miller was born Richard Alan Miller in 1922. After studying at the Cleveland Institute of Art in the 1940s, Miller returned to his home town of New Philadelphia, Ohio, to work in the family plaque business.
At the age of 40, he and his wife, Gloria Bley Miller, moved to New York City. This transition is the focus of Miller's posthumously published autobiography, Heading for New York: A Sculptor's Journey. Upon arriving in New York, Miller began using McDermott (his mother's maiden name) as his middle name.
Countering prevailing tastes, Miller abandoned the popular abstract style to explore the human form. In addition to executing portraits and medals, his primary focus was the nude female figure. He worked with live models, creating sculpture in clay or wax, often casting in bronze. Because of his dedication to naturalistic work, Miller became known as the "Figure Sculptor of SoHo." Miller completed several large-scale commissions for public spaces across the country. He taught sculpture at Queens College, and, with his wife, wrote the textbook Figure Sculpture in Wax and Plaster.
In New York, Miller was a prominent presence among the city's sculpture organizations, writing many letters to newspapers demanding proper recognition for sculptors. He was active in the Sculptors' Guild, and active member and president (1989-1992) of the National Academy of Design, and president (1997-2000) of the National Sculpture Society. Upon his death in 2004, he bequeathed his SoHo building to the National Sculpture Society.
Related Material:
The holdings of the Archives of American Art include additional photographs of Miller among the Louise Finklestein papers, circa 1944-2000, and sound tapes and partial transcripts of the Alliance of Figurative Artists lectures and panel discussions, 1969-1970, in which Miller participated.
Provenance:
The papers were donated by Richard McDermott Miller to the Archives of American Art in 2001.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
