The papers of Stanley and Elyse Grinstein date from 1937-2010 and measure 1.3 linear feet. The collection documents the role the Grinsteins played in nurturing and promoting the mid-century Los Angeles art scene through personal friendships with area artists, the print studio Gemini G.E.L., and their art collecting activities. Records include biographical material, artist files including substantive letters and postcards from notable artists, musicians, writers and architects, a small amount of documentation relating to Gemini G.E.L. and Elyse Grinstein's architectural work, printed material, and a few photographs.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Stanley and Elyse Grinstein date from 1937-2010 and measure 1.3 linear feet. The collection documents the role the Grinsteins played in nurturing and promoting the mid to late twentieth century Los Angeles art scene through personal friendships with area artists, the print studio Gemini G.E.L., and their art collecting activities. Records include biographical material, artist files including substantive letters and postcards from notable artists, musicians, writers and architects, a small amount of documentation relating to Gemini G.E.L. and Elyse Grinstein's architectural work, printed material, and a few photographs.
Biographical material and letters includes records of Elyse Grinstein's education in architecture, records of parties and events at the Grinstein home from the 1980s on, and letters demonstrating the family's involvement in philanthropic and political causes. Artist files include at least one or two items, and often more, from artists, writers, composers, and performers such as letters, illustrated letters and cards, printed material, and photos indicative of the extent to which the Grinsteins were at the heart of the West Coast art scene from the 1960s on, and the warmth of the friendships the Grinsteins enjoyed with many of the artists represented in the files.
Records related to professional activities highlight some of Elyse Grinstein's other work and include a few items from Gemini G.E.L. Printed material documents exhibitions of artists including Joseph Cornell, Robert Rauschenberg, Man Ray, and others, the collecting activities of the Grinsteins, and their connections to art and performance groups such as Grand Union and the Los Angeles Fine Arts Squad. A few photographs picture artists including Lloyd Hamrol, George Herms, and choreographer Steve Paxton.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 5 series.
Series 1: Biographical Material and Letters, 1937-2008 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 2: Artist Files, circa 1961-2010 (Box 1, OV 3; 0.5 linear feet)
Series 3: Professional Activities, 1937-1990s (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 4: Printed Material, circa 1964-circa 1988 (Boxes 1-2, OV 3; 0.3 linear feet)
Series 5: Photographs, circa 1960s-circa 1970s (Box 2; 8 folders)
Biographical / Historical:
Los Angeles art collectors and philanthropists Stanley and Elyse Grinstein were known for their patronage of West Coast artists for over forty years and were important catalysts of the nascent Los Angeles art scene.
Following their marriage in 1952, the Grinsteins began collecting art as a way to pursue a shared hobby. Stanley Grinstein (1927-2014) was the proprietor of a forklift business and Elyse Grinstein (1929-2016) had been an elementary school teacher. The couple co-founded the print studio, Gemini G.E.L., with Rosamund and Sidney B. Felsen in 1966. Through celebrated collaborations with Josef Albers, David Hockney, Ellsworth Kelly, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg, Richard Serra, and many others, the studio quickly became the West Coast destination for innovative printmaking.
In addition to having a passion for art, Elyse Grinstein was also an architect who earned her master's degree in architecture from the University of California Los Angeles in the 1970s, graduating at the age of 50. She interned with close friend Frank O. Gehry before forming her own company, Grinstein/Daniels, Inc., with Jeffrey Daniels. Her subsequent work included remodeling David Hockney's Hollywood Hills home, remodeling areas of the CalArts campus after the 1994 earthquake, and designing the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant with partner Jeff Daniels in L.A.'s Koreatown. Elyse Grinstein was also a philanthropist who raised money relentlessly for art and medical institutions, and devoted time to political campaigns and other causes.
In 1965 the Grinsteins bought a house in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles and moved with their three daughters to the Rockingham Avenue home. In the ensuing years they hosted legendary parties and receptions for their friends in the art world, providing an environment that fostered the relationships and emerging ideas of the burgeoning West coast art scene and helped introduce Los Angeles artists to a wide network of East Coast and international artists. The couple also offered invaluable practical support, that often enabled artists to keep working, buying work they loved for their home, providing other occasional financial assistance, and offering free accommodation and a place to work for their out-of-town artist, writer, and musician friends.
Provenance:
The collection was donated 2017 by the Grinstein family, via Ayn Grinstein, Ellen Grinstein Perliter, and Nancy Grinstein, 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.
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:
Architects -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
Philanthropists -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
Collectors -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2012 Jan. 30-April 16
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Eli Broad conducted 2012 Jan. 30 and April 16, by Avis Berman, for the Archives of American Art and the Center for the History of Collecting in America at the Frick Art Reference Library of The Frick Collection, at the Frick Collection and at Broad's home in New York, N.Y.
Biographical / Historical:
Interviewee Eli Broad (1933-2021) was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and the founder of the Broad Art Foundation in Los Angeles, Calif. Interviewer Avis Berman (1949- ) is an art historian and author in New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
The transcript and recording are open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sponsor:
Funding for this interview was provided by Barbara Fleischman.
The collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Henry Ossawa Tanner papers, 1860s-1978 (bulk 1890-1937). Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Company Search this
Extent:
7 Cubic feet (16 boxes, 1 oversize folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Advertisements
Place:
Hawaii
Date:
1975-2000
Summary:
The Famous Amos Collection consists primarily of business records, photographs, and newspaper clippings documenting the career and life of Wally Famous Amos and the Famous Amos chocolate chip cookie company he created.
Scope and Contents:
The Famous Amos Collection consists primarily of business records, photographs, and newspaper clippings documenting the career of Wally Famous Amos and the Famous Amos chocolate chip cookie. The bulk of the collection consists of newspaper clippings.
Series 1, Biographical Materials, 1970-1994 and undated, documents the professional life of Wally Amos. This series includes background information about the Famous Amos chocolate chip cookie, awards, newspaper clippings describing Amos receiving his high school diploma, and drafts and published versions of Amos's writings the The Famous Amos Story and The Power in You.
Series 2, Advertising and Marketing Materials, 1975-1994 and undated consists of materials relating to the marketing and advertising of Famous Amos cookies. This series contains his marketing plan, promotional materials, press releases, posters, advertising mock-ups, and packaging samples.
Series 3, Photographs, 1975-1980 and undated, includes a variety of photographic prints, most of which are 5" x 7" or smaller. The series contains professional and publicity photographs of Wally Amos and Famous Amos products as well as personal photographs of Amos' family and friends. Film negatives and color slides of people are also included in this series.
Series 5, Correspondence, 1975-1985, includes postcards, business and personal letters, and drawings from young fans of Famous Amos cookies. This series also contains three guest registers in which visitors to the Famous Amos stores wrote comments.
Series 6, Literacy Activities, 1978-1984, includes promotional materials, articles, clippings, and a scrapbook related to Amos' literacy campaign.
Series 7, Community Service, 1978-1981, includes a scrapbook and correspondence from members of the Chocolate Chip Cookie Club and the Aliis Pintos Little League team of California.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into seven series.
Series 1, Biographical Materials, 1970-1994 and undated
Series 2, Advertising and Marketing Materials, 1975-1994 and undated
Series 3, Photographs, 1975-1980 and undated
Series 4, Press Materials, 1975-1996 and undated
Subseries 1, Clippings, 1975-1995 and undated
Subseries 2, Articles, 1975-1996
Subseries 3, Scrapbooks and Wall Art, 1977-1981 and undated
Series 5, Correspondence, 1975-1985
Series 6, Literacy Activities, 1978-1984
Series 7, Community Service, 1978-1981
Series 8: Audiovisual Materials
Biographical / Historical:
Wallace "Wally" Amos, Jr. (born July 1, 1936) is the founder of the Famous Amos chocolate chip cookie brand. Amos grew up in Tallahassee, Florida before moving to New York City at age twelve. He initially attended the Food Trades Vocational High School, but dropped out to serve in the United States Air Force from 1953-1957. After serving in the military and being honorably discharged, he moved back to New York and began working at the William Morris Agency, where he became the company's first African American talent agent.
In March of 1975, upon the suggestion of a friend, he opened up his first cookie shop in Los Angeles, California. The Famous Amos company was financed with the help of philanthropist celebrities, including Marvin Gaye and Helen Reddy. The cookies became nationally renowned and were sold throughout the United States. As Famous Amos cookies grew in popularity, so did Amos' significance as a celebrity figure. He appeared at book signings alongside entertainers and authors such as Bill Cosby, and he appeared as himself in a 1981 cameo on the television series Taxi.
In 1979, Amos began focusing his attention on advocating for child and adult literacy. He worked with the Literacy Volunteers of America and libraries, and he hosted a television series, Learn to Read, that encouraged literacy and taught children to read. Amos wrote a number of self-help and autobiographical books, includingThe Power in You, 1988 andThe Famous Amos Story, 1983. During this time he also worked as a motivational speaker.
Facing financial difficulties, Amos sold both the Famous Amos Company and the trademarked "Famous Amos" name in 1985. In 1994, Amos started a new muffin business, initially called Uncle Noname Gourmet Muffins, which has since been renamed Uncle Wally's Muffin Company. Wally Amos currently lives in Hawaii.
Related Materials:
Materials at the National Museum of American History
The Division of Work and Industry holds artifacts (Panama hat, an Indian gauze shirt, a tin cookie container, and two paper cookie bags) related to this collection. See accession #:1980.0886.
Materials in Other Organizations
Chicago Public Library, Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature. Wally Papers Amos Papers, 1978-1996 (Accession #1979/01). The collection consists of correspondence, draft copies of manuscripts, memorabilia, awards and books.
Provenance:
Collection donated by Wally and Christine Amos in November, 1980.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research use.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no gurantees concerning intellectual property rights. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
The records of Los Angeles Art Space gallery measure 13 linear feet and date from 1971 to 1992. The majority of the collection consists of the gallery's exhibition files which contain correspondence, clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements, slides, photos, invoices, price lists, loan records, and other materials. There is also correspondence with artists and organizations, financial and administrative records, and slides of artwork and exhibitions.
Scope and Contents:
The records of Los Angeles Art Space gallery measure 13 linear feet and date from 1971 to 1992. The majority of the collection consists of the gallery's exhibition files which contain correspondence, clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements, slides, photos, invoices, price lists, loan records, and other materials. There is also correspondence with artists and organizations, financial and administrative records, and slides of artwork and exhibitions.
Most of the correspondence in the collection is from artists regarding exhibition opportunities, with other galleries and organizations about sales and collaborative exhibits and event, including with the 18th Street Gallery, the Constitutional Rights Foundation, Texas Commerce Bank, Venice Family Clinic regarding the Venice Art Walk, and The Works Gallery.
About two-thirds of the collection consists of extensive exhibition records for individual and group shows held at Art Space. Contents of files vary but may include correspondence, exhibition announcements and programs, price lists, sales records, loan agreements and other legal forms, artist resumes and statements, photographs and slides of artwork and exhibition installations, and other printed material. Particularly rich files exist for artists Marta Chaffee, David Hines, Walter Gabrielson, Janice Lowry, Lorraine Lubner, Robert Lubner, Kent Rush, Mary Schairer, Marg Starbuck, Robert Tomlinson, and Clark Walding.
Scattered financial and administrative files document the gallery's business dealings, and include price lists, a cost sharing agreement form, an inventory, business correspondence, invoices, and financial statements. Additionally, a substantial number of slides in this collection include images of artwork and of exhibitions held at Art Space. Artists Shigeo Miura and Tracy Colvill have particularly sizeable slide files. Most of the artists with slides are also represented in the exhibition files.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 4 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Correspondence, circa 1977-1991 (Box 1; 0.8 linear feet)
Series 2: Exhibition Files, 1972-1992 (Boxes 1-11; 9.45 linear feet)
Series 3: Financial and Administrative Records, circa 1977-1991 (Box 11; 0.35 linear feet)
Series 4: Slides, 1971-1992 (Boxes 11-13; 2.4 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
The Art Space gallery operated in Los Angeles from 1977 to 1991 and was owned by artist, philanthropist, and activist Lucy Adelman (1909-2007). Settling in Los Angeles in 1938, Adelman was also one of the founders of the Womanspace Gallery, a cooperative gallery for feminist activities established in 1972 in Los Angeles.
Located at 10550 Santa Monica Boulevard, Art Space's first show honored the work of women artists. Specializing in contemporary art, the gallery, according to Adelman, had two purposes: "[Art Space] is for artists, creative people who communicate through many different fields of expression...It will also be a meeting place for people who wish to acquaint themselves with different concepts and directions." The gallery held 118 exhibitions before closing its doors in 1991.
Adelman and her husband, Isadore, were involved in other activities and gave generously to the American Civil Liberties Union and the Venice Family Clinic, which honored them at its annual fund-raising Art Walk Festival in 1988. Lucy Adelman died in 1997.
Provenance:
The records were donated in 1992 by Lucy Adelman, the director of Art Space.
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.
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 -- California -- Los Angeles Search this
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- California
Genre/Form:
Slides (photographs)
Photographs
Citation:
Art Space records, 1971-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund.
