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Helen Appleton Read papers

Creator:
Read, Helen Appleton, 1897-1974  Search this
Names:
Portraits (Gallery: New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Henri, Robert, 1865-1929  Search this
Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971  Search this
Speicher, Eugene Edward, 1883-1962  Search this
Extent:
1.6 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Date:
[ca. 1920]-1974
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence, biographical data, writings, lectures, articles, printed material, scrapbooks, and photographs.
REEL N736: Five volumes of the Sunday art pages of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, 1922-1935.
REELS 3094-3096: Biographical data; correspondence with Samuel Reyburn, President of Lord and Taylor, concerning an exhibition of modern French decorative art; letters from Eugene Speicher and others and one from Rockwell Kent, 1946, discussing his relationship with Robert Henri; a transcript from the New York School Art League broadcast "Meet the Artist" in which Read discusses portrait painting; notes, lectures and articles; 4 scrapbooks containing biographical data, letters, exhibition invitations and catalogs from Portraits, Inc. and other galleries, clippings, her articles for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Smith College memorabilia and photographs; photographs of portraits, Read, her friends and family; and lecture announcements.
Biographical / Historical:
Art critic for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and gallery director of Portraits, Inc., Portrait Center of America, New York, N.Y.
Related Materials:
Materials of Helen Appleton Read, 1922-1972, are also located at Smith College.
Provenance:
Material on reels 3094-3096 donated by Helen Read Trent, Read's daughter, 1975. Scrapbooks on reel N736 lent for microfilming by Helen Appleton Read, 1967. Read subsequently donated them to Smith College.
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.
Occupation:
Art critics -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Gallery directors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Art and state  Search this
Art criticism -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Portrait painting, American -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Women art critics  Search this
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Identifier:
AAA.readhele
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98f0702a6-5d55-4502-9066-cfb9082b2808
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-readhele

Portraits of resistance activating art during slavery Jennifer Van Horn

Author:
Van Horn, Jennifer  Search this
Physical description:
x, 331 pages illustrations, portraits 26 cm
Type:
Portraits
Place:
United States
Date:
2022
Topic:
Portraits, American  Search this
Slaves  Search this
Race in art  Search this
African Americans in art  Search this
Art and society--History  Search this
Black people in art  Search this
Portrait painting, American  Search this
Slavery in art  Search this
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1159891

Historical American Records Survey portrait survey records

Creator:
Historical Records Survey (U.S.)  Search this
Names:
United States. Work Projects Administration  Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this
Extent:
4.4 Linear feet ((on 12 microfilm reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Place:
United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945
United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945
Date:
1935-1942
Scope and Contents:
Records documenting activities of the Survey to inventory portraits in America done before 1860 in the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Included are research documents; correspondence; interoffice memoranda; survey manuals; press releases; clippings; photographs of works of art; short biographies of sitters and artists; ca. 15,000 of the original survey cards; first drafts of checklists and catalogs; and lists of portraits received too late to be included in the final version of the catalog.
Biographical / Historical:
The Historical Records Survey (HRS) had its origins in the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and the Civil Works Administration. In 1935 it came under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration Federal Writers' Project and eventually was designated as an independent program under Federal Project No. One. The projects, ideally suited for white collar workers, employed individuals to survey, classify and collect historical records. One program of the HRS was to document American portraits (sculpture, prints and paintings) done before 1860.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming by the Massachusetts State Library, A. Hunter Rineer, State Librarian, Boston, Mass., 1977.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Topic:
Portraits, American  Search this
Portrait painting, American  Search this
New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
Federal aid to public welfare  Search this
Function:
Programs (organizations)
Agencies
Identifier:
AAA.histreco
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9844891dc-b6be-458e-a11c-61a52a792bbb
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-histreco

Rembrandt and Harriet Peale collection

Creator:
Peale, Rembrandt, 1778-1860  Search this
Peale, Harriet Cany, ca. 1800-1869  Search this
Names:
Peale, Rembrandt, 1778-1860 (Court of death)  Search this
Washington, George, 1732-1799  Search this
Extent:
0.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Drawings
Date:
circa 1820-1932
Summary:
This collection of papers measures 0.2 linear feet, dates from circa 1820-1932, and provides scattered documentation of the lives of painter Rembrandt Peale and his wife Harriet. There are seven letters from Peale which discuss his Patriae Pater portrait of George Washington and his subsequent attempts to gain a commission from Congress for his equestrian portrait of the first president, as well as illuminating his opinion on patronage for the arts. The collection also contains a copy of Peale's lecture on "Washington and his Portraits," a page with drawings of Roman coins by Peale, two codicils to Harriet Peale's will, printed material including a pamphlet for Peale's The Court of Death and a catalog of sale for Harriet Peale's estate, and photographs of Rembrandt and Harriet Peale.
Scope and Content Note:
This collection of papers measures 0.2 linear feet, dates from circa 1820-1932, and provides scattered documentation of the lives of painter Rembrandt Peale and his wife Harriet. The papers contain seven letters from Peale to various individuals, including Massachusetts senator Elijah Hunt Mills, that document his attempts to seek recognition and recompense from Congress for his portraits of George Washington and illuminate his opinions on patronage of the arts. Also found here is a copy of Peale's lecture on "Washington and his Portraits," and legal papers consisting of two codicils to Harriet Peale's will which list the disposition of Rembrandt Peale paintings in her possession. There is a page with drawings of Roman coins by Peale, printed material including a pamphlet for Peale's popular allegorical painting The Court of Death, and a catalog of sale for Harriet Peale's estate. Photographs picture Rembrandt and Harriet Peale respectively, circa 1850.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as one series.
Biographical Note:
Rembrandt Peale (1778-1860) was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and was the second son of painter Charles Willson Peale. He was known primarily for his historical paintings and portraits, particularly those of George Washington. Peale painted his first Washington portrait in 1795 at the age of 17, in a sitting arranged by his father. From 1795-1800 he traveled in Maryland and the South painting portraits, and from 1801-1803 studied with Benjamin West in London.

Peale returned to Europe from l808 to l8l0, and spent most of his time in Paris where he was inspired to take up historical painting. From 1813-1822 he lived in Baltimore where, in 1814, he established a museum for paintings and natural history that later became known as the Peale Museum. Peale's most famous allegorical painting, Court of Death, was completed in 1820 and was one of the most popular paintings of the decade.

In 1822 Peale moved to New York City where he embarked on an attempt to paint what he hoped would become the "Standard likeness" of Washington. In the process he reviewed portraits by other artists including John Trumbull, Gilbert Stuart and his father, as well as his own 1795 picture which had never truly satisfied him. His resulting Patriae Pater, completed in 1824, depicts Washington through an oval window, and is considered by many to be second only to Gilbert Stuart's iconic Athenaeum painting of the first president. Peale subsequently attempted to capitalise on the success of what quickly became known as his "Porthole" picture, collecting tesimonials praising the portrait from people who had known the president, and lobbying Congress, in vain, for a commission to paint an equestrian portrait of Washington. Despite his failure to gain such a commission, "Patriae Pater" was purchased by Congress in 1832 and still hangs in the U.S. Capitol.

Peale subsequently produced over 70 replicas of the "porthole" picture and in the late 1850s delivered a series of lecture entitled "Washington and his Portraits" along the East coast. He was also an accomplished writer and lecturer on natural history, and was among the founders of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, a president of the American Academy, and a founder of the National Academy.
Related Material:
Also found in the Archives of American Art are the following collections relating to Rembrandt Peale: the Albert Duveen collection of artists' letters and ephemera, 1808-1910, includes an 1855 September 8 letter from Rembrandt Peale to an unidentifed person, available on 35 mm microfilm reel D9 (frames 848-850); Printed material relating to Rembrandt Peale, 1830-1862, lent for microfilming by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in 1855, is available on microfilm reel P29; and the Charles Henry Hart autograph collection, 1731-1912, contains a lithograph by Peale available on 35mm microfilm reel D5 (frame 103).
Provenance:
In 1960, Lawrence A. Fleischman donated one letter. Six items were donated by Charles E. Feinberg in 1962. An additional 35 items were transferred from the National Collection of Fine Arts Library to the Archives in 1979.
Restrictions:
The collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.
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:
Portrait painters -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this
Topic:
Art -- Economic aspects  Search this
Painting, Modern -- 19th century  Search this
Portrait painting, American  Search this
Coins, Roman  Search this
Painters -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Drawings
Citation:
Rembrandt and Harriet Peale collection, circa 1820-1932. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.pealremb
See more items in:
Rembrandt and Harriet Peale collection
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e7be1fd9-ffff-43a0-a514-995011de3c4e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-pealremb
Online Media:

Longacre family papers

Creator:
Longacre family  Search this
Names:
Bolton, Theodore, b. 1889  Search this
Catlin, George, 1796-1872  Search this
Durand, Asher Brown, 1796-1886  Search this
Herring, James, 1794-1867  Search this
Longacre, Andrew, 1831-1906  Search this
Longacre, Augusta M.  Search this
Longacre, James Barton, 1794-1869  Search this
Longacre, Lydia E. (Lydia Eastwick), 1870-1951  Search this
Neagle, John, 1796-1865  Search this
Sully, Thomas, 1783-1872  Search this
Extent:
9 Microfilm reels
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Microfilm reels
Sketchbooks
Place:
Egypt -- description and travel
Date:
[ca. 1810]-1952
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence, biographical and genealogical information, poems, notes, diaries, artwork, sketchbooks, photographs, business papers and printed material relating to the Longacre family, especially James Barton Longacre and Andrew Longacre.
REEL P1-P2: Correspondence and papers of James Barton Longacre, 1819-1857, mostly concerned with his position as engraver of the U.S. Mint, Philadelphia, and his publication THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY OF DISTINGUISHED AMERICANS. Letters include correspondence with Asher B. Durand, James Herring, John Neagle, Thomas Sully and George Catlin. Additional material includes diaries, sketches and designs for coinage, a biography, autobiographical notes, and printed material.
REEL 986: Five sketchbooks, ca.1861-1894, of Reverend Andrew Longacre. Sketches depict landscapes, interiors, and monogram designs made in the United States, Europe, North Africa and the Near East. In addition there is a memoranda book kept by Longacre, ca. 1890.
REELS 1046-1048: Letters, including: correspondence between James and his wife; between James and Andrew during the Civil War; and Lydia Longacre's letters from Europe, 1899-1900; and letters from Theodore Bolton to Mrs. James M. Longacre about including James in his book, EARLY AMERICAN PORTRAIT DRAUGHTSMEN IN CRAYONS. Also included are biographical notes on James; an autobiography of Andrew; poetry and writings by James; accounts of a trip to Egypt by Andrew; financial documents relating to James; artwork; designs for coins and sketchbooks by James, Andrew and Lydia and material relating to an engraving of Charles Carroll by James.
REELS 1083 & 1050: Genealogical information on the Stiles and Longacre families; letters from Andrew to his father, James Barton Longacre, and his sister, Sallie, and other family members and friends; a copy of James Barton's 1825 diary; poems and compositions by Andrew; financial and business papers, 1898-1918; 28 photographs depicting portraits of James and Andrew, Lydia E. Longacre and her miniature paintings.
REEL 3091: Two engravings by James after paintings by Benjamin West and a letter from Augusta M. Longacre to Bolton regarding Bolton's biography of James.
Biographical / Historical:
Artists; Philadelphia and New York. James Barton Longacre was an engraver and portrait painter. Chief engraver at the U.S. Mint, Philadelphia, from 1844-1869. His engravings and portraits illustrate several books including THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY OF DISTINGUISHED AMERICANS, and BIOGRAPHY OF THE SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. His son, Andrew Longacre was an engraver, watercolorist, and Methodist minister. His daughter, Lydia Longacre was a miniature painter, pupil of the Art Students League of New York, under Chase and Mowbray, and under Whistler in Paris.
Provenance:
Material on reels P1-P2 lent for microfilming by the Library Company of Philadelphia; Material on reel 986 lent 1975 by Fred Longacre; material on reels 1050 and 1083 lent 1975-1976 by Mrs. Andrew Longacre who also donated the material on reels 1046-1048 in 1982; material on reel 3091 donated 1981 by the NMAA-PG Library.
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:
Stipple engravers  Search this
Miniature painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Engravers -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this
Portrait painters -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this
Topic:
Coin design -- United States  Search this
Engraving, American -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this
Portrait painting, American  Search this
Portrait prints, American  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sketchbooks
Identifier:
AAA.longlong
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9130a8ee5-ae6f-4edb-97fc-2595590921f1
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-longlong

Printed material relating to Rembrandt Peale

Creator:
Peale, Rembrandt, 1778-1860  Search this
Names:
M. Thomas & Sons Auctioneers  Search this
Church, Frederic Edwin, 1826-1900  Search this
Rothermel, Peter Frederick, 1812-1895  Search this
Washington, George, 1732-1799  Search this
Winner, W. E. (William E), -1883  Search this
Extent:
1 Microfilm reel (Partial microfilm reel)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Microfilm reels
Date:
1830-1862
Scope and Contents:
The microfilmed printed material relating to Rembrandt Peale contains an annotated auction catalog, "Catalogue of Valuable Original Paintings by the late Rembrandt Peale, and Frederic E. Church, Peter F. Rothermel, and William E. Winner" for an auction at M. Thomas & Sons, Philadelphia, Nov. 18, 1862; a pamphlet (circa 1862), "Portrait of Washington" containing letters addressed to Peale as testimonials of Peale's "port-hole" portrait of Washington, painted in 1823; and two circulars announcing for public subscription new engravings, enlarged and altered, of the portrait (circa 1830).
Biographical / Historical:
Rembrandt Peale (1778-1860) was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and was the second son of Charles Willson Peale. He was known primarily for his historical paintings and portraits, particularly those of George Washington. Peale painted his first Washington portrait in 1795 at the age of 17, in a sitting arranged by his father. With his father, he was also a founding member of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He also established Peale's Baltimore Museum and Gallery of Fine Arts in 1814.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art holds the Rembrandt and Harriet Peale collection, circa 1820-1932 and the Rubens Peale diaries, 1855-1865. Also found at the Archives of American Art are the microfilmed Charles Willson Peale diaries and exhibition announcement, 1765-1826; microfilmed Titian Ramsay Peale Collection, 1771-1876; microfilmed Mary Jane Peale and Peale family selected papers, circa 1815-1897; microfilmed selected Peale family papers, 1803-1854; microfilmed selected papers from the Peale-Sellers collection, circa 1767-1904; and microfilmed Augusta Barker papers, 1875-1887.

The American Philosophical Society holds the Rembrandt Peale papers, 1808-1833 and the Peale family papers, 1705-1898. New York Public Library Archives and Manuscripts Division holds the Rembrandt Peale letters, 1835-1857.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1955.
Restrictions:
Patrons must use microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Painters -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this
Portrait painters -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this
Topic:
Painting, Modern -- 19th century  Search this
Portrait painting, American  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.pealrepm
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93c48a948-affc-4360-8911-74f828efa9f1
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-pealrepm

Will Foster papers

Creator:
Foster, William Frederick, 1882-1953  Search this
Extent:
0.5 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings
Date:
1919-1974
Scope and Contents:
Biographical material, 1939-1948; correspondence, undated and 1937-1954; business records, 1938-1953; 1 pen and ink drawing; reproductions of works of art, clippings, and exhibition catalogs and announcements undated and 1919-1974, photographs of Foster, his family and works of art, undated; and an album containing photographs of Foster, his family, works of art, and clippings.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, portrait painter, illustrator; New York, N.Y. and Los Angeles, California.
Provenance:
Donated by Donna Foster Paxton, daughter of Will Paxton, 1986.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Portrait painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- California -- Los Angeles  Search this
Portrait painters -- California -- Los Angeles  Search this
Topic:
Magazine illustration  Search this
Painting, American  Search this
Portrait painting, American  Search this
Genre/Form:
Drawings
Identifier:
AAA.fostwill
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw96fff4305-5677-4df5-9e82-4a9ce99fc0d8
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-fostwill

Thomas Sully letters

Creator:
Sully, Thomas, 1783-1872  Search this
Names:
Carroll, Charles, 1702-1782 -- Portraits  Search this
Extent:
2 Items ((on partial microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1827 and [undated]
Scope and Contents:
Letter to Charles Carroll, last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, October 10. 1827, regarding a portrait Sully painted of him; and a letter from Mary G. Ravenel to Robert Tyler of Philadelphia in which she mentions a Sully painting she has just received, n.y. March 2.
Biographical / Historical:
Portrait painter; Philadelphia, Pa.
Provenance:
Letter to Charles Carroll donated 1963 by Carnegie Book Shop. Letter to Robert Tyler donated 1966 by Jean Meissner and William T. Campbell, Jr.
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:
Portrait painters -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this
Topic:
Portrait painting, American  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.sullthom
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98e364978-980e-463d-adee-1c05fee9a2b4
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-sullthom

S. J. Woolf papers

Creator:
Woolf, S. J. (Samuel Johnson), 1880-1948  Search this
Names:
Woolf, Benjamin E.  Search this
Woolf, Edith Truman  Search this
Woolf, Edward  Search this
Extent:
3 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings
Place:
United States -- Biography -- Portraits
Date:
1835-1986
bulk 1880-1948
Scope and Contents:
Biographical material, letters, art works, 2 contracts, notes, writings, subject files, scrapbooks, printed material, and photographs document the journalism and portraiture of S.J. Woolf. His subjects included many of the twentieth century's most influential figures.
Scrapbook I contains circa 400 photographs of charcoal portraits of noted figures in politics, business, science, and the arts, drawn by Woolf between 1918 and 1948 for the "New York Times" magazine series "Drawings from Life." The other three scrapbooks contain clippings, 1923-1948, of the brief biographies, written by Woolf from his conversations with his subjects as he drew them, which were published with the drawings. The third scrapbook also includes an original drawing of Alfred E. Smith and Woolf's obituaries.
Birth announcements for Woolf, 1880; a passport, 1929; documents relating to Woolf's work as a war correspondent, 1942-1944; letters, 1847-1903, mentioning musical and theatrical activities of Woolf's relatives including his grandfather Edward Woolf and his great-uncle Benjamin Woolf; letters to Woolf concerning his work, 1910-1949; an essay "My Brownstone Aunts" by Woolf's wife Edith Truman Woolf; 2 essays by Woolf on his career; 5 drawings by Woolf, including portraits of Calvin Coolidge and Alfred Sloan; a caricature of Woolf by "V.D.S."; a cariacture of English actor Farren by Edward Woolf, 1835; a design to decorate a bar by Muriel Hobson; 350 subject files, 1904-1986, containing letters, clippings, and typescripts concerning noted figures in politics, business, science, and the arts, such as Irving Berlin, Albert Einstein, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Mark Twain; and files on the Snyder-Grey trial, 1927, the Bruno Hauptmann execution, 1936, Woolf's book, "Here Am I," 1941-1942, and Woolf's work at the front during both World Wars; 4 scrapbooks, 1900-1948, containing clippings, letters, drawings, war zone passes, and Woolf's birth certificate and photograph; clippings, 1903-1980, including articles about Benjamin Woolf and Edith Truman Woolf; 2 exhibition catalogs, 1919 and 1935; photographs, 1890-1941, of Woolf, his family and colleagues, an art class, an exhibition installation, and works of art.
Biographical / Historical:
S. J. Woolf (1880-1948) was a graphic artist, journalist, illusrator in New York, N.Y. Born into a family long active in the arts, Woolf studied at the Art Students League and at the National Academy of Design. He developed a reputation as a portraitist, primarily drawing celebrities for "Collier's", and, beginning in 1923, combining his portraits with his written accounts of his "personality interviews" for the "New York Times." Woolf also served as a special correspondent during both world wars.
Provenance:
Scrapbooks on reels 4065-4066 lent for microfilming, and remainder donated by Dr. Deborah Hobson, Woolf's granddaughter, through the National Portrait Gallery, which received the papers along with 107 drawings by Woolf of prominent Americans. The papers were transferred to the Archives of American Art, 1988 and 1992.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Illustrators -- United States  Search this
Portrait painters -- United States  Search this
Actors -- United States  Search this
Journalists -- United States  Search this
Topic:
Journalism, Pictorial  Search this
Journalists as artists -- United States  Search this
Portrait painting, American  Search this
Art and war  Search this
Genre/Form:
Drawings
Identifier:
AAA.woolsj
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw977565ae8-82a9-4f20-8b39-2cb909e2f7fb
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-woolsj

George C. Groce papers

Creator:
Groce, George C., 1899-  Search this
Names:
Baker, Charles  Search this
Cooper, John, ca. 1695-ca. 1760  Search this
Foote, Henry Wilder, 1875-1964  Search this
Richardson, Edgar Preston, 1902-1985  Search this
Wallace, David H.  Search this
Wollaston, John, fl. 1736-1767  Search this
Extent:
1.7 Linear feet ((partially filmed on 3 microfilm reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1938-1967
Scope and Contents:
Writings, correspondence, photographs, exhibition catalogs and printed material.
REEL 2813: A 21 page unpublished typescript, "Who was John Cooper", by Groce, ca. 1952.
REELS 996-997: Letters from Henry Wilder Foote and resource materials from Groce's research on John Wollaston and John Cooper. Correspondence with David Wallace and Charles Baker, editor for the New York Historical Society, relates to Groce's work on the DICTIONARY OF ARTISTS IN AMERICA, 1564-1860. Other material includes a draft of the introduction for the Dictionary (unfilmed), book reviews and articles by Groce, photographs, notes, engravings, and exhibition catalogs.
UNMICROFILMED: Correspondence, 1938-1958, with Edgar Preston Richardson and Charles Baker about the DICTIONARY OF ARTISTS IN AMERICA, 1564-1860, and about the provenance of portrait paintings by John Wollaston. Other material includes research notes, an annotated text "Empires of the Mind and Spirit American painting 1564-1860", notes on the Gellatly Collection, National Collection of Fine Arts; photographs of artwork; and writings by Groce "Early American Portraiture", and "New York Painting Before 1800."
Biographical / Historical:
Art historian; Washington, D.C.
Provenance:
Material on reels 996-997 donated 1971 by Mrs. George Groce; material on reel 2813 provenance unknown; unmicrofilmed material transferred from the National Collection of Fine Arts via George Groce 1979 to the Archives of American Art.
Occupation:
Artists -- United States  Search this
Art historians -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Topic:
Art, Modern -- 17th-18th centuries -- History -- United States  Search this
Art, Modern -- 19th century -- History -- United States  Search this
Portrait painting, American  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.grocgeor
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e795d96a-2dd2-45db-bd73-daaaf3d00390
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-grocgeor

Julia Sully papers

Creator:
Sully, Julia  Search this
Names:
United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this
Sully, Thomas, 1783-1872  Search this
Extent:
1,650 Items ((on 3 microfilm reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
[ca. 1730]-1948
Scope and Contents:
Biographical and genealogical material; writings; letters; photographs; research material on portraiture in Virginia; and research material on Thomas Sully.
REEL 1093: A card index of portraiture in Virginia, ca. 1730-1944, compiled by Sully, probably for Art Index Division. Information listed includes artist name, subject, size, date painted, owner, and description.
REELS 2524-2525: Biographical and genealogical information; writings and notes; postcards and letters; photographs of Sully and family members; monthly work reports for the Works Progress Administration Art-Index Division of the Virginia Conservation Commission, including clippings, notes, photographs, and correspondence on historical portraits and other art in Virginia. Also included is research material on Thomas Sully and letters from Isabella Sully regarding Robert Sully.
Biographical / Historical:
Historian; Richmond, Va.; b. 1870; d. 1948. Director of the Works Progress Administration Art Index Division in Richmond. Her great uncle was painter Thomas Sully.
Provenance:
Material on reel 1093 lent for microfilming by Virginia State Library. Material on reels 2524-2525 lent for filming 1982 by Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Historians -- Virginia -- Richmond  Search this
Topic:
Portrait painting, American -- Virginia  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching -- Virginia  Search this
Women art historians  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.sulljuli
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9a8aca8ff-4563-40a0-b474-005dd48f36e8
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-sulljuli

Albert Rosenthal papers

Creator:
Rosenthal, Albert, 1863-1939  Search this
Names:
Rodin Museum (Philadelphia, Pa.)  Search this
Avery, Samuel Putnam, 1822-1904  Search this
Diederich, William Hunt, 1884-1953  Search this
Durand, Asher Brown, 1796-1886  Search this
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790  Search this
Hart, Charles Henry, 1847-1918  Search this
Hartmann, Sadakichi, 1867-1944  Search this
Holmes, Oliver Wendell, Jr., 1841-1935  Search this
Houdon, Jean Antoine, 1741-1828  Search this
Palmer, Alexander Mitchell, 1872-1936  Search this
Peters, Harry Twyford, 1881-1948.  Search this
Rosenthal, Max, 1833-1918  Search this
Silliman, Benjamin, 1779-1864  Search this
Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this
Stuart, Gilbert, 1755-1828  Search this
Taft, William H. (William Howard), 1857-1930  Search this
Ward, John Quincy Adams, 1830-1910  Search this
Washington, George, 1732-1799 -- Portraits  Search this
Weir, Julian Alden, 1852-1919  Search this
Extent:
2.4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1860-1940
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence, printed material, and photographs relating to Rosenthal's work, primarily as a portrait painter and collector of American art and artists' papers. Some material pertains to Rosenthal's father, the engraver Max Rosenthal.
Included are: biographical notes and articles by and about Rosenthal and his father, Max; writings by Albert about his father; and reproductions of Albert's work.
Rosenthal's research material on early American art consists of articles on artists, notes about portrait painters, typescript copies of letters of or about early American artists, among them Rembrandt Peale, G.P.A. Healy, and John Rampage, several original letters, including 5 from John Quincy Adams Ward to various people, and one from Ben Silliman to Asher B. Durand, and an engraved copy of a letter from Ben Franklin to Mr. Strahan, July 5, 1775.
Other material includes files on Rosenthal's portraits of French officers who served in the American Revolution; Gilbert Stuart's (George) Washington portraits, 1922-1923; the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia (includes correspondence with Jules Mastbaum, the founder of the museum, and others, 1925-1932); Jean Antoine Houdon's busts of Washington and Lafayette, 1925-1932; Harry T. Peters' book "America on Stone", 1931; and on "Rosen-Thal," Albert's home that was originally the Huffinagle mansion in Buck's County, Pa.
There is voluminous business and other correspondence, 1860-1940, relating to Max, Louis, and Albert Rosenthal's work and to Albert's portraits of Supreme Court Justices. Among the diverse group of correspondents are: Samuel Putnam Avery, William Hunt Diederich, Charles Henry Hart, Sakakichi Hartmann, Oliver Wendell Holmes, A. Mitchell Palmer, Alfred Stieglitz, William Howard Taft, and J. Alden Weir.
Photographs are of Rosenthal's work and of unidentified portraits possibly by Rosenthal; reproductions of European paintings, miniatures, sculptures; and miscellaneous portraits by various artists.
Unmicrofilmed material (0.4 feet) consists of miscellaneous photographs and reproductions.
Biographical / Historical:
Albert Rosenthal (1863-1939) was a portrait painter, printmaker, writer, and collector in Philadelphia, Pa. Rosenthal was a student of his father, engraver Max Rosenthal, and later published a book about him. He is also known for his portraits of Supreme Court Justices, and his collection of American drawings, which he donated to the Free Library of Philadelphia in 1927.
Provenance:
Donated by Albert Duveen, 1959. Duveen collected American artists' and art related papers with the intention of forming an American artists reference facility. He purchased at least some of Rosenthal's papers and much correspondence from the Albert Rosenthal Estate, and subsequently gave them to AAA upon its formation.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Etchers  Search this
Painters  Search this
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Portrait painting, American  Search this
Portrait painting -- United States  Search this
Judges -- United States -- Portraits  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.rosealbp
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9076557bb-9258-4f99-b04b-85965f7b8d19
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-rosealbp

Paul Trebilcock papers

Creator:
Trebilcock, Paul, 1902-1981  Search this
Names:
Art Institute of Chicago  Search this
Coca-Cola Company -- Biography -- Portraits  Search this
Johns Hopkins University -- Biography -- Portraits  Search this
Portrait Center of America (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (New York, N.Y.) -- Biography -- Portraits  Search this
Castaldo, Amaylia Chlarina, 1906-1987  Search this
Kroll, Leon, 1884-1974  Search this
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945 -- Portraits  Search this
Sargent, John Singer, 1856-1925  Search this
Seyffert, Leopold  Search this
Extent:
2.7 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings
Sketchbooks
Date:
1899-1983
Scope and Contents:
Biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, notes, writings, art work, a scrapbook, printed material, and photographs document the career of portrait painter Paul Trebilcock.
Biographical material, 1899-1969, includes a marriage certificate for Trebilcock's parents, resident alien papers for Trebilcock's 1927 stay in London, a declaration of American citizenship, and 2 international driving permits. Correspondence, 1902-1980, is primarily between Trebilcock, his colleagues including Leopold Seyffert and Leon Kroll, galleries and museums including the Art Institute of Chicago, and letters concerning his portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and commissions for the Coca-Cola Company, Johns Hopkins University, and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Several letters describe his brief meeting with John Singer Sargent in 1925.
Personal business records, 1917-1978, include legal documents such as William Trebilcock's will, court papers establishing the Portrait Center of America in partnership with Amaylia Castaldo, and apartment leases, and miscellaneous invoices and receipts. Notes, 1946-1975, consist of 2 engagement calendars, 4 notebooks annotating daily progress on paintings, 2 notebooks analyzing miscellaneous art works, exhibition labels, and lists of works. Writings, undated, consist of 6 essays by Trebilcock dealing with art-related topics. A project file, 1942, contains letters and drawings concerning work done for the War Production Board. Art work, undated, consists of a sketchbook and a drawing.
A scrapbook, 1924-1936, contains clippings and 9 exhibition catalogs. Printed material, 1899-1976, includes clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs for Trebilcock and for others, programs, brochures, booklets, and 2 books, Paul Trebilcock - Portraits, and The Unofficial Palace of New York: A Tribute to the Waldorf-Astoria. Photographs, 1928-1983, are of Trebilcock, his teacher Leopold Seyffert, his studio, art works, and exhibition installations.
Biographical / Historical:
Paul Trebilcock (1902-1981) was a portrait painter, New York, N.Y. Born in Chicago, Illinois. He studied under Leopold Seyffert at the Art Institute of Chicago from 1923-1925. His subjects include prominent business, science and church figures. Notable is his portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt, painted in the White House as a commission from Columbia University. Trebilcock's wife, Amaylia Castaldo, was also a portrait painter.
Provenance:
Donated 1982 and 1984 by Amaylia Castaldo Trebilcock, Trebilcock's widow. Funding for the microfilming of the collection was provided by Trebilcock's children, William A. Trebilcock and Adrienne Lynch.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Portrait painters -- Illinois -- Chicago  Search this
Topic:
Portrait painting -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Portrait painting, American  Search this
Genre/Form:
Drawings
Sketchbooks
Identifier:
AAA.trebpaul
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9fbafd866-486e-44a0-b7a7-d6845cba82d8
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-trebpaul

Alfred Jonniaux papers

Creator:
Jonniaux, Alfred, b. 1882  Search this
Names:
Vose Galleries of Boston  Search this
Extent:
5.3 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Sketchbooks
Date:
1893-1969
Scope and Contents:
Biographical accounts, correspondence, business records (1936-1968), art works, photographs, a photograph album, printed material, and 2 scrapbooks document the life and career of Alfred Jonniaux.
Biographical material consists of a membership card to The Bath Club (1930) and 3 biographical accounts. Correspondence includes letters between Jonniaux, his family, his clients, and his dealers, the Vose Galleries, discussing his work and exhibitions (1915-1967). Business records include 9 address books, business cards, check stubs, a customs form, insurance forms for the shipment of paintings, receipts for art supplies (1936-1967), a fee schedule for portraits, a price list (1961), and a lease for his New York studio. Art works consist of 32 drawings and 11 sketchbooks.
Photographs (1893-1964) show Jonniaux, members of his family, friends, his portraits, and the works of others. An album also contains photographs of his works. Printed material includes clippings (1938-1969) and exhibition announcements and catalogs (1943-1962). Two scrapbooks contain clippings (1921-1964), exhibition announcements and catalogs (1931-1959), and 4 letters discussing his work (1951-1955).
Biographical / Historical:
Portrait painter. Born in Brussels, Belgium. Following study at the Academie des Beaux Arts, Brussels, and as a draftsman in Paris, Jonniaux began his career as a portraitist in London. He immigrated to the United States during World War II, becoming a citizen in 1946. During his first ten years in America, he established studios in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. His exhibitions led to many portrait commissions from leading figures in all spheres of American life.
Provenance:
Donated by art dealer David J. Carlson of Carlson Gallery, San Francisco, California.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Portrait painters -- United States  Search this
Topic:
Portrait painting, American  Search this
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Sketchbooks
Identifier:
AAA.jonnalfr
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9cdc143c4-845e-4cfd-ad01-a2a13c87455c
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-jonnalfr

Paul Feeley papers

Creator:
Feeley, Paul, 1910-1966  Search this
Extent:
7 Reels (ca. 2.0 linear ft. (on 7 microfilm reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Reels
Date:
1911-1972
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence, a diary, photographs, writings, exhibition catalogs, and sketchbooks.
REEL D301: Six sketchbooks, 1927-1935.
REELS 442-447: 836 letters to Feeley from friends and colleagues; a 53-page diary, 1964; notes; two stories and a song; sketchbooks; photographs of Feeley, his work, and his students at Cooper Union Art School; 143 exhibition catalogs; and clippings.
Biographical / Historical:
Mural painter, portrait painter, teacher; North Bennington, Vt. Taught at Bennington College. Also known as Paul Terence Feeley.
Provenance:
Lent 1967-1972 by Helen Feeley Wheelwright, Paul Feeley's widow.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Muralists -- Vermont -- Bennington  Search this
Portrait painters -- Vermont -- Bennington  Search this
Topic:
Portrait painting, American  Search this
Portrait painting -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Mural painting and decoration, American  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.feelpaul
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw91bd54f40-5498-4e1f-a63b-18068cd0d29f
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-feelpaul

Thomas Eakins letters

Creator:
Eakins, Thomas, 1844-1916  Search this
Names:
Couture, Thomas, 1815-1879  Search this
Crowell, Frances Eakins, b. 1848  Search this
Crowell, William J.  Search this
Fussell, Charles Lewis, 1840-1909  Search this
Gérôme, Jean Léon, 1824-1904  Search this
Hallowell, William R.  Search this
Richards, Frederick de Bourg, 1822-1903  Search this
Sartain, William, 1843-1924  Search this
Wallace, J. Laurie (John Laurie)  Search this
Extent:
0.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Place:
Paris (France) -- description and travel
Date:
1866-1934
Summary:
The letters of Thomas Eakins measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1866 to 1934. They primarily document the period between 1866 and 1869 that he spent studying art in Paris, as well as his career as a portrait artist.
Scope and Content Note:
The letters of Thomas Eakins measure 0.2 linear feet and date from 1866 to 1934. They primarily document the period between 1866 and 1869 that he spent studying art in Paris, as well as his career as a portrait artist.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection, items are categorized into one series consisting of five folders. Items are arranged chronologically.
Biographical Note:
Realist painter Thomas Eakins was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1844. He was encouraged by his parents to develop his talent in art, and in 1862 he entered the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Also during this period Eakins developed an interest in anatomy, revealed later in the realistically detailed Gross Clinic, painted in 1875. In 1866 he moved to Paris, where he studied painting with Jean-Léon Gérôme at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts for three years, and briefly with sculptor Augustin-Alexandre Dumont and painter Léon Bonnat. He toured Spain for six months in 1870 and then returned to Philadelphia to become a portrait artist. Eakins began teaching at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and became its director of instruction in 1882. During this period he also met fellow artist Susan MacDowell and they were married in 1884. While at the Academy, he promoted a curriculum based on the study of the human figure, and began using photography as a method of study for his paintings. A dispute over the use of nude models forced Eakins to resign from the Academy in 1886, but he continued painting and exhibiting until his death in 1916.
Provenance:
Letters from Eakins to his family were donated by Dr. Caroline Crowell, daughter of Frances Eakins Crowell, and niece of Thomas Eakins. Other letters were donated in 1962 and 1963 by Irving Levitt and Lawrence Fleischman. Both accessions were microfilmed upon receipt.
Restrictions:
The bulk of the collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website. Use of material not digitized requires an appointment.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Portrait painters -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this
Topic:
Painters -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this
Painting, American  Search this
Portrait painting, American  Search this
Portrait painting -- 19th century -- United States  Search this
Citation:
Thomas Eakins letters, 1866-1934. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.eakithom
See more items in:
Thomas Eakins letters
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw91895976e-8421-4b60-bd90-771ec0699da7
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-eakithom
Online Media:

John White Alexander papers

Creator:
Alexander, John White, 1856-1915  Search this
Names:
MacDowell Club of New York  Search this
Abbey, Edwin Austin, 1852-1911  Search this
Alexander, Elizabeth A., d. 1947  Search this
Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919  Search this
Chase, William Merritt, 1849-1916  Search this
Gibson, Charles Dana, 1867-1944  Search this
James, Henry, 1843-1916  Search this
La Farge, John, 1835-1910  Search this
Levy, Florence N. (Florence Nightingale), 1870-1947  Search this
Millet, Francis Davis, 1846-1912  Search this
Remington, Frederic, 1861-1909  Search this
Stevenson, Robert Louis, 1850-1894  Search this
Whistler, James McNeill, 1834-1903  Search this
Extent:
11.9 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Awards
Interviews
Photographs
Sketchbooks
Scrapbooks
Medals
Date:
1775-1968
bulk 1870-1915
Summary:
The papers of the painter, muralist, and illustrator John White Alexander measure 11.9 linear feet and date from 1775 to 1968, with the bulk of materials dating from 1870 to 1915. Papers document Alexander's artistic career and many connections to figures in the art world through biographical documentation, correspondence (some illustrated), writings, 14 sketchbooks, additonal artwork and loose sketches, scrapbooks, photographs, awards and medals, artifacts, and other records. Also found is a souvenir engraving of a Mark Twain self-portrait.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of the painter, muralist, and illustrator John White Alexander measure 11.9 linear feet and date from 1775 to 1968, with the bulk of materials dating from 1870 to 1915. Papers document Alexander's artistic career and many connections to figures in the art world through biographical documentation, correspondence (some illustrated), writings, 14 sketchbooks, additonal artwork and loose sketches, scrapbooks, photographs, awards and medals, artifacts, and other records. Also found is a souvenir engraving of a Mark Twain self-portrait.

Biographical Information includes multiple essays related to Alexander, his family, and others in his circle. Also found is an extensive oral history of Alexander's wife Elizabeth conducted in 1928. Correspondence includes letters written by Alexander to his family from New York and Europe at the start of his career, and later letters from fellow artists, art world leaders, and portrait sitters of Alexander's. Significant correspondents include Charles Dana Gibson, Florence Levy, Frederick Remington, Robert Louis Stevenson, Henry James, John La Farge, Francis Davis Millet, and Andrew Carnegie. Correspondence includes some small sketches as enclosures and illustrated letters.

Certificates and records related to Alexander's career are found in Associations and Memberships, Legal and Financial Records, and Notes and Writings, which contain documentation of Alexander's paintings and exhibitions. Scattered documentation of Alexander's memberships in various arts association exists for the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Academy in Rome, the National Academy of Design, the Onteora Club in New York, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, Germany, the Ministère de L'Instruction Publique et des Beaux-Arts, the Union Internationale des Beaux Arts et des Lettres, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Notes and Writings include speeches written by Alexander, short stories and essays written by his wife, and articles by various authors about Alexander. Extensive documentation of the planning and construction of the Alexander Memorial Studio by the MacDowell Club is found, along with other awards, medals, and memorial resolutions adopted by arts organizations after Alexander's death.

Artwork includes fourteen sketchbooks with sketches related to Alexander's commercial illustration and cartooning, murals, paintings, and travels. Dozens of loose drawings and sketches are also found, along with two volumes and several dozen loose reproductions of artwork, among which are found fine prints by named printmakers. Many sketches are also interspersed throughout the correspondence. Eight Scrapbooks contain mostly clippings, but also scattered letters, exhbition catalogs, announcements, invitations, and photographs related to Alexander's career between 1877 and 1915. Additional Exhibition Catalogs and later clippings, as well as clippings related to the career of his wife and other subjects, are found in Printed Materials.

Photographs include many portraits of Alexander taken by accomplished photographers such as Zaida Ben-Yusuf, Aimé Dupont, Curtis Bell, Elizabeth Buehrmann, and several signed Miss Huggins, who may have been Estelle Huntington Huggins, a New York painter and photographer. Portraits of others include Alexander's friends William Merritt Chase and Edward Austin Abbey. Also found are photographs of groups, juries, family, friends, and studios in New York, Paris, and New Jersey, and a handful of scenic photographs of Polling, Bavaria, where Alexander had an early studio. A large number of photographs of works of art are found, many with annotations. Among the photographs of murals are a small collection of snapshots of the Carnegie Institute murals in progress. Miscellaneous artifacts include a palette, several printing plates, and an inscribed souvenir engraving of a self-portrait caricature of Mark Twain.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 11 series. Glass plate negatives are housed separately and closed to researchers.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Information, circa 1887-1968 (Box 1, OV 23; 0.1 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1870-1942 (Box 1; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 3: Associations and Memberships, circa 1897-1918 (Box 1; 2 folders)

Series 4: Legal and Financial Records, 1775, 1896-1923 (Box 1; 5 folders)

Series 5: Notes and Writings, circa 1875-1943 (Boxes 1-2; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 6: Awards and Memorials, circa 1870-1944 (Box 2, OV 24; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 7: Artwork, circa 1875-1915 (Boxes 2-3, 6, 14-16, OV 23; 1.5 linear feet)

Series 8: Scrapbooks, circa 1877-1915 (Boxes 17-22; 1.8 linear feet)

Series 9: Printed Materials, circa 1891-1945 (Boxes 3-4, OV 23; 1.5 linear feet)

Series 10: Photographs, circa 1870-1915 (Boxes 4-8, MGP 1-2, OV 25-43, RD 44-45; 4.2 linear feet)

Series 11: Artifacts, circa 1899-1915 (Box 6, artifact cabinet; 0.4 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
John White Alexander was born in 1856 in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania. He was orphaned at age five and taken in by relatives of limited means. When Alexander left school and began working at a telegraph company, the company's vice-president, former civil war Colonel Edward Jay Allen, took an interest in his welfare. Allen became his legal guardian, brought him into the Allen household, and saw that he finished Pittsburgh High School. At eighteen, he moved to New York City and was hired by Harper and Brothers as an office boy in the art department. He was soon promoted to apprentice illustrator under staff artists such as Edwin A. Abbey and Charles Reinhart. During his time at Harpers, Alexander was sent out on assignment to illustrate events such as the Philadelphia Centennial celebration in 1876 and the Pittsburgh Railroad Strike in 1877, which erupted in violence.

Alexander carefully saved money from his illustration work and traveled to Europe in 1877 for further art training. He first enrolled in the Royal Art Academy of Munich, Germany, but soon moved to the village of Polling, where a colony of American artists was at its peak in the late 1870s. Alexander established a painting studio there and stayed for about a year. Despite his absence from the Munich Academy, he won the medal of the drawing class for 1878, the first of many honors. While in Polling, he became acquainted with J. Frank Currier, Frank Duveneck, William Merritt Chase, and other regular visitors to the colony. He later shared a studio and taught a painting class in Florence with Duveneck and traveled to Venice, where he met James Abbott McNeill Whistler.

Alexander returned to New York in 1881 and resumed his commercial artwork for Harpers and Century. Harpers sent him down the Mississippi river to complete a series of sketches. He also began to receive commissions for portraits, and in the 1880s painted Charles Dewitt Bridgman, a daughter of one of the Harper brothers, Parke Godwin, Thurlow Weed, Walt Whitman, and Oliver Wendell Holmes. Alexander met his wife Elizabeth, whose maiden name was also Alexander, through her father, James W. Alexander, who was sometimes mistaken for the artist. Elizabeth and John White Alexander married in 1887 and had a son, James, in 1888.

Alexander and his family sailed for France in 1890, where they became a part of the lively literary and artistic scene in Paris at the time. Among their many contacts there were Puvis de Chavannes, Auguste Rodin, and Whistler, who arrived in Paris shortly thereafter. Alexander absorbed the new aesthetic ideas around him such as those of the symbolists and the decorative style of art nouveau. Critics often note how such ideas are reflected in his boldly composed paintings of women from this period, who titles drew attention to the sensual and natural elements of the paintings. His first exhibition in Paris was three paintings at the Société Nationale des Beaux Arts in 1893, and by 1895 he has become a full member of the Société.

Independent and secession artist societies emerged throughout Europe during this period, and Alexander exhibited with several of them, including the Société Nouvelle in Paris, the Munich Secession, and the Vienna Secession. He was also elected an honorary member of the Royal Society of Belgian Artists and the Royal Society of British Painters in London. His exhibited works sold well, and his influence began to be felt back in the United States. Andrew Carnegie and John Beatty of the Carnegie Institute consulted closely with Alexander in the planning and execution of the first Carnegie International Exhibitions. Alexander also became active in supporting younger American artists who wanted to exhibit in Europe, a stance which resulted in his resignation from the Society of American Artists in Paris, which he felt had become a barrier to younger artists. His promotion of American art became an central aspect of his career for the remainder of his life, most visibly through his presidency of the National Academy of Design from 1909 until shortly before his death in 1915. He also served frequently on juries for high-profile exhibitions, and was a trustee at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Public Library, and the national Institute of Arts and Letters. Around 1912, he helped to form the School Art League in New York, which provided art instruction to high school students.

Alexander returned to the United States nearly every summer while based in Paris, and among his commissioned paintings were murals for the newly-constructed Library of Congress, completed around 1896. In 1901, the Alexanders returned to New York permanently. The demand for portraits continued, and he had his first solo exhibition at the Durand-Ruel Galleries in 1902. Around 1905 he received a commission for murals at the new Carnegie Institute building in Pittsburgh for the astounding sum of $175,000. He created 48 panels there through 1908. During this period, the Alexanders spent summers in Onteora, New York, where Alexander painted his well-known "Sunlight" paintings. There they became friends and collaborators with the actress Maude Adams, with Alexander designing lighting and stage sets, and Elizabeth Alexander designing costumes for Adams' productions such as Peter Pan, the Maid of Orleans, and Chanticleer. The couple became known for their "theatricals" or tableaux, staged at the MacDowell Club and elsewhere, and Elizabeth Alexander continued her design career when her husband died in 1915.

Alexander left several commissions unfinished upon his death at age 59, including murals in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Elizabeth Alexander held a memorial exhibition at Arden Galleries a few months after his death, and a larger memorial exhibition was held by the Carnegie Institute in 1916. Alexander won dozens of awards for artwork in his lifetime, including the Lippincott Prize at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1899, the Gold Medal of Honor at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900, the Gold Medal at the Panama Pacific Exposition of 1901, and the Medal of the First Class at the Carnegie Institute International Exhibition in 1911. In 1923, the Alexander Memorial Studio was built at the MacDowell colony in New Hampshire to honor his memory.
Provenance:
Papers were donated in 1978 and 1981 by Irina Reed, Alexander's granddaughter and in 2017 by Elizabeth Reed, Alexander's great grandaughter.
Restrictions:
Use of the original papers requires an appointment. Glass plate negatives are housed separately and not served to researchers.
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:
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Portrait painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Works of art  Search this
Portrait painting -- 20th century  Search this
Portrait painting -- 19th century  Search this
Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Portrait painting, American  Search this
Genre/Form:
Awards
Interviews
Photographs
Sketchbooks
Scrapbooks
Medals
Citation:
John White Alexander papers, 1775-1968, bulk 1870-1915. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.alexjohn
See more items in:
John White Alexander papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw917c89625-97e2-4dce-a5e6-4cbf6627b78e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-alexjohn
Online Media:

Alice Neel un regard engagé sous la direction d'Angela Lampe

Title:
Regard engagé
Editor:
Lampe, Angela  Search this
Author:
Neel, Alice 1900-1984 Paintings Selections  Search this
Issuing body:
Centre Georges Pompidou  Search this
Host institution:
Centre Georges Pompidou Galerie 4  Search this
Physical description:
160 pages illustrations (chiefly color), facsimile, portraits 28 cm
Type:
Exhibitions
Expositions
Exhibition catalogs
Date:
2020
Topic:
Portrait painting, American  Search this
Peinture de portraits américaine  Search this
Call number:
N40.1 .N363 L23 2020
N40.1.N363 L23 2020
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1157127

Alice Neel people come first Kelly Baum and Randall Griffey ; with contributions by Meredith A. Brown, Julia Bryan-Wilson, and Susanna V. Temkin

Title:
People come first
Artist:
Neel, Alice 1900-1984  Search this
Author:
Container of (work): Neel, Alice 1900-1984 Paintings Selections  Search this
Curator:
Baum, Kelly  Search this
Griffey, Randall R  Search this
Contributor:
Brown, Meredith A.,  Search this
Bryan-Wilson, Julia  Search this
Temkin, Susanna V  Search this
Host institution:
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.),.)  Search this
Museo Guggenheim Bilbao  Search this
M.H. de Young Memorial Museum  Search this
Subject:
Neel, Alice 1900-1984  Search this
Neel, Alice 1900-1984 Themes, motives  Search this
Physical description:
255 pages illustrations (chiefly color), facsimiles, portraits (chiefly color) 30 cm
Type:
Exhibitions
Expositions
Exhibition catalogs
Catalogues d'exposition
Place:
New York (State)
New York
New York (État)
Date:
2021
20th century
20e siècle
Topic:
Portrait painting, American  Search this
Painting, American  Search this
Portrait painters  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Peinture de portraits américaine  Search this
Peinture américaine  Search this
Portraitistes  Search this
Femmes artistes  Search this
ART / General  Search this
Call number:
N40.1.N363 M54 2021
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1156765

Albert Rosenthal papers, 1860-1940

Creator:
Rosenthal, Albert, 1863-1939  Search this
Subject:
Avery, Samuel Putnam  Search this
Diederich, William Hunt  Search this
Durand, Asher Brown  Search this
Franklin, Benjamin  Search this
Hart, Charles Henry  Search this
Hartmann, Sadakichi  Search this
Holmes, Oliver Wendell, Jr.  Search this
Houdon, Jean Antoine  Search this
Palmer, Alexander Mitchell  Search this
Peters, Harry Twyford  Search this
Rosenthal, Max  Search this
Silliman, Benjamin  Search this
Stieglitz, Alfred  Search this
Stuart, Gilbert  Search this
Taft, William H. (William Howard)  Search this
Ward, John Quincy Adams  Search this
Washington, George  Search this
Weir, Julian Alden  Search this
Rodin Museum (Philadelphia, Pa.)  Search this
Citation:
Albert Rosenthal papers, 1860-1940. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Portrait painting, American  Search this
Portrait painting -- United States  Search this
Judges -- United States -- Portraits  Search this
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)8390
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210564
AAA_collcode_rosealbp
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210564

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