Search Results

Creator:

Wilson, Sol, 1896-1974  Search this

Subject:

Hopper, Edward  Search this

Bouché, Louis  Search this

Burliuk, David  Search this

Evergood, Philip  Search this

Babcock Galleries  Search this

Citation:

Sol Wilson papers, 1919-1975. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Painting, American  Search this

Theme:

Lives of artists  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)9380

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211577

AAA_collcode_wilssol

Theme:

Lives of artists

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211577

Creator:

Crossfield, A. Scott (Albert Scott), 1921-  Search this

Names:

Eastern Air Lines  Search this

National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA)  Search this

North American Aviation, Inc.  Search this

Extent:

20.23 Cubic feet (42 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Audiotapes

Correspondence

Manuscripts

Date:

1940 - 2004

Summary:

This collection consists of over nine cubic feet of material documenting Scott Crossfield's aviation career, with emphasis on his involvement with the North American X-15. The following types of material are included: correspondence; reel to reel tapes; papers, manuscripts; newspaper and magazine clippings; aviation manuals; photographs; film; and Crossfield's notes and reports.

Scope and Content note:

This collection encompasses the entirety of Albert Scott "Scotty" Crossfield, Jr.'s career as an engineer, test pilot, airline executive, and speaker and advocate for aerospace education. Records in the collection date from Crossfield's time at college in the 1940s through his death in 2006. Crossfield's papers were donated to the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) Archives by the Crossfield family in 2006 and a second batch of material was received in 2008. The collection was received without any apparent organizational scheme, but some items were received in labeled folders and these folder titles were retained when the collection was processed. One group of material was loaned by the family for copying and these items were photocopied and placed within the appropriate folder in the case of documents, or were scanned and entered into the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) Archives image database in the case of photographs.

After his retirement from North American Aviation, Inc., Crossfield gave his papers to a former secretary, Marion Brown, so that she could organize them for his use in future writing projects. In February 1973, a U.S. Navy Vought A-7E Corsair II crashed into the apartment building where Brown lived and all of Crossfield's papers in her possession were destroyed. Due to this incident, the collection has more material from Crossfield's time with Eastern Air Lines and onwards, although the prior years are still well represented through records that were either retained in Crossfield's possession or copies that were gathered after the fact. There is correspondence from Crossfield relating to the crash in Box 11 of the collection.

The archival materials in this collection are organized into four series. The first series is composed of personal materials and includes school records, correspondence, personal photographs, records relating to various organizations in which Crossfield was active, information relating to the publication of Crossfield's autobiography, Always Another Dawn, other writings by Crossfield, financial records, subject files assembled by Crossfield, philatelic materials (Crossfield was an active collector and was a founding member and officer of The Aviation Historical Foundation, a philatelic organization), and news clippings. The material in this series is largely organized chronologically. Personal photographs and subject files are organized by topic first and chronologically within each folder and organizations are arranged alphabetically by name first and also chronologically within the individual folders.

The second series contains items relating to Crossfield's professional life, organized chronologically by place of employment. This series includes materials relating to Crossfield's work at Boeing, the U.S. Navy, the Kirsten Wind Tunnel at the University of Washington Aeronautical Laboratory, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), North American Aviation, Inc., Eastern Air Lines, Hawker Siddeley Aviation, Crossfield's work as an Independent Technical Advisor, Crossfield's application for the position of Director of the National Air and Space Museum, Crossfield's time as a member of the United States Organizing Committee, and his work with organizations such as the Scott Crossfield Foundation and The Wright Experience. During the later part of his life, Crossfield toured the country extensively giving speeches, presenting awards, etc. and there is a large amount of material relating to these appearances in this part of the collection. These materials arrived already organized chronologically by individual trip and this organizational scheme was retained. Specifically, the professional life series includes flight reports, manuals, drawings, business correspondence, administrative records, presentations and papers, travel itineraries, notebooks, calendars, speeches delivered by Crossfield, and career related photographs (which are broken out as their own subseries). The professional life series also includes a section of miscellaneous professional items including job seeking correspondence, information on the patent for a power wheel braking or driving unit designed by Crossfield, and a folder of Crossfield's résumés.

The third series consists of audiotapes and is organized first by tape format and then chronologically within each category. Subjects of the audiotapes include speeches, a large number of North American X-15 cockpit recordings and radio communications, tape produced for a television program, and autobiographical notes. A number of the audiotapes include no description. With a total of 65 examples in this series, the most common audiotape format in the collection is, by far, 7 inch reel to reel tapes. Other formats in this series include 5 inch reel to reel tapes, 3.125 by 3.5 inch metal audiotape cartridges, and Dictaphone recording belts. Please note that these audio recordings are unavailable to the researcher at the time of processing due to the format and fragility of the tapes.

The fourth series of this collection is comprised of oversized materials and additional materials including galley proofs, news clippings, drawings, charts, professional records, and photographs. The organization of this series mirrors the folder titles found in the rest of the collection.

The researcher should note that the collection also contains several motion picture films relating to the life and career of Albert Scott "Scotty" Crossfield, Jr. These films are not included in the container list but a NASM Archives staff person can assist you regarding access.

Arrangement:

The A. Scott Crossfield Papers are organized into the following series and subseries:

Series I: Personal Materials

1.1 School Records

1.2 Correspondence

1.3 Personal Photographs

1.4 Organizations

1.5 Information Related to the Publication of Always Another Dawn

1.6 Other Writings by Crossfield

1.7 Financial Records

1.8 Subject Files

1.9 Philatelic Materials

1.10 News Clippings

1.11 Miscellaneous Personal Records

Series II: Professional Life

2.1 Boeing

2.2 U.S. Navy

2.3 Kirsten Wind Tunnel, University of Washington Aeronautical Laboratory

2.4 National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA)

2.5 North American Aviation, Inc.

2.6 Eastern Air Lines

2.7 Hawker Siddeley Aviation

2.8 Independent Technical Advisor

2.9 Application for NASM Director Position

2.10 United States Organizing Committee

2.11 Scott Crossfield Foundation

2.12 The Wright Experience

2.13 Speaking Engagements and Professional Appearances

2.14 Career Related Photographs

2.14 Miscellaneous Professional Records

Series III: Audiotapes

Series IV: Oversized Materials

Biographical/Historical note:

Albert Scott "Scotty" Crossfield, Jr. was born on October 2, 1921, in California. As a young boy, Crossfield was often confined indoors due to health problems related to pneumonia and rheumatic fever. During this time, he dreamed of becoming a pilot and designed and constructed model airplanes. Crossfield took his first airplane ride in 1927, at six years old, in an Alexander Eaglerock A-1 piloted by family friend Charles "Carl" Lienesch. Lienesch also encouraged Crossfield to become an engineer as well as a pilot. Unbeknownst to Crossfield's parents, he began taking flying lessons at the age of 12 at Wilmington Airport under the tutelage of pilot Vaughn McNulty. The family later moved to Washington State and it was there, at the Chehalis Airport, that Crossfield made his first solo flight in a Curtiss Robin. It was not until the summer of 1941, however, that Crossfield officially soloed and earned his pilot's license under the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA), Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP).

Crossfield enrolled in the University of Washington in 1940 and worked at the Boeing plant in Seattle, beginning in the fall of 1941, while still pursuing his studies. Crossfield's first assignment at Boeing was as an assembly page clerk. He was later promoted to the position of production expediter and shop salvage engineer. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Crossfield enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and continued to work at Boeing while he waited for an opening in a cadet class. In February 1942, tired of waiting on the Air Corps and eager to get into combat, Crossfield enlisted in the U.S. Navy instead where he joined the cadet class of May 7, 1942. Crossfield first trained in Seattle, Washington, and later was sent to the Naval Air Training Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he earned his Naval Aviator's wings in 1942. During his time in the Navy, Crossfield never fulfilled his ambition to see combat because he was selected instead to remain at Corpus Christi as a flight and gunnery instructor. Crossfield eventually was sent to Hawaii to prepare and train for an invasion of Japan but the war ended before this became necessary. During his time in the U.S. Navy, Crossfield flew the Grumman F6F Hellcat, Vought F4U Corsair, and the North American SNJ Texan, among other aircraft. After he separated from active duty with the Service, Crossfield remained active in the Naval Reserves and was part of an aerobatic team at Sand Point Naval Air Station that flew Goodyear FG-1D Corsairs.

Crossfield returned to his studies at the University of Washington in 1946 and was employed doing tests at the Kirsten Wind Tunnel at the University's Aeronautical Laboratory. Crossfield earned his Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering in 1949 and his master's degree in aeronautical science in 1950. After obtaining his degrees, Crossfield joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) as a research pilot. During his time with NACA, Crossfield flew many aircraft including the Convair XF-92A, Bell X-1, Northrop X-4 Bantam, Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak, Bell X-5, Republic F-84F Thunderstreak, Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, North American F-86 Sabre, and the North American F-100A Super Sabre. Crossfield made history in the Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket on November 20, 1953, as the first pilot to exceed Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound).

In 1955, Crossfield left NACA and joined North American Aviation, Inc. to work on the X-15 program where he would not only serve as the X-15 Project Pilot but also as a Design Specialist, a role in which he was an integral part of the design of both the aircraft and the pressure suit developed by the David Clark Company for the X-15 program. The suit served as a prototype for the spacesuits later worn by astronauts. Crossfield helped to develop the X-15's cockpit, control, and engine systems; structural design; propulsion system; engineered its escape system; and contributed to its handling quality requirements. He also developed the ground control test methodology that would later become standard on the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space programs. Crossfield piloted the North American X-15 on its first captive flight in March 1959, first glide flight in June 1959, and the first powered flight in September 1959, as well as numerous other test flights, before the X-15 was delivered to the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in February 1960. Crossfield also served as Chief Engineering Test Pilot at North American from 1955-1961 before moving to the Space and Information Systems Division first as the Director of Systems Test (1961) then as the Division Director of Test and Quality Assurance (1961-1966) where he was responsible for quality control in all North American projects including the Hounddog Missile (AGM-28, GAM-77), Paragliders for the Gemini program, Apollo Command and Service Module, and the Saturn V launch vehicles, second stage. Crossfield's final position with North American was as the Technical Director, Research, Engineering and Test from 1966-1967.

Crossfield joined Eastern Air Lines in Miami, Florida, as Division Vice President, Flight, Research, and Development, Flight Operations in 1967, a position he held until 1971 when he moved to Washington, DC, to serve as Staff Vice President, Transportation Systems Development (1971-1973). From 1974 to 1975, Crossfield served as Senior Vice President at Hawker Siddeley Aviation's U.S. subsidiary branch, an office he helped to establish. After leaving Hawker Siddeley, Crossfield served for many years as an independent technical advisor to the U.S. Congress. Crossfield also served on the United States Organizing Committee to plan the Air and Space Bicentennial. In the later part of his life, Crossfield traveled extensively to give talks, attend events, and make various professional appearances and it was on a return flight home from one such trip in 2006 that Crossfield was killed when the plane he was piloting was caught in a thunderstorm.

Crossfield was active in various organizations including the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), and the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP), a group in which he was a founding member. Crossfield also created the Scott Crossfield Foundation to support aerospace education. Crossfield was the recipient of numerous awards and honors including the Sperry (Lawrence B.) Memorial Award (1954) and Chanute (Octave) Award (AIAA, 1958), Kincheloe Award (SETP, 1960), Harmon Trophy (1960), Collier (Robert J.) Trophy (1961), NASA Distinguished Service Medal (1993), and the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) Trophy for Lifetime Achievement (2000).

Crossfield published his autobiography, Always Another Dawn, in 1960 with Clay Blair, Jr. and is the author of numerous other publications, articles, and technical papers.

Provenance:

Alice Crossfield, Gift, 2006

Restrictions:

No restrictions on access.

Rights:

Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.

Topic:

North American X-15  Search this

Air pilots  Search this

Aeronautics  Search this

Aeronautics -- Records  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Audiotapes

Correspondence

Manuscripts

Citation:

A. Scott Crossfield Papers, Accession number 2006-0041, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

A. Scott Crossfield Papers, Acc. 2006-0041, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NASM.2006.0041

See more items in:

A. Scott Crossfield Papers

Archival Repository:

National Air and Space Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg28d41031c-4569-4e2e-b114-8a32f81be51e

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nasm-2006-0041

Creator:

Dale, Dianne  Search this

Polk, P. H., 1898-1985  Search this

Names:

Barry, Marion, 1936-2014  Search this

Dale, Almore M., 1911-1984  Search this

Dale, Dianne  Search this

Dale, John Henry, Jr., 1888-1973  Search this

Dale, Lucille Emma Patterson, 1889-1973  Search this

Dale, Marie Howard, 1914-2011  Search this

Dale, Norman Edward, 1908-1991  Search this

Garner, Araminta Dale, 1913-1987  Search this

Patterson, Frederick D. (Frederick Douglass), 1901-1988  Search this

Patterson, Wilhelmina Bessie, 1888-1962  Search this

Extent:

6 Linear feet (9 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Programs

Clippings

Correspondence

Ephemera

Postcards

Place:

Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)

Date:

1866 - 1990.

Summary:

The Dale-Patterson family papers, which date from 1866 to 2010 and measure 6 linear feet, document the personal and professional lives of the Dale-Patterson family who came to live in Hillsdale, Anacostia, area of Washington, D.C., in 1892.

Scope and Contents note:

The Dale-Patterson family papers, which date from 1866 to 1990 and measure 6 linear feet, document the personal and professional lives of the Dale-Patterson family who came to live in Hillsdale, Anacostia, area of Washington, D.C., in 1892. The collection is comprised of correspondence, photographs, clippings, and ephemera.

Arrangement note:

The collection is arranged in four series:

Series 1: Dale-Patterson Family papers Series 2: Charles Qualls papers Series 3: Community Organizations Series 4: Subject Files

Biographical/Historical note:

The Dale family came to Washington, DC in 1886 when John Henry Dale, Sr., a gifted self-taught man, obtained a position as clerk in the newly contracted Pension Bureau building at 5th and G Streets, NW. First they lived near 13th Street and Florida Avenue, NW, then moved to Howard Road in Anacostia. Dale built a house at 2619 Nichols Avenue, now Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, drawing the plans and supervising the construction. The Dales and only one other family lived in this solidly built house for 100 years before it was sold to a church group and demolished.

General Note:

Finding Aid Note: This finding aid is associated with a MARC collection-level record.361883

Provenance:

The Dale-Patterson Family collection was donated to the Anacostia Community Museum on April 07, 2013.

Restrictions:

Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.

Rights:

The Dale-Patterson Family collection is the physical property of the Anacostia Community Museum. Literary and copyright belong to the author/creator or their legal heirs and assigns. Rights to work produced during the normal course of Museum business resides with the Anacostia Community Museum. For further information, and to obtain permission to publish or reproduce, contact the Museum Archives.

Topic:

African Americans  Search this

African American families  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Programs

Clippings

Correspondence

Ephemera

Postcards

Citation:

Dale-Patterson Family collection, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution, gift of Dianne Dale.

Identifier:

ACMA.06-074

See more items in:

Dale-Patterson Family collection

Archival Repository:

Anacostia Community Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/qa7c29572e9-2bd6-4b2a-8982-b527693b7885

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-acma-06-074

Creator:

Harmon, Lily, 1912-  Search this

Names:

Algren, Nelson, 1909-1981  Search this

Neumann, J. B. (Jsrael Ber)  Search this

Nierendorf, Karl  Search this

Odets, Clifford, 1906-1963  Search this

Schmid, Elsa, 1897-  Search this

Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this

Warburg, Edward M. M.  Search this

Interviewee:

Ashton, Dore  Search this

Avery, Sally  Search this

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

Bruno, Phillip A.  Search this

Copley, Alfred L.  Search this

Dehner, Dorothy, 1901-1994  Search this

Drew, Bettina, 1956-  Search this

Driggs, Elsie, 1898-1992  Search this

Hertzberg, Benjamin  Search this

Hutton, Leonard, Sir  Search this

Isaacs, Lewis  Search this

Kahn, Max, 1903-2005  Search this

Knotts, Howard  Search this

Kuh, Katharine  Search this

Lamm, Johanna Neumann  Search this

Manacher, Frances  Search this

Neumann, Albrecht  Search this

Neumann, Peter, 1928-  Search this

Rothbaum, Nolbert  Search this

Sapanel, Margarete  Search this

Schultz, Margarete  Search this

Solman, Joseph, 1909-2008  Search this

Stix, Hugh  Search this

Vogel, Ilse Margret  Search this

Extent:

6 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Interviews

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Date:

1930-1996

Scope and Contents:

Primarily research files and notes, subject files, interview tapes and transcripts, correspondence, writings, and other materials compiled by Harmon for a never-published biography of art dealer J.B. Neumann, titled The Art Lover. Found are photocopies of J.B. Neuman's correspondence with Karl Nierendorf, Clifford Odets, Elsa Schmid, and Alfred Stieglitz; photocopies and other materials from the J.B. Neumann Collection at the University of Texas at Austin, Harry Ransom Humanities Center, including photocopies of the magazine published by Neumann titled Art Lover Library, 1930-1957 (volume 1, 1930 is original bound volume), copyprints and photocopies of photographs of Neumann, his family, and of other subjects; interview transcripts and audio tapes with numerous artists conducted in the mid-1980s; research notes and files; and subject files on numerous artists (all photocopies).

Harmon's personal papers include resumes; copies of letters from friends, family, dealers and others; photographs of Harmon's paintings; writings, including poems, excerpts from diaries, autobiographical essays, and her autobiography FREEHAND; photocopies of various mss. drafts of Harmon's biography of Neumann, The Art Lover, and related writings by Harmon, including The Art Dealer and the Playwright, and Synopsis of Art Lover, ca. 1987-1990 ; a transcript of an interview of Harmon conducted by Karl Fortress, 1967; magazine and newspaper clippings; exhibition announcements and catalogs; and miscellany.

Interviewees include: Dore Ashton, Sally Avery, Alfred Barr, Phillip Bruno, Al Copley, Dorothy Dehner, Bettina Drew (about Nelson Algren), Elsie Driggs (also found is a video interview and transcript of Driggs by Merryman Gatch, n.d.), Ben Hertzberg, Leonard Hutton, Lewis Isaacs, Max Kahn, Katharine Kuh, Johanna Neumann Lamm, Frances Manacher, Peter Neumann, Albrecht Neumann, Nolbert Rothbaum, Margarete Schultz, Joseph Solman, Margarete Sapanel, Hugh Stix, Ilse Vogel with Howard Knotts, and Edward M.M. Warburg.

Biographical / Historical:

Painter and sculptor; New York City. Harmon worked for the influential art dealer J.B. Neumann, and spent several years preparing a biography of him which was never published. As an artist, she lived in Europe in the early part of the century, and worked on WPA art projects in the 1930s.

Provenance:

Donated 1983 and 1998 by Lily Harmon.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.

Occupation:

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

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

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Sound recordings

Video recordings

Identifier:

AAA.harmlily

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9f94dc6db-1401-409d-b617-4439c4f8fb03

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-harmlily

Collection Creator:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History  Search this

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1986-1987

Scope and Contents:

This series consists of Interviewee Files. Each file contains an abstract of each interview and additional information about the interviewee, such as resumes and correspondence, if available. The arrangement of the files is alphabetically by interviewee's last name. The abstracts include brief biographical statements and scope and content notes. The abstracts correspond to a time message on track two of each researcher copy. Each abstract includes an index to proper names (people, advertising campaigns, locations) and to a limited number of subjects discussed in the interview. A "master index" compiles all these indexes into a single listing.

Collection Restrictions:

Researchers may use reference copies only. The interview with Charles Chaplin is restricted and may not be copied or quoted until his death.

Collection Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Collection Citation:

Alka-Seltzer Oral History and Documentation Project, 1953-1987, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0184, Series 2

See more items in:

Alka-Seltzer Documentation and Oral History Project

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8ccc70af1-9502-4f80-8338-e1625718381a

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmah-ac-0184-ref50

Creator:

National Zoo  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2013-10-17T14:24:06.000Z

YouTube Category:

Science & Technology  Search this

Topic:

Zoology;Animals;Veterinary medicine;Animal health  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianNZP

Data Source:

National Zoo

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianNZP

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_ArSn8Jq5hkA

Creator:

National Zoo  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2018-03-01T17:25:35.000Z

YouTube Category:

Pets & Animals  Search this

Topic:

Zoology;Animals;Veterinary medicine;Animal health  Search this

See more by:

SmithsonianNZP

Data Source:

National Zoo

YouTube Channel:

SmithsonianNZP

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_GUHoGCeoXG4

Creator:

Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2021-03-05T01:04:07.000Z

YouTube Category:

Entertainment  Search this

Topic:

Cultural property  Search this

See more by:

smithsonianfolklife

Data Source:

Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

YouTube Channel:

smithsonianfolklife

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_1UvKOyCy4qE

Creator:

Mason, Alice Trumbull, 1904-1971  Search this

Names:

American Abstract Artists  Search this

Kelpe, Paul, 1902-1985  Search this

Lassaw, Ibram, 1913-2003 -- Photographs  Search this

Extent:

1.3 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Sketchbooks

Poetry

Date:

1921-1977

Summary:

The papers of abstract artist Alice Trumbull Mason date from 1921 to 1977 and measure 1.3 linear feet. The collection documents her career as a painter, particularly her role as one of the founders of the American Abstract Artists group, through biographical materials; correspondence with family, friends, fellow artists, art galleries, museums, and organizations; writings and notes, including notebooks of poetry and other creative writings; a small amount of printed material; photographs of Mason, friends, and her artwork; and original artwork, including five sketchbooks.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of abstract artist Alice Trumbull Mason date from 1921 to 1977 and measure 1.3 linear feet. The collection documents her career as a painter, particularly her role as one of the founders of the American Abstract Artists group, through biographical materials; correspondence with family, friends, fellow artists, art galleries, museums, and organizations; writings and notes, including notebooks of poetry and other creative writings; a small amount of printed material; photographs of Mason, friends, and her artwork; and original artwork, including five sketchbooks.

Biographical material consists of resumes, passports, exhibition files, as well as documentation of her membership and active participation in art organizations, including her work as an officer in the American Abstract Artists group. Also found here are scattered personal financial and legal records. Personal and professional correspondence is with family members, including many detailed letters between her and her husband Warwood, fellow artists, including Paul Kelpe, art organizations, curators, museums, galleries, and others. Professional correspondence generally discusses selection of exhibition and awards, sale of artwork, and art events. Writings and notes, mostly from the 1920s and 1930s, consist of Mason's notes on art history and her creative writings, including poetry and "abstract writing." Also found are a few writings about abstract art and various notes and lists.

Printed material includes news clippings on topics of interest to Mason, and other miscellaneous items such as brochures, and exhibition announcements. Photographs include several portraits of Mason with her artwork, photographs of friends including artist Ibram Lassaw, photographs of an American Abstract Artists exhibition, and artwork by her and others. Original artwork found in this collection includes five sketchbooks belonging to Mason, including two that document her travels through Greece and Italy, and other loose drawings.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into 6 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1925-1968 (Box 1, OV 3; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1922-1977 (Box 1; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, 1921-1965 (Box 1; 6 folders)

Series 4: Printed Material, 1936-1974 (Box 1; 2 folders)

Series 5: Photographs, 1920s-1967 (Box 1, OV 3; 5 folders)

Series 6: Artwork, 1924-1963 (Box 1-2, OV 3; 0.4 linear feet)

Biographical Note:

Alice Trumbull Mason was born in 1904 in Litchfield, Connecticut. Her mother, Anne Leavenworth Train, was an accomplished artist before she met Alice's father, William Trumbull, a descendent of the Revolutionary War era painter, John Trumbull. Alice spent much of her childhood in Europe with her family. From 1921 to 1922 they lived in Florence and Rome where she studied at the British Academy. In 1923 she continued her studies with painter Charles W. Hawthorne at the National Academy of Design in New York and from 1927 to 1928 attended courses at the Grand Central Art Galleries taught by Arshile Gorky. Gorky inspired her interest in abstract painting, and Mason painted her first non-objective works in 1929. In 1928 she returned to Italy and Greece and was greatly influenced by ancient art, Byzantium, and Italian primitives. She married Warwood Mason, a merchant seaman, in 1930 and her daughter Emily was born in 1932 and her son Jonathan in 1933. During this period she stopped painting and devoted her creative energy to writing poetry inspired by American avant-garde writers.

Mason began painting again in 1934 and was recognized as a key figure of American abstraction. In 1935 she met and became close friends with fellow artist Ibram Lassaw, and they, along with several other artists, began to meet on a regular basis which led to the first American Abstract Artists group exhibition in 1937. Mason remained very active in the group and served as treasurer in 1939, secretary from 1940 to 1945, and president from 1959 to 1963. She was also an activist for abstract art, protesting the decisions of the Museum of Modern Art several times for excluding abstract artists from exhibitions. During the 1940s her paintings and concept of "architectural abstraction" was influenced by the arrival of Piet Mondrian in New York. Also in the 1940s she had two one-woman shows, but throughout her career she felt there was a bias against women in the New York art world and most often she participated in AAA group shows. Her work would be viewed as an important bridge for future abstract and conceptualist artists. In 1958 her son died, and though she continued to paint and participate in exhibitions, she never recovered from this tragedy and in the late 1960s withdrew into seclusion until her death in 1971.

Related Material:

Also found in the Archives of American Art is a collection of interviews by Ruth Bowman of members of the American Abstract Artists group conducted between 1963-1965, that includes an interview with Alice Trumbull Mason. The Archives of American Art also houses 2.3 linear feet of the records of the American Abstract Artists group.

Separated Material:

A portion of the material donated by Alice Trumbull Mason in 1969 relating to her involvement with the American Abstract Artists was separated and filed with the American Abstract Artists records at the Archives of American Art. Files of news clippings and exhibition catalogs were transferred to the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery Library after microfilming.

Provenance:

A portion of this collection was donated by Alice Trumbull Mason in 1969. Additional material was donated from 1972 to 1977 by Mason's daughter, Emily Mason Kahn.

Restrictions:

The collection is partially microfilmed. Use of material not microfilmed 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:

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

Topic:

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women authors  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Sketchbooks

Poetry

Citation:

Alice Trumbull Mason papers, 1921-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art

Identifier:

AAA.masoalic

See more items in:

Alice Trumbull Mason papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95e72c55c-ce27-48d3-a5d7-2904106402d0

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-masoalic

Container:

Box 21 of 27

Type:

Archival materials

Collection Citation:

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 00-002, National Museum of American History, Exhibition Records

See more items in:

Exhibition Records

Exhibition Records / Box 21

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian Institution Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-sia-fa00-002-refidd1e11047

Alternate name:

Robert VCarl  Search this

Contents:

Folder(s) may include exhibition announcements, newspaper and/or magazine clippings, press releases, brochures, reviews, invitations, illustrations, resumes, artist's statements, exhibition catalogs.

Topic:

Artists  Search this

Location:

Art & Artist files at the Smithsonian American Art Museum/ National Portrait Gallery Library

Data source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:SILAF_19721

Contents:

Folder(s) may include exhibition announcements, newspaper and/or magazine clippings, press releases, brochures, reviews, invitations, illustrations, resumes, artist's statements, exhibition catalogs.

Topic:

Artists  Search this

Location:

Art & Artist files at the Smithsonian American Art Museum/ National Portrait Gallery Library

Data source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:SILAF_29300

Contents:

Folder(s) may include exhibition announcements, newspaper and/or magazine clippings, press releases, brochures, reviews, invitations, illustrations, resumes, artist's statements, exhibition catalogs.

Topic:

Artists  Search this

Location:

Art & Artist files at the Smithsonian American Art Museum/ National Portrait Gallery Library

Data source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:SILAF_29307

Contents:

Folder(s) may include exhibition announcements, newspaper and/or magazine clippings, press releases, brochures, reviews, invitations, illustrations, resumes, artist's statements, exhibition catalogs.

Topic:

Artists  Search this

Location:

Art & Artist files at the Smithsonian American Art Museum/ National Portrait Gallery Library

Art & Artist files at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Library

Data source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:SILAF_29310

Contents:

Folder(s) may include exhibition announcements, newspaper and/or magazine clippings, press releases, brochures, reviews, invitations, illustrations, resumes, artist's statements, exhibition catalogs.

Topic:

Artists  Search this

Location:

Art & Artist files at the Smithsonian American Art Museum/ National Portrait Gallery Library

Data source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:SILAF_29317

Contents:

Folder(s) may include exhibition announcements, newspaper and/or magazine clippings, press releases, brochures, reviews, invitations, illustrations, resumes, artist's statements, exhibition catalogs.

Topic:

Artists  Search this

Location:

Art & Artist files at the Smithsonian American Art Museum/ National Portrait Gallery Library

Art & Artist files at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Library

Data source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:SILAF_30629

Contents:

Folder(s) may include exhibition announcements, newspaper and/or magazine clippings, press releases, brochures, reviews, invitations, illustrations, resumes, artist's statements, exhibition catalogs.

Topic:

Artists  Search this

Location:

Art & Artist files at the Smithsonian American Art Museum/ National Portrait Gallery Library

Data source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:SILAF_88372

Contents:

Folder(s) may include exhibition announcements, newspaper and/or magazine clippings, press releases, brochures, reviews, invitations, illustrations, resumes, artist's statements, exhibition catalogs.

Topic:

Artists  Search this

Location:

Art & Artist files at the Smithsonian American Art Museum/ National Portrait Gallery Library

Data source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:SILAF_110265

Contents:

Folder(s) may include exhibition announcements, newspaper and/or magazine clippings, press releases, brochures, reviews, invitations, illustrations, resumes, artist's statements, exhibition catalogs.

Topic:

Artists  Search this

Location:

Art & Artist files at the Smithsonian American Art Museum/ National Portrait Gallery Library

Data source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:SILAF_46984

Alternate name:

Rudolph Carl  Search this

Additional name:

Gorman, Rudolph Carl  Search this

Contents:

Folder(s) may include exhibition announcements, newspaper and/or magazine clippings, press releases, brochures, reviews, invitations, illustrations, resumes, artist's statements, exhibition catalogs.

Culture:

Indians of North America  Search this

Topic:

Artists  Search this

Native Americans  Search this

Location:

Art & Artist files at the Smithsonian American Art Museum/ National Portrait Gallery Library

Art & Artist files at the National Museum of the American Indian Library

Data source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:SILAF_46987