A collection of pulp fiction titles centering on lesbian characters and lesbianism.
Content Description:
A collection of eighty-five pulp fiction titles dealing with lesbian characters and lesbianism. Parts of this collection are extremely fragile and should be handled with care. The collection is arranged chronologically by date of publication.
Arrangement:
Collection arranged by date of publication into one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Between 1950 and 1965, over 500 distinct lesbian pulp novels were published in the US. These novels were exceptionally influential on lesbian communities in a time where LGBT media was extremely limited. Sold at the counters of grocery stores and in other common shops, these novels became a tangible way for many women to interact with a community they would otherwise have been unable to access. Some of the best loved books were the work of lesbian or bisexual women, many of whom—such as the influential Artemis Smith (Dr. Annselm L.N.V. Morpurgo) and Ann Bannon (Ann Weldy)— went on to become vocal activists and scholars in LGBT matters. Authors of this genre generally used pseudonyms for publication, which helped conceal their identity both as writers of explicit content and potentially as lesbians. Pseudonyms frequently crossed or confused the author's gender, such as in the case of Kay Addams (male author Orrie Hitt), Randy Salem (lesbian author Pat Perdue), and March Hastings (lesbian author Sally Singer). Some writers chose to use multiple pseudonyms, such as Gilbert Fox (published under Dallas Mayo and Paul Russo, among others), and some chose to use a separate name for each genre of pulp novel which they produced. This practice had the benefit of concealing some authors' outright connection to lesbian culture but was also a practice of pulp more generally. Because pulp was poor quality literature, due primarily to the constraints of cheap publishing and quick production, writers often intended these novels to be their introduction to large publishing houses. Authors would begin by writing pulp and then, once they had become accustomed to the industry, would move onto more serious works without having trashy pulp as part of their reputation.
The majority of lesbian pulp novels are original stories created for mass production by American writers. A few key exceptions to this rule existed. The first was reproductions of older lesbian literary works, including Radclyffe Hall's influential The Well of Loneliness (original 1928), Lillian Hellman's script for the play The Children's Hour (original 1934), and Anna Elisabet Weirauch's The Scorpion (original 1919, published in German). The other exception is international works, which would be translated and printed in pulp for the US. Tereska Torrès's Women's Barracks (1950), the novel which started the lesbian pulp genre, was translated from its original French for its mass production in America. Other translated works include Lucie Marchal's, The Mesh (original French, published as pulp in 1959), Francoise Mallet's The Loving and the Daring (original French, also known in English as The Illusionist, published as pulp in 1952), and Torrès's By Cecile (1963). Many of these republished works are among the most favorable to lesbians, as they reflect personal experiences of the author or are canonical entries into broader lesbian literature. While many of the best-regarded novels in the genre were written by lesbian or bisexual women, the bulk of what was produced by American publishers was by male authors for a male audience. Considered perverse erotica, lesbian pulps were written and marketed towards male gratification.
These pulp novels occupy a conflicted space in lesbian culture. Because they were published and distributed en masse, these books became a way for closeted lesbian and bisexual women in areas where there were no strong LGBT communities to find self-recognition and connection with others. Some found the books changing how they thought of their sexuality, particularly if they had only experienced straight relationships. However, buying and keeping these books could be taboo, despite their general popularity. Purchasers often tried to buy lesbian pulps as covertly as possible, and many took advantage of the disposable quality of pulp and abandoned or destroyed the books when they had finished reading them. Publishers were willing to produce lesbian novels because they were an extremely profitable genre, but the US Post Office refused to deliver "explicit" materials, including any promotion of lesbian relationships—regardless of the actual sexual content within. Authors circumvented this issue by creating narratives which appeared to condemn lesbianism. Characters would frequently be killed, go insane, convert back to heterosexuality, or be otherwise fatally punished in the conclusion of the book. In others, the entire novel's plot would include a pervasive element of shame or corruption when a young woman would be manipulated into a lesbian relationship. Compounding these issues is the trite or formulaic nature of the plots, which were often a product of the hastened publishing schedule and low budget for production. These factors create difficulty for many in the current lesbian community to relate to the condemning nature of the genre, particularly as many works of far better quality in both writing and representation have appeared in recent decades.
The cover artwork of these novels is another important aspect. Although there were some strong communities of LGBT women, particularly in urban areas, many had difficulty finding or accessing them. Particularly for those who lived in rural areas or with deep homophobia, the covers of pulp novels would be the first time they saw themselves reflected in popular culture. Lesbian pulp covers usually contained a depiction of two or more women, at least one of whom was exhibiting an identifiable lesbian desire. Common themes included women undressing in private or in communal rooms, women ignoring men in favor of gazing at another woman's body, or women in the midst of a romantic encounter. These covers generally teased at the sexual content within the books, which was typical of all pulp romances. Every identified artist for this collection's covers is a man. Although some women did paint for pulp novels and magazines, they would be frequently relegated to less controversial subjects, such as demure heterosexual romances, and in the rare case horrors, mysteries, and thrillers. Many of the artists for the lesbian novels also produced for many other pulp publications. Artists would receive the covers as an assignment from their publishing company, often without any contact with the author. Because of the tight production schedule, they would often be working off skimming the book's contents, its (publisher-generated) title, or in the lucky case a plot synopsis. Due to this, although some covers hint at community subgroups such as butch and femme aesthetics, they are generally inaccurate to the fashion of real lesbian communities.
Some cover artists of the novels remain unidentified, which can be for a multitude of reasons. First, in the early 1950s many pulp publishers did not allow artists to keep the rights to their work, and so the paintings were considered the sole property of the company. Some publishers would even reuse covers, as is the case for Kay Addams's Warped Desire (1960) and Richard Villanova's Her Woman (1962). Although artists were eventually given more rights, many were unable to claim important works as their intellectual property. Second, because of the controversial nature of the genre, many artists chose not to include specific covers in their portfolio. Like the authors, pulp was sometimes considered a way to launch a more extensive fine arts career, although successful artists often committed to long-term work in the industry. It was far more acceptable to use works from other pulp genres like mystery and horror as promotional and professional material. Paul Rader is one of the few artists who was able and willing to sign his covers. Many pulp illustrators were fresh graduates of New York art schools, but Rader entered the industry later in life. Rader's work was exceptionally suited to the demands of romance and lesbian pulps, because he was notably better at depicting "sexy" bodies than painting for other genres, like sci-fi. When Midwood Books was founded in 1957, he was one of the first to paint for them and quickly became a favorite of the publisher. Six of the novels in this collection have covers that can be attributed to Rader.
Lesbian pulps were the backdrop to an extensive fight over the right to produce and sell explicit content. The publication of Women's Barracks is famous as the event which precipitated the formation of the House Select Committee on Current Pornographic Materials from 1952-1953. The Committee ultimately accomplished little in restricting pulp novels, but it did cause editorial changes to the book (the addition of a disapproving narrator) and demonstrated political attitudes towards the genre. In 1956, a bookseller was punished with 30 days of imprisonment for selling copies of Mark Tryon's Sweeter than Life, republished after the lawsuit as The Twisted Loves of Nym O'Sullivan. This case was eventually appealed to the Supreme Court, resulting in the Smith v. California (1959) decision, which voided the California law preventing the sale of "obscene" content on the grounds that it violated the First Amendment right to free speech. Over the course of the 1960s, lawsuits continued to erode the restrictions on explicit content. Rather than boost the lesbian pulp genre, however, this caused its collapse.
The expansion of publishers' rights meant that the Postal Service could no longer deny delivering lesbian-friendly or pornographic novels on content alone. However, mass publishers were not willing to print works which portrayed lesbianism positively or which increased the amount of graphic content. Smaller presses and collectives began to emerge, which were able to siphon the market for pulps with novels that were better written and more satisfying for their audiences. Unable and unwilling to meet this new competition, publishers like Midwood and Beacon-Signal turned towards the other genres of pulp fiction. The year 1965 marks the end of the lesbian pulp era. Though lesbian fiction had improved in quality, smaller presses were unable to reach the same closeted and isolated women that pulps appealed to as they were considerably limited in their geographic distribution by the size of their operations and the cost of shipping. For many lesbians who had relied on pulps in lieu of community, their access to LGBT content became incredibly restricted in the coming decades. However, lesbian pulp fiction incentivized a new generation of writers to produce better literature through the 1970s and 80s. Publishing houses like Naiad Press were established, which were able to support the ambition of these new authors. Although genuine pulp manufacture had ceased, these presses would continue to reprint the most influential lesbian pulps for the next generation to enjoy. (Written by Sara Kunkemueller.)
Sources
Blakemore, Erin. "Pulp Fiction Helped Define American Lesbianism," Jstor Daily, 2019. Accessed through https://daily.jstor.org/pulp-fiction-helped-define-american-lesbianism/.
Fonesca, Sarah. "Reality Is a Drag: I'd Rather Live in Lesbian Pulp Fiction," them, Mar. 2019. Accessed through https://www.them.us/story/lesbian-pulp-fiction.
Frost, Natasha. "The Lesbian Pulp Fiction That Saved Lives," Atlas Obscura, May 2018. Accessed through https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/lesbian-pulp-fiction-ann-bannon.
Hermes, Joke. "Sexuality in Lesbian Romance Fiction," Feminist Review, no. 42, Autumn 1992, pp. 49-66. Accessed through https://www.jstor.org/stable/1395129.
Keller, Yvonne. "'Was It Right to Love Her Brother's Wife so Passionately?': Lesbian Pulp Novels and U.S. Lesbian Identity, 1950-1965," American Quarterly, vol. 57, no. 2, Jun. 2005, pp. 385-410. Accessed through https://www.jstor.org/stable/40068271.
Munroe, Lynn. "The Notebooks of Paul Rader," Lynn Munroe Books, n.d. Accessed through http://lynn-munroe-books.com/list64/RaderHome/RaderNotebooks-home.htm.
Rabinowitz, Paula. "Slips of the Tongue: Uncovering Lesbian Pulp," American Pulp: How Paperbacks Brought Modernism to Main Street, Princeton University Press, 2014, pp. 184-205. Accessed through https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt7zvdxq.11.
Many cover artists for this collection identified through:
"Pulp Covers: The Best of the Worst," n.d. Accessed through pulpcovers.com.
Saunders, David. "Alphabetical Index of Pulp Artists," Wild American Field Guide to Pulp Artists, n.d. Accessed through https://www.pulpartists.com/index.html.
Provenance:
Collection purchased from Swann Auction Galleries, New York, New York in September 2021. Funds for purchase provided by the Jackson Fund, NMAH.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
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. Portions of this collection are extremely fragile; any photocopying must first be approved by the on-site reference archivist.
Archeological Reconnaissance and Testing at Fort Massachusetts Gulf Islands National Seashore, Mississippi for the New Boardwalk Installation and the Park Building Demolition
Letters found here are from friends and colleagues including Herman Cherry, Philip Guston, Hilaire Hiler, Jules Langsner, Urban Neininger, Charles Pollock, and Jackson Pollock. One letter from the Leonard Stark family contains a small photograph of Georgia O'Keeffe. Some of the folders contain letters from a single correspondent, and some contain a range of correspondents, all of whom are not listed in the folder title.
See Appendix for a list of correspondents from Series 2.
Arrangement note:
The letters are arranged alphabetically by name of sender.
Appendix: Correspondents from Series 2:
What follows is a complete list of correspondents from Series 2: Letters, which supplements the container list in the finding aid. This list also contains details about the letters sent by each individual listed.
Correspondents Identified by First Name Only
Ab: 1962 (1 postcard)
Alice: 1972-1974 (2 letters)
Barb: undated (1 postcard)
Carleen: 1982 (1 postcard)
Carlotta: 1992 (1 letter to Jenny Lee)
Carol: 1989 (1 letter)
Cathy: undated (1 postcard)
Charley: undated (1 letter)
Clary?: 1995 (1 Christmas card to Jenny Lee)
Clay: 1971 (1 postcard)
Diana: 1971 (1 postcard)
Dolores: 1989 (1 letter)
Doug, Sarah, Molly, and Sam: undated (1 letter)
E., D., and L.: 1990 (1 postcard)
Eddie: 1992 (1 illustrated Christmas card)
Edward: undated (1 postcard)
Ernie: 1980 (1 letter)
Grace?: 1972 (1 postcard)
Honey, Francis, Nick, and Carol: 1995(1 Christmas card to Jenny Lee)
Isabelle: undated (1 letter)
Jeanne: 1987 (2 postcards)
Jeff: undated (1 postcard)
Jeffery: 1979 (1 postcard)
Jennifer: 1987 (1 postcard)
Jim: 1976 (1 letter)
Jin: undated (1 postcard)
Joanna: undated (1 postcard)
Joyce: 1992 (1 postcard)
Kate: 1972 (1 postcard)
Ken and Freida: 1972-1986 (2 letters)
Marina and Bruce: 1987-1989 (1 Christmas card and 2 postcards)
Marion: 1978 (1 postcard)
Martin: 1989-1990 (2 postcards)
Michael: 1985 (1 postcard)
Moira?: 1980 (1 postcard)
Ninette: 1962 (1 postcard)
Patsy: 1985 (1 postcard)
Rene: 1977 (1 postcard)
Roberta: undated (1 postcard)
Robyn: 1988-1989 (2 letters)
Roger and Harriet: undated (1 illustrated postcard)
Ross: 1990 (1 letter)
Sevin?: undated (1 postcard)
Steve: undated and 1994 (4 postcards)
Tom: undated (1 postcard)
Tony: 1978 (1 letter)
Wolfgang: undated (1 postcard)
Correspondents Identified by Surname
Advanced Design: 1989 (1 letter)
Agee, Jon and Carol: undated and 1982-1991 (6 letters, including 2 transparencies and 2 illustrated letters)
Albert, Calvin: 1974 (one postcard with photograph of Albert)
Allan Frumkin Gallery, Inc.: see Frumkin: Allan Frumkin Gallery, Inc.
Allison, Ann: 1964-1976 (2 letters)
American Art and Antiquities: 1978 (1 letter)
American Iris Society: 1988 (1 letter)
American Journal of Archaeology: 1970 (1 letter)
American National Red Cross: 1947 (1 letter)
American Turkish Society: 1973 (1 invitation)
Ames, Arthur: 1938 (1 letter)
AOI Construction, Inc.: 1986 (1 letter)
Archaeological Institute of America, New York Society: 1979 (5 letters)
Archaeometry: 1979 (1 letter)
Archives of American Art: 1976-1991 (5 letters)
Archives of the New York School: 1989 (1 letter)
Art Dealers Association of America, Inc.: 1979 (1 letter)
Art Edifices Enterprises: 1976-1979 (2 letters)
Art for Mexico: 1986 (1 letter)
Art in America: undated (1 letter)
Artists for CORE: 1965 (1 letter)
Artists for SEDF
(Scholarship, Education and Defense Fund for Racial Equality, Inc.): 1967-1968 (3 letters)
Arts Commission of San Francisco: 1988 (1 letter)
Aruz, Joanna: 1972-1986 (4 letters)
Ashford: 1 undated photograph of children
Ashton, Dore and Matti: undated (1 illustrated postcard to Jenny Lee)
Atasoy, Sumer: undated and 1970-1972 (3 letters)
Auerbach, Dorthy: 1989-1990 (2 letters)
Australian National Gallery: see Graham, Lanier
Axe, Martin: undated and 1985-1987 (3 letters)
B., F.: 1964 (1 postcard)
Barger, Illia: 1989 (1 letter including a photograph of an art work)
Barnes Foundation: 1985 (1 letter)
Barnett: David Barnett Gallery: 1971-1973 (4 letters, including a photograph of art work by Kadish)
Barnoya, Miguel Benedict: 1982 (1 letter)
Baskin, David: 1991 (1 letter with illustrated envelope and 6 picture postcards)
Beckmann, Hannes: 1969 (1 letter)
Beeblitz, Patricia: 1972 (1 letter)
Bell, Leland: see Parsons School of Design
Benson, Elaine M.. (Benson Gallery): 1975 (1 letter and 1 postcard)
Kadish, Reuben, to Bromberg, Prof. (State University College, New Paltz, N.Y.): 1968 (1 letter)
Kadish, Reuben, to Constan, Eugene: undated (1 letter)
Kadish, Reuben, to Goldman, Shifra: undated (1 letter)
Kadish, Reuben, to Guggenheim, John: 1986-1987 (3 letters)
Kadish, Reuben, to Kadish family: 1990 (1 letter)
Kadish, Reuben, to Kadish, Ruth and Moishe: 1984 (1 letter)
Kadish, Reuben, to Kyle, Mr.: 1967 (2 letters)
Kadish, Reuben, to Lee, Jenny: 1987-1992 (66 letters)
Kadish, Reuben, to Mayer, Musa (Ingie): [1988] (1 letter)
Kadish, Reuben, to Mitchel, Julio: 1988 (1 postcard)
Kadish, Reuben, to Page, Lee: 1981 (1 letter)
Kadish, Reuben, to Pound, Brandy: undated (2 letters)
Kadish, Reuben, to Reed, Susan: 1992 (1 letter)
Kadish, Reuben, to Rodriguez family: undated and 1989 (2 letters)
Kadish, Reuben, to Spring, Bob: 1992 (1 letter)
Kaufman, B. John: undated (5 photographs of art work)
Kean College of New Jersey: 1981 (1 letter)
Kenkeleba House, Inc.: 1987 (2 letters and an exhibition announcement)
Kettenbach, Friedel: 1985 (1 Christmas card)
Klayman, Toby Judith: 1981 (1 letter)
Klinger, Randy: 1988 (1 letter)
Kohn, Gabe: 1959-1962 (6 letters)
Krafft, Jo: undated (1 letter)
Kroeplin, Jim: 1974 (1 letter)
Kupferman, Lawrence: 1943-1944 (6 letters)
Kyle, Thomas: see Kadish, Reuben; see Museum of Contemporary Crafts
L., Howard: 1980 (1 letter)
Lacy, Bill: see Lee, Jenny
Landmark Gallery, Inc.: 1977-1978 (2 letters)
Langsner, Jules: undated and 1937-1963 (36 letters, including a photograph of a railroad yard, and 9 photographs of Delhi, India)
Lebt?, Bill: 1967 (1 letter)
Lee, Jenny: undated and 1985-1992 (61 letters, including clippings, exhibition announcements, 2 books -- Dreams: Visions of the Night -- by David Coxhead and Susan Hiller, and -- Italian Renaissance Sculpture -- by John Pope-Hennessy, and 8 photographs of the Watts Towers; 7 letters are illustrated); see Kadish, Reuben. Letters to: Fox, George: 1987 (1 letter); Lacy, Bill: 1987 (1 letter); McNamara, Mary: 1987 (1 letter); Miller, Lee Ann (Cooper Union): 1987 (1 letter)
Leggist?, Gihuan: 1937 (1 letter)
Lehman: Herbert H. Lehman College: 1976 (1 letter)
Leong, Jim: 1990 (1 letter, including a resume)
Lesher, Derek: 1992 (1 letter)
Levine, Marsha: undated and 1973-1986 (12 letters)
Metropolitan Museum of Art: 1975- 1986 (2 letters)
Mexican Muralists in the United States: Their Work and Influence (NEH research project): 1980-1982 (7 letters)
Michigan State University: 1966 (1 letter)
Millburn Corporation: 1988 (1 announcement for New York Aegean Bronze Age Colloquium)
Miller, Lee Ann (Cooper Union): see Lee, Jenny
Mills, J. D.: 1984-1986 (3 Christmas cards)
Ministero per i Beni Culturali e Ambientali: 1989 (2 letters in Spanish)
Minneapolis Institute of Arts: 1959 (2 letters)
Mirski, Boris: 1945 (1 letter)
Mitchel, Julio: see Kadish, Reuben
Montgomery family: 1973-1986 (14 letters, including 19 photographs of family members and sculpture)
Moore, Lucile and Jim Al: 1985-1986 (2 Christmas cards)
Morgan, Dane D.: 1963 (1 letter)
Moss, Tobey C.: 1986 (1 letter)
Museu de Arte Moderna de Sao Paulo: 1959 (1 letter)
Museum of Contemporary Crafts: 1967 (1 letter)
Museum of Modern Art: 1963 (1 letter)
Mythic Arts Africa: 1987 (1 letter from Jenny Lee)
National Academy of Design: undated (1 letter)
National Gallery of Art: 1975 (1 letter)
National Geographic Society: undated (1 form letter)
National Museum of American Art: 1986-1990 (7 letters)
National Social Welfare Assembly, Inc.: 1967 (1 letter)
NBC News: undated (1 letter)
Neininger, Urban and Jean: undated and 1937-1989 (28 letters)
Nemanic, Todd: 1981 (1 exhibition announcement)
Newark Museum: 1968 (1 letter)
Newark Public School of Fine and Industrial Art: undated and 1956-1960 (4 letters)
Newbill, Al: 1976-1987 (4 letters)
New Jersey State Council on the Arts: 1989 (1 letter)
New Jersey State Museum: 1976-1991 (10 letters)
New York Civil Liberties Union: 1972 (1 postcard)
New York Studio School: 1971-1977 (5 letters)
New York University: 1963 (1 letter)
North Jersey Cultural Council: 1970-1974 (2 letters)
O'Connell, Hilda: undated and 1963-1990 (18 letters); see Kadish, Barbara
Odate, Gerlinde: 1966-1974 (2 letters, including one with an illustration)
O'Keeffe, Georgia: see Stark, Leonard
Oles, James: 1991 (1 postcard)
Oord, A. and B.: 1984 (1 postcard)
Oregon: University of Oregon: 1973-1976 (4 letters)
Pace, Stephen: 1976-1987 (1 letter and an exhibition announcement)
Page, Lee: see Kadish, Reuben
Panero, Lorenza (Laurie): 1989-1991 (1 letter enclosing a typescript "The Three Masters of Mexican Muralism and Their Impact on the Development of American Art", and 1 exhibition announcement in Spanish)
Parsons School of Design: 1991 (1 announcement for memorial for Leland Bell)
Pekarsky, Mel: 1992 (7 letters)
Perrone, Francis S., M.D.: 1972 (1 invoice)
Phillips, Bill and Helen: 1947-1981 (2 letters and a press release)
Pollock: see McCoy, Sande
Pollock, Charles and Sylvia: undated and 1972-1990 (18 letters)
Pollock, Jackson: 1944-1947 (5 letters)
Pollock-Krasner Foundation: 1988-1992 (6 letters)
Polyn, Winifred: 1989 (1 postcard)
Port Authority of N.Y. & N.J.: 1979 (1 letter)
Potter, Jeffrey: 1990-1991 (2 letters, including a typescript "A Note on Joseph Meert")
Pound, Brandy: 1976 (1 letter); see Kadish, Reuben
Preston, Joanna: 1969-1989 (11 letters)
Printmaking Workshop: 1976-1980 (4 letters)
Pritchard, Norman: 1976 (1 Christmas card)
Provost, Larry: 1990 (1 letter)
Pye, Elizabeth: 1970 (1 letter)
Queens College: 1969 (2 letter)
Racz, David: undated (1 postcard)
Rantz, Clark T.: 1979 (1 letter)
Rapee, George and Jody: 1992 (1 letter)
Reddy, Krishna: 1974-1980 (1 letter and 9 letters from other concerning Reddy, including one letter from Stanley William Hayter)
Reed, Susan: see Kadish, Reuben
Reim, Johannes and Lois Borgenicht: 1987 (1 birth announcement)
Renfro, Claudia: undated and 1988-1992 (7 letters, including an illustrated Christmas card)
Resika, Paul: 1989 (1 postcard)
Richards: 1990 (2 photographs of a man with a child)
Richardson, Louise and Joe: undated and 1985-1986 (1 letter and 3 Christmas cards)
Ringwood Manor Association of Arts: 1975 (1 letter)
Ripton, June and James: 1984-1986 (3 Christmas cards)
Rodriguez, Melinda and Nickolas: 1989-1991 (4 letters, including a photograph of Nickolas); see Kadish, Reuben
Roecker and Gnazzo: 1986 (1 postcard)
Root, William Pitt: see Masini, Donna
Ross, Tim: 1985 (illustrated New Year's announcement)
Ru, Ridley: see San, Tamar
Ruben, Richards: 1991 (1 wedding announcement)
Rubenfeld, Florence: 1989 (2 letters)
Rubinson, Karen S.: 1987 (1 letter)
Sacartoff, Elizabeth: 1946 (3 letters)
San, Tamar, and Ridley Ru: undated (1 letter)
San Francisco Friends of the Urban Forest: 1993 (1 certificate for memorial trees for Reuben and Barbara Kadish)
Spanish Bay Galleries: 1991 (1 illustrated letter)
Spring, Bob: see Kadish, Reuben
Stable Gallery: 1958 (1 letter)
Stanzl, Gouter: 1970 (1 letter)
Stark, Leonard: undated and 1937-1966 (73 letters, including one with illustrations, one enclosing a cut-out silhouette portrait, one enclosing a photograph of a boy with a raccoon and one, dated 1947, enclosing a photograph of a film shoot with Georgia O'Keeffe)
Stewart, Jack: 1972 (1 postcard)
Stony Brook: 1990-1992 (6 letters)
Sun, Carol: 1990 (2 letters, including an exhibition announcement and clippings)
University of Oregon: see Oregon: University of Oregon
Unver, Huseyin: 1968 (2 letters)
Vergette, Helen: 1978 (1 postcard)
Vidal, Francine: 1986 (1 letter)
Vulliemoz, Yvonne: 1987-1995 (1 postcard and 1 Christmas card)
Waxman, Wendy: 1989 (1 letter)
Wayne, June: see Tamarind Lithography Workshop, Inc.
Weatherspoon Art Gallery: 1973 (1 letter)
Weeks, Leigh K.: 1974-1987 (2 letters)
Welles, Halsted (Hal): undated and 1962-1966 (3 postcards and a calling card)
Wibroe-Sanders, Suzi: 1989-1990 (2 letters)
Williams, Govaine: 1986 (1 letter)
Williams, Julian and Le: undated and 1977-1990 (1 letter, 1 wedding invitation, and 3 Christmas cards [2 with photos of microbes and a forest])
Wines, Gul and Suzan: 1986 (1 Christmas card)
Witkin, Joy: 1990 (1 letter)
Wong, Jimmy, and Songsri Chang: 1985 (1 Christmas card)
Wood, Betty: 1975 (1 letter and a postcard)
Woodward/White, Inc.: 1983 (1 letter)
Works Progress Administration - California: 1937 (1 letter)
Wu, Nancy: 1987 (6 letters)
Zogbaum, Wilfrid: 1960-1962 (2 letters)
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment. Microfilmed portion must be consulted on microfilm.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Reuben Kadish papers, 1851-1995, bulk 1913-1995. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Art Foundry and Art Foundry Editions records, circa 1975-circa 2007. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund.
Johnson, Jessica S. 2008. "Access for native people and the public: exhibits at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian." In Conservation and Access. Saunders, David, Townsend, Joyce H., and Woodcock, Sally, editors. 56–59. London: International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Ellen Lanyon papers, circa 1880-2015, bulk 1926-2013. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Financial records (Boxes 20-25) and inventory cards (Boxes 29-42) are access restricted; written permission required. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
The Fischbach Gallery records, 1937-2015, bulk 1963-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Grace Borgenicht Gallery records, circa 1953-1996. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. Research Center.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Grace Borgenicht Gallery records, circa 1953-1996. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund
Access to the collection requires an advanced appointment. Contact collection staff at least two weeks prior to preferred date, at AmericanArtCornellStudy@si.edu.
Series 9: Artifacts and Ephemera, Series 13: Personal Library and Book Collection, and Series 14: Record Album Collection, are still undergoing processing and preservation and may not be available for research use. Record albums are unavailable for playback. Contact collection staff for full lists of publications and record albums.
Collection Rights:
Unpublished materials are protected by copyright. Permission to
publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
Collection Citation:
Joseph Cornell Study Center collection, 1750-1980, bulk 1930-1972. Joseph Cornell Study Center, Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing of this collection was generously provided by the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation.
The papers of art historian, art critic, author, librarian and educator Ellen Hulda Johnson measure 61.5 linear feet and date from 1872-2018, with the bulk of the material dating from 1921-1992. The papers include biographical materials; personal and family files; personal, professional, and business correspondence; extensive research and writing files; teaching files; subject files; professional and curatorial files; and artists' files. Johnson's papers reflect the full range of her career, interests, and close relationships with many artists. There is a 0.2 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2021 that includes letters to Ellen Johnson from others, letters from Johnson to Carl Gerber, and a sketch by Johnson. Materials date from circa 1956-1991.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of art historian, art critic, author, librarian and educator Ellen Hulda Johnson measure 61.5 linear feet and date from 1872-2018, with the bulk of the material dating from 1921-1992. The papers include biographical materials; personal and family files; personal, professional, and business correspondence; extensive research and writing files; teaching files; subject files; professional and curatorial files; and artists' files. Johnson's papers reflect the full range of her career, interests, and close relationships with many artists. There is a 0.2 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2021 that includes letters to Ellen Johnson from others, letters from Johnson to Carl Gerber, and a sketch by Johnson. Materials date from circa 1956-1991.
Personal papers consist of biographical materials and personal and family files, including "memorabilia" files compiled by Johnson. Correspondence is a mix of personal, business, and professional correspondence. Significant correspondents include David Saunders (who painted a portrait of Johnson), Claes Oldenburg, Jack Tworkov, Robert Venturi, the American Scandinavian Foundation. A folder of correspondence compiled for the Archives includes letters from Alfred Stieglitz, Wendell Wilkie, Carl Milles, Jim Dine, and Alexander Archipenko.
Extensive and comprehensive writing and research project files include articles, lectures, presentations, manuscripts, notes and notebooks, including her class notebooks from courses she attended in Paris in 1935, and additional notes and notebooks on a wide variety of subjects. The numerous articles, lectures, papers, and drafts were written primarily by Johnson for the College Art Association, the Allen Memorial Art Museum bulletin, and numerous additional publications and presentations; but there are also writings by others included in the research files. Major writing projects and related research files cover Scandinavian art, the Ossabaw Island artist's colony, Cezanne, Eva Hesse, John Frederick Kensett, Claes Oldenburg, Picasso, David Saunders, Athena Tacha, Pop Art, and many other topics. Johnson's research files, manuscripts, correspondence, and photographs for major exhibitions, including one on Eva Hesse (1982) and for her published books including American Artists on Art from 1940-1980 (1982), Claes Oldenburg (1971), Fragments Recalled at 80: The Art Memoirs of Ellen H. Johnson (1993), and Modern Art and Object (1976) are arranged with the writing project files. Johnson's bibliographic index cards are found here as well.
The collection contains extensive teaching files for courses taught by Johnson at Oberlin and as a visiting professor at other institutions; professional and curatorial files reflecting her curatorial career at Allen Memorial Art Museum, as a consultant, jury member, and continuing education courses she later attended, including the Baldwin Lecture Series; and 18 linear feet of artist's files assembled by Johnson.
Arrangement:
The Ellen Hulda Johnson papers are arranged into seven series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Personal Papers, circa 1905-2009 (5 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, 56-59)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1927-2009 (5.5 linear feet; Boxes 3-7, 60)
Series 3: Writing and Research Projects, 1872, 1932-1994 (15.5 linear feet; Boxes 7-20, 56, 61-62)
Series 4: Subject Files, 1930-1993 (5 linear feet; Boxes 21-25, 62)
Series 5: Teaching Files, 1928-1989 (6 linear feet; Boxes 26-31, 62)
Series 6: Professional and Curatorial Files, 1936-1991 (6 linear feet; Boxes 32-37, 56)
Series 7: Artists Files, 1935-1992 (18.3 linear feet; Boxes 37-55, 62)
Series 8: Unprocessed Addition, 1956-1991 (0.2 linear feet; Box 63)
Biographical / Historical:
Ellen Hulda Johnson (1910-1992) was an art historian, critic, and professor who worked and taught at Oberlin College in Ohio for most of her career.
Ellen Hulda Johnson was born in 1910 in Warren, Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in art history at Oberlin in 1933 and 1935. She worked briefly at the Toledo Museum of Art before returning to Oberlin as the art librarian. In 1940 she started Oberlin's art rental program, the first of its kind in the country. She was appointed to the faculty in 1948 and taught nineteenth and twentieth century art, American art from colonial times to the present, contemporary art, and Scandinavian art. She was a member of the Allen Memorial Art Museum's acquisition committee and appointed honorary curator of modern art in 1973. She remained at Oberlin her entire career, retiring from teaching in 1977.
Johnson was a scholar of Cézanne, Claes Oldenburg, Eva Hesse, Pablo Picasso, Edvard Munch, John F. Kensett and other modern masters, as well as Scandinavian art. In 1962 she wrote the first important article on Claes Oldenburg and, in 1970, assisted curator Athena Tacha commission his first permanent large sculpture (3-Way Plug) for the grounds of the Allen Memorial Art Museum. She was the first to show the black-striped paintings that established Frank Stella's reputation. Her efforts in promoting acquisitions of young contemporary artists helped make the Allen Memorial Art Museum a leading institution in contemporary art. Her Oberlin lectures on modern art became so popular that they had to be held in the college's largest auditorium and influenced generations of students, many of whom went on to signficant positions in the field. A new wing of the museum designed by Robert Venturi opened in 1977 and was named in honor of Johnson.
Johnson was the author of numerous articles, books, and exhibition catalogs including Cezanne (Penquin, 1967); Claes Oldenburg (Penquin, 1971); American Artists on Art from 1940-1980 (Harper and Row, 1982); and Modern Art and the Object (Thames and Hudson, 1976).
In 1968, Johnson purchased the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Weltzheimer house in Oberlin, and spent a considerable part of her time and money restoring the building where she lived the rest of her life. She bequethed the house and her significant art collection to Oberlin upon her death in 1992.
Related Materials:
Papers of Ellen H. Johnson, 1933-1992, are also located at Oberlin College Archives.
Separated Materials:
Shortly after aquisition, the Archives transferred Ellen Hulda Johnson's vertical file (16 linear feet) of clippings, press releases, and exhibition announcements to the library of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery.
Provenance:
The Ellen Hulda Johnson papers were donated in 1994, 1998, 2019 and 2021 by the estate of Ellen Hulda Johnson via exectutor Athena Tacha.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington D.C. Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Ellen Hulda Johnson papers, 1872-2018, bulk 1921-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington D.C. Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Ellen Hulda Johnson papers, 1872-2018, bulk 1921-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington D.C. Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Ellen Hulda Johnson papers, 1872-2018, bulk 1921-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington D.C. Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Ellen Hulda Johnson papers, 1872-2018, bulk 1921-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington D.C. Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Collection Citation:
Ellen Hulda Johnson papers, 1872-2018, bulk 1921-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
