Search Results

Creator:

Visser, Robert, 1860-1937  Search this

Collection Collector:

National Museum of African Art (U.S.)  Search this

Extent:

1 Postcard (collotype., b&w, 9 x 14 cm.)

Container:

Volume 1

Type:

Archival materials

Postcards

Postcards

Place:

Africa

Congo (Brazzaville)

Date:

[ca. 1906]

Scope and Contents:

Printed caption on recto reads: "Congo Français. No. 9. Sculpteur d'Ivoire."

Translated caption reads: "French Congo. No 9. Ivory sculptor."

Additional printed text on recto reads: "Photographie R. Visser, Déposé."

Postmarked postage stamp on recto.

Publication caption reads: "14. Ivory carver, French Congo; [Congo Français No. 9 - Sculpteur d'Ivoire]; Photograph by Robert Visser; c. 1890-1900, postcard, collotype; Publisher unkown, c. 1905; Postmarked July 26, 1906; EEPA Postcard Collection 1985-140830."

Items EEPA CF-04-03 and EEPA CF-20-98 bear variations of the same recto image.

Local Numbers:

EEPA CF-04-03

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.

Collection Rights:

Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Occupation:

Artists  Search this

Topic:

Portrait photography  Search this

Genre/Form:

Postcards

Collection Citation:

African Postcard collection, EEPA 1985-014, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

EEPA.1985-014, Item EEPA CF 1985-140830

See more items in:

African Postcard Collection

African Postcard Collection / Series 12: Congo Français (CF)

Archival Repository:

Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-eepa-1985-014-ref2198

Sculptor:

Allouard, Henri, 1844-1929  Search this

Collection Collector:

National Museum of African Art (U.S.)  Search this

Extent:

1 Postcard (collotype., b&w, 9 x 14 cm.)

Container:

Volume 2 GV

Type:

Archival materials

Postcards

Postcards

Picture postcards

Place:

Africa

Guinea

Guinea, -- Capitale d'État-Zone Spéciale de Conakry, -- Conakry

Date:

circa 1910

Scope and Contents:

Printed caption on recto reads: "Conakry; Guinée française; Monument Ballay - Socle. Vue de gauche."

Translated caption reads: "Conakry; French Guinea; Ballay Monument - Base. Left view."

Additional printed text on recto reads: "H. Allouard, sculpt."

Manuscript address and postmarked postage stamp on verso.

Local Numbers:

EEPA GV-27-01

General:

Title source: Postcard caption.

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.

Collection Rights:

Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Topic:

Works of art in situ  Search this

Sculpture  Search this

Monuments  Search this

Genre/Form:

Picture postcards

Collection Citation:

African Postcard collection, EEPA 1985-014, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

EEPA.1985-014, Item EEPA GV 1994-005-0051

See more items in:

African Postcard Collection

African Postcard Collection / Series 21: Guinea (GV)

Archival Repository:

Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-eepa-1985-014-ref4771

Sculptor:

Allouard, Henri, 1844-1929  Search this

Collection Collector:

National Museum of African Art (U.S.)  Search this

Extent:

1 Postcard (collotype., b&w, 9 x 14 cm.)

Container:

Volume 2 GV

Type:

Archival materials

Postcards

Postcards

Picture postcards

Place:

Africa

Guinea

Guinea, -- Capitale d'État-Zone Spéciale de Conakry, -- Conakry

Date:

circa 1910

Scope and Contents:

Printed caption on recto reads: "Conakry; Guinée française; Monument Ballay - Socle. Vue de face."

Translated caption reads: "Conakry; French Guinea; Ballay Monument - Base. Front view."

Additional printed text on recto reads: "H. Allouard, sculpt."

Local Numbers:

EEPA GV-27-02

General:

Title source: Postcard caption.

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.

Collection Rights:

Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Topic:

Works of art in situ  Search this

Sculpture  Search this

Monuments  Search this

Genre/Form:

Picture postcards

Collection Citation:

African Postcard collection, EEPA 1985-014, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

EEPA.1985-014, Item EEPA GV 2012-001-0759

See more items in:

African Postcard Collection

African Postcard Collection / Series 21: Guinea (GV)

Archival Repository:

Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-eepa-1985-014-ref4848

Creator:

The Elite Group (Nairobi)  Search this

Collection Collector:

National Museum of African Art (U.S.)  Search this

Extent:

1 Postcard (col., 9 x 14 cm.)

Container:

Volume 1

Type:

Archival materials

Postcards

Postcards

Place:

Africa

Kenya

Kenya, -- Nairobi

Date:

c. 1950

Scope and Contents:

Text on verso reads: "East Africa - University College - Nairobi. Jajnik Memorial Fountain by Sculptor Foit. "Africa in Pictures." 129/197. PEGAS. Copyright Owner: The Elite Group, P. O. Box 683 Nairobi."

Local Numbers:

EEPA KE-03-03

General:

Title source: Postcard caption.

Image indexed by catalogue number or subjects.

Collection Restrictions:

Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.

Collection Rights:

Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.

Topic:

Mod. architecture/cityscape -- Photographs  Search this

Works of art in situ  Search this

Sculpture  Search this

Architecture -- Africa  Search this

Genre/Form:

Postcards

Collection Citation:

African Postcard collection, EEPA 1985-014, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

EEPA.1985-014, Item EEPA KE 1995-027-001

See more items in:

African Postcard Collection

African Postcard Collection / Series 23: Kenya (KE)

Archival Repository:

Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-eepa-1985-014-ref5182

Creator:

Woods, Gurdon G., 1915-  Search this

Names:

Otis Art Institute  Search this

San Francisco Art Institute  Search this

DeFeo, Jay, 1929-1989  Search this

Siegriest, 1899-1989  Search this

Siegriest, Lundy, 1925-  Search this

Extent:

0.8 Linear feet

0.2 Linear feet (Addition)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Drawings

Date:

1948-1987

Scope and Contents:

Correspondence; notes and writings by Woods and his students; printed material; photographs of Woods and his work; 4 sketches and drawings by his students, undated; 1 certificate from San Francisco Art Institute, undated, various subject files, 1948-1981.

Included are: correspondence with Grace McCann Morley, Jock Reynolds, Richard Hayton, Sean Elwood and others, 1960-1987; notes and writings by Woods and his students; student drawings by Joan Brown and others, and original Christmas cards received; clippings, 1955-1978; files on the San Francisco Art Festival, 1950-1951, San Francisco Art Association, the San Francisco Art Commission, the San Francisco Museum of Art, and other events and topics; gallery announcements, posters and exhibition catalogs;

writings by Woods including commencement addresses, lectures, proposals and one manuscript "New Prospects in Design Education"; proposals for long range development of the visual arts program at the University of California at Santa Cruz (1970-1979); and photographs and slides of Woods and his artwork.

ADDITION: One b&w photograph of Louis Siegriest and his son Lundy; one b&w photograph of Jay DeFeo, ca. 1960; and two exhibition catalogs on the Siegriests, 1980 and 1986; newspaper review of Woods' 1993 exhibit.

Biographical / Historical:

Sculptor and art instructor; San Francisco and Santa Cruz, California.

Provenance:

Material donated 1991 and 1992 by Gurdon Woods.

Restrictions:

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

Occupation:

Art teachers -- California -- Santa Cruz  Search this

Sculptors -- California -- Santa Cruz  Search this

Topic:

Art -- Study and teaching -- California  Search this

Art festivals  Search this

Sculpture, American -- California  Search this

Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- California  Search this

Genre/Form:

Drawings

Identifier:

AAA.woodgurd

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-woodgurd

Creator:

Wores, Theodore, 1858-1939  Search this

Names:

Bohemian Club (San Francisco, Calif.)  Search this

Duveneck, Frank, 1848-1919  Search this

Gray, Percy, 1869-1952  Search this

Keith, William, 1838-1911  Search this

Peck, Orrin, 1860-1921  Search this

Peters, Charles Rollo, 1862-1928  Search this

Russel, Alexander, Mrs  Search this

Sandona, Matteo, b. 1883  Search this

Shenson, A. Jess  Search this

Tilden, Douglas, 1860-1935  Search this

Extent:

296 Items ((on partial microfilm reel))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1881-1967

Scope and Contents:

Letters received, 1884-1967, concern Wores' art work, the Bohemian Club, the work of sculptor Douglas Tilden, and other matters. William Keith writes of his own work and choice of subject matter. Other correspondents include Orrin Peck, Frank Duveneck, Charles Rollo Peters, Mrs. Alexander Russel, Matteo Sandona, and Percy Gray. In addition, there are two scrapbooks, 1881-1938; a typescript of CALIFORNIA ART RESEARCH, 1937-Abstract from WPA Project 2874, which is a monograph on Wores with penciled corrections by him; and 5 articles from THE CENTURY ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE, 1889-1899, 4 of them written by Wores, and 1 illustrated by him.

Biographical / Historical:

Landscape painter, portrait painter, illustrator, teacher. Year of birth also cited as 1860. Born in San Francisco, resided many places.

Provenance:

Lent for microfilming April 1974 by A. Jess Shenson, M.D., along with his brother Ben who spent many years researching Wores.

Restrictions:

The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.

Occupation:

Portrait painters  Search this

Illustrators  Search this

Landscape painters  Search this

Topic:

Painting, Modern -- 19th century -- United States  Search this

Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.woretheo

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-woretheo

Creator:

Simons, Amory C. (Amory Coffin), 1869-1959  Search this

American Art Association of Paris  Search this

Académie Julian  Search this

Names:

Bartlett, Paul Wayland, 1865-1925  Search this

Du Pont, A. Felix (Alexis Felix), 1879-1948  Search this

Flannagan, John Bernard, 1895?-1942  Search this

Extent:

0.2 Linear feet ((on partial microfilm reel))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

[ca. 1890]-1934

Scope and Contents:

Material relating to Simons' activities as student and sculptor in Paris, and later as instructor in California, including: receipt for tuition payment at Academie Julian, Paris; membership card to the American Art Association of Paris; letters from John Flanagan, Paul Wayland Bartlett, his cousin A. Felix Du Pont, Santa Barbara School of the Arts, and others; and photographs of Simons and his sculpture.

Biographical / Historical:

Animal sculptor, equestrian sculptor.

Provenance:

Donated 1978 and 1979 by Douglas Hyland. Hyland's wife is a distant relative of Simons.

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:

Equestrian artists  Search this

Animal sculptors  Search this

Sculptors  Search this

Topic:

Equestrian statues -- Photographs  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.simoamor

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-simoamor

Creator:

Robert Schoelkopf Gallery  Search this

Names:

Zabriskie Gallery  Search this

Andrejevic, Milet, 1925-  Search this

Aponovich, James, 1948-  Search this

Bailey, William, 1930-2020  Search this

Bell, Leland  Search this

Brassaï, 1899-  Search this

Cameron, Julia Margaret Pattle, 1815-1879  Search this

Cartier-Bresson, Henri, 1908-  Search this

Cornell, Joseph  Search this

Dawson, Manierre, 1887-1969  Search this

Driggs, Elsie, 1898-1992  Search this

Erlebacher, Martha Mayer  Search this

Evans, Walker, 1903-1975  Search this

Fiske, Gertrude, 1878-1961  Search this

Freund, Gisèle  Search this

Horton, William S., 1865-1936  Search this

Ito, Miyoko, 1918-1983  Search this

Lachaise, Gaston, 1882-1935  Search this

Laderman, Gabriel, 1929-  Search this

Ligare, David  Search this

Matthiasdottir, Louisa  Search this

Matulka, Jan, 1890-1972  Search this

Myers, Ethel  Search this

Nadelman, Elie, 1882-1946  Search this

Schoelkopf, Robert J., 1927-1991  Search this

Stella, Joseph, 1877-1946  Search this

Storrs, John Henry Bradley, 1885-1956  Search this

Wiesenfeld, Paul  Search this

Extent:

29 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Gallery records

Illustrated letters

Photographs

Date:

1851-1991

bulk 1962-1991

Summary:

The collection comprises 29 linear feet of records that document the day-to-day administration of the Robert Schoelkopf Gallery from 1962 to 1991, with additional items predating the founding of the gallery from 1851 to 1961. The collection records artist and client relations, exhibitions, and daily business transactions through artist files, correspondence, printed matter, and photographic material.

Scope and Content Note:

The records of the Robert Schoelkopf Gallery comprise 29 linear feet of material from 1851 to 1991, with some items predating the founding of the gallery. The bulk of the records date from 1962 to 1991, providing researchers with fairly comprehensive coverage of the gallery's development and operations from its inception in 1962 until its closure in 1991. Items dated prior to 1962 relate principally to the period of transition during which Robert Schoelkopf ended his partnership with the Zabriskie Gallery and established his own business. There are also some items relating to artists of the nineteenth and early twentieth century.

The collection consists primarily of artist files documenting relations with contemporary artists, representation of deceased artists, and other works of art handled by the gallery. It also chronicles the gallery's exhibition schedule and the day-to-day administration of the business. The types of material that can be found here include correspondence, exhibition inventories, price lists, accounting and consignment records, shipping and insurance records, printed material, and photographs.

The collection is a valuable source of information on twentieth-century American art history, focusing primarily on early-twentieth-century modernists as well as an important group of American realist painters and sculptors from the latter half of the century. The collection illuminates, in detail, the developing market for these schools and, in the case of the latter group, provides personal insights from artists on the realist perspective.

The records also document the Robert Schoelkopf Gallery's significant contribution to the resurgence of interest in fine art photography during the 1960s and 1970s as reflected in an increase in the value of works by important American photographers such as Walker Evans.

Much of the outgoing correspondence from the gallery consists of copies of letters written by Robert Schoelkopf, with additional business being handled by assistant staff and, from the mid-1970s, Schoelkopf's wife, Laura Jane Schoelkopf. The records offer insight into the personalities of the Schoelkopfs and how their congenial and candid management style influenced their relationships with the contemporary artists they represented.

Arrangement:

Originally the collection was organized as one large file arranged alphabetically by folder title, with titles ranging from names of artists to general subject headings such as "Correspondence." During processing it became clear that the gallery delineated operations into three main functions: artist relations, client-dealer relations, and exhibitions. Consequently the collection is arranged as three main series based on these areas of concern. A small group of miscellaneous photographs of artists constitutes an additional series at the end of the collection.

Originally paper records throughout the collection were generally arranged chronologically, although this order was not strictly adhered to. Frequently, correspondence and memoranda were attached to related records going back several years. To preserve the relationship between such documents, records stapled together in this way have been left together. They are arranged in reverse chronological order and filed in the folder corresponding to the primary date (i.e., the date of the first and most recent paper in the group). Researchers should be aware that date ranges provided on folders refer to the primary dates of documents contained therein and that some items in the folder may predate that range. Otherwise, the general chronological scheme has been retained throughout the collection, with undated material placed at the beginning of the appropriate file.

Printed material is arranged in chronological order, with undated material at the beginning of the folder, and may include press releases, exhibition announcements, exhibition catalogs, posters, clippings from newspapers, magazines, and journals, and other publicity material. Large amounts of printed material are broken down into several discrete folder units.

The most consistent labeling system for photographic material apparent throughout the collection was title of work of art. The majority of images are not dated with a printing date or the date that the work of art was produced, and although many of them have a processing number, these are by no means consistent and there are no master lists that can be used to interpret them. Consequently, images are arranged primarily by media type and then alphabetically by title. Untitled images are placed at the beginning of a media group; "the" in a title is ignored. Exceptions to this method are addressed in the appropriate series descriptions.

Files labeled "Photographs of Works of Art" will typically include any or all of the following: black-and-white copy prints, black-and-white transparencies, color transparencies, slide transparencies, Polaroid prints, color snapshots, contact sheets, and separation sheets. Often the same image will be duplicated in several different formats. Any notes on photographic material found in or on the original folder in which the material was filed have been preserved with the material or transcribed onto a sheet of acid-free paper that either encloses or is placed directly before the item to which the information applies.

The designation "General" indicates that a file may contain any or all of the types of material outlined above.

Series 1: Artist Files, 1851-1991, undated (Boxes 1-23; 23 linear ft.)

Series 2: General Business Files, 1960-1991, undated (Boxes 24-28; 4.74 linear ft.)

Series 3: Group Exhibition Files, 1960-1988, undated (Boxes 28-29; 1 linear ft.)

Series 4: Photographs of Artists, undated (Box 29; 0.25 linear ft.)

Historical Note:

Robert Schoelkopf, Jr., was born in Queens, New York, in 1927. He graduated from Yale College in 1951 with a bachelor of arts degree and then taught briefly at his alma mater while conducting graduate research in art history. Schoelkopf began his career in commercial art in 1957 as an independent dealer of American painting and sculpture and became a member of the Art Dealers Association of America in 1958. In 1959 he formed a partnership with Virginia Zabriskie, of the Zabriskie Gallery in New York, which lasted until 1962. The gallery exhibited late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century American painting, together with contemporary painting of a somewhat conservative style.

In 1962 Schoelkopf signed a three-year lease for the fourth floor of a building at 825 Madison Avenue in New York, where he opened the Robert Schoelkopf Gallery. From the outset, Schoelkopf aimed to specialize in American painting of the nineteenth and twentieth century and sculpture of all schools. He predicted a burgeoning market for the Hudson River School in particular, believing that American painting was increasingly perceived as being worthy of serious attention. In a letter dated January 3, 1963, Schoelkopf congratulated John Spencer for his decision to collect nineteenth-century American paintings for the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College, assuring him that "progressive chauvanism [ sic] will operate to elevate prices in American painting. Every year more colleges teach Art History, and soon they shall have reached the level of sophistication and development where they will be obliged (for face) to offer tuition in specifically American art - hitherto neglected of academicians.... I and many other dealers have plans for exhibitions of nineteenth-century American painting, especially the Hudson River School."

Schoelkopf's instincts regarding the Hudson River School were undoubtedly correct, and consequently nineteenth-century American painters formed a permanent mainstay of his inventory. He is perhaps remembered more, however, for his dedication to reviving interest in lesser-known American painters from the turn-of-the-century who were impressionist or modernist in style. Schoelkopf developed something of a reputation for unearthing forgotten talent that, while sometimes mediocre or inconsistent, was occasionally exceptional and certainly worthy of note. He was committed to reinstalling Joseph Stella in the pantheon of major American artists, representing Stella's estate from 1963 to 1971 and holding regular exhibitions of the artist's work from 1962 on. In 1969 the gallery held the first New York exhibition of the paintings of Manierre Dawson, who was subsequently acclaimed by the critics for his important and innovative contributions to modernism. In 1970 Schoelkopf began showing the work of Jan Matulka, an artist whose work had been neglected since the 1930s, and his enthusiastic representation of the Matulka estate paved the way for a retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1979.

Schoelkopf's interest in turn-of-the-century artists also extended to sculptors such as John Flannagan, Ethel Myers, Elie Nadelman, and John Henry Bradley Storrs, and he directed considerable energy to furthering Gaston Lachaise's reputation as an artist of major stature. When Lachaise died at the peak of his career in 1935, his estate was left to his wife, Isabel, and in 1957 to Isabel's son, Edward. When Edward died shortly thereafter, John B. Pierce, Jr., a nephew of Isabel Lachaise, was appointed trustee of the estate and formed the Lachaise Foundation. In 1962 Pierce entered an agreement with Robert Schoelkopf and Felix Landau to represent Lachaise's sculpture on the East and West Coasts, respectively. In this capacity Schoelkopf helped to launch a major retrospective of the artist's work at the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1964 and a traveling exhibition that began circulating in 1967.

The gallery's other major commitment was to painting and sculpture by contemporary American realists, many of whom worked in a figurative style and explored elements of allegory and classical mythology in their work, presenting landscapes, still lifes, and portraits from a realist perspective. The bulk of the gallery's exhibitions were, in fact, of work by contemporary artists, including metaphysical still-life painter William Bailey, colorist Leland Bell, figurative painter Martha Mayer Erlebacher, landscape and narrative painter Gabriel Laderman, and Icelandic artist Louisa Matthiasdottir. William Bailey was one of the gallery's most commercially successful artists, and his first one-person exhibition in New York was held there in 1968. Demand for Bailey's paintings often far exceeded his output, and by the late 1970s Schoelkopf invariably sold out his exhibitions and had compiled a lengthy waiting list for his work.

In its early years the Robert Schoelkopf Gallery contributed considerably to the development of interest in fine art photography that fostered an increasingly lucrative market for photographic prints during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1965 Schoelkopf began incorporating photography into the gallery's exhibition schedule and, in the spring of 1974, opened a gallery dedicated to photography on the second floor at 825 Madison Avenue. Between 1965 and 1979 Schoelkopf's was the only serious New York gallery dealing in painting and sculpture that also regularly exhibited photography as fine art. His interests lay primarily in antiquarian photography and the work of nineteenth-century and twentieth-century masters including Eugéne Atget, Mathew Brady, James Robertson, and Carleton Watkins. Schoelkopf organized shows examining specific photographic processes, the photogravure and the cyanotype, and presented surveys of genres such as portrait and landscape photography. In 1967 he held the first exhibition in many years of the work of Julia Margaret Cameron, an important figure in the history of Victorian photography, timing it to coincide with a show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that focused on Cameron as one of four Victorian photographers.

Schoelkopf also handled the work of several influential contemporaries, most notably Brassaï, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, and Gisèle Freund. The gallery held Freund's first exhibition in the United States in 1975 and was, for a time, the only place in New York where one could see and purchase prints by Cartier-Bresson. Schoelkopf began exhibiting Evans's work in 1966 and regularly thereafter, including a 1971 exhibition that coincided with a major retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art.

In the fall of 1976 the second-floor gallery space was turned over to Marcuse (Cusie) Pfeifer, then the gallery's director, who planned to use it to show the work of young photographers in a gallery under her own name. Schoelkopf continued to hold several photography exhibitions a year in the fourth-floor gallery but decided to concentrate primarily on nineteenth-century masters.

In March 1971 a fire in the building at Madison Avenue resulted in substantial water damage to the gallery space. Although very little of the inventory was destroyed, the incident forced Schoelkopf to close until September. This temporary loss of revenue compounded with a nationwide recession cut into Schoelkopf's financial resources and left him questioning his commission policy and his level of commitment to contemporary work in all media. A letter to artist Adolph Rosenblatt dated May 3, 1971, records how Schoelkopf had become increasingly disenchanted with "all contemporary work" and would begin taking 40 percent commission on sales, instead of 33.3 percent. "Beside the matter of enthusiasm is the matter of economics," Schoelkopf remarked, "and the last year and a half have been really dreadful for the art business."

This difficult period was followed immediately by more prosperous times. January 1973 proved to be the gallery's most successful month to date, encouraging Schoelkopf to purchase a house in Chappaqua, New York, later that year. In November 1974 Schoelkopf wrote to Anthony D'Offay that business "is as slow as it has ever been, but what sales we make are big ones" and revealed that auctions had, at that point, become his primary avenue for trade.

Around 1975 Schoelkopf's wife of eleven years, Laura Jane Schoelkopf, began working in the gallery. Although seemingly dubious of the work at first, she became a considerable asset to the business and reputedly complemented her husband's relationship with the gallery's contemporary artists through her warmth and hospitality, qualities often noted by artists who corresponded regularly with the couple.

The financial instability that characterized the 1970s undoubtedly influenced Schoelkopf's decision to cease exhibiting photography in 1979. By 1978 however, his investment in early-twentieth-century art appeared to be paying off. Jan Matulka, Joseph Stella, and John Henry Bradley Storrs had all been represented in exhibitions at major museums, and sales of their work had increased considerably. Gaston Lachaise's reputation continued to grow, and the traveling exhibition still circulated, garnering far more interest than had originally been anticipated.

Although contemporary artists continued to take up the largest portion of the gallery's changing exhibitions, Schoelkopf's interest in contemporary work was growing more conservative, tending toward a narrower focus on the narrative and allegorical. By 1979 he no longer exhibited contemporary sculpture, admitting to a lack of enthusiasm for the work of any of the current figurative sculptors and a dislike of all contemporary abstract work. In a letter to Lillian Delevoryas, dated March 17, 1982, he confessed, "With age has come a hardening of the aesthetic arteries perhaps. What we have been showing is realism, but getting tighter all the time."

In April 1984 the gallery was moved to 50 West Fifty-seventh Street, and, during the years that followed, the Schoelkopfs pared down the number of contemporary artists they represented, handling only those to whom they felt most strongly committed while continuing to specialize in nineteenth-century and early-twentieth-century American painting and sculpture. As the gallery approached its thirtieth anniversary, Schoelkopf's achievements were considerable. He had operated a successful New York gallery for almost three decades, rejuvenated the reputations of several important American artists, and was respected by artists and clients alike for the integrity, intelligence, and humor with which he conducted his business affairs. In 1987 he had been appointed to the board of trustees of the Williamstown Regional Art Conservation Laboratory. By this time he was also a member of the advisory board to the National Academy of Design, and in 1988 he became a co-trustee of the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation.

In March 1990, Robert Schoelkopf was diagnosed with leukemia and underwent a regimen of cancer treatment that resulted in a brief remission by the summer. Schoelkopf returned to work temporarily, but by 1991 his condition had worsened and he died in April of that year. Having known for some time that her husband's prognosis was poor, Laura Jane Schoelkopf had apparently decided that she would not continue the gallery in the event of his death. With the help of the youngest of their two sons, Andrew, she settled final accounts and assisted the gallery's contemporary artists in finding representation elsewhere before closing the business in August 1991.

Provenance:

Twenty-seven linear feet of records were donated to the Archives of American Art by Laura Jane Schoelkopf, Robert Schoelkopf's widow, and the Coe Kerr Gallery in 1991 and 1992. An additional gift of 3.4 linear feet was donated by Laura Jane Schoelkopf in 1996. The collection was reduced slightly during processing.

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Topic:

Art, Modern -- 20th century  Search this

Works of art  Search this

Photography, Artistic  Search this

Realism  Search this

Art, American  Search this

Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Genre/Form:

Gallery records

Illustrated letters

Photographs

Citation:

Robert Schoelkopf Gallery records, 1851-1991, bulk 1962-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Getty Foundation.

Identifier:

AAA.robeschg

See more items in:

Robert Schoelkopf Gallery records

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-robeschg

Interviewee:

Robbins, Tom  Search this

Interviewer:

Kingsbury, Martha, 1941-  Search this

Names:

Kendrick, William Philip  Search this

Newman, Barnett, 1905-1970  Search this

Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956  Search this

Extent:

47 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1984 March 3

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Tom Robbins conducted 1984 March 3, in La Conner, Wash., by Martha Kingsbury, for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project.

Robbins speaks of his youth; the importance of his first trips to New York; meeting Barnett Newman and William Philip Kendrick; the influence of Oriental art; his drug experience; his research on Jackson Pollock; coming to Washington State and working as an art critic; the impact of the 1962 World's Fair on art; and style versus content in art.

Biographical / Historical:

Tom Robbins (1936- ) is a writer and critic from LaConner, Wash.

General:

Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 28 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Occupation:

Art critics -- Washington (State) -- Interviews  Search this

Topic:

Art criticism  Search this

Art, Modern -- Northwestern States  Search this

Art, American -- Northwestern States  Search this

Authors -- Washington (State) -- Interviews  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.robbin84

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-robbin84

Interviewee:

Roberts, Maurine Hiatt, 1897 or 1898-  Search this

Interviewer:

Shores, Kenneth, 1928-  Search this

Names:

Contemporary Crafts Gallery (Portland, Or.)  Search this

Extent:

62 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1984 August 29-31

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Maurine Hiatt Roberts conducted 1984 August 29-31, by Ken Shores, for the Archives of American Art's Northwest Oral History Project, at the artist's home, in Portland, Or.

Roberts speaks of her background; her childhood in Kansas; her early influences and interests including theater design and costumes; her education; the founding of the Contemporary Crafts Gallery; the influence of Lydia Herrick Hodge; the Northwest art community; various exhibits and workshops she participated in; her dedication to education and promotion of art and craft; and teaching weaving and other activities.

Biographical / Historical:

Maurine Hiatt Roberts (b. 1897 or 8) was a painter, illustrator, and teacher from Portland, Or.

General:

Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives' Northwest Oral History Project, begun in 1982 to document the Northwest artistic community through interviews with painters, sculptors, craftsmen, educators, curators, and others, in Oregon, Washington and Montana.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Topic:

Handicraft -- Northwestern States  Search this

Art, Modern -- Northwestern States  Search this

Art, American -- Northwestern States  Search this

Artisans -- Oregon -- Portland -- Interviews  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.robert84

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-robert84

Creator:

Roberts, Colette, 1910-  Search this

Names:

British Broadcasting Corporation  Search this

Grand Central Moderns (Gallery)  Search this

Le Point Cardinal (Gallery)  Search this

New York University -- Faculty  Search this

Bauermeister, Mary, 1934-  Search this

Bearden, Romare, 1911-1988  Search this

Chryssa, 1933-  Search this

Dehner, Dorothy, 1901-1994  Search this

Duchamp, Marcel, 1887-1968  Search this

Ferren, John, 1905-1970  Search this

Gottlieb, Adolph, 1903-1974  Search this

Johnson, Ray, 1927-  Search this

Karp, Ivan C., 1926-2012  Search this

Le Prat, Thérèse  Search this

Lindner, Richard, 1901-  Search this

Marisol, 1930-2016  Search this

Moy, Seong  Search this

Nevelson, Louise, 1899-1988  Search this

O'Doherty, Brian  Search this

Ray, Man, 1890-1976  Search this

Reinhardt, Ad, 1913-1967 -- Photographs  Search this

Schwabacher, Ethel, 1903-1984  Search this

Sterne, Hedda, 1910-  Search this

Vieira da Silva, Maria Helena, 1908-1992  Search this

Extent:

10.2 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Transcripts

Reviews (documents)

Interviews

Articles

Notes

Manuscripts

Photographs

Sound recordings

Date:

1918-1971

Summary:

The papers of New York City and Paris art historian, educator, and gallerist Colette Roberts measure 10.2 linear feet and date from 1918 to 1971. Papers include correspondence, writings, teaching records, project proposals, gallery records from Grand Central Moderns Gallery, clippings, Roberts' printed articles, press releases, exhibition catalogs, posters, photographs, and a few works of art on paper. Also found are 124 interviews with contemporary artists conducted by Roberts.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of New York City and Paris art historian, educator, and gallerist Colette Roberts measure 10.2 linear feet and date from 1918 to 1971. Papers include correspondence, writings, teaching records, project proposals, gallery records from Grand Central Moderns Gallery, clippings, Roberts' printed articles, press releases, exhibition catalogs, posters, photographs, and a few works of art on paper. Also found are 124 interviews with contemporary artists conducted by Roberts.

Significant correspondents include Sam Adler, Erwin Barrie, Hubert Damisch, George Deem, Mesdames de Harting and de Tinan, Lamar Dodd, Hélène Drude (Le Point Cardinal gallery), Arne Ekstrom, Albert M. Fine (Fluxus artist), Iqbal Geoffrey, R.G. Gilllet, Adolph Gottlieb, Cleve Gray, Leon Hartl, Jennett Lam, Alberto Cifolelli Lamb, Mike Nevelson, Norman Norotzky, Jacqueline Pavlowsky, Abe Rattner, Ad Reinhardt, H. Sandberg, Philippe Stern, Russell Twiggs, and Zuka.

Writings by Roberts include manuscripts and articles about artists, writings about her own art, personal writings, working notes from interviews and classes, reviews, and translations between English and French.

Among the personal records are Robert's files relating to teaching, charitable activities, and exhibitions. Also found are gallery records from Grand Central Moderns Gallery, including artist résumés, a card file of artworks with provenance information, exhibition catalogs and announcements, membership records, posters, publicity, and sales records.

Printed materials in the collection include clippings, Roberts' printed articles, press releases, and other exhibition catalogs and announcements. Photographs are of Roberts, artists, including Ad Reinhardt, classes, art spaces, and works of art. A small number of artworks on paper are also found, including Fluxus art stamps and a printed picture of Ray Johnson stamped "DOUGHNUT FESTIVAL."

Documentation of interviews with artists conducted by Roberts includes a card index file, a few transcripts, and the original sound recordings. Most of the recordings are interviews with artists that Roberts created during a class she taught at New York University between 1957 and 1971 called "Meet the Artist," including Mary Bauermeister, Romare Bearden, Dorothy Dehner, John Ferren, Ray Johnson, Ivan Karp, Thérèse Le Prat, Richard Lindner, Marisol, Seong Moy, Brian O'Doherty, Man Ray, Ethel Schwabacher, Hedda Sterne, Marie Helena Vieira da Silva, and many others. In preparation for magazine articles, Roberts conducted more extensive interviews with Chryssa, Marcel Duchamp, Adolph Gottlieb, and Louise Nevelson. A few of the recordings of Marcel Duchamp were not created by Roberts. In all, over 100 artists are represented in Roberts' interviews. Other recordings found include lectures and interviews conducted by people other than Roberts.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 8 series:

Series 1: Correspondence, 1918-1971 (Box 1, 0.5 linear feet)

Series 2: Notes and Writings, 1936-1970 (Box 1, 0.3 linear feet)

Series 3: Personal Records, 1944-1971 (Box 1-2, 11; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 4: Grand Central Moderns Gallery Records, 1952-1970 (Box 2-3, 11; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1938-1971 (Box 3-5, 11-12; 2.0 linear feet)

Series 6: Photographs, 1930-1971 (Box 5; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 7: Artwork, 1940-1969 (Box 5; 4 folders)

Series 8: Interviews with Artists, 1959-1971 (Box 5-10; 5.5 lienar feet)

Biographical Note:

Colette Roberts was a French artist, curator, gallery director, and scholar who emigrated to the United States in 1939, settling in New York City and remaining there until her death in 1971.

Roberts was born in Paris, France in 1910. She studied art with Roger Bissière at the Académie Ranson and with Henry Focillon at the Ecole du Louvre, and she later attended the Institut d'Art et Archeologie at the Sorbonne. Roberts came to the United States in 1939, settling in New York City, and became an American citizen three years later. In her early years in the United States, Roberts lectured and wrote on art and literature, and was active in various war-relief organizations, raising money and organizing benefits for organizations such as the American Red Cross and UNICEF. She was the gallery director for the National Association of Women Artists' Argent Galleries from 1947 to 1949, secretary to the curator of Far Eastern Art at New York's Metropolitan Museum from 1950 to 1951, and art editor for "France Amérique," the French-language newspaper in New York, beginning in 1953.

Roberts became gallery director of the Grand Central Moderns Gallery (New York, NY) in 1952 and remained in that position until 1968, when the gallery closed. The gallery was opened in 1946 by Erwin S. Barrie of the Grand Central Galleries for the promotion of living American artists. Among the artists represented there were Jennett Lam and Seong Moy. During this period she was also an instructor at New York University and Queens College, teaching art history and contemporary art. In 1957, she began a course at New York University called "Meet the Artist," for which she took her classes to the studios of working artists to see and discuss their work. In the early 1960s, she began to tape record her interviews of artists for this course, a practice which continued until her death in 1971. In 1968, Roberts worked briefly as Gallery Director for the A.M. Sachs Gallery (New York, NY), and as an oral history interviewer for the Archives of American Art.

Roberts wrote extensively on contempoary art, including articles and monographs on Mark Tobey (1960, Grove Press), Louise Nevelson (1964, The Pocket Museum), and Marcel Duchamp. She was a regular contributor to Aujourd'hui and Art and Architecture magazines.

Related Material:

Additional papers and recordings of Colette Roberts are held by Syracuse University Library Special Collections Research Center.

Separated Material:

A copy of a 1967 oral history with Adolf Gottlieb conducted by Dorothy Seckler for the Archives of American Art oral history program, which was found in Roberts' papers, has been returned to the Archives' oral history collection.

Provenance:

The sound recordings and transcripts of interviews with artists, were donated by Colette Roberts in 1970. The remaining papers were donated by her son, Richard B. Roberts, in 1973.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.

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:

Art historians -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

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

Art -- Study and teaching  Search this

Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

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

Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Fluxus (Group of artists)  Search this

Artists -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Genre/Form:

Transcripts

Reviews (documents)

Interviews

Articles

Notes

Manuscripts

Photographs

Sound recordings

Citation:

Colette Roberts papers and interviews with artists, circa 1930-1971. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by The Brown Foundation, Inc.

Identifier:

AAA.robecoli

See more items in:

Colette Roberts Papers and Interviews with Artists

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-robecoli

Photographer:

Thompson, Jerry L., 1945  Search this

Names:

Palmer, Erastus Dow, 1817-1904  Search this

Remington, Frederic, 1861-1909  Search this

Saint-Gaudens, Augustus, 1848-1907  Search this

Ward, John Quincy Adams, 1830-1910  Search this

Extent:

3 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1983 - 1989

Summary:

This collection contains photographic material taken during Jerry L. Thompson's career at the Metroplitan Museum of Art (New York, NY). The collection includes black-and-white photographic prints, negatives and color transparencies documenting the work of four prominent American sculptors: Erastus Dow Palmer, Frederic Remington, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and John Quincy Adams Ward.

Scope and Contents:

Comprised of 3 linear feet, this collection contains black-and-white photographic prints, negatives and color transparencies taken by Jerry L. Thompson documenting the work of four prominent American sculptors: Erastus Dow Palmer, Frederic Remington, Augustus Saint-Gaudens and John Quincy Adams Ward. Each artist is represented by approximately 100 photographs. The collection includes images of over twenty outdoor public monuments by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, including multiple views and details of the Adams Memorial (Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC), taken in 1985-1986. The collection includes detailed photographs of 16 major casts by Frederic Remington.

Arrangement:

Photographic materials are arranged alphabetically by artist's name.

Biographical / Historical:

Jerry L. Thompson has been a professional photographer since 1973. Born in Houston, Texas in 1945, he studied at the University of Texas and Yale University. From 1972 to 1975, he served as Walker Evans' principle assistant; and was a member of the faculty of Yale University from 1973 to 1980. He has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts (1977) and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation (also in 1977). In addition to his portraits from the Coney Island amusement park of the early 1970s and his street work in New York City neighborhoods, he is best known as a photographer of sculpture.

Thompson began photographing sculpture in the mid-1970s. His first major project was to photograph the African works in the collection of the Museum of Primitive Art in New York City. In the early 1980s, Thompson began work for the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC). Under the direction of Lewis I. Sharp, curator of American sculpture and administrator of the American Wing, Thompson served as photographer-in-residence, photographing all the American works of sculpture in the museum's collection. He has also done extensive photography documenting the sculpture of Erastus Dow Palmer, Frederic Remington, John Quincy Adams Ward, and Augustus Saint-Gaudens. His work on the two latter sculptors included their major outdoor public monuments.

Initially in his career, he used black-and-white 8x10 inch negatives, but eventually began to work with color transparency materials as well. In 2013, his book Why Photography Matters was published by MIT Press.

Provenance:

Gift from Jerry L. Thompson, July 2014.

Restrictions:

The collection, which is undergoing processing and cataloging, is open for research use in the Photograph Archives, Smithsonian American Art Museum. Advance appointments are required.

Rights:

Copyright to photographs from the Jerry L. Thompson Collection is held by the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Requests for permission to reproduce photographs from the collection must be submitted in writing to the Photograph Archives. Certain works of art, as well as photographs of those works of art, may be protected by copyright, trademark, privacy or publicity rights, or other interests not owned by the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It is the applicant's responsibility to ascertain whether any such rights exist, and to obtain any other permission necessary to reproduce and publish the image.

Topic:

Sculpture, American  Search this

Art, American -- Photographs  Search this

Citation:

Jerry L. Thompson Collection, Smithsonian American Art Museum

Identifier:

SAAM.Photo.THO

Archival Repository:

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Research and Scholars Center

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-saam-photo-tho

Creator:

Oliver, Marvin, 1946-  Search this

Collection Creator:

National Museum of the American Indian (U.S.)  Search this

Extent:

0.01 Linear feet

Culture:

Quinault  Search this

Isleta Pueblo  Search this

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

2007

Scope and Contents:

A signed poster depicting "Shaman Telling Raven's Tale" by Marvin Oliver (Quinault/Isleta) used for the 2007 Sante Fe Indian Market.

Biographical / Historical:

Marvin Oliver (Quinault/Isleta-Pueblo) is a Native American glass artist, sculptor and printmaker. Oliver has a B.A. from San Francisco State University and a M.F.A. from the University of Washington.

Oliver is Professor of American Indian Studies and Art at the University of Washington, and serves as Adjunct Curator of Contemporary Native American Art at the Burke Museum.

Provenance:

Donated by Marvin Oliver in 2007.

Collection Restrictions:

Access to NMAI Archive Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).

Collection Rights:

Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiphotos@si.edu. For personal or classroom use, users are invited to download, print, photocopy, and distribute the images that are available online without prior written permission, provided that the files are not modified in any way, the Smithsonian Institution copyright notice (where applicable) is included, and the source of the image is identified as the National Museum of the American Indian. For more information please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use and NMAI Archive Center's Digital Image request website.

Collection Citation:

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); General Manuscripts and Ephemera collections, Box and Folder Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

General Manuscripts and Ephemera collections

Archival Repository:

National Museum of the American Indian

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nmai-ac-998-ref505

Creator:

MacMonnies, Frederick William, 1863-1937  Search this

Names:

Ecole nationale supérieure des beaux-arts (France) -- Students  Search this

World's Columbian Exposition (1893 : Chicago, Ill.)  Search this

Barnard, George Grey, 1863-1938  Search this

Bion, Paul  Search this

Booth, Edwin, 1833-1893  Search this

Flanagan, John F., 1865-1952  Search this

MacMonnies, Alice  Search this

MacMonnies, Berthe  Search this

MacMonnies, Betty  Search this

MacMonnies, Marjorie  Search this

MacMonnies, Mary Fairchild, 1858-1946  Search this

McClellan, George Brinton, 1826-1885  Search this

Smart, Mary, 1915-  Search this

White, Stanford, 1853-1906  Search this

Extent:

7 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Memoirs

Manuscripts

Photographs

Sketches

Typescripts

Diaries

Sketchbooks

Date:

1874-1997

Summary:

The papers of sculptor Frederick William MacMonnies date from 1874 to 1997 and measure 7.0 linear feet. Found within the papers are biographical material, a diary, correspondence, personal business records, project files, two sketchbooks and sketches, writings, printed material, and photographs. Well over one-half of the collection consists of Mary Smart's research files for her biography of MacMonnies, A Flight with Fame, as well as clippings regarding her research and a copy of the book.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of sculptor Frederick William MacMonnies date from 1874 to 1997 and measure 7.0 linear feet. Found within the papers are biographical material, a diary, correspondence, personal business records, project files, two sketchbooks and sketches, writings, printed material, and photographs. Well over one-half of the collection consists of Mary Smart's research files for her biography of MacMonnies, A Flight with Fame, as well as clippings regarding her research and a copy of the book.

Biographical material consists of a student card to the École des Beaux-Arts, a certificate of registration as an American Citizen, the wills of MacMonnies and his second wife, Alice, and a biographical note by Alice MacMonnies.

The most significant item in the collection is MacMonnies' diary that documents his first voyage to Europe where he was anxious to pursue his studies in sculpture. His well-described activities during his first year of study in Paris, Munich, and in Italy illustrate the excitement and challenges faced by serious art students in the mid-1880s.

Correspondence includes letters exchanged between MacMonnies and colleagues including George Grey Barnard, Paul Bion, and John Flanagan. There are also letters from MacMonnies to his second wife Alice and to his daughters, Berthe Helene (Betty) and Marjorie MacMonnies.

Personal business records include deeds for land in Long Island, New York, certificates of copyright for MacMonnies' art work, and a rental agreement for and inventory of MacMonnies' studio in Giverny, France.

Project files are found for the Fountain Barge of State at World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and other sculpture pieces. There is also a sheet of preliminary sketches for the statue General George B. McClellan.

Art work consists of two sketchbooks, drawings, and plaster casts of sketches for planned sculpture projects for the New York Public Library, a memorial statue for Edwin Booth, and a drinking fountain.

Writings include a manuscript by MacMonnies concerning the adverse effects modernity was having on beauty in art, a typescript concerning George Grey Barnard's statue of Lincoln, and memoirs by Mary Fairchild MacMonnies Low in which she describes her early life, her first encounter with MacMonnies, and their life together in Paris and Giverny, including a visit from Stanford White and his wife.

Well over one-half of the collection consists of Mary Smart's research files for her biography of MacMonnies, A Flight with Fame. Printed material includes clippings and a copy of Mary Smart's book.

Photographs are of Frederick MacMonnies, family members, his studio, a horse used as a model for The Horse Tamers, and art work.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 10 series:

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1884-1921 (Box 1; 5 folders)

Series 2: Diary, 1884-1885 (Box 9; 1 folder)

Series 3: Correspondence, 1880-1971 (Box 1; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 4: Personal Business Records, 1874-1931 (Box 1; 6 folders)

Series 5: Project Files, 1891-1935 (Box 1, 9-10; 27 folders)

Series 6: Art Work, 1910-1914 (Box 1, 8-9; 1.1 linear feet)

Series 7: Writings, 1912-1917 (Box 2; 12 folders)

Series 8: Mary Smart's Research Files, 1908-1997 (Box 2-6, 9; 4.2 linear feet)

Series 9: Printed Material, 1896-1996 (Box 6-7; 13 folders)

Series 10: Photographs, 1889-1911 (Box 7, 9; 8 folders)

Biographical Note:

Frederick William MacMonnies (1863-1937) of New York City, was a well known sculptor of the Beaux-Arts School, equally successful in France as in the United States. He was also a highly accomplished painter and portraitist.

Frederick William MacMonnies was born on September 28, 1863 in Brooklyn Heights, New York, the son of Juliana Eudora West and William MacMonnies. From an early age, MacMonnies showed skill in fashioning figures from wax. Because the Civil War put an end to his father's prosperous importing business, MacMonnies had to leave school at a young age in order to earn money to support the family.

With the help of a stone carver friend of his father, MacMonnies became a studio assistant to Augustus Stint-Gaudens in 1880. MacMonnies also studied at night at Cooper Union. In 1882 Saint-Gaudens promoted MacMonnies to apprentice and encouraged his development as an artist. MacMonnies began studying drawing at the National Academy of Design and occasionally attended classes at the Art Students League. It was during this time that he became better acquainted with Saint-Gaudens' important patrons and colleagues including John LaFarge, Charles F. McKim, Stanford White.

In 1884 MacMonnies left for Paris to study first at the Académie Colarossi and later at the École des Beaux-Arts under Jean Alexandre Falguière. In 1888 he opened a studio in Paris where he mentored artists including Janet Scudder and Mary Foote. He married a fellow artist, Mary Louise Fairchild in 1888. They had two daughters, Berthe Hélène and Marjorie. They were divorced in 1909, and Mary married painter Will Hicok Low later that year. MacMonnies married his former student Alice Jones in 1910.

MacMonnies executed commissions for Stanford White and John La Farge. In 1889, he won a competition to complete a statue of Nathan Hale for City Hall Park. He won a medal in the Paris Salon for his statue of Hale and a second medal for his statue of James T. Stranahan, earning status as a master artist. In 1891, he was commissioned to produce the central fountain for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

Even though MacMonnies travelled annually to the United States, he maintained his primary residences and studios in Paris and Giverny, France. He was also an occasional painter and had a solo exhibition at the Durand-Ruel Galleries in the United States in 1903. In 1905 his Bacchante and Infant Faun statue became the center of controversy when it was rejected by conservative groups in Boston. It was later acquired by the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. In 1915 he returned permanently to the United States.

MacMonnies was an Academician of the National Academy of Design, Chevalier of the Legion of Honor of France and hors concours at the Paris Salon allowing him to submit works directly to the Salon without initial scrutiny by judges.

Frederick William MacMonnies died of pneumonia on March 22, 1937 in New York City.

Related Material:

Also found in the Archives of American Art are four letters from MacMonnies to Allan Marquand cataloged separately, and a typescript "The Form of the Princeton Monument" lent by Elric Endersby in 1976 and microfilmed on reel 1094.

Separated Material:

The Archives of American Art also holds material lent for microfilming (reels D245 and 3042) including five scrapbooks and letters from Augustus Saint-Gaudens to MacMonnies. Lent materials were returned to the lenders and are not described in the collection container inventory.

Provenance:

The bulk of Frederick William MacMonnies papers were donated by the artist's granddaughters Louise Wysong Rice and Marjorie Vander Velde in 1988 and 1998. Some, but not all, of the papers were originally loaned for microfilming and were later included in the donations. A small addition to the papers was transferred from the Smithsonian's Museum of American Art Library in 1981.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers 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.

Topic:

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

Genre/Form:

Memoirs

Manuscripts

Photographs

Sketches

Typescripts

Diaries

Sketchbooks

Citation:

Frederick William MacMonnies papers, 1874-1997. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.macmfred

See more items in:

Frederick William MacMonnies papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-macmfred

Creator:

Lowe, Harry, 1922-  Search this

Names:

Archipenko, Alexander, 1887-1964  Search this

Dahl-Wolfe, Louise  Search this

Edmondson, William, 1882?-1951  Search this

Flagg, James Montgomery, 1877-1960  Search this

Mabry, Thomas D.  Search this

Rockefeller, Nelson A. (Nelson Aldrich), 1908-1979  Search this

Extent:

0.4 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 1 reel))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1938-1982

Scope and Contents:

Letters, photographs, slides, and printed materials on art exhibits and subjects.

REEL 3134: Papers accumulated by Lowe while Director of the Tennessee Fine Arts Center regarding an exhibit on the work of African American sculptor William Edmondson, 1964. Included are 12 letters, 1961-1964, from Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Thomas D. Mabry and others concerning works loaned to the exhibit; a photograph of Edmondson and 12 of his sculpture; an undated exhibition announcement; and 10 clippings.

UNMICROFILMED: Letters and photocopies of letters; files, containing photographs, slides, and negatives relating to a Alexander Archipenko exhibition, Paris, France, 1969, exhibition of Mexican Folk Art from the Nelson A. Rockefeller Collection, Museum of Primative Art, 1969, and the Art Embassies Program, 1966; photos of Lowe; slides of Cranbrook Academy of Art installations; articles and photocopies of articles, regarding Nelson Rockefeller, and his art collection, James Montgomery Flagg, and others; printed material, including press releases and exhibition catalogs; and miscellany.

Biographical / Historical:

Arts administrator and designer; Washington, D.C. Worked at Cranbrook Academy of Art, 1951-1953; was Director of the Tennessee Fine Arts Center, 1959-1964; a curator, Department of Exhibitions & Design, National Collection of Fine Arts, 1964-1972.

Provenance:

Donated 1971 & 1984 by Harry Lowe.

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:

Arts administrators -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Designers -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this

Topic:

Art -- Exhibitions  Search this

African American artists  Search this

African American sculptors  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.loweharr

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-loweharr

Collection Creator:

Junkin, Hattie Meyers, 1896-1985  Search this

Container:

Box 3, Folder 26

Type:

Archival materials

Text

Date:

1931

Collection Restrictions:

No restrictions on access

Collection 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.

See more items in:

Hattie Meyers Junkin Papers

Hattie Meyers Junkin Papers / Series 2: Soaring and Gliding

Archival Repository:

National Air and Space Museum Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nasm-xxxx-0171-ref103

Collection Creator:

Junkin, Hattie Meyers, 1896-1985  Search this

Container:

Box 8

Type:

Archival materials

Books

Date:

1918 - 1929

Scope and Contents:

Topics: Air shows. George "Buck" Weaver's Aviation Activities. Progress of Waco Aircraft Company (advertisements). Letters. Travels. Personalities (including Katherine Stinson).

Collection Restrictions:

No restrictions on access

Collection 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.

See more items in:

Hattie Meyers Junkin Papers

Hattie Meyers Junkin Papers / Series 6: Scrapbooks

Archival Repository:

National Air and Space Museum Archives

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nasm-xxxx-0171-ref184

Creator:

Kiesler, Lillian, 1910?-2001  Search this

Names:

Anthology Film Archives  Search this

Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts  Search this

John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation  Search this

Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

University of Iowa, Museum of Art  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Adnan, Etel  Search this

Andres, Jo  Search this

Arnaud, Leopold, 1895-  Search this

Bartos, Armand P., 1910-  Search this

Bultman, Fritz, 1919-1985  Search this

Buscemi, Steve, 1958-  Search this

Castelli, Leo  Search this

Copley, Alfred L.  Search this

Diller, Burgoyne, 1906-1965  Search this

Dlugoszewski, Lucia, 1931-2000  Search this

Dorazio, Piero, 1927-  Search this

Dorazio, Virginia Dortch  Search this

Dreier, Katherine Sophie, 1877-1952  Search this

Dubuffet, Jean, 1901-  Search this

Duchamp, Marcel, 1887-1968  Search this

Hawkins, Erick  Search this

Hodges, Alice  Search this

Hofmann, Hans, 1880-1966  Search this

Holtzman, Harry  Search this

Howe, George, 1886-1955  Search this

Kamler, Richard  Search this

Kiesler, Frederick  Search this

MacIver, Loren, 1909-  Search this

Meredith, Burgess, 1907-1997  Search this

Milius, Tom  Search this

Miller, Henry, 1891-  Search this

Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this

Montgomery, Chandler  Search this

Owen, Jane Blaffer, 1915-2010  Search this

Purdy, James  Search this

Takaezu, Toshiko  Search this

Tawney, Lenore  Search this

Zogbaum, Wilfrid, 1915-1965  Search this

Extent:

49.1 Linear feet

0.001 Gigabytes

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Gigabytes

Scrapbooks

Sound recordings

Diaries

Interviews

Scripts (documents)

Motion pictures (visual works)

Date:

circa 1910s-2003

bulk 1958-2000

Summary:

The papers of New York artist Lillian Kiesler and architect and sculptor Frederick Kiesler measure 49.1 linear feet and 0.001 GB and date from circa 1910s-2003, with the bulk of the material from 1958-2000. The collection documents their personal and professional lives and the legacy of Frederick Kiesler's work through biographical material, correspondence, legal, financial and business records, teaching files, exhibition and performance files, artwork, subject files, printed and digital material, writings and interviews, monographs, photographic material, and sound and video recordings. Also found are papers related to Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann and the papers of artist Alice Hodges.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of artist, performer, and arts educator Lillian Kiesler and sculptor, architect, set designer, educator, and writer Frederick Kiesler measure 49.1 linear feet and 0.001 GB and date from circa 1910s-2003, with the bulk of the material from 1958-2000. The collection documents their personal and professional lives and the legacy of Frederick Kiesler's work through biographical material, correspondence, legal, financial and business records, teaching files, exhibition and performance files, artwork, subject files, printed and digital material, writings and interviews, monographs, photographic material, and sound and video recordings. Also found are papers related to Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann and the papers of artist Alice Hodges.

The collection is arranged into two series: the Lillian Kiesler Papers (Series 1) and the Frederick Kiesler Papers (Series 2). Measuring 41.1 linear feet, the Lillian Kiesler Papers (Series 1) make up the bulk of the collection and document her personal life and professional career as an artist, actor, teacher, arts benefactor and promoter of Frederick Kiesler's legacy. The series spans her lifetime, although most of the material is dated after 1965. Among her papers are biographical materials, correspondence, legal and financial records, teaching files, exhibition and performance files, artwork, subject files, printed material, monographs, papers related to Frederick Kiesler and his legacy, papers of and related to Hans Hofmann, papers of Alice Hodges, photographic material, and sound and video recordings.

Found among Lillian Kiesler's personal papers are address books, numerous calendars and appointment books, and diaries and journals. Her correspondence is extensive and contains business correspondence with John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, The University of Iowa Museum of Art, and Erick Hawkins Dance Foundation, and personal letters and greeting cards from friends, family, artists, scholars, and researchers, including Etel Adnan, Alcopley, Fritz Bultman, Steve Buscemi, Mike Diamond, Burgoyne Diller, Lucia Dlugoszewski, Piero Dorazio, Jean Dubuffet, Jay Gottlieb, Erick Hawkins, Burgess Meredith, Henry Miller, James Purdy, and Herrel Thomas. Of interest is a letter from Harry Holtzman postmarked March 13, 1935 describing his initial meeting with Mondrian, and a letter from E.B. Gordon describing Henry Miller in Paris.

Materials related to Lillian Kiesler's estate and last wishes can also be found, as well as teaching plans, student work, and writings by Lillian Kiesler's mentor and friend, New York University professor Chandler Montgomery. Various printed material, correspondence, scripts, and rehearsal schedules from Lillian Kiesler's exhibitions and performances are also found, and among the directors, artists and writers represented are Jo Andres, Steve Buscemi, Cindy Lugar, Tim Miller and James Purdy. Artwork contains photographs by Bob Del Fredici, drawings by Piero Dorazio, and notes to Frederick Kiesler from Lillian Kiesler.

Subject files about artists, friends, colleagues, performances, and organizations in which she supported, such as the Anthology Film Archives, include printed materials and research materials. Signed exhibition catalogs of Loren MacIver, Dina Ghen, Lenore Tawney, and Toshiko Takaezu, and a reprint article inscribed by Alcopley can be found, as well as numerous inscribed monographs, including books inscribed by Max Weiler and Piero Dorazio, an inscribed first edition of Henry Miller's Black Spring (1936), and a 1937 monograph by Harry Holtzman titled American Abstract Artists.

Series 1 also includes materials related to her husband Frederick Kiesler, papers of and related to Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann, and the personal papers of artist Alice Hodges. The Papers Related to Frederick Kiesler were primarily created or compiled by Lillian Kiesler and document her work on behalf of Frederick Kiesler's legacy. Of interest are letters from Frederick Kiesler to Lillian Kiesler and Alice Hodges; a bound volume of correspondence to Piero Dorazio; an inventory of objects in the Frederick Kiesler estate; photographs of artwork; an interview (sound recordings and transcript) with Lillian Kiesler about Frederick Kiesler for "Music of the Age," included on the tape is a portion of a Frederick Kiesler interview (1965); a recording of Lillian Kiesler interviewing Richard Kamler about Frederick Kiesler; and Frederick Kiesler's dialogue with Leo Castelli (undated).

Lillian Kiesler was a student of Hans Hofmann (1880-1966) in New York City and Provincetown, Massachusetts, as well as an enthusiastic volunteer promoter and assistant to The Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts. The bulk of the papers of and related to Hans Hofmann were created or compiled by Lillian Kielser and are about Hofmann's career and legacy. However, also found are some papers of Hans Hofmann, including letters from Hofmann to Lillian Kiesler and Alice Hodges describing his artwork, life in Provincetown, and issues with The Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts, typed and handwritten lectures given by Hofmann, Hofmann's 1941 address to the American Abstract Artists (AAA), three boxes of card files on students of the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts in New York City and Provincetown, and photographs of Hofmann and his house in Provincetown taken by Wilfrid Zogbaum and Tom Milius.

The artist Alice Hodges (b. unknown-1965) was a close friend of Lillian Kiesler, a former secretary to Frederick Kiesler, and a student of Hans Hofmann. Included among her personal papers is some correspondence from Hans Hofmann and Katherine Drier and numerous postcards from Hodges and Lillian Kiesler's trip to Europe in 1950, posters and printed material from her exhibitions, an oversized scrapbook chronicling Lillian Kiesler's teaching career, records from the United States Treasury War Bond Art Auction in 1945, original artwork and greeting cards made by Hodges and Lillian Kiesler, and 31 rolled negative strips in metal canisters of Frederick Kiesler sculptures, Provincetown and Hans Hofmann, Wellfleet, Empire State Music Festival (1955), and travels to Colorado and Europe, some of which may be printed and found in this subseries.

Photographs found in the Lillian Kiesler Papers are mostly black and white and color snapshots of Lillian Kiesler's friends and family at events and at home, including candid photos of Hans Hofmann, Alice Hodges, Frederick Kiesler, and Alcopley. Slides prepared by Lillian Kiesler for a lecture on Frederick Kiesler and her lecture notes on index cards are found. Sound and video recordings include recordings of productions in which Lillian Kiesler performed, and music, film, or live stage performances written, directed, or performed by friends.

Measuring 7.1 linear feet, Frederick Kiesler's personal papers (Series 2) document his professional career and date from 1923-1992. Biographical materials include his curriculum vitae, four passports, and numerous appointment books and notes from late in his life. Correspondence with architects, publishers, editors, universities, museums, galleries, manufacturers, artists and friends includes letters from L. Alcopley, Leopold Arnaud, Armand P. Bartos, Piero and Virginia Dorazio, George Howe, Kay Johnson, Jane Owen, and others. There are also photocopied letters from Katherine Dreier, Marcel Duchamp, and Piet Mondrian. Business and financial records from the 1940s to mid-1960s comprise a significant bulk of this series and are primarily tax returns and receipts and statements used to file tax returns. Materials on the publication of "Inside the Endless House" (1966), the International Theatre Exposition (in German) in 1924 and other exhibits from shortly after his death are found, as well as student artwork and papers from Kiesler's classes in the mid-1950s. A bound copy of the "Bibliography of Writings of and About Frederick Kiesler" compiled by Lillian Kiesler is found, as well as printed material about Frederick Kiesler and a handful of photographs of artwork.

Users should note that Lillian Kiesler's and Frederick Kiesler's papers contain similar types of material that often overlap in subject matter, especially among the Papers Related to Frederick Kiesler (Subseries 1.10) in Series 1 and the Frederick Kiesler Papers (Series 2). This collection contains limited material related to Lillian Kiesler prior to the 1940s and Frederick Kiesler prior to his arrival in the United States in 1926.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into two series. Each series is divided into several subseries, with the arrangement described in detail in the series descriptions.

Series 1: Lillian Kiesler papers, circa 1910s-2003 (Box 1-39, 47-52, OV 53-55; 41.1 linear feet, ER01; 0.001 GB)

Series 2: Frederick Kiesler papers, 1923-1992 (Box 40-46, OV 53; 7.1 linear feet)

Biographical Note:

Frederick Kiesler (1890-1965) was a sculptor, architect, set designer, educator, and writer active in New York and Connecticutt. Lillian Kiesler (1911-2001) was a performer, arts educator, and painter married to Frederick Kiesler. She was also active in the administration of the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts.

Frederick Kiesler was born in Romania in 1890, although he gave various other dates for his birth and regularly cited Vienna as his birthplace. He arrived in the United States with his wife Steffi in 1926 for the International Theatre Exposition at Steinway Hall in New York City. They stayed in the United States and were granted citizenship in 1936.

Kiesler secured a teaching position at Columbia University's School of Architecture in 1930, and from 1934 through 1957 he was the scenic design director at The Juilliard School of Music. He also lectured at Yale University from 1950-1952. Often labeled a Surrealist, Kiesler's work was experimental and frequently described as ahead of its time. He published, lectured, and participated in numerous exhibitions throughout his career. He is known for his theory of "coreallism;" "The Space House" (1933), a full-scale model of a single family home; an installation designed for Peggy Guggenheim's Art of This Century gallery in 1942; "The Endless House" drawings and model (1950); "The Universal Theatre" (1961) model; and the Shrine of the Book (1965), a building to exhibit the Dead Sea Scrolls in Jerusalem. He died in New York City in December 1965.

Lillian Olinsey met architect and sculptor Frederick Kiesler in 1934. After years of friendship, they were married in 1964, a year and a half before Frederick's death in 1965.

Lillian Kiesler studied art at the Art Students League, Cooper Union, and the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts, where she also assisted Hofmann and the school administration. She taught art to children and young adults for twenty years in New York City. From 1945 to 1955, she taught at the Greenwich House Art workshops and the Woodward School, followed by the Brooklyn Museum (1948-1958), Barnard School (1953-1963), New York University School of Education (1955-1966), and Juilliard School of Visual Arts (1963-1965). Lillian was involved in the performing arts and between the late 1970s through the 1990s she performed in New York City with numerous directors, notably Jo Andres, Steve Buscemi, Richard Foreman, John Jesurun, Cindy Lubar, and Tim Miller. She frequently performed with her close friend, painter Maryette Charlton, who was the executor of the Lillian Kiesler estate.

Lillian Kiesler tirelessly promoted Frederick Kiesler's work and legacy after his death in 1965. From the late 1980s through the 1990s, she delivered lectures about his work at universities and museums, gave interviews, corresponded with researchers, and organized his papers to donate to the Harvard Theatre Collection, Yale School of Art and Architecture, and the Archives of American Art. In 1997, she helped found the Frederick and Lillian Kiesler Foundation in Vienna, Austria. She endowed the Austrian Frederick Kiesler Prize, an award given to a notable contributor to the field of architecture. The first recipient was Frank Gehry in 1998. Lillian Kiesler passed away in 2001 in New York City.

Related Material:

The holdings of the Archives of American Art include the Hans Hofmann Papers, 1904-1978 and the Maryette Charlton Papers, 1929-1998. Additional Frederick Kiesler papers are available at the Museum of Modern Art, the Harvard Theater Collection, and the Yale School of Art and Architecture.

Separated Material:

Some of the materials related to Frederick Kiesler were initially loaned for microfilming on reels 57 and 127-128. This material is not described in the container listing of this finding aid. Most, but not all, of the loaned material was later donated and has been merged with the other accretions.

Provenance:

The collection was donated by Lillian Kiesler and Maryette Charlton, executrix of her estate, in several accessions between 1980-2002. Some of the papers related to Frederick Kiesler were originally loaned for microfilming in 1971, most of which was later donated in 1980. Additional papers related to Frederick Kiesler were donated in 1993. Papers related to Hans Hofmann were given in 1981. Lillian Kiesler's papers were donated in 2000 by Lillian Kiesler, and in 2002, by Maryette Charlton.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.

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:

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

Set Designers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Women artists  Search this

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

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

Exhibition designers  Search this

Art schools -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

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

Art schools -- Massachusetts -- Provincetown  Search this

Art patrons -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

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

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

Genre/Form:

Scrapbooks

Sound recordings

Diaries

Interviews

Scripts (documents)

Motion pictures (visual works)

Citation:

Lillian and Frederick Kiesler papers, circa 1910s-2003, bulk 1958-2000. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.kieslill

See more items in:

Lillian and Frederick Kiesler papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-kieslill

Creator:

Kessler, William H. (William Henry), 1924-2002  Search this

Names:

Filipowski, Richard, 1923-2008  Search this

Kessler, William H. (William Henry), 1924-2002 -- Art collections  Search this

Extent:

3 Photographic prints (col., 3 in. x 5 in.)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographic prints

Date:

circa 1994

Scope and Contents:

Photographs of works by Richard Filipowski collected by William Kessler including two oil paintings and one sculpture completed circa1947-late 1950s, and photographed by Kessler in 1994.

Biographical / Historical:

Filipowski: designer, sculptor, teacher; Mass. Kessler: architect, art collector.

Provenance:

Donated 1995 by William Kessler. Kessler photographed the works at Filipowski's suggestion.

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.

Topic:

Sculpture, American -- Photographs  Search this

Painting, American -- Photographs  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.kesswmhp

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-kesswmhp

Creator:

Garden Club of America  Search this

Names:

New York Flower Show  Search this

Extent:

37,000 Slides (35mm slides)

33 Linear feet ((garden files))

3,000 Lantern slides

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Slides

Lantern slides

Plans (drawings)

Brochures

Articles

Correspondence

Clippings

Slides (photographs)

Date:

circa 1920-present

Summary:

This collection contains over 37,000 35mm slides, 3,000 glass lantern slides and garden files that may include descriptive information, photocopied articles (from journals, newspapers, or books), planting lists, correspondence, brochures, landscape plans and drawings. Garden files were compiled by Garden Club of America (GCA) members for most of the gardens included in the collection. Some gardens have been photographed over the course of several decades; others only have images from a single point in time. In addition to images of American gardens, there are glass lantern slides of the New York Flower Show (1941-1951) and trips that GCA members took to other countries, including Mexico (1937), Italy, Spain, Japan (1935), France (1936), England (1929), and Scotland.

A number of the slides are copies of historic images from outside repositories including horticultural and historical societies or from horticultural books and publications. The GCA made a concerted effort in the mid-1980s to acquire these images in order to increase its documentation of American garden history. Because of copyright considerations, use of these particular images may be restricted.

Biographical/Historical note:

The Garden Club of America was established in 1913 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when the Garden Club of Philadelphia and eleven other garden clubs met to create a national garden club. Its purpose is to foster the knowledge and love of gardening and to restore and protect the quality of the environment through educational programs and gardening and conservation efforts. The GCA was incorporated in Delaware in 1923, with its headquarters established in New York City. Today, local clubs are organized under twelve regional zones. The GCA continues its tradition of hosting flower shows and publishing material related to gardening in the United States.

The GCA's glass lantern slides were used by The GCA for presentations and lectures about notable gardens throughout the United States dating back to colonial times. An effort was made in the late 1980s, in preparation of the 75th anniversary of the Garden Club of America's founding, to collect the disbursed slides. These slides were to eventually form the Slide Library of Notable American Parks and Gardens. The informational value of this collection is extensive since a number of images of the more than 4,500 gardens represented show garden designs that have changed over time or no longer exist. While the majority of images document a range of designed upper and upper-middle class gardens throughout the U.S., the scope of the collection is expanding as volunteers photograph and document contemporary gardens including community and vernacular gardens.

The gardens illustrate the design work of dozens of landscape architects including Marian Coffin, Beatrix Farrand, Lawrence Halprin, Hare & Hare, Umberto Innocenti, Gertrude Jekyll, Jens Jensen, Warren Manning, the Olmsted Brothers, Charles Platt, Ellen Biddle Shipman, and Fletcher Steele. Because of their proximity to the gardens, works of notable architects and sculptors may also be featured in the images.

Restrictions:

Access to original images by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Rights:

Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens.

Topic:

Gardens -- France  Search this

Gardens -- Italy  Search this

Gardens -- Japan  Search this

Gardens -- Mexico  Search this

Flower shows  Search this

Gardening -- United States -- societies, etc  Search this

Gardens -- England  Search this

Landscape architecture  Search this

Gardens -- United States  Search this

Gardens -- Spain  Search this

Gardens -- Scotland  Search this

Genre/Form:

Plans (drawings)

Brochures

Articles

Correspondence

Clippings

Lantern slides

Slides (photographs)

Citation:

Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.

Identifier:

AAG.GCA

See more items in:

The Garden Club of America collection

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Gardens

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aag-gca