An interview of Reuben Kadish conducted 1992 Apr. 15, by Stephen Polcari, for the Archives of American Art. Kadish discusses designing murals for the WPA in the 1930s; working as an artist in the South Pacific for the U.S. Army during World War II; the N.Y. art scene in the 1940s; and his views on government support of the arts and on art censorship. He recalls Jackson Pollock.
Biographical / Historical:
Reuben Kadish (1913-1992) was a painter, sculptor, and mural painter from New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Topic:
Mural painting and decoration, American Search this
Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Zorach, William, 1887-1966 -- Photographs Search this
Extent:
28.1 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Sound recordings
Video recordings
Diaries
Interviews
Scrapbooks
Sketches
Date:
1871-2004, bulk 1910s-1980s
bulk 1910-1990
Summary:
The papers of Spanish-born sculptor and educator José de Creeft measure 28.1 linear feet and date from 1871 to 2004 with the bulk of the material dating from the 1910s to the 1980s. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, fifty diaries, writings, subject files, personal business records, printed materials, twenty-seven photo albums and other photographs, scrapbooks, and scattered sketches.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Spanish-born sculptor and educator José de Creeft measure 28.1 linear feet and date from 1871 to 2004 with the bulk of the material dating from the 1910s to the 1980s. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, fifty diaries, writings, subject files, personal business records, printed materials, twenty-seven photo albums and other photographs, scrapbooks, and scattered sketches.
Biographical materials include address books, awards, recorded interviews with and about de Creeft, membership materials, naturalization records, resumes, and travel documents.
Correspondence is primarily professional in nature and concerns exhibitions, de Creeft's involvement in arts organizations, and awards. There are also scattered personal letters from family and friends. Correspondents include Alexander Calder, Nina, Alice, Barbara and William de Creeft, Hunt Diederich, Joseph Escudar, and Gil Gomez, Jacques Lipchitz, Edwin Dickinson, James Johnson Sweeney, Costantino Nivola, Abraham Rattner, and Lamar Dodd, among others.
De Creeft's fifty diaries are nearly complete for the period dating from 1926 to 1981. Some are bound volumes and others are loose pages. The bulk of the diaries are in Spanish and many include sketches. Additional writings, called "escritos varios" by José de Creeft, are mostly in Spanish and consist of typed manuscripts and essays, including "Roosty Was My Friend, 1957, notebooks, an artist's statement, and writings by others, including drafts for The Sculpture of de Creeft by Jules Campos, and a video recording entitled José de Creeft by Bob Hanson. There is one sound recording of Lorrie Goulet reading poetry.
Subject files are varied and include files on de Creeft's teaching positions at the New School for Social Research, Black Mountain College, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, and the Art Students League. There are files for some of his sculpture projects, inlcuding Alice in Wonderland, Poet, and a proposed model for the Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial in Georgia, as well as compiled information about various art related topics of interest.
De Creeft's business records include appraisals, contracts, leases, price lists, and scattered receipts. Also found are art inventories in the form of three sets of index cards, some of which include photographs.
Printed materials include books, clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, exhibition labels, postcards, and posters.
There are loose photographs and twenty-seven photograph albums depicting de Creeft, his family, friends, and works of art. There are photos of Alexander Calder; de Creeft and Goulet with Raphael Soyer, posing with Soyer's portrait of them; Gertrude Lawrence; art juries, which also include images of Chaim Gross, Jacques Lipchitz, Theodore Roszak, and William Zorach; students, friends, and faculties of Black Mountain College, the Art Students League, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, and the Norton School of Art, which also includes images of Joseph Albers, Alexander Calder, Julio De Diego, Walter Gropius, J. B. Neumann, and Abraham Rattner.
Seven mixed media scrapbooks document de Creeft's career from 1929 to 1982. Also found are scattered pen and pencil sketches and one sketchbook dating from the 1920s.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 10 series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1914-1979 (Boxes 1, 27; 0.9 linear feet)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1910s-1980s (Boxes 1-6; 4.2 linear feet)
Series 3: Diaries, 1926-1981 (Boxes 6-11; 5.4 linear feet)
Series 4: Writings, 1871-1977 (Boxes 11-13, 28; 2.5 linear feet)
Series 5: Subject Files, 1924-1980 (Boxes 13-16, 27; 2.4 linear feet)
Series 6: Personal Business Records, 1909-1980s (Boxes 16-17, 27; 1.0 linear feet)
Series 7: Printed Material, 1921-1980s (Boxes 17-21, 27, 33; 4.7 linear feet)
Series 8: Photographs, 1900-2004 (Boxes 21-25, 29, 31; 5.1 linear feet)
Series 9: Scrapbooks, 1929-1982 (Box 26, 30, 32; 1.8 linear feet)
Series 10: Artwork, 1920s-1930s (Box 26; 2 folders)
Biographical / Historical:
José de Creeft (1908-1982) was a Spanish-born sculptor active in New York City, New York.
José de Creeft was born in Guadalajara, Spain and raised in Barcelona. In 1900, he apprenticed to sculptor Don Augustine Querol and studied drawing with Idalgo de Caviedas. De Creeft moved to Paris in 1905 and began formal art training at the Académie Julianand. He also took a studio in the Batteau Lavoir in Montmartre, where he interacted with Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris, Manolo, and Pablo Gargallo, all of whom also had studios there. During this period, de Creeft became friends with the artist Mateo Hernandez.
In 1915, de Creeft rejected the traditional technique of reproducing sculpture in stone from clay and plaster models and turned to direct carving in wood and stone. He was also one of the first sculptors who practiced assemblage and incorporated found objects into his work. His notable assemblage sculpture El Picador, a large figure on horseback, received worldwide press coverage and was exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Independents in 1926. Between 1919 and 1928, his work was exhibited in various Paris salons. In the late 1920s, he created 200 stone carvings for Roberto Ramonje's Forteleza (fortress) in Mallorca. It was around this time frame when de Creeft met Alexander Calder, who became his student in direct carving. De Creeft encouraged Calder to display his mechanical toys and Calder put his Circus together for the first time in de Creeft's studio.
De Creeft emigrated to the United States in 1929, right after marrying fellow sculptor Alice Robertson Carr. They divorced nine years later.
While in New York, de Creeft began sculpting with lead sheets beaten into three-dimensional forms and established a studio at 1 Washington Square. His first solo exhibition was at the Ferargil Galleries in New York City and included The Portrait of Cesar Vallejo in chased lead and The Silver Fox of found materials.
In 1932, de Creeft accepted a teaching position in sculpture at the New School for Social Research. He also taught courses at Black Mountain College, where he met his second wife, sculptor Lorrie Goulet, the Art Students League, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, and the Norton Gallery and School of Art. In 1946, de Creeft and Goulet purchased a hundred-acre farm in Hoosick Falls, NY where they established a studio and part-time residence.
Perhaps De Creeft's most well-known monumental scuplture is Alice in Wonderland in Central Park, New York City. The 12' x 16' bronze was dedicated during a public event in 1959 and gave de Creeft worldwide recognition. In 1995 a short film about the making of the sculpture was produced by J. D'Alba and narrated by Lorrie Goulet.
De Creeft was as founding member of the American Artist's Congress, the Sculptors Guild, and the Artist's Equity Association. De Creeft was represented by the Georgette Passedoit Gallery from 1936 to 1949. Later, he joined The Contemporaries (gallery) and exhibited there until 1966. Kennedy Galleries represented de Creeft from 1970 until his death in 1982.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds an interview of José De Creeft conducted October 1-8, 1968 by Forrest Selvig and the papers of de Creeft's wife Lorrie Goulet.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming (reels D150 and 375-378). While most of the items were included in subsequent gifts, material not donated to the Archives remain with the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
The José de Creeft papers were first lent for microfilming by the artist in 1963 and 1972. Lorrie Goulet, José de Creeft's widow, donated most of this material along with additional items in 1985 and 2009.
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.
7.1 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 7 reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Date:
1909-1980
Scope and Contents:
Biographical material, correspondence, writings, project files, works of art, photographs, and printed material documenting Goodelman's work as a sculptor, his participation in the Jewish community, and his interest in socialism.
Personal and professional correspondence is with artists, art associations, museums, galleries and relief organizations, documenting Goodelman's education in Rome, New York and at L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris; his teaching career in New York, particularly with the Jefferson School of Social Sciences; and his participation in art, political and Jewish organizations, such as American Artists' Congress and the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.
Writings by Goodelman, undated and 1934, include notes, notebooks, and typescripts. There is also a typescript of Elizabeth McCausland's speech "Art and the Atom," 1947. Project files contain information regarding Goodelman's sculpting of memorial gravestones, Passover art, and the Week of Jewish Culture. Works of art by Goodelman, ca. 1920-1930's, include illustrations for the children's journals "Young Israel," "Kinder Journal" and Joseph Gaer's books "the Burning Bush" and "the Unconquered," sketches, portraiture, and figure drawings.
Photographs are of Goodelman, working and teaching sculpture; his childhood in Russia; his family, friends, and students; memorial gravestones, and works of art.
Printed material includes exhibition anouncements and catalogs, entry cards, invitations, clippings, political and art organizations information, adult and art education flyers, clippings and a photocopy of Goodelman's privately microfilmed scrapbook containing letters and printed material.
Also included are files on Goodelman's wife, Sarah, on Jewish children's schools, 1949-1950.
UNMICROFILMED: Two scrapbooks compiled by Sarah Goodelman, containing newspaper clippings, exhibition catalogs and photographs regarding the career of Aaron Goodelman, as well as business cards, addresses, scattered receipts, negatives, and miscellany.
Biographical / Historical:
Sculptor, illustrator, lecturer, teacher; New York, N.Y. Another apparent name spelling is Aharon Gudlman.
Provenance:
Donated 1977 by Goodelman, and in 1984 by his heir, Connie Weinstock and microfilmed in 1994 with funds provided by the Philip Birnbaum Foundation. Additional scrapbooks were donated in 2008 by Weinstock and do not appear on microfilm.
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:
Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
A letter to Palmer from Frederic Edwin Church, written from Jaffa, Palestine.
Biographical / Historical:
Sculptor; Albany, N.Y. Was self-taught. Was an expert joiner, patternmaker, and cameo cutter as well.
Provenance:
This typescript was prepared by the donor, David Huntington, in March 1957 from the original letter owned by Palmer's grandson, Joseph Gavit. Huntington writes, "I have had to do a minimum of editing. Church seldom used periods. He generally punctuated with dashes, or if the sentence ended at the margin he might not even write a dash. Where there would be a period, a double space has been left. If a word has been crossed out the typist has indicated dashes over the word."
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.
The papers of New York City sculptor, painter, educator, and writer Lorrie Goulet (1925- ) measure 10.0 linear feet and date from 1931 to 2009. Goulet's career is documented through biographical materials, correspondence, writings and notes, interviews, exhibition files, project and commission files, teaching files, personal business records, printed materials, photographs, and artwork.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of New York City sculptor, painter, educator, and writer Lorrie Goulet (1925- ) measure 10.0 linear feet and date from 1931 to 2009. Goulet's career is documented through biographical materials, correspondence, writings and notes, interviews, exhibition files, project and commission files, teaching files, personal business records, printed materials, photographs, and artwork.
Biographical materials include awards, resumes, membership documents for the New York Artists Equity Association, and a scrapbook and photograph portfolio for Jose de Creeft's birthday in 1969. Scattered school records include a photocopy of a letter from Aimee Vorhees at the Inwood Pottery School.
Goulet's correspondence is mostly professional in nature but includes some letters from friends and family, including Jose de Creeft. Other notable correspondents include Chaim Gross, Herbert and Dorothy Vogel, and Richard Anuszkiewicz.
Writings and notes by Lorrie Goulet include artists' statements; notes and essays on sculpture, including a disbound binder entitled "Quadrations"; three journals about the creation of Enigma; a statement on Green Serpentine; lectures and talks, including a memorial tribute to Jose de Creeft; and poems. There are also a few writings by others about Goulet.
There are five transcripts of interviews with Lorrie Goulet and with Lorrie Goulet and Jose de Creeft. One of the interviews includes the original sound recordings on cassette tape and one includes a version of the transcript on floppy disc.
Extensive exhibition files document fifty years of Goulet's solo and group exhibitions held at galleries, museums, and institutions throughout the United States. Many of the files are from shows at Carolyn Hill Gallery, The Contemporaries, David Findlay Jr. Gallery, and Kennedy Galleries. Also found is extensive material on Goulet's exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Lorrie Goulet: Fifty Years of Making Sculpture (1998). File contents vary, but often contain photographs of openings and of works of art, correspondence, printed material, and price lists.
Project and commission files document Goulet's public commissioned works in the New York Public Library, 173 St. Branch, the Nurse's Residence and School at the Bronx Municipal Hospital, the New York City 48th Precinct Station House and Fire House, and the bust of King Juan Carlos I of Spain. There are also files concerning Goulet's television show Around the Corner, an educational children's show that aired from 1964-1968.
Teaching files are from Goulet's positions at the Art Students League, the school at the Museum of Modern Art, the New School for Social Research, and Scarsdale Studio Workshop. Personal business records include scattered bills and receipts for works of art by Goulet and Jose de Creeft and a file regarding Goulet's affiliation with art agent Anna Beck Nalle.
Among the printed materials are clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, and issues of magazines and periodicals, many of which include articles about Goulet or her exhibitions. Also found is a videocassette tape concerning Jose de Creeft's Alice in Wonderland narrated by Goulet.
Photographs and eleven photo albums depict Goulet, her family life with Jose de Creeft, celebrations with friends, her artwork and studio, and travel. Also found are photos, slides, and transparencies of works of art. Pencil sketches are by Goulet of her studio. There is also a sketch of Lorrie Goulet by Zorach.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 11 series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1931-2009 (0.5 linear feet; Box 1, 11)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1940s-2006 (0.7 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 3: Writings and Notes, 1949-2002 (0.6 linear feet; Box 1-2)
Series 4: Interviews, 1967-2002 (0.3 linear feet; Box 2)
Series 5: Exhibition Files, 1948-2008 (3.1 linear feet; Box 2-5)
Series 6: Project Files, 1950s-2007 (0.8 linear feet; Box 6, 12)
Series 7: Teaching Files, 1958-2000 (0.2 linear feet; Box 6)
Series 8: Personal Business Records, 1969-1990s (2 folders; Box 6)
Series 9: Printed Materials, 1940s-1999 (1.1 linear feet; Box 7-8)
Series 10: Photographs, 1930s-2008 (2.3 linear feet; Box 8-11)
Series 11: Artwork, 1955-1956 (0.1 linear feet; Box 10)
Biographical / Historical:
Lorrie Goulet (1925- ) is a sculptor, painter, educator, and writer active in New York City, New York. She is well-known for direct sculpture on wood and stone.
Lorrie Goulet was born in Riverdale, NY in 1925. As early as the age of seven, Goulet attended the Inwood Pottery School in New York City where she studied under Aimee Vorhees. After the Goulet family moved to Los Angeles, Lorrie continued her studies in art and, in 1940, apprenticed under Jean Rose, a ceramicist in Southern California. In 1943, Goulet enrolled at Black Mountain College in North Carolina where she studied with Joseph and Annie Albers. This is also where she met her husband, sculptor Jose de Creeft; they married in 1944 and had one child, Donna Maria de Creeft. Goulet and de Creeft divided their time between Hoosick Falls, New York and New York City.
Goulet's first solo exhibition was held at the Clay Club Sculpture Center, New York, in 1948. She was represented by Kennedy Galleries in New York, David Findlay Jr. Gallery, and the Harmon Meek Gallery in Naples, Florida. She has exibited widely, including in a number of Annual Exhibitions at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, and in the fine arts pavilion of the New York World's Fair of 1965. In 1998, she was honored by the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington D.C. with a solo exhibition titled Fifty Years of Making Sculpture.
Goulet taught sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art's Peoples Center, New York, in 1957. From 1961 to 1975 she was on the faculty of the New School, New York, and in 1981 began teaching at the Art Students League of New York, where she taught until 2004. Between 1964-1968 Lorrie Goulet demonstrated sculpture techniques on a CBS Television children's program called "Around the Corner", sponsored by the New York City Board of Education.
Lorrie Goulet's sculpture can be found in the permanent collections of museums across the country. She also completed a number of public sculptures commissioned by the City of New York for several of its public buildings in the Bronx including the Branch Public Library at 173rd Street and Grand Concourse (1958), the Nurses School and Residence, Bronx Municipal Hospital (1961), and the 48th Precinct Police and Fire Station Headquarters (1971) - all in varying materials. A bronx bust of King Juan Carlos I of Spain created by Goulet is displayed in the Royal Palace in Madrid.
Goulet is also a painter, philosopher and poet and continues to work in her studio in New York City.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art are the papers of Lorrie Goulet's husband, sculptor Jose de Creeft.
Provenance:
Lorrie Goulet lent a portion of her papers in 1972 for microfilming and later donated those papers along with additional materials to the Archives of American Art in 2010.
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.
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:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Educators -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Authors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Topic:
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Correspondence with William Zorach, Margaret French Cresson, Theodore Barbarossa, the Medallic Art Company, the American Numismatic Society, and others; files concerning commemorative medals designed and sculpted by Lo Medico including various medals issued by the International Fraternal Commemorative Society; files concerning sculpture competitions for a bas-relief portrait of Charles W. Goodyear, sculpture at The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., and other projects; sketches for medals and sculpture; financial records including bills for professional services such as modeling and casting in plaster; photographs of Lo Medico and works of art; exhibition catalogs and other printed material.
Biographical / Historical:
Sculptor; New York, N.Y.; d. 1985; Lo Medico studied at the Beaux Arts Institute of Design in New York. He is best known for his architectural sculpture for federal, public and private buildings throughout the United States and as a designer of medals.
Provenance:
Donated 1993 by Leonora L. Lo Medico, widow of Thomas G. Lo Medico.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Medalists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
An interview of George W. Rickey conducted 1968 June 11, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
George Rickey (1907-2002) was a sculptor from East Chatham, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 31 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Correspondence; biographical material; writings; photographs of Moretti, his wife, his studio, home, gardens, and works of art; and scrapbooks. Some material compiled by Moretti's assistant, Geneva Mercer. Material on Moretti's wife, Dorothea, also included.
Biographical / Historical:
Sculptor; New York City, Alabama, Pittsburg, Pa., and Italy. Born in Tuscany, Italy. Moved to NYC in 1888. He relocated to Alabama in 1901 or 1902 after working on a commission for the Alabama Worlds Fair.
Provenance:
Microfilm purchased from the Birmingham Public Library, 1990.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Correspondence; U.S. Army records; postcards; telegrams; a monologue; photographs; catalogs; clippings; and publications.
REEL N69-131: U.S. Army records commenting on Lekakis' work in camouflage during World War II; 11 letters, postcards and telegrams, 1951-1963, from Marion and E.E. Cummings concerning translations, from U.S.I.S. officers, and from the Baltimore Museum of Art, the last concerning a Lekakis painting rejected by the Trustees; a xerox monologue, "Medea at Corinth," by Joseph Freeman, and a comment on Lekakis by Henry Gilford; photographs; catalogs; and clippings.
REELS 3090-3091: Papers pertaining to poets Charles Olson and Ezra Pound. Included are 12 letters and postcards from Olson, a letter from the University of Connecticut Archives requesting information about Olson, and two publications (Y & X, 1948 and Right Angle, 1949) which contain poems by Olson. In addition there are 32 letters and postcards, 1953-1958, from Ezra Pound, two letters from Dorothy Pound, and a letter from James Johnson Sweeney to Ezra Pound about the possibility of acquiring Lekakis's sculpture for the Guggenheim.
ADDITION: Biographical information, including records from the memorial service for Lekakis held at the Art Students League, March 6, 1988; clippings, 1962-1988; exhibition announcements, 1946-1990, and catalogs, 1980-1988; poems by Lekakis; and a transcript of a Voice of America radio interview.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, sculptor, poet; New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
Donated 1969-1978 by Michael Lekakis, except for Cummings & Pound letters which were returned to Lekakis after microfilming, and in 1992 by Catherine Lekakis Hios, sister of Michael Lekakis.
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:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Twenty-five photographs of Moore's sculpture and Steuben glass designs executed between 1935 and 1965.
Biographical / Historical:
Bruce Moore (1905-1980) was a portrait painter and sculptor in New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
Unmicrofilmed material donated 1978-1980 by Alice H. Moore, widow of Bruce Moore; material on reel 2029 lent for microfilming 1980 by the office of Visual Resources, National Collection of Fine Arts. Unmicrofilmed material (40 boxes, 1 sol, 7 ov, 11 rd, ) transferred to Wichita Art Association November 4, 1996 and (1 bx, 2 sols) on July 14, 2008.
Restrictions:
Microfilmed portion must be consulted on microfilm.
285 Items (photographic prints, b&w, 8 x 10 in. and smaller.)
5 Slides (b&w)
133 Slides (col.)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Slides
Date:
[ca. 1950-1960]
Scope and Contents:
285 photographs of art work by sculptors Vincent Glinsky and Cleo Hartwig; 5 slides (b&w) of Hartwig's work; and 133 color slides of work by artists Robert Cronbach, Peter Grippe, Joseph Konzal, Michael Lekakis, Charles Green Shaw, and Warren Wheelock.
Biographical / Historical:
Art gallery; New York, N.Y. Operated by Douglas Berman and Peter Daferner.
Provenance:
Donated 1996 and 1998 by Douglas Berman.
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.
Letters from David Smith; a notice for an exhibition of Smith's sculpture at the Willard Gallery, January 5-30, 1954; and one letter from Philip E[vergood ?].
Biographical / Historical:
Painter and sculptor; New York, N.Y.
Other Title:
David Smith (microfilm title)
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1969 by Robert Nunnelly, a painter and friend of David Smith.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
The Howard W. and Jean Lipman papers measure 46.6 linear feet and span the years 1916 to 2000, with one brochure maintained in a research file dating to 1848. The bulk dates for the collection are 1932 to 1992. The papers primarily concern the art collecting activities and interests of the Lipmans which included modern American sculpture, American folk art, and other contemporary American paintings. Found within the papers are correspondence files, notes and printed material that served as research and reference material, along with financial material. The collection also contains writings, notes, and editorial material used by Jean Lipman in her dual roles as an editor for Art in America magazine and as a respected art critic and author.
Scope and Content Note:
The Howard W. and Jean Lipman papers measure 46.6 linear feet and span the years 1916 to 2000. A copy of an 1848 brochure, retained by Jean Lipman in her research and writings files accounts for the early span date listed in the title of the collection. The bulk dates for the collection are 1932 to 1992. The records include correspondence, notes and printed material that served as research and reference material, along with some financial material that documents the art collecting activities and interests of the Lipmans. The collection also contains writing and editorial material used by Jean Lipman in her dual roles as an editor for Art in America magazine and as a respected author.
The Personal Files describe the social activities and associations of the Lipmans and include biographical information, personal and family correspondence, gift giving activities, the art career of Jean Lipman, and relationships maintained by the Lipmans with various art organizations.
The Howard and Jean Lipman Art Collection Files describe the art collecting activities and interests of the Lipmans throughout their lifetime. The General Files section consists of reference files on art organizations and galleries with whom the Lipmans maintained relationships. Also included are particular topics or exhibitions of interest to the Lipmans. The Sculptors and Painters of Interest section served as reference files about the activities of artists in whom the Lipmans were interested and whose works they owned, or considered owning. The Folk Art Collection section documents the collecting and purchasing activities of the Lipmans as they amassed and then subsequently sold their two significant folk art collections.
The Artists Files document the friendship and projects that developed between the Lipmans and three major American artists: Alexander Calder, Louise Nevelson, and David Smith. Of special interest to researchers will be some original Calder artwork mixed into the correspondence between the Lipmans and Calder, as well as drawings, sketches, prints, and posters found in the associated oversize folder. Also found in the Calder subseries are some proofs from Calder's Circus, edited by Jean Lipman.
The Research and Writing Files is divided into five sections dealing with research and writing projects undertaken by Jean Lipman. The first three sections deal with biographical projects that resulted in books or articles about three significant American primitive artists: Jurgan Frederick Huge, Rufus Porter, and Samuel Wood Gaylor. The fourth section deals with writing projects that resulted in the publication of several generalized books on the topic of American folk art. The final section consists of materials associated with the published articles and other authored works of Jean Lipman on a variety of American art topics.
The Art in America Editorial Files consists of editorial material maintained by Jean Lipman during her tenure (1941-1971) as editor of Art in America. The Financial Files reflect the early financial activities of the magazine during the brief period when the Lipmans owned it.
During the period that Jean Lipman served as editor, a variety of distinguished art historians, artists, architects, novelists, and poets contributed articles, columns, or artwork to the magazine. A sampling of correspondents that can be found in the general correspondence of this series include: Joseph Albers, Marcel DuChamp, John Dos Passos, Nelson Rockefeller, Charles Sheeler, and Andrew Wyeth. The General Correspondence Files also document the two subsequent changes of ownership and the growth of subscribers that occurred during the period of Lipman's editorship.
Editorial material related to individual magazine issues is found within this series, as well as information pertaining to the innovative advertising and special projects undertaken by the magazine as it sought to expand its readership and prestige. The Art in America series also chronicles the changes at the magazine that led to Lipman's resignation as editor in 1971.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as five series. Arrangement is generally alphabetical by subject heading or type of material. Items within folders are arranged chronologically by year.
Missing Title
Series 1: Personal Files (Boxes 1-3; 3 linear ft.)
Series 2: Howard and Jean Lipman Art Collection (Boxes 3-15; 12 linear ft.)
Series 3: Artists Files (Boxes 15-18, 46-47, OV 50-52; 3.6 linear ft.)
Series 4: Research and Writings Files (Boxes 18-28, 48; OV 50, 53; 10.3 linear ft.)
Series 5: -- Art in America -- Editorial Files (Boxes 28-45; 49, OV 50; 17.3 linear ft.)
Biographical Note:
Howard W. and Jean Lipman shared a lifetime sponsorship of art. The Lipmans' personal art collection, acquired throughout their marriage, was eventually divided into three separate parts: The Howard W. Lipman Foundation collection that was donated and merged into the modern sculpture holdings of the Whitney Museum of American Art; an American folk art collection that was later sold through two separate auctions in 1950 and 1981 and is now part of the holdings of the New York Historical Association and the Museum of American Folk Art; and a personal collection that was retained and displayed in the Lipmans' various residences in Connecticut, New York, and Arizona.
Married in 1933, the Lipmans began jointly collecting American folk art at a time when few art museums or institutions recognized the historical and artistic value of early primitive, self-taught artists. By the late 1940s, the Lipmans had amassed a large, significant collection that was highly regarded for its quality and scope.
During the early 1950s, the Lipmans also began actively collecting sculpture, focusing upon American contemporary sculptors. In the late 1950s they created the Howard W. Lipman Foundation, with an initial inventory of forty sculptures and three paintings by contemporary American artists. The purpose of the foundation was to acquire significant works by emerging American sculptors and to make them available through loans or donations to various art institutions.
In 1965 the Howard W. Lipman Foundation approached the Whitney Museum of American Art with a proposal to coordinate the foundation's efforts and goals with the museum's contemporary sculpture program. The foundation offered a majority of its growing collection of sculpture and acquisition funds towards the development of the evolving permanent collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art. Thereafter, the Howard W. Lipman Foundation served in an advisory role to the museum's acquisitions, and the foundation supplied the necessary funds to acquire works of sculpture desired by the Whitney for its permanent collection.
In addition to their folk art and foundation collections, the Lipmans also acquired important works by Alexander Calder, Louise Nevelson, and David Smith, through their lifelong association and friendship with these artists. Many of these pieces were retained in the Lipmans' personal collection throughout their lives.
Individually the Lipmans also expressed their interest in art through various means. Jean Lipman served as editor of Art in America magazine from 1940 to 1970, which provided her with continuous exposure to emerging artists and trends in American art. Jean Lipman's abiding interest in folk and contemporary art was also expressed through her voluminous writings. Throughout her life she wrote and edited highly acclaimed books and articles about major themes and artists in American art, and she was a recognized folk art authority and connoisseur. Some of her best known works include: The Flowering of American Folk Art; Rufus Porter, Yankee Wall Painter; and Calder's Universe.
Jean Lipman, born in 1909, was also an amateur artist in her later years, creating paintings and assemblages that often dealt with the theme of "art about art." She was represented by a gallery in New York City, as well as one in Arizona, and she had several solo exhibitions.
Howard W. Lipman, born in 1905, showed an early interest in art. By the mid 1920s he had gone to Paris to study painting, but Lipman found himself more attracted to sculpture and he began studying with a German wood carver. In the late 1930s, after returning to the New York City area, Lipman began stone carving with the Clay Club on Eighth Street, adjacent to the Whitney Museum of American Art. He was represented by a New York City gallery and participated in local exhibitions.
Deciding that his sculptural talent was not sufficient for professional pursuit, Lipman began his business career as a stockbroker in Neuberger and Berman, a prominent New York investment management firm that he helped to establish in 1939. Lipman subsequently channeled his artistic endeavors toward collecting and supporting the work of established and emerging American sculptors. He also served on the boards of both the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Archives of American Art.
Howard and Jean Lipman maintained long and close relationships with three prominent American artists: Alexander Calder, Louise Nevelson, and David Smith. Jean Lipman, in particular, was involved in promoting and documenting Calder and his works through numerous articles, books, and exhibitions that she helped produce as editor of the magazine Art in America and publications director for the Whitney Museum of American Art. Calder's Universe, which she edited to accompany a major Whitney Museum of American Art retrospective exhibition of his works in 1976, was considered by Calder to be his "official" biography. The book went to fourteen printings, one of the largest ever, in the history of art books.
The Lipmans were also great admirers of Louise Nevelson and her work. They purchased her artwork for their own collection, as well as donating pieces to various art museums and institutions. Jean Lipman wrote articles about Nevelson and edited the book, Nevelson's World.
David Smith and the Lipmans established a friendship in the late 1950s that lasted until Smith's untimely death in May 1965. The Lipmans purchased several Smith sculptures, which they placed on the grounds of their Wilton, Connecticut, home. They also purchased Smith works for donation to public institutions, such as the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
The Lipmans retired to Carefree, Arizona, a private residential community renowned for its sensitivity to ecologically-based, architectural design. Howard Lipman died in 1992. Jean Lipman remained active in art and community affairs until her death in 1998.
Provenance:
The papers of Howard and Jean Lipman were initially donated to the Archives of American Art by Howard and Jean Lipman from 1965-1989. Subsequent additions to the original gift were made by Jean Lipman in 1998 and by Peter and Beverly Lipman in 2001. Several small portions of these early accessions were microfilmed.
An associated gift that was originally accessioned as the Art in America Magazine Records was made by Howard and Jean Lipman from 1970-1973. This group, which largely consisted of Jean Lipman's editorial files from her years as editor of the magazine, was subsequently merged with the Howard W. and Jean Lipman records in 2004.
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 -- Collectors and collecting -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Research material on John Hovannes, including biographical notes; an obitiuary; an unpublished article by Nash, "Hovannes and the Sculptured Form," 1956; and photographic prints and negatives of Hovannes, his sculpture, and his studio, taken by Nash.
Biographical / Historical:
Nash is a photographer, owner of Raymond Nash Photography, N.Y.C., and friend of sculptor John Hovannes.
Provenance:
Donated 1991 by Raymond Nash.
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.
Biographical material; correspondence; exhibition announcements and catalogs; writings; clippings; photographs and slides of Teilman, her work, and studio.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, sculptor; New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
Donated 1981-1982 by Gunvor Bull Teilman.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Topic:
Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- History -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- History -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
The records of the Sculptors Guild measure 5.7 linear feet, date from 1936-1979, and document the history of this non-profit artist organization from its inception in 1937 to the late 1970s. The records contain correspondence and minutes documenting the activities of the Guild's various committees, legal and financial records, artist files for Guild members, exhibition files, printed material, scrapbooks and photographs.
Scope and Content Note:
The records of the Sculptors Guild measure 5.7 linear feet, date from 1936-1979, and document the history of this non-profit artist organization from its inception in 1937 to the late 1970s. The records contain correspondence and minutes documenting the activities of the Guild's various committees, legal and financial records, artist files for Guild members, exhibition files, printed material, scrapbooks and photographs.
The early years of the Guild's history, from 1938-1948, are particularly well documented in business records including detailed meeting minutes of the executive board, membership and nominating committees, and exhibition and cultural committees. Correspondence files provide a good overview of the development of Guild programs and changes within the organization from 1937-1976, although coverage of events from the late 1940s to the mid 1960s is relatively sparse. Researchers should consult subseries 1.2: Correspondence by Subject, for records relating to this period.
Artist files provide biographical information for and photographs of many of the Guild's members. Scrapbooks, exhibition files and printed material document the founding of the Guild and its exhibitions from the late 1930s to the 1970s. The collection also contains photographs of Guild members, officers and many of its exhibitions.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 7 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Correspondence, 1937-1976 (Boxes 1, 9, OV 10; 1.0 linear foot)
Series 2: Business Records, 1936-1974 (Boxes 2-3; 1.6 linear feet)
Series 3: Artist Files, 1936-circa 1965 (Boxes 3-4, 7; 1.2 linear feet)
Series 4: Exhibition Files, circa 1938-1979 (Boxes 4, 9, OV 10; 0.5 linear feet)
Series 5: Scrapbooks, 1938-1952 (Boxes 7-9; 0.7 linear feet)
Series 6: Printed Material, circa 1938-1974 (Boxes 5-6, OV 10; 0.7 linear feet)
Series 7: Photographs, circa 1938, circa 1960s (Box 6; 1 folder)
Historical Note:
The Sculptors Guild was founded in New York City in 1937 by a group of artists interested in the promotion of contemporary sculpture in a wide variety of styles through free group exhibitions and educational programs. Membership in the Guild was obtainable only by invitation, based on a sculptor's creative ability and professional standing.
The Guild held annual exhibitions of contemporary sculpture in locations such as the terrace of the International Building at Rockefeller Plaza, Bryant Park, the New York Botanical Gardens, and perhaps most notably at Lever House, marking the introduction of the exhibition of professional art in corporate lobbies. The Guild frequently combined demonstrations and lectures with its exhibitions. Many traveling exhibitions circulated under the auspices of the American Federation of Arts, the Carnegie Corporation, and the Board of Education of the City of New York. The Guild also held several outdoor exhibitions in various other locations in New York City, and at the New York World's Fair in 1939-1940.
Between 1937 and 1964 the Sculptors Guild was supported by membership dues, a 30 percent commission taken on sales of sculpture at annual exhibibitions and private funding. In the mid-1960s the Guild recognized the need for increased funding from foundations and established the Friends of the Sculptors Guild to this end.
The Sculptors Guild was headquartered at various New York locations throughout its history. From 1937-1938, it was located at 52 West 8th Street, moving in early 1939 to 37 East 4th Street. Later that year the Guild moved again, to 96 Fifth Avenue, where it stayed for 25 years. In 1966 the Guild moved to 106 West 16th Street and, in the following year, to 797 Madison Avenue. In 1991 the Guild was located at 35 East 85th Street. The Sculptors Guild is still in operation in 2005 and is located at the Soho Building, 110 Greene Street, New York City.
Provenance:
The Sculptors Guild records were donated by the Sculptors Guild in 1966, 1979, and 1991 and were microfilmed on Reels D262-D266A and 5908-5910 in the order in which they were received.
Restrictions:
Collection is partially microfilmed. Use of material not microfilmed requires an appointment.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Topic:
Sculpture, American -- Societies, etc. Search this
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
UNMICROFILMED: Letters, most are which are from Ruotolo's son Lucio who writes while serving in WWII and while attending Oxford University, and five letters from writer Frances Winwar; 1 poem and a book of poetry by Ruotolo; a biography of Augusto Bellanca and a book of Bellanca's poetry; a manuscript "Quando Canta Il Gallo" by A. Giovannitti; and 26 photographs, including photos of Ruotolo, Ruotolo's work, and of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America conventions.
REEL 2526: Two scrapbooks of clippings, 1917-1954.
Biographical / Historical:
Sculptor; New York, N.Y. Director of the Leonardo da Vinci Art School.
Provenance:
The donor, Marilyn Dorato, found the papers in the basement of 20 Bank St., N.Y., N.Y. when she purchased the home. The two scrapbooks were discarded after microfilming due to their poor condition.
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.
Topic:
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
An interview of Tony Smith conducted 1978 August 22-30, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Biographical / Historical:
Tony Smith (1912-1980) was a sculptor from New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded 2 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 15 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
30 letters to Bernard; photographs of him and his work; shipping receipts; and clippings; correspondence; biographical information; exhibition catalogs, announcements, and invitations; drawings by both artists; and photographs of both artists; photographs of Hortense's sculpture; printed articles in the Artists Equity Association newsletter; and notebook of the Artists Equity Association membership kept by Hortense in 1975.
Biographical / Historical:
Bernard Kassoy, painter and printmaker; Hortense Kassoy, sculptor and painter; Bronx, N.Y.
Related Materials:
Hortense Kassoy slides and photographs and Bernard Kassoy editorial cartoons are also located at the Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
Provenance:
Donated 1977-1979 by Bernard and Hortense Kassoy.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Topic:
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews Search this
