The scattered papers of Louis Wiesenberg measure 0.6 linear feet and date from 1913-1981. Found are biographical materials, letters primarily from Louis' widow Raizel Wiesenberg, notes and writings, numerous drawings, printed material, and photographs of Wiesenberg, his family, and artwork.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of painter Louis Wiesenberg measure 0.6 linear feet and date from 1913 to 1981. Found within the papers are biographical material; letters - mostly written by his widow Raizel Wiesenberg attempting to organize a posthumous exhibition; notes and writings, including manuscripts describing Wiesenberg's thoughts on art; numerous drawings of figure studies and landscapes; printed material, including catalogs from exhibitions by obscure organizations such as the Level Club and the Society of Independent Artists; and photographs of Wiesenberg, his family and his artwork.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 6 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1916-1981 (Box 1; 1 folder)
Series 2: Letters, 1917-1981 (Box 1; 7 folders)
Series 3: Notes and Writings, 1939-1943 (Box 1; 4 folders)
Series 4: Artwork, 1927-1932 (Box 1; 19 folders)
Series 5: Printed Material, 1924-1944 (Boxes 1-2; 7 folders)
Series 6: Photographs, 1913-1973 (Box 2; 5 folders)
Biographical Note:
Louis Wiesenberg (1893-1943) was born in Poland and studied art in Montreal and at the National Academy of Design in New York. He settled in New York where he painted and drew. He later moved back to Montreal, but continued to exhibit in New York.
In 1909, Wiesenberg immigrated to Montreal, Canada, with his father and two sisters, leaving his mother and three other sisters in Poland until money could be sent for their passage. His father, who had studied painting in Paris, established a small paint shop in which Louis learned about paint, brushes, and other artistic tools.
After studying art at the Monument Nationale School in Montreal, Louis Wiesenberg continued his studies at the National Academy of Design in New York City in 1916. Following the death of his eldest sister in 1917, Wiesenberg returned to Montreal to assist in his father's business, but continued to exhibit his artwork in Montreal, Ottawa, and New York.
In 1922 Wiesenberg married Raizel, a singer, and they eventually settled in New York City. They befriended many artists, including Milton Avery and Mark Rothko. In 1928, a series of portrait drawings of authors by Wiesenberg was published in the Herald Tribune. He also worked at various art-related jobs including teaching art at a children's camp in order to make ends meet. During the Depression, Wiesenberg's health began to fail.
Louis Wiesenberg died on December 22, 1943 in New York City.
Provenance:
The Louis Wiesenberg papers were donated in 1981 and 1982 by Raizel Wiesenberg Arp, the artist's widow.
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:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Drawings
Writings
Citation:
Louis Wiesenberg papers, 1913-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Correspondence, including letters from numerous art dealers, George Bellows, Arthur B. Davies, Sir Jacob Epstein, Walt Kuhn, Walter Pach, Ezra Pound, Man Ray, Alfred Stieglitz, and the Society of Independent Artists.
Arrangement:
Arranged alphabetically.
Biographical / Historical:
Collector, patron, lawyer; New York, N.Y. Born Tiffin, Ohio, 1870. Legal work included tax laws re imported contemporary art. Friendship with Augustus John shaped activities and interest in art world. Began collecting mainly through direct contact with artists and dealers.
Provenance:
Microfilm donated 1978 and 2005 by Judith Zilczer, who organized an exhibit on John Quinn for the Hirshhorn Museum in 1978. She received a copy of the film from the New York Public Library as part of her research. The New York Public Library received the papers over a period of time, officially completed in 1965, by Quinn's niece, Mary Anderson Conroy.
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.
Rights:
Authorization to publish, quote or reproduce requires written permission from The New York Public Library. Contact Reference Services for more information.
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.
An interview of Abraham Walkowitz conducted by Abram Lerner and Mary Bartlett Cowdrey for the Archives of American Art.
Walkowitz discusses his childhood and schooling; travelling abroad; influence of Claude Monet exhibit; his book, "Artists of Walkowitz: 100 Portraits"; Paul Cezanne's death; meeting artists in Europe; his 1908 exhibition of modern art at the Julius Haas Gallery, New York; getting Max Weber a show at the Haas Gallery; Steiglitz and his "291" Gallery; the Armory Show, especially the roles of Arthur B. Davies, Walt Kuhn, and Walter Pach; reactions to Nude Descending a Staircase; the Society of Independent Artists; thoughts on criticism of his work; his relationship with the critic Peyton Boswell; the importance in his work of dancer Isadora Duncan; opinions on American art, modern art, art schools, students and patrons; good art versus bad art; and the role of critics. Among others he recalls are Lizzie Bliss, William Merritt Chase, Kenyon Cox, The Eight, Jacob Epstein, Childe Hassam, and Georgia O'Keeffe.
Biographical / Historical:
Abraham Walkowitz (1880-1965) was a painter in New York, New York.
General:
Sound has been lost on tape reels; reels discarded.
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.
Society of Independent Artists (New York, N.Y.) Search this
Extent:
179 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1979 January 16-1980 October 22
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Allan Rohan Crite conducted 1979 January 16-1980 October 22, by Robert F. Brown for the Archives of American Art. Also participating in the interview is Crite's assistant, Susan Thompson.
Crite describes his family background and his youth in Boston. He gives great detail about his childhood interest in art and the art classes he took as a child, sharing drawings he did then with the interviewer. He remembers his art education at the Museum of Fine Arts School and involvement with the Society of Independent Artists. Crite discusses his ideas about the Episcopal church, his religious beliefs, and his interest in the liturgy and spirituals in his artwork. He recounts his engagement in the Navy, participation in the WPA, and work with the Rambusch Company. Crite describes paintings he did of street life in Black communities of Boston in the 1930s, a series of portraits, and paintings he did to illustrate spirituals and the Episcopal liturgy. He speaks about race relations and explains his motivations for an educational project in progress entitled, "The Cultural Heritage of the United States: a Rediscovery," promoting a multicultural view of American history. The last segment of the interview includes Susan Thompson, a fabric artist and close friend collaborating with Crite on projects mostly of a religious nature, including vestments and altar cloths.
Biographical / Historical:
Allan Rohan Crite (1910-2007) was a painter and illustrator from Boston, Massachusetts.
General:
Originally recorded on 4 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 7 digital wav files. Duration is 7 hr., 8 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.
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Abraham Walkowitz, 1958 December 8-22. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Society of Independent Artists (New York, N.Y.) Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Allan Rohan Crite, 1979 January 16-1980 October 22. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Society of Independent Artists (New York, N.Y.) Search this
Type:
Photographs
Place:
New York, N.Y.
Date:
1917 Apr
Citation:
Pach Brothers. An installation view of the First Exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists at the Grand Central Palace in New York, 1917 Apr. Walter Pach papers, 1857-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Catalogue of the Seventh Annual Exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists
Subject:
Society of Independent Artists (New York, N.Y.) Search this
Type:
Printed Materials
Place:
New York, N.Y.
Date:
1923 Feb. 24 through Mar. 18
Citation:
Catalogue of the Seventh Annual Exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists, 1923 Feb. 24 through Mar. 18. Miscellaneous art exhibition catalog collection, 1813-1953. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Society of Independent Artists (New York, N.Y.) Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with George Fedoroff, 1980 July 8-1981 Jan. 21. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Membership card for the Society of Independent Artists, 1920; a letter, undated, from newspaper cartoonist Clive Weed and his wife Helen Torr Weed (later Helen Torr Dove), encouraging Daniel to continue his painting, and offering to take Daniel's drawings to show them in Philadelphia; fragment from a sheet of cartoon drawings regarding war bonds; a photocopy of an unidentified pencil portrait; exhibition announcements, including Daniel's first show at the Modern Gallery, 1917, Independents' Studio exhibitions, 1917-18, Fischbach Gallery, 1970, and a catalog of Fischbach's memorial exhibition, 1976; 6 color photographs of paintings, 1972; clippings regarding the Independents' shows, 1916-1921, his exhibitions at Fischbach Gallery, 1970-1973, his memorial exhibition, and his obituary; and 4 typewritten sheets summarizing press clippings and listing his exhibits.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter; New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
Donated 1978 and 1991 by Mina Daniel, widow of Mell Daniel.
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
Topic:
Painting, Modern -- 20th century -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
An interview with George Fedoroff conducted 1980 July 8-1981 Jan. 21, by Robert F. Brown, for the Archives of American Art.
Fedoroff speaks of his childhood, his experiences as a refugee during the Russian Revolution, his training as a painter in Paris, his association with the Society of Independent Artists in Boston and with artists and actors on Cape Cod, his development of education in Alaska with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and his designs in wood.
Biographical / Historical:
George Fedoroff (1906-2001) was a craftsman and crafts administrator in Brewster, Mass.
Provenance:
This interview is 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.
