Letters, writings and notes, art works, printed material and photographs.
Brief resumes, a genealogy of Van Ness' family and a citation from Beaver Country Day School for "Meritorious Service"; correspondence from family members, colleagues and friends includes 5 letters from Victor D'Amico and the Progressive Education Association regarding her participation in upcoming events; extensive notes and writings by Van Ness and others regarding art education theory and practice and a brief history of Beaver Country Day School written by Van Ness in 1981; teaching files, undated and 1932-1944, containing course outlines, exams and class assignments for courses taught at BCDS;
a notebook describing the dimensions, locations and types of various picture frames; a card file describing paintings by Van Ness; figure drawings, still lifes, contour drawings and charcoal studies done when she was a student; studies of people done in preparation for paintings, portrait sketches and 2 sketches of Van Ness done by her students; photographs of Van Ness, her family, models (for paintings), colleagues and teachers (includes a photo of Philip Hale and Edmund Tarbell, ca. 1905-1980), numerous photos of paintings by Van Ness, ca. 1910-1980, and photos of drawings by her students.
Printed materials include 2 articles by Van Ness on art education published in ART EDUCATION TODAY (1939) and HIGH SCHOOL JOURNAL (1940); exhibition catalogs, announcements, clippings and an essay by Hilla Rebay entitled "The Beauty of Non-Objectivity."
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, educator; Chesnut Hill, Mass. Founder and head of the Art Department at Beaver Country Day School in Chestnut Hill (1921-1949). She studied child and adolescent behavior as applied to art education practice. Through articles, essays and presentations she advocated a more vital and integral role for art education in overall curriculum strategy.
Provenance:
Donated 1983 by Van Ness's daughters Mary Crocker and Silvia Martin.
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:
Art -- Study and teaching -- United States Search this
Trowbridge, Alexander Buell, 1868-1950 Search this
Extent:
2.8 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Prints
Sketches
Sketchbooks
Place:
Mexico -- description and travel
Date:
circa 1878-1982
Summary:
The papers of painter and frame maker Hermann Dudley Murphy measure 2.8 linear feet and date from circa 1878-1982. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, writings, personal business records, printed materials, a scrapbook, photographs, and original artworks, including sketchbooks.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter and frame maker Hermann Dudley Murphy measure 2.8 linear feet and date from circa 1878-1982. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, writings, personal business records, printed materials, a scrapbook, photographs, and original artworks, including sketchbooks.
The bulk of the papers focus on the later part of Herman Dudley Murphy's career. Specifically, correspondence focuses on the sale of still-life paintings and sketches and sketchbooks are mostly from Murphy's travels through Europe and Mexico from the 1920s to the 1930s. Correspondents include Mary Ogden Abbott, Edwin S. Barrie, Maurice Prendergast, Chauncey Ryder, Theodore Sizer, Edmund Tarbell, Alexander Trowbridge, and Vose Gallery among others. Personal business records comment on the sale of works of art from 1897 until 1944. Printed materials include clippings and exhibition catalogs spanning Murphy's career. One scrapbook contains photos and printed materials. Photographs and snapshots are of Hermann Dudley Murphey and family, family travels, and works of art and frames. Artwork consists of loose sketches, prints, and sketchbooks.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as 8 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1887-circa 1940 (Box 1; 7 folders)
Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1890-1962 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet)
Series 3: Writings and Notes, circa 1900-1942 (Box 1; 7 folders)
Series 4: Personal Business and Financial Records, 1897-1944 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 5: Printed Material, 1889-1982 (Box 1-2; 0.9 linear feet)
Series 6: Scrapbook, circa 1910 (Box 2; 1 folder)
Series 7: Photographs, circa 1878-circa 1950 (Box 2; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 8: Artwork, 1892-circa 1940 (Box 2-4; 0.8 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Hermann Dudley Murphy (1867-1945) was a painter and frame maker active in Boston, Massachusetts.
Hermann Dudley Murphy was born in Massachusetts in 1867. He studied art under Edmund Tarbell at the Boston Museum School and later in Paris at the Académie Julian. His early career focused on portraiture and landscape painting. While in Paris, Murphy learned to make frames for artworks. After exhibiting at the 1913 Armory Show, Murphy rejected Modernism and painted still-life. He was known for his Tonalist style and his floral still-life paintings which included objects d'art such as Chinese ceramics, bronze statues, and textiles. Additionally, Murphy taught art classes at the Harvard School of Architecture and the Worcester Art Museum School.
Murphy married Caroline Bowles Murphy with whom he had two children, Carlene and Dudley Murphy. After Caroline died, he married artist Nellie Littlehale. With Nellie, he shared an interest in deck-seat canoeing. Murphy died in 1945.
Provenance:
The collection was donated in 1985 by Alexander B. and Dudley D. B. Samoiloff, grandsons of Hermann Dudley Murphy.
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.
No access restrictions. Many of SIA's holdings are located off-site, and advance notice is recommended to consult a collection. Please email the SIA Reference Team at osiaref@si.edu
No access restrictions. Many of SIA's holdings are located off-site, and advance notice is recommended to consult a collection. Please email the SIA Reference Team at osiaref@si.edu
No access restrictions. Many of SIA's holdings are located off-site, and advance notice is recommended to consult a collection. Please email the SIA Reference Team at osiaref@si.edu
No access restrictions. Many of SIA's holdings are located off-site, and advance notice is recommended to consult a collection. Please email the SIA Reference Team at osiaref@si.edu
No access restrictions. Many of SIA's holdings are located off-site, and advance notice is recommended to consult a collection. Please email the SIA Reference Team at osiaref@si.edu
Edmund Charles Tarbell. Letter from Edmund C. Tarbell, Paris, France to Emeline Souther Tarbell, Boston, Massachusetts, 1884 November 7. Edmund C. Tarbell papers, circa 1855-circa 2000. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Edmund Charles Tarbell. Edmund Charles Tarbell letter to Charles Henry Hart, 1892 June 23. Charles Henry Hart autograph collection, 1731-1918. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The papers of Boston painter Edmund Charles Tarbell measure 7.2 linear feet and date from circa 1855-circa 2000, bulk 1885-1938. The collection includes biographical material, correspondence, writings, diaries, personal business records, printed material, photographs, albums, glass plate negatives, and a scrapbook.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Boston painter Edmund Charles Tarbell measure 7.2 linear feet and date from circa 1855-circa 2000, bulk 1885-1938. The collection includes biographical material, correspondence, writings, diaries, personal business records, printed material, photographs, albums, glass plate negatives, and a scrapbook.
Biographical material includes a detailed timeline, honorary degree, award certificates, business cards, lists of awards and paintings, sketches, handbooks for organizations, and other documents.
There are three subseries of correspondence: Edmund Charles Tarbell's correspondence, his wife Emeline Tarbell's correspondence, and his daughter Josephine Tarbell Ferrell's correspondence. The first subseries includes Edmund Tarbell's correspondence with artists, museums and arts organizations. Notable correspondents include Frank W. Benson, William Merritt Chase, Henry Clay Frick, Philip Leslie Hale, August F. Jaccaci, Lilla Cabot Perry, and many others. The letters to his brother-in-law Augustus "Gus" Nickerson and sister Nellie Sophia are also significant for their information about his time studying abroad. The bulk of Emeline Tarbell's correspondence consists of letters from her husband regarding his time as a student in Paris. There are letters from her mother and siblings as well. Josephine Tarbell Ferrell's correspondence with people concerns her efforts to preserve the Tarbell house in New Hampshire as a memorial to her father.
Writings include a small amount of material by Edmund C. Tarbell, such as annotated appointment calendars, a notebook, assorted lists and notes, but most of the material in the series consists of other people's writings about the artist. Writing by others include drafts of a biography about Tarbell by his daughter Josephine Tarbell Ferrell and a typescript draft of "About the Artist Edmund C. Tarbell: Recollections of a Daughter" by Mercie Tarbell Clay. There is also a cookbook that was probably Emeline Souther's, before her marriage to Tarbell.
There are four diaries: two diaries by Emeline Tarbell, one diary by Josephine Tarbell Ferrell and another by Mercie Tarbell Clay.
Personal business records consist of account books, bills, receipts, checkbooks, estate papers, a ledger, and a deed. Some of the material belonged to Emeline Tarbell.
Printed material includes exhibition catalogs, announcements, event invitations, magazines, books, and newspaper clippings, mostly about Edmund Charles Tarbell.
There is one scrapbook of clippings of artwork and articles on Tarbell.
Photographic material consists of albums, photographs, glass plate negatives, and nitrate negatives of Edmund Charles Tarbell, his studio, family, friends, exhibition installations, and artwork. There are extensive photographs of the Tarbell family and the house in New Castle, New Hampshire.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as 8 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1862-circa 1980, bulk 1884-1938 (0.4 linear feet; Boxes 1, 8, 18, OV 9)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1877-circa 1993, bulk 1883-1930 (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)
Series 3: Writings, circa 1880-circa 2000 (0.2 linear feet; Box 2)
Series 4: Diaries, 1887-1938 (0.3 linear feet; Box 2)
Series 5: Personal Business Records, 1889-circa 1951 (0.3 linear feet; Boxes 2-3)
Series 6: Printed Material, 1877-1979 (1.7 linear feet; Boxes 3-4, 8, OV 10-15)
Series 7: Scrapbook, circa 1902-circa 1916 (0.2 linear feet; Box 8)
Series 8: Photographic Material, circa 1845-circa 1990 (2.7 linear feet; Boxes 4-8, 16-17, MGP 1, MGP 5)
Biographical / Historical:
Edmund Charles Tarbell (1862-1938) was a painter and educator based in Boston, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Edmund Charles Tarbell was born in West Groton, Massachusetts. His parents were Mary Sophia and Edmund Whitney Tarbell. His father died from typhoid fever during the Civil War. After his father's death and his mother's remarriage, Tarbell and his sister Nellie Sophia are raised by his paternal grandparents. Tarbell studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (the Museum School), where he studied under the painter Otto Grundmann, and the Académie Julian in Paris, France, where he studied under Gustave-Rodolphe Boulanger and Jules-Joseph Lefebvre. Tarbell was in Europe from 1884 to 1886. In addition to his time at the Académie in Paris, he studied the Old Master paintings and Impressionism. He also traveled to London, Brussels, Frankfurt, Venice, and Munich, among other places.
After returning from Europe, Tarbell settled in Dorchester, Massachusetts and worked as a painter and illustrator. Tarbell married Emeline Souther in 1888. They had four children together and his family members were often the models for his paintings. Tarbell bought a summer house in New Castle, New Hampshire in 1905, where he and his wife would eventually retire.
Tarbell taught at the Museum School in Boston from 1889-1913 and later became the head of the Corcoran School of Art from 1918 to 1926. Tarbell and his close friend Frank W. Benson were both members of the Ten American Painters, a group of American Impressionist painters who held exhibitions together. He was considered the leader of the Boston Impressionists and had tremendous influence on his students, who were referred to as "Tarbellites." Tarbell was also the president of The Guild of Boston Artists from 1914 to 1924.
Tarbell exhibited frequently and his paintings are often in the American Impressionist style. While his wife and children were often the subject of his paintings, he also made numerous portraits of men of prestige, such as noted industrialists and presidents. He won numerous awards and received an honorary doctorate for painting from Dartmouth College. Tarbell was a juror in several important international exhibitions and world fairs such as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (1904) and the Panama–Pacific International Exposition (1915). Furthermore, Tarbell was a member of various arts organizations such as the Tavern Club, the Players Club, and the National Academy of Design.
Tarbell died in New Castle, New Hampshire in 1938.
Separated Materials:
Also in the Archives is material loaned for microfilming (reel N68-103) including roughly 75 unidentified and undated photographs, mostly of Tarbell's work and exhibitions; six exhibition catalogs in which his work appears; clippings; 1 sketch by Tarbell, 1883; and 1 letter from Edward Redfield to "Mary."
Provenance:
The Edmund Charles Tarbell papers were donated in 1989 by his granddaughter, Mary Josephine Ferrell Cannon, and in 2017 by William P. Tarbell, the artist's great-grandson.
The material on reel N68-103 was lent for microfilming in 1968 by Mrs. John Schaffer (Mary Tarbell), daughter of Edmund Tarbell.
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.
Rights:
The Edmund Charles Tarbell papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Citation:
Edmund Charles Tarbell papers, circa 1855-circa 2000, bulk 1885-1938. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by The Walton Family Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art.
2 glass plate negatives housed in MGP 1 and MGP 5.
Collection 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.
Collection Rights:
The Edmund Charles Tarbell papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Edmund Charles Tarbell papers, circa 1855-circa 2000, bulk 1885-1938. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by The Walton Family Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The Edmund Charles Tarbell papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Edmund Charles Tarbell papers, circa 1855-circa 2000, bulk 1885-1938. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by The Walton Family Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The Edmund Charles Tarbell papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Edmund Charles Tarbell papers, circa 1855-circa 2000, bulk 1885-1938. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by The Walton Family Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The Edmund Charles Tarbell papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Edmund Charles Tarbell papers, circa 1855-circa 2000, bulk 1885-1938. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by The Walton Family Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The Edmund Charles Tarbell papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Edmund Charles Tarbell papers, circa 1855-circa 2000, bulk 1885-1938. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by The Walton Family Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The Edmund Charles Tarbell papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Edmund Charles Tarbell papers, circa 1855-circa 2000, bulk 1885-1938. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by The Walton Family Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The Edmund Charles Tarbell papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Edmund Charles Tarbell papers, circa 1855-circa 2000, bulk 1885-1938. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by The Walton Family Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The Edmund Charles Tarbell papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Edmund Charles Tarbell papers, circa 1855-circa 2000, bulk 1885-1938. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by The Walton Family Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Collection Rights:
The Edmund Charles Tarbell papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Edmund Charles Tarbell papers, circa 1855-circa 2000, bulk 1885-1938. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by The Walton Family Foundation and the Terra Foundation for American Art.
