Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt. Ad Reinhardt birthday card to Selina Trieff, 1955 Feb. 3. Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Wyeth, N. C. (Newell Convers), 1882-1945 Search this
Extent:
103.6 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Date:
1821
1815
circa 1896-2011
Summary:
The records of the New York City gallery James Graham & Sons measure 103.6 linear feet and date from 1815, 1821, circa 1896-2011 (bulk 1950s-1980s). The collection generally documents the gallery's contemporary art department during the time in which Robert Claverhouse Graham, Sr. worked at the gallery (1940-1979); records prior to 1954 are sparse and scattered. Gallery records include artist files; correspondence; exhibition files; financial records; inventory records; printed materials; sales, loans, and consignment records; scrapbooks; and photographic materials. Also found are records from Coe Kerr Gallery regarding exhibitions.
Scope and Content Note:
The records of the New York City gallery James Graham & Sons measure 103.6 linear feet and date from 1815, 1821, circa 1896-2011 (bulk 1950s-1980s). The collection generally documents the gallery's contemporary art department during the time in which Robert Claverhouse Graham, Sr. worked at the gallery (1940-1979); records prior to 1954 are sparse and scattered. Gallery records include artist files; correspondence; exhibition files; financial records; inventory records; printed materials; sales, loans, and consignment records; scrapbooks; and photographic materials. Also found are records from Coe Kerr Gallery regarding exhibitions of artwork by Jamie Wyeth, and to a lesser extent, Andrew and N.C. Wyeth.
Over the years, the gallery changed names and established contemporary art departments. In addition to records of James Graham & Sons, the collection holds the records of Duveen-Graham Modern Art (in partnership with Albert Duveen), Graham Gallery, Graham Modern, JG|Contemporary, and, to a lesser extent, The Clapp and Graham Co.
Alphabetical files are a mix of business correspondence and business records. The bulk of the series contains correspondence with galleries, museums, other institutions, and, to a lesser extent, clients regarding sales, consignments, and loans of artwork. Also found are materials relevant to the daily operations of the gallery, including correspondence, subject files, and scattered financial, business and legal records.
Exhibition files provide scattered documentation of the gallery's exhibitions through catalogs, clippings, correspondence, guest books, notes, photographs, press materials, price lists, and sales receipts and other financial records.
Artists' Files document the numerous artists who have been represented by the gallery, especially modern American artists. Folders for each artist can contain a variety of materials, including correspondence with the artist or with institutions regarding consignments, loans, sales and exhibitions; photographic materials primarily of artwork; sales invoices; exhibition catalogs, postcards, and other printed materials; press releases; magazine and newspaper clippings; price lists; artist binders; and research materials on artists and artwork. Also found are some subject files, per original arrangement. There is extensive material related to artists Carmen Cicero, Susan Crile, Elaine De Kooning's portrait of President John F. Kennedy, Edwin Dickinson, muralist Seymour Fogel, Nancy Fried, Irving Kriesberg, Gari Melchers, Jonathan Santlofer, Reeve Schley, Peter Stevens, Joan Thorne, and Selina Trieff.
Artwork files document sales, consignments, and loans of artwork primarily from the mid-1980s to 2000s. Materials include agreements and contracts; condition reports; correspondence; invoices and receipts; photographs of artwork; shipping records; and photocopied printed material and other documentation. This series requires written permission from the donor in order to access.
Sales records from 1959-1984 (missing 1974) are found in the Financial Records series. Also found are check stub books from the mid-late 1950s; price lists; records for the Four Seasons Charter Corp.; and scattered banking, consignment, tax, and other financial records. Inventory cards from mid-1950s-1970s and inventory lists, often with notations and prices, are found in the series Inventory Records.
Coe Kerr Gallery Records regarding the Wyeths document Jamie Wyeth's exhibitions primarily from the mid-1970s-early 1980s. Also found is limited material regarding Andrew Wyeth and N.C. Wyeth. Materials include correspondence, photographs, exhibition printed materials, and extensive newspaper clippings.
There are exhibition catalogs, books, announcements, magazines, clippings, postcards, posters and other printed materials related to artists, John Graham & Sons exhibitions, and exhibitions by Graham artists held at other galleries and museums. Also found is an 1815 fifty cent note which was redeemed in 1821.
Seven scrapbooks document discrete aspects of the business, including the gallery's advertising, participation in an art fair, and the careers of artists Guy Coheleach and Van Dearing Perrine. Materials housed in the scrapbooks include clippings, catalogs, photographs, and other printed materials.
Photographic Materials include mostly black and white photographs, negatives, slides and transparencies of artwork; scattered photographs of installations, artists, and the gallery; and a handful of personal snapshots. The bulk of the photographs are undated, but were likely printed between 1950s-1990s.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as ten series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Alphabetical Files, circa 1896, 1902-1999, bulk 1955-1986 (Boxes 1-15, 102; 15 linear feet)
Series 2: Exhibition Files, 1912, 1947-2004 (Boxes 16-24, 102; 8.1 linear feet)
Series 3: Artists' Files, circa 1907-2006, bulk 1955-1999 (Boxes 24-62, 95-96, 102-110; 47.5 linear feet)
Series 4: Artwork Files, circa early 1900s-2011, bulk mid-1980s-2009 (Boxes 63-71, 94, 101; 9.3 linear feet)
Series 5: Financial Records, circa 1937-1993 (Boxes 72-76, 96; 4.5 linear feet)
Series 6: Inventory Records, circa 1954-1993 (Boxes 76-78, 96; 2.1 linear feet)
Series 7: Coe Kerr Gallery Records Regarding Wyeths, 1964-1988 (Boxes 78-80, 97; 2.7 linear feet)
Series 8: Printed Materials, 1815, 1821, 1949-2006 (Boxes 81-82, 97; 2.1 linear feet)
Series 9: Scrapbooks, 1897-1990s (Boxes 82, 98-100; 0.9 linear feet)
Series 10: Photographic Materials, 1929-1990s (Boxes 83-93, 96, 100-101, 110; 11.5 linear feet)
Historical Note:
The James Graham & Sons gallery has been owned and managed by the Graham family in New York City since 1857. Throughout its history, the gallery has specialized in decorative arts, antiques, and 19th-early 20th century and contemporary American art.
In 1857, Samuel Graham founded a gallery at 66 Third Street and specialized in furniture. Graham was joined by his son James in the 1880s and expanded the business to include antiques and decorative arts. James A. Graham, the third generation Graham, joined the gallery in the early 20th century. James Graham and antiques dealer Marshall Clapp created Clapp & Graham in 1914, a partnership which was dissolved around 1940.
James R. Graham, the fourth generation Graham, joined the gallery in 1937, followed by his brother Robert Claverhouse Graham, Sr. in 1940. The gallery was then named James Graham & Sons and was located at 514 Madison Avenue. At this time, the gallery specialized in bronzes, ceramics, silver, sculptures, and 19th-early 20th century American art. Robert C. Graham, Sr. introduced modern American art, especially The Eight, into the gallery's inventory.
In 1955, the gallery moved to 1014 Madison Avenue, where it remained until the late 2000s. That same year, Graham opened its first contemporary department with Albert Duveen. Duveen-Graham Modern Art gallery was based on the third floor of the Madison Avenue building and dealt solely in contemporary art until its closing in 1958. Robert C. Graham, Jr. (Robin) joined the gallery in 1963, becoming the fifth generation Graham to run the family business. The gallery is currently located at 32 East 67th Street.
Betsy Fahlman's "James Graham & Sons: A Century and a Half in the Art Business" (2007) was a valuable resource in constructing this Historical Note.
Related Material:
Among the other resources relating to James Graham & Sons in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Robert Claverhouse Graham, November 19, 1976, and the David Herbert papers, 1950-1995.
Provenance:
The James Graham & Sons records were donated in 2007, 2008, and 2012 by Priscilla Caldwell and Jay Grimm of James Graham & Sons and in 2018 by Cameron Shay of James Graham & Sons.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
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.
Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt. Ad Reinhardt Valentine to Selina Trieff, 1955 Feb. 18. Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt. Ad Reinhardt to Selina Trieff, 1955 June 2. Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt. Ad Reinhardt to Selina Trieff, 1955 August 25. Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt. Ad Reinhardt to Selina Trieff, 1955 July 8. Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt. Ad Reinhardt to Selina Trieff, 1957 February 25. Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt. Ad Reinhardt to Selina Trieff, 1957 May 2. Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt. Ad Reinhardt to Selina Trieff, 1957 June 3. Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt. Ad Reinhardt to Selina Trieff, 1957 July 18. Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt. Ad Reinhardt to Selina Trieff, 1957 September 17. Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt. Ad Reinhardt postcard to Selina Trieff, 1957 Oct. 24. Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt. Ad Reinhardt to Selina Trieff, 1958 January 27. Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt. Ad Reinhardt to Selina Trieff, 1958 March 12. Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt. Ad Reinhardt to Selina Trieff, 1960 June 27. Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt. Ad Reinhardt to Selina Trieff, 1962 November 8. Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt. Ad Reinhardt to Selina Trieff, 1967 August 4. Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt. Ad Reinhardt to Selina Trieff, between 1951 and 1967. Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt. Ad Reinhardt to Selina Trieff, between 1951 and 1967. Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The papers of painter Selina Trieff measure 0.5 linear feet and date from 1951-1981. The collection documents Trieff's career through personal and professional papers including correspondence, postcards from friend and mentor Ad Reinhardt, a 1951 art competition certificate, and audiovisual recordings of an interview with Trieff, a talk given by her husband, artist Robert Henry, and an exhibition lecture. Also found are clippings, articles, exhibition catalogs and announcements; photographs of Trieff, her friends, family, other artists, and paintings; and several drawings.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter Selina Trieff measure 0.5 linear feet and date from 1951-1981. The collection documents Trieff's career through personal and professional papers including correspondence, postcards from friend and mentor Ad Reinhardt, a 1951 art competition certificate, and audiovisual recordings of an interview with Trieff, a talk given by her husband, artist Robert Henry, and an exhibition lecture. Also found are clippings, articles, exhibition catalogs and announcements; photographs of Trieff, her friends, family, other artists, and paintings; and several drawings.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as one series.
Series 1: Personal and Professional Papers, 1951-1981 (Box 1, OV 2; 0.5 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Selina Trieff (1934-2015) was a painter in Brooklyn, New York. After high school, she studied with Mark Rothko and Ad Reinhardt at Brooklyn College; Hans Hofmann in Provincetown; and Morris Kantor at the Art Students League. Trieff was most known for her unique style of expressionist portraits and self portraits, as well as her paintings of animals. Trieff had solo exhibitions at the Broolyn Museum, Riverside Art Museum, California, and the Hudson River Art Museum, New York; and exhibited her work in group shows acrosss the United States and Europe. Her work is found in collections at the Brooklyn Museum, New York Public Library, Provincetown Art Association and Museum, and many more.
Provenance:
The collection was donated by Selina Trieff in 1981.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment, and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Selina Trieff papers, 1951-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
