An interview of Roswell Weidner conducted 1989 July 20-27, by Marina Pacini, for the Archives of American Art Philadelphia Project. Weidner discusses his early life, education, and art training at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, first at the school at Chester Springs, and later at the main school in Philadelphia. He discusses the programs at both schools, and recalls some of the faculty members, including Roy Nuse, Albert Laessle, George Harding, Joseph Pierson, Francis Speight, Daniel Garber, and Henry McCarter. He discusses the courses, exhibitions, and the competitions for traveling scholarships. He also discusses his study at the Barnes Foundation with Violette De Mazia and Angelo Pinto. After leaving the Academy, he joined the National Youth Administration and then transferred to the WPA with the Museum Extension, the Painting Project and the Print Project. He speaks of his work for each of these programs, their administration, and some of the individuals involved including Dox Thrash. He recalls Mary Curran and the efforts made by Albert Barnes to have her removed as head of the Painting Project. Weidner discusses his fifty years as a teacher at the Academy, beginning in 1939, and the changes in the institution since then, including the introduction of printmaking, the growth of abstraction, the hiring of women and black instructors, and other changes. He speaks of his wife, Marilyn Kemp Weidner, a paper conservator, and the development of her practice, as well as his own future work.
Biographical / Historical:
Roswell T. Weidner (1911-1999) was a painter and educator from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
General:
Originally recorded on 3 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr.; 18 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are 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.
The papers of modernist painter and printmaker George Constant measure 4.6 linear feet and date from 1912-2007, with the bulk of the material dating from 1932-1978. They consist of biographical material, inventories of artwork, audio interviews and recorded statements on art, personal and business related correspondence, holiday cards, printed material, an exhibition related video recording, and photographs of Constant, his family and friends, and his work.
Scope and Contents note:
The papers of modernist painter and printmaker George Constant measure 4.6 linear feet and date from 1912-2007, with the bulk of the material dating from 1932-1978. They consist of biographical material, inventories of artwork, audio interviews and recorded statements on art, personal and business related correspondence, holiday cards, printed material, an exhibition related video recording, and photographs of Constant, his family and friends, and his work. A small portion of the correspondence and printed materials are written in Greek.
Biographical material includes artist statements written and recorded by Constant, two audio interview recordings discussing his philosophies on art and his work, inventories of artwork, personal property deeds and legal correspondence, and other miscellaneous material.
Correspondence is predominantly in the form of business and personal letters, postcards, and holiday cards received from family and friends. These include correspondence from Constant's daughter, Georgette Preston, and extended family members. Other frequent personal correspondents include Milton and Sally Avery, Lewis Balamuth, Margaret Brunning, David Burliuk, Nathaniel Burwash, Rhys Caparn, Julia Shaw Patterson Carnell, Phillip Cavanaugh, Morris Davidson, Charles Eaton, Vilko Gecan, Marchal Landgren, Roy Neuberger, Walter Pach, Nell Perret, Constantine Pougialis, Wallace Putnam and Consuelo Kanaga, Hi Simons, and Helen Slosberg. Business related correspondents include Audubon Artists, Art Institute of Chicago, Brooklyn Museum, Carnegie Institute, Dayton Art Institute, Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors, Ferargil Galleries, Guild Hall, Heckscher Museum, Lyman Allyn Museum, Metropolitan Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Spanish Refugee Appeal, and the Whitney Museum. Other business correspondence related to Constant's work with the WPA are also included in the series.
Printed material includes books and booklets on American and Greek art, including a limited print edition of George Constant by George Constant, clippings and articles reviewing Constant's work, exhibition announcements and catalogs of Constant's shows, periodicals profiling his artwork, and dance and theater related programs that Constant consulted on.
Photographs include black and white prints of Constant and his family and friends in St. Louis, Missouri, Dayton, Ohio, and in and around his studio in Shinnecock Hills, New York. The collection also includes photo stills from his 1965 exhibition at the Parrish Art Museum and a comprehensive set of black and white prints, a handful of color prints, and several color slide sheets of Constant's artwork from the 1920s to 1978.
Arrangement note:
The collection is arranged into 4 series:
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1923-2007 (Box 1; 17 folders)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1930-1979 (Box 1-2; 1.4 linear feet)
Series 3: Printed Material, 1927-2005 (Box 2-3; 2 linear feet)
Series 4: Photographic Material, 1912-1978 (Box 4-6; 1 linear foot)
Biographical/Historical note:
Greek American George Zachary Constant (1892-1978) worked from his studios in Shinnecock Hills, and New York City, New York as a painter and printmaker. A founder and lifelong member of the Federation of Modern Painters and Sculptors, Constant worked for the Work Projects Administration (WPA) during the Depression and early years of World War II, and exhibited regularly at major galleries and museums from the 1920s to 1970s.
Born in Arahova, Greece, Constant was raised by his two uncles after the death of his parents in 1896. In school and at the monestary one of his uncles led, Constant showed an early interest in classical Greek aesthetics. At the age of eighteen, he immigrated to the United States and continued his art studies at Washington University before transferring to the Art Institute of Chicago. From 1918 to 1922, Constant taught at the Dayton Art Institute and continued to produce and exhibit his work locally. In 1922, he moved to New York, joined the Society of Independent Painters, and became close friends with Society founder and art critic Walter Pach. During the 1920s, his etchings were shown at the Valentine and Downtown Galleries, and at the New Art Circle of J.B. Neumann, where he presented his first one man gallery show in 1929.
From the 1930s to 1940s, Constant produced prints, watercolors, and oil paintings for the WPA, many of which were purchased by museums and public institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Museum. During this same period, Constant exhibited his work at the Boyer Gallery in the late 1930s, and at the Ferargil Gallery from the 1940s to early 1950s. In the decade between 1955 and 1965, Constant also worked on color and set design for seventeen dance productions created by the choreographer Alwin Nikolais. In the last two decades of his career, Constant produced works from his studio in Shinnecock Hills, New York and continued to exhibit at numerous galleries, including Grace Borgenicht Gallery, Guild Hall, Mari Galleries, Tirca Karlis Gallery, and Artium Gallery.
Provenance:
The papers of George Constant were donated by the artist in 1969 and 1978. Additional materials were donated in 2001 and 2007 by his daughter Georgette Preston.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
The George Constant 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.
Topic:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
This collection is comprised of over 18 cubic feet of material generated during the course of the Historic American Merchant Marine Survey. The bulk of the collection consists of survey books and measured drawings. Other records include administrative papers relating to the project, an index and catalogue, and a listing of the names of vessels surveyed.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into five series.
Series 1: H.A.M.M.S. Index
Series 2: H.A.M.M.S. Catalogue
Series 3: Names of Vessels, 1789-
Series 4: Field Notes
Series 5: Drawings
Biographical / Historical:
The Historic American Merchant Marine Survey (HAMMS) was one of six projects created by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to provide work for unemployed skilled or "white collar" workers. These projects were intended to provide work which was both useful and appropriate to the skills and experience of workers who were not suited for more traditional work programs involving manual or outdoor labor. The specific goal of HAMMS was to undertake a national survey of watercraft, in order to document the design and technical evolution of vessel types significant in America's commercial maritime history. This was to be accomplished by making measured drawings of existing vessels, ship models, and builders' half models; by making a photographic record of significant vessels; and by compiling written data about vessels.
The HAMMS program was in existence from January 1, 1936 to October 15, 1937. The Smithsonian Institution served as the official sponsor of the Survey and received all the documentation produced, thus augmenting its already significant National Watercraft Collection. Unlike other WPA projects, HAMMS was administered directly from Washington by its Director, Eric J. Steinlein, who coordinated the survey work of six regional directors. Despite its national mandate, the Survey actually was limited to the eastern seaboard, the Great Lakes, and California. Furthermore, the types of craft surveyed and the level of documentation varied considerably within the six regions. During the course of its existence, the HAMMS program conducted over 166 surveys and produced over 400 sheets of line drawings of ship's hulls, rigging, and details.
Provenance:
The materials in this collection were turned over to the Smithsonian soon after the completion of the project in 1937.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Topic:
Naval architecture -- Designs and plans Search this
Genre/Form:
Records
Tracings
Notes
Drawings -- 1930-1940
Citation:
Historic American Merchant Marine Survey, 1936-1937, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Indians of North America -- Southwest, New Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Posters
Drawings
Date:
1939
Scope and Contents:
Titles: "Antelope Hunt from a Navaho Drawing, New Mexico;" "Pomo Indian Basket, California;" "Apache Devil Dancer from an Indian Painting, Arizona;" "Pueblo Turtle Dancers from an Indian Painting, New Mexico;" "Eskimo Mask, Western Alaska;" "Blanket Design of the Haida Indians, Alaska;" and "From an Indian Painting on Elkskin, Great Plains."
Local Numbers:
NAA MS 4883
Local Note:
The Word "Siegriest" appears on all the posters; it is perhaps the name of the artist who did the silk-screen posters.
Biographical material, correspondence files, writings, photographs, and printed material.
Biographical material includes Zeigler's Works Progress Administration identification card, 1936, obituaries, 1952, a biographical sketch, pages from an engagement book, 1914-1917, and an address book.
Correspondence, 1920-1941, relates to Zeigler's freelance painting, mural designs for Tiffany Studios, mural commissions for churches and other public and private commissions, including the Chapel of the Transfiguration Glendale, Oh. (1927-1928), St. Michael's Church, N.Y.C. (1929); Calvary Church, Cincinnati, Oh. (1936-1937), the "Faerie Queene" murals in the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, Md. (1933-1941); WPA-FAP projects in New York State (1933-1937), including murals for Washington Hall, West Point Military Academy, the Stony Point Battlefield Museum, Stony Point-on-the Hudson, and the Newburgh Free Academy, Newburgh. Among the correspondents are architects responsible for the designs of the buildings, such as Ralph Adams Cram and O.H. Murray, individuals associated with the execution of the projects, including Charles Osgood and Joseph L. Wheeler; and WPA adminstrators Edward Bruce and Juliana Force.
Printed material includes clippings, ca. 1910-1948, regarding Zeigler's works of art and his involvement in the war effort and local politics; exhibition catalogs and programs, ca. 1925, 1940-1968; and reproductions of Zeigler's illustrations for bookplates, Christmas cards, magazines, including Gunter's Magazine, Harper's Weekly, and Life, ca.1890-1900, and for limited edition books by such authors as Jane Austen, Honore' de Balzac, Amelia E. Barr, Theophile Gautier, Charles Kingsley, and William Stearns Davis, ca.1890-1915.
Photographs consist of three portraits of Zeigler, ca. 1930-1940, and photographs of works by him, ca.1900, 1915, 1993, and by others ca. 1900-1913. Also included are portrait of actor Fritz Leiber, ca. 1900, a snapshot of Percy and Ella Grainger, 1929.
Also included are copyrights for Zeigler's art work, 1911, 1944, 1945, 1979; an unpublished typescript of a short story by Zeigler, "Story of the Son of Roland"; a sketch of a suit of armor created by Zeigler, ca. 1945; a project file regarding a statue of "Ushabti," created by Zeigler, 1923-1924; and a guestbook from an exhibition at the Vanderbilt Galleries, 1941.
Biographical / Historical:
Illustrator, muralist; Baltimore, Md. Studied at the Maryland Institute of Art and was founding member of the Charcoal Club of Baltimore. He began his career as an illustrator and later specialized in mural painting.
Provenance:
Donated 1979 and 1994 by Audrey Z. Archer-Shee; Zeigler's daughter.
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.
An interview of Audrey McMahon conducted 1964 Nov. 18, by Harlan Phillips, for the Archives of American Art.
McMahon speaks of her pre-Federal Art Project experiences; her early involvement with the WPA; how it functioned; and political problems with the WPA. She recalls Juliana Force, Edward Bruce, Holger Cahill.
Biographical / Historical:
Audry McMahon (1900?-1981) served under Holger Cahill as Regional Director of the WPA Federal Art Project for New York and New Jersey from 1935-1939.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hrs., 21 min.
Provenance:
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Interview of Don Freeman conducted 1965 June 4, by Betty Hoag McGlynn, for the Archives of American Art, in his home, in Santa Barbara, Calif. Freeman speaks of his childhood in San Diego with his guardian; his high school years spent in St. Louis at a public school Prineipia (and his teacher Kathryn Cherry); the knowledge of his artistic destiny as a child; his move to New York City in 1929; his time spent working as an unbooked trumpet player for jazz orchestras on Broadway; his formative years at the Art Students League under the guidance of John Sloan;
the influence of Robert Henri and "Art Spirit;" his decision to do illustrations for the theater section of the Herald Tribune of ongoing performances; his time spent studying with Harry Wickey (etcher and sculptor); his relationship and marriage to wife Lydia as well as description of life in downtown Manhattan immediately following the stock market crash ; time at Art Students League studying along side with Jackson Pollock, Manuel Tolegian, Whitney Darrel; his decision to work for the WPA in
the graphics department completing lithographs (1933-1934); "Freedom of the Press," a painting completed around the same time and the possible influence of Reginald Marsh; his interest in a project called "Paint for the People" (a public works project for the New York Subway system); time spent illustrating for the WPA theater magazine "The Living Magazine;" his opinions concerning acetate and stone as well as the use of mezzotint; his personal magazine which he published for four years (name unknown); a general summary of his feelings towards the WPA as an artistic force; his separation from the Union Uprisings due to his success within the program;
his work on "Our Flying Navy" a series of illustrations (now compiled as a book) used for advertisement for the Navy; his participation in the Association of American Artists before his term spent in the Army during WWII; his budding career as a children's books writer and illustrator (Barton Press); his illustrations for William Soroyan"s The Human Comedy; his move back west and his son Roy; and his current occupation of giving "Chalk Talks" around the country, speaking with students about art, music, theater.
Biographical / Historical:
Don Freeman (1908-1978) was an Illustrator from New York, N.Y. Went to New York City at the age of 21. Studied with John Sloan and Harry Wickey at the Art Students League.
General:
An unrelated interview of Ben Messick conducted by B. Hoag McGlynn is also on this tape.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Topic:
Illustrators -- California -- Interviews Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Container:
Box 26, Folder 2 67
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1857
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Historic American Merchant Marine Survey, 1936-1937, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Container:
Box 26, Folder 2 68
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1857
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Historic American Merchant Marine Survey, 1936-1937, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Container:
Box 26, Folder 2 69
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1859
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Historic American Merchant Marine Survey, 1936-1937, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Container:
Box 26, Folder 2 70
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1860
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Historic American Merchant Marine Survey, 1936-1937, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Container:
Box 26, Folder 2 71
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1863
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Historic American Merchant Marine Survey, 1936-1937, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Container:
Box 26, Folder 2 72
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1865
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Historic American Merchant Marine Survey, 1936-1937, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Container:
Box 26, Folder 2 74
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1868
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Historic American Merchant Marine Survey, 1936-1937, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Container:
Box 26, Folder 2 80
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1870
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Historic American Merchant Marine Survey, 1936-1937, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Container:
Box 26, Folder 2 82
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1881
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Historic American Merchant Marine Survey, 1936-1937, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Container:
Box 26, Folder 2 83
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1854
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Historic American Merchant Marine Survey, 1936-1937, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Container:
Box 26, Folder 2 84
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1866
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Historic American Merchant Marine Survey, 1936-1937, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
United States. Works Progress Administration Search this
Container:
Box 26, Folder 2 86
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1888
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Historic American Merchant Marine Survey, 1936-1937, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
