Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Search Results

Collections Search Center
658 documents - page 2 of 33

The Great Silent Majority...

Maker:
Vietnam Veterans Against the War  Search this
Measurements:
overall: 24 in x 20 in; 60.96 cm x 50.8 cm
Object Name:
Poster
Associated place:
Viet Nam
General subject association:
History, Reform Movements, Peace/Anti-War  Search this
Vietnam War  Search this
Related event:
Vietnam War  Search this
Credit Line:
Vietnam Veterans Against the War
ID Number:
PL.308416.02
Catalog number:
308416.02
See more items in:
Political and Military History: Political History, Womens History/Reform Movements Collection
Princeton Posters
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a3-91a6-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_540868

Ground Zero

Producer:
Ground Zero  Search this
Physical Description:
paper (overall material)
purple; white; black (overall color)
Measurements:
overall: 17 in x 11 in; 43.18 cm x 27.94 cm
Object Name:
poster
Place made:
United States: District of Columbia, Washington
Made at:
United States: District of Columbia, Washington
Date made:
1984
Associated date:
1984
Referenced:
Nuclear War  Search this
Voting  Search this
General subject association:
Peace  Search this
Credit Line:
Brian Leber
ID Number:
2015.0066.08
Accession number:
2015.0066
Catalog number:
2015.0066.08
See more items in:
Political and Military History: Political History, Reform Movements Collection
Princeton Posters
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b0-e238-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_1693734

Soviet poster, Hitler caricatures

Caricaturist:
Kukryniksy group  Search this
Physical Description:
paper (overall material)
paint (overall material)
Measurements:
overall: 240 cm x 133.5 cm; 94 1/2 in x 52 9/16 in
Object Name:
print
Other Terms:
print; Stencil
Date made:
1942-1943
1942
Subject:
Soviet Union  Search this
Political Caricatures  Search this
Related Publication:
SOVIET WAR POSTERS, c1940-1945, The Tass Poster Series from the Hallward Library, University of Nottingham
Credit Line:
Dr. Ales Hrdlicka
ID Number:
GA.18850
Accession number:
164567
Catalog number:
18850
See more items in:
Work and Industry: Graphic Arts
Military
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a5-e9f9-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_794651

Soviet poster, Making Shells

Physical Description:
paper (overall material)
paint (overall material)
Measurements:
overall: 158.5 cm x 82.5 cm; 62 3/8 in x 32 1/2 in
Object Name:
print
Other Terms:
print; Stencil
Date made:
1942-1943
Subject:
Soviet Union  Search this
Firearms  Search this
Related Publication:
SOVIET WAR POSTERS, c1940-1945, The Tass Poster Series from the Hallward Library, University of Nottingham
Credit Line:
U.S.S.R. Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
ID Number:
GA.19083.02
Accession number:
167088
Catalog number:
19083.02
See more items in:
Work and Industry: Graphic Arts
Military
Work
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a5-d9c3-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_794959

Soviet poster, Making Hand Grenades

Artist attribution:
Vyalov, Konstantin Aleksandrovich  Search this
Author:
Mashistzov, A.  Search this
Physical Description:
paper (overall material)
paint (overall material)
Measurements:
overall: 162 cm x 135 cm; 63 3/4 in x 53 1/8 in
Object Name:
print
Other Terms:
print; Stencil
Date made:
1942-1943
1942
Subject:
Soviet Union  Search this
Firearms  Search this
Related Publication:
SOVIET WAR POSTERS, c1940-1945, The Tass Poster Series from the Hallward Library, University of Nottingham
Credit Line:
Dr. Ales Hrdlicka
ID Number:
GA.18849
Accession number:
164567
Catalog number:
18849
See more items in:
Work and Industry: Graphic Arts
Military
Work
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a5-d9c4-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_794960

Soviet poster, Bombing Berlin

Physical Description:
paper (overall material)
paint (overall material)
Measurements:
overall: 169 cm x 77 cm; 66 9/16 in x 30 5/16 in
Object Name:
print
Other Terms:
print; Stencil
Date made:
1943
Subject:
Soviet Union  Search this
Political Caricatures  Search this
Related Publication:
SOVIET WAR POSTERS, c1940-1945, The Tass Poster Series from the Hallward Library, University of Nottingham
Credit Line:
U.S.S.R. Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries
ID Number:
GA.19084
Accession number:
167088
Catalog number:
19084
See more items in:
Work and Industry: Graphic Arts
Military
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a5-d9cf-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_794961

Soviet poster, Nazi caricature

Artist attribution:
Lebedev, Vladimir  Search this
Author:
Marshak, Samuel  Search this
Physical Description:
paper (overall material)
paint (overall material)
Measurements:
overall: 236 cm x 93 cm; 92 15/16 in x 36 5/8 in
Object Name:
print
Other Terms:
print; Stencil
Date made:
1942-1943
1942
Subject:
Russia  Search this
Soviet Union  Search this
Related Publication:
SOVIET WAR POSTERS, c1940-1945, The Tass Poster Series from the Hallward Library, University of Nottingham
Credit Line:
Dr. Ales Hrdlicka
ID Number:
GA.18848
Accession number:
164567
Catalog number:
18848
See more items in:
Work and Industry: Graphic Arts
Military
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a5-d9d0-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_794962

Soviet poster, Anti-Hitler cartoons

Physical Description:
paper (overall material)
paint (overall material)
Measurements:
overall: 206 cm x 85.5 cm; 81 1/8 in x 33 11/16 in
Object Name:
print
Other Terms:
print; Stencil
Date made:
1943
Subject:
Soviet Union  Search this
Political Caricatures  Search this
Related Publication:
SOVIET WAR POSTERS, c1940-1945, The Tass Poster Series from the Hallward Library, University of Nottingham
ID Number:
GA.19085
Accession number:
167088
Catalog number:
19085
See more items in:
Work and Industry: Graphic Arts
Military
Communications
Art
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ac-18fe-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_794964

End the War!

Measurements:
overall: 22 1/2 in x 17 1/2 in; 57.15 cm x 44.45 cm
Object Name:
Poster
Place made:
United States: District of Columbia
Associated place:
Viet Nam
Date made:
1970
General subject association:
Vietnam War  Search this
War  Search this
War resistance  Search this
Related event:
Vietnam War  Search this
Credit Line:
Marie Tyler-McGraw and Howard M. Wachtel
ID Number:
1988.0661.70
Catalog number:
1988.0661.70
Accession number:
1988.0661
See more items in:
Political and Military History: Political History, General History Collection
Princeton Posters
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a8-dbcf-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_1053792

Make Nixon's War the People's Peace

Referenced:
Nixon, Richard M.  Search this
Physical Description:
paper (overall material)
Measurements:
overall: 22 1/2 in x 17 1/2 in; 57.15 cm x 44.45 cm
Object Name:
Poster
General subject association:
Vietnam War  Search this
Peace  Search this
Credit Line:
Michael Harris
ID Number:
1989.0511.01
Catalog number:
1989.0511.01
Accession number:
1989.0511
See more items in:
Political and Military History: Political History, General History Collection
Princeton Posters
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a8-eef1-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_1054808

poster

Measurements:
overall: 17 in x 11 in; 43.18 cm x 27.94 cm
Object Name:
poster
Depicted:
Viet Nam
General subject association:
Vietnam War  Search this
Credit Line:
Bradford Lyttle
ID Number:
1986.0116.100
Accession number:
1986.0116
Catalog number:
1986.0116.100
See more items in:
Princeton Posters
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b4-a41d-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_1916827

No More... Stop the War!

Measurements:
overall: 20 in x 30 in; 50.8 cm x 76.2 cm
Object Name:
poster
Associated place:
Viet Nam
General subject association:
Women's History  Search this
Women's History  Search this
Vietnam War  Search this
War  Search this
Peace  Search this
March, Rally, Demonstration, or Other  Search this
Related event:
Vietnam War  Search this
Credit Line:
Folly F. Fodor
ID Number:
1982.0405.06
See more items in:
Princeton Posters
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b4-8dac-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_1917458

Hang Up On War

Measurements:
overall: 17 in x 11 in; 43.18 cm x 27.94 cm
Object Name:
Poster
Place made:
United States: New York, New York City
General subject association:
Protest and Civil Disobedience  Search this
War  Search this
Peace  Search this
Vietnam War  Search this
Taxes  Search this
Credit Line:
Anne B. Zill
ID Number:
1986.0231.020
Accession number:
1986.0231
See more items in:
Political and Military History: Political History
Princeton Posters
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a3-6fbd-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_535179

War, A Sin

Measurements:
overall: 28 in x 22 in; 71.12 cm x 55.88 cm
Object Name:
Poster
Place made:
United Kingdom: England, London
General subject association:
War  Search this
Vietnam War  Search this
Subject:
War  Search this
Credit Line:
Anne B. Zill
ID Number:
1986.0231.117
Accession number:
1986.0231
See more items in:
Political and Military History: Political History
Princeton Posters
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b4-9e99-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_535276

poster

Measurements:
overall: 28 1/2 in x 20 in; 72.39 cm x 50.8 cm
Object Name:
Poster
General subject association:
Vietnam War  Search this
War  Search this
Credit Line:
Anne B. Zill
ID Number:
1986.0231.136
Accession number:
1986.0231
See more items in:
Political and Military History: Political History
Princeton Posters
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a3-701c-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_535295

atombomben

Measurements:
overall: 33 in x 23 1/2 in; 83.82 cm x 59.69 cm
Object Name:
Poster
Date made:
1976
General subject association:
Nuclear weapons  Search this
Nuclear War  Search this
Credit Line:
Anne B. Zill
ID Number:
1986.0231.154
Accession number:
1986.0231
See more items in:
Political and Military History: Political History
Princeton Posters
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a3-7863-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_535313

There came a time...

Measurements:
overall: 22 in x 17 in; 55.88 cm x 43.18 cm
Object Name:
Poster
Place made:
United States: Massachusetts, Boston
Associated place:
Viet Nam
Date made:
1970
Associated date:
May 5, 1971
General subject association:
History, Reform Movements, Peace/Anti-War  Search this
Vietnam War  Search this
Related event:
Vietnam War  Search this
Credit Line:
Philip Foisie
ID Number:
1981.0452.08
Accession number:
1981.0452
Catalog number:
1981.0452.08
See more items in:
Political and Military History: Political History
Princeton Posters
Data Source:
National Museum of American History
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a3-8a55-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmah_541121

Henry Varnum Poor papers

Creator:
Poor, Henry Varnum, 1887-1970  Search this
Names:
Montross Gallery  Search this
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture  Search this
Benton, William, 1900-1973  Search this
Biddle, George, 1885-1973  Search this
Billing, Jules  Search this
Burchfield, Charles Ephraim, 1893-1967  Search this
Caniff, Milton Arthur, 1907-1988  Search this
Ciardi, John, 1916-  Search this
Czebotar, Theodore  Search this
Deming, MacDonald  Search this
Dickson, Harold E., 1900-  Search this
Dorn, Marion, 1896-1964  Search this
Duchamp, Marcel, 1887-1968  Search this
Esherick, Wharton  Search this
Evergood, Philip, 1901-1973  Search this
Garrett, Alice Warder  Search this
Houseman, John, 1902-1988  Search this
Marston, Muktuk  Search this
Meredith, Burgess, 1907-1997  Search this
Mumford, Lewis, 1895-1990  Search this
Padro, Isabel  Search this
Poor, Anne, 1918-  Search this
Poor, Bessie Breuer  Search this
Poor, Eva  Search this
Poor, Josephine Graham  Search this
Poor, Josephine Lydia  Search this
Poor, Peter  Search this
Sargent, Elizabeth S.  Search this
Smith, David, 1906-1965  Search this
Steinbeck, John, 1902-1968  Search this
Watson, Ernest William, 1884-1969  Search this
Extent:
12.9 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Motion pictures (visual works)
Diaries
Drawings
Sketchbooks
Date:
1873-2001
bulk 1904-1970
Summary:
The papers of Henry Varnum Poor measure 12.9 linear feet and date from 1873-2001, with the bulk from the period 1904-1970. Correspondence, writings, artwork, printed material and photographs document Poor's work as a painter, muralist, ceramic artist and potter, architect, designer, writer, war artist, educator and a co-founder of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Also found is extensive information about the design and construction of Crow House, his home in New City, New York, commissions for other architectural projects, and his personal life.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of Henry Varnum Poor measure 12.9 linear feet and date from 1873-2001, with the bulk from the period 1904-1970. Correspondence, writings, artwork, printed material and photographs document Poor's work as a painter, muralist, ceramic artist and potter, architect, designer, writer, war artist, educator and a co-founder of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Also found is extensive information about the design and construction of Crow House, his home in New City, New York, commissions for other architectural projects, and his personal life.

Henry Varnum Poor's correspondence documents his personal, family, and professional life. Correspondents include family and friends, among them George Biddle, Charles Burchfield, John Ciardi, Marion V. Dorn (who became his second wife), Philip Evergood, Lewis Mumford, John Steinbeck, David Smith, and Mrs. John Work (Alice) Garrett. Among other correspondents are galleries, museums, schools, organizations, fans, former students, and acquaintances from his military service and travels. Family correspondence consists of Henry's letters to his parents, letters to his parents written by his wife, and letters among other family members.

Among the writings by Henry Varnum Poor are manuscripts of his two published books, An Artist Sees Alaska and A Book of Pottery: From Mud to Immortality. as well as the text of "Painting is Being Talked to Death," published in the first issue of Reality: A Journal of Artists' Opinions, April 1953, and manuscripts of other articles. There are also film scripts, two journals, notes and notebooks, lists, speeches, and writings by others, including M. R. ("Muktuk") Marston's account of Poor rescuing an Eskimo, and Bessie Breuer Poor's recollections of The Montross Gallery.

Subject files include those on the Advisory Committee on Art, American Designers' Gallery, Inc., William Benton, Harold Dickson, Reality: A Journal of Artists' Opinions Sales, and War Posters. There are numerous administrative files for the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture.

Artwork by Henry Varnum Poor consists mainly of loose drawings and sketches and 45 sketchbooks of studies for paintings, murals, and pottery. There is work done in France, 1918-1919, and while working as a war correspondent in Alaska in 1943. There are commissioned illustrations and some intended for his monograph, A Book of Pottery: From Mud to Immortality. Also found are a small number of watercolors and prints. Work by other artists consist of Anne Poor's drawings of her father's hands used for the Lincoln figure in The Land Grant Frescoes and interior views of Crow House by Ernest Watson.

Documentation of Poor's architectural projects consists of drawings and prints relating to houses designed and built for Jules Billing, MacDonald Deming, John Houseman, Burgess Meredith, Isabel Padro, and Elizabeth S. Sargent. Also found is similar material for the new studio Poor built in 1957 on the grounds of Crow House.

Miscellaneous records include family memorabilia and two motion picture films, Painting a True Fresco, and The Land Grant Murals at Pennsylvania State College.

Printed material includes articles about or mentioning Poor, some of his pottery reference books, family history, a catalog of kilns, and the program of a 1949 Pennsylvania State College theater production titled Poor Mr. Varnum. Exhibition catalogs and announcements survive for some of Poor's shows; catalogs of other artists' shows include one for Theodore Czebotar containing an introductory statement by Henry Varnum Poor. Also found is a copy of The Army at War: A Graphic Record by American Artists, for which Poor served as an advisor. There are reproductions of illustrations for An Artist Sees Alaska and Ethan Frome, and two Associated American Artists greeting cards reproducing work by Poor.

Photographs are of Henry Varnum Poor's architectural work, artwork, people, places, and miscellaneous subjects. This series also contains negatives, slides, and transparencies. Images of architectural work include exterior and interior views of many projects; Poor's home, Crow House, predominates. Photographs of artwork by Poor are of drawings, fresco and ceramic tile murals, paintings, pottery and ceramic art. People appearing in photographs include Henry Varnum Poor, family members, friends, clients, juries, students, and various groups. Among the individuals portrayed are Milton Caniff, Marcel Duchamp, Wharton Esherick, M. R. ("Muktuk") Marston, and Burgess Meredith. Among the family members are Bessie Breuer Poor, Marion Dorn Poor, Anne Poor, Eva Poor, Josephine Graham Poor, Josephine Lydia Poor, Peter Poor, and unidentified relatives. Photographs of places include many illustrating village life in Alaska that were taken by Poor during World War II. Other places recorded are French and California landscapes, and family homes in Kansas. Miscellaneous subjects are exhibition installation views, scenes of Kentucky farms, and a photograph of Poor's notes on glazes.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 9 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1919-1987 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1, OV 18)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1873-1985 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, circa 1944-1974 (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 2-3)

Series 4: Subject Files, 1928-1975 (0.8 linear feet; Box 3, OV 23)

Series 5: Artwork, circa 1890s-circa 1961 (3.5 linear feet; Boxes 4-6, 9-10, OV 19-22)

Series 6: Architectural Projects, circa 1940-1966 (0.7 linear feet; Box 6, OV 24-26, RD 14-17)

Series 7: Miscellaneous Records, 1882-1967 (Boxes 6, 11, FC 30-31; 0.5 linear ft.)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1881-2001 (1.2 linear feet; Boxes 6-7, 11, OV 27-29)

Series 9: Photographs, 1893-1984 (2.3 linear feet; Boxes 7-8, 12-13)
Biographical Note:
Henry Varnum Poor (1888-1970), best known as a potter, ceramic artist, and a co-founder of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, was also an architect, painter, muralist, designer, educator, and writer who lived and worked in New City, New York.

A native of Chapman, Kansas, Henry Varnum Poor moved with his family to Kansas City when his grain merchant father became a member of the Kansas Board of Trade. From a young age he showed artistic talent and spent as much time as possible - including school hours - drawing. When a school supervisor suggested that Henry leave school to study at the Art Institute of Chicago, the family disagreed. Instead, he enrolled in the Kansas City Manual Training High School where he delighted in learning skills such as carpentry, forge work, and mechanical drawing. In 1905, he moved with his older brother and sister to Palo Alto, California and completed high school there. Because Poor was expected to join the family business, he enrolled at Stanford University as an economics major, but much to his father's disappointment and displeasure, soon left the economics department and became an art major.

Immediately after graduation in 1910, Poor and his major professor at Stanford, Arthur B. Clark, took a summer bicycling tour to look at art in London, France, Italy, and Holland. As Poor had saved enough money to remain in London after the summer was over, he enrolled in the Slade School of Art and also studied under Walter Sickert at the London County Council Night School. After seeing an exhibition of Post-Impressionism at the Grafton Galleries in London, Poor was so impressed that he went to Paris and enrolled in the Académie Julian. While in Paris, Poor met Clifford Addams, a former apprentice of Whistler; soon he was working in Addams' studio learning Whistler's palette and techniques.

In the fall of 1911, Poor returned to Stanford University's art department on a one-year teaching assignment. During that academic year, his first one-man show was held at the university's Old Studio gallery. He married Lena Wiltz and moved back to Kansas to manage the family farm and prepare for another exhibition. Their daughter, Josephine Lydia Poor, was born the following year. Poor returned to Stanford in September 1913 as assistant professor of graphic arts, remaining until the department closed three years later. During this period, Poor began to exhibit more frequently in group shows in other areas of the country, and had his first solo exhibition at a commercial gallery (Helgesen Gallery, San Francisco). In 1916, Poor joined the faculty of the San Francisco Art Association. He and his wife separated in 1917 and were divorced the following year. Poor began sharing his San Francisco studio with Marion Dorn.

During World War I, Poor was drafted into the U. S. Army, and in 1918 went to France with the 115th Regiment of Engineers. He spent his spare time drawing; soon officers were commissioning portraits, and Poor was appointed the regimental artist. He also served as an interpreter for his company. Discharged from the Army in early 1919, Poor spent the spring painting in Paris. He then returned to San Francisco and married Marion Dorn.

Once Poor realized that earning a living as a painter would be extremely difficult in California, he and his new wife moved to New York in the autumn of 1919. They were looking for a place to live when influential book and art dealer Mary Mowbray-Clarke of the Sunwise Turn Bookshop in Manhattan suggested New City in Rockland County, New York as good place for artists. In January of 1920, the Poors purchased property on South Mountain Road in New City. The skills he acquired at the Kansas City Manual Training High School were of immediate use as Poor designed and constructed "Crow House" with the assistance of a local teenager. Influenced by the farmhouses he had seen in France, it was made of local sandstone and featured steep gables, rough plaster, chestnut beams and floors, and incorporated many hand-crafted details. Poor designed and built most of their furniture, too. Before the end of the year, he and Marion were able to move into the house, though it remained a work in progress for many years. Additions were constructed. Over time, gardens were designed and planted, and outbuildings - a kiln and pottery, work room, garage, and new studio - appeared on the property.

In 1925, two years after his divorce from Marion Dorn, Poor married Bessie Freedman Breuer (1893-1975), an editor, short story writer, and novelist. Soon after, he adopted her young daughter, Anne (1918-2002), an artist who served as his assistant on many important mural commissions. Their son, Peter (b. 1926) became a television producer. Crow House remained in the family until its sale in 2006. In order to prevent its demolition, Crow House was then purchased by the neighboring town of Ramapo, New York in 2007.

Between 1935 and 1966 Poor designed and oversaw construction of a number of houses, several of them situated not far from Crow House on South Mountain Road. Poor's designs, noted for their simplicity, featured modern materials and incorporated his ceramic tiles. Among his important commissions were houses for Maxwell Anderson, Jules Billig, Milton Caniff, MacDonald Deming, and John Houseman.

Poor's first exhibition of paintings in New York City was at Kevorkian Galleries in 1920, and sales were so disappointing that he turned his attention to ceramics. His first pottery show, held at Bel Maison Gallery in Wanamaker's department store in 1921, was very successful. He quickly developed a wide reputation, participated in shows throughout the country, and won awards. He was a founder of the short-lived American Designers' Gallery, and the tile bathroom he showed at the group's first exposition was critically acclaimed. Poor was represented by Montross Gallery as both a painter and potter. When Montross Gallery closed upon its owner's death in 1932, Poor moved to the Frank K. M. Rehn Gallery.

Even though Poor's pottery and ceramic work was in the forefront, he continued to paint. His work was acquired by a number of museums, and the Limited Editions Club commissioned him to illustrate their republications of Ethan Frome, The Scarlet Letter, and The Call of the Wild.

Poor's first work in true fresco was shown in a 1932 mural exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. Between 1935 and 1949 he was commissioned to produce several murals in fresco for Section of Fine Arts projects at the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior, The Land Grant Frescoes at Pennsylvania State College, and a mural for the Louisville Courier-Journal. Ceramic tile mural commissions included: the Klingenstein Pavilion, Mt. Sinai Hospital, New York City; Travelers Insurance Co., Boston; the Fresno Post Office, California; and Hillson Memorial Gallery, Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, Mass.

As a member of the War Artists' Unit, Poor was a "war correspondent" with the rank of major in World War II, and for several months in 1943 was stationed in Alaska. An Artist Sees Alaska, drawing on Poor's observations and experiences, was published in 1945. A Book of Pottery: From Mud to Immortality, his second book, was published in 1958. It remains a standard text on the subject. While on the faculty of Columbia University in the 1950s, Poor and other artists opposed to the growing influence of Abstract Expressionism formed the Reality Group with Poor the head of its editorial committee. Their magazine, Reality: A Journal of Artists' Opinions, first appeared in 1953 featuring "Painting is Being Talked to Death" by Poor as its lead article. Two more issues were published in 1954 and 1955.

Along with Willard Cummings, Sidney Simon, and Charles Cuttler, in 1946 Henry Varnum Poor helped to establish the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Skowhegan, Maine. He served as its first president. Poor and his daughter, Anne, were active members of the Board of Trustees and were instructors for many years. The summer of 1961 was Henry Varnum Poor's last as a full-time teacher, though he continued to spend summers at Skowhegan.

Henry Varnum Poor exhibited widely and received many awards, among them prizes at the Carnegie Institute, Syracuse Museum of Fine Arts, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Architectural League of New York. Poor was appointed to the United States Commission of Fine Arts by President Roosevelt in 1941 and served a five year term. He was elected a member of the National Institute of Arts and Letters in 1943. The National Academy of Design named him an Associate Artist in 1954 and an Academician in 1963. He became a trustee of the American Craftsman's Council in 1956. The work of Henry Vernum Poor is represented in the permanent collections of many American museums including the Cleveland Museum of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, Addison Gallery of American Art, and Syracuse Museum of Fine Arts.

Henry Varnum Poor died at home in New City, New York, December 8, 1970.
Related Material:
An oral history interview with Henry Varnum Poor was conducted by Harlan Phillips for the Archives of American Art in 1964.
Provenance:
Gift of Henry Varnum Poor's son, Peter V. Poor, in 2007. A smaller portion was loaned to the Archives in 1973 by Anne Poor for microfilming and returned to the lender; this material was included in the 2007 gift.
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 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:
War artists  Search this
Educators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Ceramicists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Designers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Architects -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
World War, 1914-1918  Search this
Pottery -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Genre/Form:
Motion pictures (visual works)
Diaries
Drawings
Sketchbooks
Citation:
Henry Varnum Poor papers, 1873-2001, bulk 1904-1970. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.poorhenr
See more items in:
Henry Varnum Poor papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw96265d653-098f-4ccc-abed-0bc649c50516
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-poorhenr
Online Media:

Scrapbook about Marion Sanford (disbound)

Collection Creator:
Sanford, Marion  Search this
Container:
Box 3, Folder 6-7
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1937-1948
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 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.
Collection Citation:
Marion Sanford and Cornelia Chapin papers, 1929-1988. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Marion Sanford and Cornelia Chapin papers
Marion Sanford and Cornelia Chapin papers / Series 4: Scrapbooks
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9200e5be4-a56e-4247-afe3-2a6cb7385f14
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-sanfmari-ref45
1 Page(s) matching your search term, top most relevant are shown: View entire project in transcription center
  • View Scrapbook about Marion Sanford (disbound) digital asset number 1
Online Media:

Asian America a primary source reader edited by Cathy J. Schlund-Vials, K. Scott Wong, Jason Oliver Chang

Editor:
Schlund-Vials, Cathy J., 1974-  Search this
Wong, Kevin Scott  Search this
Chang, Jason Oliver  Search this
Physical description:
1 online resource (xii, 321 pages) illustrations, map
Type:
Sources
Electronic books
History
Place:
United States
Date:
2017
Topic:
Asian Americans--History  Search this
Asian Americans--Study and teaching  Search this
Américains d'origine asiatique--Histoire  Search this
HISTORY--State & Local--General  Search this
Asian Americans  Search this
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_1156409

Modify Your Search







or


Narrow By