Correspondence, writings, photographs, and printed material regarding painter John Button.
Correspondence includes two letters from Fairfield Porter,1974, three letters from Button to Zara Cohan, 1964, and copies of personal and professional letters from Button to businesses, organizations, and friends regarding his artwork, political beliefs, and personal issues, and photocopies of a postcard and six letters from Fairfield Porter. Writings include a typescript poem by Frank O'Hara, a poem by Helen Weaver, a copy of a poem attributed to James Schuyler about Button, and copies of two poems by Katherine Porter.
Photographs are of Button, Allen Ginsberg, Alan Ansen, Peter Orlovsky, Bette Davis, Gerald. L. Fabian, Maxine Groffsky, Harry Matthews, Scott Burton, James Schuyler, Jane Freilicher, Hal Fondren, Joe LeSueur, Frank O'Hara, and three photographs of the mural created by John Button and Mario Dubsky at the Gay Activist Alliacne Firehouse, 99 Wooster Street, New York, 1971-1974. Printed material consists of exhibition catalogs, announcements, reviews, publications by Button and others, among them a book of poems, "If I Dream I Have You, I Have You," written by Richard Howard and illustrated by Button, 1997.
Biographical / Historical:
John Button (1930-1982) was a painter in San Francisco, Calif. and New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
Donated 2010 by Alvin Novak, longtime friend of Button's, and by John Button via Jaap van Liere, executor.
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.
Occupation:
Painters -- California -- San Francisco Search this
Helen Weaver research material concerning painter John Button measures 0.6 linear feet and dates from circa 1950-2004. Included is material Helen Weaver created and collected in preparation to write a memoir of John Button (unrealized). Material consists of correspondence mainly between Weaver and Button, and Button and Gerald Fabian. Some correspondence consists of photocopies. Also included is a typescript of John Button's journal; Gerald Fabian's homage to John Button; A Genealogy of the Patrick Family compiled by Button; and two three ring binders (dismantled) labeled John Button Volume I and John Button Volume II, containing printed material, photographs of Button, friends and interior and exterior spaces, and correspondence.
Biographical / Historical:
Helen Weaver (1932-2021) was a friend of painter John Button. Weaver collected Button's artwork and was compiling material to write a memoir on him.
Related Materials:
The Archives also holds the John Button papers and the John Button letters to Gerald L. Fabian.
Provenance:
Donated in 2021 by the Helen Weaver estate via Annie Buck, Weaver's niece and executrix.
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.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
