Resumes, awards, and a typescript of an interview of Weidner conducted by a University of Pennsylvania student in 1986, regarding Weidner's years with the Federal Art Project. The interview includes a discussion of Dox Thrash and the carborundum print. Also included are statements on art; talks delivered by Weidner regarding the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; typescripts of writings by Ben Shahn, George Stout, and Francis Speight; correspondence regarding commissions, sales and exhibitions; letters from John Kucera, Francis Speight, Franklin Watkins and E.P. Richardson;
consignment lists; photographs of Weidner teaching and of exhibition installations; clippings; and exhibition catalogs.
Biographical / Historical:
Art instructor and painter; Philadelphia, Pa. Attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Worked on the Federal Art Project, 1937-1939, before joining the staff of the Academy in 1939.
Provenance:
Microfilmed in 1989 as part of AAA's Philadelphia Arts Documentation Project.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Art teachers -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
Painters -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
Pastelists -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia Search this
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.
An interview of Estelle Gross conducted 1989 Apr. 5, by Marina Pacini, for the Archives of American Art Philadelphia Project.
Gross speaks of her background and education; opening the Gross McCleaf Gallery in Philadelphia; the artists represented, including Larry Day, Edith Emerson, Violet Oakley, Humbert Howard, Jimmy Lueders, Jane Piper, Carroll Tyson, Roswell Weidner, Harold Weston, Arthur B. Carles, and Hobson Pittman; the Philadelphia art scene including other galleries, the art press, collectors and changes over the past twenty years. Gross also discusses her studies under Hobson Pittman.
Biographical / Historical:
Estelle Shane Gross (1929-1992) was a gallery director of Philadelphia, Pa.
Provenance:
This interview is 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.
Restrictions:
Transcript: Patrons must use microfilm copy.
Topic:
Gallery directors -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia -- Interviews Search this
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sponsor:
Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.
Thirteen artists' files containing resumes, letters, consignment lists, photographs and slides of works, clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs on Arthur B. Carles, Larry Day, Edith Emerson, Humbert Howard, Jimmy Lueders, Violet Oakley, Jane Piper, Hobson Pittman, Fairfield Porter, Carroll S. Tyson, Roswell Weidner, Neil Welliver, and Harold Weston. The Day, Howard, and Pittman files also contain photographs.
Biographical / Historical:
Art gallery; Philadelphia, Pa. Founded in 1969 as the Marlin McCleaf Gallery. After Marlin McCleaf's departure in December 1969, the gallery was incorporated as the Gross McCleaf Gallery, with Estelle Gross as the sole proprietor.
Provenance:
Selected from gallery records for microfilming.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
