Series consists primarily of Nevelson's professional correspondence, as well as some personal and family correspondence. Files are typically made up of letters, invitations, greeting cards, and telegrams received by Nevelson, copies of letters sent on her behalf (by lawyers and assistants) or shared with her by others, and photographs, press releases, clippings, and other printed material enclosed with correspondence. Correspondents include artists, dealers, museums, universities, art critics, collectors, arts-related and social organizations, admirers, along with some friends, colleagues, and family members in addition to her son. (See appendix for a select list of notable correspondents.)
General correspondence details the exhibition of Nevelson's work in various group and one-man shows; the consignment, sale, and disposition of her work, especially her dealings with the Martha Jackson Gallery and Daniel Cordier (in Europe); her donations of art work to museums and universities, and for auction by charitable organizations; and the various honors and awards received by her later in her career (including the Creative Arts Medal in Sculpture from Brandeis University and honorary degrees from the Philadelphia College of Art and Bowdoin College, among others). General correspondence also concerns Nevelson's various art-related activities, including her participation on various panels, and in workshops, conferences, and lecture series on art; her involvement in professional organizations, such as the Sculptor's Guild; and her service on various award juries and arts committees (such as the Arts and Entertainment Committee for the Rockefeller Team).
Correspondence is arranged chronologically. Correspondence in this series from the 1966-1979 acquisition has been scanned in its entirety, except for Louise Nevelson's correspondence with her son, Mike. The bulk of correspondence donated by the Farnsworth Art Museum includes an item-level inventory, and is mostly separated by personal and business subject matter.
See Appendix for a list of selected correspondents from Series 2.
Appendix: Selected Correspondents from Series 2:
List represents only a selection of correspondents and does not include names of family.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Center for Advanced Visual Studies: 1971
Miller, Kenneth Hayes: 1931, 1933
Milone, Joe: 1941
Minneapolios College of Art and Design: 1971
Mount Holyoke College: 1962, 1964
Museum of Art, Carnegie Institution: 1967, 1971, 1974
Museum of Fine Arts of Houston: 1954
Museum of Modern Art: 1943, 1953, 1955, 1964, 1967, 1968
National Association of Women Artists: 1953, 1954
National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities: 1966
Neumann, Hans: 1962
Neumann, J. B.: 1954
New School for Social Research: 1961
The New York Times -- : 1968
New York State Council on the Arts: 1968
The New Yorker -- : 1967
Newsweek -- : 1967
Nierenforf, Karl: 1941, 1943, 1946
Nordjyllands Kunstmuseum: 1973
Ono, Yoko: 1971
Pace Gallery: 1976
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts: 1952, 1970
Philadelphia College of Art: 1961, 1968
Philadelphia Museum of Art: 1965
Princeton University: 1962
Queens College: 1958
Rhode Island School of Design: 1971
Riverside Museum: 1964
Rockefeller, Nelson: 1960, 1962, 1966, 1968
Roberts, Collette: 1952, 1953
Robus, Hugo: 1958
Rosenblum, Robert: 1958
Sewall, Mrs. Sumner: 1943
Silvermine Guild of Artists: 1953, 1954, 1955
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture: 1970, 1971
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: 1964, 1966
Tamarind Lithography Work Shop: 1971
Tate Gallery: 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968
Teachers College, Columbia University: 1964
Trenton State College: 1961
Tyler, Parker: 1958
United States Committee of the International Association of Art: 1971
University of Alabama, Department of Art: 1964
University of Bridgeport: 1971
University of Nebraska Art Galleries: 1951
Vogue -- : 1964
Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art: 1962
Walker Art Center: 1971, 1973
Weber, Max: 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951
Western College for Women: 1964
The White House: 1974
Whitney Museum of American Art: 1950, 1956, 1957, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967
Wichita State University: 1974
The Woman's College of The University of North Carolina: 1951
Women's Interart Center: 1973
Yale University, Department of Art: 1961
Collection Restrictions:
The bulk of this collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website, with the exception of the 2017 addition. Use of material not digitized requires an appointment.
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:
Louise Nevelson papers, circa 1903-1982. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for a portion of the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art. Additional processing received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
An interview with Doloris Holmes, conducted by Donna Marxer, following Holmes' February 1988 Retrospective at the White Mask Theater. Holmes discusses problems of being a woman artist.
Biographical / Historical:
Performance artist, poet.
Provenance:
Donated 1988 by Doloris Holmes.
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.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Performance artists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
An interview of Nancy Holt conducted 1992 July 6, by Scott Gutterman, for the Archives of American Art. Interview of Nancy Holt conducted by Scott Gutterman for the Archives of American Art, at Nancy Holt's home or studio on July 6, 1992. Holt speaks of growing up and living in Massachusetts and New Jersey; attending school at Tufts and Jackson; spending time in New York; her early artist training and exposure to museums; the New jersey landscape; Dark Star Park; Sky Land; her first trip out West; Robert Smithson; her family life and relationship with her parents; studying biology; lectures at MIT; moving to New York; Richard Serra; perceptual art; becoming friends with Robert Smithson; peyote; quiet inner-transformation; locator pieces; creating artwork; Hampton Air; Rock Rings; focus on place; feminism; land art; Buried Poems; documenting work; working for Harper's Bazaar; Westbeth; living in New York; video art; Points of View; working in a gallery format; writing; Sky Mound; working with landfills and alternate energy; creating public art; working with space; plumbing systems; learning by doing; working with artisans; Sun Tunnels; resonance; catalogs; Holt also talks a bit about Alan Ginsberg, Fred Mcdarrah, Dan Flavin, Mark di Suvero, Joan Joas, Peter Campas, David Hammond, and Rupert Sheldrake.
Biographical / Historical:
Nancy Holt (1938- ) was a sculptor and filmmaker from N.M.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art 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 administrators. Funding for this interview was provided by the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation.
Restrictions:
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Filmmakers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Photographers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
An interview of Nancy Holt conducted 1993 Aug. 3, by Joyce Pomeroy Schwartz, at the artist's studio in New York, NY, for the Archives of American Art.
In the interview, Holt talks about her body of work, including pieces such as Catch Basin, Star Crossed, Sun Tunnels, and Ransacked; her creative process; the conceptual and physical ideas that influence her work; why she does public art; the functions or needs public art fulfills for its audience; the difficulties of being a public artist; and the future of public art and its patronage. Holt also recalls Richard Long, Jan Dibbets, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Nancy Holt (1938- ) is a sculptor, filmmaker, and installation artist from New York, N.Y. Married to sculptor Robert Smithson.
General:
Poor sound quality in some sections.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art 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 administrators. Funding for this interview was provided by the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation.
Restrictions:
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Filmmakers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Photographers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
The papers of painter and educator Jean Cohen measure 0.8 linear feet and date from 1928-2012. The collection consists of limited biographical material, a small amount of printed material, photographs of family and friends including Cohen's former husband, painter, Alex Katz, and a long correspondence with painter, Lois Dodd.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter and eduator Jean Cohen measure 0.8 linear feet and date from 1928-2012. The collection consists of limited biographical material, a small amount of printed material, photographs of family and friends including Cohen's former husband, painter, Alex Katz, and a long correspondence with painter, Lois Dodd.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 6 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1961-2011 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1970-2011 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)
Series 3: Writings, 1960s-1970s (Box 1; 1 folder)
Series 4: Subject Files, circa 1962-circa 1998 (Box 1; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 5: Printed Materials, circa 1962-2001 (Boxes 1-2; 0.2 linear feet)
Series 6: Photographs, 1935-2012 (Box 2; 0.2 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Jean Cohen (1927-2013), an abstract painter, studied and worked in the New York area and was involved with the 1950s avant garde art scene.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, she was educated at Pratt Institute, Cooper Union, and the Skowhegan School of Painting in Maine. During the 1950s and 1960s she lived on Tenth Street in Manhattan and was a member of the Tenth Street Artists Galleries, also showing at the Tanger Gallery.
From 1950 to 1956 Cohen was married to painter, Alex Katz. She lived with painter, John Grillo, from 1957 to 1962. She later married photographer, Bill Miller in the 1970s. Cohen taught art at many institutions, including the Philadelphia College of Art, and had paintings in public collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Later in life, she moved to eastern Long Island, New York, where she continued to teach and work.
Provenance:
The papers were donated to the Archives of American Art in 2013 by Philip Douglas Heilman of Philip Douglas Fine Art, Cohen's dealer.
Restrictions:
Use of original materials requires an appointment.
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.
An interview of Anna Hyatt-Huntington conducted circa 1964, by Dorothy Seckler, for the Archives of American Art.
Hyatt-Huntington speaks of having no formal art training; studying animals and their anatomy; first piece with her sister; Balchalx Circus; New York at age 24 sculpting and selling pieces; her stays in France and Naples; use of old Daubigny studio; sources of animals for models; New York studio; methods of work; process of enlarging pieces; period of illness; her marriage to Archer Huntington; sculptures, "Joan of Arc," "Don Quixote," "Touch of Arrow," "Lion"; realism in her work; travels in Spain, North Africa; and Thomas W. Lawson, Archer Huntington, and Brookgreen Gardens.
Biographical / Historical:
Animal sculptor, Bethel, Conn., b. 1876; d. 1973
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 available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Animal sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
The Donna Marxer interviews with artists measures 0.6 linear feet and date from 1977 to 1992. The collection contains audio interviews and transcripts for nine artists including: Minna Citron, Barbara Bertoli, Dorothy Dehner, Sari Dienes, Andree Golbin, Kay Pancoast, Susan Schwalb, and Stanley Hayter. Also included are printed materials such as clippings, exhibition announcements, and an invitation to an exhibition opening.
Scope and Contents:
The Donna Marxer interviews with artists measures 0.6 linear feet and date from 1977 to 1992. The collection contains audio interviews and transcripts for nine artists including: Minna Citron, Barbara Bertoli, Dorothy Dehner, Sari Dienes, Andree Golbin, Kay Pancoast, Susan Schwalb, and Stanley Hayter. Also included are printed materials such as clippings, exhibition announcements, and an invitation to an exhibition opening.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 2 series:
Series 1: Interviews, 1977-1989 (0.5 linear feet; Boxes 1-2)
Series 2: Printed Material, 1989-1992 (0.1 linear feet; Box 2)
Biographical / Historical:
Donna Marxer (1934-2018) was a painter working primarily in New York, New York. She served as executive director of Artists Talk on Art and served on the boards of many arts organizations.
Provenance:
Donated by Donna Marxer, 1989 and 1992.
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. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References 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
Arts administrators -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Donna Marxer interviews with artists, 1977-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collection Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee
An interview of Romana Javitz conducted 1965 Feb. 23, by Richard Doud, for the Archives of American Art, February 23, 1965. Javitz speaks of her views on photographs; Farm Security Administration Photo File; Walker Evans; opinion of federal government being involved with photographs; and her background as an artist.
Biographical / Historical:
Romana Javitz (1903-1980) was a librarian and artist who represented the New York Public Library's Picture Collection from 1928-1968..
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:
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Artists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Librarians -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Papers of sculptor Patricia Johanson include professional and personal correspondence, 1967-1998; writings on public art, articles, and reviews; a transcript of an interview of Johanson conducted by Jan Evans; a copy of a Master's thesis written on Johanson's sculpture; clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements; and photographs of Johanson and her work. The collection measures 1.5 linear feet and dates from 1964 to 1998.
Scope and Content Note:
Papers of sculptor Patricia Johanson include professional and personal correspondence, 1967-1998; writings on public art, articles, and reviews; a transcript of an interview of Johanson conducted by Jan Evans; a copy of a Master's thesis written on Johanson's sculpture; clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements; and photographs of Johanson and her work. The collection measures 1.5 linear feet and dates from 1964 to 1998.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 5 series:
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1975-1997 (Box 1; 1 folder)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1967-1998, n.d. (Box 1; 17 folders)
Series 3: Writings, 1968-1997, n.d. (Box 1 and OV 3; 7 folders)
Series 4: Printed Material, 1966-1998, n.d. (Boxes 1-2 and OV 3; 12 folders)
Series 5: Photographs, 1962-1996, n.d. (Box 2 and OV 3; 8 folders)
Biographical Note:
Patricia Johanson, born in 1940, is an environmental sculptor and architect who creates large scale public works to solve environmental problems and create habitat and public recreational space. She graduated from Bennington College in 1962 and earned an M.A. in art history at Hunter College (1964). Johanson took civil engineering classes at New York's City College School of Architecture, earning a Bachelor's degree in Architecture in 1977. Inspired by the enormous canvases of the Abstract Expressionists, Johanson created huge sculptures such as Stephen Long (1968) which went beyond the field of vision and interacted with the environment. Johanson designed sculpture for Con Edison's Indian Point Nuclear Generating Plant (1972), the Whitney Colleges at Yale University (1972), and Columbus East High School, Columbus, Indiana (1973). Her architectural projects include Fair Park Lagoon in Dallas, Texas (1981-1982), Tidal Sculpture Garden for Pelham Bay Park in New York (1984), and the San Fransisco baywalk which transformed a new sewer into a public amenity and work of art. Her Park for the Amazon Rainforest (1992), commissioned for the Earth Summit, is an environmental sculpture that provides access from ground level up through the forest canopy along the Amazon River near Obidos, Brazil. Johanson's more recent projects include a master plan and ecological playgrounds for Ulsan Dragon Park (1996), a 912-acre site in South Korea, and the Rocky Marciano Trail and Salisbury River Greenway in Brockton, Massachusetts. Her husband is art historian Eugene C. Goossen.
Provenance:
Patricia Johanson donated her papers in 1975, 1983, 1989, 1997, and 1998.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
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:
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Architects -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Biographical sketch, correspondence, exhibition catalog, clippings and photographs.
Reel 3134: Biographical sketch; 2 letters to Melicov from Inslee A. Hopper of the Federal Works Agency, Public Buildings Administration, Section of Fine Arts, May 21, 1941 and April 2, l942; and a letter to Hans Hacher, January 15, 1950.
Reel D254: Correspondence, 1941-1943; exhibition catalog, 1963; clippings, 1926-1964; and photographs of Melicov's work.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter and sculptor; New York, N.Y.; b. 1905; d. 1969
Provenance:
Material on reel D254 lent for microfilming 1966 by Dina Melicov, material on reel 3134 donated, provenance of donor unknown.
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.
Occupation:
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Diaries, writings, sketches and drawings, scrapbooks, printed matter and photographs relating to John and her work.
Circa 650 pages of undated sketches and notes from travels on the west coast of Mexico, and 24 combination journals and sketchbooks from her travels throughout Europe, Canada, Cuba, Mexico and the United States. Poetry, descriptions of places and people visited, and statements about her work comprise the major portion of the journal entries.
Biographical data; writings and notes; 3 scrapbooks containing family photographs, printed material and letters; a scrapbook on Ruth Uhler containing letters to John and clippings; photographs of paintings; a list of paintings in her collections; and a card index containing information of exhibitions.
Biographical / Historical:
Grace Spaulding John (1890-1972) was a painter, writer, and lecturer in New York, N.Y. and Houston, Texas. Ruth Uhler was a painter and lecturer who worked in Houston as well as Santa Fe, N.M.
Provenance:
The lender, Patricia John Keightley, is Grace Spaulding John's daughter.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
The papers of New York-based painter Buffie Johnson measure 3.4 linear feet and date from circa 1920-2010. While the collection is primarily composed of printed materials that document her career and exhibition history, a small amount of biographical material, correspondence, writings, exhibition and project files, and photographic material provide more in depth documentation of her personal and professional life.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of New York-based painter Buffie Johnson measure 3.4 linear feet and date from circa 1920-2010. While the collection is primarily composed of printed materials that document her career and exhibition history, a small amount of biographical material, correspondence, writings, exhibition and project files, and photographic material provide more in depth documentation of her personal and professional life.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as six series
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1940-2007 (3 folders; Box 1)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1950-2009 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 3: Writings, circa 1960-1995 (3 folders; Box 1)
Series 4: Exhibition and Project Files, circa 1959-1995 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
Series 5: Printed Material, circa 1920-2010 (2.5 linear feet; Box 1-4, OV 5)
Series 6: Photographic Material, 1920-2006 (0.5 linear feet; Box 3-4)
Biographical / Historical:
Buffie Johnson (1912-2006) was a painter in New York. Born in New York City, Johnson studied art at the University of California, Los Angeles, and then traveled to Europe to study painting with Francis Picabia and Stanley William Hayter. Her first exhibition was in Paris in 1938, after which she showed extensively for more than sixty years in the United States and Europe. In 1959, Johnson was commissioned to paint an abstract mural for the Astor Theatre in New York. She was also known for imaginative restorations of her two Upper East Side homes, and for her friendships with prominent American writers and artists.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art are two oral history interviews with Buffie Johnson conducted by Paul Cummings in 1977 and Barbara Shikler in 1982.
Provenance:
Donated to Archives of American Art in 1972 and 1980 by Buffie Johnson and in 2016 by Johnson's daughter, Jenny Johnson Sykes.
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.
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:
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Topic:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
The papers of Hildreth Meière measure 27.3 linear feet and 1.40 GB and date from 1901 to 2011, with the bulk of material dating from 1911 to 1960. The collection documents Meière's life and travels, and her long and prolific career as an architectural muralist through biographical material, correspondence, writings, thirteen diaries, files regarding her war relief work during the Spanish Civil War and World War II, printed and digital materials, extensive photographs and slides, eight sketchbooks, and two videocassettes and 93 reels of motion picture film documenting her travels, her volunteer efforts in Spain following the civil war, artwork, and home movies.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Hildreth Meière measure 27.3 linear feet and 1.40 GB and date from 1901 to 2011, with the bulk of material dating from 1911 to 1960. The collection documents Meière's life and travels, and her long and prolific career as an architectural muralist through biographical material, correspondence, writings, thirteen diaries, files regarding her war relief work during the Spanish Civil War and World War II, printed and digital materials, extensive photographs and slides, eight sketchbooks, and two videocassettes and 93 reels of motion picture film documenting her travels, her volunteer efforts in Spain following the civil war, artwork, and home movies.
Biographical material includes an autobiographical narrative written by Meière, her many awards and certificates, membership information, passports, her U.S. Navy service records from World War I, documentation of her brief marriage and family genealogy, obituaries, and memorial service documentation. Also found are extensive writings and research conducted by Meière's daughter, Louise Meière Dunn, which include a complete list of Meière's commissions, detailed biographical narratives, and records of Meière's works held elsewhere.
The papers contain Meière's personal and family correspondence, travel correspondence, and business correspondence regarding professional activities. Much of the correspondence with family and friends was written during Meière's extensive travels over the world. Both family and travel correspondence have extensive indexes, summaries, and in some cases, transcripts prepared by Meière's daughter, Louise Meière Dunn. Some of the indexes, summaries and transcripts are digital. Writings include poetry and diaries kept during childhood and school years, travel diaries, essays and talks written about Meière's work, writings Meière prepared for committees of the National Mural Painters Association, and detailed travelogues of her trips to Constantinople and the Balkans in 1933, to Russia in 1936, her "Grand Tour" to Australia, Southeast Asia, India, Africa, and Europe in 1952-1953, and her "Holy Land" tour of the Middle East in 1954.
Civilian War Service Records document Meière's efforts at war relief organization during and after the Spanish Civil War and during World War II. The Spanish Civil War files include extensive photographs provided by the Spanish government as well as three motion picture films documenting refugees and damaged architecture and public artwork shot by Meière during a trip sponsored by Franco's government. World War II activities concern Meière's efforts to organize artists in the United States to design and execute murals and other works of public art at military facilities around the U.S.
Travel records include maps, ephemera, slides, and 83 motion picture films taken on trips abroad between 1933 and 1958. Trips include Eastern and Western Europe, the Mediterranean Region and the Middle East, South America, Mexico and Guatemala, India, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, and the UK. The motion picture films are mostly shot in Kodachrome color and many contain intertitles prepared by Meière to identify locations for travel lectures.
Printed materials consist primarily of clippings and publications that reference Meière's work, contain profiles of her, or contain published writings by her. A single published educational film is also found, given to her by an Australian filmmaker friend. Additional photographs, digital photographs and moving images include personal photographs of Meière, with portraits by Peter A. Juley and Sons and Berenice Abbott, photographs of many of her commissioned works, and a few photographs of artwork by others. Home movies show Meière with friends in 1926 and 1940. Among the photographic documentation of artworks by Meière and others are motion picture films of the 1939 New York World's Fair, the D.C. Municipal Building Frieze, and the 1937 Paris Fair; also found are 311 lantern slides and 201 glass copy negatives of her own completed works as well as murals she documented while traveling, notably murals in Norway and Oberammergau, Bavaria, taken in the 1930s.
Eight sketchbooks date to her early years as an art student and artist and include many figure studies, landscapes, and theatrical sketches made at home and abroad.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged in 8 series. Indexes, summaries, and transcripts prepared by Louise Meière Dunn that relate directly to archival materials in the collection are found throughout the collection with the material they describe. These indices are particularly rich in Series 2, Correspondence.
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Material, 1915-2003 (0.6 linear feet; Boxes 1, 14, OV18)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1901-2011 (3 linear feet; Boxes 1-4, RD19, 0.038 GB; ER01-ER03)
Series 3: Writings, 1904-1960 (1.3 linear feet; Boxes 4-5)
Series 4: Civilian War Service Records, 1938-2006 (1.3 linear feet; Boxes 5-6, 15, FC 28-30, 1.33 GB; ER05)
Series 5: Travel Records, 1933-1958 (12.8 linear feet; Boxes 6-10, 15, OV18, FC 31-111)
Series 6: Printed Material, 1913-1998 (2.1 linear feet; Boxes 10-12, 15, FC 112)
Series 7: Photographs and Moving Images, 1915-1966 (5.8 linear feet; Boxes 12-13, 16, 20-27, FC 17, 113-127, 0.029 GB; ER04)
Series 8: Sketchbooks, 1911-1922 (0.4 linear feet; Box 13)
Biographical / Historical:
Hildreth Meière (1892-1961) was born in Flushing, New York, and had a prolific career from 1921-1961 as an architectural muralist working primarily in an Art Deco style. Meière painted murals and designed for various mediums including mosaic, metal, and stained glass. In 1956 the American Institute of Architects awarded Meière their Fine Arts Medal.
Meière was educated at New York's Convent of the Sacred Heart, Manhattanville, the Art Students League in New York, the California School of Fine Arts (now San Francisco Art Institute), and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, in addition to pursuing studies in Italy. Her major commissions include the Nebraska State Capitol at Lincoln, the National Academy of Sciences, the Resurrection Chapel of the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. In New York, she designed the Art Deco plaques on the exterior wall of Radio City Music Hall; created mosaic interiors for the Irving Trust Building at 1 Wall Street; and provided ecclesiastical decorations for St. Patrick's Cathedral, St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, Temple Emanu-El, and elsewhere. She also created murals for the Chicago 1933 Century of Progress Fair, and the 1939 New York World's Fair.
She was also an active officer in the Art Students League and the National Society of Mural Painters. Some of her most inspired collaborations were with the architect Bertram Goodhue in the 1920s, and only his sudden death in 1924 put an end to them, although some projects were finished with the successor firm.
Meière died in 1961 at the age of 68. Her work is remembered in several major publications, including The Art Deco Murals of Hildreth Meière by Catherine Coleman Brawer and Kathleen Murphy Skolnik, with photographs by Meière's granddaughter, Hildreth Meière Dunn, published in 2014; and the catalog of the 2009 exhibition at St. Bonaventure University, curated by Brawer and photographed by Dunn, entitled Walls Speak: the Narrative Art of Hildreth Meière.
Provenance:
A majority of the collection placed on deposit 2001 by Louise Meière Dunn, daughter of Hildreth Meière. The collection was donated incrementally by Dunn through 2012. Donations occurred 2001-2007, and again in 2010-2012.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires and appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. 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
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Mosaicists -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Hildreth Meière papers, 1901-2011, bulk 1911-1960. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the digitization of 84 reels of motion picture film in the collection was provided by The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at St. Bonaventure University through a generous grant from the Ruth Dayton Foundation. Glass plate negatives in this collection were digitized in 2019 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.
United States. Dept. of the Treasury. Section of Fine Arts Search this
Extent:
3.5 Linear feet
2.9 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Scrapbooks
Sound recordings
Video recordings
Interviews
Date:
circa 1930-2005
Summary:
The papers of painter, muralist, and educator Amy Jones measures 3.5 linear feet and 2.90 GB and date from 1910s-2015, with the bulk of the records dating between 1930s-1992. The papers document Jones' career through biographical material, several recorded interviews and talks, correspondence, subject files, printed and digital material, photographs, artwork, and scrapbooks.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter, muralist, and educator Amy Jones measures 3.5 linear feet and 2.90 GB and date from 1910s-2015, with the bulk of the records dating between 1930s-1992. The papers document Jones' career through biographical material, some recorded interviews and talks, correspondence, subject files, printed and digital material, photographs, artwork, and scrapbooks.
Biographical materials include awards and certificates, audio and video recordings from interviews and talks, resumes, inventories of works, membership cards, and writings. Correspondence pertains to Jones' dealings with galleries, museums, collectors, and also includes Christmas cards illustrated by Jones. Subject files include records of the sale and exhibition of her artwork; custodial history of her archive; project files; and some papers relating to her work as an art educator. Printed materials include newspaper and magazine clippings, exhibition announcements, catalogs, and posters, and publications that reproduced Jones' work. Photographs depict Jones as well as many of her watercolor landscapes, still lifes, and portraits. Artwork consists of loose sketches and drawings as well two sketchbooks. Scrapbooks contain correspondence, photographs, notes and sketches, contracts, expenses, and printed material documenting three of Jones' mural paintings between 1937-1941 as part of the U.S. Treasury Relief Art Project.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 7 series.
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1950s-2015 (Box 1; .5 linear feet, ER01; 2.90 GB)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1943-2000 (Box 1; 8 folders)
Series 3: Subject Files, 1941-1993 (Box 1-2; .6 linear feet)
Series 4: Printed Material, 1930s-1992 (Box 2-3; 1 linear feet)
Series 5: Photographs, 1910s, 1930s-1980s (Box 3; 9 folders)
Series 6: Artwork, circa 1930s-1980s (Box 3; 9 folders)
Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1935-1943, 1980 (Box 3-5; .6 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Amy Jones (Frisbie) (1899-1992) was a painter, printmaker, sculptor, and art educator in New York.
After attending Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn, New York, Jones studied under Xavier Gonzalez, Ben Wolf, and Anthony di Bona at the Pratt Institute. She left school early and moved to Buffalo, New York with her new husband, Blair Jones, and they had a daughter, Lucy. Jones continued to work on her art over the next few years designing Christmas cards and painting still lifes, portraits, and landscapes. Jones completed three murals between 1937-1941 for the U.S. Treasury Relief Art Project in Winsted, Connecticut; Painted Post, New York; and Scotia, New York. Jones established herself as a watercolorist in the U.S. and internationally by the 1940s. Her solo exhibitions include those held at Mount Holyoke College, Galleria Santo Stefano in Venice, Italy, a 10-year survey at New Britain Museum of American Art, and Katonah Gallery; and group exhibitions at National Gallery of Art, Corcoran Gallery, American Institute of Arts and Letters, and Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Her work may be found in the collections of the Ford Motor Company, Springfield College of Illinois, New Britain Museum of American Art, and the homes of many private collectors.
Provenance:
A portion of the collection was donated by Amy Jones in 1985, and the remainder was donated in 2015 by Lucy Jones Berk, Amy Jones' daughter.
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. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References 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.
Amy Jones papers, 1910s-2015. 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.
Correspondence between painter Lillian Genth and dealer J.F. Kanst, of the Kanst Art Gallery, Los Angeles, Calif., 1927-1928, including 9 letters and 2 telegrams from Genth to Kanst concerning her paintings on consignment at the Kanst Art Gallery, 4 carbons of letters from Kanst to Genth, and sales and shipping records. Also included ia a letter from Genth to Miss Orwig, May 29, 1930, concerning the shipment of a painting and a portrait of Genthe by Wayman Adam.
Biographical / Historical:
Art gallery, Los Angeles, Calif., also used name Kanst Art Galleries. Genth was a painter, New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
Transferred from the Library of the National Museum of Art, 1991.
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.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
One letter to "Mr. Wilson," thanking him for his note.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, printmaker, illustrator; New York, N.Y.
Provenance:
Donated 1955-1962 by Charles E. Feinberg, an active donor and friend of AAA.
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.
Occupation:
Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Correspondence relating to Mittleman's exhibitions; notices and catalogs; photographs of her works; and a scrapbook.
Biographical / Historical:
Ann Mittleman (1898-1996) was a painter from New York, N.Y. Born in New York City. Began as a sculptor. Studied at New York University and with Phillip Evergood, Robert Laurent and Tschacbasov.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1965 by Ann Mittleman.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Reminiscences, letters, a scrapbook, interviews, printed material, and photographs document Model's career as a sculptor, and her friendship with German author Hermann Hesse.
REEL N69/40: A scrapbook, 1946-1968, contains 2 biographical accounts, several letters from colleagues, 1955-1967, exhibition catalogs, clippings, 2 award certificates from the Brooklyn Society of Artists, 35 photographs of works of art and one photograph of Model.
REEL 2323: Two biographical accounts; letters, 1939-1976, primarily from family members and colleagues, including a thank you note from Henry Moore; a file on Hermann Hesse, 1946-1962, including letters from Hesse, a photograph of him, and booklets written by him; a phonograph record (digitized) and 10 p. radio transcript from "Art Review", 1951, from an interview of Model and Lena Gurr conducted by Peter Lipman-Wulf; 12 exhibition catalogs, 1940-1976; a clipping, 1951; a photograph of Model, 1960; and 64 photographs of art works and gallery installations.
REEL 4866: A 96 p. manuscript by Model, "Memories of Persons and Places," describes the people and events of her early life. The cover is decorated with collage and drawings and a photograph of sculpture "The Mother"; a 46 p. typescript by Model, "For My Grandchildren--In Memorium--Max Model," recounts her family's escape from the Nazis; 5 clippings, 1964-1969; 2 brochures advertising Model's sculpture "Family Group"; and an audiocassette interview of Model conducted by Dwight Cooke for "Art and the World," CBS Radio, 1951.
UNFILMED Interview of artists Elisabeth Model and Lena Gurr conducted by Peter Lipman-Wulf on 16" transcription disc.
Biographical / Historical:
Sculptor; Painter; New York, N.Y. Born in Bayreuth, Bavaria, Model studied sculpture in Munich under Professors Thor and Cericioli, in Amsterdam at the Rijksakademie under Professor Jurgens, and in Paris under Moissi Kogan. Model, her husband, Max, and their children fled the Netherlands during World War II and moved to New York City in 1941.
Provenance:
Donated by Elisabeth Model, 1977 and 1989. Microfilmed 1994 with funding provided by the Henry and Lucy Moses Fund, the Lucius N. Littauer Foundation, the Goldie-Anna Charitable Trust, the Samuel Bronfman Foundation, and the Louis and Anne Abrons Foundation.
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.
Occupation:
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
