Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Search Results

Collections Search Center
47 documents - page 1 of 3

Oral history interview with Julia Santos Solomon, 2020 August 26

Interviewee:
Santos Solomon, Julia, 1956-  Search this
Interviewer:
Espinosa, Fernanda  Search this
Subject:
Pandemic Oral History Project  Search this
Type:
Interviews
Video recordings
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Julia Santos Solomon, 2020 August 26. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Pandemics  Search this
COVID-19 (Disease)  Search this
Latino and Latin American artists  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Theme:
Latino and Latin American  Search this
Women  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)21976
AAA_collcode_santos20
Theme:
Latino and Latin American
Women
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_21976

Oral history interview with Julia Santos Solomon, 2021 March 9-April 15

Interviewee:
Santos Solomon, Julia, 1956-  Search this
Interviewer:
Espinosa, Fernanda  Search this
Type:
Video recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Julia Santos Solomon, 2021 March 9-April 15. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Latino and Latin American artists  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Emigration and immigration in art  Search this
Theme:
Latino and Latin American  Search this
Women  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)22062
AAA_collcode_santos21
Theme:
Latino and Latin American
Women
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_22062

Oral history interview with Julia Santos Solomon

Interviewee:
Santos Solomon, Julia, 1956-  Search this
Interviewer:
Espinosa, Fernanda  Search this
Extent:
7 Items (sound files (8 hrs., 1 min), digital, m4a)
86 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Video recordings
Interviews
Date:
2021 March 9-April 15
Scope and Contents:
An interview with Julia Santos Solomon conducted 2021 March 9-April 15, by Fernanda Espinosa, at Santos Solomon's studio in Woodstock, New York.­
Biographical / Historical:
Julia Santos Solomon (1956- ) is an educator, painter, sculptor, digital artist, and textile and fashion designer in the Dominican Republic and Woodstock, New York.
Related Materials:
The Archives also holds the Julia Santos Solomon papers and an oral history interview with Santos Solomon conducted 2020 August 26 as a part of the Archives of American Art's Pandemic Oral History Project.
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.
Restrictions:
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its Oral History Program interviews available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. Quotation, reproduction and publication of the recording is governed by restrictions. If an interview has been transcribed, researchers must quote from the transcript. If an interview has not been transcribed, researchers must quote from the recording. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Art teachers -- Dominican Republic  Search this
Art teachers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Fashion designers -- Dominican Republic  Search this
Fashion designers -- New York (State)  Search this
Textile designers -- Dominican Republic  Search this
Textile designers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- Dominican Republic  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Latino and Latin American artists  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Emigration and immigration in art  Search this
Genre/Form:
Video recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.santos21
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw99d5b8984-f521-4ded-a5bd-78d47aebe5af
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-santos21
Online Media:

Marianne Strengell papers, 1904-1980s

Creator:
Strengell, Marianne, 1909-  Search this
Subject:
Hammarstrom, Olav  Search this
Cranbrook Academy of Art  Search this
Type:
Scrapbooks
Drawings
Citation:
Marianne Strengell papers, 1904-1980s. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Textile crafts  Search this
Weaving  Search this
Finnish Americans  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Theme:
Sketches & Sketchbooks  Search this
Women  Search this
Craft  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)7623
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209786
AAA_collcode_stremari
Theme:
Sketches & Sketchbooks
Women
Craft
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209786
Online Media:

Blanche Lazzell papers, 1893-1986, bulk 1901-1940

Creator:
Lazzell, Blanche, 1878-1956  Search this
Subject:
Gleizes, Albert  Search this
Henri, Robert  Search this
O'Connor, John  Search this
Pearson, Ralph M.  Search this
Dasburg, Andrew  Search this
Chaffee, Oliver Newberry  Search this
Type:
Sketches
Photographs
Visitors' books
Drawings
Diaries
Citation:
Blanche Lazzell papers, 1893-1986, bulk 1901-1940. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women printmakers  Search this
Women designers  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Theme:
Diaries  Search this
Women  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)7873
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210040
AAA_collcode_lazzblan
Theme:
Diaries
Women
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210040
Online Media:

William and Leza McVey papers, 1932-1974

Creator:
McVey, William Mozart, 1905-1995  Search this
McVey, Leza S. (Leza Sullivan), 1907-1984  Search this
Subject:
Gross, Chaim  Search this
Sepeshy, Zoltan  Search this
Gonzales, Boyer  Search this
West, Clifford B.  Search this
Canaday, John  Search this
Citation:
William and Leza McVey papers, 1932-1974. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women ceramicists  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)7970
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210138
AAA_collcode_mcvewill
Theme:
Women
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210138

Else Regensteiner papers, 1946-1979

Creator:
Regensteiner, Else Friedsam, 1906-2003  Search this
Citation:
Else Regensteiner papers, 1946-1979. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women designers  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Chicago's Art-Related Archival Materials: A Terra Foundation Resource  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)8365
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210538
AAA_collcode_regeelse
Theme:
Women
Chicago's Art-Related Archival Materials: A Terra Foundation Resource
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210538

Dorothy Liebes papers, circa 1850-1973, bulk 1922-1970

Creator:
Liebes, Dorothy, 1899-1972  Search this
Subject:
Morin, Relman  Search this
Wright, Frank Lloyd  Search this
Golden Gate International Exposition (1939-1940 : San Francisco, Calif.)  Search this
Bigelow-Sanford Carpet Company  Search this
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company. Textile Fibers Department  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Scrapbooks
Diaries
Drawings
Interviews
Citation:
Dorothy Liebes papers, circa 1850-1973, bulk 1922-1970. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Craft  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9143
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211337
AAA_collcode_liebdoro
Theme:
Women
Craft
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211337
Online Media:

Ruth Reeves Papers, circa 1880-1967

Creator:
Reeves, Ruth, 1892-1966  Search this
Citation:
Ruth Reeves Papers, circa 1880-1967. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Craft  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9188
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211383
AAA_collcode_reevruth
Theme:
Women
Craft
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211383
Online Media:

Martha Mood papers, 1972-1985

Creator:
Mood, Martha, 1908-1972  Search this
Subject:
Henderson, Lester Kierstead  Search this
Citation:
Martha Mood papers, 1972-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Women ceramicists  Search this
Women sculptors  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)10089
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212970
AAA_collcode_moodmart
Theme:
Women
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_212970

Oral history interview with Marianne Strengell, 1982 January 8-December 16

Interviewee:
Strengell, Marianne, 1909-  Search this
Interviewer:
Brown, Robert F  Search this
Subject:
Bertoia, Harry  Search this
Eames, Charles  Search this
Knoll, Florence  Search this
Saarinen, Eliel  Search this
Saarinen, Loja  Search this
Cranbrook Academy of Art  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Marianne Strengell, 1982 January 8-December 16. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Educators -- Massachusetts -- Interviews  Search this
Textile designers -- Massachusetts -- Interviews  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Theme:
Craft  Search this
Women  Search this
Architecture & Design  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)12411
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212096
AAA_collcode_streng82
Theme:
Craft
Women
Architecture & Design
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_212096
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Carolyn Mazloomi, 2002 September 17-30

Interviewee:
Mazloomi, Carolyn, 1948-  Search this
Interviewer:
Cubbs, Joanne  Search this
Subject:
Adkins, Minnie  Search this
Benberry, Cuesta  Search this
Cargo, Robert T.  Search this
Connell, Martha Stamm  Search this
Freeman, Roland L.  Search this
Hill, Lauryn  Search this
Johnson, Nkosi  Search this
Miller, Edjohnetta  Search this
Sisto, Penny  Search this
Wilson, Marie  Search this
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Women of Colour Quilters Network  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Carolyn Mazloomi, 2002 September 17-30. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Decorative arts  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Baltimore album quilts  Search this
African American artists  Search this
African American quiltmakers  Search this
African American art -- African influences  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Quilting  Search this
Theme:
African American  Search this
Craft  Search this
Women  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)11504
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)240143
AAA_collcode_mazloo02
Theme:
African American
Craft
Women
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_240143
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Ruth Adler Schnee, 2002 November 24-30

Interviewee:
Schnee, Ruth Adler, 1923-  Search this
Interviewer:
Schnee, Anita  Search this
Subject:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Ruth Adler Schnee, 2002 November 24-30. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Voyages and travels  Search this
Design -- Study and teaching  Search this
Art -- Economic aspects  Search this
Nazis -- Germany  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Textile crafts  Search this
Theme:
Craft  Search this
Women  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)12111
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)238676
AAA_collcode_schnee02
Theme:
Craft
Women
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_238676
Online Media:

Dorothy Liebes papers

Creator:
Liebes, Dorothy  Search this
Names:
Bigelow-Sanford Carpet Company  Search this
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company. Textile Fibers Department  Search this
Golden Gate International Exposition (1939-1940 : San Francisco, Calif.)  Search this
Morin, Relman, 1907-1973  Search this
Wright, Frank Lloyd, 1867-1959  Search this
Extent:
24.7 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Scrapbooks
Diaries
Drawings
Interviews
Date:
circa 1850-1973
bulk 1922-1970
Summary:
The papers of weaver, textile designer, and consultant Dorothy Liebes date from circa 1850-1973 (bulk 1922-1970) and comprise 24.7 linear feet. Through biographical material including a sound recording of an interview, family and general correspondence, writings including a draft of Liebes's autobiography, subject files providing detailed records of her influential consulting work, financial and legal files, printed material, scrapbooks, artwork, textile samples, and photographic material picturing a wide variety of career and personal activities, the collection provides rich and extensive documentation of Liebes's career and personal life.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of weaver, textile designer, and consultant Dorothy Liebes date from circa 1850-1973 (bulk 1922-1970) and comprise 24.7 linear feet. Through biographical material including a sound recording of an interview, family and general correspondence, writings including a draft of Liebes's autobiography, subject files providing detailed records of her influential consulting work, financial and legal files, printed material, scrapbooks, artwork, textile samples, and photographic material picturing a wide variety of career and personal activities, the collection provides rich and extensive documentation of Liebes's career and personal life.

Biographical material consists of awards, biographical notes, membership and identification cards, passports, a will, and a sound recording of a 1945 interview with Liebes.

Correspondence is personal with family and friends, and general with friends and colleagues including artists, and fellow weavers and designers. Notable correspondents include Dorr Bothwell, Daren Pierce, Beatrice Wood, and Frank and Olgivanna Lloyd Wright.

Diaries and calendars record Liebes's busy professional and personal life, with notations on daily activities and, beginning in 1952, detailed notes by staff recording activities at the studio on days when Liebes was absent.

Writings by Dorothy Liebes include notes, drafts, and manuscripts of published and unpublished writings, including an autobiography, speeches, and drafts for an unpublished book on weaving.

Subject files contain correspondence, printed material, photographs, and miscellaneous items in varying combinations, and focus heavily on Liebes's consulting work for businesses in the textile industry, including her work with DuPont, Bigelow-Sanford, Goodall, Dow, and others. The files document the importance of her work as a colorist and show how she successfully adapted craft weaving to machine methods. Furthermore, they record how Liebes used her marketing instincts and broad media appeal to rebrand the image of companies such as DuPont from one of chemistry and utility, to one that represented high style and glamor in durable and practical fabrics that were affordable and desirable in home furnishings. Other subject files document organizations, individuals, and topics of interest to Liebes, including files recording her involvement with arts and crafts organizations, her role as director for the Decorative Arts Display at the Golden Gate Exposition in 1939, her work as director of the Red Cross's Arts and Skills workshop, scattered exhibition records, and files on weavers and weaving. Files on Liebes's extensive promotional work for multiple clients are also included here, as are files documenting Liebes's relationship with Relman Morin, such as correspondence and scattered records of Morin's career as a Pullitzer Prize winning journalist.

Financial and legal records are comprised of accounting records from the 1930s-1940s, financial summaries, investment statements, personal and business inventories, personal and business tax returns, and some legal records.

Printed material includes advertisements, articles, and exhibition announcements and catalogs, recording Liebes's career. This material is supplemented by thirty-three bound scrapbooks of printed publicity material, photographs, and documents recording Liebes's career in substantial depth.

Artwork by Dorothy Liebes consists of designs, feather weavings, a small hooked composition, and tapestry samples. Artwork by others includes prints by Dorr Bothwell, designs by Lawrence J. Colwell, and painted sketches of clothing designs by Daren Pierce. Two linear feet of samples consist primarily of textile swatches primarily designed by Dorothy Liebes Studio, Inc.

Photographic material includes professional portraits of Liebes and others, photos of Liebes at events and parties, with staff and other weavers, at work in her studio, and traveling. Of note are a series of pictures taken at Taliesin West with Frank and Olgivanna Wright, Relman Morin, and others. Photographic material also provides examples of Liebes's design work in homes, hotels, offices, and elsewhere, and shows her work pictured in exhibitions and showrooms. Photographs of other subjects include portraits of unidentified women by Man Ray and Consuela Canaga.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 11 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1934-circa 1970 (Box 1, OV 23; 0.28 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1922-1973 (Boxes 1-2; 1.5 linear feet)

Series 3: Diaries and Calendars, 1948-1971 (Boxes 2-4; 1.5 linear feet)

Series 4: Writings, 1920-circa 1971 (Boxes 4-5; 1.05 linear feet)

Series 5: Subject Files, circa 1933-1971 (Boxes 5-13, 20, OVs 23, 59; 8.43 linear feet)

Series 6: Financial and Legal Records, circa 1935-1972 (Box 13, 20; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 7: Printed Material, 1897-1971 (Boxes 14, 20-21, OV 38; 1.1 linear feet)

Series 8: Scrapbooks, 1933-1972 (Box 21-22, 24-36; 5 linear feet)

Series 9: Artwork, circa 1920s-circa 1960s (Boxes 14, 22, OVs 23, 39, 42, RD 37; 1.24 linear feet)

Series 10: Samples, circa 1850-1855, circa 1930s-circa 1970 (Boxes 15-16; 2.0 linear feet)

Series 11: Photographic Material, circa 1875, circa 1897-circa 1970 (Boxes 17-19, 36, OVs 38, 40-41; 2.0 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
California and New York weaver, textile designer, and consultant Dorothy Wright Liebes (1899-1972) was known for distinctive textiles featuring bold color combinations and unusual textures achieved through the use of materials such as glass rods, sequins, bamboo, grass, leather, ribbon, wire, and ticker tape. Her work with companies in the synthetic fiber industry to make craft weaving compatible with man-made fabrics and machine looms, produced an innovative and exciting new aesthetic in interior design that was both functional and affordable, and made Liebes a mid-century household name.

Born Dorothy Wright in Santa Rosa, California, Liebes was the daughter of chemistry professor Frederick L. Wright and teacher Bessie Calderwood Wright. She studied art, education, and anthropology at San Jose State Teachers College and the University of California, Berkeley. During her college years, a teacher encouraged her to experiment with weaving and textile design since many of her paintings resembled textiles.

Liebes was a teacher for several years before deciding to pursue a career in textile design. She then studied weaving at Hull House in Chicago and traveled to France, Italy, Guatemala, and Mexico to learn the traditional weaving forms of those cultures. Upon her return to the United States, Liebes opened her first professional studio for weaving and textile design on Powell Street in San Francisco; Dorothy Liebes Design, Inc. was established in 1934, and eventually employed a staff of weavers. Liebes moved her studio to 545 Sutter Street in 1942.

Her first client in the industry was Goodall-Sanford Mills, with whom Liebes worked as a consultant for more than a decade. As her client base expanded, she decided to open a New York studio and maintained both studios until 1948 when she closed her San Francisco operation and relocated to New York City.

Liebes became a color and design consultant to corporations such as DuPont, Dow, and Bigelow-Sanford and tested and promoted newly developed synthetic fibers. She advised textile chemists in the development of fibers that were versatile enough to produce many different textures and worked with engineers and technicians to develop new machines that could reproduce the irregularities of hand-loomed fabrics. Liebes became a sought-after speaker by textile industry and consumer groups, and sometimes taught workshops on color and design.

Liebes's commissions included the United Nations Delegates Dining Room, the Persian Room at the Plaza Hotel and the King of Saudi Arabia's traveling royal throne room. Between 1937 and 1970, Liebes participated in more than thirty solo and group exhibitions at the San Francisco Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, de Young Museum, Cranbrook Museum, Detroit Institute of Art, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Museum of Contemporary Crafts, and other venues. She received prizes and awards from institutions and corporations such as Lord and Taylor, Neiman-Marcus, the Paris Exposition, the American Institute of Decorators, the American Institute of Architects and the Architectural League. She was also awarded the Elsie de Wolfe Award and an honorary degree from Mills College in 1948.

Liebes's other notable activities included her work a director of the Decorative Arts Display for the 1939 San Francisco World's Fair, which she credited with establishing her as an authority in the field, and her work as organizer and director of "Arts and Skills," a Red Cross occupational therapy project that included training in weaving for soldiers injured in World War II. In the 1950s, she worked with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, journeying though the southwest to study Indian schools and weaving techniques.

Liebes was married to businessman Leon Liebes from 1928 until their divorce in 1940 and continued to use the name Liebes for the remainder of her life. In 1948, she married Pulitzer prize winning Associated Press special correspondent Relman "Pat" Morin.

During the last year of her life, Dorothy Liebes was semi-retired due to a heart ailment. She died in New York City on 10 September 1972.
Provenance:
Gift of the Estate of Dorothy Liebes through Relman Morin, 1972, and Ralph Higbee, 1973-1974.
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 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:
Textile designers -- California -- San Francisco  Search this
Textile designers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Weavers -- California -- San Francisco  Search this
Weavers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art consultants -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Scrapbooks
Diaries
Drawings
Interviews
Citation:
Dorothy Liebes papers, circa 1850-1973. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.liebdoro
See more items in:
Dorothy Liebes papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9512b8d71-3c95-4e72-96be-0af0437f2a5f
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-liebdoro
Online Media:

William and Leza McVey papers

Creator:
McVey, William Mozart, 1905-1995  Search this
McVey, Leza  Search this
Names:
Canaday, John, 1907-1985  Search this
Gonzales, Boyer  Search this
Gross, Chaim, 1904-1991  Search this
Sepeshy, Zoltan, 1898-1974  Search this
West, Clifford B.  Search this
Extent:
22.8 Linear feet ((microfilmed on 22 reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1932-1974
Scope and Contents:
Papers regarding sculptor William McVey and to a lesser extent his wife, ceramist and weaver, Leza McVey.
REELS 869-870: Files on 26 commissions executed between 1938 and 1973; 2 scrapbooks; printed articles by McVey; sketches and drawings; clippings; and photographs. Correspondents include Chaim Gross, Zoltan Sepeshy, Boyer Gonzales, Clifford West, John Canaday, and others.
REELS 5439-5460: Correspondence, writings, art work by the McVey's and others, photographs, and printed material.
Biographical / Historical:
William McVey: Sculptor, educator; Cleveland, Ohio; Leza McVey: Ceramist, weaver, Cleveland, Ohio.
Provenance:
Material on reels 869-870 lent for microfilming by William McVey. He subsequently donated the originals to Rice University in Houston, Texas. Material on reels 5439-5460 was donated in 1998 by the McVey estate via executor Seth C. Taft.
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:
Educators -- Ohio -- Cleveland  Search this
Sculptors -- Ohio -- Cleveland  Search this
Ceramicists -- Ohio -- Cleveland  Search this
Weavers -- Ohio -- Cleveland  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women ceramicists  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.mcvewill
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw96ff7a5a5-8c79-4869-854d-7a56a177ab1c
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-mcvewill

Ruth Reeves Papers

Creator:
Reeves, Ruth, 1892-1966  Search this
Extent:
1.1 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
circa 1880-1967
Summary:
The papers of textile designer Ruth Reeves measure 1.1 linear feet and date from circa 1880 to 1967. Found are biographical materials, scattered correspondence, writings on textile design, printed material, artwork, photographs, and scrapbooks.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of textile designer Ruth Reeves measure 1.1 linear feet and date from circa 1880 to 1967. Found are biographical material, scattered correspondence, writings on textile design, printed material, artwork, photographs, and scrapbooks.

Biographical records include biographical sketches, travel papers, and divorce records. Correspondence is scattered but includes letters from Ruth Reeves to her daughter Judith. Most of Reeves' general correspondence is from family and friends. A teaching file for a course on textile design at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art contains notes, lecture drafts, and sketches. Writings by Ruth Reeves are on textile design and may include drafts with handwritten notes. Artworks include painted sketches and prints by Ruth Reeves. Photographs include portraits of Reeves, snapshots of her family and travel photos. Of note is a portrait of cartoonist Art Young by Berenice Abbott.
Arrangement:
Due to the small size of this collection, the papers are arranged as one series.

Series 1: Ruth Reeves Papers, circa 1880-1967 (Box 1-2; 1.3 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Ruth Reeves (1892-1966) was a textile designer, educator, and painter active in New York City, New York and India. She is known for having designed rugs for Radio City Music Hall.

Ruth Reeves was born in Redlands, California in 1892 to John Chapenou and Jennie Martafel Reeves. First, she studied art in California but moved to New York City to attend Pratt Institute in 1911. In 1913, she earned a scholarship to the Art Students League. Her formal art education focused on painting but due to finances, Ruth left school and took freelance jobs as an illustrator and textile designer. In Paris, she worked as an illustrator for Fairchild Publications and remained in Paris to study under Fernand Léger.

Reeves' first exhibition was with The American Designers' Gallery where she showed textiles. She experimented using screen print and vat dye techniques to create household textiles. In addition to her design career, Reeves served as national supervisor for the Index of American Design under the Federal Art Project and taught at the Cooper Union. In 1956, she accepted a Fulbright grant and moved to India to study Indian textile techniques.

Ruth Reeves married Donald Robert Baker, with whom she had three daughters. Ruth Reeves died in 1966 in New Delhi, India.
Provenance:
The Ruth Reeves papers were donated by her daughter, Judith Baker Katzman in 1971 and 1972.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.
Occupation:
Educators -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Textile designers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Citation:
Ruth Reeves papers, circa 1880-1967. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.reevruth
See more items in:
Ruth Reeves Papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw953866728-db53-4b91-a7a4-3428fc6f20aa
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-reevruth
Online Media:

Claire Zeisler papers

Creator:
Zeisler, Claire, 1903-1991  Search this
Extent:
3.5 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1941-1992
Summary:
The papers of fiber artist Claire Zeisler measure 3.5 linear feet and date from 1941 to 1992. Zeisler's career is documented through project files, printed materials, and scrapbooks. The bulk of the collection consists of twenty-two scrapbooks containing resumes and chronologies; an honorary degree; business correspondence with libraries, museums, and other institutions concerning exhibitions of Zeisler's work and the loan of her personal art collection; exhibition lists and condition reports; loan records; printed materials for exhibitons; and scattered sketches and hanging instructions. Project files contain documents relating to titled weavings and general works, and may include fabric samples, hanging instructions, plans, and material costs. Also found are three exhibition catalogs.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of fiber artist Claire Zeisler measure 3.5 linear feet and date from 1941 to 1992. Zeisler's career is documented through project files, printed materials, and scrapbooks. The bulk of the collection consists of twenty-two scrapbooks containing resumes and chronologies; an honorary degree; business correspondence with libraries, museums, and other institutions concerning exhibitions of Zeisler's work and the loan of her personal art collection; exhibition lists and condition reports; loan records; printed materials for exhibitons; and scattered sketches and hanging instructions. Project files contain documents relating to titled weavings and general works, and may include fabric samples, hanging instructions, plans, and material costs. Also found are three exhibition catalogs.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as three series

Series 1: Project Files, circa 1941-1991 (0.8 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 2: Printed Material, 1977-1987 (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)

Series 3: Scrapbooks, 1941-1992 (2.5 linear feet; Boxes 2-5)
Biographical / Historical:
Claire Zeisler (1903-1991) was a fiber artist and art collector active in Chicago, Illinois.

Zeisler was born Claire Block in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1903. She studied at Columbia College Chicago but left to marry Harold Florsheim in 1921. The couple divorced in 1943 and she married Ernest Zeisler in 1946.

For much of her early life, Claire concentrated her interest in art on collecting. Throughout the 1930s, she acquired paintings by European modern artists such as Paul Klee, Joan Miró, and Pablo Picasso. Later, she collected paintings by American artists such as Franz Kline and Robert Rauschenberg. She expanded her collection to include textile works and baskets by Native Americans, and African sculpture among others.

After her divorce, she returned to the study of art at the Chicago Institute of Design and the Illinois Institute of Technology. She studied under Bea Swartchild who inspired a love for weaving. Zeisler's first works used traditional loom techniques but later she focused on knotting and braiding. She innovated free-falling fiber sculpture and her works helped push fiber art from craft to a fine art.
Related Materials:
Also found in the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview of Claire Zeisler conducted by Dennis Barrie in June 1981.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds material lent for microfilming (reel 3109) inluding scrapbooks lent by Ziesler in 1983. Some, but not all, of this material was included in later donations. This material remains with the lender and is not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
Scrapbooks on reel 3019 were lent to the Archives of American Art for microfilming in August 1983 by Claire Zeisler. In 1992 her son and executor, Thomas Florsheim, donated additional scrapbooks, and project and weaving files. He interfiled new material in the previously microfilmed scrapbooks, 1941-1983, expanding them from eight notebooks to thirteen.
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:
Weavers -- Illinois -- Chicago  Search this
Fiber artists -- Illinois -- Chicago  Search this
Textile designers -- Illinois -- Chicago  Search this
Collectors -- Illinois -- Chicago  Search this
Topic:
Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Fiberwork  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Textile crafts  Search this
Citation:
Claire Zeisler papers, 1941-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.zeisclai
See more items in:
Claire Zeisler papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw905f90d53-cba3-4746-b361-c827a4942c83
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-zeisclai
Online Media:

Marianne Strengell papers

Creator:
Strengell, Marianne, 1909-1998  Search this
Names:
Cranbrook Academy of Art  Search this
Hammarstrom, Olav, 1906-2002  Search this
Extent:
1.5 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Scrapbooks
Drawings
Date:
1904-1980s
Summary:
The papers of weaver, fiber artist and educator Marianne Strengell date from 1904 to the 1980s and measure 1.5 linear feet. The scattered papers focus on Strengell's career as an artist and include biographical materials, correspondence, writings, six scrapbooks, printed material, photographs, and artwork.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of weaver, fiber artist and educator Marianne Strengell date from 1904 to the 1980s and measure 1.5 linear feet. The scattered papers focus on Strengell's career as an artist and include biographical materials, correspondence, writings, six scrapbooks, printed material, photographs, and artwork.
Biographical / Historical:
Finnish-American textile artist Marianne Strengell (1909-1998) was known for the use of synthetic fibers in her work. She was an educator and was at the Cranbrook Academy of Art from 1937 to 1962.

Born in Helsinki, Finland in 1909, Marianne Strengell studied industrial arts at a Helsinki university. She spent her early career designing textiles and rugs throughout Scandinavia but came to the United States in 1936. Strengell was invited to teach at the Cranbrook Academy of Art by Eliel Saarinen, a family friend. She began as a professor but became the head of the Department of Weaving and Textile Design after the retirement of Loja Saarinen. Strengell focused on texture in her weavings and often used synthetic fibers. She took many commissions during her career, including many for automotive companies in Detroit. Also, she exhibited her works at institutions and in print.

Under the United States government in 1951, Strengell travelled to the Philippines to establish weaving as a cottage industry. In the mid-1960s she acted as a consultant on textile production to the United Nations Technical Assistance Administration with her husband, Olav Hammarstrom.

Marianne Strengell married fellow Cranbrook artist Charles Yerkes Dusenbury in 1940. They had two children but divorced in 1949. Later, she married architect Olav Hammarstorm.
Related Materials:
Additional papers are held at the Cranbrook Archives, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Provenance:
Along with her husband Olav Hammarstrom, Marianne Strengell donated her papers to the Archives of American Art in 1982-1983 and 1989.
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:
Fiber artists -- Michigan -- Bloomfield Hills  Search this
Weavers -- Michigan -- Bloomfield Hills  Search this
Educators -- Michigan -- Bloomfield Hills  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Textile crafts  Search this
Weaving  Search this
Finnish Americans  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Scrapbooks
Drawings
Citation:
Marianne Strengell papers, 1904-1980s. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.stremari
See more items in:
Marianne Strengell papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94c2885ac-24ef-4010-b726-5ea49bc144d7
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-stremari

Oral history interview with Ruth Adler Schnee

Interviewee:
Schnee, Ruth Adler, 1923-  Search this
Interviewer:
Schnee, Anita  Search this
Creator:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Names:
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this
Extent:
159 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
2002 November 24-30
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Ruth Adler Schnee conducted 2002 November 24-30, by Anita Schnee, at the artist's home in Southfield, Michigan, for the Archives of American Art as part of the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.
Schnee talks about her early childhood in Germany, living in Nazi Germany and her family's emigration to the U.S. in 1939; her family's beginnings in the U.S. and her education; working in the display department at Winkleman's Department store; her scholarship to Rhode Island School of Design; experiencing New York City at the close of WWII; attending Cranbrook Academy of Art; her friendship with Eliel and Loja Saarinen; meeting and marrying Edward Charles Schnee; their first silk screening studio in Detroit; early designs; a fire that destroyed the first Adler Schnee shop in 1955; the new Adler Schnee store on Livernois; buying trips to Norway, Sweden, and Finland; difficulties and strategies for selling fabric designs; teaching herself the silk-screening process; designing for the airline industry; her love of color; and the labor intensive process of making the perfect design.
Schnee also discusses her sources of inspiration and how they have changed over the years; good design as "problem solving"; participating in tradeshows and finding clients; the shop paper, "The Bugle;" the Detroit Artists Market; significant commissions including Braniff Airlines, Ford Rotunda Auditorium, the Feld-Weisberg Clinic, and the Jewish Home for the Aged; and a research trip to Williamsburg, Virginia, to learn early American design techniques. Schnee comments on her travels to Mexico, Germany, South America, Israel, and in the U.S. She concludes the sessions by reviewing the recording and providing additional information. Schnee recalls Paul Klee, Albert Kahn, Minoru Yamasaki, Maija Grotell, Richard Savage, Al Taubman, Louis Redstone, Hans Knoll, Victor Gruen, Edward Wormley, Edgar Kaufman, Susanne Dotson, Harley Melzian, Selma Fraiberg, Hedie and Helmut Goedeckemeyer, Roberto Lago, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Ruth Adler Schnee (1923- ) is a textile artist from Southfield, Michigan.
The interviewer, Anita Schnee, is her daughter and is from Fayetteville, Arkansas.
General:
Originally recorded on 9 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 70 digital wav files. Duration is 11 hr., 9 min.
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.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Textile designers -- Michigan -- Detroit  Search this
Topic:
Voyages and travels  Search this
Design -- Study and teaching  Search this
Art -- Economic aspects  Search this
Nazis -- Germany  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Decorative arts  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Textile crafts  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.schnee02
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9546373b9-6153-47d7-8199-84435aa591ab
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-schnee02
Online Media:

Else Regensteiner papers

Creator:
Regensteiner, Else, 1906-  Search this
Extent:
1 Reel (ca. 220 items (on partial microfilm reel))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Reels
Date:
1946-1979
Scope and Contents:
Biographical information; correspondence; a diary, 1975-1976, and teaching files kept while at American Farm School, Thessalonica, Greece; manuscripts of articles; photographs of art work and personal photographs; sketches and drawings; 3 scrapbooks containing printed material, photographs, memorabilia, and letters; and exhibition catalogs and announcements, clippings and printed miscellany.
Biographical / Historical:
Designer, weaver, educator; Chicago, Ill. Else Regensteiner is also known by the fuller form of her name: Else Friedsam Regensteiner.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1979 by Else Regensteiner.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Weavers  Search this
Educators -- Illinois -- Chicago  Search this
Weavers -- Illinois -- Chicago  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women designers  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Women textile designers  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.regeelse
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ce2c377e-8e38-49b4-ac83-ff0609ac40fb
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-regeelse

Modify Your Search







or


Narrow By