Search Results

Creator:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2010-08-13T14:10:27.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, Asian  Search this

See more by:

FSArchives

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

YouTube Channel:

FSArchives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_KqnsEz6OgRM

Creator:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives  Search this

Type:

YouTube Videos

Uploaded:

2010-08-06T20:53:34.000Z

YouTube Category:

Education  Search this

Topic:

Art, Asian  Search this

See more by:

FSArchives

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

YouTube Channel:

FSArchives

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:yt_tW6hlNGIGf0

Creator:

Plumer, James Marshall  Search this

Extent:

1.6 Cubic feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Correspondence

Printed material

Drawings

Maps

Place:

China

Date:

1935-1949

Scope and Contents:

Manuscripts, translations, correspondence, notes, maps, drawings, and black and white photographic prints and negatives related to James Marshall Plumer's work with Chinese ceramics, primarily concerning the location and excavation of a Yue ware kiln site.

Yüeh (sometimes Yueh) was the common romanization at the time of creation and is used extensively in this finding aid to reflect its usage in the original materials. Yue is preferred now. All other obsolete romanizations reflect usage in the original materials.

Arrangement:

Organized into two series: Series 1: Yüeh File Series 2: Photographs

Biographical / Historical:

James Marshall Plumer (1899-1960) , scholar of Asian art. After receiving his B.A. from Harvard, Plumer served as an administrative officer with the Chinese Government Service in Maritime Customs. From 1935 until his death, he taught art history at the University of Michigan while continuing to visit and work in China and Japan. In 1935 and 1937, Plumer discovered ancient kiln sites in the Chinese provinces of Fukien (Fujian) and Chekiang (Zhejiang). He wrote extensively on Chinese ceramics and edited the 'Far Eastern Ceramic Bulletin' from 1950 to 1958.

Related Materials:

James M. Plumer papers, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Rights:

Permission to reproduce and publish an item from the Archives is coordinated through the National Museum of Asian Art's Rights and Reproductions department. Please contact the Archives in order to initiate this process.

Topic:

Ceramics -- China  Search this

Ceramics -- Japan  Search this

Kilns -- China -- Fujian  Search this

Kilns -- China -- Zhejiang  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Correspondence

Printed material

Drawings

Maps

Citation:

James Marshall Plumer Collection, FSA.A.14. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Gift of Caroline I. Plumer.

Identifier:

FSA.A.14

See more items in:

James Marshall Plumer Collection

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc395f4d2fb-4ed5-472d-8410-b5f0ab3d55a3

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-fsa-a-14

Creator:

Bishop, Carl Whiting, 1881-1942  Search this

Names:

Bishop, Carl Whiting, 1881-1942  Search this

Tung, Kuang-zung.  Search this

Warner, Langdon (1881-1955)  Search this

Wenley, A. G. (Archibald Gibson), 1898-1962  Search this

Extent:

20 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Negatives

Photographic prints

Manuscript

Place:

China

Date:

1923-1934

Summary:

An associate curator and associate in archaeology at the Freer Gallery of Art from 1922 to 1942, the collection of Carl Whiting Bishop (1881-1942) document his Gallery-sponsored travels to China from 1923 to 1934 and include an unpublished manuscript describing his archaeological research in China; line drawings; rubbings; maps; note cards; and nearly 4,000 glass and film negatives with corresponding original silver prints. These document his expeditions in northern and central China, illustrating archaeological sites in Henan, Shanxi, and Hebei provinces. Specific digs include the large neolithic site at Wanquan, Shanxi, and sixth century C.E. tombs near Fenyin. Additional images show Chinese cityscapes, daily life and customs, topography, temples, pagodas, caves, and sculpture.

Scope and Contents:

The professional papers and official records of Carl Whiting Bishop include his unpublished two-volume manuscript, [not before 1940]; and photographs, nearly 4,000 images, 1915-1934; and undated. These materials document over a twenty-five year period in the course of Bishop's research and archaeological activities. They were retained at the Freer Gallery of Art after Bishop's death in 1942, and were supplemented with an addition received in 1956 from his widow Daisy Furscott Bishop.

The manuscript was prepared in a typescript format, over 421 pages of text, with photographic illustrations, and completed by Bishop sometime after 1939. Properly titled Archaeological Research in China 1923-1934, this unpublished manuscript constituted a field report that chronicled Bishop's Gallery-sponsored expeditions in northern and central China during the period 1923 to 1934. The reader is provided with a record of the day-to-day operations completed, of obstacles and opposition encountered, and the results obtained from their work. Key diplomatic and scientific representatives from the West and China are recorded who aided and contributed to the investigations. Moreover, there are descriptions of the academic, social and political climate in China during a period of civil war and economic strife. Against this background, Bishop also discussed their efforts in view of the history of China, with commentary on the country's geography, topography, climate, flora and fauna, mineral products, and ancient customs and legends.

The earliest still photographic prints in the Bishop Papers date from his employ at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, where he conducted archaeological reconnaissance from 1915 to 1918 in China, Korea, and Japan. All subsequent images were created or collected by Bishop and his assistant Kuang-zung Tung during the Freer Gallery-sponsored expeditions of 1923-1934. Further descriptions of these materials may be found under Series 2 and Series 3 in this finding aid.

In the transliteration into English of the names of Chinese characters, Bishop followed the Wade-Giles system, with a few exceptions to those rules for certain well known and commonly used place-names, especially those of cities, towns, territorial divisions, and bodies of water. We have retained Bishop's romanization except in certain areas where clarification was needed. The Chinese personal and place-names have been kept as they appeared in his captions.

Arrangement:

Series 1: Manuscript/Writings 1915-1934 and undated

Series 2: Photography Prints

Series 3: Negatives

Series 4: Drawings, Rubbings, and Maps

Biographical / Historical:

Carl Whiting Bishop (1881-1942) was an archaeologist, anthropologist, and specialist in the field of East Asian studies. Born in Tokyo, Japan, on July 12, 1881, he was the son of a Methodist missionary, the Reverend Charles Bishop. Except for a twelve-month residence in the United States during 1889-90, Bishop spent the first sixteen years of his life in Japan, before returning to this country in 1898 for college preparatory work at Northwestern Academy, Evanston, Illinois. He studied at Hampden-Sydney College and in 1912 received an A.B. degree from DePauw University. In 1913 he was awarded the degree of Master of Arts by the Department of Anthropology, Columbia University, where he studied with the noted German anthropologist, Franz Boas (1858-1942). That same year he received his first scientific appointment as a member of the Peabody Museum Expedition to Central America.

From 1914-18 Bishop served as Assistant Curator in Oriental Art at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, where on an expedition for that museum he made his first trip to China. Under the auspices of the university, he conducted archaeological reconnaissance during 1915 and 1916 in China, Korea, and Japan, and again conducted archaeological surveys in 1917 and 1918, although no systematic excavations were carried out at that time. When the United States entered World War I on the side of the Allied Powers, Bishop enlisted in the United States Navy and was made assistant naval attaché, serving in China in the years 1918-20, with the rank of lieutenant, junior grade. He returned to Columbia University in 1921 to assume the position of Assistant in Anthropology, a post he held until the end of the academic season in 1922.

Effective 10 April 1922, Bishop was appointed as Associate Curator of the Freer Gallery of Art by then director John Ellerton Lodge (1878-1942). Asked to undertake important archaeological work, Bishop headed the gallery's first expedition to China, sponsored jointly by the FGA and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, lasting from 20 February 1923 to 6 August 1927. From 16 November 1929 to 11 April 1934, he headed another expedition, sent out this time by the Freer Gallery alone. When conditions in China made further efforts impractical, Bishop returned to Washington in 1934, where he remained at the gallery as Associate in Archaeology until the time of his death on 16 June 1942.

Carl Whiting Bishop was a member of a number of learned societies: the American Oriental Society, the American Archaeological Society, the Anthropological Society, the American Society for the Advancement of Science, the American Geographical Society, and he served on the advisory board of the American Council of Learned Societies until his death.

1881, July 12 -- Born in Tokyo, Japan

1898 -- Attends Northwestern Academy in Evanston, Illinois for college preparatory work Attends Hampden-Sydney College

1912 -- Receives A.B. degree from DePauw University

1913 -- Receives Master of Arts from Department of Anthropology from Columbia University, where he studied with Franz Boas

1914 -- Begins serving as Assistant Curator in Oriental Art at the University of Pennsylvania Museum

1915-1918 -- Makes several archaeological survey trips to China, Korea and Japan

1918-1920 -- Enlists in the U.S. Navy, serving as assistant naval attaché in China

1921 -- Serves as Assistant Professor in Anthropology at Columbia University

1922, April 10 -- Becomes Associate Curator of the Freer Gallery of Art

1923-1927 -- Heads the Freer Gallery's first expedition to China, co-sponsored by the Boston Museum of Fine Arts

1929-1934 -- Heads the second Freer-sponsored expedition to China

1934 -- Returns to US and serves as Associate in Archaeology at the Freer Gallery of Art

1942, June 16 -- Dies.

Related Materials:

Additional Bishop material may be found in the following collections also found in the the Archives of the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery:

Li Chi Reports, 1926-1929, regarding Li's reconnaissance work at Shi-yin Ts'un, Shansi Province, and the excavation at Anyang.

Archibald Gibson Wenley Papers, 1924-1926, including field diaries, notes, and photographs documenting his participation in the FGA expedition work in China.

Charles Lang Freer Papers, including 1915 correspondence between Freer and Bishop; newspaper clippings related to Bishop, and documents dated 1912-1913, relating to Freer's support for a proposed American School of Archeology in China.

A number of objects from the FGA expeditions, including bronzes, ceramics, and stone sculpture, have been accessioned into the permanent art collection of the Freer Gallery of Art. Additionally, remnants of antiquities, potteries, and metalwork accumulated during the field work, have been placed in the Freer Gallery Study Collection. Records for these items are retained with the Galleries' Registrar's Office.

Additional Bishop material may be found in the Smithsonian Institutional Archives:

Expedition Records, including correspondence of Carl Whiting Bishop, 1914; 1923-1942, nearly 3,000 letters arranged alphabetically by correspondent name; a manuscript catalogue of expedition acquisitions, Peking, 1923-1925; financial records, 1923-1934, including expedition fund ledgers, account statements, and receipts; and newspaper clippings, 1924-1932, documenting the gallery's field work and general archaeological work being conducted around the world at that time.

Smithsonian Institutional Archives, Central Files, Bishop folders, 1923-1942, including expedition letters, field reports, and photographs sent to John E. Lodge.

Personnel and Special Events Photograph Collection, containing portrait photographs of Bishop.

Additional Bishop matieral may be found in the University of Pennsylvania Museum Archives, Philadelphia:

Documentation of University of Pennsylvania Museum-sponsored field work in East Asia may be found there that includes records of C.W. Bishop, dated 1914-1927 (measuring about .5 linear foot), much of it created during his tenure as the Museum's Assistant Curator of Oriental Art from 1914-1918. Included are Bishop's journals consisting of daily entries for two trips to China for the University of Pennsylvania Museum; letters to and from G.B. Gordon, C.W. Harrison, and Jane McHugh, written during Bishop's travel in China and subsequent to his return; and detailed financial accounts of expenditures during the China travels. Additionally, the repository houses a group of Bishop's negatives taken in China to visually record the expedition work.

Provenance:

Gift of Carl Whiting Bishop.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Rights:

Permission to reproduce and publish an item from the Archives is coordinated through the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery's Rights and Reproductions department. Please contact the Archives in order to initiate this process.

Topic:

Archaeology  Search this

Archaeological expeditions  Search this

Archaeology -- China  Search this

Photography -- China  Search this

Genre/Form:

Negatives

Photographic prints

Manuscript

Citation:

The Carl Whiting Bishop Collection. FSA.A.02. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.

Identifier:

FSA.A.02

See more items in:

Carl Whiting Bishop Collection

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc31125ea37-fbdf-4cd0-b413-1b022a34356b

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-fsa-a-02

Creator:

Maury, Curt  Search this

Extent:

12.7 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Dye coupler transparencies

Place:

Gujarat (India)

Karnataka (India) -- Social life and customs

Kerala (India)

Maharashtra

Rajasthan (India)

India

Date:

1953-circa 1985

Summary:

The Curt Maury papers, dating from 1953 to circa 1985, measure 12.7 linear feet and include writings and notes for planned and published books; travel files and expense ledgers for trips to India; photograph ledgers; and extensive photographs and slides of India.

Scope and Contents:

The Curt Maury papers, dating from 1953 to circa 1985, measure 12.7 linear feet and consist of writings and notes for planned and published books; travel files and expense ledgers for trips to India; photograph ledgers; and extensive photographs and slides of India.

The collection was created by Maury primarily in preparation for an unpublished book to be titled, "India's Folk Tradition as the Mirror of Mankind's Religious History." Materials include manuscript and typescript drafts and notes for this book, as well as for published book, Folk Origins of Indian Art (1969). Travel files include printed maps of India, Maury's sketched map outlines of cities in India, and five travel expense ledgers. Photographic materials consist of black and white prints and slides depicting Indian folk art, including religious artifacts and structures, and Indian cultural activities and surroundings. Nine photograph ledgers describe images and locations of photographs and slides with roll and image number.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 3 series.

Series 1: Writings and Notes, circa 1960s-circa 1970s [3.7 linear feet; Boxes 1-5, 7-11]

Series 2: Travel Files, 1953-1975 [0.4 linear feet; Box 5, 1 OV Folder]

Series 3: Photographic Material, circa 1960-circa 1985 [8.5 linear feet; Boxes 6, 12-44]

Biographical note:

Curt Maury (1909-1989) was a writer, social services administrator, and scholar of Indian art. He was born in Germany, earned a PhD in German Literature from the University of Vienna in 1935, and immigrated to the United States in 1939. While pursuing a literary career through the publication of novels, plays, and poems, Maury developed an interest in India, which he visited many times from the 1950s through the 1970s. He conducted research on Indian folk art, and kept extensive photographic records.

Provenance:

The papers were donated to the Archives after Curt Maury's death in 1989 by his brother, Hans Tischler.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research. Due to cold storage requirements, digital surrogates are prefered for access. One week's notice is required prior to access originals.

Rights:

Permission to reproduce and publish an item from the Archives is coordinated through the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery's Rights and Reproductions Department. Please contact the Archives in order to initiate this process.

Topic:

Art, Hindu  Search this

Indian art  Search this

Cave temples  Search this

Taj Mahal (Agra, India)  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs -- 1950-1960 -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin

Dye coupler transparencies

Citation:

Curt Maury Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Mr. Hans Tischler.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund.

Identifier:

FSA.A1989.05

See more items in:

Curt Maury Papers

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3fab29f43-0ae6-4370-b3ff-be6afcd35342

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-fsa-a1989-05

Creator:

Seherr-Thoss, Hans Christoph, Graf von, 1918-  Search this

Seherr-Thoss, Sonia P.  Search this

Extent:

4 Linear feet (approximate: 1250 items)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Color slides

Transparencies

Photographic prints

Place:

Uzbekistan

Iran -- Antiquities

Turkey

Afghanistan

Date:

circa 1960-1968

Summary:

Photographs and negatives of Sonia P. and Hans C. Seherr-Thoss. Mounted and unmounted color slides, transparencies, black and white negatives, mounted prints, contact sheets, and a photograph, circa 1960-1968. The majority of images, taken by Hans C. Seherr-Thoss, appear in their publication, Design and Color in Islamic Architecture: Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey, published by the, Smithsonian Institution Press, in 1968. Countries depicted are Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Scope and Contents of the Collection:

Photographs and negatives of Islamic monuments. Photos taken by Hans C. Seherr-Thoss and most appear in his and Sonia P. Seherr-Thoss' publication, Design and color in Islamic architecture: Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey.

The mounted slides have been placed in cold storage due to preservation concerns and the transparencies and mounted photos have not yet been processed.

Arrangement note:

This collection is arranged into three series by format: 1. Mounted slides, 2. Transparencies, and 3. Mounted photos. Only the mounted slides have been arranged and remain in their original order.

Biographical/Historical note:

Count Hans Seherr-Thoss was born in Dobrau, Germany in 1912 (New York Times, October 29, 1992.) He later became a United States citizen and served in the United States' Army during World War II. Sonia Phipps Farrell married Seherr-Thoss in Palm Beach, Florida, on March 3, 1948 (The Washington Post, March 2, 1948.) Both had children from previous marriages. Mrs. Seherr-Thoss graduated from Columbia University with majors in economics and sociology. She served as president of the Litchfield (Connecticut) Historical Society and the Oliver Wolcott Library. She received the Paul Harris Fellowship for community service and the Connecticut Association of Schools awarded her the Distinguished Friend of Education Award. In 1968, the Smithsonian Institution Press published, Design and Color in Islamic Architecture: Afganistan, Iran, Turkey. Written by Mrs. Seherr-Thoss, the photographs were taken by Mr. Seherr-Thoss during their travels to the concerned regions. Many of the photographs featured in that publication are included in this collection. Hans C. Seherr-Thoss died on October 28, 1992 and Sonia P. Seherr-Thoss died on June 13, 2006.

Biography of Sonia P. and Hans C. Seherr-Thoss:

Count Hans Seherr-Thoss was born in Dobrau, Germany in 1912 (New York Times, October 29, 1992.) He later became a United States citizen and served in the United States' Army during World War II.

Sonia Phipps Farrell married Seherr-Thoss in Palm Beach, Florida, on March 3, 1948 (The Washington Post, March 2, 1948.) Both had children from previous marriages. Mrs. Seherr-Thoss graduated from Columbia University with majors in economics and sociology. She served as president of the Litchfield (Connecticut) Historical Society and the Oliver Wolcott Library. She received the Paul Harris Fellowship for community service and the Connecticut Association of Schools awarded her the Distinguished Friend of Education Award.

In 1968, the Smithsonian Institution Press published, Design and Color in Islamic Architecture: Afganistan, Iran, Turkey. Written by Mrs. Seherr-Thoss, the photographs were taken by Mr. Seherr-Thoss during their travels to the concerned regions. Many of the photographs featured in that publication are included in this collection.

Hans C. Seherr-Thoss died on October 28, 1992 and Sonia P. Seherr-Thoss died on June 13, 2006.

Related Materials:

Other collections housed in the archives documenting Islamic monuments include: Ambassador Richard B. Parker Photographs of Islamic Monuments and the Lionel Bier Architectural Drawings.

Provenance:

This collection was donated by Sonia P. Seherr-Thoss, 2001

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research. Mounted slides are in cold storage; digital surrogates are preferred for access. One week's notice is required prior to access originals.

Rights:

Permission to reproduce and publish an item from the Archives is coordinated through the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery's Rights and Reproductions department. Please contact the Archives in order to initiate this process.

Topic:

Decoration and ornament, Architectural -- Middle East  Search this

Islamic antiquities  Search this

Mosques  Search this

Islamic architecture  Search this

Minarets  Search this

Genre/Form:

Color slides

Transparencies

Photographic prints

Citation:

Hans C. and Sonia P. Seherr-Thoss Photographs of Islamic Architecture. FSA.A2001.15. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Gift of Sonia P. Seherr-Thoss, 2001.

Identifier:

FSA.A2001.15

See more items in:

Seherr-Thoss Photographs of Islamic Architecture

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3f918f05f-2bcc-4c1e-939a-9fb75631a9bd

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-fsa-a2001-15

Creator:

McLaren, Lynn, 1922-  Search this

Names:

Cooke, Hope, 1940-  Search this

Nehru, Jawaharlal, 1889-1964  Search this

Extent:

1,632 Slides (color)

Container:

Box 1

Box 2

Box 3

Box 4

Box 5

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Slides

Slides

Slides (photographs)

Place:

India -- 1960-1969

Date:

1960-1969

Scope and Contents:

A set of original 35mm color slides, photographed in India in the 1960s by photojournalist Lynn McLaren (1922-2008). Subjects include people, street scenes, and temple and domestic architecture. Images from photo assignments include Nehru's funeral pyre, the Queen of Sikkim, and traditional Indian actors.

Arrangement:

Slides organized in slide boxes by location.

Biographical / Historical:

Lynn McLaren was a freelance photojournalist whose work appeared in National Geographic, Newsweek, and other publications. She also produced several books of photography. The State Department career of her first husband, John Y. Millar, took McLaren to various locales around the world, including India, Tanzania, and Berlin, where she was drawn to shots that included architecture and people, especially children. McLaren went on to earn a degree in photojournalism from the University of Missouri. After her divorce from Millar, she moved to Beaufort, South Carolina. Her years there with her second husband, William Demarest, resulted in a book devoted to her photographs of Beaufort County.

Local Numbers:

FSA A2007.01

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research. Due to cold storage requirements, digital surrogates are prefered for access. One week's notice is required prior to access originals.

Rights:

Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.

Genre/Form:

Slides (photographs)

Identifier:

FSA.A2007.01

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc34d31e086-c5dd-442d-889a-8cd14e470547

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-fsa-a2007-01

Creator:

Albin, Edgar A., 1908-  Search this

Names:

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville  Search this

Albin, Edgar A., 1908-  Search this

Extent:

1,700 Color slides

Container:

Box 1

Box 2

Box 3

Box 4

Box 5

Box 6

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Slides

Color slides

Slides (photographs)

Place:

India

Arkansas

Date:

1954

Scope and Contents:

The Edgar A. Albin Slide Collection includes images of architecture and sights of India taken in 1954 by Professor Edgar A. Albin, A Fullbright Scholar. A second set shows notable contemporary Indian artists in their studios, as well as examples of their works.

Arrangement:

One series organized by locations within India; second series organized by artist.

Biographical / Historical:

Edgar A. Albin was professor of Art at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, from 1947 to 1962. Born December 17, 1908 at Columbus, Kansas, he attended the University of Tulsa, receiving a BA in Art and Education in 1936 and then an MA from the State University of Iowa in Art History and Painting in 1946. From 1931 to 1939, Albin taught in the Tulsa Public School System, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Later, he was instructor and Associate Professor of Art from 1939 to 1947 at the University of Tulsa, where he created the Art History program. From 1947 to 1962, Albin was Professor of Art at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and chairman of the Humanities program from 1958 to 1962. He taught the history of art, integrated general education courses, and art criticism in addition to setting up and supervising the art slide and film library. Albin joined the faculty of Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri, in 1962 and served as chairman of the Art Department until his retirement in 1974. In addition to his academic work, Edgar A. Albin wrote a weekly arts column from 1965 to 1986 for the Springfield Leader and Press. He also wrote numerous letters to the editor from 1972 to 1983, some of which he signed in his own name others with the pseudonym, "Ezra Kornscrabble". He also lectured at various universities, institutions, and conventions.

Local Numbers:

FSA A2010.02

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research. Due to cold storage requirements, digital surrogates are prefered for access. One week's notice is required prior to access originals.

Rights:

Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.

Topic:

Art, Asian  Search this

Indian art  Search this

Art, Modern  Search this

Genre/Form:

Slides (photographs)

Citation:

Edgar A. Albin Slide Collection of India, FSA.A2010.02. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Gift of Mildred M. Albin, 2003.

Identifier:

FSA.A2010.02

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3b7b4b17f-cf17-4fad-81ff-717234e6cf83

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-fsa-a2010-02

Creator:

Ralph Redford  Search this

Extent:

0.4 Cubic feet (552 slides, Color, 35mm)

Container:

Box 1

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Slides

Slides (photographs)

Place:

Afghanistan

Burma

Yemen

Date:

undated

Arrangement:

in box

Biographical / Historical:

Ralph Redford was a Foreign Service officer who travelled extensively in Asia during and after World War II. Locations include Burma, Yemen and Afghanistan.

Local Numbers:

FSA A2015.11

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Rights:

Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.

Genre/Form:

Slides (photographs)

Identifier:

FSA.A2015.11

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3f2378f94-4b26-4ddd-99ae-b374e20da049

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-fsa-a2015-11

Creator:

Gordon, Elizabeth, 1906-2000  Search this

Names:

Claiborne, Craig  Search this

Gordon, Elizabeth, 1906-2000  Search this

Leach, Bernard, 1887-1979  Search this

Extent:

3 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Periodicals

Photographs

Correspondence

Personal papers

Place:

Japan

Date:

1958-1987

Summary:

Papers, 1959-1987, of Elizabeth Gordon, editor of the periodical, House Beautiful from 1941-1964, mostly related to her research for the August and September 1960 issues of House Beautiful regarding the Japanese aesthetic concept of "shibui", and the subsequent travelling "shibui exhibition" from 1961-1964. Included are correspondence, some photocopies, 1959-1963; notes; drafts for articles and lectures; printed material including magazine and newspaper clippings, 1959-1987; 2 books, and exhibition announcements; drawings of paper and foil art; a photo album containing photos of exhibition installations; and photographs, slides, color transparencies, and lantern slides depicting people, sites, and objects reflecting the "shibui" aesthetic.

Scope and Contents:

The Elizabeth Gordon Papers measure 4.5 linear feet and span the years 1959-1987. The collection mainly documents Ms. Gordon's research for the August and September 1960 issues of House Beautiful regarding the Japanese aesthetic concept of "shibui", and the subsequent travelling "shibui exhibition" from 1961-1964. Included are correspondence, some photocopies, 1959-1963; research notes and materials; articles; lectures; printed material including magazine and newspaper clippings, 1959-1987; 2 books, and exhibition announcements; article materials; a photo album containing photos of exhibition installations; and photographs, slides, color transparencies, and lantern slides depicting people, sites, and objects reflecting the "shibui" aesthetic.

Arrangement note:

This collection is organized into eight series. 1. Biographical data, 2. Shibui research, 3. Shibui issues of, House Beautiful, 4. Correspondence, 5. Shibui promotion, 6. Exhibition files, 7. Printed materials, and 8. Photographs.

Biographical Information:

Born in Logansport, Indiana in 1906, Elizabeth Gordon served as editor of House Beautiful magazine 1941 to 1964. Ms. Gordon first became interested in Japanese aesthetics during the mid-1950s. As a result she began to read and study Japanese art, history and culture. In 1959, Gordon travelled to Japan with three staff people from, House Beautiful. In Kyoto she met Eiko Yuasa, a young woman then employed by the City of Kyoto to handle foreign V.I.P.s, who was assigned to assist Gordon during her stay there. It was Ms. Yuasa who, in the course of discussions of Japanese aesthetics, introduced the term "shibui." Around that term and its related concepts ("iki", "jimi", "hade") the theme for the issue began to crystallize. In August and September, 1960, House Beautiful, under the editorial control of Ms. Gordon, published two extremely popular issues devoted to the subject of "shibui". Due to the popularity of the issues, museum exhibits devoted to the concept of "shibui" travelled around the United States. Ms. Gordon died in Adamstown, Maryland in 2000.

Biographical Overview

1906 -- Born in Logansport, Indiana

1920s -- Attended the University of Chicago

1930s -- Moved to New York to work as a promotional copywriter for several newspapers

1930s -- Syndicated columnist on home maintenance for The New York Herald Tribune

1930s -- Editor at Good Housekeeping (here for 8 years)

1937 -- More House for your Money by Elizabeth Gordon and Dorothy Ducas published by W. Morrow and Company: New York.

1937 -- Married Carl Hafey Norcross

1939 -- Appointed editor of House Beautiful

1964 -- Left the magazine world

1972 -- Published a special issue on Scandinavian design and awarded the insignia of a knight, first class, in the Finnish Order of the Lion

1987 -- American Institute of Architects made her an honorary member

1988 -- Carl Hafey Norcross died

September 3, 2000 -- Died in Adamstown, MD

(The following biography of Elizabeth Gordon comes courtesy of curator Louise Cort. Written in consultation with Elizabeth Gordon, October 23, 1987)

The research papers, memoranda, magazines, books, photographs and color transparencies and other materials in this archives are related to the publication by Elizabeth Gordon (Mrs. Carl Norcross), editor of House Beautiful from 1941 to 1964 and creator of the August, 1960 issue of the magazine on the special theme of the Japanese aesthetic concept of "shibui". The "shibui issue" was followed by the September, 1960, issue of the same publication on the theme, "How to be shibui with American things." As a by-product of the issues, a "Shibui Exhibition" travelled to eleven museums in the United States during 1961-1964. Each exhibition was opened with a slide lecture by Elizabeth Gordon.

Miss Gordon first became curious about Japanese aesthetics in the mid-1950s when she began to see Japanese objects being displayed and used in the homes of Americans who had spent time in Japan during the Occupation and Japanese influence began to appear in wholesale showrooms of home furnishings manufacturers. It was clear that the time had come: she HAD to go to Japan!

She read for five years before going to Japan - history, social mores, art history. (Many of the books on Japan that she collected during this time have been presented to the library at the University of Maryland, College Park.)

An important bit of advice came from Alice Spaulding Bowen, owner of Pacifica, the highest quality shop of Asian antiquities in Honolulu, who told her, "Be sure to read, The Tale of Genji - then you'll understand everything."

She made her first trip to Japan in April, 1959, accompanied by three staff people from, House Beautiful. In Kyoto she met Eiko Yuasa, a young woman then employed by the City of Kyoto to handle foreign V.I.P.s, who was assigned to assist Miss Gordon during her stay there. It was Ms. Yuasa who, in the course of discussions of Japanese aesthetics, introduced the term "shibui." Around that term and its related concepts ("iki", "jimi", "hade") the theme for the issue began to crystallize.

Miss Gordon came home, planning to spend the summer researching "shibui" with the aid of the Japan Society. But she found virtually nothing written in English on the concept. So she returned to Japan in December, 1959 together with staff member Marion Gough, to dig deeper and to work out details and get better educated with Eiko Yuasa. One of their devices was to walk through department stores and discuss with sales personnel whether objects for sale were "shibui", or were "jimi" or "hade", and why. Between themselves, they did the same for the costumes of women they saw on the streets.

Lacking printed sources for information on "shibui", Miss Gordon sought out and interviewed experts, including Douglas Overton, head of the Japan Society in New York. In Japan in December, 1959, she met Yanagi Soetsu, founder of Japan's Folk Craft Movement and head of the Craft Museum in Tokyo (with an introduction from Tonomura Kichinosuke, head of the Craft Museum in Kurashiki). She met the chef Tsuji Kaichi, who was commissioned to write an article on "kaiseki" (that could not be used because of an inadequate English translation) and Frances Blakemore. She met several times with Bernard Leach and attended his lecture at Bonnier's while he was in New York in March, 1960. (He would later write a "fan letter" for the issue)

As the concept of "the shibui issue" began to take shape, a third trip in the spring of 1960 focused on photography - to produce the shooting script decided on the preceding December. This was executed by the noted photographer Ezra Stoller of Rye, New York, and John DeKoven Hill, House Beautiful's Editorial Director. (Mr. Hill worked with Frank Lloyd Wright except for the ten years that he was a member of the House Beautiful editorial staff)

Miss Gordon was back in Japan in Mid-August 1960 as the "shibui issue" was causing a sensation. Altogether she spent sixteen months in Japan.

As one of the experiences that influenced her strong interest in Japanese costumes and textiles, Miss Gordon remembers a spectacularly thorough exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno on, 1200 Years of Japanese Costume. She saw it on the last day of its exhibition (possibly 1964).

The August 1960 issue sold out quickly. Copies of the magazine, which sold for fifty cents, were sold on the "black market" for ten dollars.

The publication of the August 1960 issue was followed by an unprecedented avalanche of "fan mail". Many department heads in colleges and universities, including the Harvard-Yenching Institute and the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (where Miss Gordon had worked as an undergraduate) wrote to comment on the issue. Many people in other fields of endeavor wrote: heads of firms concerned with interior design, landscape architecture, and related areas expressed their interest in the concept of "shibui" Other writers include Bernard Leach, Gertrude Natzler, Laura Gilpin, Mainbocher, the architect Yoshimura Junzo, the textile artist Marianne Strengell, Walter Kerr, Craig Claiborne, and Oliver Statler.

The "shibui issue" was followed immediately by the September issue dealing with the use of non-Japanese objects to express the concept of "shibui." (Miss Gordon convinced her advertisers, who had been skeptical about the potential success of the August issue, by promising the September issue dealing with American products.) Four American firms were involved in the production of an integrated line of paints, wallpaper, furniture and carpets expressive of the concept. Products were designed by the firms' designers following the clues offered by objects and fabrics purchased by Miss Gordon in Japan in December 1959 and spring 1960. Miss Gordon has expressed her dissatisfaction with the September issue, although public opinion was positive. She feels that some of the firms failed in the "shibui" project, though some "caught" the message: namely the paint company and the fabric/wallpaper company.

In response to strong public interest, the House Beautiful staff prepared a travelling exhibition to introduce the concept of "shibui" through a series of vignettes, mixing fabrics and objects, colors and textures. The museum installation was designed by John Hill of House Beautiful. Japan Air Lines underwrote shipping costs.

The exhibition began in Philadelphia in late 1961. Ezra Stoller was sent to photograph the installation in considerable detail at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts in January, 1962, so that his photographs cold serve as guidelines for installations at the other museums, which included the San Francisco Museum of Art (April 1962), the Newark Pubic Library, and the Honolulu Academy of Art. Miss Gordon presented a lecture on "shibui" at each of the museum installations.

In appreciation of her work to introduce Americans to the concept of "shibui", the city of Kyoto presented a bolt of especially "shibui" kimono fabric executed by a Living National Treasure textile artist. Miss Gordon eventually tailored the fabric into a dress and jacket. She received the 1961 Trail Blazer Award from the New York Chapter of the National Home Fashions League, Inc. In June, 1987, Miss Gordon was named an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects, with her introduction of the concept of "shibui" and her promotion of an understanding of other culture cited as her major contributions to American architecture.

Provenance:

Elizabeth Gordon donated her papers to the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives in 1988.

Elizabeth Gordon donated her papers to the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives in 1988.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Rights:

No restrictions on use.

Topic:

Interior decoration -- Periodicals  Search this

Landscape gardening  Search this

Art, Japanese  Search this

Aesthetics, Japanese  Search this

House funishings  Search this

Interior decoration  Search this

Museum exhibits  Search this

Interior decorators  Search this

Gardens -- Japan  Search this

Genre/Form:

Periodicals -- 1940-1970

Photographs

Correspondence

Personal papers -- 1950-2000

Citation:

The Elizabeth Gordon Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Elizabeth Gordon, 1988

Identifier:

FSA.A1988.03

See more items in:

Elizabeth Gordon Papers

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3bd5683e5-f956-4a04-9d0c-4565a6b761b7

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-fsa-a1988-03

Collection Creator:

Gordon, Elizabeth, 1906-2000  Search this

Container:

Box 6

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

[1962?]

Scope and Contents note:

Photostat of article from Sunday, San Francisco Chronicle.

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

No restrictions on use.

Collection Citation:

The Elizabeth Gordon Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Elizabeth Gordon, 1988

See more items in:

Elizabeth Gordon Papers

Elizabeth Gordon Papers / Series 6: Exhibition Files / 6.2: Exhibition files -- San Francisco Art Museum

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc32797c577-5b3e-4a0b-95f5-7209cae90564

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-fsa-a1988-03-ref414

Collection Creator:

Gordon, Elizabeth, 1906-2000  Search this

Container:

Box 4, Folder 1

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1960

Scope and Contents note:

1960 August issue

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

No restrictions on use.

Collection Citation:

The Elizabeth Gordon Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Elizabeth Gordon, 1988

See more items in:

Elizabeth Gordon Papers

Elizabeth Gordon Papers / Series 8: Photographs / 8.1: Photographs -- Shibui issue of House Beautiful

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3974e890a-30e9-48ca-abb0-4dddf5b5502b

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-fsa-a1988-03-ref446

Collection Creator:

Gordon, Elizabeth, 1906-2000  Search this

Container:

Box 4, Folder 2

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1960

Scope and Contents note:

1960 August issue

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

No restrictions on use.

Collection Citation:

The Elizabeth Gordon Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Elizabeth Gordon, 1988

See more items in:

Elizabeth Gordon Papers

Elizabeth Gordon Papers / Series 8: Photographs / 8.1: Photographs -- Shibui issue of House Beautiful

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc31a87e47d-e1c7-4edb-ad8f-0fc01836ef1e

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-fsa-a1988-03-ref448

Collection Creator:

Gordon, Elizabeth, 1906-2000  Search this

Container:

Box 4, Folder 3

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1960

Scope and Contents note:

1960 August issue

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

No restrictions on use.

Collection Citation:

The Elizabeth Gordon Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Elizabeth Gordon, 1988

See more items in:

Elizabeth Gordon Papers

Elizabeth Gordon Papers / Series 8: Photographs / 8.1: Photographs -- Shibui issue of House Beautiful

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3e155de13-22b6-481a-a82f-d93082d582b8

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-fsa-a1988-03-ref450

Collection Creator:

Gordon, Elizabeth, 1906-2000  Search this

Container:

Box 4, Folder 4

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1960

Scope and Contents note:

1960August issue - Japanese hostesses

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

No restrictions on use.

Collection Citation:

The Elizabeth Gordon Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Elizabeth Gordon, 1988

See more items in:

Elizabeth Gordon Papers

Elizabeth Gordon Papers / Series 8: Photographs / 8.1: Photographs -- Shibui issue of House Beautiful

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3ed490cba-bec4-4e2e-aa15-43c035d79a9f

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-fsa-a1988-03-ref452

Collection Creator:

Gordon, Elizabeth, 1906-2000  Search this

Container:

Box 4, Folder 5

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1960

Scope and Contents note:

1960 August issue - Japanese hostesses.

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

No restrictions on use.

Collection Citation:

The Elizabeth Gordon Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Elizabeth Gordon, 1988

See more items in:

Elizabeth Gordon Papers

Elizabeth Gordon Papers / Series 8: Photographs / 8.1: Photographs -- Shibui issue of House Beautiful

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3cc6e86d6-d21e-4428-b5c0-471795b2f28b

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-fsa-a1988-03-ref454

Collection Creator:

Gordon, Elizabeth, 1906-2000  Search this

Container:

Box 4, Folder 7

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1960

Scope and Contents note:

1960 September issue

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

No restrictions on use.

Collection Citation:

The Elizabeth Gordon Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Elizabeth Gordon, 1988

See more items in:

Elizabeth Gordon Papers

Elizabeth Gordon Papers / Series 8: Photographs / 8.1: Photographs -- Shibui issue of House Beautiful

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc30694a866-af27-4f31-b9b5-62e910948505

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-fsa-a1988-03-ref458

Collection Creator:

Gordon, Elizabeth, 1906-2000  Search this

Container:

Box 5, Folder 2-3

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

[1960-1964]

Scope and Contents note:

Includes notes enclosed with the transparencies

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

No restrictions on use.

Collection Citation:

The Elizabeth Gordon Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Elizabeth Gordon, 1988

See more items in:

Elizabeth Gordon Papers

Elizabeth Gordon Papers / Series 8: Photographs / 8.2: Photographs: Exhibitions

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3c6c4df36-6485-40d4-9b25-10ad4dfa5952

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-fsa-a1988-03-ref464

Collection Creator:

Gordon, Elizabeth, 1906-2000  Search this

Container:

Box 6

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

[1960?]

Scope and Contents note:

35 large black-and-white photographs by Ezra Stoller of the installation of the museum "Shibui" exhibitions. Produced as guide to participating institutions for installation of exhibition.

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

No restrictions on use.

Collection Citation:

The Elizabeth Gordon Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Elizabeth Gordon, 1988

See more items in:

Elizabeth Gordon Papers

Elizabeth Gordon Papers / Series 8: Photographs / 8.2: Photographs: Exhibitions

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc3dcc47887-446e-4654-b58e-301d2b68fd71

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-fsa-a1988-03-ref466

Collection Creator:

Gordon, Elizabeth, 1906-2000  Search this

Container:

Box 7, Folder 2

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

[1961]

Scope and Contents note:

Transparencies associated with article by Elizabeth Gordon entitled, "How to Explore and Exploit the Nature of Materials: Paper and Foil," in House Beautiful, November 1961.

Collection Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Collection Rights:

No restrictions on use.

Collection Citation:

The Elizabeth Gordon Papers. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Elizabeth Gordon, 1988

See more items in:

Elizabeth Gordon Papers

Elizabeth Gordon Papers / Series 8: Photographs / 8.3: Photographs -- Articles

Archival Repository:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dc38a45c817-6cea-4272-aadf-9a7ea107d67b

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-fsa-a1988-03-ref472