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Albert Kahn papers

Creator:
Kahn, Albert, 1869-1942  Search this
Names:
Bacon, Henry, 1839-1912  Search this
Barlow, Myron, 1873-1937  Search this
Kahlo, Frida  Search this
Kahn, Ernestine Krolik  Search this
Mason, George D.  Search this
Milles, Carl, 1875-1955  Search this
Rivera, Diego, 1886-1957  Search this
Stoughton, Arthur A.  Search this
Toscanini, Arturo, 1867-1957  Search this
Trowbridge, Alexander Buell, 1868-1950  Search this
Extent:
7.02 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Diaries
Watercolors
Scrapbooks
Renderings
Lithographs
Photographs
Motion pictures (visual works)
Notebooks
Drawings
Sound recordings
Awards
Sketchbooks
Etchings
Notes
Typescripts
Lectures
Date:
1875-1970
Summary:
The papers of architect Albert Kahn date from 1875-1970, bulk 1875-1945, and measure 7.02 linear feet. Found within the papers is biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, nine sketchbooks, art work, notes and writings, two scrapbooks, printed material, photographs and photograph albums, artifacts, and motion picture film.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of architect Albert Kahn date from 1875-1970, bulk 1875-1945, and measure 7.02 linear feet. Found within the papers are biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, nine sketchbooks, art work, notes and writings, two scrapbooks, printed material, photographs and photograph albums, artifacts, a sound recording and motion picture film.

Biographical material includes a biographical account, marriage certificate, architect's licenses, calling cards for the Kahns, passports, identification cards, letters of introduction, award certificates and medals, membership cards and certificates, a sound recording concerning Albert Kahn's life, and an address book.

Correspondence consists of letters between Albert Kahn, family members, and colleagues including Myron Barlow, George D. Mason, Carl Milles and Arthur A. Stoughton. There is one letter each from Henry Bacon and Alexander Trowbridge, and condolence letters to Kahn's widow.

Personal business records include records of stocks and income, lists of expenses and receipts for construction, property records, price lists for paintings by others, and miscellaneous receipts.

Art work includes nine sketchbooks and drawings by Albert Kahn, a paper silhouette portrait of Kahn, and drawings, watercolors, etchings, lithographs, and a sketchbook of Cornwall by others.

Notes and writings include Ernestine Kahn's diary, notebooks, guest registers and records concerning Albert Kahn's funeral, and typescripts of speeches and lectures.

Two scrapbooks contain clippings, small drawings, photographs of architecture, and letters of tribute.

Printed material includes clippings, exhibition catalogs for others, programs, booklets, books, reproductions of art work, travel brochures, picture postcards, and miscellaneous printed material.

Photographs are of Albert Kahn, members of his family, and colleagues including Myron Barlow, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Arturo Toscanini, residences, and travel scenes. Moving images include five reels of 16mm motion picture film of the Kahn family at the farm and at various family gatherings.

Artifacts primarily consist of the tools used by Albert Kahn during his career including t-squares and portable tripod supports for drawing boards used on construction sites.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 9 series. Glass plate negative housed separately and closed to researchers.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1896-1945 (Box 1, 6, OV 10; 19 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1891-1970 (Box 1-3, 6; 3.3 linear feet)

Series 3: Personal Business Records, 1891-1943 (Box 3; 7 folders)

Series 4: Art Work, 1890-1936 (Box 3, 6, OV 11-12; 20 folders)

Series 5: Notes and Writings, 1899-1943 (Box 3-4; 29 folders)

Series 6: Scrapbooks, 1890-1942 (Box 7; 0.3 linear feet)

Series 7: Printed Material, 1897-1968 (Box 4-6, OV 10; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 8: Photographs and Moving Images, 1875-1944 (Box 5-6, 8, FC 13-17, MGP 2; 1.5 linear feet)

Series 9: Artifacts, circa 1942 (Box 5, 9; 0.4 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
Albert Kahn (1869-1942) of Detroit, Michigan, was an architect, primarily known for designing industrial buildings with the pioneering use of reinforced concrete that allowed large unobstructed interiors.

Albert Kahn was born on March 21, 1869 in Rhaunen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, the oldest son of rabbi Joseph Kahn and Rosalie Cohn Kahn. The family immigrated to the United States in 1881 and settled in Detroit, Michigan.

Albert Kahn worked as an office boy in an architect's office and studied drawing in Sunday classes conducted by sculptor Julius Melchers. Melchers found Kahn a position in the architectural offices of Mason and Rice where he worked for several years. In 1890, Kahn won a scholarship to travel in Europe to study architecture and in 1895 he opened his own architectural office, Albert Kahn Associates, hiring his younger brothers, Louis, Moritz, and Felix. In the following year, Kahn married Ernestine Krolik.

In 1903, Kahn was awarded his first two important commissions: to design the University of Michigan's engineering building and the Palm Apartments in Detroit, built with the early use of reinforced concrete. In the following year, he built the first reinforced concrete factory for the Packard Motor Company. Because of the industrial growth in Detroit at that time, Kahn was in demand to design various automobile factories including the General Motors Building, textile, business machine, and chemical plants. He became an authority on concrete construction and by the beginning of the First World War, his firm provided construction for the military aviation section of the Army.

Kahn later moved from using concrete to steel and glass. In 1927, his company finished a large building for the Fisher Brothers of Detroit for which he was awarded a medal by the Architectural League of New York for the year's outstanding contribution to architecture. In the following year his firm was given full charge of the entire heavy industrial building program of Russia's first five-year plan, and they constructed an estimated two billion dollars worth of factories in Russia.

During World War II, Kahn's firm was constantly busy constructing naval air bases, airplane engine plants, tank arsenals including the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant, and other government defense projects. In June 1942 Kahn was given the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts by Syracuse University.

Albert Kahn died on December 8, 1942 in Detroit, Michigan.
Provenance:
The Albert Kahn papers were donated by Kahn's children, Mrs. Lydia Winston Malbin, Mrs. Rosalie Butzel, and Dr. Edgar A. Kahn, in 1974.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
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.
Topic:
Architecture, American  Search this
Architects -- Michigan -- Detroit  Search this
Genre/Form:
Diaries
Watercolors
Scrapbooks
Renderings
Lithographs
Photographs
Motion pictures (visual works)
Notebooks
Drawings
Sound recordings
Awards
Sketchbooks
Etchings
Notes
Typescripts
Lectures
Citation:
Albert Kahn papers, 1875-1970. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.kahnalbp
See more items in:
Albert Kahn papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw998c9d20d-7eac-4264-8dd4-21511423e9a1
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-kahnalbp
Online Media:

Godley Garden

Creator:
Godley, Fredrick A. Mrs.  Search this
Sculptor:
Milles, Carl  Search this
Provenance:
Rye Garden Club  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Extent:
1 Photograph (lantern slide, hand-colored, 3.25 x 4 in.)
Type:
Archival materials
Photographs
Lantern slides
Place:
Godley Garden (Rye, New York)
United States of America -- New York -- Westchester County -- Rye
Date:
[between 1914 and 1949?]
General:
Sculpture is "Sun Glittering" by Carl Milles.
Historic plate number: "27; W."
Historic plate caption: "Mrs. Frederick A. Godley / Sun Glitter by Carl Milles."
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Topic:
Summer  Search this
Ponds  Search this
Sculpture  Search this
Walls, stone  Search this
Chairs  Search this
Wrought-iron  Search this
Tables  Search this
Flowerpots  Search this
Succulent plants  Search this
Vases  Search this
Roses  Search this
Water lilies  Search this
Gardens -- New York -- Rye  Search this
Genre/Form:
Lantern slides
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, Item NY133001
See more items in:
The Garden Club of America collection
The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / New York / NY133: Rye -- Godley Garden
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Gardens
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb6b23803d6-87d6-4ea1-9925-ccc5e13e3faa
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref29453

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Landscape architect:
Hare & Hare  Search this
Creator:
Hare & Hare  Search this
Atkins, Mary  Search this
Nelson, William Rockhill  Search this
Oak Hall  Search this
Nelson-Atkins Museum Of Art  Search this
Architect:
Wight & Wight  Search this
Sculptor:
Moore, Henry, 1898-1986  Search this
Milles, Carl  Search this
Collection Creator:
Garden Club of America  Search this
Extent:
1 Slides (photographs) (col.)
Type:
Archival materials
Slides (photographs)
Place:
Missouri -- Kansas City
United States of America -- Missouri -- Kansas City
William Volker Memorial Fountain (Kansas City, Missouri)
Date:
1958
General:
Oak Hall, the estate of William Rockhill Nelson, was bequest to the people of Kansas City. Mr. Nelson stipulated that Oak Hall razed and grounds used for the new building. Sculpture of St. Martin of Tours and the Beggar.
Collection Restrictions:
Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Collection Rights:
Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.
Topic:
Spring  Search this
Art museums  Search this
Fountains  Search this
Sculpture  Search this
Lawns  Search this
Buildings  Search this
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, The Garden Club of America collection.
Identifier:
AAG.GCA, Item MO016004
See more items in:
The Garden Club of America collection
The Garden Club of America collection / Series 1: United States Garden Images / Missouri / MO016: Kansas City -- Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Gardens
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kb69a0dc0a1-4ba2-4f13-a455-792c49cbf152
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aag-gca-ref8912

Ellen Hulda Johnson papers

Creator:
Johnson, Ellen H.  Search this
Names:
Allen Memorial Art Museum  Search this
American-Scandinavian Foundation  Search this
College Art Association (U.S.)  Search this
Oberlin College -- Faculty  Search this
Archipenko, Alexander, 1887-1964  Search this
Cézanne, Paul, 1839-1906  Search this
Dine, Jim, 1935-  Search this
Hesse, Eva, 1936-1970  Search this
Kensett, John Frederick, 1816-1872  Search this
Milles, Carl, 1875-1955  Search this
Oldenburg, Claes, 1929-  Search this
Picasso, Pablo, 1881-1973  Search this
Saunders, David  Search this
Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this
Tacha, Athena, 1936-  Search this
Tworkov, Jack  Search this
Venturi, Robert  Search this
Wilke, Wendell  Search this
Extent:
61.5 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Place:
Ossabaw Island (Ga.)
Date:
1872-2018
bulk 1921-1992
Summary:
The papers of art historian, art critic, author, librarian and educator Ellen Hulda Johnson measure 61.5 linear feet and date from 1872-2018, with the bulk of the material dating from 1921-1992. The papers include biographical materials; personal and family files; personal, professional, and business correspondence; extensive research and writing files; teaching files; subject files; professional and curatorial files; and artists' files. Johnson's papers reflect the full range of her career, interests, and close relationships with many artists. There is a 0.2 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2021 that includes letters to Ellen Johnson from others, letters from Johnson to Carl Gerber, and a sketch by Johnson. Materials date from circa 1956-1991.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of art historian, art critic, author, librarian and educator Ellen Hulda Johnson measure 61.5 linear feet and date from 1872-2018, with the bulk of the material dating from 1921-1992. The papers include biographical materials; personal and family files; personal, professional, and business correspondence; extensive research and writing files; teaching files; subject files; professional and curatorial files; and artists' files. Johnson's papers reflect the full range of her career, interests, and close relationships with many artists. There is a 0.2 linear foot unprocessed addition to this collection donated in 2021 that includes letters to Ellen Johnson from others, letters from Johnson to Carl Gerber, and a sketch by Johnson. Materials date from circa 1956-1991.

Personal papers consist of biographical materials and personal and family files, including "memorabilia" files compiled by Johnson. Correspondence is a mix of personal, business, and professional correspondence. Significant correspondents include David Saunders (who painted a portrait of Johnson), Claes Oldenburg, Jack Tworkov, Robert Venturi, the American Scandinavian Foundation. A folder of correspondence compiled for the Archives includes letters from Alfred Stieglitz, Wendell Wilkie, Carl Milles, Jim Dine, and Alexander Archipenko.

Extensive and comprehensive writing and research project files include articles, lectures, presentations, manuscripts, notes and notebooks, including her class notebooks from courses she attended in Paris in 1935, and additional notes and notebooks on a wide variety of subjects. The numerous articles, lectures, papers, and drafts were written primarily by Johnson for the College Art Association, the Allen Memorial Art Museum bulletin, and numerous additional publications and presentations; but there are also writings by others included in the research files. Major writing projects and related research files cover Scandinavian art, the Ossabaw Island artist's colony, Cezanne, Eva Hesse, John Frederick Kensett, Claes Oldenburg, Picasso, David Saunders, Athena Tacha, Pop Art, and many other topics. Johnson's research files, manuscripts, correspondence, and photographs for major exhibitions, including one on Eva Hesse (1982) and for her published books including American Artists on Art from 1940-1980 (1982), Claes Oldenburg (1971), Fragments Recalled at 80: The Art Memoirs of Ellen H. Johnson (1993), and Modern Art and Object (1976) are arranged with the writing project files. Johnson's bibliographic index cards are found here as well.

The collection contains extensive teaching files for courses taught by Johnson at Oberlin and as a visiting professor at other institutions; professional and curatorial files reflecting her curatorial career at Allen Memorial Art Museum, as a consultant, jury member, and continuing education courses she later attended, including the Baldwin Lecture Series; and 18 linear feet of artist's files assembled by Johnson.
Arrangement:
The Ellen Hulda Johnson papers are arranged into seven series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Personal Papers, circa 1905-2009 (5 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, 56-59)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1927-2009 (5.5 linear feet; Boxes 3-7, 60)

Series 3: Writing and Research Projects, 1872, 1932-1994 (15.5 linear feet; Boxes 7-20, 56, 61-62)

Series 4: Subject Files, 1930-1993 (5 linear feet; Boxes 21-25, 62)

Series 5: Teaching Files, 1928-1989 (6 linear feet; Boxes 26-31, 62)

Series 6: Professional and Curatorial Files, 1936-1991 (6 linear feet; Boxes 32-37, 56)

Series 7: Artists Files, 1935-1992 (18.3 linear feet; Boxes 37-55, 62)

Series 8: Unprocessed Addition, 1956-1991 (0.2 linear feet; Box 63)
Biographical / Historical:
Ellen Hulda Johnson (1910-1992) was an art historian, critic, and professor who worked and taught at Oberlin College in Ohio for most of her career.

Ellen Hulda Johnson was born in 1910 in Warren, Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in art history at Oberlin in 1933 and 1935. She worked briefly at the Toledo Museum of Art before returning to Oberlin as the art librarian. In 1940 she started Oberlin's art rental program, the first of its kind in the country. She was appointed to the faculty in 1948 and taught nineteenth and twentieth century art, American art from colonial times to the present, contemporary art, and Scandinavian art. She was a member of the Allen Memorial Art Museum's acquisition committee and was appointed honorary curator of modern art in 1973. She remained at Oberlin her entire career, retiring from teaching in 1977.

Johnson was a scholar of Cézanne, Claes Oldenburg, Eva Hesse, Pablo Picasso, Edvard Munch, John F. Kensett and other modern masters, as well as Scandinavian art. In 1962 she wrote the first important article on Claes Oldenburg and, in 1970, assisted curator Athena Tacha commission his first permanent large sculpture (3-Way Plug) for the grounds of the Allen Memorial Art Museum. She was the first to show the black-striped paintings that established Frank Stella's reputation. Her efforts in promoting acquisitions of young contemporary artists helped make the Allen Memorial Art Museum a leading institution in contemporary art. Her Oberlin lectures on modern art became so popular that they had to be held in the college's largest auditorium and influenced generations of students, many of whom went on to signficant positions in the field. A new wing of the museum designed by Robert Venturi opened in 1977 and was named in honor of Johnson.

Johnson was the author of numerous articles, books, and exhibition catalogs including Cezanne (Penquin, 1967); Claes Oldenburg (Penquin, 1971); American Artists on Art from 1940-1980 (Harper and Row, 1982); and Modern Art and the Object (Thames and Hudson, 1976).

In 1968, Johnson purchased the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Weltzheimer house in Oberlin, and spent a considerable part of her time and money restoring the building where she lived the rest of her life. She bequethed the house and her significant art collection to Oberlin upon her death in 1992.
Related Materials:
Papers of Ellen H. Johnson, 1933-1992, are also located at Oberlin College Archives.
Separated Materials:
Shortly after aquisition, the Archives transferred Ellen Hulda Johnson's vertical file (16 linear feet) of clippings, press releases, and exhibition announcements to the library of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery.
Provenance:
The Ellen Hulda Johnson papers were donated in 1994, 1998, 2019 and 2021 by the estate of Ellen Hulda Johnson via exectutor Athena Tacha.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington D.C. Center. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Librarians -- Ohio  Search this
Authors -- Ohio  Search this
Art critics -- Ohio  Search this
Art historians -- Ohio -- Oberlin  Search this
Educators -- Ohio -- Oberlin  Search this
Topic:
Art, Scandinavian  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Art, Modern -- 19th century -- Study and teaching  Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- Study and teaching  Search this
Pop art  Search this
Women authors  Search this
Women art critics  Search this
Women art historians  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Function:
Artist colonies -- Georgia
Citation:
Ellen Hulda Johnson papers, 1872-2018, bulk 1921-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.johnelle
See more items in:
Ellen Hulda Johnson papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94183bf07-6dce-4777-903c-a590c03214ce
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-johnelle
Online Media:

Sunglitter

Artist:
Carl Milles, Swedish, b. Lagga, 1875–1955  Search this
Medium:
Bronze
Dimensions:
34 1/2 x 26 5/8 x 21 7/8 in. (87.5 x 67 x 55.8 cm)
Type:
Sculpture
Date:
(1917-1918/cast 1984)
Credit Line:
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Museum purchase with funds provided by the James Smithson Society, 1984
Accession Number:
84.25
See more items in:
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection
Data Source:
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/py25e112bd9-3097-421b-80e7-3c231b2ee7a0
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:hmsg_84.25

Ellen Hulda Johnson papers, 1872-2018, bulk 1921-1992

Creator:
Johnson, Ellen H., 1910-1992  Search this
Subject:
Hesse, Eva  Search this
Tworkov, Jack  Search this
Cézanne, Paul  Search this
Milles, Carl  Search this
Wilke, Wendell  Search this
Kensett, John Frederick  Search this
Saunders, David  Search this
Picasso, Pablo  Search this
Oldenburg, Claes  Search this
Tacha, Athena  Search this
Stieglitz, Alfred  Search this
Venturi, Robert  Search this
Archipenko, Alexander  Search this
Dine, Jim  Search this
American-Scandinavian Foundation  Search this
Oberlin College  Search this
College Art Association (U.S.)  Search this
Allen Memorial Art Museum  Search this
Place:
Ossabaw Island (Ga.)
Citation:
Ellen Hulda Johnson papers, 1872-2018, bulk 1921-1992. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Art, Scandinavian  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Art, Modern -- 19th century -- Study and teaching  Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- Study and teaching  Search this
Pop art  Search this
Women authors  Search this
Women art critics  Search this
Women art historians  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Research and writing about art  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)6514
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)215772
AAA_collcode_johnelle
Theme:
Women
Research and writing about art
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_215772
Online Media:

Albert Kahn papers, 1875-1970

Creator:
Kahn, Albert, 1869-1942  Search this
Subject:
Kahlo, Frida  Search this
Barlow, Myron  Search this
Bacon, Henry  Search this
Trowbridge, Alexander Buell  Search this
Toscanini, Arturo  Search this
Stoughton, Arthur A.  Search this
Rivera, Diego  Search this
Milles, Carl  Search this
Mason, George D.  Search this
Kahn, Ernestine Krolik  Search this
Type:
Diaries
Watercolors
Scrapbooks
Renderings
Lithographs
Photographs
Motion pictures (visual works)
Notebooks
Drawings
Sound recordings
Awards
Sketchbooks
Etchings
Notes
Typescripts
Lectures
Citation:
Albert Kahn papers, 1875-1970. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Architecture, American  Search this
Architects -- Michigan -- Detroit  Search this
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)7638
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209801
AAA_collcode_kahnalbp
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209801
Online Media:

Lilian Swann Saarinen papers, circa 1909-1977

Creator:
Saarinen, Lilian Swann, 1912-1995  Search this
Subject:
Venturi, Robert  Search this
Saarinen, Loja  Search this
Kreis, Henry  Search this
Milles, Carl  Search this
Eames, Charles  Search this
Eames, Ray  Search this
Saarinen, Eero  Search this
Saarinen, Eliel  Search this
Moholy-Nagy, László  Search this
Moholy-Nagy, Sibyl  Search this
Koch, Carl  Search this
Armitage, Merle  Search this
Crosby, Caresse  Search this
Weese, Harry  Search this
Midtown Galleries (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Reynal & Hitchcock  Search this
G Place Gallery (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Knoll Associates, inc.  Search this
Massachusetts Institute of Technology  Search this
Cambridge Art Center  Search this
Otava Publishing Company  Search this
Cranbrook Academy of Art  Search this
Type:
Blueprints
Diaries
Illustrations
Sketches
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Lilian Swann Saarinen papers, circa 1909-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Illustrated books, Children's  Search this
Gateway Arch (Saint Louis, Mo.)  Search this
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Illustrators -- Massachusetts  Search this
Art, Municipal  Search this
Women sculptors  Search this
Women illustrators  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Craft  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9049
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211240
AAA_collcode_saarlili
Theme:
Women
Craft
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211240
Online Media:

Lilian Swann Saarinen papers

Creator:
Saarinen, Lilian Swann, 1912-1995  Search this
Names:
Cambridge Art Center  Search this
Cranbrook Academy of Art -- Faculty  Search this
G Place Gallery (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Knoll Associates, inc.  Search this
Massachusetts Institute of Technology -- Faculty  Search this
Midtown Galleries (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Otava Publishing Company  Search this
Reynal & Hitchcock  Search this
Armitage, Merle, 1893-1975  Search this
Crosby, Caresse, 1892-  Search this
Eames, Charles  Search this
Eames, Ray  Search this
Koch, Carl  Search this
Kreis, Henry, 1899-1963  Search this
Milles, Carl, 1875-1955  Search this
Moholy-Nagy, László, 1895-1946  Search this
Moholy-Nagy, Sibyl, 1905-  Search this
Saarinen, Eero, 1910-1961  Search this
Saarinen, Eliel, 1873-1950  Search this
Saarinen, Loja  Search this
Venturi, Robert  Search this
Weese, Harry, 1915-1998  Search this
Extent:
9 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Blueprints
Diaries
Illustrations
Sketches
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Date:
circa 1909-1977
Summary:
The papers of Cambridge sculptor and illustrator, Lilian Swann Saarinen, measure nine linear feet and date from circa 1909 to 1977. The collection documents Saarinen's career through correspondence with artists, architects, publishers, and gallery owners; writings and notes, including manuscripts and illustrations for children's books and publications; project and teaching files; financial records; artwork, including numerous project sketches; and photos of Saarinen and her artwork. Saarinen's personal life is also documented through diaries and correspondence with friends and family members, including Eero Saarinen, to whom she was married from 1939-1953.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of Cambridge sculptor and illustrator, Lilian Swann Saarinen, measure nine linear feet and date from circa 1909 to 1977. The collection documents Saarinen's career through correspondence with artists, architects, publishers, and gallery owners; writings and notes, including manuscripts and illustrations for children's books and publications; project and teaching files; financial records; artwork, including numerous project sketches; and photos of Saarinen and her artwork. Saarinen's personal life is also documented through diaries and correspondence with friends and family members, including Eero Saarinen, to whom she was married from 1939-1953.

Biographical material consists of resumes and biographical sketches, as well as a 1951 blueprint for the Eero Saarinen and Associates Office Building in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Correspondence documents Saarinen's personal and professional life through letters to and from Eero Saarinen and other family members, including six letters from Loja Saarinen; correspondence with artists and architects, including Merle Armitage, Charles and Ray Eames, Carl Koch, Henry Kreis, Carl Milles, Laszlo and Sibyl Moholy-Nagy, Robert Venturi, and Harry Weese; and friends and colleagues at the Cranbrook Academy of Art and Knoll Associates. Also documented is Saarinen's business relationship with Midtown Galleries and Caresse Crosby, and publishers and publications including Child Life, Interiors, Otava Publishing Company, and Reynal & Hitchcock, Inc.

Writings and Notes document Saarinen's work on several children's publications, including Picture Book Zoo (1935) and Who Am I? (1946), through correspondence, notes, manuscript drafts, and extensive sketches. This series also includes Saarinen's ideas for other publications and incorporates some early writings and notes, as well as typescripts of her reminiscences about Eliel Saarinen, the Saarinen family, and the Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Diaries consist of bound diary volumes, loose-leaf journal entries, and heavily annotated engagement calendars, documenting Saarinen's personal life, artistic aspirations, and career development from the 1930s-1970s. This material provides a deeply personal view of the emotional landscape of Saarinen's life, her struggles to balance her identity as a working artist with the roles of wife, mother, and homemaker, and the complex, and often competing, relationships within the renowned architectural family into which she married.

Project files document Saarinen's work on book cover designs, federal and post office commissions in Bloomfield, Indiana, Carlisle, Kentucky, and Evanston, Illinois, reliefs for the Crow Island School in Winnetka, Illinois, and other important commissions including the Harbor National Bank Clock in Boston, Massachusetts, the KLM Airlines installation at JFK Airport, the Fountain of Noah sculpture at the Northland Center in Detroit, Michigan, and the interior of Toffenetti's restaurant in Chicago, Illinois. Also documented is her role in designs for the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, with Eero Saarinen.

Teaching files document Saarinen's "Language of Clay Course" which she taught at Cambridge Art Center and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Financial records document exhibition and sales expenses for two exhibitions, including her show at G Place Gallery in 1944.

Printed material consists of clippings about Saarinen and her family, exhibition announcements and catalogs for herself and others, and reference files from the 1930s-1940s, primarily comprising clippings of animals.

Additional printed material documenting Saarinen's career can be found in one of two scrapbooks found in the collection. An additional scrapbook consists of clippings relating primarily to Saarinen's parents.

Artwork comprises extensive sketches, particularly animal and figure sketches, in graphite, crayon, ink, pastel, and watercolor. The sketches demonstrate in particular Saarinen's developing interest in and skill with animal portraiture from her childhood to the 1960s.

Photographs are primarily of artwork and Saarinen's 1944 exhibition at G Place Gallery. Also found are one negative of Saarinen, probably with Eero Saarinen, and a group photo including Lilian, Eero, and Eliel Saarinen with the model for the Detroit Civic Center, circa 1940s.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 11 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1930s-1960s (3 folders; Box 1, OV 12)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1920-1974 (1.9 linear feet; Boxes 1-2, 8, OV 12)

Series 3: Writings and Notes, 1920s-1973 (1.3 linear feet, Boxes 2-3, 8, OVs 13-16)

Series 4: Diaries, 1930-1973 (1.4 linear feet, Boxes 3-5, 8)

Series 5: Project Files, 1931-1966 (1.7 linear feet, Boxes 5-6, 8, OVs 17-19)

Series 6: Teaching Files, 1966-1970 (3 folders, Box 6)

Series 7: Financial Records, 1940s-1970s (2 folders, Box 6)

Series 8: Printed Material, circa 1930s-1970s (0.2 linear feet, Box 6)

Series 9: Scrapbooks, circa 1909-1974 (2 folders; Boxes 6, 9)

Series 10: Artwork, circa 1920s-circa 1960s (1.7 linear feet, Boxes 6-7, 9-10, OVs 20-27)

Series 11: Photographs, circa 1940s, 1977 (0.5 linear feet, Boxes 7, 11, OV 27)
Biographical / Historical:
Cambridge artist and sculptor, Lilian Swann Saarinen (1912-1995), studied at the Art Students League with Alexander Archipenko in 1928, and later with Albert Stewart and Heninz Warneke from 1934-1936, before moving to Michigan where she studied with Carl Milles at the Cranbrook Academy of Art from 1936-1940. Saarinen was an accomplished skier and a member of the 1936 US Olympic ski team.

At Cranbrook, Swann met architect Eero Saarinen, whom she married in 1939. She subsequently worked with Saarinen's design group on a variety of projects, including the Westward Expansion Memorial, which later became known as the "Gateway Arch" in St. Louis. Lilian and Eero had a son, Eric, and a daughter, Susie, before divorcing in 1953.

Saarinen, who had developed an affinity for drawing animals in childhood, specialized in animal portraits in a variety of sculptural media. In 1939, she exhibited her sculpture Night, which depicted Bagheera the panther from Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, at the World's Fair. The sculpture was placed in the Boston Public Garden in 1986. In the 1930s and 1940s Saarinen was commissioned to work on a variety of architectural projects, including reliefs for post offices in Bloomfield, Indiana, Carlisle, Kentucky, and Evanston, Illinois, and the Crow Island School in Winnetka, Illinois. She also executed commissions for the Harbor National Bank in Boston, KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) at JFK Airport, the Northland shopping Center in Detroit Michigan, and Toffenetti's Restaurant in Chicago.

Saarinen was a contributing author and illustrator for a variety of publications, including Child Life, Interiors and Portfolio: An Intercontinental Quarterly. In 1935 she illustrated Picture Book Zoo for the Bronx Zoo and in 1946 Reynal & Hitchcock, Inc. published Who Am I?, a children's book which Saarinen wrote and illustrated.

Saarinen taught ceramic sculpture to soldiers for the Red Cross Arts and Skills Unit rehabilitation program in 1945, served on the Visiting Committee to the Museum School at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, from 1959-1964, where she taught ceramics, and later taught a course entitled "The Language of Clay" at the Cambridge Art Center and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. One of Saarinen's private students at Cambridge was her cousin, Edie Sedgwick.

Saarinen died in Cohasset, Massachusetts, in 1995 at the age of 83.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds material lent for microfilming (reels 1152 and 1192) including a scrapbook containing clippings, copies of letters and telegrams received, and reproductions of Saarinen's work. There is a copy of Saarinen's book, "Who Am I?", and three albums containing photographs of Saarinen, photographs and reproductions of her work, a list of exhibitions, quotes about her, and writings by her about sculpture. Lent material was returned to the lender and is not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
Lilian Swann Saarinen donated the collection in 1975. She lent additional materials for microfilming in 1976.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Occupation:
Sculptors -- Massachusetts -- Cambridge  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Illustrated books, Children's  Search this
Gateway Arch (Saint Louis, Mo.)  Search this
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Illustrators -- Massachusetts  Search this
Art, Municipal  Search this
Women sculptors  Search this
Women illustrators  Search this
Function:
Art commissions
Genre/Form:
Blueprints
Diaries
Illustrations
Sketches
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Lilian Swann Saarinen papers, circa 1909-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.saarlili
See more items in:
Lilian Swann Saarinen papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw97f1e4305-3886-479a-9db7-48c98fd8d2dd
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-saarlili
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Harry Bertoia, 1972 June 20

Interviewee:
Bertoia, Harry, 1915-1978  Search this
Interviewer:
Cummings, Paul  Search this
Subject:
Carroll, John  Search this
Eames, Charles  Search this
Milles, Carl  Search this
Saarinen, Eero  Search this
Sarkis  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Harry Bertoia, 1972 June 20. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Design  Search this
Designers -- Interviews  Search this
Sculptors -- Interviews  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)12600
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212011
AAA_collcode_bertoi72
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_212011

George G. Booth papers, 1900-1955

Creator:
Booth, George G. (George Gough), 1864-1949  Search this
Cranbrook Academy of Art  Search this
Subject:
Milles, Carl  Search this
Cranbrook Foundation  Search this
Detroit Institute of Arts  Search this
American Federation of Arts  Search this
Art Alliance of America  Search this
Detroit Museum of Art  Search this
Society of Arts and Crafts (Detroit, Mich.)  Search this
Citation:
George G. Booth papers, 1900-1955. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Arts and crafts movement  Search this
Theme:
Diaries  Search this
Craft  Search this
Art instruction and services  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)6768
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)208894
AAA_collcode_bootgeor
Theme:
Diaries
Craft
Art instruction and services
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_208894

Thomas Hess papers, 1939-1978

Creator:
Hess, Thomas B., 1920-1978  Search this
Subject:
Reinhardt, Ad  Search this
Smith, David  Search this
Noguchi, Isamu  Search this
Still, Clyfford  Search this
Rosenberg, Harold  Search this
Schuyler, James  Search this
Frankenthaler, Helen  Search this
Newman, Barnett  Search this
De Kooning, Willem  Search this
Schapiro, Meyer  Search this
Bess, Forrest  Search this
Rivers, Larry  Search this
Gottlieb, Adolph  Search this
Guston, Philip  Search this
De Kooning, Elaine  Search this
Kline, Franz  Search this
Rothko, Mark  Search this
Milles, Carl  Search this
Campbell, Lawrence  Search this
Mark Rothko Foundation  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Drawings
Greeting cards
Illustrated letters
Paintings
Cartoons (humorous images)
Photographs
Collages
Citation:
Thomas Hess papers, 1939-1978. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Theme:
Research and writing about art  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)7104
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209238
AAA_collcode_hessthom
Theme:
Research and writing about art
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209238
Online Media:

Cranbrook Foundation records, 1912-1960

Creator:
Cranbrook Foundation  Search this
Subject:
Bach, Oscar Bruno  Search this
Booth, George G. (George Gough)  Search this
Billington, Cecil  Search this
Bradford, Francis Scott  Search this
Cheney, Sheldon  Search this
Childs, M. W.  Search this
Gimpel, René  Search this
Kahn, Albert  Search this
Karbel, Mario  Search this
Kirk, Arthur Neville  Search this
Kirshmayer, I.  Search this
Lorch, Emil  Search this
Lyle, John M. (John McIntosh)  Search this
McEwen, Katherine  Search this
Milles, Carl  Search this
Player, Cyril Arthur  Search this
Scripps family  Search this
American Federation of Arts  Search this
Detroit Institute of Arts  Search this
Society of Arts and Crafts (Boston, Mass.)  Search this
Society of Arts and Crafts (Detroit, Mich.)  Search this
Citation:
Cranbrook Foundation records, 1912-1960. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Theme:
Art organizations  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)7538
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209697
AAA_collcode_cranfoun
Theme:
Art organizations
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209697

Carl Milles papers, 1942-1970

Creator:
Milles, Carl, 1875-1955  Search this
Subject:
Christ-Janer, Albert  Search this
Schiwetz, Pete  Search this
Citation:
Carl Milles papers, 1942-1970. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Sculpture, American -- Michigan  Search this
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)8003
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210172
AAA_collcode_millcarl
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210172

Pete Schiwetz papers, 1939-1971

Creator:
Schiwetz, Pete, 1909-  Search this
Subject:
Coe, Herring  Search this
Christ-Janer, Albert  Search this
Hedmark, Anne  Search this
McVey, William Mozart  Search this
Milles, Carl  Search this
Milles, Olga Granner  Search this
Rich, Frances  Search this
West, Clifford B.  Search this
Bearzi, Bruno  Search this
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Citation:
Pete Schiwetz papers, 1939-1971. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- History -- Michigan  Search this
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)8619
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210799
AAA_collcode_schipete
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210799

Esther Hoyt Sawyer Papers, 1916-1965

Creator:
Sawyer, Esther Hoyt  Search this
Subject:
Vasilieff, Nicholas  Search this
Dickinson, Edwin Walter  Search this
Milles, Carl  Search this
Citation:
Esther Hoyt Sawyer Papers, 1916-1965. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)8689
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210869
AAA_collcode_sawyesth
Theme:
Women
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210869

J. Davidson Stephen papers, 1942-1945

Creator:
Stephen, J. Davidson (James Davidson), 1900-  Search this
Subject:
Booth, Henry Scripps  Search this
Milles, Carl  Search this
Saarinen, Eliel  Search this
Cranbrook Academy of Art  Search this
Citation:
J. Davidson Stephen papers, 1942-1945. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)8697
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210877
AAA_collcode_stepj
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210877

George A. and Abbie Kamperman papers, 1930-1972

Creator:
Kamperman, George A. (George Abel), 1880-1961  Search this
Kamperman, Abbie, 1884-1972  Search this
Subject:
Gaugler, William  Search this
Hofer, Carl  Search this
Jungwirth, Leonard D.  Search this
Kuniyoshi, Yasuo  Search this
Mast, Gerald  Search this
Milles, Carl  Search this
Palazzola, Guy  Search this
Papsdorf, Frederick  Search this
Pittman, Hobson Lafayette  Search this
Richardson, Edgar Preston  Search this
Sarkis  Search this
Ulreich, Eduard  Search this
Ulreich, Nura Woodson  Search this
Watkins, Franklin Chenault  Search this
Blanch, Arnold  Search this
Culver, Charles B. (Charles Beach)  Search this
De Soto, Hugo  Search this
Fiene, Ernest  Search this
Citation:
George A. and Abbie Kamperman papers, 1930-1972. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Theme:
Patronage  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9114
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211308
AAA_collcode_kampgeor
Theme:
Patronage
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211308

James S. Plaut papers, [ca. 1929]-1980

Creator:
Plaut, James S. (James Sachs), 1912-1996  Search this
Subject:
Adenauer, Konrad  Search this
Bernstein, Leonard  Search this
Breuer, Marcel  Search this
Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David)  Search this
Gandhi, Indira  Search this
Wright, Frank Lloyd  Search this
Gropius, Walter  Search this
Peirce, Waldo  Search this
Ruckstull, F. W. (Fred Wellington)  Search this
Sachs, Paul J. (Paul Joseph)  Search this
Berman, Eugene  Search this
Kirstein, Lincoln  Search this
Kokoschka, Oskar  Search this
Milles, Carl  Search this
Institute of Contemporary Art (Boston, Mass.)  Search this
Institute of Modern Art (Boston, Mass.)  Search this
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston  Search this
World Crafts Council  Search this
Expo 67 (Montre?al, Que?bec)  Search this
Exposition universelle et internationale (1958 : Brussels, Belgium)  Search this
Type:
Interviews
Scrapbooks
Sketchbooks
Sound recordings
Place:
Israel
Citation:
James S. Plaut papers, [ca. 1929]-1980. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Theme:
Sketches & Sketchbooks  Search this
Research and writing about art  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9561
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211762
AAA_collcode_plaujame
Theme:
Sketches & Sketchbooks
Research and writing about art
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211762

Carl and Olga Milles papers, 1933-1951

Creator:
Milles, Carl, 1875-1955  Search this
Milles, Olga Granner, 1874-1967  Search this
Subject:
Mussolini, Benito  Search this
Milles, Ruth Anna Maria  Search this
Citation:
Carl and Olga Milles papers, 1933-1951. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9802
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212240
AAA_collcode_millecar
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_212240

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