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Helen Treadwell papers

Creator:
Treadwell, Helen, 1902-  Search this
Names:
Committee for the Beautification of New York  Search this
International Association of Art. United States Committee  Search this
International Association of Art. United States Committee  Search this
National Council on the Arts and Government  Search this
National Society of Mural Painters (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Extent:
4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1952-1968
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence, financial statements, account books, receipts, membership applications, minutes, reports, press releases, printed materials, a photo of Treadwell presenting Julien Levy with a birthday cake, and photos of art work for the following organizations in which Treadwell was an officer: National Society of Mural Painters, National Council on the Arts and Government, Committee for the Beautification of New York, The United States Committee of the International Association of Art, and the International Association of Plastic Arts (UNESCO).
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, mural painter, designer; New York.
Provenance:
Donated March 1979 by Helen Treadwell.
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.
Occupation:
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women muralists  Search this
Function:
Arts organizations -- New York (State)
Identifier:
AAA.treahele
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94b7ec6a8-e18f-4efc-9396-d4b0c0049f2f
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-treahele

National Society of Mural Painters records

Creator:
National Society of Mural Painters (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Names:
American Federation of Arts  Search this
Federal Art Project  Search this
Fine Arts Federation of New York  Search this
Municipal Art Society of New York  Search this
Red Cross  Search this
United States Capitol Historical Society  Search this
Baskerville, Charles, 1896-  Search this
Covey, Arthur Sinclair, 1877-1960  Search this
Cox, Allyn, 1896-1982  Search this
Fausett, Dean, 1913-  Search this
Fortel, Ruth  Search this
Lanning, Edward P.  Search this
Millet, Francis Davis, 1846-1912  Search this
Molinari, Everett  Search this
Stewart, Jack, 1926-2005  Search this
Treadwell, Helen, 1902-  Search this
Williams, J. Scott (John Scott), b. 1877  Search this
Extent:
13.1 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Lantern slides
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Date:
1895 - circa 2007
Summary:
The records of the National Society of Mural Painters measure 13.1 linear feet and date from 1895 to circa 2007. The activities of the society are documented through administrative files, membership files, correspondence, committee files, exhibition and competition files, artist files, financial and legal records, printed material, a scrapbook, and photographic materials.
Scope and Contents:
The records of the National Society of Mural Painters measure 13.1 linear feet and date from 1895 to circa 2007. The activities of the society are documented through administrative files, membership files, correspondence, committee files, exhibition and competition files, artist files, financial and legal records, printed material, a scrapbook, and photographic materials.

Administrative files include meeting minutes and agendas, historical information, and newsletter drafts, and the organization's constitution and by-laws. Membership files contain correspondence with members about their applications and acceptance or denial of membership, member voting ballots, and lists of members. General correspondence is with artists, members, organizations, universities, and federal commissions, and documents a wide varity of NSMP activities; additional correspondence is scattered throughout other series. Correspondence is with Charles Baskerville, Arthur Covey, Allyn Cox, Dean Fausett, Ruth Fortel, Edward Lanning, Everett Molinari, Jack Stewart, and Helen Tredwell, as well as with the American Federation of Arts, the Commission of Fine Arts on War Memorials, Fine Arts Federation, and the U. S. Capitol Historical Society.

Committee files document the work of various NSMP standing and ad hoc committees. Exhibition and competition files include correspondence, photographs, catalogs, itineraries, and printed materials for the NSMP's 1976 U.S. Bicentennial celebration projects, including the "Freedom Murals," "Caravan of Freedom," and "Momentous Events in American History." Additional files document the Red Cross Canteen Project, Federal Art Project, the Municipal Art Society exhibition in 1940, New York City subway murals, and other competitions and public art mural projects.

Artist files primarily date from the 1960s through the 1990s and often include biographies, resumes, correspondence, and photographs of works of art. Financial and legal records include the NSMP treasurer's files, ledgers, and miscellany. Also found in the records are printed materials; a mixed media scrapbook dating from 1923-1935; photographs of meetings, events, exhibitions, and works of art; photo collages of members with examples of their works of art. There are also lantern slides of Francis D. Millet in his studio and with his murals, and of J. Scott Williams with his art work.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 10 series reflecting the original order of the records.

Missing Title

Series 1: Administrative Files, 1895-circa 2007 (2.2 linear feet; Boxes 1-3)

Series 2: Membership Files, 1915-2001 (1.1 linear feet; Boxes 3-4)

Series 3: Correspondence, 1912-2001 (1.0 linear feet; Boxes 4-5)

Series 4: Committee Files, 1909-1960s (0.3 linear feet; Box 5)

Series 5: Exhibition and Competition Files, 1917-1998 (2.0 linear feet; Boxes 5-7)

Series 6: Artist Files, 1915-1990s (1.3 linear feet; Boxes 7-8, 18)

Series 7: Financial and Legal Records, 1895-1996 (1.5 linear feet; Boxes 8-10)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1915-2000 (0.9 linear feet; Boxes 10-11)

Series 9: Scrapbook, 1923-1935 (0.2 linear feet; Box 11)

Series 10: Photographic Material, circa 1900-1997 (2.5 linear feet; Boxes 12-18)
Biographical / Historical:
Originally named The Mural Painters, the National Society of Mural Painters (NSMP) was founded in 1895 in New York City by a group of artists, including John W. Alexander, Kenyon Cox, Edwin Blashfield, and John LaFarge, who were concerned with the design and execution of mural art for architecture in the United States. The organization's first president was Frederic Crowninshield. For well over one hundred years members of NSMP have created significant and monumental works of art across the country. Many significant American artists have been members and served as past presidents, such as George Biddle, Hildreth MeiƩre, Arthur S. Covey, Allyn Cox, Helen Treadwell, and Xavier Gonzales, among many others.

Since its founding, the NSMP has collaborated with the Fine Arts Section of the Treasury Department, the federal WPA Arts Project, and the design boards of several World's Fairs. As a member of Artists for Victory, NSMP coordinated the execution of murals for barracks and camps, as well as many triptych alterpieces.

NSMP organizes exhibitions and conductes competitions. In celebration of its one hundredth anniversary, a centennial exhibition was held in October 1995 at the Art Students League. Society members work with other organizations, actively sponsoring legislation for the development and commission of public works of art. Still active today, the current president is Jeff Greene.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds material lent for microfilming (reel NSM1) including 83 photographs of mural paintings and mural studies, and 25 exhibition boards showing sculptures, mosaics, and mural paintings with the artist's name, medium, title, and location listed. Lent materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
The National Society of Mural Painters lent materials for microfilming in 1963 and donated records in 1965-1966. The National Society of Mural Painters, via President Jeff Greene, gave papers in 2009.
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.
Occupation:
Muralists -- United States  Search this
Topic:
Subways -- New York (N.Y.)  Search this
American Revolution Bicentennial, 1776-1976  Search this
Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Mural painting and decoration -- 19th century -- United States  Search this
Mural painting and decoration -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Genre/Form:
Lantern slides
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Citation:
National Society of Mural Painters records, 1895 - circa 2007. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.natimurp
See more items in:
National Society of Mural Painters records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw96e19b67b-a734-4715-9eeb-7a5d3b3b90ce
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-natimurp
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