The collection is arranged into seven series based on type of materials. Documents within each of the seven series have been arranged in chronological order, except for the writings which have been further subdivided by creator and are undated. Printed materials have been arranged primarily according to form of material and are in rough chronological order. Series 1: Biographical, 1977, undated (Box 1; 1 folder) Series 2: Correspondence, 1944-1981, undated (Box 1-2; 0.8 linear feet) Series 3: Writings By and About Bearden, circa 1950s-1980s (Box 3; 6 folders) Series 4: Legal and Financial Material, 1970-1977 (Box 3; 3 folders) Series 5: Photographs, undated (Box 3; 2 folders) Series 6: Drawings, undated (Box 3, OV 6; 4 folders) Series 7: Printed Material, 1937-1982 (Box 3-5; 1 linear foot)
Access Note / Rights:
The bulk of the collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website. Use of material not digitized requires an appointment.
Summary:
The papers of Romare Bearden measure 2.1 linear feet and date from 1937 to 1982. The collection includes biographical information, correspondence, writings by and about Bearden, miscellaneous legal and financial material, photographs, drawings, and printed material. Found are numerous letters referring to African-American arts movements of the 1960s and 1970s, including exhibitions, publications, associations, and scattered letters of a more personal nature.
Citation:
Romare Bearden papers, 1937-1982. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
The papers of Romare Bearden in the Archives of American Art were digitized in 2005, and total 2217 images.
Material lent for microfilming is available on 35mm microfilm reel N68-87 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
Funding:
Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
Use Note:
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.
Related Materials:
Within the Archives holdings are two oral history interviews with Romare Bearden. One was conducted in 1968 by Henri Ghent and another in 1980 by Avis Berman. The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming (reel N68-87) including correspondence, a scrapbook, photographs, catalogs, clippings, and writings. Except for the correspondence, loaned materials were returned to the donor and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Biography Note:
Born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, in 1914, Bearden's family relocated to New York City when Bearden was a toddler. Living in Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, Bearden was exposed to such luminaries as writer Langston Hughes, painter Aaron Douglas, and musician Duke Ellington. While attending New York University, Bearden became interested in cartooning and became the art editor of the NYU Medley in his senior year. He received his B.S. in mathematics in 1935, initially planning to pursue medical school. Realizing that he had little interest in the other sciences however, Bearden began attending classes at the Art Students League in the evenings, studying under George Grosz.
Language Note:
English .
Provenance:
Romare Bearden lent material for microfilming to the Archives of American Art in 1968, donating the correspondence. Bearden also gave additional papers between 1977 and 1983.
Digitization Note:
The papers of Romare Bearden in the Archives of American Art were digitized in 2006. The papers have been scanned in their entirety, and total 2,217 images.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
