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Catalog Data

Creator:
Johnson, William H. (William Henry), 1901-1970  Search this
Subject:
Hawthorne, Charles Webster  Search this
Johnson, Holcha Krake  Search this
Nierendorf, Karl  Search this
Hughes, Langston  Search this
Aden, Alonzo J.  Search this
Halpert, Edith Gregor  Search this
Harmon Foundation  Search this
Alma Reed Galleries  Search this
Barnett-Aden Gallery  Search this
Type:
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Place of publication, production, or execution:
United States
Physical Description:
1.5 Linear feet
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into 5 series: Series 1: Biographical Material, 1922-1967 (Box 1, 3; 0.2 linear feet) Series 2: Printed Material, 1928-1971 (Box 1-3; 0.3 linear feet) Series 3: Photographs, circa 1923-1940s (Box 2-3; 0.2 linear feet) Series 4: Scrapbooks, 1920s-1947 (Box 2-4; 0.4 linear feet) Series 5: Harmon Foundation Research Materials Regarding William H. Johnson, 1950s (Box 2, OV 5; 0.2 linear feet)
Access Note / Rights:
The bulk of the collection is digitized. Use of material not digitized requires an appointment.
Summary:
The papers of African American painter William H. Johnson date from 1922 to 1971, with the bulk of the material dating from 1926 to 1956, and measure 1.5 linear feet. The collection documents Johnson's career as an artist in New York and in Europe and his marriage to textile artist Holcha Krake through scattered biographical material, including eight letters regarding the sale and exhibition of his work - one from Langston Hughes and two are from Alonzo Aden of the Barnett Aden Gallery. Also found are exhibition catalogs, news clippings, other printed material, and photographs of Johnson, Krake, and their artwork. One scrapbook contains news clippings, letters, and additional photographs. Another scrapbook contains travel postcards. Also found are a few scattered records and research notes compiled by the Harmon Foundation regarding William H. Johnson.
Citation:
William H. Johnson papers, 1922-1972, bulk 1926-1956. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
The papers of William H. (William Henry) Johnson in the Archives of American Art were digitized in 2010, and total 713 images.
A scrapbook of postcards and photocopies of foreign news clippings has not been scanned.
Funding:
Funding for the processing and 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.
Biography Note:
William Henry Johnson (1901-1970) was born in Florence, South Carolina, in 1901. He moved to New York City in 1918, and from 1921 to 1926 he attended the National Academy of Design, studying with Charles Hawthorne, and attending Hawthorne's summer school in Provincetown, Massachusetts. As a student he won many awards for his paintings but failed to win a traveling scholarship to Europe. Hawthorne and others believed there may have been some prejudice in this decision and raised money for Johnson to study abroad. From 1926 to 1929 he lived in Paris and southern France. While in Paris he lived and worked in Whistler's old studio and met African American expatriate painter, Henry Ossawa Tanner. He lived briefly in Harlem, New York, in 1930 and exhibited in the Harmon Foundation's exhibition of work by African American artists in which he won the Gold Award for "Distinguished Achievement among Negroes".
Language Note:
The papers are in English, Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish.
Provenance:
The William H. Johnson papers were originally donated to the National Museum of American Art (Smithsonian American Art Museum) by the Harmon Foundation in 1982. The National Museum of American Art subsequently transferred them to the Archives of American Art in 1982 and 1986.
Digitization Note:
The papers of William H. (William Henry) Johnson in the Archives of American Art were digitized in 2010. The bulk of the papers have been scanned and total 713 images.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Topic:
African American artists  Search this
Theme:
African American  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)6889
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209018
AAA_collcode_johnwill
Theme:
African American
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209018