Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Additional Online Media

Catalog Data

Creator:
Taylor, Prentiss, 1907-1991  Search this
Subject:
Van Vechten, Carl  Search this
Landeck, Armin  Search this
O'Neill, Eugene  Search this
Hurston, Zora Neale  Search this
Kahlo, Frida  Search this
Field, Rachel  Search this
Stein, Gertrude  Search this
Toklas, Alice B.  Search this
Hughes, Langston  Search this
Robinson, Bill  Search this
Rivera, Diego  Search this
Robeson, Paul  Search this
Pinckney, Josephine  Search this
Van Doren, Mark  Search this
Golden Stair Press  Search this
American University (Washington, D.C.). Fine Arts Dept.  Search this
Society of Washington Printmakers (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Type:
Scrapbooks
Drawings
Writings
Sketchbooks
Prints
Sound recordings
Place of publication, production, or execution:
United States
Physical Description:
20.8 Linear feet
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into ten series. The largest series housing Subject Files is arranged alphabetically, primarily by name of correspondent, maintaining Taylor's original arrangement. The remaining series are arranged in chronological order. Oversized material from various series has been housed in Box 21 (Sol) and OV 22 and is noted in the Series Description/Container Listing Section at the appropriate folder title with see also/see references. Series 1: Biographical Material, 1918-1985, undated (Box 1; 6 folders) Series 2: Miscellaneous Receipts, 1929-1986, undated (Box 1; 11 folders) Series 3: Insurance Records, 1960-1976 (Box 1; 1 folder) Series 4: Notes, 1921-1984, undated (Box 1; 18 folders) Series 5: Writings, 1924-1971, undated (Box 1-2; 51 folders) Series 6: Art Work, 1916-1975, undated (Box 2; 14 folders) Series 7: Scrapbooks, 1885-1956 (Box 2, 21; 10 folders) Series 8: Printed Material, 1914-1990, undated (Box 2-3, 21; 29 folders) Series 9: Photographs, 1908-1984, undated (Box 3, 23-24; 1.1 linear feet) Series 10: Subject Files, 1885-1991, undated (Box 3-21, OV 22; 18.0 linear feet)
Access Note / Rights:
The collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.
Summary:
The collection measures 20.8 linear feet, dates from 1885 to 1991 (bulk dates 1908-1986) and documents the career of lithographer, teacher, and painter Prentiss Taylor. The collection consists primarily of subject/correspondence files (circa 16 ft.), reflecting Prentiss' career as a lithographer and painter, his association with figures prominent in the Harlem Renaissance, notably Carl Van Vechten and Langston Hughes, his activities as president of the Society of Washington Printmakers and other art organizations, his work in art therapy treating mental illness, and his teaching position at American University. The subject files contain mostly correspondence, but many include photographs and printed material. Also included are biographical, financial, legal and printed material; several hundred photographs; notes and writings; sketchbooks, drawings and a few prints by Taylor; and scrapbooks dating from 1885-1956.
Citation:
Prentiss Taylor papers, 1885-1991. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
The papers of Prentiss Taylor in the Archives of American Art were digitized from 25 reels of microfilm in 2008, and total 33253 images.
Researchers should note that the legibility of some materials is poor due to the microfilm quality; researchers may wish to request reels 5911-5935 through interlibrary loan.
Portions of the collection and material lent for microfilming are availalbe on 35mm microfilm reels 1392 and 5911-5935 at the Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of the collection as described in this finding aid may not reflect the order of the collection on microfilm.
Location of Originals:
95 letters from Rachel Field, 75 letters from Langston Hughes, 3 letters from Armin Landeck, 46 letters from Josephine Pinckney, 1 letter from Gertrude Stein, 7 letters from Alice B. Toklas, 1 postcard from Mark Van Doren, and 25 letters from Carl Van Vechten are photocopies. Originals of the Hughes and Toklas letters are located at the Yale University Library. Location of the remaining original letters are unknown.
Funding:
Funding for the digitization of the microfilm of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art. Funding for the conservation of Prentiss Taylor's photograph album, 1929-1939, was provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.
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:
Prentiss Taylor papers are also located at the Yale University Library. The Archives of American Art also holds material lent for microfilming (reel 1392) including three notebooks detailing Taylor's lithographs, a gift and sales notebook, a guestbook, exhibition announcements, and a brochure. Lent materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Biography Note:
Prentiss Taylor was born in 1907 at the Washington, D. C. residence of his maternal grandmother, his birth assisted by his grandmother's cook, affectionately known as Cookie Belle.
Language Note:
English .
Provenance:
Prentiss Taylor lent the Archives of American Art material for microfilming in 1978. Papers were donated in 1978 and 1984 by Taylor, and in 1992 and 2004 by his companion, Roderick S. Quiroz, for the estate of Prentiss Taylor.
Digitization Note:
The papers of Prentiss Taylor in the Archives of American Art were digitized from 25 reels of microfilm. The papers have been scanned in their entirety, and total 33,384 images. Researchers should note that some images are of poor quality.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Topic:
Lithography -- 20th century -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Lithographers -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Art therapy  Search this
Harlem Renaissance  Search this
Printmakers -- Washington (D.C.)  Search this
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9232
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211427
AAA_collcode_taylpren
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211427