The Richard J. Powell papers date from 1971 through 1992 and mostly concern Powell's research and writings on painter William H. Johnson. Found is correspondence with curators, scholors, arts administrators, and U.S., Danish, and Scandinavian museums and associations. The papers also include two of Powell's illustrated research and travel journals from 1984 and 1985, printed materials concerning the exhibition Powell curated in 1991 at the National Museum of American Art Homecoming: William H. Johnson and Afro-America, 1938-1946, research files that contain photocopies of original Johnson archival documents from various research repositories, and photographs (copy prints) of Johnson and his artwork.
Scope and Content Note:
Papers, 1980-1992, mostly concerning art historian Richard Powell's research and writings on African American painter William H. Johnson (1901-1970). Found is Powell's correspondence with Robert Baehr, Sigrid Bondo, Adelyn Breeskin, David C. Driskell, Michel Fabre, Robert Ferris Thompson, ?ystein Hjort, Margo Humphrey, Gregers Krake, Richard A. Long, Torben Lundbæk, Virginia Mecklenburg, Jostein Nerbøvik, Mette Nørredam, James Parker, Jules D. Prown, Kjetil Tandstad, Judith Wilson, Debbie Wood, and Danish and Scandinavian museums and associations. There are also two illustrated research/travel journals containing Powell's comments on Johnson's works of art, related thoughts, slide lists, notes from his lectures at the Sorbonne in Paris, and other experiences dating from July 14 to November 28, 1984, and January 1 to June 20, 1985; two wall calendars, 1984-1985, noting appointments and exhibition openings; a notebook, loose notes and other writings; postcards, reseach files that contain photocopies of printed material and other primary documents about Johnson including clippings from foreign newspapers with translations; printed material concerning the exhibition Homecoming: William H. Johnson and Afro-America, 1938-1946, curated by Powell at the National Museum of American Art, 1991-1992; photographs (copy prints, contact prints, and negatives) of Johnson and his artwork; and miscellany.
Arrangement:
Missing Title
Series 1: Research and Project Correspondence, 1981-1991(Box 1; 19 folders)
Series 2: Travel and Research Journals and Notes, 1984-1985, 1991, undated (Box 1; 5 folders)
Series 3: Printed Material, 1971-1992, undated (Box 1; 9 folders)
Series 4: Research Files, undated (Box 1; 10 folders)
Series 5: Photographs and Negatives, undated (Box 1; 4 folders)
Biographical Note:
Richard J. Powell is an African American art historian and educator in Durham, North Carolina. Powell curated the exhibition Homecoming: William H. Johnson and Afro-America, 1938-1946, at the National Museum of American Art, 1991-1992.
Related Materials:
Richard Powell papers, 1960-2011, is located at Duke University David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
Provenance:
Richard Powell collected this material while conducting research on William H. Johnson. He donated it to the Archives of American Art in July, 2000.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
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.
