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Dorothy Dehner papers

Creator:
Dehner, Dorothy, 1901-1994  Search this
Names:
Philadelphia Art Alliance  Search this
Willard Gallery  Search this
Graham, John, 1887-1961  Search this
Matulka, Jan, 1890-1972  Search this
Smith, David, 1906-1965  Search this
Extent:
4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sketchbooks
Date:
1920-1987
bulk 1951-1987
Summary:
The papers of sculptor Dorothy Dehner measure 4 linear feet and date from 1920 to 1987, with the bulk of the material dating from 1951 to 1987. The collection documents Dehner's life, work, and professional and personal relationships, with particular focus on her mid-to-late career. Papers include extensive correspondence, business and financial papers, sound recordings and transcripts of interviews, writings by Dehner and others, printed material documenting Dehner's career, scattered photographs, two etchings, and scattered personal papers and material relating to David Smith.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of sculptor Dorothy Dehner measure 4 linear feet and date from 1920 to 1987, with the bulk of the material dating from 1951 to 1987. The collection documents Dehner's life, work, and professional and personal relationships, with particular focus on her mid-to-late career. Papers include extensive correspondence, business and financial papers, sound recordings and transcripts of interviews, writings by Dehner and others, printed material documenting Dehner's career, scattered photographs, two etchings, and scattered personal papers and material relating to David Smith.

Comprising a series of biographical material are personal papers such as notes on Dehner's biography and career, a list of things taken from Bolton Landing, and material relating to David Smith including a copy of his last will and testament, a letter of introduction (dating from their trip to Europe in the mid-1930s), and a chronology of Smith's life.

Correspondence consists of numerous letters and enclosures concerning both professional and personal matters. Correspondents include artists, museums, galleries, art dealers, researchers, curators, friends, and relatives. Correspondence documents Dehner's various personal and professional relationships, the active role she played in promoting and exhibiting her art work, as well as the key role she played in fostering art historical research on David Smith, herself, and other artists of her era, and her many other creative activities, including her various writing efforts.

Interviews include sound recordings of four interviews with Dehner, and a recording of an interview conducted with her for a documentary on David Smith. Also found is a transcription of an interview for which there is no recording.

Writings shed light on other aspects of Dehner's creativity and concerns. Dehner's writings include poems, such as one dated from high school and drafts of poems published in Tracks); and various pieces on John Graham. These include versions of a memoir, which were published as a foreword to the re-issue of System and Dialectics of Art, and as an article in Leonardo). Also found are writings on David Smith, including articles recalling Dehner's first meeting with him, and on Smith's 1940 work "Medals for Dishonor;" lectures and speeches; and various writings on art and other topics. Writings by others include essays on Dehner by Joan Marter and Judith McCandless.

Dehner's business and financial records document transactions with various galleries and art organizations and include records of loans, exhibitions, and sales through files for the Parsons-Dreyfuss Gallery, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Willard Gallery, and others. The series also includes scattered records relating to personal business matters and finances, such as Dehner's lists of artwork loaned, exhibited, and sold, receipts, tax records, and exhibition visitor books.

Printed material includes exhibition catalogs and announcements for Dehner's group and solo shows, and clippings on Dehner and a few other artists including David Smith. Artwork consists of two etchings, and photographs include photographs of Dehner, her second husband Ferdinand Mann, John Graham, and various works of art. Also found is an abstract photograph by David Smith, dating from circa 1934.
Arrangement:
The Dorothy Dehner papers are arranged into 8 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1935-1982 (Box 1; 0.1 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1927-1987 (Boxes 1-3; 2.2 linear feet)

Series 3: Interviews and Transcripts, 1963-1981 (Boxes 3-4; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 4: Writings, 1920-1987 (Box 3; 0.25 linear feet)

Series 5: Business and Financial Records, 1940-1987 (Box 3; 0.25 linear feet)

Series 6: Printed Material, 1940-1987 (Boxes 3, 5; OV 6; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 7: Art Work, circa 1930s-circa 1960s (Box 5, OV 6; 0.05 linear feet)

Series 8: Photographs, 1930s-1986 (Box 5; 0.15 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
Dorothy Dehner was an abstract sculptor of the New York school who was also an accomplished painter, printmaker, author, and educator.

Dehner was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1901. Her father died when she was about ten and the family moved to Pasadena, California in 1915. After the death of her mother and sister, she was raised by her mother's sister, Aunt Florence. Dehner was exposed to art as a child, receiving instruction in drawing and painting. She studied drama for a year at UCLA in 1922-1923 before moving to New York with the intention of pursuing a theatrical career. In 1925, she traveled alone to Europe, where she visited Italy, Switzerland, and France and where she began to draw seriously.

Upon her return to New York, Dehner enrolled in the Art Students League intending to study sculpture, but, uninspired by the work of William Zorach's sculpture class, ended up studying drawing with Kimon Nicolaides instead. In 1926, she met fellow artist David Smith in the rooming house they shared. At her suggestion, he too enrolled in the Art Students League. In 1927, they were married.

At the League, Dehner and Smith studied with the modernist painter, Jan Matulka, and befriended Weber and Thomas Furlong, through whom they met the Russian painter and theoretician, John Graham. Graham introduced them to the avant-garde art world and had a profound influence on Dehner and Smith and their work. Other young artists they befriended at this time included Adolph Gottlieb, Mark Rothko, and Edgar and Lucille Corcos Levy. In 1929, after a visit to the Furlong's summer home in upstate New York, Dehner and Smith bought a farm in Bolton Landing, which became their permanent home in 1940 and was later named Terminal Iron Works. They spent eight months in the Virgin Islands, in 1931-1932, where Dehner painted abstract still lifes of shells and marine life. In the fall of 1935, they traveled to Europe, where they met up with Graham in Paris, spent five months in Greece, and toured the Soviet Union, with other stops along the way.

During her years at Bolton Landing (from 1940 to 1950), Dehner progressed in her work, producing a series of paintings titled Life on the Farm and embarking upon a series of abstract geometric drawings in ink and watercolor. In 1943, she had a joint exhibition with Smith at the Albany Institute of History and Art. Three years later, she participated in the annual exhibition of Audubon Artists and was awarded a first prize for drawing, and in 1948, she had her first one-woman show at Skidmore College.

Dehner left Bolton Landing in 1950 (she was divorced from Smith two years later) and returned to school, earning her degree from Skidmore College in 1952. She moved back to New York City, and supported herself over the next several years by teaching at various schools, including the Barnard School for Girls. She had her first solo exhibition in the city at the Rose Fried Gallery in 1952, and studied engraving at Stanley William Hayter's Atelier 17. At this point, Dehner started making sculpture, first experimenting in wax and then casting her wax sculptures in bronze. In 1955, she began working at the Sculpture Center, and from this point on, focused mainly on sculpture with occasional forays in drawing and printmaking. In addition to works in bronze, she went on to create sculptures in wood (during the 1970s) and steel (during the 1980s).

In 1955, Dehner married the New York publisher, Ferdinand Mann. That same year, she joined the Willard Gallery, run by Marian Willard. She had her first exhibition of drawings there in 1955 (which led to a solo exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago) and her first sculpture show there in 1957. Dehner continued to show at the Willard Gallery regularly until 1976. Over the next several decades, Dehner's work was frequently exhibited in solo and groups exhibitions at museums and galleries across the country, and was acquired for both public and private collections.

In addition to her art work, Dehner was also a published poet and writer. She wrote the foreword to the 1971 re-issue of John Graham's System and Dialectics of Art, and an essay on David Smith's "Medals for Dishonor," which was published in Art Journal in 1977. Two of her poems, "Past Tense" and "Two Lines," appeared in the journal Tracks in 1977.

Dehner continued to work into her nineties, and passed away in 1994.
Related Material:
Other resources in the Archives relating to Dorothy Dehner include oral history interviews with Dehner, October 1965 and December 1966, and a photograph of Dehner by Dena, 1966.
Separated Material:
The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming on reels D298 (portions), D298A, 1269 (portions) and 1372, including photographs of Dorothy Dehner and David Smith, sketchbooks, correspondence between Dehner and Smith, an inventory, and some printed material. Loaned materials were returned to the lender after filming and are not described in the collection Container Listing.
Provenance:
The Dorothy Dehner papers were donated from 1967-1987 in increments by Dorothy Dehner. Dehner also loaned material for microfilming between 1967 and 1977, some of which was subsequently donated. The art work in the collection most likely belonged to Garnett McCoy originally, and was included in the collection during processing in 2005.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Researchers interested in accessing audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies. Contact References Services for more information.
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:
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Authors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women sculptors  Search this
Women printmakers  Search this
Women authors  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sketchbooks
Citation:
Dorothy Dehner papers, 1920-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.dehndoro
See more items in:
Dorothy Dehner papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94755f855-b54f-4a52-a95c-a8c0d6e92ba7
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-dehndoro
Online Media:

Dorothy Dehner papers, 1920-1987, bulk 1951-1987

Creator:
Dehner, Dorothy, 1901-1994  Search this
Subject:
Smith, David  Search this
Graham, John  Search this
Matulka, Jan  Search this
Philadelphia Art Alliance  Search this
Willard Gallery  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Sketchbooks
Citation:
Dorothy Dehner papers, 1920-1987, bulk 1951-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women sculptors  Search this
Women printmakers  Search this
Women authors  Search this
Theme:
Diaries  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9686
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211900
AAA_collcode_dehndoro
Theme:
Diaries
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211900
Online Media:

Thornton Oakley papers, 1906-1953

Creator:
Oakley, Thornton, 1881-1953  Search this
Subject:
Morrow, George  Search this
Pennell, Joseph  Search this
Robinson, Alexander  Search this
Arms, John Taylor  Search this
Beaux, Cecilia  Search this
Brinton, Christian  Search this
Este, Florence  Search this
Hamilton, John McLure  Search this
Harkrider, John  Search this
Mechlin, Leila  Search this
Franklin Institute (Philadelphia, Pa.)  Search this
Philadelphia Art Alliance  Search this
Artists' War Relief Committee of Philadelphia  Search this
Century Association (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Council of Art Organizations of Philadelphia  Search this
Exposition of Indian Tribal Arts, inc.  Search this
Philadelphia Water Color Club  Search this
Citation:
Thornton Oakley papers, 1906-1953. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Expatriate painters -- France  Search this
Theme:
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)10279
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)213434
AAA_collcode_oaklthor
Theme:
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_213434

Mary Kretsinger papers, 1951-1985

Creator:
Kretsinger, Mary A., 1915-2001  Search this
Subject:
Philadelphia Art Alliance  Search this
American Crafts Council. Museum of Contemporary Crafts  Search this
Citation:
Mary Kretsinger papers, 1951-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Craft  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)6049
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)216018
AAA_collcode_kretmary
Theme:
Women
Craft
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_216018
Online Media:

Catherine Viviano Gallery records, 1930-1990, bulk 1949-1978

Creator:
Catherine Viviano Gallery  Search this
Subject:
Wakabayashi, Kazuo  Search this
Viviano, Catherine  Search this
Van Veen, Stuyvesant  Search this
Shapiro, Meyer  Search this
Seeger, Stanley J.  Search this
Sage, Kay  Search this
Valentin, Curt  Search this
Tanning, Dorothea  Search this
Stout, George L. (George Leslie)  Search this
Price, Vincent  Search this
Pulitzer, Joseph  Search this
Perlin, Bernard  Search this
Rockefeller, Nelson A. (Nelson Aldrich)  Search this
Rosenthal, Bernard M.  Search this
Rathbone, Perry Townsend  Search this
Ribicoff, Belle Krasne  Search this
Morlotti, Ennio  Search this
Moyens, H. Marc  Search this
Ossorio, Alfonso  Search this
Myers, John Bernard  Search this
McCray, Porter A.  Search this
Menil, Dominique de  Search this
Meltzer, Doris  Search this
Miller, Stephen Robeson  Search this
Miró, Joan  Search this
Minguzzi, Luciano  Search this
Hirschhorn, Joseph  Search this
Lerner, Abe  Search this
Mabe, Manabu  Search this
Ludgin, Earle  Search this
Manrique, César  Search this
Giacometti, Alberto  Search this
Glasco, Joseph  Search this
Goodhue, Bertram Grosvenor  Search this
Graves, Morris  Search this
Guerrero, José  Search this
Göpel, Barbara  Search this
Göpel, Erhard  Search this
Eisendrath, William N.  Search this
Ernst, Dallas  Search this
Faison, S. Lane (Samson Lane)  Search this
Fleischman, Barbara  Search this
Fleischman, Lawrence A. (Lawrence Arthur)  Search this
Genauer, Emily  Search this
Chaet, Bernard  Search this
Callery, Mary  Search this
Bishop, Elizabeth  Search this
Broderson, Robert M  Search this
Dorazio, Virginia Dortch  Search this
Dubuffet, Jean  Search this
Dorazio, Piero  Search this
Cox, Jan  Search this
Afro  Search this
Birolli, Renato  Search this
Barker, Walter  Search this
Bareiss, Walter  Search this
Baker, Richard Brown  Search this
Ashton, Dore  Search this
Dudensing, F. Valentine  Search this
Yunkers, Adja  Search this
Wadsworth Atheneum  Search this
Yale University. Art & Architecture Library  Search this
World House Galleries  Search this
Harvard University  Search this
William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art and Mary Atkins Museum of Fine Arts  Search this
University of Virginia  Search this
Santa Barbara Museum of Art  Search this
Philadelphia Art Alliance  Search this
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston  Search this
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston  Search this
Walker Art Center  Search this
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts  Search this
Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Los Angeles County Museum  Search this
Mary Washington College  Search this
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden  Search this
Fogg Art Museum  Search this
City Art Museum of St. Louis  Search this
Detroit Institute of Arts  Search this
Massachusetts Institute of Technology  Search this
Brooklyn Museum  Search this
Dallas Museum of Fine Arts  Search this
Des Moines Art Center  Search this
American Federation of Arts  Search this
American Academy of Arts and Letters  Search this
Barnes Foundation  Search this
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center  Search this
Art Club of Chicago  Search this
Carnegie Institute  Search this
Art Institute of Chicago  Search this
Type:
Photographs
Notes
Citation:
Catherine Viviano Gallery records, 1930-1990, bulk 1949-1978. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Women art dealers  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Sculpture  Search this
Painting  Search this
Theme:
Women  Search this
Art Gallery Records  Search this
Art Market  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)11096
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)243136
AAA_collcode_cathvivi
Theme:
Women
Art Gallery Records
Art Market
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_243136
Online Media:

Catherine Viviano Gallery records

Creator:
Catherine Viviano Gallery  Search this
Names:
American Academy of Arts and Letters  Search this
American Federation of Arts  Search this
Art Club of Chicago  Search this
Art Institute of Chicago  Search this
Barnes Foundation  Search this
Brooklyn Museum  Search this
Carnegie Institute  Search this
City Art Museum of St. Louis  Search this
Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center  Search this
Dallas Museum of Fine Arts  Search this
Des Moines Art Center  Search this
Detroit Institute of Arts  Search this
Fogg Art Museum  Search this
Harvard University  Search this
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden  Search this
Los Angeles County Museum  Search this
Mary Washington College  Search this
Massachusetts Institute of Technology  Search this
Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston  Search this
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston  Search this
Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts  Search this
Philadelphia Art Alliance  Search this
Santa Barbara Museum of Art  Search this
University of Virginia  Search this
Wadsworth Atheneum  Search this
Walker Art Center  Search this
William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art and Mary Atkins Museum of Fine Arts  Search this
World House Galleries  Search this
Yale University. Art & Architecture Library  Search this
Afro, 1912-1976  Search this
Ashton, Dore  Search this
Baker, Richard Brown  Search this
Bareiss, Walter  Search this
Barker, Walter  Search this
Birolli, Renato, 1905?-1959  Search this
Bishop, Elizabeth, 1911-1979  Search this
Broderson, Robert M, 1920-  Search this
Callery, Mary, 1903-1977  Search this
Chaet, Bernard  Search this
Cox, Jan, 1919-1980  Search this
Dorazio, Piero, 1927-  Search this
Dorazio, Virginia Dortch  Search this
Dubuffet, Jean, 1901-  Search this
Dudensing, F. Valentine, 1892-1967  Search this
Eisendrath, William N., 1903-  Search this
Ernst, Dallas  Search this
Faison, S. Lane (Samson Lane), 1907-2006  Search this
Fleischman, Barbara  Search this
Fleischman, Lawrence A. (Lawrence Arthur), 1925-1997  Search this
Genauer, Emily, 1910-2002  Search this
Giacometti, Alberto, 1901-1966  Search this
Glasco, Joseph, 1925-1996  Search this
Goodhue, Bertram Grosvenor, 1869-1924  Search this
Graves, Morris, 1910-2001  Search this
Guerrero, José, 1914-  Search this
Göpel, Barbara  Search this
Göpel, Erhard  Search this
Hirschhorn, Joseph  Search this
Lerner, Abe, 1908-  Search this
Ludgin, Earle, 1898-1981  Search this
Mabe, Manabu  Search this
Manrique, César, 1920-  Search this
McCray, Porter A., 1908-2000  Search this
Meltzer, Doris, 1908-1977  Search this
Menil, Dominique de  Search this
Miller, Stephen Robeson  Search this
Minguzzi, Luciano, 1911-  Search this
Miró, Joan, 1893-  Search this
Morlotti, Ennio, 1910-1992  Search this
Moyens, H. Marc  Search this
Myers, John Bernard  Search this
Ossorio, Alfonso, 1916-1990  Search this
Perlin, Bernard, 1918-  Search this
Price, Vincent, 1911-1993  Search this
Pulitzer, Joseph, 1913-1993  Search this
Rathbone, Perry Townsend, 1911-2000  Search this
Ribicoff, Belle Krasne, 1924-  Search this
Rockefeller, Nelson A. (Nelson Aldrich), 1908-1979  Search this
Rosenthal, Bernard M.  Search this
Sage, Kay  Search this
Seeger, Stanley J.  Search this
Shapiro, Meyer  Search this
Stout, George L. (George Leslie)  Search this
Tanning, Dorothea, 1910-2012  Search this
Valentin, Curt, 1902-1954  Search this
Van Veen, Stuyvesant  Search this
Viviano, Catherine, 1899-1992  Search this
Wakabayashi, Kazuo  Search this
Yunkers, Adja, 1900-1983  Search this
Extent:
11.6 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Notes
Date:
1930-1990
bulk 1949-1978
Summary:
The records of the Catherine Viviano Gallery measure 11.6 linear feet and date from 1930-1990, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1949-1978. Established in New York City in 1949, the gallery specialized in contemporary painting and sculpture primarily by American and European artists. The collection consists of artists' files; correspondence with artists, collectors, dealers, museum directors, curators, and publishers; business records; printed material; and photographs of artwork and artists. Also included are records relating to Catherine Viviano's activities as a private dealer and consultant after she closed the gallery in 1970.
Scope and Contents note:
The records of the Catherine Viviano Gallery measure 11.6 linear feet and date from 1930-1990, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1949-1978. Established in New York City in 1949, the gallery specialized in contemporary painting and sculpture primarily by American and European artists. The collection consists of artists' files; correspondence with artists, collectors, dealers, museum directors, curators, and publishers; business records; printed material; and photographs of artwork and artists. Also included are records relating to Catherine Viviano's activities as a private dealer and consultant after she closed the gallery in 1970.

Artists' files include biographical material; artists' statements; correspondence; sales and expense reports; lists and notes; guest lists; writings by others; receipts, invoices, and statements; printed material, including press releases, exhibition announcements, brochures, catalogues, clippings; and photographs of artwork and artists. Included are extensive files on Afro Basaldella, Renato Birolli, Robert Broderson, Anselmo Franesconi, Joseph Glasco, Manabu Mabe, César Manrique, Luciano Minguzzi, Ennio Morlotti, Bernard Perlin, Daniel Rice, and Bernard Rosenthal. There are also files on Jan Cox, Kay Sage, and Kazuo Wakabayashi.

Correspondence comprises the largest series in the collection and consists of general correspondence; correspondence with museums, galleries, and art-related institutions in the United States; and correspondence with museums, galleries, and art-related institutions abroad. Letters focus on routine business matters, e.g., appraisals and sales, acquisitions, and organizing exhibitions at the Catherine Viviano Gallery and other venues.

General correspondence includes letters between Catherine Viviano and artists and their family members. Among the correspondents are: Mary Callery, Bernard Chaet, Piero and Virginia Dorazio, Jean Dubuffet, Dallas Ernst, Karl Fortress, Alberto Giacometti, Henry Sage Goodwin, Morris Graves, José Guerrero, Earle Ludgin, Joan Miro, Alfonso Ossorio, Dorothea Tanning, Stuyvesant Van Veen, Adja Yunkers and his wife, Dore Ashton, among others. Also found is Viviano's correspondence with clients, many of whom were prominent collectors, e.g., Richard Brown Baker, Carl and Joan Fisher, Lawrence and Barbara Fleischman, Joseph Hirschhorn, Marc Moyens, Vincent Price, Joseph Pulitzer, Jr., Nelson Rockefeller, Stanley Seeger, and Frederick and Dorothy Zimmerman. Of interest, are letters from Elizabeth Bishop inquiring about the purchase of a work of art from the gallery. Included are letters from art historians, museum directors, curators, representatives at other art-related institutions, and publishers including Walter Bareiss, Walter Barker, Dominque De Menil, Valentine Dudensing, William Eisendrath, S. Lane Faison, Emily Genauer, Bertram Goodhue, Erhard and Barbara Göpel, James Laughlin, Porter McCray, Abram Lerner, Doris Meltzer, Stephen Robson Miller, John Bernard Myers, Perry Rathbone, Belle Krasne Ribicoff, Meyer Shapiro, George Stout, and Curt Valentin.

Correspondence with museums, galleries, and art-related institutions in the United States contains letters between Viviano and museum directors, curators, dealers, artists, and collectors pertaining to loans, shipping and delivery of artwork, appraisals and sales, and acquisitions. Files include substantive correspondence with the American Academy of Arts and Letters, American Federation of the Arts, Art Institute of Chicago, Arts Club of Chicago, the Barnes Foundation, Bristol Art Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Bundy Art Gallery, Carnegie Institute, City Art Museum of St. Louis, Cleveland Museum of Art, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, Denver Art Museum, Des Moines Art Center, Detroit Institute of Arts, Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles County Art Museum, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Museum of Fine Arts of Houston, Museum of Modern Art, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, University of Nebraska Art Galleries, University of Virginia, Mary Washington College, Wadsworth Atheneum, Walker Art Center, William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art, Atkins Museum of the Fine Arts, World House Gallery, and Yale University Art Library.

Correspondence with museums, galleries, and art-related institutions abroad primarily concerns the lending of artwork for exhibitions, acquisition and sales; also included are letters requesting biographical information on artists. Letters between Catherine Viviano and representatives of Max Beckmann Gesellschaft Archiv and Galerie Gunther Franke contain provenance-related information on Beckmann's work.

Business records document the routine business operations of the gallery. Printed material includes an incomplete run of Catherine Viviano Gallery exhibition catalogues; invitations and announcements from other galleries and institutions; and miscellaneous printed material.

Photographs include three images of miscellaneous artwork used for art reference.
Arrangement note:
Records are generally arranged by material type and in chronological order thereafter. Artists' files and correspondence files are arranged in alphabetical order and materials within the folders are arranged chronologically

The collection is arranged as 5 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Artists' Files, 1945-1986 (Boxes 1-3; 3.5 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1939-1985 (Boxes 3-6; 5.5 linear feet)

Series 3: Business Records, 1949-1972 (Boxes 10-11; 1.0 linear feet)

Series 4: Printed Material, 1930-1990 (Boxes 11-13; 1.6 linear feet)

Series 5: Photographs (1948-1954), undated (Box 14; 1 folder)
Biographical/Historical note:
Catherine Viviano (1889-1992) opened her gallery in 1949 on 42 East 57th Street in New York City. Specializing in contemporary American paintings and sculpture, the gallery featured younger American and European artists, e.g., Robert Broderson, Carlyle Brown, Jan Cox, Joseph Glasco, Peter Lanyon, Manabu Mabe, César Manrique, Bernard Perlin, Joseph Rollo, Bernard Rosenthal, and Kay Sage, among others. The gallery was also notable for introducing the work of Italian artists, who had been cut off from the American art scene during World War II, including Afro Basaldella and his brother Mirko Basaldella, Renato Birolli, Leonardo Cremonini, and Luciano Minguzzi.

Born in Italy in 1899 and raised in Chicago, Catherine Viviano came to New York in the early 1930's to work at the Pierre Matisse Gallery, where she remained for sixteen years before founding the Catherine Viviano Gallery.

In 1970, Catherine Viviano closed the gallery, though she continued to work from her home as an art dealer and consultant. She died of a stroke at the age of ninety-two in 1992.
Related Archival Materials note:
Among the other resources relating to Catherine Viviano Gallery in the Archives of American Art are the Kay Sage papers, 1925-circa 1985, bulk 1950-1965.
Provenance:
The Catherine Viviano Gallery records were donated in 2003 on behalf of Margaret Viviano, Catherine Viviano's sister, by her grandnephew, Peter C. Salerno, who had Power of Attorney for Margaret Viviano.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers 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.
Occupation:
Art dealers -- New York (State)  Search this
Topic:
Women art dealers  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Sculpture  Search this
Painting  Search this
Function:
Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State)
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Notes
Citation:
Catherine Viviano Gallery records, 1930-1990, bulk 1949-1978. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.cathvivi
See more items in:
Catherine Viviano Gallery records
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9c8eeb213-b1d5-43e4-8478-bc79ba634773
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-cathvivi
Online Media:

Mary Kretsinger papers

Creator:
Kretsinger, Mary, 1915-  Search this
Names:
American Crafts Council. Museum of Contemporary Crafts  Search this
Philadelphia Art Alliance  Search this
Extent:
1.1 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1951-1985
Summary:
The papers of metal-worker Mary Kretsinger measure 1.1 linear feet and date from 1951 to 1985. The collection comprises professional files documenting Kretsinger's activities with various exhibitions, commissions, and galleries and museums, and photographic materials of Kretsinger and her artwork that include a binder and photograph album.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of metal-worker Mary Kretsinger measure 1.1 linear feet and date from 1951 to 1985. The collection comprises professional files documenting Kretsinger's activities with various exhibitions, commissions, and galleries and museums including the Brookfield Craft Center, Philadelphia Art Alliance, Museum of Contemporary Crafts, and others; and photographic materials of Kretsinger and works of art that include a binder and photograph album.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 2 series.

Series 1: Professional Files, 1951-1985 (0.9 linear feet; Box 1, OV 2)

Series 2: Photographic Materials, 1960s (0.2 linear feet; Box 1)
Biographical / Historical:
Mary Kretsinger (1915-2001) was a metal-worker in Emporia, Kansas, who excelled in liturgical objects and was also known for her formed and constructed containers and cloisonné boxes.

Kretsinger began painting and drawing while attending Emporia High School, and then attended the University of Kansas graduating in 1937. Kretsinger went on to receive a Master of Arts degree in 1941 from the University of Iowa. Early in her career she studied with prominent metal-workers such as Rudolf Brom in Kansas and with Adda Husted-Andersen at the Craft Students League in New York.

Kretsinger taught at Emporia State Teachers College from 1950 to 1964, and opened her own workshop in 1957. Kretsinger left her teaching position in 1964 to focus on her art full time.
Provenance:
The Mary Kretsinger papers were donated in 1996 by Mary Kretsinger.
Restrictions:
This collection is open for research. Access to original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center.
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:
Metal-workers -- Kansas  Search this
Educators -- Kansas  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women educators  Search this
Citation:
Mary Kretsinger papers, 1951-1985. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.kretmary
See more items in:
Mary Kretsinger papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9adc03aba-06b3-4eeb-8f1e-0a7757a1a2c4
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-kretmary
Online Media:

Thornton Oakley papers

Creator:
Oakley, Thornton, 1881-1953  Search this
Names:
Artists' War Relief Committee of Philadelphia  Search this
Century Association (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Council of Art Organizations of Philadelphia  Search this
Exposition of Indian Tribal Arts, inc.  Search this
Franklin Institute (Philadelphia, Pa.)  Search this
Philadelphia Art Alliance  Search this
Philadelphia Water Color Club  Search this
Arms, John Taylor, 1887-1953  Search this
Beaux, Cecilia, 1855-1942  Search this
Brinton, Christian, 1870-1942  Search this
Este, Florence, 1860-1926  Search this
Hamilton, John McLure, 1853-1936  Search this
Harkrider, John, 1900-  Search this
Mechlin, Leila, 1874-1949  Search this
Morrow, George, 1869-1955  Search this
Pennell, Joseph, 1857-1926  Search this
Robinson, Alexander, 1867-1952  Search this
Extent:
3 Linear feet ((on 4 microfilm reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1906-1953
Scope and Contents:
Correspondence, artist files and subject files relate to Oakley's activities as an artist and illustrator, and his involvement with numerous art organizations, including the Philadelphia Art Alliance, the Philadelphia Water Color Club, the Artists' War Relief Committee of Philadelphia, and the Exposition of Indian Tribal Arts. Artist files on Cecilia Beaux, Florence Este, John Taylor Arms, John McLure Hamilton, Christian Brinton, George Morrow, Leila Mechlin, John Harkrider, Alexander Robinson, and Joseph Pennell, among others, primarily contain letters. Some also include photographs and printed matter. Four inches of letters from Beaux discuss working habits, portrait commissions, life in Paris, and personal matters. Letters from Este discuss life in France during the war, French artists, exhibitions at the Philadelphia Water Color Club, and Cecilia Beaux. Other material relates to Oakley's mural for the Franklin Institute.
Arrangement:
I.Finding aid. II.Cecilia Beaux correspondence, 1907-1942. III.Research materials for Oakley's biography of Beaux. IV.Florence Este correspondence, 1914-1925. V.Subject files, 1918-1952. VI.Artist files, 1906-1953.
Biographical / Historical:
Watercolorist and illustrator; Philadephia, Pa.
Provenance:
Microfilmed in 1990 as part of AAA's Philadelphia Arts Documentation Project. The papers were donated to the Brandywine River Museum by Oakley's daughter, Lansdale Oakley Humphreys. Unfilmed portions of the papers relate to publications, the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia, the National Geographic Society, French and Scandinavian organizations, and war relief efforts, among other topics.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Painters -- United States  Search this
Illustrators -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this
Watercolorists -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this
Topic:
Expatriate painters -- France  Search this
Function:
Arts organizations -- Pennsylvania
Identifier:
AAA.oaklthor
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9cd8e26ae-52b3-4b24-bbec-dfb2d109a779
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-oaklthor

Exhibition catalog of work by Violet Oakley & Edith Emerson

Creator:
Philadelphia Art Alliance  Search this
Subject:
Emerson, Edith  Search this
Oakley, Violet  Search this
Type:
Printed Materials
Date:
1930 Jan. 10-27
Citation:
Philadelphia Art Alliance. Exhibition catalog of work by Violet Oakley & Edith Emerson, 1930 Jan. 10-27. Edith Emerson papers, 1839-1981. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Exhibition catalogs  Search this
Exhibitions  Search this
Painters  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)8596
See more items in:
Edith Emerson papers, 1839-1981, bulk 1894-1971
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_8596

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