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Joseph Lindon Smith papers, 1647-1965, bulk 1873-1965

Creator:
Smith, Joseph Lindon, 1863-1950  Search this
Subject:
Pershing, John J. (John Joseph)  Search this
Manship, Paul  Search this
Loring, Charles Greely  Search this
James, Henry  Search this
Smith, Corinna Lindon  Search this
Sargent, John Singer  Search this
Ross, Denman Waldo  Search this
Alma-Tadema, Lawrence, Sir  Search this
Thayer, Abbott Handerson  Search this
Beaux, Cecilia  Search this
Benson, Frank Weston  Search this
Brush, George de Forest  Search this
Carson, Kit  Search this
Gardner, Isabella Stewart  Search this
Académie Julian  Search this
Type:
Notebooks
Photographs
Prints
Interviews
Drafts (documents)
Sound recordings
Scrapbooks
Diaries
Sketchbooks
Drawings
Place:
Egypt -- Antiquities
Egypt -- description and travel
Citation:
Joseph Lindon Smith papers, 1647-1965, bulk 1873-1965. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Historical drama  Search this
Community theater  Search this
Art, Egyptian  Search this
Art, Ancient  Search this
Art, Egypt  Search this
Theme:
Diaries  Search this
Sketches & Sketchbooks  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)8473
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)210649
AAA_collcode_smitjose
Theme:
Diaries
Sketches & Sketchbooks
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_210649
Online Media:

Joseph Lindon Smith papers

Creator:
Smith, Joseph Lindon, 1863-1950  Search this
Names:
Académie Julian  Search this
Alma-Tadema, Lawrence, Sir, 1836-1912  Search this
Beaux, Cecilia, 1855-1942  Search this
Benson, Frank Weston, 1862-1951  Search this
Brush, George de Forest, 1855-1941  Search this
Carson, Kit, 1809-1868  Search this
Gardner, Isabella Stewart, 1840-1924  Search this
James, Henry, 1843-1916  Search this
Loring, Charles Greely, 1828-1902  Search this
Manship, Paul, 1885-1966  Search this
Pershing, John J. (John Joseph), 1860-1948  Search this
Ross, Denman Waldo, 1853-1935  Search this
Sargent, John Singer, 1856-1925  Search this
Smith, Corinna Lindon, 1876-  Search this
Thayer, Abbott Handerson, 1849-1921  Search this
Extent:
8.8 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Notebooks
Photographs
Prints
Interviews
Drafts (documents)
Sound recordings
Scrapbooks
Diaries
Sketchbooks
Drawings
Place:
Egypt -- Antiquities
Egypt -- description and travel
Date:
1647-1965
bulk 1873-1965
Summary:
The papers of Boston and New Hampshire painter Joseph Lindon Smith date from 1647-1965, with the bulk of papers dating from 1873-1965, and measure 8.8 linear feet. Found within the papers are biographical materials; letters from family members, artists, museums, and art patrons; seven diaries by Smith and two by his wife Corinna, personal business records, notes and writings, files concerning charitable theatrical productions, one sketchbook and other art work, a scrapbook, printed material, photographs, and sound recordings of radio interviews and a radio program on Smith.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of Boston and New Hampshire painter Joseph Lindon Smith date from 1647-1965, with the bulk of papers dating from 1873-1965, and measure 8.8 linear feet. Found within the papers are biographical materials; letters from family members, artists, museums, and art patrons; seven diaries by Smith and two by his wife Corinna, personal business records, notes and writings, files concerning charitable theatrical productions, one sketchbook and other art work, a scrapbook, printed material, photographs, and sound recordings of radio interviews and a radio program on Smith.

Scattered biographical material consists of family history documents for the Smith and Putnam families, a Jenkes family tree, and passports for Joseph Lindon Smith and his family.

Over three linear feet of letters are from family members, artists including Cecilia Beaux, Frank Benson, George DeForest Brush, and Denman Ross, museum staff concerned with work in Egypt, and art patrons including Isabella Stewart Gardner, and individuals involved with Smith's charitable pageants. There are scattered letters from Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Henry James, Charles G. Loring, Paul Manship, General John J. Pershing, John Singer Sargent, and Abbott Handerson Thayer. Among the subjects discussed are student life at the Académie Julian, the Smiths' travels, and individuals known by Smith.

Seven diaries written by Joseph Lindon Smith document his ravels in Egypt, Persia, Europe, and New Mexico. Two diaries were written by Corinna Smith during her travels to Beiram and Egypt.

Personal business records business records include contracts, price lists, lists of securities, and miscellaneous receipts of the Smith and Putnam families, Joseph Lindon Smith, Corinna Smith, and their daughter Lois Smith.

Notes include engagement calendars, notebooks, lists of art work, lecture notes, minutes of meetings, notes on family history and on travel, and an autograph by Kit Carson. Writings include miscellaneous typescripts by the Smiths and others concerning travel, work in Egypt and elsewhere, and anecdotes about various friends and acquaintances. There are also three drafts of "Egypt - My Winter Home."

Theatrical production files concern plays, pageants, and masques written and/or produced by the Smiths. Many of the performances were benefits, dedication or anniversary celebrations, such as a pageant given at Fenway Court in honor of Isabella Stewart Gardner, a pageant at the dedication of a memorial to Abbott Handerson Thayer, and the centenary celebration of the founding of Amherst, Massachusetts.

Art work includes a sketchbook with extensive notes, a painting, drawings by Joseph Lindon Smith, and prints by other artists.

A scrapbook contains clippings and an exhibition catalog from the St. Botolph Club. Additional printed material includes clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, press releases, programs, booklets, brochures, and books by others.

Photographs are of Smith, his family, friends including classmates from the Académie Julian, Isabella Stewart Gardner, Abbott Handerson Thayer, exhibition installations, military camp sites from World War I, travel scenes, and art work by Smith.

Audio recordings consist of four sound disc recordings of interviews for WKNE Radio, Keene, New Hampshire, with Corinna Smith and Barry Faulkner talking about Smith, and a program about Smith and his book Tombs, Temples, and Ancient Art.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 11 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1711-1948 (Box 1, 10; 5 folders)

Series 2: Letters, 1768-1965 (Box 1-4, OV 11; 3.5 linear feet)

Series 3: Diaries, 1904-1949 (Box 4; 11 folders)

Series 4: Personal Business Records, 1647-1959 (Box 4, 10; 11 folders)

Series 5: Notes and Writings, 1783-1963 (Box 4-6; 2.0 linear feet)

Series 6: Theatrical Production Files, 1897-1950 (Box 6-7, 10; 1.2 linear feet)

Series 7: Art Works, 1932-1943 (Box 8, 10; 8 folders)

Series 8: Scrapbook, 1888-1901 (Box 8; 1 folder)

Series 9: Printed Material, 1723-1963 (Box 8, OV 11; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 10: Photographs, 1884-1956 (Box 8-10; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 11: Audio Recordings, 1956 (Box 9-10; 2 folders)

All material is arranged chronologically except for the writings by others and travel photographs that are arranged alphabetically.
Biographical Note:
Joseph Lindon Smith (1863-1950) of Boston, Massachusetts and Dublin, New Hampshire, was a painter primarily known for his ability to meticulously depict the murals and tomb sculpture of Egypt and other ancient cultures.

Joseph Lindon Smith was born on October 11, 1863 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, the son of wholesale lumberman Henry Francis Smith and Emma Greenleaf Smith, a cousin of John Greenleaf Whittier.

From 1880 to 1882, Smith studied drawing and painting at the Art School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts under Frederic Crowninshield and Otto Grundman. Accompanied by his friend, Frank Benson, he attended the Académie Julian and studied under William Bouguereau, Gustave Boulanger, and Jules Lefebvre from 1883 to 1885.

Upon his return to Boston, Smith established a studio as a portrait and landscape painter, attracting the attention of Denman Ross, a professor of History of Fine Arts at Harvard University. In the early 1890s Smith and Ross began to travel extensively and Smith became interested in ancient civilizations of Mexico, China, and Southeast Asia. In 1892, during a trip to Italy, Smith befriended Isabella Stewart Gardner, for whom he copied famous paintings, and occasionally acted as agent in purchasing art work.

Making his first trip to Egypt in 1898, Smith became enthralled with the art work of the ancient civilization and devoted himself to painting copies of the tomb sculptures and murals for educational uses in museums and other public institutions. In 1899, he married Corinna Haven Putnam and the couple spent much of their married life traveling between the United States and the Middle East, especially Egypt. From 1910 to 1939, Smith was a member of the Joint Expedition of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and Harvard University directed by Dr. George A. Reisner.

For fifty years, Smith was also sought out as a writer and producer of plays and theatrical pageants, fetes, and masques primarily staged for various charitable fund-raising events.

Joseph Lindon Smith died on October 18, 1950 in Dublin, New Hampshire.
Related Material:
The papers of Smith's wife, Corinna Putnam Smith, are available at The Schlesinger Library of Radcliffe College, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Provenance:
The Joseph Lindon Smith papers were donated by Jessie T. Hale, Smith's granddaughter, in 1977 and 1978.
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:
Painters -- New Hampshire -- Dublin  Search this
Topic:
Historical drama  Search this
Community theater  Search this
Art, Egyptian  Search this
Art, Ancient  Search this
Art, Egypt  Search this
Genre/Form:
Notebooks
Photographs
Prints
Interviews
Drafts (documents)
Sound recordings
Scrapbooks
Diaries
Sketchbooks
Drawings
Citation:
Joseph Lindon Smith papers, 1647-1965, bulk 1873-1965. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.smitjose
See more items in:
Joseph Lindon Smith papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw957fba9cb-a7d1-40b4-9a66-a5f4d2a0b7ed
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-smitjose
Online Media:

Nelson and Henry C. White research material

Creator:
White, Henry Cooke, 1861-1952  Search this
White, Nelson C.  Search this
Names:
Tryon Art Gallery  Search this
Barnard, George Grey, 1863-1938  Search this
Benson, Frank Weston, 1862-1951  Search this
Brush, George de Forest, 1855-1941  Search this
Churchill, Alfred Vance, 1864-1949  Search this
Cortissoz, Royal, 1869-1948  Search this
Currier, Elizabeth  Search this
Currier, J. Frank (Joseph Frank), 1843-1909  Search this
Dewing, M. O. (Maria Oakey), 1855-1927  Search this
Dewing, Thomas Wilmer, 1851-1938  Search this
Fantin-Latour, Henri, 1836-1904  Search this
Freer, Charles Lang, 1856-1919  Search this
Fuertes, Louis Agassiz, 1874-1927  Search this
Kaup, Elizabeth Dewing, b. 1885  Search this
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945  Search this
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919  Search this
Saint-Gaudens, Augustus, 1848-1907  Search this
Sargent, John Singer, 1856-1925  Search this
Taber, E. M.  Search this
Thayer, Abbott Handerson, 1849-1921  Search this
Thayer, Emma B., 1850-1924  Search this
Thayer, Gladys, 1886 or 7-1945  Search this
Thayer, Kate Bloede  Search this
Thayer, Wm. Henry (William Henry), 1822-1897  Search this
Tryon, Dwight William, 1849-1925  Search this
Whistler, James McNeill, 1834-1903  Search this
Williams, George Alfred, 1875-  Search this
Extent:
4.5 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Diaries
Photographs
Sketches
Date:
circa 1851-1961
Summary:
The research material of Connecticut artists and authors Nelson and Henry C. White, measures 4.5 linear feet and dates from circa 1851-1961. The bulk of the collection consists of Nelson C. White's correspondence, writings, and research, primarily related to J. Frank Currier and Abbott Handerson Thayer, and referencing Thomas Wilmer Dewing. Also found are the correspondence, writings, and research files of Nelson's father, Henry C. White, primarily relating to Dwight W. Tryon. Research files include artist correspondence, writings and notes, printed material, photographs of the artists, and photographs of artwork and exhibition installations.
Scope and Contents:
The research material of Connecticut artists and authors Nelson and Henry C. White, measures 4.5 linear feet and dates from circa 1851-1961. The bulk of the collection consists of Nelson C. White's correspondence, writings, and research, primarily related to J. Frank Currier and Abbott Handerson Thayer, and referencing Thomas Wilmer Dewing. Also found are the correspondence, writings, and research files of Nelson's father, Henry C. White, primarily relating to Dwight W. Tryon. Research files include artist correspondence, writings and notes, printed material, photographs of the artists, and photographs of artwork and exhibition installations.

Nelson C. White's correspondence is with Elizabeth Currier, gallery owners, and other individuals in possession of artwork by Currier, conducted during his research on J. Frank Currier, as well as with Elizabeth Dewing Kaup and others concerning his research on Thomas Wilmer Dewing. Miscellaneous material includes reviews of White's autobiography on Abbott Handerson Thayer, and White's ink sketches for a holiday card.

Nelson C. White's writings and notes consist of annotated drafts of Abbott H. Thayer: Painter and Naturalist, The Life and Art of J. Frank Currier, and articles including "Cremona," and "The Art of Thomas W. Dewing."

White's research files form the bulk of the collection. 9 folders of research material on J. Frank Currier consist primarily of photos of artwork and of an installation at Lyman Allyn Museum, but also include a transcript of Currier's 1870 diary, and 3 photographs (copy prints) of Currier. White's research material on Abbott Handerson Thayer is substantial and includes: biographical material on Thayer, such as family reminiscences by Thayer's daughter, Gladys Thayer, and his father, William Henry Thayer; copies and originals of Thayer's letters to his first wife, Kate Thayer, and his second wife, Emma Beach Thayer, and correspondence with William Henry Thayer; typescript copies and originals of Thayer's correspondence with artists, politicians, naturalists and others including George Grey Barnard, Frank Weston Benson, George de Forest Brush, Royal Cortissoz, Maria Oakey Dewing, Thomas Wilmer Dewing , Charles Lang Freer, Louis Agassiz Fuertes, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, John Singer Sargent, Edward Martin Taber, and George Alfred Williams; annotated drafts of Thayer's writings and notes on art, philosophy, and nature including his theories on concealing coloration and wildlife preservation; printed material including 2 Thayer exhibition catalogs and news clippings of Thayer's letters to editors; and photographs of Thayer, his family and friends, his home and studio, and his artwork.

Henry C. White's papers include a folder of White's correspondence relating to the publication of his book, The Life and Art of Dwight William Tryon and including a letter from Elizabeth Currier; drafts of his biography of Tryon, including revisions by Mrs. Bender, Alfred Vance Churchill, and Mr. Rossiter; research material on Tryon including transcripts of letters from Tryon to George Alfred Williams, from Charles Lang Freer to Tryon, and from James McNeill Whistler to Henri Fantin-Latour; a typescript of autobiographical "notes and recollections" by Tryon; and photographs of Tryon, his home and studio, his artwork, and the Tryon Art Gallery at Smith College.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 4 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Nelson C. White Correspondence and Miscellaneous Material, 1921-1953 (Box 1; 0.25 linear feet)

Series 2: Nelson C. White's Writings and Notes, circa 1929-circa 1951 (Box 1, OV 6; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 3: Nelson C. White's Research Files, circa 1851-1961 (Boxes 1-4, OV 6; 2.65 linear feet)

Series 4: Henry C. White Papers, circa 1860-1954 (Boxes 4-5; 1.1 linear feet)
Biographical / Historical:
Connecticut painter, art historian, and collector, Nelson C. White (1900-1989) was born in Waterford, Connecticut, to artist Henry C. White. He studied at the National Academy of Design and Yale University and established himself as a landscape painter whilst also pursuing a literary career. He was the author of two biographies: The Life and Art of J. Frank Currier (1936), and Abbott H. Thayer: Painter and Naturalist (1951). White also penned an article on his friend, Thomas Wilmer Dewing ("The Art of Thomas Wilmer Dewing"), which was published in 1929.

White's father, Henry C. White (1861-1952), was an artist known primarily for his landscapes and seascapes of his native Connecticut. Born in Hartford, White began his career in 1875, studying with Dwight W. Tryon. In the 1880s he enrolled in the Art Students League in New York, while continuing to study with Tryon and other artists, including Kenyon Cox and George de Forest Brush. In the 1890s he traveled in Europe and then returned to Hartford where he taught drawing at the Hartford Public School, and co-founded the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts in 1910. Like his son, White had literary aspirations, and in 1930 published a biography of his life-long friend and teacher entitled The Life and Art of Dwight W. Tryon. Two years after his death in 1952, the Lyman Allyn Museum held a memorial exhibition for White, curated primarily by Nelson C. White.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art holds several collections related to the Nelson and Henry C. White research material on Abbott Handerson Thayer and Dwight William Tryon. These include research material on Abbott Handerson Thayer and other artists, 1895-1990, donated by Thomas B. Brumbaugh; the Abbott Handerson Thayer letter and drawings to Caroline Peddle Ball, circa 1890-1893; and the Dwight William Tryon papers, 1872-1930.
Separated Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds material lent for microfilming (reels 1330 and 2807) including autobiographical notes by Tryon, letters to Nelson C. White and Henry C. white, photographs of artwork, and an article. Lent materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Provenance:
The Archives of American Art purchased two linear feet of material from Nelson C. White in 1956. White also lent material and donated papers in 1978 and 1983.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference 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:
Painters -- Connecticut  Search this
Art historians -- Connecticut  Search this
Topic:
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- Connecticut  Search this
Art -- Philosophy  Search this
Protective coloration (Biology)  Search this
Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this
Wildlife conservation  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Genre/Form:
Diaries
Photographs
Sketches
Citation:
Nelson and Henry C. White research material, circa 1851-1961. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.whitnels
See more items in:
Nelson and Henry C. White research material
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw903aa9e0c-8609-49fa-aaea-8c72f7fe8e77
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-whitnels
Online Media:

Nelson and Henry C. White research material, circa 1851-1961

Creator:
White, Henry Cooke, 1861-1952  Search this
White, Nelson C. (Nelson Cooke), 1900-1989  Search this
Subject:
Fantin-Latour, Henri  Search this
Brush, George de Forest  Search this
Benson, Frank Weston  Search this
Dewing, M. O. (Maria Oakey)  Search this
Cortissoz, Royal  Search this
Churchill, Alfred Vance  Search this
Whistler, James McNeill  Search this
Barnard, George Grey  Search this
Saint-Gaudens, Augustus  Search this
Sargent, John Singer  Search this
Taber, E. M.  Search this
Williams, George Alfred  Search this
Freer, Charles Lang  Search this
Fuertes, Louis Agassiz  Search this
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano)  Search this
Roosevelt, Theodore  Search this
Kaup, Elizabeth Dewing  Search this
Currier, Elizabeth  Search this
Thayer, Wm. Henry (William Henry)  Search this
Thayer, Gladys  Search this
Currier, J. Frank (Joseph Frank)  Search this
Thayer, Kate Bloede  Search this
Dewing, Thomas Wilmer  Search this
Thayer, Abbott Handerson  Search this
Tryon, Dwight William  Search this
Thayer, Emma B.  Search this
Tryon Art Gallery  Search this
Type:
Diaries
Photographs
Sketches
Citation:
Nelson and Henry C. White research material, circa 1851-1961. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- Connecticut  Search this
Art -- Philosophy  Search this
Protective coloration (Biology)  Search this
Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this
Wildlife conservation  Search this
Women artists  Search this
Theme:
Diaries  Search this
Research and writing about art  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)9351
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)211547
AAA_collcode_whitnels
Theme:
Diaries
Research and writing about art
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_211547
Online Media:

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