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Victor D. Spark papers, circa 1830-1983, bulk 1930-1970

Creator:
Spark, Victor D. (Victor David), 1898-1991  Search this
Subject:
Clonney, James Goodwyn  Search this
Prendergast, Maurice Brazil  Search this
Hardy, Jeremiah Pearson  Search this
Copley, John Singleton  Search this
Engelhard, Charles W., Jr.  Search this
Frankenstein, Alfred V. (Alfred Victor)  Search this
Moran, Thomas  Search this
Berliner, Jacob  Search this
Medina, Leon  Search this
Heade, Martin Johnson  Search this
Grigaut, Hubert L.  Search this
Lehman, Robert  Search this
Hardy, Charlotte  Search this
Shinn, Everett  Search this
Sully, Thomas  Search this
Moran, Ruth B.  Search this
Peale, Rembrandt  Search this
San Diego Arts Society  Search this
Type:
Photographs
Citation:
Victor D. Spark papers, circa 1830-1983, bulk 1930-1970. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Art, Modern -- 19th century -- United States  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art, American  Search this
Theme:
Art Gallery Records  Search this
Art Market  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)7451
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209609
AAA_collcode_sparvict
Theme:
Art Gallery Records
Art Market
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209609
Online Media:

Victor D. Spark papers

Creator:
Spark, Victor D. (Victor David), 1898-1991  Search this
Names:
San Diego Arts Society  Search this
Berliner, Jacob, 1849-1918  Search this
Clonney, James Goodwyn, 1812-1867  Search this
Copley, John Singleton, 1738-1815  Search this
Engelhard, Charles W., Jr., 1917-1971  Search this
Frankenstein, Alfred V. (Alfred Victor), 1906-1981  Search this
Grigaut, Hubert L.  Search this
Hardy, Charlotte  Search this
Hardy, Jeremiah Pearson, 1800-1889  Search this
Heade, Martin Johnson, 1819-1904  Search this
Lehman, Robert, 1892-1969  Search this
Medina, Leon  Search this
Moran, Ruth B.  Search this
Moran, Thomas, 1837-1926  Search this
Peale, Rembrandt, 1778-1860  Search this
Prendergast, Maurice Brazil, 1858-1924  Search this
Shinn, Everett, 1876-1953  Search this
Sully, Thomas, 1783-1872  Search this
Extent:
22.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Date:
circa 1830-1983
bulk 1930-1970
Summary:
The Victor D. Spark papers measure 22.2 linear feet and date from circa 1830 to 1983, with the bulk of the material from 1930 to 1970. The papers document Spark's career as a New York City art dealer and appraiser who was most active from World War II through the 1970s, focusing on Old Masters paintings and 19th and early 20th century American art. Found within the papers are biographical materials, artist files, client files, financial records, legal records, printed material, and photographs.
Scope and Contents:
The Victor D. Spark papers measure 22.2 linear feet and date from circa 1830 to 1983, with the bulk of the material from 1930 to 1970. The papers document Spark's career as a New York City art dealer and appraiser who was most active during World War II up through the 1970s with a focus on Old Masters paintings as well as 19th and early 20th century American art. Found within the papers are biographical materials, artist files, client files, financial records, legal records, printed material, and photographs.

Biographical materials contain greeting cards and post cards, annotated appointment calendars, miscellaneous notes and lists, and an apartment lease.

Artists' files include photographs of artwork, artist biographies, printed materials, and some correspondence with and about the artist. Many of the photographs are annotated. Files are found for Old Masters and American artists, including James G. Clonney, Jon Singleton Copley, Jeremiah P. Hardy, Martin Johnson Heade, Rembrandt Peale, Maurice Prendergast, Everett Shinn, Thomas Sully, and many others. There is also a letter written in 1924 by Ruth Moran along with a photograph of a painting by the artist Thomas Moran, signed by him on the verso.

Extensive client files include notes, correspondence, bills, receipts, and clippings regarding sales and appraisals. Spark's clients included museums, collectors, art dealers, most of which are represented in the files. Notable clients and colleagues include Jacob S. Berliner, Charles W. Engelhard, Alfred V. Frankenstein, Hubert L. Grigaut, Charlotte W. Hardy, Robert Lehman, and Leon Medina. There are also files for many universities, businesses, museums, and galleries.

Financial records comprise the largest series in the collection and include ledgers, stock books, consignment records, scattered banking records, bills, tax documents, auction price lists, check stubs, and cancelled checks.

A small amount of legal records document two legal cases: Rauch v. IRS and Kaufman v. Phoenix (Travelers) Insurance Company for which Spark provided testimony.

Printed materials include clippings, exhibition and auction catalogs, newsletters, bulletins, a membership roster for the San Diego Arts Society, and several 19th century printed items.

Two black and white photographs are of a steam locomotive and an unidentified portraitist in his studio.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged as 7 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1906, 1948-1981 (1.7 linear feet; Box 1-2)

Series 2: Artist Files, 1905-1983 (4 linear feet; Box 2-6, 22)

Series 3: Client Files, 1904, 1927-1981 (7.1 linear feet; Box 6-13)

Series 4: Financial Records, 1930-1981 (8.7 linear feet; Box 13-20, 22-29)

Series 5: Legal Records, 1970-1972 (0.2 linear feet; Box 20)

Series 6: Printed Materials, circa 1830-1872, 1948-1982 (0.2 linear feet; Box 20-22)

Series 7: Photographs, circa 1898-circa 1940 (0.1 linear feet; Box 21)
Biographical / Historical:
Victor D. Spark (1898-1991) was a prominent New York City appraiser and art dealer who specialized in Old Masters paintings as well as 19th and early 20th century art.

Spark was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1898. When he was two years old, the Spark family moved to Harlem. His father worked in the hotel business and owned hotels in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Europe. Spark briefly attended the City College of New York before transferring to New York University, where he studied for half a year, then enlisted in the Marines Corps during World War I and served overseas for 2 years. After his discharge, Spark returned to NYU where he majored in French, an interest he acquired during his military service. After graduation, Spark married Nina and went to Europe to help his father manage a summer hotel. There, he became interested in art.

Spark returned to the U.S., continuing to work for his father until 1929. Spark was involved with decorating and furnishing the hotels and often purchased antiques, artwork, and furniture, furthering his arts interests and knowledge. He began working in a gallery, acquiring works of art and dividing the sales profits with the gallery owners. Spark had no formal art education and his taste and eye for art was gained primarily through his travels in Europe. He also had a good business sense about what might sell for profit in the U.S.

Spark made frequent art buying trips across the United States to cities such as Boston and Philadelphia and returned to New York with paintings that he sold. Spark never owned a gallery, but he occasionally held exhibits, such as one titled "101 American Painters," inside the apartment. Although Spark specialized in 19th to early 20th century American art, he also sold European art work acquired during trips to Europe following World War II.

Spark continued his work selling paintings to museums, collectors, and other art dealers, until the 1970s. He was most active from the 1930s through World War II. As a prominent dealer for over four decades, Spark came to know many luminaries of the New York art scene, such as art dealer and gallery owner Edith Halpert. Spark died in 1991.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art also holds an oral history interview of Victor D. Spark conducted August 5, 1975 by Paul Cummings.

The National Gallery of Art maintains 12,000 photographs and negatives of artwork in their Victor D. Spark photograph collection.
Provenance:
The Victor D. Spark papers were acquired between 1954 and 1996. The first accession of 19th century printed materials and a letter by Ruth Moran was donated by Spark in 1954. The bulk of the collection was purchased jointly by the Archives of American Art and the National Gallery of Art at auction in July 1987. Subsequently, photographs of works of art documenting the collections of the National Gallery of Art were separated and retained by the National Gallery of Art. The papers remained at the Archives of American Art; three letters were later transferred to the Archives from the National Gallery of Art in 1996.
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 appraisers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this
Art, Modern -- 19th century -- United States  Search this
Art -- Collectors and collecting -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art, American  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Citation:
Victor D. Spark papers, circa 1830-1983, bulk 1930-1970. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.sparvict
See more items in:
Victor D. Spark papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9a7df6e43-9a79-481a-88b3-5014c296d51d
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-sparvict
Online Media:

Engelhard, Charles W.

Collection Creator:
Spark, Victor D. (Victor David), 1898-1991  Search this
Container:
Box 8, Folder 62
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1971
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Victor D. Spark papers, circa 1830-1983, bulk 1930-1970. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Victor D. Spark papers
Victor D. Spark papers / Series 3: Client Files
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw975054d79-8b93-46f1-8adf-ceed98494aa3
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-sparvict-ref767

Engelhard, Charles W.

Collection Creator:
Spark, Victor D. (Victor David), 1898-1991  Search this
Container:
Box 8, Folder 63
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1971-1972
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Collection 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.
Collection Citation:
Victor D. Spark papers, circa 1830-1983, bulk 1930-1970. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Victor D. Spark papers
Victor D. Spark papers / Series 3: Client Files
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95a15cdd9-3f3e-4169-8aff-abed94c06632
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-sparvict-ref768

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