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Oral history interview with Edith Gregor Halpert, 1965 Jan. 20

Interviewee:
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Interviewer:
Phillips, Harlan B., 1920-1979,  Search this
Subject:
Cahill, Holger  Search this
Barr, Alfred H., Jr.  Search this
Goodrich, Lloyd  Search this
Miller, Dorothy Canning  Search this
Federal Art Project  Search this
Downtown Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this
Type:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Citation:
Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Edith Gregor Halpert, 1965 Jan. 20. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
Women art dealers  Search this
Theme:
New Deal  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)12947
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)216476
AAA_collcode_halper65
Theme:
New Deal
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_216476
Online Media:

Oral history interview with George Biddle

Interviewee:
Biddle, George, 1885-1973  Search this
Interviewer:
Phillips, Harlan B. (Harlan Buddington), 1920-1979  Search this
Creator:
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this
Names:
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this
Public Works of Art Project  Search this
Bacon, Peggy, 1895-1987  Search this
Benton, Thomas Hart, 1889-1975  Search this
Billings, Henry, 1901-  Search this
Bouché, Louis, 1896-1969  Search this
Bruce, Edward, 1879-1943  Search this
Cahill, Holger, 1887-1960  Search this
Cassatt, Mary, 1844-1926  Search this
Curry, John Steuart, 1897-1946  Search this
Demuth, Charles, 1883-1935  Search this
Evergood, Philip, 1901-1973  Search this
Grosz, George, 1893-1959  Search this
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Hartley, Marsden, 1877-1943  Search this
Kroll, Leon, 1884-1974  Search this
Marsh, Reginald, 1898-1954  Search this
Miller, Kenneth Hayes, 1876-1952  Search this
Orozco, José Clemente, 1883-1949  Search this
Pascin, Jules, 1885-1930  Search this
Poor, Henry Varnum, 1887-1970  Search this
Rivera, Diego, 1886-1957  Search this
Robinson, Boardman, 1876-1952  Search this
Siqueiros, David Alfaro, 1896-1974  Search this
Sterne, Maurice, 1878-1957  Search this
Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this
Tamayo, Rufino, 1899-1991  Search this
Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this
Zorach, William, 1887-1966  Search this
Zorach, William, 1887-1966  Search this
Extent:
239 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1963
Scope and Contents:
An interview of George Biddle conducted in 1963, by Harlan Phillips, for the Archives of American Art.
Biddle speaks of his background in Philadelphia; his Harvard education in preparation for a law career; literary acquaintances; travel; the beginning of his art career; his preoccupation with portraiture; his tragic and pleasant works; the importance of mood; his drawing techniques; drawing from nature; color experimentation; Stieglitz's circle; the susceptibility of artists to change during the 1930s; his involvement with the Public Works of Art Project; government censorship of his murals; his involvement with artists overseas during World War II; and his aesthetic philosophy. He recalls Max Weber, Maurice Sterne, George Grosz, William Zorach, Kenneth Hayes Miller, Peggy Bacon, Marsden Hartley, Charles Demuth, Edith Halpert, Boardman Robinson, Reginald Marsh, Thomas Hart Benton, Henry Billings, Ned Bruce, Holger Cahill, Philip Evergood, Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, David Siqueiros, and Rufino Tamayo.
Biographical / Historical:
George Biddle (1885-1973) was a painter and sculptor, in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.
General:
Originally recorded 3 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 9 digital wav files. Duration is 13 hr., 56 min.
Provenance:
Conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Restrictions:
This interview is open for research. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Topic:
Art -- Censorship  Search this
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.biddle63
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9bb4fdb2d-29ab-4c56-bcef-655c27a0afb8
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-biddle63
Online Media:

Holger Cahill papers

Creator:
Cahill, Holger, 1887-1960  Search this
Names:
American Artists' Congress  Search this
American Council of Learned Societies  Search this
American Federation of Arts  Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Cartoonists Guild  Search this
Federal Art Project (U.S.)  Search this
Federal Music Project (U.S.)  Search this
Federal Theatre Project (U.S.)  Search this
Index of American Design  Search this
New York World's Fair (1939-1940 : New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Shakers  Search this
The Design Laboratory (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Treasury Relief Art Project  Search this
United States. Work Projects Administration  Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this
Abbott, Berenice, 1898-1991  Search this
Brown, Samuel Joseph, 1907-1994  Search this
De Rivera, José Ruiz, 1904-1985  Search this
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Hopkins, Harry Lloyd, 1890-1946  Search this
Knaths, Karl, 1891-1971  Search this
Miller, Dorothy Canning, 1904-2003  Search this
Morris, Carl, 1911-1993  Search this
Olds, Elizabeth, 1896-1991  Search this
Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962  Search this
Rowan, Edward Beatty, 1898-1946  Search this
Scaravaglione, Concetta, 1900-1975  Search this
Segal, George, 1924-2000  Search this
Speck, Walter, 1895-  Search this
Ward, Lynd, 1905-1985  Search this
Weisenborn, Rudolph, b. 1881  Search this
Extent:
15.8 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Prints
Government records
Interviews
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Slides (photographs)
Photograph albums
Drawings
Place:
United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945
United States -- Social conditions -- 1933-1945
Date:
1910-1993
bulk 1910-1960
Summary:
The papers of Holger Cahill (1887-1960) date from 1910 to 1993, with the bulk of the material dating from 1910-1960, and measure 15.8 linear feet. The collection offers researchers fairly comprehensive documentation of Cahill's directorship of the Works Progress/Projects Administration's (WPA) Federal Art Project (FAP) in addition to series documenting his work as a writer and art critic. Material includes correspondence, reports, artist files, scrapbooks, printed material, and photographs.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of Holger Cahill (1887-1960) date from 1910 to 1993, bulk 1910-1960, and measure 15.8 linear feet. The collection offers researchers fairly comprehensive documentation of Cahill's directorship of the FAP in addition to series documenting his work as a writer and art critic. FAP records include national and state administrative reports, records of community art centers, photographic documentation of state activities, artist files, divisional records about teaching, crafts, murals, and poster work, files concerning the Index of American Design, scrapbooks, and printed material.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into nine series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material and Personal Papers, 1931-1988 (Box 1; 19 folders)

Series 2: Correspondence Files, 1922-1979, 1993 (Boxes 1-2; 1.5 linear ft.)

Series 3: Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project, 1934-1970 (Boxes 2-14, 18, MMs009; 10.75 linear ft.)

Series 4: Writings, Lectures and Speeches, 1916-1960 (Boxes 14-15, 18; 1.0 linear ft.)

Series 5: Minutes of Meetings and Panel Discussions, Non-FAP, 1939-1947 (Box 15; 5 folders)

Series 6: Notes and Research Material, 1935-1970 (Boxes 15-16; 0.25 linear ft.)

Series 7: Artwork, undated (Boxes 16, 18; 2 folders)

Series 8: Printed Material, 1910-1985 (Boxes 16-17; 1.8 linear ft.)

Series 9: Photographs, circa 1917-1960 (Box 17; 6 folders)
Biographical Note:
Holger Cahill was born Sveinn Kristjan Bjarnarson in Iceland in a small valley near the Arctic Circle, on January 13, 1887. His parents, Bjorn Jonson and Vigdis Bjarnadottir, immigrated to the United States from Iceland sometime later in the 1880s. In 1904, his father deserted the family, forcing Sveinn to be separated from his mother and sister to work on a farm in North Dakota. He ran away and wandered from job to job until settling in an orphanage in western Canada, where he attended school and became a voracious reader.

As a young man, he worked at many different jobs and attended night school. While working on a freighter, he visited Hong Kong, beginning his life-long interest in the Orient. Returning to New York City, he eventually became a newspaper reporter, continued his studies at New York University, and changed his name to Edgar Holger Cahill. In 1919 he married Katherine Gridley of Detroit. Their daughter, Jane Ann, was born in 1922, but the couple divorced in 1927.

Cahill met John Sloan circa 1920, and they shared a residence. Cahill also wrote publicity (until 1928) for the Society of Independent Artists, through which he made many friends in the arts. From 1922 to 1931, he worked under John Cotton Dana at the Newark Museum, where he received his basic experience in museum work, organizing the first large exhibitions of folk art.

From 1932 to 1935, he was the director of exhibitions for the Museum of Modern Art. In 1935, Cahill was appointed director of the Works Progress/Projects Administration (WPA) Federal Art Project (FAP), until its end in June 1943. In 1938, Cahill organized a countrywide exhibition "American Art Today" for the New York World's Fair. He also married MoMa curator Dorothy Canning Miller in that year.

Profane Earth, Cahill's first novel, was published in 1927, followed by monographs on Pop Hart and Max Weber, miscellaneous short stories, and a biography of Frederick Townsend Ward, entitled A Yankee Adventurer: The Story of Ward and the Taiping Rebellion. Following the end of the Federal Art Project, Cahill wrote two novels, Look South to the Polar Star (1947) and The Shadow of My Hand (1956).

Holger Cahill died in Stockbridge, Massachusetts in July 1960.
Provenance:
The Holger Cahill papers were donated to the Archives of American Art through a series of gifts by Cahill's widow, Dorothy C. Miller, between 1964 and 1995.
Restrictions:
The microfilm of this collection has been digitized and is available online via the Archives of American Art website.
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:
Arts administrators  Search this
Topic:
Federal aid to the public welfare  Search this
Art and state  Search this
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
New Deal, 1933-1939  Search this
Public officers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Prints
Government records
Interviews
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Slides (photographs)
Photograph albums
Drawings
Citation:
Holger Cahill papers, 1910-1993, bulk 1910-1960. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.cahiholg
See more items in:
Holger Cahill papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93d4a8dc7-a7be-470b-8216-ae763d3bc9e2
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-cahiholg

Halpert, Edith Gregor, see: Downtown Gallery

Collection Creator:
Shahn, Ben, 1898-1969  Search this
Container:
Box 13
Type:
Archival materials
Collection 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.
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:
Ben Shahn papers, 1879-1990, bulk 1933-1970. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Ben Shahn papers
Ben Shahn papers / Series 2: Letters
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9132d9af3-b5b3-40a9-9bd2-2035495db3a0
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-aaa-shahben-ref374

Oral history interview with Edith Gregor Halpert

Interviewee:
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Interviewer:
Phillips, Harlan B. (Harlan Buddington), 1920-1979  Search this
Names:
C.W. Kraushaar Art Galleries  Search this
Daniel Gallery  Search this
Downtown Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Ferargil Galleries  Search this
Grand Central Art Galleries  Search this
M. Knoedler & Co.  Search this
Montross Gallery  Search this
New Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Bacon, Peggy, 1895-1987  Search this
Barr, Alfred H., Jr., 1902-1981  Search this
Barrie, Erwin S., 1886-1983  Search this
Benton, Thomas Hart, 1889-1975  Search this
Brackman, Robert, 1898-  Search this
Bridgman, George Brant, 1864-1943  Search this
Brixey, Richard de Wolfe  Search this
Cahill, Holger, 1887-1960  Search this
Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976  Search this
Cary, Elisabeth Luther, 1867-1936  Search this
Chase, William Merritt, 1849-1916  Search this
Coleman, Glenn O., 1887-1932  Search this
Crowninshield, Frank, 1872-1947  Search this
Daniel, Charles, 1878-1971  Search this
Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964  Search this
Demuth, Charles, 1883-1935  Search this
Deskey, Donald, 1894-  Search this
Dove, Arthur Garfield, 1880-1946  Search this
Dudensing, F. Valentine, 1892-1967  Search this
Fergusson, John Duncan, 1874-1961  Search this
Field, Hamilton Easter  Search this
Force, Juliana, 1876-1948  Search this
Ford, Ford Madox, 1873-1939  Search this
Frost, Robert, 1874-1963  Search this
Fuller, R. Buckminster (Richard Buckminster), 1895-1983  Search this
Goodyear, A. Conger (Anson Conger), 1877-1964  Search this
Greenberg, Clement, 1909-1994  Search this
Halpert, Samuel, 1884-1930  Search this
Hartley, Marsden, 1877-1943  Search this
Hirsch, Stefan, 1899-1964  Search this
Hopkinson, Charles, 1869-1962  Search this
Hopper, Edward, 1882-1967  Search this
Johns, Jasper, 1930-  Search this
Kline, Franz, 1910-1962  Search this
Knox, Seymour H., 1898-1990  Search this
Kroll, Leon, 1884-1974  Search this
Kuhn, Walt, 1877-1949  Search this
Kuniyoshi, Yasuo, 1889-1953  Search this
Laurent, Robert, 1890-1970  Search this
Lawrence, Jacob, 1917-2000  Search this
Levine, Jack, 1915-2010  Search this
Levy, Julien  Search this
Locke, Charles, 1899-  Search this
Luks, George Benjamin, 1867-1933  Search this
Léger, Fernand, 1881-1955  Search this
Marin, John, Jr., 1915?-1988  Search this
McBride, Henry, 1867-1962  Search this
Mellon, Paul  Search this
Mercer, Henry Chapman  Search this
Montross, N. E. (Newman E), 1849-1932  Search this
Noguchi, Isamu, 1904-1988  Search this
O'Keeffe, Georgia, 1887-1986  Search this
Pascin, Jules, 1885-1930  Search this
Picasso, Pablo, 1881-1973  Search this
Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956  Search this
Pound, Ezra, 1885-1972  Search this
Rivera, Diego, 1886-1957  Search this
Robinson, Edward G., 1893-1973  Search this
Rockefeller, Abby Aldrich  Search this
Saarinen, Aline B. (Aline Bernstein), 1914-1972  Search this
Saklatwalla, Beram K.  Search this
Sandburg, Carl, 1878-1967  Search this
Shahn, Ben, 1898-1969  Search this
Sheeler, Charles, 1883-1965  Search this
Siporin, Mitchell, 1910-1976  Search this
Soutine, Chaim, 1893-1943  Search this
Steichen, Edward, 1879-1973  Search this
Stein, Gertrude, 1874-1946  Search this
Stella, Frank  Search this
Stern, Louis E., 1886-1962  Search this
Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this
Tannahill, Robert Hudson  Search this
Vollard, Ambroise, 1867-1939  Search this
Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this
Whitney, Gertrude Vanderbilt, 1875-1942  Search this
Williams, William Carlos, 1883-1963  Search this
Wittenberg, Philip, 1895-1987  Search this
Zerbe, Karl, 1903-1972  Search this
Zorach, Marguerite, 1887-1968  Search this
Zorach, William, 1887-1966  Search this
Extent:
436 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Date:
1962-1963
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Edith Halpert conducted 1962-1963, by Harlan Phillips, for the Archives of American Art.
Halpert speaks of her childhood in Russia and growing up in New York City; working at Bloomindale's, Macy's, Stern Brothers, and Cohen Goldman; her marriage to artist Sam Halpert, his health, and living in Paris in 1925; becoming an art student at the Academy of Design and feeling that Leon Kroll was an excellent art teacher until he began to correct her drawings; when George Bridgman thought she was ruining his class; the Lincoln Square Arcade, when she and Ernest Fiener and Robert Brackman would rent Conan's studio evenings and bring in instructors; how Newman Montross influenced her more than anybody about showing her art that she loved; burning all of her work because Kroll said she had no talent; receiving a painting from John Marin; her friendship and working relationship with Abby Rockefeller and other family members.
She recalls opening the Downtown Gallery, in Greenwich Village, in 1926; a brief history of modern art; many artists helping decorate the new Daylight Gallery in 1930 and the first show being called "Practical Manifestations of Art"; meeting Robert and Sonia Delaunay in France; when she refused to allow Ezra Pound to speak at one of the gallery lectures because of his anti-Semite remarks and William Carlos Williams and Ford Madox Ford argued with her over it; experiencing jealousy and professional attacks from other dealers; the successful "Pop" Hart show and book in 1929; the "Thirty-three Moderns" show in 1930 at the Grand Central Galleries; the Jules Pascin show in 1930; in America, most of the art buyers supporters of culture were women, until the WPA and World War II, when it became fashionable for men to be involved; Ambroise Vollard's advice on selling art; handling the frustrations of working in the art field; friendships with Stuart Davis,Charles Sheeler, and Ben Shahn; how artists work through dry periods in their creativity and the "Recurrent Image" show; a discussion on modern art galleries of New York City, such as Daniel, Knoedler, Ferargil, the New Gallery, 291, the Grand Central, Kraushaar, and Montross; her travels through Pennsylvania and Maine for good examples of folk art for the gallery; the "The Artist Looks at Music" show; the non-competitive spirit of the early modern American artists; of being saved financially in 1940 by selling a William Harnett painting to the Boston Museum and then renting new space for the gallery.
Also, Mitchell Siporin bringing Halpert and Edmund Gurry to Mitchell Field during World War II for a camouflage show and consequently Downtown Gallery artists and others were enlisted in the camouflage corps for the U.S. Air Force; Charles Sheeler and his wife find Halpert a house in Newtown, Conn.; her decision in 1933 to push folk art for acquisition by the William Rockhill Nelson Gallery in Kansas City, Missouri; her great concern about what to do with her folk art literature collection; dismay and that no one writes about the history of folk art and those responsible for its creation and popularity; Louis Stern hiring her to organize a municipal exhibit in Atlantic City, N.J., with Donald Deskey designing the furniture and Holger Cahill managing the publicity; Joe Lillie helping her meet Fiorello La Guardia and Joe McGoldrick in 1934 about a municipal show in New York City, but it is moved to Radio City Music Hall through Nelson Rockefeller; the "Salons of America" show; wanting articles written about art for love rather than art for investment; working with Aline Saarinen on her book, "Proud Possessors;" letters from Stuart Davis, William Zorach and others that hurt her feelings; enjoying giving educational lectures and considering retirement because of ill health; the desire to write a book on the history of trade signs in folk art; feeling that the young artists are being ruined by too much support without working for it; planning to write a book entitled, "Unsung Heroes," about artists brave enough to experiment; organizing a show in Russia at her own expense; later representing the U.S. in art at the "American National Exposition"; the agitators and success of the exposition; Alfred Stieglitz and Georgia O'Keeffe.
Halpert also recalls Juliana Force, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Buckminster Fuller, George Luks, Edsel Ford, Max Weber, Danny Diefenbacker, Hamilton Easter Field, Frank Stella, Glenn Coleman, Margaret Zorach, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Henry Mercer, Romany Marie, Edward G. Robinson, Paul Mellon, Charles Pollet, Alex Brook, Lunca Curass, Dorothy Lambert, Duncan Candler, Frank Rhen, Louis Rittman, Bea Goldsmith, Arthur Craven, Robert Frost, Philip Wittenberg, Caesar de Hoke, Richard deWolfe Brixey, Seymour Knox, Walt Kuhn, Elisabeth Luther Cary, Charles Locke, Duncan Fergusson, Mrs. Solomon Guggenheim, Bob Tannahill, David Thompson, Marsden Hartley, Erwin Barrie, Robert Laurent, Conger Goodyear, Henry McBride, Edward Hopper, Charles Daniel, William Merritt Chase, Charles Hopkinson, Thomas Hart Benton, Frank Crowninshield, Alfred Barr, Lord Duveen, Jacob Lawrence, John Marin Jr., Karl Zerbe, Franz Kline, Arthur Dove, Julian Levy, Jack Levine, Valentine Dudensing, Peggy Bacon, Stefan Hirsch, Gertrude Stein, Isamu Noguchi, Jasper Johns, Chaim Soutine, B. K. Saklatwalla; Fernand Leger, Pablo Picasso, Ben Shahn, Charles Demuth, Alexander Calder, Jackson Pollock, Edward Steichen, Carl Sandburg, Clement Greenberg, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Edith Halpert (1900-1970) was an art dealer from New York, N.Y.
General:
Originally recorded on 7 tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 27 digital wav files. Duration is 32 hrs., 27 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others. The transcript was microfilmed in 1996.
Occupation:
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Art -- Economic aspects  Search this
Camouflage  Search this
Folk art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this
Women art dealers  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.halper62
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94b057b9a-c3f9-4586-8d44-ee2d58857127
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-halper62
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Edith Gregor Halpert

Interviewee:
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Interviewer:
Phillips, Harlan B. (Harlan Buddington), 1920-1979  Search this
Creator:
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this
Names:
Downtown Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Federal Art Project  Search this
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this
Barr, Alfred H., Jr., 1902-1981  Search this
Cahill, Holger, 1887-1960  Search this
Goodrich, Lloyd, 1897-1987  Search this
Miller, Dorothy Canning, 1904-2003  Search this
Extent:
22 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1965 Jan. 20
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Edith Gregor Halpert conducted 1965 Jan. 20, by Harlan Phillips, for the Archives of American Art new deal and the Arts Project.
Halpert speaks of some of her activities in connection with the Federal Art Project, discusses some of the exhibitions that were shown, and gives her opinions on federal support for the arts. Halpert recalls Lloyd Goodrich, Holger Cahill, Dorothy Miller, Alfred Barr, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Edith Gregor Halpert (1900-1970) was an art dealer fromf New York, N.Y. Halpert founded Downtown Gallery.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2011 as 3 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hours, 14 minutes.
Transferred from original acetate tape reels.
Sound quality is poor.
Provenance:
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
Women art dealers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.halper65
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw961bf3071-3f0b-43c3-8e1c-488f6bb20b77
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-halper65
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Charles Henry Alston

Interviewee:
Alston, Charles Henry, 1907-1977  Search this
Interviewer:
Phillips, Harlan B. (Harlan Buddington), 1920-1979  Search this
Creator:
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this
Names:
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Federal Art Project (N.Y.)  Search this
Harlem Artists Guild  Search this
New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this
Public Works of Art Project  Search this
United States. Federal Emergency Relief Administration  Search this
Block, Lou, 1895-1969  Search this
Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964  Search this
Diller, Burgoyne, 1906-1965  Search this
Dlugoszewski, Lucia, 1931-2000  Search this
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Lawrence, Jacob, 1917-2000  Search this
Pachano, Ernest  Search this
Schmoo, Aaron Ben  Search this
Extent:
39 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1965 September 28
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Charles Alston conducted 1965 September 28, by Harlan Phillips, for the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project.
Alston speaks of his work as an art director of a community camp and as director of a boys' club in Harlem; the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) and his involvement; the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) and his involvement in it; his membership in the Harlem Artists Guild; his contribution to WPA Federal Art Project murals at Harlem Hospital; mural versus easel painting; problems with the Artists Union; and camaraderie among FAP artists. He recalls Lou Block, Stuart Davis, Burgoyne Diller, Edith Halpert, Jacob Lawrence, Ernest Pachano, Aaron Ben Schmoo, and others, and describes his associations with musicians including Billie Holliday, Duke Ellington and Chick Webb.
Biographical / Historical:
Charles Henry Alston (1907-1977) was an African American painter and mural painter in New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 24 minutes.
Provenance:
This interview conducted as part of the Archives of American Art's New Deal and the Arts project, which includes over 400 interviews of artists, administrators, historians, and others involved with the federal government's art programs and the activities of the Farm Security Administration in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Federal aid to the arts  Search this
African American artists  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.alston65
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw91958a872-ee7a-44df-99fb-71bbecdd432e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-alston65
Online Media:

Charles Sheeler papers

Creator:
Sheeler, Charles, 1883-1965  Search this
Names:
Archives of American Art  Search this
Downtown Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Adams, Ansel, 1902-1984  Search this
Arensberg, Louise S. (Louise Stevenson), 1879-1953  Search this
Arensberg, Walter, 1878-1954  Search this
Bacon, Peggy, 1895-1987  Search this
Eidlitz, Dorothy  Search this
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Lane, William H.  Search this
Newhall, Beaumont, 1908-1993  Search this
Newhall, Nancy Wynne.  Search this
Rourke, Constance, 1885-1941  Search this
Sheeler, Musya, 1908-1981  Search this
Waters, George  Search this
Weston, Edward, 1886-1958  Search this
Williams, William Carlos, 1883-1963  Search this
Photographer:
Sheeler, Musya, 1908-1981  Search this
White, Minor  Search this
Extent:
4.9 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Artifacts
Awards
Photographs
Journals (accounts)
Scrapbooks
Writings
Date:
circa 1840s-1966
bulk 1923-1965
Summary:
The papers of painter, photographer, lithographer and industrial designer Charles Sheeler measure 4.9 linear feet and date from circa 1840s to 1966, with the bulk of the material dating from 1923-1965. The collection documents Sheeler's family, personal life and career through financial and medical records, awards, correspondence, writings, an autobiography, journal and notebooks, scrapbooks, exhibition catalogs and announcements, printed materials, photographs, funeral records and artwork by Sheeler and others. The collection is particularly rich in Sheeler's writings, and also includes Sheeler's industrial designs and manufactured artwork. Notable photographs include Sheeler with Edward Weston, Edward Steichen, and John Marin.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of painter, photographer, lithographer and industrial designer Charles Sheeler measure 4.9 linear feet and date from circa 1840s to 1966, with the bulk of the material dating from 1923-1965. The collection documents Sheeler's family, personal life and career through financial and medical records, awards, correspondence, writings, an autobiography, journal and notebooks, scrapbooks, exhibition catalogs and announcements, printed materials, photographs, funeral records and artwork by Sheeler and others. The collection is particularly rich in Sheeler's writings, and also includes Sheeler's industrial designs and manufactured artwork. There are photographs of Sheeler with Edward Weston, Edward Steichen, and John Marin.

Biographical materials date from 1875, and 1928-1965, and include funeral records, medical records, insurance, tax, and scattered financial records. There is one folder of records relating to artwork and exhibitions, as well as Sheeler's numerous certificates, prizes and awards, and the condolence book used at his funeral.

Correspondence consists of Sheeler's personal and professional correspondence dating from 1937-1966 with friends, artists, dealers, collectors, photographers, and curators. Notable correspondents include Ansel Adams, Walter and Louise Arensberg, William Lane, Beaumont and Nancy Newhall, George Waters, William Carlos Williams, and Edward Weston. The series also includes correspondence with the Archives of American Art, Sheeler's biographer Constance Rourke, and with publishers, editors, children, and the general public. Lastly, there are condolence letters written to Musya Sheeler following Sheeler's death in May 1965.

Writings include Sheeler's journal dating from the 1950s-1963 and two notebooks containing notes, addresses, recipes, etc. Also found are Sheeler's writings on artists, drafts for articles, and a manuscript and notes for an autobiography that Sheeler wrote for Harcourt Brace. The autobiography became the basis for Constance Rourke's biography Charles Sheeler: Artist in the American Tradition published in 1938. The writing series also includes a short story by Musya Sheeler, and an illustrated short story by friend Dorothy Eidlitz.

The scrapbook series contains two oversize scrapbooks dating from 1930s-1960s that include newspaper and magazine clippings about Sheeler and his artwork, exhibition announcements and brochures, a poem, and a thank you letter from Abby Aldrich Rockefeller.

Additional printed materials date from 1923-1966 and document Sheeler's numerous exhibitions, notably his partnership with Edith Halpert and the Downtown Gallery. Found here are clippings, copies of magazines, exhibition announcements and catalogs, museum bulletings, books, and miscellaneous items.

Photographs date from circa 1840s-1963 and include photographs of Sheeler's family, of Sheeler, and of Sheeler with friends and colleagues. There is one daguerreotype, two ambrotypes, and two tintypes of Sheeler's family and of Sheeler as a child. There are copyprints of these originals. Additional photographs are of Sheeler's mother and father (or possibly Sheeler's grandparent), of Sheeler, of Sheeler with his wife Musya, Sheeler with William Lane, Sheeler with Edward Weston, and Sheeler with Edward Steichen and John Marin. The series also includes photographs of Sheeler's collection of Shaker furniture, and photographs of exhibitions.

Artwork by Sheeler dates from circa 1930s-1960s and includes artifacts of manufactured pieces based on his industrial designs. Found are a glass tumbler, salt and pepper shakers, a tea spoon, fabrics designed by Sheeler, and sketches. The series also includes a drawing by Peggy Bacon and a photograph by Minor White.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into seven series. Materials are arranged by material type and chronologically or alphabetically thereafter:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1875, 1928-1965 (Boxes 1, 5, OV10; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1937-1966 (Box 1; 0.5 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings, circa 1930s-1965 (Boxes 1-2 ; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 4: Scrapbooks, 1930s-1960s (Boxes 2, 6; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 5: Printed Material, 1923-1966 (Boxes 2-4, 7; 1.5 linear feet)

Series 6: Photographs, circa 1840s-1963 (Box 4, OV11; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 7: Artwork, circa 1930s-1960s (Boxes 4-5, 8-9, OV12-OV14; 1.1 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
Painter, photographer, lithographer and designer, Charles Rettew Sheeler Jr. was born on July 16, 1883 to Mary Cunningham Sheeler and Charles Rettew Sheeler in Philadelphia. He attended the School of Industrial Art in Philadelphia from 1900-1903 and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where he studied under William Merritt Chase. He found early success as a painter and exhibited at the Macbeth Gallery in 1908.

Around 1910 Sheeler took up photography, and by 1912 financially supported himself photographing buildings for local Philadelphia architects. The following year, Sheeler exhibited six paintings at the 1913 Armory Show in New York. In the mid 1910s, Sheeler began to collect American antiques, and by the 1920s was actively acquiring Shaker crafts and furniture.

In 1916, Sheeler was hired by Marius de Zayas of the Modern Gallery in New York to photograph objects and artwork. From 1917-1924, he worked as the staff photographer for the Modern Gallery and moved to New York in 1918. In 1920, Sheeler was hired as a still photographer for The Arts Magazine.

In 1926, Sheeler was hired by Edward Steichen to work as a fashion and celebrity photographer for Conde Nast Publications. His photographs were regularly featured in Vogue and Vanity Fair, but Sheeler also worked as a still life photographer for numerous advertising agencies. The following year, he was commissioned by the advertising firm N.W. Ayer and Son to photograph Ford Motor Company's new plant at River Rouge.

While working as a photographer, Sheeler continued to paint and used the subjects and composition of his photographs as a basis for his painting. His paintings Skyscrapers, 1922; Upper Deck, 1929; and American Landscape, 1930 are examples of Sheeler's technique of merging photographic imagery with painting and his overall precisionist style.

In 1931, upon the advice and guidance of Edith Halpert of the Downtown Gallery, Sheeler began to paint more often and to photograph less. Halpert became Sheeler's primarily dealer, and from 1931-1966 regularly exhibited his paintings and drawings. With Halpert's support, Sheeler produced Classic Landscape, 1931; American Interior, 1934; Silo, 1938; Amoskeag Canal, 1948; and Convolutions, 1952. In addition to Sheeler's partnership with Halpert, his work was exhibited by other galleries and museums throughout the United States and abroad.

In 1939, Sheeler married his second wife, Musya Metas Sokolova (1908-1981) and, in 1942, the couple moved to Irvington-on-Hudson, New York. Sheeler continued to paint and photograph until he suffered a debilitating stroke in 1959. After 1959, Sheeler remained active exhibiting his artwork until his death on May 7, 1965 in Dobbs Ferry, New York.
Related Material:
The Archives of American Art holds several collections that are related to Charles Sheeler.

There are two oral history interviews with Sheeler conducted by Mary Bartlett Cowdrey in December 1958, and by Martin Friedman in June 1959. The Archives also has the records of the Macbeth Gallery, which include a substantial amount of correspondence with Sheeler from 1907-1921, and the Downtown Gallery records, which also include correspondence with Sheeler, photographs of Sheeler and his artwork, exhibition publications, clippings, press releases, and audio visual materials dating from 1904-1972.

Also found in the the Archives is a loan of Charles Sheeler letters filmed on reel NY/59-5 containing letters written by Sheeler to his psychologist and art collector, Dr. Helen Boigon, art student George Craven, and friend William Carlos Williams, all dating from 1939-1958. There is a collection of six letters of Sheeler letters addressed to Doris Royce, possibly an art critic, dating from 1949-1957. Miscellaneous manuscript collections include one letter written by Sheeler to E.P. Richardson in 1958, and another letter written to Frank Crowninshield in September, 1939.
Separated Material:
Portions of Sheeler's papers that were originally loaned for microfilming were not included in the later gifts and are available only on microfilm reel NSH-1. A watercolor study microfilmed on reel 1811 was later transferred to the Smithsonian American Art Museum. These materials are not described in the container list of this finding aid.
Provenance:
Charles Sheeler's wife Musya initially loaned the papers to the Archives of American Art for microfilming in 1958, 1965, and 1966. In June, 1966, she donated most of the earlier loaned materials. In 1964, Sheeler's friend Howard Lipman donated three photographs of Sheeler with Edward Steichen and John Marin. The third accrual was transferred to the Archives by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery Library in June 1979.
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.
Topic:
Works of art  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Lithographers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Photographers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Industrial designers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Genre/Form:
Artifacts
Awards
Photographs
Journals (accounts)
Scrapbooks
Writings
Citation:
Charles Sheeler papers, circa 1840s-1966, bulk 1923-1965. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.sheechar
See more items in:
Charles Sheeler papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw97080c38f-51c0-443b-808a-a0c408c8352d
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-sheechar
Online Media:

Lecture about the American National Exhibition in Moscow in 1959

Speaker:
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Names:
American National Exhibition (1959 : Moscow, Russia)  Search this
Brooklyn Museum  Search this
Extent:
1 Sound tape reel (1 sound tape, 7 in.)
19 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sound tape reels
Pages
Sound recordings
Lectures
Date:
1959 Oct. 19
Scope and Contents:
A lecture delivered 1959 Oct. 19 by Edith Halpert at the Brooklyn Museum. Halpert discussed the 1959 American National Exhibition in Moscow.
Biographical / Historical:
Edith Halpert (1900-1970) was a Russian-born art dealer based in New York, N.Y. and established the Downtown Gallery.
Provenance:
This lecture was taped by the Archives of American Art and transcribed by staff of the Downtown Gallery.
Topic:
Art, American -- Exhibitions  Search this
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this
Women art dealers  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Lectures
Identifier:
AAA.halpedit
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94f7509fc-f8f6-4ec1-9311-6e58e95791ce
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-halpedit

Jacob Lawrence letter to Edith Gregor Halpert

Creator:
Lawrence, Jacob, 1917-2000  Search this
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Subject:
Lawrence, Jacob  Search this
Type:
Correspondence
Place:
St. Augustine, Fla.
Date:
1944 Jan.
Citation:
Jacob Lawrence. Jacob Lawrence letter to Edith Gregor Halpert, 1944 Jan.. Downtown Gallery records, 1824-1974. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
African Americans  Search this
Art market  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)15163
See more items in:
Downtown Gallery records, 1824-1974, bulk 1926-1969
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_15163
Online Media:

Jacob Lawrence, New Orleans, Louisiana letter to Edith Gregor Halpert, New York, New York

Creator:
Lawrence, Jacob, 1917-2000  Search this
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Type:
Correspondence
Date:
1941 October
Citation:
Jacob Lawrence. Jacob Lawrence, New Orleans, Louisiana letter to Edith Gregor Halpert, New York, New York, 1941 October. Downtown Gallery records, 1824-1974. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)8426
See more items in:
Downtown Gallery records, 1824-1974, bulk 1926-1969
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_8426
Online Media:

Edith Gregor Halpert letter to Jacob Lawrence

Creator:
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Lawrence, Jacob, 1917-2000  Search this
Subject:
Halpert, Edith Gregor  Search this
Lawrence, Jacob  Search this
Type:
Correspondence
Date:
1942 Mar. 12
Citation:
Edith Gregor Halpert. Edith Gregor Halpert letter to Jacob Lawrence, 1942 Mar. 12. Downtown Gallery records, 1824-1974. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Topic:
African American artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA)8427
See more items in:
Downtown Gallery records, 1824-1974, bulk 1926-1969
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_item_8427

Edith Gregor Halpert

Artist:
William Zorach, 28 Feb 1887 - Nov 1966  Search this
Sitter:
Edith Gregor Halpert, 25 Apr 1900 - 6 Oct 1970  Search this
Medium:
Pencil on paper
Dimensions:
35.6 x 24.2 cm (14 x 9 1/2" ), Estimate
Type:
Drawing
Date:
1930
Topic:
Edith Gregor Halpert: Female  Search this
Edith Gregor Halpert: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Dealer\Art dealer  Search this
Edith Gregor Halpert: Visual Arts\Art collector  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
Owner: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution
Object number:
86.5855
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
Catalog of American Portraits
Data Source:
Catalog of American Portraits
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4bdc614f4-583a-438d-9a34-e71c544122c3
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_86.5855

Lincoln Rothschild papers

Creator:
Rothschild, Lincoln, 1902-  Search this
Names:
Federal Art Project (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Index of American Design  Search this
Archer, Edmund, 1904-  Search this
Cahill, Holger, 1887-1960  Search this
Coffey, Katherine, d. 1972  Search this
Davis, Charles H. (Charles Harold), 1856-1933  Search this
Greenbaum, Dorothea S.  Search this
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Mangravite, Peppino, 1896-  Search this
Miller, Kenneth Hayes, 1876-1952  Search this
Piccoli, Girolamo, 1900-1970  Search this
Schmidt, Katherine, 1898-1978  Search this
Starr, Theodore  Search this
Von Groschwitz, Gustave, 1906-1991  Search this
Winchester, Alice  Search this
Woodhouse, Betty Burroughs, 1899-1988  Search this
Extent:
1.8 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 2 reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Sketchbooks
Date:
1920-1982
Scope and Contents:
Biographical material, interviews, printed materials, writings, correspondence, art work, and photographs.
REEL 290: Eleven scripts for radio programs on the Index of American Design, broadcast in New York throughout 1940. Interviewees include: Rothschild, Holger Cahill, director of the WPA-FAP; Edith Halpert, director of American Folk Art Gallery; Katherine Coffey, curator of Newark Museum; Alice Winchester, editor of "Antiques"; and Theodore Starr.
REEL NDA 15: Press releases; pamphlet on permanent art programs; Index of American Design papers; a report concerning government art programs; memorandum to Gustave Von Groschwitz outlining a plan for new subject matter for FAP artists; and "Report to the Sculptors of the Federal Art Project" by Girolamo Piccoli.[Report to the sculptors...under microfilm title Girolamo Piccoli]
UNMICROFILMED: Writings on art and on the Index of American Design; radio scripts for the series "The American Artists" sponsored by Artists Equity, 1953; clippings, 1936-1982; a nearly complete set of his newsletter, THE PRAGMATIST IN ART, 1964-1978; material on Kenneth Hayes Miller; resumes, school transcripts and memorabilia; photographs of Rothschild and of his sculpture; correspondence concerning THE PRAGMATIST IN ART (1964-1978), The Index of American Design (1968-1973), his research on Miller (1964-1977) and other publications, his work for Artists Equity, and other matters; a sketchbook; and a drawing. Among the correspondents are Samuel Kramer, editor of "The Shipyard Worker," Peppino Mangravite, Katherine Schmidt Shubert, Betty Burroughs Woodhouse, and critics Rudolf Arnheim, John Canaday and Donald Kuspit.
Biographical / Historical:
Lincoln Rothschild (1902-1983) was a cculptor and writer in New York, N.Y. Rothschild was the director of the New York Unit of the Index of American Design, 1937-1940. He taught at Columbia University and Adelphi College, 1946-1950 and was the National Executive Director for Artists' Equity Association, 1951-57. He was the author of SCULPTURE THROUGH THE AGES (1942) TO KEEP ART ALIVE-KENNETH HAYES MILLER, AMERICAN PAINTER 1876-1956 (1974), FORMS AND THEIR MEANINGS IN WESTERN ART (1976) and numerous articles.
Other Title:
Girolamo Piccoli [microfilm title]
Provenance:
Material on reel NDA15 donated by Rothschild, 1964; remainder donated 1987 by his widow, Elisabeth Rothschild.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Sculptors  Search this
Topic:
New Deal, 1933-1939 -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945 -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Art and state -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Federal aid to the arts -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Federal aid to public welfare -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sketchbooks
Identifier:
AAA.rothlinc
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw93083a3ad-b862-4911-81b8-f11dad81fab3
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-rothlinc

Edwin David Porter papers

Creator:
Porter, David, 1912-  Search this
Names:
G Place Gallery (Washington, D.C.)  Search this
Cortor, Eldzier, 1916-2015  Search this
Crosby, Caresse, 1892-  Search this
Day, Worden, 1916-1986  Search this
De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this
Gottlieb, Adolph, 1903-1974  Search this
Guggenheim, Peggy, 1898-1979  Search this
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Knaths, Karl, 1891-1971  Search this
Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970  Search this
Extent:
2 Linear feet ((on 5 microfilm reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1929-1969
Scope and Contents:
Family correspondence; personal and professional correspondence relating to Porter's career as a gallery owner, with Caresse Crosby, Eldzier Cortor, Worden Day, Edith Halpert, Adolph Gottlieb, Karl Knaths, Peggy Guggenheim, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, and many others; diaries; notes; financial papers; clippings; publicity catalogs; and miscellany.
Biographical / Historical:
Painter, sculptor, gallery owner; Wainscott, N.Y. Porter opened the G Place Gallery with Caresse Crosby in 1943.
Provenance:
Lent for microfilming 1970 by Edwin David Porter.
Restrictions:
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Occupation:
Painters -- New York (State)  Search this
Sculptors -- New York (State)  Search this
Gallery owners -- New York (State)  Search this
Topic:
Painting, American  Search this
Sculpture, American  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.portedwi
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw992829fdb-4f7e-4a5f-991f-9e1f13f7af67
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-portedwi

Isabella Howland papers

Creator:
Howland, Isabella, 1895-1974  Search this
Names:
Bacon, Peggy, 1895-1987  Search this
Bywaters, Jerry  Search this
Dehn, Adolf, 1895-1968  Search this
Force, Juliana, 1876-1948  Search this
Gershoy, Eugenie, 1901?-1983 or 6  Search this
Greenbaum, Dorothea S.  Search this
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Strater, Henry, 1896-  Search this
Watson, Forbes, 1880-1960  Search this
Extent:
1.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Sketchbooks
Sketches
Photographs
Date:
1899-1979
Summary:
The papers of artist Isabella Howland measure 1.2 linear feet and date from 1899-1979. The collection documents her career through biographical material, correspondence, personal business records, writings, printed material, artwork, and photographs.
Scope and Contents:
The papers of painter, sculptor, caricaturist, and portraitist Isabella Howland measure 1.2 linear feet and date from 1899-1979. Correspondence makes up about a third of the collection, with the remainder comprised of biographical material, writings, printed material, photographs, and artworks.

Correspondence is found between Isabella Howland and other artists or dealers. Among these are Eugenie Gershoy, Henry Strater, Edith Halpert, Peggy Bacon, Forbes Watson, Jerry Bywaters, Adolph Dehn and Dorothea Greenbaum. Letters from Juliana Force, the first director of the Whitney Museum of American Art, are present. Many invitations to exhibit are included. The collection includes a small number of letters with Howland's family. She maintained written communication with several individuals over decades.

The biographical material contains Isabella Howland's handwritten notes and typed documents about her life. Some legal documents and financial records are present. The writing series includes her story 'Willy Nilly' with accompanying illustrations of animals, in addition to some other writings. The artwork series includes sketches and sketchbooks from childhood into adulthood. Photographs include images of Howland as well as her paintings and portraits.
Arrangement:
Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1901-1972 (4 folders; Box 1)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1917-1973 (22 folders; Box 1)

Series 3, Writings, 1935-1964 (8 folders; Box 1)

Series 4: Printed Material, 1928-1976 (5 folders; Box 1)

Series 5: Photographs, circa 1900-1979 (4 folders; Box 1, OV 2)

Series 6: Artwork, 1899-circa 1940s (8 folders; Box 1, OV 2)
Biographical / Historical:
Isabella Howland (1895-1974) lived and worked in New York City. She drew portraits, painted on canvas, sketched on paper, and sculpted caricature busts of people in the art world. She wrote that she could do anything with her hands.

Howland was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. From her youth she knew she wanted to be an artist. She had her earliest artistic training at age 16. Her art education included time at the Boston Museum School and the Art Students League in New York City. She completed her secondary education in France and Germany, moved back to the United States afterwards, and in 1920 travelled again to Europe. In 1922 she settled in Greenwich Village and spent summers in Woodstock to paint landscapes and still-lifes. She actively painted in the 1920s, and had three shows in 1927, 1929, and 1931. During the Depression she worked for the Public Works of Art Project and the Works Progress Administration. In 1934 she married Armando Zegri, and they divorced in 1937. While they were married they owned a club in the West Village named The Café Latino. She began teaching at a private school in the early 1940s while dealing with some personal difficulties. She found religion which comforted her as she dealt with her mother's declining health and her sister's waning mental state.

Howland had many friends in the art world and regularly received requests to exhibit at museums. She became known as an accomplished portrait artist, and she was commissioned many times to execute drawings or sculptures. She dabbled in writing and illustrating stories, and produced a set of 33 Christmas cards featuring two monks.
Provenance:
Donated between 1975-1976 by Mrs. Martha Craig and Barbara Summer. Three photographs of works of art were donated by Eugenie Gershoy in 1979.
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 York (State) -- New York  Search this
Portrait painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Caricaturists -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Women artists  Search this
Women painters  Search this
Women sculptors  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sketchbooks
Sketches
Photographs
Citation:
Isabella Howland papers, 1899-1979. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.howlisab
See more items in:
Isabella Howland papers
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw97b9408e8-8951-4a76-9505-e11f14ea5721
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-howlisab

Oral history interview with Charles Alan

Interviewee:
Alan, Charles, 1908?-1975  Search this
Interviewer:
Cummings, Paul  Search this
Names:
Downtown Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
Yale School of Drama -- Students  Search this
Allen, Lawrence  Search this
Askew, R. Kirk (Ralph Kirk), 1903-1974  Search this
Baker, Richard Brown  Search this
Breinin, Raymond, 1910-  Search this
Conner, Bruce, 1933-2008  Search this
Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964  Search this
Geddes, Norman Bel, 1893-1958  Search this
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Harnett, William Michael, 1848-1892  Search this
Hirshhorn, Joseph H.  Search this
Kuniyoshi, Yasuo, 1889-1953  Search this
Landau, Felix, 1924-2003  Search this
Levi, Julian E. (Julian Edwin), 1900-1982  Search this
Levine, Jack, 1915-2010  Search this
Levy, Julien  Search this
Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this
Marin, John, Jr., 1915?-1988  Search this
O'Keeffe, Georgia, 1887-1986  Search this
Root, Edward Wales, d. 1956  Search this
Sachs, Paul J. (Paul Joseph), 1878-1965  Search this
Shahn, Ben, 1898-1969  Search this
Washburn, George  Search this
Zerbe, Karl, 1903-1972  Search this
Extent:
37 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1970 August 20-25
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Charles Alan conducted 1970 August 20-25, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art.
Alan speaks of studying scene and stage design; attending Yale School of Drama; doing illustrations for various publications; traveling and studying in Europe; working as a set designer for MGM and Warner Brothers; his experiences working at the Downtown Gallery; his thoughts and recollections about Edith Halpert; leaving Downtown Gallery and starting his own gallery; his opinions on the future of small galleries in New York; museum purchases; Edith Halpert's art collection; selling his gallery to Felix Landau; and various thoughts concerning the art world. He recalls Norman Bell Geddes, Edith Halpert, Stuart Davis, Julien Levy, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Kirk Askew, Raymond Breinin, Ben Shahn, George Washburn, Edward Root, Joe Hirshhorn, John Marin, John Marin Jr., Lawrence Allen, Georgia O'Keeffe, William Harnett, Julian Levi, Jack Levine, Karl Zerbe, Bruce Conner, Richard Baker, Paul Sachs, and many others.
Biographical / Historical:
Charles Alan (1908?-1975) was an art dealer from New York, New York. Alan attended Horace Mann School, graduating in 1924. Attended Yale School of Drama in 1925, then worked as a set designer for MGM and Warner Brothers. In 1930, Alan became a theatrical set designer and director. After serving in the Army in World War II, he worked for Edith Halpert at the Downtown Gallery. In 1952, he opened the Charles Alan Gallery, specializing in contemporary art. Alan closed the gallery in 1970 to become a private dealer.
General:
Originally recorded on 2 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hrs., 58 min.
Provenance:
These interviews are part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this
Topic:
Set Designers -- United States -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.alan70
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9b58bbd57-ca81-4a18-a614-fc868226702e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-alan70
Online Media:

Ben Shahn letter

Creator:
Shahn, Ben, 1898-1969  Search this
Names:
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Extent:
1 Item
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1958
Scope and Contents:
A letter, October 4, 1958, from Edith Halpert, to the Archives of American Art New York Archivist, signed "Miss Smith". Halpert describes her general impressions of Shahn and writes that he was in "this moring when he brought in some new silkscreens". She also writes about Shahn asking her if she has seen the sets he did for a ballet in Spoleto.
Biographical / Historical:
Ben Shahn (1898-1969) was a painter, printmaker, and photographer from Roosevelt, N.J.
Provenance:
Provenance unknown.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Microfilmed materials must be consulted on microfilm. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Occupation:
Illustrators -- New Jersey -- Roosevelt  Search this
Painters -- New Jersey -- Roosevelt  Search this
Topic:
Painting, American  Search this
Identifier:
AAA.shahbel
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9e18645da-913e-48d2-9ac4-9e1bb5993639
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-shahbel

Oral history interview with Willard Cummings

Interviewee:
Cummings, Willard Warren, 1915-1975  Search this
Interviewer:
Cummings, Paul  Search this
Names:
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture  Search this
Hale, Philip Leslie, 1865-1931  Search this
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Peirce, Waldo, 1884-1970  Search this
Extent:
82 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Date:
1973 March 20
Scope and Contents:
An interview of Willard Cummings conducted 1973 March 20, by Paul Cummings, for the Archives of American Art. Cummings speaks of his family and its interests in art and theater; moving to Boston and his early education there; studying with Anna Ladd and at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts; his two years in Paris; going to Skowhegan during the Depression; the Art Students League and the Grand Central School; his interests in portrait painting and sculpture; his Yale art school experience; some early portrait subjects; exhibitions of his work; commercial art jobs he was involved in; his New York studio and friends in the mid-1930s; collecting American primitives; his U.S. Army service; the start of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in 1946; the organization of the school; his own painting technique and some portrait subjects. He recalls Philip Hale, Waldo Peirce and Edith Halpert.
Biographical / Historical:
Willard Cummings (1915-1975) was a painter from New York, New York and Maine.
General:
Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 19 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Restrictions:
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Occupation:
Painters -- Maine -- Interviews  Search this
Topic:
Painters -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Genre/Form:
Sound recordings
Interviews
Identifier:
AAA.cummin73
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw943337d4b-8f98-4173-a9a6-1e0f62a13487
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-cummin73
Online Media:

Oral history interview with Paul Burlin

Interviewee:
Burlin, Paul, 1886-1969  Search this
Interviewer:
Seckler, Dorothy Gees, 1910-1994  Search this
Names:
American Artists' Congress  Search this
Downtown Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this
National Academy of Design (U.S.) -- Students  Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this
Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this
Boas, Franz, 1858-1942  Search this
Gleizes, Albert, 1881-1953  Search this
Halpert, Edith Gregor, 1900-1970  Search this
Huneker, James, 1857-1921  Search this
Matisse, Henri, 1869-1954  Search this
O'Keeffe, Georgia, 1887-1986  Search this
Extent:
5 Items (Sound recording: 5 sound files (2 hr., 39 min.), digital, wav)
65 Pages (Transcript)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Interviews
Sound recordings
Place:
Europe -- description and travel
Southwestern States -- Description and Travel
Date:
1962
Scope and Contents:
Interview of Paul Burlin, conducted on December 5-6, 1962, by Dorothy Gees Seckler, for the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Burlin speaks of his childhood education in England; working for the magazine Delineator; his education at the National Academy of Design; his travels in the American Southwest; his early exhibitions in New York; his first wife's writings on folk music; visiting Europe before the first World War; discovering Cubism and Fauvism; working on the WPA under the Whitney Museum; joining and then leaving the American Artists' Congress in protest; his thoughts on overtly political art; exhibiting at the Downtown Gallery; his image-making process; and his critique of Pop art. Burlin also recalls James Huneker, Franz Boas, Albert Gleizes, Henri Matisse, Edith Halpert, Georgia O'Keeffe, and others.
Biographical / Historical:
Paul Burlin (1886-1969) was a painter in New York, New York.
General:
Originally recorded on 5 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 39 min.
Provenance:
This interview is part of the Archives' Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and others.
Topic:
Art, American  Search this
Art -- Political aspects  Search this
Cubism  Search this
Fauvism  Search this
Painters -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this
Pop art  Search this
Genre/Form:
Interviews
Sound recordings
Identifier:
AAA.burlin62
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9eb9c540b-b1e1-4898-9d25-193966292e9b
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-burlin62
Online Media:

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