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Creator:

Eva Lee Gallery  Search this

Names:

Korvettes  Search this

New Art Circle  Search this

Albers, Josef  Search this

Benn, Ben, 1884-  Search this

Benton, Thomas Hart, 1889-1975  Search this

Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976  Search this

Christo, 1935-  Search this

Corinth, Lovis, 1858-1925  Search this

Cornell, Joseph  Search this

Dalí, Salvador, 1904-1989  Search this

Feininger, Lyonel, 1871-1956  Search this

Grosz, George, 1893-1959  Search this

Hartley, Marsden, 1877-1943  Search this

Hopkins, John  Search this

Indiana, Robert, 1928-2018  Search this

Lee, Eva  Search this

Lieberman, Harry, 1880-1983  Search this

Lipchitz, Jacques, 1891-1973  Search this

Loewe, Frederick  Search this

Magritte, René, 1898-1967  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Mommer, Paul  Search this

Nesbitt, Lowell, 1933-1993  Search this

Neumann, J. B. (Jsrael Ber)  Search this

Odets, Clifford, 1906-1963  Search this

Ritchie, Andrew Carnduff  Search this

Shahn, Ben, 1898-1969  Search this

Simpson, Merton D. (Merton Daniel), 1928-  Search this

Valentin, Curt, 1902-1954  Search this

Vasarely, Victor, 1906-1997  Search this

Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this

Extent:

4 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Watercolor drawings

Photographs

Date:

1921-1973

Summary:

The scattered records of the New York contemporary American art Eva Lee Gallery measure 4.0 linear feet and date from 1921-1973. Artist files contain provenance notes, photographs of artwork, records of sales and consignments, exhibition catalogs from other galleries, and reference information on numerous contemporary artists, many represented by the gallery. There are also scattered letters and artwork from artists, scattered sales records of J.B. Neuman's New Art Circle Gallery, and a photocopy of an auction catalog for Korvettes Art Galleries in Douglastan, New York. A significant amount of information is found within the collection about Alexander Calder, Lovis Corinth, Salvadore Dali, Lyonel Feininger, George Grosz, Robert Indiana, Harry Lieberman, Rene Magritte, John Marin, Lowell Nesbitt, Ben Shahn, Victor Vasarely, and Max Weber.

Scope and Content Note:

The scattered records of the New York contemporary American art Eva Lee Gallery measure 4.0 linear feet and date from 1921-1973. Artist files contain provenance notes, photographs of artwork, records of sales and consignments, exhibition catalogs from other galleries, and reference information on numerous contemporary artists, many represented by the gallery. There are also scattered letters and artwork from artists, scattered sales records of J.B. Neumann's New Art Circle Gallery, and a photocopy of an auction catalog for Korvettes Art Galleries in Douglastan, New York.

The records are comprised of artists' files arranged into four categories established by the gallery: general artists' files; notebooks of artists' files; financial artists' files; and consignment and sales artists' files. General artists' files contain background and reference information on numerous contemporary artists, performers, and art-related organizations. More information exists for Alexander Calder and Harry Lieberman than the other names represented in the general files. Lee also arranged provenance notes and photographs of artwork into notebooks, presumably including many of the artists represented by the gallery. There is a significant amount of material in the notebooks on Alexander Calder, Robert Indiana, Lowell Nesbitt, Ben Shahn, Victor Vasarely, and Max Weber.

Financial artists' files contain correspondence with artists and patrons concerning the sale of artwork by both the Eva Lee Gallery and J. B. Neumann of the New Art Circle Gallery, scattered artwork, printed material, photographs of artists, and checks signed by Neumann and endorsed by miscellaneous artists. Eva Lee worked on the estate of J. B. Neumann and collected and interspersed his files with her own. These files include letters from Josef Albers, Thomas Hart Benton, Alexander Calder, Christo, Joseph Cornell, Robert Indiana, and a postcard of Calder's studio from Ben Shahn. There are also watercolor sketches by Clifford Odets, an exhibition catalog autographed by Ben Shahn, and photographs of Marsden Hartley, Jacques Lipchitz, composer Frederick Loewe, Paul Mommer, Mert Simpson, and Curt Valentin with Andrew Ritchie.

Eva Lee Gallery artists' consignment and sales files primarily contain photographs of artwork and notes concerning sales of specific artwork by the Eva Lee Gallery. Also found in these sales files are scattered letters, receipts, and printed material. There is a significant amount of material for Ben Benn, Alexander Calder, Lovis Corinth, Salvadore Dali, Lyonel Feininger, George Grosz, Marsden Hartley, John Hopkins, Rene Magritte, and John Marin. It is assumed that Eva Lee separated the two latter sets of artists' files containing sales records.

Also found in the collection is a photocopy of the Korvettes Art Galleries auction catalog, which lists artwork sold at a 1970 auction liquidating the holdings of the Douglaston, New York gallery.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 5 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: General Artist Files, 1923-1972 (Boxes 1-2; 1.3 linear feet)

Series 2: Notebooks of Artist Files, 1929-1973 (Boxes 2-3; 1.4 linear feet)

Series 3: Financial Artist Files, 1921-1970 (Boxes 3-4; 0.6 linear feet)

Series 4: Eva Lee Gallery Consignment and Sales Artist Files, 1960-1972 (Box 4; 0.7 linear feet)

Series 5: Photocopy of Korvettes Art Galleries Auction Catalog, 1970 (Box 4; 1 folder)

Historical Note:

Eva Lee was born circa 1924. She fled from Nazi Germany to the United States, becoming an art dealer and the owner of the Eva Lee Gallery, Inc. Located in Great Neck, New York, the Eva Lee Gallery specialized in modern art and handled the work of many prominent artists including Alexander Calder, Lyonel Feininger, George Grosz, Marsden Hartley, Jacob Lawrence, Ben Shahn, and Max Weber. The gallery was in operation through the first half of 1973.

Eva Lee died suddenly on November 4, 1973 in Terre Haute, Indiana, while undergoing unspecified medical treatment.

Provenance:

The Eva Lee Gallery records were donated in 1973 by Eva Lee through Eloise Spaeth, and in 1978 by Neal Richmond of the Paul Klapper Library, Queens College, Flushing, New York, who had been asked to disperse Lee's gallery records following her sudden death in 1973. A photocopy of the Korvettes Art Galleries Auction Catalog was donated by Eva Lee in 1970.

Lee's records also contained financial files belonging to art dealer J. B. Neumann and his New Art Circle Gallery, whose estate she had worked on in 1966.

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.

Topic:

Works of art  Search this

Function:

Art galleries, Commercial -- New York (State)

Genre/Form:

Watercolor drawings

Photographs

Citation:

Eva Lee Gallery records, 1921-1973. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Identifier:

AAA.evalee

See more items in:

Eva Lee Gallery records

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94fc1585b-1c6a-4e39-9484-b34a914e88a2

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-evalee

Author:

Marin, John 1870-1953  Search this

Author:

Reich, Sheldon  Search this

Utah Museum of Fine Arts  Search this

Physical description:

120 pages illustrations (part color) 23 x 26 cm

Type:

Exhibitions

Expositions

Catalogues d'exposition

Exhibition catalogs

Date:

1969

20th century

20e siècle

Topic:

Drawing, American  Search this

Dessin américain  Search this

Call number:

N40.1.M328x U8

N40.1.M328xU8

Data Source:

Smithsonian Libraries

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:siris_sil_2850

Creator:

Penney, Charles Rand, 1923-2010  Search this

Names:

Charles Rand Penney Collection  Search this

Arp, Jean, 1887-1966  Search this

Audubon, John James, 1785-1851  Search this

Avery, Milton, 1885-1965  Search this

Bertoia, Harry  Search this

Burchfield, Charles Ephraim, 1893-1967  Search this

Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976  Search this

Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964  Search this

Evergood, Philip, 1901-1973  Search this

Ganso, Emil, 1895-1941  Search this

Goodnough, Robert, 1917-  Search this

Grooms, Red  Search this

Hopper, Edward, 1882-1967  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Marsh, Reginald, 1898-1954  Search this

Miró, Joan, 1893-  Search this

Moore, Henry, 1898-1986  Search this

Nevelson, Louise, 1899-1988  Search this

Noguchi, Isamu, 1904-1988  Search this

Pepper, Beverly  Search this

Segal, George, 1924-2000  Search this

Sloan, John, 1871-1951  Search this

Stamos, Theodoros, 1922-1997  Search this

Steinberg, Saul  Search this

Wilke, Ulfert, 1907-1987  Search this

Extent:

23.1 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1923-1994

bulk 1945-1994

Summary:

The papers of art collector Charles Rand Penney measure 23.1 linear feet and date from 1923 to 1994 with the bulk of the collection dating from 1945 to 1994. The majority of the collection consists of Penney's art collection files, which include printed materials, correspondence, notes, and photographic materials. Also found within the papers are catalogs from exhibitions that featured artwork from Penney's collection.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of art collector Charles Rand Penney measure 23.1 linear feet and date from 1923 to 1994 with the bulk of the collection dating from 1945 to 1994. The collection consists primarily of Penney's art collection files which include printed materials, correspondence, notes, and photographic materials. Also found within the papers are catalogs from exhibitions that featured artwork from Penney's collection.

Artists of significance represented in Penney's art collection files include Jean Arp, John James Audubon, Milton Avery, Harry Beroia, Alexander Calder, Stuart Davis, Philip Evergood, Emil Ganso, Robert Goodnough, Red Grooms, Edward Hopper, John Marin, Reginald Marsh, Joan Miro, Henry Moore, Louise Nevelson, Isamu Noguchi, Beverly Pepper, George Segal, John Sloan, Theodoros Stamos, Saul Steinberg, and Ulfert Wilke, among many others. Also included are files for artists that participated in theToronto 20 portfolio project in 1965. The files do not include Penney's files relating to Charles Burchfield, Wester New York state artists, or objects from the Arts and Craft movement.

A few notable exhibition catalogs found in the series of catalogs of the Charles Rand Penney art collection are Charles Burchfield: The Charles Rand Penney Collection, The Graphic Art of Emil Ganso, Drawings from the Collection of Charles Rand Penney, Quilts Coverlets Hooked Rugs from the Collection of Charles Rand Penney, The Charles Rand Penney Collection: Twentieth Century Art, and An American Visionary: Watercolors and Drawings of Charles E. Burchfield.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as 2 series.

Missing Title

Series 1: Art Collection Files, 1923-1994 (Box 1-23, OV 24; 22.7 linear feet)

Series 2: Catalogs of the Charles Rand Penney Art Collection, 1966-1991 (Box 23, 0.2 linear feet)

Biographical / Historical:

Charles Rand Penney (1923-2010) was an art collector from Buffalo, New York. He was well known for his collection of art by Western New York artists, but also collected art from Europe, Africa, Oceania, and other regions of the United States. His travels contributed to the eclectic mix of paintings, drawings, sculptures, hooked rugs, quilts, and tribal art found within his art collection.

Penney cited receiving the watercolor Warrior in 1933 from Western New York artist Bob Blair as the beginning of his life as an art collector. Years later, Penney served in World War II, attended law school, and began practicing law in the 1950s. His collections grew quickly during the late 1950s through 1970s. Penney collected over 100,000 works of art during his lifetime, much of it guided by dealers James and Merle Goodman.

In 1963, Penney began donating artwork to the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester, New York. In total, approximately 400 works of art were donated to the gallery including Big Diamond by David Smith and Beverly Pepper's Vertical Ventaglio (1967-1968). Penney also donated over 1000 works of art to the Burchfield Art Center in Buffalo, New York.

Related Materials:

Also found at the Archives of American Art is an oral history interview with Charles Rand Penney conducted by Robert F. Brown on August 14-16, 1981. Additional files relating to the Charles Rand Penney Foundation (1963-1976) are located at the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y. Files relating to Western New York state artists, Charles Burchfield, and American Arts and Crafts are located at the Burchfield-Penney Center at Buffalo State College, Buffalo, New York.

Provenance:

The collection was donated in 1993-1994 by Charles Rand Penney.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. Research Center.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Topic:

Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this

Citation:

Charles Rand Penney Papers, 1923-1994, bulk 1945-1994. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Smithsonian Institution Collections Care and Preservation Fund.

Identifier:

AAA.pennchar

See more items in:

Charles Rand Penney papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw972c049ec-5929-47d4-a5d2-e8041e6394e0

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-pennchar

Creator:

Margules, De Hirsh, 1899-1965  Search this

Names:

Babcock Galleries  Search this

Brooklyn Museum  Search this

Buffalo Fine Arts Academy  Search this

Feigl Gallery  Search this

Ferargil Galleries  Search this

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston  Search this

Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Niveau Gallery (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum  Search this

Walker Art Center  Search this

Whitney Museum of American Art  Search this

Worcester Art Museum  Search this

Beaudoin, Kenneth Lawrence, 1913-  Search this

Connick, Charles J., 1875-1945  Search this

Eilshemius, Louis M. (Louis Michel), 1864-1941  Search this

Frankel, Aaron  Search this

Fuller, R. Buckminster (Richard Buckminster), 1895-  Search this

Gillespie, Al Lincoln, Jr.  Search this

Gilman, Esther  Search this

Grady, James  Search this

Higgins, Dick, 1938-  Search this

Horblit, Harrison D.  Search this

Horblit, Jean  Search this

Jensen, Alfred, 1903-1981  Search this

King, Alex  Search this

Kolin, Sacha, 1911-1981  Search this

Lechay, Myron, 1898-1972  Search this

Lehman, Herbert H. (Herbert Henry), 1878-1963  Search this

Lindsay, John V.  Search this

Mandel, Marieli Kailin  Search this

Margules, Blanche London  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Miller, Henry, 1891-  Search this

O'Brien, Lawrence F.  Search this

Schnitzler, Max, 1903-  Search this

Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this

Weber, David A.  Search this

Extent:

5.5 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Writings

Photographs

Notebooks

Sketchbooks

Sound recordings

Poems

Scrapbooks

Oil paintings

Collages

Date:

1888-2001

bulk 1923-1965

Summary:

The papers of painter De Hirsh Margules measure 5.5 linear feet and date from 1888-2001, with the bulk dating from 1923-1965. The papers contain biographical material, and business and personal correspondence, including letters from Alfred Stiegliz, John Marin, Henry Miller, Max Schnitzler, Charles J. Connick, Louis M. Eilshemius, Alex King, and Myron Lechay. Also found are writings, printed material, scrapbooks, photographs, works of art and audio recordings documenting Margules' personal life and professional career.

Scope and Content Note:

The papers of painter De Hirsh Margules measure 5.5 linear feet and date from 1888-2001, with the bulk dating from 1923-1965. The papers contain biographical material, and business and personal correspondence, including letters from Alfred Stiegliz, John Marin, Henry Miller, Max Schnitzler, Charles J. Connick, Louis M. Eilshemius, Alex King, and Myron Lechay. Also found are writings, printed material, scrapbooks, photographs, works of art and audio recordings documenting Margules' personal life and professional career.

Biographical material consists of Margules' curriculum vitae, address books, war ration books, press credentials, passports, naturalization documents, membership and social security cards, and memorial material on De Hirsh and Blanche Margules.

Correspondence of De Hirsh Margules covers both personal and business matters. Family correspondents include his wife Blanche London, her parents, De Hirsh's mother Rosa and his sister Sam. There is correspondence with Jean and Harrison Horblit, friends and business associates of the Margules, as well as correspondence with his girlfriend, Marieli Kailin Mandel. Other correspondents include Alfred Stieglitz, John Marin, Henry Miller, Max Schnitzler, Charles J. Connick, Louis M. Eilshemius, Alex King, Myron Lechay, and two letters from New York Governor Herbert H. Lehman. There are single letters from Sasha Kolin; New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay; Lawrence F. O'Brien, special assistant to President John F. Kennedy; Buckminster Fuller. This last letter was not addressed exclusively to Margules. Other personal correspondence includes letters, postcards and greeting cards from family members and friends. Other business correspondents include galleries and museums such as Babcock Galleries, Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, Niveau Gallery, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Brooklyn Museum, Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, Ferargil Gallery, Feigl Gallery, Guggenheim Museum, Worcester Art Museum and Walker Art Center.

Writings consist mostly of poems by De Hirsh Margules, sometimes appearing in multiple draft forms, as well as a longer work titled "Mulberry Bend." Also included within the series are notebooks filled with poems and works of prose, the latter expounding upon his theories and ideas. Writings by other authors range from poetry to works of prose, criticism and biography, including A. Lincoln Gillespie, Jr., Kenneth Lawrence Beaudoin, David Weber, Aaron Frankel, James Grady, Dick Higgins, and Esther Gilman, among others. There are three illustrated writings by Alfred Jensen. Audio recordings contain a sound tape reel of De Hirsh Margules reciting his poems Rainbow and Mulberry Bend.

Printed material includes newspaper and magazine clippings, press releases, exhibition announcements, catalogues and books. Scrapbooks include printed material, newspaper and magazine clippings, and exhibition announcements on the career of De Hirsh Margules. Also included are two scrapbooks by Blanche London Margules, representing newspaper clippings of her writing, among others.

Works of Art include an oil painting on wood and sketchbooks by Margules. Also included are six collages in a series by Kenneth Lawrence Beaudoin titled "Eye Poems"; and text-based drawings/writings by A. Lincoln Gillespie, Jr.

Photographs, transparencies and slides include works of art by De Hirsh and Blanche London Margules. Also included are personal photographs of the Margules', their friends, family and students, and two folders of photographs of Marieli Kailin Mandel.

Arrangement:

The De Hirsh Margules papers are organized into 8 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1888-1978, undated (Box 1, 6; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 2: Correspondence, 1923-2000, undated (Box 1-3; 2.8 linear feet)

Series 3: Writings, 1936-1965, undated (Box 4; 1.0 linear feet)

Series 4: Printed Material, 1933-2001, undated (Box 5; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 5: Scrapbooks, 1922-1957, undated (Box 5, 7; 0.2 linear feet)

Series 6: Photographs, 1926-1992, undated (Box 5, 7; 0.8 linear feet)

Series 7: Works of Art, 1948, undated (Box 6, 7; 0.4 linear feet)

Series 8: Audio Recordings, undated (Box 6; 1 folder)

Biographical Note:

De Hirsh Margules (1899-1965) was a painter in New York, NY. Margules was born in Jasse, Romania and arrived in New York City at only ten months of age. His parents were in the Yiddish Theater; his father, Edouard was a playwright/director, and his mother, Rosa, was an actress. Margules received much of his art education outside of the conventional art institutional framework. Early on, he studied with Edwin Randby in Pennsylvania from 1917-1918, but it was really his neighbor, the painter Benno Greenstein, who encouraged Margules to pursue a career in the arts. From 1919-1921 he studied period architecture, design and decoration at the New York Evening School of Art and Design.

By 1922, Margules began working nights as a police reporter for the City News Association of New York, a job he would hold until 1942. However, he continued to study and paint during the day, this time working with Myron Lechay.

In 1927 Margules took a leave of absence from the City News Association to travel to Paris. He studied at the Musée du Louvre, and painted landscapes in Montmartre, Paris; Fontenay-près-Vézelay, Burgundy; and Tunis, Africa. In 1929 Margules returned to New York and met artist/dealer Alfred Stieglitz, who quickly became his most trusted friend and advisor. It was through Stieglitz that Margules was introduced to John Marin, Georgia O'Keeffe, Paul Rosenfeld, Stuart Davis and Jan Matulka. While Margules would benefit from his relations with all of these artists, it was John Marin who would become his most important mentor. He felt that Marin was the only one who could help him with the formal problems he was having with painting.

Margules lived most of his life in Greenwich Village and was a well-known member of the colorful and vivacious arts community. He was commonly recognized by his affable demeanor, but mostly it was his attire, particularly the dark blue beret that he was rarely seen without. To his friends he was known simply as "the Baron."

De Hirsh Margules has been called an abstract realist. He used saturated colors and bold textures in the construction of his abstract landscapes, but more specifically it was his interest in the concept of "time painting" or "time perspective" that propelled his work. It was through the physical rendering and representation of his subject matter that he explored the psychological concepts of time. From 1936-1937 Margules established "Another Place," an exhibition space set up in his New York City apartment at 43 West 8th Street. Over a two year period there were fourteen solo-exhibitions by Margules and other artists.

He taught painting in 1951 at Ball State College in Muncie, Indiana, and at the New York Equity Workshop in 1952. In 1951 Elaine de Kooning wrote a piece about his working methods in the December edition of Art News.

De Hirsh Margules died from a heart attack in 1965. He was 65 years old.

Provenance:

The papers were donated to the Archives in 2005 by Elita Agee.

Restrictions:

The De Hirsh Margules papers are 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:

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Poets -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Works of art  Search this

Genre/Form:

Writings

Photographs

Notebooks

Sketchbooks

Sound recordings

Poems

Scrapbooks

Oil paintings

Collages

Citation:

De Hirsh Margules papers, 1888-2001, bulk 1923-1965. Archives of America Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.margde

See more items in:

De Hirsh Margules papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw96b288528-ce86-4c0a-8b52-8f5eb10f986f

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-margde

Creator:

Gray, Cleve  Search this

Names:

Berry-Hill Galleries  Search this

Betty Parsons Gallery  Search this

Connecticut. Commission on Arts, Tourism, Culture, History and Film  Search this

Jacques Seligmann & Co  Search this

Neuberger Museum of Art  Search this

Pratt Institute  Search this

Princeton University  Search this

Rhode Island School of Design  Search this

Barzun, Jacques, 1907-  Search this

Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976  Search this

Davis, Jim, 1901-1974  Search this

Dillenberger, Jane  Search this

Duchamp, Marcel, 1887-1968  Search this

Ernst, Jimmy, 1920-1984  Search this

Gabo, Naum, 1890-1977  Search this

Grace, Louise N.  Search this

Gray, Francine du Plessix  Search this

Lipchitz, Jacques, 1891-1973  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956  Search this

Richter, Hans, 1888-1976  Search this

Smith, David, 1906-1965  Search this

Villon, Jacques, 1875-1963  Search this

Weber, Nicholas Fox, 1947-  Search this

Extent:

9.2 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Poems

Articles

Photographs

Reviews (documents)

Notes

Illustrations

Notebooks

Sketches

Drafts (documents)

Video recordings

Sound recordings

Interviews

Manuscripts

Paintings

Prints

Watercolors

Drawings

Lectures

Date:

1933-2005

Summary:

The Cleve Gray papers, 1933-2005, measure 9.2 linear feet. Papers include biographical material, alphabetical files, writings, artwork, audio/visual records, artifacts, printed material, and photographs. Extensive alphabetical files contain personal and professional correspondence as well as subject files relating to projects and interests. Especially well-documented are: Gray's involvement with the Vietnam protest movement; and Threnody, his best-known work composed of fourteen large panels lamenting the dead of both sides sides in Vietnam, commissioned by the Neuberger Museum of Art.

Scope and Content Note:

The Cleve Gray papers, 1933-2005, measure 9.2 linear feet. Papers include biographical material, alphabetical files, writings, artwork, audio/visual records, artifacts, printed material, and photographs. Extensive alphabetical files contain personal and professional correspondence as well as subject files relating to projects and interests. Especially well-documented are: Gray's involvement with the Vietnam movement; and Threnody, his best-known work composed of fourteen large panels lamenting the dead of both sides sides in Vietnam, commissioned by the Neuberger Museum of Art.

Among the biographical material are award and membership certificates, biographical notes, and personal documentation.

The alphabetical files contain Cleve Gray's personal and professional correspondence, as well as subject files relating to projects and interests. Correspondence is with friends and family, colleagues, publishers, museum curators and directors, art dealers, collectors, and fans. Among the correspondents of note are: Jacques Barzun, James E. Davis, Naum Gabo, Louise N. Grace, Hans and Fridel Richter, and Jacques and Gaby Villon. Other substantial correspondence includes: Berry-Hill Galleries, Betty Parsons Gallery, Connecticut Commission on the Arts, Jacques Seligmann and Co., Neuberger Museum of Art, Pratt Institute, Princeton University, and Rhode Island School of Design. Subject files mostly consist of correspondence, but include printed material and some photographs. Among the subject files are: Art Collection of Cleve and Francine Gray, Artist-Dealer Consignments and Visual Artists' Rights Act of 1989, Artists' Tax Equity Act of 1979, Promised Gifts to Museums, Threnody, Vestments, and Vietnam Protest. Of particular interest are files relating to the Estate of Hans Richter (Cleve Gray, executor), and Gray's research correspondence and illustrations for his Cosmopolitan article "Women-Leaders of Modern Art."

Writings are manuscripts and drafts, research materials, notes, and miscellaneous writings by Cleve Gray and other authors. Those by Gray include articles and catalog introductions on a wide range of art-related topics, as well as book and exhibition reviews. Also found are a book proposal, texts and notes for lectures and talks, miscellaneous notes, poems, political statements, and student papers. Of particular interest are autobiographical notes in the form of a chronology that his biographer, Nicholas Fox Weber, cited as an "autochronology."

Among the writings by other authors are pieces about Cleve Gray including Nicholas Fox Weber's manuscript Cleve Gray. A significant amount of material relates to three books edited by Gray: David Smith by David Smith: Sculpture and Writings, Hans Richter, and John Marin. Research material survives for an unpublished volume, Naum Gabo. Also included are notes relating to his translation of A l'Infinitif by Marcel Duchamp. Jane Daggett Dillenberger is represented by a lecture, "The Resurrection in Art." The remaining items by other authors are unsigned; of particular interest is a small notebook of reminiscences and notes about Jackson Pollock.

Artwork by Cleve Gray consists mostly drawings and sketches, and a small number of paintings, prints, and watercolors. Works by other artists consist are an unsigned mobile of paper cut-outs, possibly by Alexander Calder, and a pencil drawing signed Dick (probably Richard Avedon).

Audio recordings are a radio broadcast featuring Cleve Gray, several lectures by Gray on John Marin, and a lecture titled "Meaning in the Visual Arts." Other recordings are of Hans Richter and an interview with Jimmy Ernst conducted by Francine du Plessix Gray. Also found is a videocassette of "Glenville School Students at SUNY (Lincoln Center Activity)."

Artifacts are a Chinese scroll representative of those that hung in Cleve Gray's studio, two of his paintbrushes, Aberdeen-Angus Breeders' Association blue ribbon, and Neuberger Museum of Art Lifetime Achievement Award.

The vast majority of printed material - articles, clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements, reproductions of art work, etc. - are about or by Cleve Gray. Miscellaneous items and publications mentioning Gray consist of annual reports, brochures, calendars, newsletters, programs, etc. Clippings about Vietnam and Vietnam protest memorabilia reflect his passionate involvement in the anti-war movement; a small number of these items mention Gray or were written by him.

Photographs are of artwork, events, people, places, and miscellaneous subjects. Most of the art work appearing in the photographs is by Cleve Gray and includes images of destroyed paintings. Also found is an original print of Photo Abstraction by Gray, circa 1934. Of particular note are photographs of Threnody, among them preparatory drawings and views of the work in progress. Photographs of artwork by other artists include Louise N. Grace, Jacques Lipchitz, John Marin, Hans Richter, and Jacques Villon.

Photographs of people are mainly portraits of Gray, and views of him with his wife and sons. Other individuals appearing in photographs are Hans Richter and some of Richter's descendants. Pictures of places consist of Gray's studio.

Events are an unidentified exhibition opening. Miscellaneous subjects are mostly exhibition installations. Illustrations consist of photographs published in David Smith by David Smith: Sculpture and Writings. Also found are small number of negatives and color transparencies.

Arrangement:

The collection is organized into 8 series:

Missing Title

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1943-circa 2001 (Box 1; 0.1 linear ft.)

Series 2: Alphabetical Files, 1936-2005 (Boxes 1-5, 9; 4.3 linear ft.)

Series 3: Writings, 1935-2000 (Boxes 5-6; 0.85 linear ft.)

Series 4: Artwork, circa 1933-1987 (Boxes 6, 9, OV 12; 0.45 linear ft.)

Series 5: Audio/Visual Records, 1971-1989 (Box 6; 0.25 linear ft.)

Series 6: Artifacts, 1957-1999 (Box 6, RD 11; 0.45 linear ft.)

Series 7: Printed Material, 1933-2005 (Boxes 7-8; 1.25 linear ft.)

Series 8: Photographs, circa 1934-2002 (Boxes 8-10; 1.15 linear ft.)

Biographical Note:

Abstract Expressionist painter, sculptor, and writer Cleve Gray (1918-2004) lived and worked in Connecticut where he was politically active in the Vietnam protest movement and other liberal causes.

Born Cleve Ginsberg in New York City (the family changed its name to Gray in 1936), he attended the Ethical Culture School and at a young age developed a fascination with color and paint. At the urging of friends, Cleve's parents allowed him to accompany a school friend for lessons with George Bellows' student Antonia Nell. She encouraged and inspired the young artist, and a still life he painted in her class was shown at the National Academy of Design's 1932 annual exhibition. Miss Nell also introduced him to Louise N. Grace, an artist who became a good friend and had a lasting influence on him. While a student at Phillips Academy, Cleve studied painting with Bartlett Hayes and aspired to paint in France. Upon his graduation in 1936, he was awarded the Samuel F. B. Morse Prize for most promising art student.

Gray's mother was always supportive of his career choice. His businessman father, who didn't understand his son's desire to be an artist, insisted on a college education. Cleve chose Princeton, where he majored in art and archaeology, and studied painting with James E. Davis. His senior thesis was on Chinese landscape painting; both Eastern philosophy and art were long-term influences on Gray's work and outlook. He graduated summa cum laude in 1940, and then spent several months painting while living at the farm of a family friend in Mendham, New Jersey.

When a doctor suggeted that a dry climate might relieve sinus and asthma problems, Gray moved to Tucson, Arizona. Once settled in the desert, he contacted Louise N. Grace, whom he had met as a young teenager through his art instructor. Miss Grace, an artist and daughter of the founder of W. R. Grace and Co., was a highly cultured and independent woman older than his parents. The summer before Gray entered Phillips Academy, she had hired him to brush ground color onto canvases for murals she was painting for "Eleven Arches," her home in Tuscon then under construction. Miss Grace invited Gray to visit "Eleven Arches" to see the completed murals, and despite the substantial age difference, their friendship deepened; Gray found in her intellectual and spiritual guidance that was lacking in his own family. He remained in Tucson until enlisting in the U. S. Army in 1942, and they corresponded frequently during the the war. When a stroke in 1948 prevented Miss Grace from participating in the extensive tour of Europe she was arranging for a small group of friends, including Gray, she provided sufficient funds and insisted he make the trip on his own. Another stroke, suffered while Gray was traveling, left her in a coma; he was not permitted to see her again. Upon her death in 1954, Gray inherited "Eleven Arches."

Between 1943 and 1946, Gray was stationed in England, France, and Germany, serving in Army Signal Intelligence. Most of his work was performed at night, and he spent his free time drawing. While in London, Gray produced many colored pencil drawings of buildings that had been bombed. In France, a Red Cross volunteered to introduce him to Jacques Villon; although unfamiliar with the artist, Gray knew of Villon's brother, Marcel Duchamp, and accepted the invitation. Jacques and Gaby Villon lived near Gray's billet and he became a frequent visitor. Their friendship was important to his development as an artist. After being discharged from the Army in 1946, Gray remained in France to work with Villon who introduced him to the study of color and the concept of intellectual quality in painting. Gray also studied informally with André Lhote, Villon's former teacher. "American Painters in Paris," an exhibition presented in 1946 at Galerie Durand-Ruel, included work by Cleve Gray.

He returned to New York City in 1946. In the tight post-war rental market Gray managed to find a small room upstairs from a grocery store on East 106th Street for use as a studio. He commenced painting the London Ruins series based on drawings he had made during the war, and began thinking about exhibiting in New York. Gray secured introductions to Pierre Matisse, Curt Valentin, and Dorothy Miller. They encouraged him, but no opportunities came his way until Germain Seligmann, whose gallery was expanding its scope to include contemporary art, followed the advice of Curt Valentin and looked at Gray's work. Gary's first solo exhibition, held at Jacques Seligmann and Co., included selections from the London Ruins series, paintings done in Maine and Arizona, and a few portraits. The New York Times called it "an auspicious first," and one of the London Ruins series was selected by Edward Alden Jewell for the "Critic's Exhibition" at Grand Central Gallery.

Gray found New York City too frenetic. In 1949 he bought a large, old house in Warren, Connecticut, and lived and worked at "Graystones" for the remainder of his life. Half of a 6-car garage was converted to a studio; many years later, his studio moved to a barn, its renovation and design planned by sculptor and architect Tony Smith.

He married Francine du Plessix in 1957. Always interested in literature and philosophy, in the 1960s Francine du Plessix Gray began contributing articles to The New Yorker and is still affiliated with the magazine. Her reviews and articles appeared in prominent publications, and she wrote several award-winning novels and biographies. Their sons, Thaddeus and Luke (now a painter), were born in 1959 and 1961. Francine's mother, Tatiana du Plessix (the hat designer Tatiana of Saks), and step-father, the sculptor Alexander Liberman (also former art director of Vogue and later editorial director of Condé Nast publications) became Cleve Gray's closest friends.

The paintings and drawings of Cleve Gray - first consisting of figures and portraits, and then abstract compositions - were often produced in series. The earliest series, London Ruins, grew from the colored pencil drawings made while stationed in London during World War II. Travels to France, Italy, Greece, Morocco, Hawaii, Spain, Egypt, Japan, and Czechoslovakia, inspired many series, among them: Etruscan, Augury, Ceres, Demeter Landscape, Hera, Morocco, Hawaii, Ramses, Perne, Hatshepsut, Roman Walls, Zen, and Prague. His hometown, the Holocaust, and musicians inspired other series: Warren, Sleepers Awake!, Bela Bartok, and Four Heads of Anton Bruckner. Some series were works on paper, others were collage canvases, and a few series later spawned prints. Gray began using acrylics in the 1940s. Although the medium offered many benefits, he did not always like its appearance and frequently returned to oils. Around 1966 Gray was painting almost exclusively with acrylic, and eventually developed a technique of thinning the paint and applying successive layers of color (sometimes by pouring or with a sponge) on cotton duck rather than traditional canvas.

Gray was attracted to sculpture, too, working in that medium at different points in his career. His first sculpture, in plaster, was completed in 1959. In the early 1960s he visited a commercial sand-casting foundry and became excited about learning to cast in bronze. He made about a dozen sculptures to cast in sand, but due to too much undercutting, their casting became too difficult a problem. Lava flows seen while in Hawaii during 1970 and 1971 inspired a return to sculpture. This time, he used wood, papier maché, and metal. Gray then decided these pieces should be cast in bronze, and he was determined to do it himself. Friends taught him the lost wax process and he began working at the Tallix Foundry in Peekskill, New York where, over the next year, he cast about forty bronzes.

Gray's best known work is Threnody, a lament for the dead of both sides in Vietnam. In 1972, Gray received a commission to fill a very large gallery of the soon-to-open Neuberger Museum of Art (State University of New York, College at Purchase) designed by Philip Johnson. Friends of the Neuberger Museum paid his expenses and Gray, who was enormously excited about the project he considered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, donated his time. Developing plans for the execution of Threnody consumed most of his time during 1972 and 1973. Composed of a series of fourteen panels, each approximately twenty feet square, the piece presented a number of technical challenges. It was constructed and painted in situ during the summer and early fall of 1973. Since then, Threnody has been reinstalled at the Neuberger Museum of Art on several occasions.

Gray was commissioned to design liturgical vestments for two Episcopal churches in Connecticut in the 1970s. A chasuble, stoles, and a mitre were commissioned by the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut in 1984.

He won the "Outdoor Art at the Station Competition," for Union Station, Hartford, Connecticut. His very large porcelain enamel tile mural, Movement in Space, was installed on the façade of the transportation center in 1988.

Gray began writing occasional articles and exhibition reviews in the late 1940s. His concern with rational structure in art led him to question Abstract Expressionism and write "Narcissus in Chaos." This article, published in 1959 by The American Scholar, drew considerable attention. In 1960, Cosmopolitan published "Women - Leaders of Modern Art" that featured Nell Blaine, Joan Brown, Elaine de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, Sonia Gretchoff, Grace Hartigan, Ethel Magafan, Louise Nevelson, and Georgia O'Keeffe. Between 1960 and 1970, Gray was a contributing editor of Art In America, producing numerous articles (a few co-authored with Francine) and reviews for the periodical. He edited three books, David Smith by David Smith: Scupture and Writings, Hans Richter, and John Marin, all published by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, and translated Marcel Duchamp's A l'Infinitif.

During the early 1960s, Gray became intensely focused on the situation in Vietnam. His first artistic response came in 1963 with Reverend Quan Duc, painted to commemorate a Buddhist monk who had immolated himself. Francine, too, felt strongly about the issue and over time the couple became increasingly active in the anti-war movement. They joined a number of organizations and helped to found a local chapter of Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam. The years 1968 and 1969 were an especially intense and active period for the Grays. They protested, wrote and spoke out against the war, raised funds to support anti-war political candidates, and on a few occasions were arrested and jailed. Writing for Art in America, editing the book series, and anti-war activities left little time for his art. In 1970 Gray refocused his attention on painting.

Beginning in 1947, Gray was always represented by a New York Gallery: Jacques Seligmann and Co. (1947-1959), Staempfli Gallery (1960-1965), Saidenberg Gallery (1965-1968), Betty Parsons Gallery (1968-1983), Armstrong Gallery (1984-1987), and Berry-Hill Galleries (1988-2003). He was represented by galleries in other cities, as well, but not as consistently or for such long periods.

He exhibited extensively in group and solo exhibitions throughout the United States and internationally. In addition to numerous solo exhibitions presented by the dealers who represented Gray, there were retrospective exhibitions at: Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Brooklyn Museum, Columbus Museum of Art, Krannert Art Museum (University of Illinois, Champaign), Princeton University Art Museum, Rhode Island School of Design, and Wadsworth Atheneum.

Many museums' permanent collections include the work of Cleve Gray, among them: Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Butler Institute of American Art, Columbus Museum of Art, Neuberger Museum of Art (SUNY, College at Purchase), the Museum of Modern Art (New York), Newark Museum, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Phillips Collection, Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery (University of Nebraska, Lincoln), Smithsonian Institution, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, and Yale University Art Gallery.

Cleve Gray served as artist-in-residence at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art in 1963 and at the Honolulu Academy of Arts in 1970, both sponsored by Ford Foundation programs. In 1980, he was appointed an artist-in-residence at the American Academy in Rome, where Francine concurrently served as a writer-in-residence; they returned for shorter periods during each of the subsequent seven years. Cleve Gray was presented the Connecticut Arts Award in 1987, and the Neuberger Museum of Art Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. He was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Hartford in 1992, and was elected a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1998. In addition, he was a trustee of the Neuberger Museum of Art, New York Studio School, Rhode Island School of Design, and Wadsworth Atheneum.

Cleve Gray hit his head and suffered a massive subdural hematoma after falling on ice outside of his home. He died the following day, December 8, 2004.

Separated Material:

Exhibition catalogs and announcements and two scrapbooks donated to the Archives in 1967 and 1968 were microfilmed on reels D314-D315. Items on reel D315, transferred to the Smithsonian American Art Museum Library in 1975, are not described in this finding aid.

Provenance:

The Cleve Gray papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Mr. Gray in 1967 and 1968. The bulk of the collection was given by his widow, Francine du Plessix Gray, in 2007 and 2008.

Restrictions:

Use of original material requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordigs with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.

Rights:

The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.

Occupation:

Sculptors -- Connecticut  Search this

Painters -- Connecticut  Search this

Topic:

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States  Search this

Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Protest Movements -- United States  Search this

Designers  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women sculptors  Search this

Genre/Form:

Poems

Articles

Photographs

Reviews (documents)

Notes

Illustrations

Notebooks

Sketches

Drafts (documents)

Video recordings

Sound recordings

Interviews

Manuscripts

Paintings

Prints

Watercolors

Drawings

Lectures

Citation:

Cleve Gray papers, 1933-2005. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

AAA.grayclev

See more items in:

Cleve Gray papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw92d3d47d0-baa3-4085-80f2-9b5d1730c052

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-grayclev

Creator:

Neuberger, Roy R.  Search this

Names:

Africano, Nicholas, 1948-  Search this

Ajay, Abe  Search this

Austin, Darrel, 1907-  Search this

Avery, Milton, 1885-1965  Search this

Baldessari, John, 1931-  Search this

Baziotes, William, 1912-1963  Search this

Bearden, Romare, 1911-1988  Search this

Brooks, James, 1906-1992  Search this

Browne, Byron, 1907-1961  Search this

Calder, Alexander, 1898-1976  Search this

Constant, George  Search this

Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964  Search this

Evergood, Philip, 1901-1973  Search this

Feininger, Lyonel, 1871-1956  Search this

Gatch, Lee, 1902-1968  Search this

Gottlieb, Adolph, 1903-1974  Search this

Hurd, Peter, 1904-1984  Search this

Kinigstein, Jonah, 1923-  Search this

Knaths, Karl, 1891-1971  Search this

Kopman, Benjamin, b. 1887  Search this

Lamis, Leroy, 1925-  Search this

Laufman, Sidney, 1891-  Search this

Lawrence, Jacob, 1917-2000  Search this

Levine, Jack, 1915-2010  Search this

Levine, Les, 1935-  Search this

Maccoy, Guy C., 1904-1981  Search this

Magriel, Paul David, 1906-  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Moller, Hans, 1905-  Search this

Morris, George L. K., 1905-1975  Search this

Orr, Elliot, 1904-1997  Search this

Pereira, I. Rice (Irene Rice), 1902-1971  Search this

Quirt, Walter, 1902-  Search this

Rivers, Larry, 1925-2002  Search this

Rockefeller, Nelson A. (Nelson Aldrich), 1908-1979  Search this

Roth, Frank, 1936-  Search this

Rothschild, Judith  Search this

Schueler, Jon, 1916-  Search this

Shahn, Ben, 1898-1969  Search this

Sheeler, Charles, 1883-1965  Search this

Snyder, Joan, 1940-  Search this

Sonfist, Alan  Search this

Steinberg, Saul  Search this

Walker, Hudson D. (Hudson Dean), 1907-1976  Search this

Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this

Wight, Frederick Stallknecht, 1902-  Search this

Extent:

5.4 Linear feet ((partially microfilmed on 2 reels))

0.2 Linear feet (Addition)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1940-1979

Scope and Contents:

Correspondence, printed material, photographs; and "birthday books" containing drawings and writings by artists sent to Neuberger on his 50th and 75th birthdays.

REEL NSM 1: A "Birthday Book," 1953, for Neuberger containing drawings, sketches and written birthday greetings from 38 artists, compiled by Mrs. Neuberger. Contributors include Alexander Calder, Byron Browne, George Constant, Adolph Gottlieb, Jack Levine, Lyonel Feininger, Lee Gatch, Benjamin Kopman, Jonah Kinigstein, Karl Knaths, William Baziotes, Peter Hurd, Walter Quirt, Milton Avery, Ben Shahn, George L. K. Morris, Hans Moller, Guy Maccoy, Irene Rice Pereira, Max Weber, Stuart Davis, Charles Sheeler, Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, Darrel Austin, Philip Evergood, Saul Steinberg, Elliot Orr, and John Marin.

REEL 4588: A scrapbook containing illustrated birthday cards from artists sent to Neuberger on the occasion of his 75th birthday (1978). Included are cards from Nicolas Africano, Abe Ajay, John Baldessari, Romare Bearden, James Brooks, Les Levine, Judith Rothschild, Joan Snyder, and Alan Sonfist, and others.

UNMICROFILMED: Material relating to Neuberger's activities as an art collector, patron, and trustee consisting of: clippings, exhibiton catalogs and announcements; photographs; and correspondence with Leroy Lamis, Sidney Laufman, Paul David Magriel, Larry Rivers, Frank Roth, Jon Rudolf Schueler, Hudson Walker and Frederick Stallknecht Wight.

ADDITION: Correspondence with artists and other prominent people including: Edward Albee, Alexander Calder, Merce Cunningham, Lyonel Feininger, Henry Geldzahler, Henry Moore, Gerald Ford, Robert F. Kennedy, John V. Lindsay, George McGovern and Nelson Rockefeller. Also included are a letter from Mr. and Mrs. John Walker relating to their trip to Europe to return the "Mona Lisa" to the Louvre in 1963; printed material relating to Nelson Rockefeller; and four lists of art related papers remaining with Neuberger.

Biographical / Historical:

Art collector, patron; New York, N.Y. Born 1903. A collector of primarily American art. President of the American Federation of the Arts, 1958-1968; a trustee and member of Friends of the Whitney Museum of American Art; honorary trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; member of the executive committee of the Council of Friends, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University; and many other positions and memberships. A large part of his private art collection was donated to the Roy R. Neuberger Museum of the State University of New York College at Purchase.

Provenance:

"Birthday books" on reels NSM 1 and 4588 lent for microfilming 1963 and 1992 by Neuberger. He donated the unmicrofilmed material in 1975 and 1993.

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:

Art patrons -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Art patronage -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Artists and patrons -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Artists' books  Search this

Art -- Collectors and collecting -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.neubroy

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ed9bd2bc-13f3-4cf8-83fa-08ac83e43104

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-neubroy

Interviewee:

Agostini, Peter  Search this

Interviewer:

Roberts, Colette, 1910-  Search this

Names:

Columbia University -- Faculty  Search this

United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this

Bontecou, Lee, 1931-  Search this

Chamberlain, John, 1927-2011  Search this

Chryssa, 1933-2013  Search this

Cornell, Joseph  Search this

Cézanne, Paul, 1839-1906  Search this

De Chirico, Giorgio, 1888-  Search this

De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this

Demuth, Charles, 1883-1935  Search this

Di Suvero, Mark, 1933-  Search this

Dove, Arthur Garfield, 1880-1946  Search this

Dubuffet, Jean, 1901-1985  Search this

Duchamp, Marcel, 1887-1968  Search this

Ferber, Herbert, 1906-1991  Search this

Flannagan, John Bernard, 1895?-1942  Search this

Giacometti, Alberto, 1901-1966  Search this

Greenberg, Clement, 1909-1994  Search this

Hague, Raoul, 1905-1993  Search this

Hare, David, 1917-1992  Search this

Hartley, Marsden, 1877-1943  Search this

Hopper, Edward, 1882-1967  Search this

Judd, Donald, 1928-1994  Search this

Kaprow, Allan  Search this

Kienholz, Edward, 1927-  Search this

Kline, Franz, 1910-1962  Search this

Kohn, Gabriel, 1910-1975  Search this

Kolbe, Georg, 1877-1947  Search this

La Tour, Onya, 1896-1976  Search this

Lachaise, Gaston, 1882-1935  Search this

Lassaw, Ibram, 1913-2003  Search this

Lippold, Richard, 1915-2002  Search this

Lipton, Seymour, 1903-1986  Search this

Macdonald-Wright, Stanton, 1890-1973  Search this

Maillol, Aristide, 1861-1944  Search this

Manship, Paul, 1885-1966  Search this

Marca-Relli, Conrad, 1913-2000  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Marisol, 1930-2016  Search this

Matisse, Henri, 1869-1954  Search this

Melville, Herman, 1819-1891  Search this

Mondrian, Piet, 1872-1944  Search this

Morris, Robert, 1931-2018  Search this

Nakian, Reuben, 1897-1986  Search this

Noguchi, Isamu, 1904-1988  Search this

O'Keeffe, Georgia, 1887-1986  Search this

Oldenburg, Claes, 1929-  Search this

Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809-1849  Search this

Pollock, Jackson, 1912-1956  Search this

Pompon, François, 1855-1933  Search this

Reinhardt, Ad, 1913-1967  Search this

Rivera, Diego, 1886-1957  Search this

Roszak, Theodore, 1907-1981  Search this

Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970  Search this

Samaras, Lucas, 1936-  Search this

Scarpitta, Salvatore, 1919-2007  Search this

Segal, George, 1924-2000  Search this

Sheeler, Charles, 1883-1965  Search this

Smith, David, 1906-1965  Search this

Smith, Tony, 1912-1980  Search this

Spaventa, George, 1918-  Search this

Stankiewicz, Richard, 1922-1983  Search this

Sugarman, George, 1912-1999  Search this

Tobey, Mark  Search this

Whitman, Walt, 1819-1892  Search this

Zorach, William, 1887-1966  Search this

Extent:

99 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Interviews

Sound recordings

Date:

1968

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Peter Agostini conducted in 1968, by Colette Roberts, for the Archives of American Art at 151 Avenue B, New York, New York.

Mr. Agostini speaks of his childhood spent living throughout the five boroughs of New York; his interactions with clients of his father's acting employment agency; his early education in Catholic school and the creative freedom allotted by the nuns; his first feelings of isolation as an artist at the age of seven; the development of a sense of communication as the result of the loss of his mother at the age of three and time spent at a school for orphans; his early realization and vision of artistic destiny; his religious interests which lead to mysticism in his earlier work; his time spent working freely in the DaVinci Studio with Spaventa; the discovery by Hess of his works in Gallerie Grimaud; his attainment of the Longview Grant; his working experience throughout the Depression as part of the WPA casting plaster mannequins while working indirectly with Pollack as well as Marca Relli; his subsequent move to designing department store windows (use of Mondrian-like forms and lines); his feelings of his position as an observer; the importance of communication through art (communication without words); his rejection of the Abstract Expressionist group and choice of independence; the influence of the sculpture of Kolbe and Bache in the thirties; Clement Greenberg's distaste for his work; his feelings about the relative failure to sell his work due its unusual edginess and mystery; his role in the introduction of the work of contemporary European artists (Chausserian, Gauthier, Modrian) to the American group; his description of his own work as "traditionless"; his feelings of self-importance as one of the most original sculptors in the art world; his influence on the younger generation, particularly Marisol; the enslavement to originality that the younger generation faces; his attitudes towards American Art forms and their lack of rebellious spirit; the virtues of the American writers, such as Poe, Whitman, and Melville as American "knapsack" writers; his personal technique which places an emphasis on the "skin" or volume of something; his attempt to create quiet art, or art that merely indicates features; his frustration with teaching and the problems of regurgitated knowledge; the role of Meyer Shapiro in his teaching career at Columbia; the formation of the Club and its similarity to the Cubist's café scene; his opinions on the relationship of sex and sensuality in American art; his personal struggles, including the loss of his second wife and two of his brothers, in addition to the estrangement of his only daughter by his first wife; his feelings on the role of psycho analysis and personal history in a work of art; his present works which feature the "swell." For the majority of the second half of the interview Ms. Roberts asks Mr. Agostini to express his opinions on the work of: Kline; DeKooning; Duchamp; Oldenburg; La Tour; DeChirico; Maillol; Pompon; Rothko; Chardin; Cezanne; Giacometti; Reinhardt; Chryssa; Tony Smith; Segal; Lachaise; Zorach; Manship; Flannagan; Kelly; Lassaw; David Smith; Hare; Lipton; Ferber; Lippold; Roszak; Nakian; Noguchi; Hague; Kohn; di Suvero; Chamberlain; Kaprow; Sugarman; Stankiewicz; Bontecou; Scarpitta; Cornell; Keinholz; Rivera; Judd; Robert Morris; O'Keeffe; Samaras; Mark Tobey; Marin; Pollock; Hartley; Dove; Macdonald-Wright; Demuth; Sheeler; Hopper; Mirot; Matisse; DuBuffet.

Biographical / Historical:

Peter Agostini (1913-1993) was a sculptor from New York, New York.

General:

Originally recorded on 3 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 28 digital wav files. Duration is 10 hrs., 37 min.

Transferred from 4 3" reels.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art 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 administrators.

Topic:

Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this

Abstract expressionism  Search this

Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Sound recordings

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.agosti68

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw94f33a1ab-e475-4a6f-8b0b-f9822b288239

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-agosti68

Creator:

Carles, Arthur B., 1882-1952  Search this

Names:

Baker, Sarah, 1899-  Search this

Carles, Caroline Robinson  Search this

Ingersoll, R. Sturgis (Robert Sturgis), b. 1891  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

McCarter, Henry, 1866-1942  Search this

Ottenberg, Perry, 1924-  Search this

Seyffert, Leopold  Search this

Speiser, Maurice J. (Maurice Joseph), 1880-  Search this

Tyson, Carol  Search this

Tyson, Henry  Search this

Watkins, Franklin Chenault, 1894-1972  Search this

Extent:

0.92 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Diaries

Photographs

Date:

1912-1983

Summary:

The papers of Philadelphia painter Arthur B. Carles measure 0.92 linear feet and date from 1912 to 1983. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, writings and notes, personal business records, printed materials, and photographs.

Scope and Contents:

The papers of Philadelphia painter Arthur B. Carles measure 0.92 linear feet and date from 1912 to 1983. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, writings and notes, personal business records, printed materials, and photographs.

Correspondence is found for Carles and his wife Caroline Robinson Carles and includes letters from Sarah Baker, R. Sturgis Ingersoll, Henry McCarter, John Marin, Leopold Seyffert, Maurice Speiser, Carroll and Henry Tyson, and Franklin Watkins, among others. One diary contains brief entries. Additional writings are by Carles and Perry Ottenberg. Photographs are of Carles, his studio, family and friends, exhibitions, and works of art.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged as 1 series. Glass plate negatives are housed separately and closed to researchers.

Missing Title

Series 1: Arthur B. Carles papers, 1912-1983 (0.6 linear feet; Box 1-2, MGP 3)

Biographical / Historical:

Arthur B. Carles (1882-1952) was a painter and art instructor active in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Born in 1882 in Philadelphia, Arthur B. Carles studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from 1900-1907. There he studied with Thomas Pollock Anshutz, Hugh Breckenridge, Henry McCarter, Cecilia Beaux, and William Merritt Chase. Carles traveled to France in 1907 and stayed until 1910, becoming close friends with John Marin and Eduard Steichen. He displayed his work in the Salon d'Automne of 1908.

Upon Carles' return to Philadelphia, he accepted a position at the Pennsylvania Academy as an instructor of French and American modernism. In 1910 his work was included in the "Younger American Painters" show held at Alfred Stieglitz's New York gallery, 291. Also, Stieglitz gave Carles his first one-man show in 1912. Carles exhibited at the Armory Show of 1913.

Arthur Carles had one daughter, painter Mercedes Matter. He married Carolina Robinson as his second wife in 1972. Later in life, he suffered from alcoholism and had a stroke in 1941 that left him unable to paint. Carles died in 1952.

Separated Materials:

The Archives of American Art also holds microfilm of material lent for microfilming (reels 1052 and 4270-4273) including correspondence, writings and notes, business material, artwork, photographs, and business records. Loaned materials were returned to the lenders and are not described in the collection container inventory.

Provenance:

A portion of the Arthur B. Carles collection was loaned for microfilming by Steven Casamassima in 1976. Sara F. Swanson and Perry Ottenberg, Philadelphia collectors, donated papers in 1985 and Ottenberg lent additional material for microfilming in 1989.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment. Glass plate negatives are housed separately and not served to researchers.

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:

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this

Artists' studios -- Photographs  Search this

Painting, Abstract -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this

Painters -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia  Search this

Genre/Form:

Diaries

Photographs

Citation:

Arthur B. Carles papers, 1912-1983. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Sponsor:

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation of American Art. Glass plate negatives in this collection were digitized in 2019 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.

Identifier:

AAA.carlarth

See more items in:

Arthur B. Carles papers

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw98a6644d9-9b9e-4276-a248-ec5a94df3c68

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-carlarth

Creator:

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Names:

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Extent:

6 Items

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

circa 1946-1947

Scope and Contents:

Two letters and three Christmas cards from John Marin to his neighbors in Cliffside, New Jersey, Mr. and Mrs. James Franklin. The letters, written by Marin while summering in Addison, Maine, are upbeat as he describes his activities and the weather, in general. Also included is a photograph of Mrs. James Franklin, Mrs. John Marin, John Marin, and James Franklin.

Biographical / Historical:

Born in Rutherford, N.J., John Marin (1870-1953) became a leading early modern American painter. He lived in both Cliffside, N.J. and Addison, Maine.

Provenance:

This collection of letters was donated in 2008 by Martha J. Fleischman, director of the Kennedy Galleries.

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.

Identifier:

AAA.marijohn2

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9ba5e84a5-8511-4a02-8ada-d1b8706505ff

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-marijohn2

Creator:

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Names:

Duncan, Charles, b. 1892  Search this

Extent:

3 Items ((on 1 partial microfilm reel))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1946-1948

Scope and Contents:

Letters from Marin in Addison, Maine, to Duncan in Ridgefield, N.J. Marin writes of the coast, of painting, and of visiting Duncan.

Biographical / Historical:

Born in Rutherford, N.J., Marin became a leading early modern American painter. He lived in both Cliffside, N.J. and Addison, Maine. His friend, Charles Duncan, was an illustrator in Ridgefield, N.J.

Other Title:

Charles Duncan papers (microfilm title).

Provenance:

Donated 1959 by Charles Duncan.

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:

Painters -- Maine -- Addison  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.marijohn

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw909fc8bf3-5c22-409c-aad8-6853b00b96cd

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-marijohn

Creator:

Field, Hamilton Easter  Search this

Names:

Bellows, George, 1882-1925  Search this

Berenson, Bernard, 1865-1959  Search this

Daingerfield, Elliott, 1859-1932  Search this

Davies, Arthur B. (Arthur Bowen), 1862-1928  Search this

Fry, Roger Eliot, 1866-1934  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Pennell, Joseph, 1857-1926  Search this

Ray, Man, 1890-1976  Search this

Sloan, John, 1871-1951  Search this

Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this

Weir, Julian Alden, 1852-1919  Search this

Donor:

Laurent, Robert, 1890-1970  Search this

Extent:

1 Microfilm reel

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Microfilm reels

Date:

circa 1913-1966

Scope and Contents:

115 letters to Field from George Bellows, Bernard Berenson, Elliott Daingerfield, Arthur B. Davies, Roger Fry, John Marin, Joseph Pennell, Man Ray, John Sloan, Max Weber, J. Alden Weir, and others. Two highly detailed letters from Maurice Sterne in 1913 describe that artist's life in Bali. Also included are signatures of American artists from a guest book, and a 1966 catalog of the Hamilton Easter Field Art Foundation Collection.

Biographical / Historical:

Hamilton Easter Field (b. 1873 d. 1922) was an artist, critic, collector, and patron notable for his support of modern art. In 1911, Field founded the Summer School of Graphic Arts in Ogunquit, Maine. The Hamilton Easter Field Art Foundation Collection is in the Portland Museum of Art (Me.).

Related Materials:

Also in the Archives of American Art are the papers of Robert Laurent, containing material relating to Hamilton Easter Field and the Hamilton Easter Field Foundation.

Provenance:

Lent for microfilming 1968 by Robert Laurent. When Field died in 1922 at the age of 49 he left his estate to Robert Laurent. Laurent formed the Hamilton Easter Field Foundation.

Restrictions:

The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.

Identifier:

AAA.fielhami

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9b883efd3-3525-4726-90e2-279e15e676af

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-fielhami

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

Creator:

Liebman, Aline Meyer, 1879-1966  Search this

Names:

Museum of Modern Art (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Adams, Ansel, 1902-1984  Search this

Benton, Thomas Hart, 1889-1975  Search this

Bluemner, Oscar, 1867-1938  Search this

Borglum, Gutzon, 1867-1941  Search this

Lachaise, Gaston, 1882-1935  Search this

Macdonald-Wright, Stanton, 1890-1973  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

O'Keeffe, Georgia, 1887-1986  Search this

Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this

Strand, Paul, 1890-1976  Search this

Weston, Edward, 1886-1958  Search this

Extent:

1.7 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Scrapbooks

Date:

1906-1978

Scope and Contents:

Correspondence, photographs, business and financial records, printed matter, scrapbooks, and exhibition catalogs document Mrs. Liebman's acquisition of modern American art, European painting and decorative arts, her interest in and support of photography, her encouragement of individual artists, the inception and early history of the Museum of Modern Art, and her own painting career.

REEL 4203: Correspondence with Ansel Adams, Oscar Bluemner, Gutson Borglum, Gaston Lachaise, Stanton Macdonald-Wright, John Marin, the Museum of Modern Art, Alfred Stieglitz and An American Place, Paul Strand and Edward Weston, among many others. Among the business records are receipts for works of art purchased by Mrs. Liebman. Photographs show a photography exhibition opening (1935). Printed matter, mainly newspaper clippings and gallery announcements, relates to artists represented in the Liebman Collection, exhibitions which included loans from the Liebman Collection, and events in which Aline Meyer Liebman participated. Four scrapbooks (1936-1947), comprised of printed matter, correspondence, and photographs, relate to Aline Meyer Liebman's career as a painter. Six exhibition catalogs date from 1921 to 1935. Other material concerns Edgar Degas, Artistide Maillol, Pablo Picasso, Diego Rivera, and Gino Severini.

ADDITION (NOT MICROFILMED): Letters, 1906-1978; invoices for paintings purchased, 1929-1931; financial statements; photographs of Liebman's apartment, works in the Liebman Collection, paintings by Aline Meyer Liebman, and exhibition installations; and a catalog of Parke-Bernet's 1955 Liebman sale.

Biographical / Historical:

Aline Meyer Liebman (1879-1966) was a painter, art patron, and collector of modern art from New York, N.Y. Born in Los Angeles, Calif., Aline Meyer Liebman studied at Barnard College, and with Stefan Hirsch and Henry Mosler. She exhibited at Walker Galleries (1936), San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (1937), Bennington College (1937), Portland Museum (1939), and Weyhe Gallery (1943), among others.

Provenance:

Donated 1986 and 1989 by Margaret Liebman Berger, Aline Meyer Liebman's daughter.

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:

Photographers -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Art patrons -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Collectors -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Topic:

Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this

Art patronage -- New York (State) -- New York  Search this

Modernism (Art) -- Collectors and collecting  Search this

Photography, Artistic -- Collectors and collecting  Search this

Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States -- Collectors and collecting  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Women photographers  Search this

Women art patrons  Search this

Genre/Form:

Scrapbooks

Identifier:

AAA.liebalin

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9b527c698-65b0-4a79-9899-3592274d3bf5

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-liebalin

Creator:

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Extent:

1 Item

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1948

Scope and Contents:

Four page autograph manuscript draft enclosed in a hardback folio. Written in free verse by John Marin for the foreword to the monograph John Marin by MacKinley Helm. Marin muses on the subject of health and refers to himself repeatedly as "this critter myself."

Biographical / Historical:

John Marin (1870-1953) was a painter, engraver, and watercolorist in Paris, France and Cliffside, N.J.

Provenance:

Donated 2011 by Peter S. Michaels who purchased the manuscript from a bookseller.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.

Identifier:

AAA.marijohn3

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9db899c9c-2046-4a3e-9375-44c1765c916d

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-marijohn3

Creator:

Quinn, John, 1870-1924  Search this

Names:

Armory Show (1913: New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Association of American Painters and Sculptors (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Durand-Ruel Galleries (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

M. Knoedler & Co.  Search this

Macbeth Gallery  Search this

Montross Gallery  Search this

Penguin Club (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Photo-Secession Galleries (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Tiffany Studios  Search this

Cézanne, Paul, 1839-1906  Search this

Davies, Arthur B. (Arthur Bowen), 1862-1928  Search this

Derain, André, 1880-1954  Search this

Duchamp-Villon, Raymond, 1876-1918  Search this

Epstein, Jacob, Sir, 1880-1959  Search this

Hartley, Marsden, 1877-1943  Search this

Kuhn, Walt, 1877-1949  Search this

Macdonald-Wright, Stanton, 1890-1973  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Pascin, Jules, 1885-1930  Search this

Prendergast, Maurice Brazil, 1858-1924  Search this

Redon, Odilon, 1840-1916  Search this

Renoir, Auguste, 1841-1919  Search this

Schamberg, Morton L., 1881-1918  Search this

Severini, Gino, 1883-1966  Search this

Sheeler, Charles, 1883-1965  Search this

Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this

Villon, Jacques, 1875-1963  Search this

Vollard, Ambroise, 1867-1939  Search this

Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this

Extent:

2 Volumes ((ca. 390 p. on 1 microfilm reel))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Volumes

Date:

1909-1924

Scope and Contents:

Ledgers detailing the art purchases of John Quinn. Entries include the Association of American Painters and Sculptors listing purchases from the Armory Show, February to June 1913, of works by Cezanne, Renoir, Raymond Villon-Duchamp, Andre Derain, Jules Pascin, Odilon Redon, Walt Kuhn, Jacques Villon and others. Also entered are purchases from Alfred Stieglitz's Photo-Secession Gallery for paintings by Marsden Hartley, John Marin, Severini and Stanton Macdonald-Wright. Purchases from art dealers include M. Knoedler & Co. (for works by Morton Schamberg), Montross Gallery (for works by Arthur B. Davies, Maurice Pendergast, Walt Kuhn, Charles Sheeler, Max Weber), William Macbeth Gallery, Durand Ruel & Sons, and Ambroise Vollard.

Other entries of note include those for Jacob Epstein, one for Tiffany Studios detailing extensive refurbishing and refinishing of numerous items of furniture, and one for the Penguin Club enumerating the cost incurred for the installation of the VORTICIST EXHIBITION.

Biographical / Historical:

Art patron and lawyer; New York, N.Y.

Provenance:

Lent for microfilming 1986 by Thomas F. Conroy, Quinn's nephew by marriage. Mr. Conroy intends to donate these papers to the New York Public Library where the John Quinn Memorial Collection is housed.

Restrictions:

The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.

Occupation:

Art patrons  Search this

Topic:

Art -- Collectors and collecting  Search this

Art patronage  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.quinjohl

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw901f74557-f482-4334-a13b-27551e632d6e

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-quinjohl

Creator:

Reich, Sheldon  Search this

Names:

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Extent:

3 Linear feet

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

[ca. 1960-1970]

Scope and Contents:

Material compiled during Reich's preparation of a Marin catalogue raisonne, on 1700 4x6 inch index cards. In addition there are ca. 675 photographs of Marin watercolors, drawings, and oil paintings.

Biographical / Historical:

Art historian; Tucson, Arizon. Born 1931.

Provenance:

Donated 1971 by Sheldon Reich.

Restrictions:

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center.

Occupation:

Art historians -- Arizona -- Tucson  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.reicshel

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9f9853dfe-93c7-4613-ae6f-65382703461e

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-reicshel

Interviewee:

McNeil, George, 1908-1995  Search this

Interviewer:

Sandler, Irving, 1925-  Search this

Names:

American Abstract Artists  Search this

United States. Work Projects Administration  Search this

Bolotowsky, Ilya, 1907-1981  Search this

Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964  Search this

De Kooning, Willem, 1904-1997  Search this

Diller, Burgoyne, 1906-1965  Search this

Dlugoszewski, Lucia, 1931-2000  Search this

Gallatin, A. E. (Albert Eugene), 1881-1952  Search this

Gorky, Arshile, 1904-1948  Search this

Gottlieb, Adolph, 1903-1974  Search this

Graham, John, 1887-1961  Search this

Harari, Hananiah, 1912-2000  Search this

Hofmann, Hans, 1880-1966  Search this

Hélion, Jean, 1904-1987  Search this

Kandinsky, Wassily, 1866-1944  Search this

Levy, Edgar  Search this

Léger, Fernand, 1881-1955  Search this

Manso, Leo  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Matter, Mercedes  Search this

Matulka, Jan, 1890-1972  Search this

Miró, Joan, 1893-  Search this

Morris, George L. K., 1905-1975  Search this

Motherwell, Robert  Search this

Pereira, I. Rice (Irene Rice), 1902-1971  Search this

Rosenborg, Ralph M., 1913-1992  Search this

Rothko, Mark, 1903-1970  Search this

Shaw, Charles Green, 1892-1974  Search this

Smith, David, 1906-1965  Search this

Vytlacil, Vaclav, 1892-1984  Search this

Extent:

82 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1968 Jan. 9-May 21

Scope and Contents:

An interview of George McNeil conducted 1968 Jan. 9-May 21, by Irving Sandler, for the Archives of American Art. McNeil speaks of why he became interested in art; his early influences; becoming interested in modern art after attending lectures by Vaclav Vytlacil; meeting Arshile Gorky; the leading figures in modern art during the 1930s; his interest in Cézanne; studying with Jan Matulka and Hans Hofmann; his experiences with the WPA; the modern artists within the WPA; the American Abstract Artists (A.A.A.); a group of painters oriented to Paris called The Ten; how there was an anti-surrealism attitude, and a surrealist would not have been permitted in A.A.A; what the A.A.A. constituted as abstract art; a grouping within the A.A.A. called the Concretionists; his memories of Léger; how he assesses the period of the 1930s; the importance of Cubism; what he thinks caused the decline of A.A.A.; how he assesses the period of the 1940s; his stance on form and the plastic values in art; his thoughts on various artists; the importance of The Club; the antipathy to the School of Paris after the war; how Impressionism was considered in the 40s and 50s; slides of his paintings from 1937 to 1962, and shows how he developed as an artist; the problems of abstract expressionism; organic and geometric form; the schisms in different art groups due to politics; his teaching techniques; why he feels modern painting declined after 1912; the quality of A.A.A. works; stretching his canvases, and the sizes he uses; his recent works, and his approaches to painting. He recalls Vaclav Vytlacil, Hans Hofmann; Arshile Gorky, John Graham, Jan Matulka, John Marin, Wassily Kandinsky, Mercedes Carles Matter, Albert Swinden, Fernand Léger, Stuart Davis, Burgoyne Diller, David Smith, Edgar Levy, Leo Manso, Irene Rice Pereira, Willem de Kooning, Ilya Bolotowsky, Mark Rothko, Adolph Gottlieb, Joan Miró, Robert Motherwell, George L.K. Morris, Albert Gallatin, Charles Shaw, John Ferrin, Ralph Rosenborg, Hananiah Harari, Agnes Lyall, Jean Helion, and many others.

Biographical / Historical:

George McNeil (1908-1995) was a painter and printmaker from New York, N.Y.

General:

Originally recorded on 3 sound tape reels. Reformatted in 2010 as 6 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hrs., 14 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 is available on the Archives of American Art's website.

Topic:

Art, American  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this

Printmakers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this

Abstract expressionism  Search this

Art -- Philosophy  Search this

Painting  Search this

Cubism  Search this

Impressionism (Art)  Search this

Surrealism  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Identifier:

AAA.mcneil68

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9b3ee2e56-003f-4186-96f2-7f57e7bcd411

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-mcneil68

Interviewee:

Landon, Edward, 1911-1984  Search this

Interviewer:

Brown, Robert F.  Search this

Names:

American Artists' Congress  Search this

Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Federal art project (Mass.)  Search this

National Serigraph Society  Search this

Abbott, Berenice, 1898-1991  Search this

Bridgman, George Brant, 1864-1943  Search this

Dove, Arthur Garfield, 1880-1946  Search this

Gottlieb, Harry, 1895-  Search this

Hartley, Dennis  Search this

Hughes, Marian  Search this

Lozowick, Louis, 1892-1973  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Mark, Henry  Search this

Mauer, Alfred  Search this

McCausland, Elizabeth, 1899-1965  Search this

O'Keeffe, Georgia, 1887-1986  Search this

Olds, Elizabeth, 1896-1991  Search this

Perry, Marvo  Search this

Rebay, Hilla, 1890-1967  Search this

Rogers, William T.  Search this

Sabbath, Bernie  Search this

Stein, Gertrude, 1874-1946  Search this

Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this

Strand, Paul, 1890-1976  Search this

Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this

Extent:

39 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

1975 Apr. 17-May 28

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Edward Landon conducted 1975 Apr. 17-May 28, by Robert Brown, for the Archives of American Art.

Landon speaks of working with the local theater in high school; leaving Hartford at age 17 or 18 for Greenwich Village in New York and the Art Students League; studying figure drawing with George Bridgman; getting married and moving to Springfield, Mass.; exhibiting with the Springfield Art League; the Artist Union and the Artist Congress in the 1930s; spending a summer with Georgia O'Keeffe and Paul Strand in Taos, N.M.; the cooperation amongst artists that lasted into the 1950s to establish serigraphs as an American fine art print medium; when he received the Solomon Guggenheim Scholarship for Non-objective Art in 1939; when he made furniture and picture frames and the publishing of his book on making picture frames in 1946; when he began working as an easel painter in the Massachusetts Federal Art Project of the WPA in 1933; becoming president of the Western Chapter of the Artists Union in 1934; when he corresponded and visited Arthur Dove; his friendship with Elizabeth McCausland; his introduction to Harry Gottlieb and silk screen printing; the love of color and currently trying for emotional effects in his work; initiating silk screen exhibitions in the Springfield Museum; the beginning of the National Serigraph Society and his work as the exhibition secretary; his teaching approach; the first class held in his garage with fellow artists; more on his relationship with Elizabeth McCausland; Arthur Dove's influence on a recent painting Landon finished; his trip to Taos in 1930 and the importance of artist colonies for him early on; the feeling of not having roots, but being comfortable with the idea; the purpose of the National Serigraph Society; his feelings about printmakers moving away from traditional printing; organized exhibitions for the United States Information Service; his enjoyment in organizing things; the commercialization of creating "prints;" how photo-realism does not translate well in the print medium; the importance of trying to convey an idea in his work; his success in covering small boxes, address books and other items, as well as book binding; his preference for printing small editions of 25 to 35 prints; of a description of his method of printing; his Fulbright Fellowship in 1950 to travel to Norway and lecture; an interest in early Scandinavian art; publishing a silkscreen portfolio of pre-Viking art for the American Scandinavian Foundation; traveling through Europe; his influence as an innovator in France and Scandinavia; meeting with silk screen artists in Oslo; art forms in his work at this time; his inclusion in "Who's Who in American Art;" the avoidance of art movements; how by the 1950s the reason for the National Serigraph Society no longer existed because the medium was popular by that time; his move to Vermont in 1957 or 1958; work as a color mixer, book binder, and returning to framing because of health reasons; his second illness changing what he found important in his life; and how the content of his work became more emotional. Landon also recalls Louie Lozowick, Gertrude Stein, Marian Hughes, Elizabeth Olds, John Marin, Alfred Stieglitz, Berenice Abbott, Marvo Perry, Hilla Rebay, Sir William T. Rogers, Max Weber, Dennis Hartley, Alfred Maurer, Bernie Sabbath, and Henry Mark.

Biographical / Historical:

Edward Landon (1911-1984) was a printmaker from Weston, Vt.

General:

Originally recorded on 1 sound tape reel. Reformatted in 2010 as 2 digital wav files. Duration is 1 hr., 39 min.

Provenance:

These interviews are part of the Archives of American Art 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

Printmakers -- Vermont -- Weston -- Interviews  Search this

Printing -- Technique  Search this

Function:

Artist colonies

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.landon75

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw9fc2f6099-4ac6-4cf6-b0a9-962e4fb7ba9b

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-landon75

Creator:

Lachaise, Gaston, 1882-1935  Search this

Lachaise, Isabelle Nagle, d. 1957  Search this

Names:

Hartman, C. Bertram, 1882-1960  Search this

Kuniyoshi, Yasuo, 1889-1953  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Sprinchorn, Carl, 1887-1971  Search this

Stieglitz, Alfred, 1864-1946  Search this

Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964  Search this

Weber, Max, 1881-1961  Search this

Extent:

0.8 Linear feet ((microfilmed on 4 reels))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1903-1962

Scope and Contents:

Correspondence; photographs; photograph albums; scrapbooks; exhibition material; and clippings.

REELS 325-327: Correspondence; photograph albums; scrapbooks; clippings; and exhibition material.

REEL 1034: Correspondence, 1925-1934, including mainly 23 letters to Lachaise from Alfred Stieglitz discussing Lachaise's exhibiting some works at the Anderson Galleries and his financial dealings with Stieglitz; letters to Isabelle Lachaise from friends and artists including Carl Van Vechten, Alfred Stieglitz, Bertram Hartman, and Carl Sprinchorn; correspondence relating to the sale of Gaston Lachaise's work; and correspondence relating to biographies of Gaston Lachaise. In addition, there are 3 photographs of paintings in the estate of Isabelle Lachaise: a drawing by Max Weber, a 1923 painting by Yasuo Kuniyoshi; and a painting by John Marin.

Biographical / Historical:

Gaston Lachaise (1882-1935) was a sculptor from New York, N.Y. and Maine. Best known for his stylized monumental female nudes, dating from 1918 to the 1930s.

Provenance:

Lent for microfilming 1972-1974 by John Pierce, Managing Trustee, Lachaise Foundation. Pierce is the grand-nephew of Isabelle Lachaise.

Restrictions:

The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.

Occupation:

Sculptors -- United States  Search this

Topic:

Sculpture, American  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.lachgast

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw91709905a-3d16-44c5-997a-a020633d3392

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-lachgast

Creator:

Lockwood, Ward  Search this

Names:

Federal Art Project  Search this

Dasburg, Andrew, 1887-1979  Search this

Luhan, Mabel Dodge, 1879-1962  Search this

Marin, John, 1870-1953  Search this

Rattner, Abraham  Search this

Extent:

1.5 Items (linear ft.(on 2 microfilm reels))

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Date:

1913-1963

Scope and Contents:

Correspondence, 1913-1963, regarding Lockwood's work on murals for government buildings, and letters from Andrew Dasburg, Mabel Dodge Luhan, and Abraham Rattner; a 23 page diary, 1931-1933; an anecdotal reminiscence of John Marin; career resumes; 6 sketchbooks; 6 speech texts; material relating to mural projects in Washington, D.C., in Lexington, Kentucky, and in Wichita, Kansas; photographs of Lockwood, his works, and of mural classes; exhibition catalogs; clippings; and miscellany.

Biographical / Historical:

Mural painter, painter and educator; born in Kansas; attended University of Kansas, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Ransom Academy in Paris. Worked on various government buildings painting murals for the WPA. Taught in the art departments at University of Texas, University of California at Berkeley and elsewhere. Lived in Taos, N.M. for many years.

Provenance:

Donated 1964 by Mrs. Ward Lockwood, widow of Lockwood.

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:

Painters  Search this

Topic:

Mural painting and decoration  Search this

Painting  Search this

Muralists  Search this

Identifier:

AAA.lockward

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw95fdd6143-0490-4ca5-9382-995ece5ca4e5

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-lockward