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The Stella Kramrisch papers, 1921-1998 (inclusive)

Extent:
60.0 linear feet
Abstract:
As a teacher, lecturer, curator and prolific writer, Dr. Stella Kramrisch (1898-1993) devoted nearly 70 years to the study and appreciation of Indian art. She served as the curator of Indian art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art from 1954 until her death in 1993. The Stella Kramrisch papers document her activities, correspondence and publications as a collector and historian of Indian art. The records in this collection date from 1921 to 1998 and contain information about the art objects in Stella Kramrisch’s personal collection (which were later donated to the Philadelphia Museum of Art), and her publications and research. There is also a large collection of photographs of Indian architecture, paintings and sculpture. The majority of the collection is printed material related to Kramrisch’s research and scholarship; the breadth of the materials in this collection attests to her seminal influence on and ground-breaking contributions to Indian art scholarship.

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Julien Levy Gallery records, 1857-1982 (inclusive)

Extent:
19.0 linear feet (46 containers)
Abstract:
Julien Levy (1906-1981) was a pioneering New York art dealer of the 1930s and 1940s. He was introduced to the art world in Paris by Marcel Duchamp, who he met in New York in 1926. In Paris he met photographers and artists, including Man Ray, Berenice Abbot, and his future wife Joella Haweis, daughter of Dadaist muse Mina Loy. Upon his return to the United States, Levy worked briefly at the Weyhe Gallery before opening the Julien Levy Gallery at 602 Madison Avenue. In 1932, Levy mounted “Surrealisme,” an exhibition that introduced the Surrealist art movement to New York. This collection documents the career of prominent art gallery owner Julien Levy. The records date from 1857 to 1983 and include correspondence, exhibit announcements and invitations, scrapbooks, gallery financial ledgers, audio-visual materials, and personal papers such as letters, diaries, appointment books and calendars. The material in this collection reflects the course of Levy’s life, beginning with childhood...(see more)

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Women's Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art Records, 1883-1989, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
14.5 linear feet
Abstract:
The collection documents the role of the Women's Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in support of the Museum, its affiliates, and the Philadelphia arts community. The records illustrate approximately one hundred and twenty five years of successful service and leadership in planning various events and programs, and provide insight into the Women's Committee's untiring efforts, dedication, and expertise. The collection consists of minute books, scrapbooks, financial records, reports, and plans of events, marketing strategies, public relations, and special projects such as publishing a cookbook.

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Christian Brinton Research Collection, 1902-1926 (inclusive)

Extent:
1 linear foot
Abstract:
Through his writings and the exhibitions he curated, Christian Brinton (1870-1942) promoted modern and contemporary art, particularly from the areas outside of the traditional western European school, and has been credited with introducing Nordic, Slavic and Teutonic modernism to Americirca This collection consists of material compiled by Brinton pertaining to two contemporary artists, namely the Spanish painter Ignacio Zuloaga and the Russian sculptor Prince Paul Troubetzkoy. Files pertaining to Zuloaga make up the first series and consist primarily of correspondence, 1904-1922, from the artist to Brinton. There are also clippings about the artist and many photographs of his works, as well as some of Brinton's notes and draft writings. The second series pertains to Paul Troubetzkoy, and consists primarily of Brinton's research notes and photographs and prints of the artist's objects, as well as reference files of newsclippings and other journal writings about Troubetzkoy.

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Hollingsworth Pearce Papers, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
1 linear foot
Abstract:
Approximately 60 black and white photographs comprise this collection, documenting the work of Hollingsworth Pearce (1878-1936), Philadelphia designer, metalsmith and engraver. There is also a hand-written inventory of the photographed objects, which are primarily silver or pewter items Pearce crafted for several churches and chapels, such as altar and processional crosses, sanctuary lamps and a baptismal bowl. Tablets, trophy cups and bowls are also illustrated.

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Mary Curran Papers, 1891-1958, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
10.5 linear feet
Abstract:
Mary Curran (1885-1976) devoted most of her professional life to some of the most progressive practices in social reform and relief during the first half of the 20th century. Her papers primarily document the significant role she played in the education of young working women, which segued into the promotion of modern art in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the management of the federal relief programs for artists in that state during most of the 1930s. The material is arranged in four series: I. Working women's clubs; II. New Students League and the Little Gallery of Contemporary Art; III. Federal Art Project and earlier relief programs; and IV. Personal papers. The bulk of documentation consists of correspondence, clippings, photographs, artist application forms and related reports for federal relief work, and 15-years' worth of bulletins, catalogs and ephemera, primarily from Philadelphia and New York museums, galleries and art alliances. Correspondents include...(see more)

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Yasuo Kuniyoshi Papers, 1931-1932, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
0.5 linear foot
Abstract:
This collection consists of approximately five months worth of letters written by the artist Yasuo Kuniyoshi (1889-1953) in which he describes his 1931-1932 journey back to Japan in vivid detail. Writing to his wife Katherine (Schmidt) in New York, Kuniyoshi details every experience, particularly the social and media activities surrounding his one-man exhibitions in Tokyo and Osaka, and his visits to Okayama to spend time with his dying father. A few photographs of Kuniyoshi's train stop in Montana and an original writing in Japanese, laid out in a scroll format, are also included.

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Henri Gabriel Marceau Director Records, 1955-1964 (bulk) 1933-1980 (inclusive)

Extent:
53.2 linear feet (135 document boxes)
Abstract:
Henri Gabriel Marceau was an internationally known scholar, art historian, and architect, and served as Director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art from 1955 to 1964. R. Sturgess Ingersoll, President of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, made the following comments upon Marceau’s retirement from the post of Director: “Mr. Marceau has been a tower of strength through the period of the development of the Philadelphia Museum of Art…His authoritative publications on Thomas Eakins, Cezanne, William Rush, Benjamin West, Flemish paintings and Corot represent an amazing range of scholarship. He has always been particularly interested in sculpture, and the three international exhibitions of sculpture, - held in 1933, 1940 and 1949 in the courtyard of the Museum, - did much to bring about the present refreshing interest in sculptors and sculpture. He has probably had closer relations with contemporary artists than any twentieth century museum director” (Box 103, folder 4). The Henri Gabriel...(see more)

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George Grey Barnard Papers, 1895-1941 (inclusive)

Extent:
19 linear feet
Abstract:
George Grey Barnard was an American sculptor and collector of Medieval art, locating and arranging the pieces that eventually became "The Cloisters," now of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. His papers are comprised primarily of correspondence and financial and business records documenting both his collecting and creation of art. The collection includes a significant amount of personal correspondence, biographical information, and family financial records as well.

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Francis Bacon Foundation Records, 1936-1997, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
18 cubic feet
Abstract:
The Francis Bacon Foundation was formed by Walter and Louise Arensberg in 1938 to promote study in science, literature, religion, history and philosophy with special reference to the works of Francis Bacon. The Foundation also served as the legal owner of the Walter and Louise Arensberg art collection. The Francis Bacon Foundation Records consist of correspondence, administrative and financial records which illustrate the organizational aspects of the Foundation, the Baconian research conducted by its staff, and the art historical research conducted by outside researchers using the Francis Bacon Foundation Library and Arensberg Archives. Because of the Foundation's close association with Walter and Louise Arensberg, the Records also shed some light on their personal lives.

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Marcel Duchamp Exhibition Records, 1967-1993, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
18 linear feet
Abstract:
The Marcel Duchamp Exhibition Records contain material created and collected by the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art (formerly the Twentieth Century Art Department), Philadelphia Museum of Art during the course of organizing and/or participating in exhibitions about the artist Marcel Duchamp.

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Beatrice Wood Collection, circa 1921-2001, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
0.5 linear feet
Abstract:
This collection includes archival material documenting the life and work of Beatrice Wood (1893-1998), a central figure in the New York Dada movement and a notable ceramic artist. The archival material comes from two different sources: the artist herself and Conrad C. M. Arensberg. It includes documentation of several exhibitions and events, specifically personal photographs of her 96th birthday.

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Henry P. McIlhenny Papers, 1817-1824, 1902-1988, undated (bulk 1934-1986) (inclusive)

Extent:
62.5 linear feet
Abstract:
The Henry P. McIlhenny Papers document the privileged and urbane lifestyle of the man whose tastes and talents earned him a reputation as a distinguished connoisseur of art and antiques, world traveler, host extraordinaire, philanthropist and generous friend. Although Henry McIlhenny (1910-1986) is the primary creator, this collection is very much a family affair, encompassing the art collections initiated by his parents, John D. and Frances P. McIlhenny, which passed, along with the family trust fund, on to McIlhenny and his sister Bernice ("Bonnnie") Wintersteen. Much of the material deals with McIlhenny's activities from the mid-1930s to his final years, with particularly extensive documentation of his art collection and of his homes, the latter of which encompasses his penchant for interior design and his passion for horticulture. Also well documented are his many years of service to and support of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Academy of Music, and the Philadelphia...(see more)

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Fiske Kimball Records, 1908-1955, undated (bulk 1925-1954) (inclusive)

Extent:
94.5 linear feet
Abstract:
From 1925 to 1955, Fiske Kimball served as director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, steering the institution from what he described as "a minor provincial position to become one of the leading museums of Americirca" The Fiske Kimball Records document Kimball's efforts in achieving this transformation in collaboration with the Museum's officers, staff, and the Fairmount Park Commission, and with the assistance of private benefactors and City funding. Comprised primarily of correspondence, these records also include ephemera, clippings, notes, legal documents, reports, minutes, press releases, publications, floor plans, installation drawings, and photographs, mostly of objects, rooms and architectural elements offered for purchase. Kimball's correspondents include preeminent leaders of art museums, universities, auction houses and professional affiliations, as well as government representatives, private collectors, scholars, and artists. Kimball's often successful courting of...(see more)

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Anne d'Harnoncourt Papers, circa 1927-2012, undated (bulk 1951-2008) (inclusive)

Extent:
31.5 linear feet
Abstract:
Art to Anne d'Harnoncourt (1943-2008) was both a professional and personal passion. Best recognized for her twenty-five year tenure as director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, d'Harnoncourt collaborated with local, national and international people and organizations, to keep art--and all the arts--relevant and essential in building and bridging communities. Most of the material comprising the Anne d'Harnoncourt Papers traces her professional development in and away from the Museum and consists primarily of correspondence, press clippings, photographs of works of art and events, draft lectures, notes, ephemera and a number of certificates, citations and object awards. Several files of photos and papers pertain to her husband and Museum colleague, Joseph J. Rishel. Family papers and photographs and school records comprise her personal papers. Also made part of the Anne d'Harnoncourt Papers is the significant documentation of the worldwide reaction to her unexpected death on June 1,...(see more)

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Dorothy Norman Research Collection, 1897-1992, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
4 linear feet
Abstract:
During her twenty-year relationship with photographer and art promoter Alfred Stieglitz, Dorothy Norman, herself a photographer as well as writer, came to know artists such as John Marin, who were defining American modernism during the 1930s and 1940s. Norman published and edited writings about both men, and likely compiled this material in preparation. Documentation pertaining to Alfred Stieglitz consists primarily of exhibition announcements and checklists, and copies of writings published by his gallery An American Place. Equally significant in amount are the copyprints of photographs by Stieglitz, and of works by artists he promoted, such as Georgia O'Keefe, Arthur G. Dove, John Marin and Marsden Hartley. John Marin material consists primarily of photographs and published writings about the artist, including clippings and exhibition catalogues. Material relating to Norman's other endeavors include ephemera of her publication "Twice a Year" and other works published by the same...(see more)

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