Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America

Archives related to: Carlen Galleries, Inc.

titleCarlen Galleries, Inc. records, 1775-1997 (bulk 1940-1986)
repositoryArchives of American Art
descriptionCorrespondence, business records, subject files, a scrapbook, printed matter, photographs, and selections from Robert Carlen's library document the operation and activities of Carlen Galleries, Inc. and its founder Robert Carlen.

REELS 4166-4175 (PT. 1, GIFT) : Correspondence, 1937-1986, with artists, dealers, curators, and collectors, mainly about sales and purchases; correspondence files concerning sales of art work by Maurice Prendergast and Käthe Kollwitz; artist files, 1944-1976, regarding Albert Davies, Edward Hicks, and Horace Pippin containing letters, financial records, and printed matter; subject files, 1933-1977, on black artists, Raymond Feuillate, the French Moderns, and letters to Mrs. Almon Kidder concerning Raphaelle Peale; and business records, 1906-1977, including loan forms, records of Carlen Galleries exhibitions, miscellaneous art work information, photographs, inventories, advertising, a guest book, a scrapbook, clippings, conservation reports, and financial records.

REEL 4175, fr. 01-283 (PT.2, LOAN): Letters , 1941-1986, from and about Horace Pippin, about Edward Hicks, and gallery business; business records, 1937-1946, consisting of account books and receipts; printed matter, 1937-1947, including exhibition announcements, catalogs, and clippings; a scrapbook, 1937-1947, about Horace Pippin; and photographs, 1944, of works of art and portrait of Allan Freelon. (Note: some of the Horace Pippin and Edward Hicks material microfilmed in 1988 with Pt. 2 was lent again in 2002 for microfilming, and is duplicated in Pt. 4, although there was a significant amount rearranged in the interim.)

REEL 5745 ( PT. 3; GIFT; 0.2 ft.): Letters, 1962-ca. 1980, from Charles M. Mount about John Singer Sargent; business records, 1979, consisting of a sales receipt and list of paintings to be appraised; and photographs, ca. 1940, ca. 1950, of Robert Carlen, and Carlen with Mr. and Mrs. Horace Pippin.

REELS 5746-5748 (PART 4; LOAN; ACCESS RESTRICTED) : Correspondence, 1943-1997, concerning purchase and sale of art and antiquities, Carlen Galleries exhibitions, loans, and reference requests; a small amount of personal correspondence with the Carlen's daughters and friends; business records, 1941-1989, including appraisals, receipts, and contract for Carlen's participation in the University Hospital Antiques Show; subject files, 1937-1997, about Edward Hicks, Anatol Jal, the Captain James Lawrence goblet, Horace Pippin, and Antoine Roux, containing correspondence, printed matter, and photographs; and five notebooks, 1928-1994, about Horace Pippin (3 vols.), Edward Hicks, and Robert Carlen and the gallery, containing correspondence, printed matter, financial records, and photogaphs.

UNMICROFILMED: Selections from the library of Carlen Galleries, Inc., 1835-1992, including catalogs, pamphlets, and periodicals. A small number of folders include notes, photographs, and photocopies of archival material. (The filing order and subject designations were supplied by the donor.)
extent10.4 linear ft. (partially microfilmed on 14 reels) reels 4166-4175 and 5745 reels 5746-5748 (access restricted)
formatsCorrespondence Financial Records Scrapbooks Photographs Interview
accessPatrons must use microfilm copy. (Selections from Carlen's library have not been microfilmed; use requires an appointment.) REELS 5746-5748: ACCESS RESTRICTED; written permission required until Feb. 2007.
record linkhttps://sirismm.si.edu/EADpdfs/AAA.carlgall.pdf
record sourcehttps://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/carlen-galleries-inc-records-9611
finding aidElectronic finding aid available at http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/findingaids/carlgall.htm
acquisition informationPapers on reels 4166-4175 were donated 1986 by Robert Carlen. Material on reel 4175, frames 1-283 (second series) mainly relating to Horace Pippin were loaned by Carlen 1988. In 2002, Carlen's daughter, Nancy Carlen, donated 2 feet of records, and loaned 3 feet for microfilming (the loan portion partially duplicates the 1988 loan, but material was significantly reorganized in the intervening years).
updated05/02/2023 12:56:48
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