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Archives related to: Wiggin, Albert H. (Albert Henry), b. 1868

titleEdward Bruce papers, 1902-1960 (bulk 1932-1942).
repositoryArchives of American Art
descriptionThe Edward Bruce papers measure 8.5 linear feet and date from 1902 to 1960, with the bulk of the material dating from 1932 to 1942. The collection documents Bruce's work as an artist and art administrator, primarily during the period of his tenure as director of the Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts. The collection includes extensive correspondence to and from many notable artists and government officials, as well as biographical material, writings, financial material, printed material, scrapbooks, and photographs.

Biographical material includes birth records and many awards and certificates. Correspondence contains hundreds of letters to and from family and friends, including art critic Leo Stein and artist Maurice Sterne, in addition to correspondence with art organizations, museums, galleries and artists such as George Biddle, Adrian Dornbush and Olin Dows. Bruce's career as director of the Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts is documented in business correspondence that records his relationships with colleagues at the Section and other government officials, and his role on various committees, including the Commission of Fine Arts. Extensive correspondence with Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt concerning public art projects can also be found here.

Writings include diaries and notebooks containing notes, addresses, lists for Section of Fine Arts projects, and dated entries on Bruce's government and political work. Also found are numerous written speeches that Bruce gave at public events on the importance of art, public art projects, and political issues. Financial material consists of a small number of personal financial records. Printed material documents Edward Bruce's career as an artist through news clippings, magazine articles, and exhibition catalogs. Brochures, bulletins from the Section of Fine Arts, published speeches and various miscellaneous publications provide additional documentation of other art and government affairs. Scrapbooks in this collection include significant news clippings, letters, photographs, and other printed material, which highlight Bruce's career.

Photographs include both personal photographs and photographs of Bruce's artwork. Personal photographs include portraits of Bruce, and are also of friends of the Bruces and many special events, including an NBC radio broadcast and an exhibition attended by Eleanor Roosevelt. Other items include photographs taken by Bruce during his travels, and while living in Anticoli Carrado, Italy.

Bio / His Notes:
Painter, businessman, and art director; Washington, D.C. Bruce directed the Public Works of Art Project, Dec. 1933 - June 1934. Chief of the Section of Painting and Sculpture (later the Section of Fine Arts), a program in the Treasury Department and later reorganized under the Public Buildings Administration of the Federal Works Agency, established to administer the decoration of public buildings.
extent8.5 linear ft. (partially microfilmed on 12 reels) reels D82-D92 and 1817
formatsMicrofilm Correspondence Financial Records Photographs Writings
accessUse requires an appointment.
record linkhttps://sirismm.si.edu/EADpdfs/AAA.brucedwa.pdf
record sourcehttps://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/edward-bruce-papers-7264
finding aidMicrofilm inventory available at AAA offices.
acquisition informationPapers on reels D82-D92 and 1817 donted by Mrs. Edward Bruce in 1962. Unmicrofilmed materials donated 1979 by Maria Ealand, the Bruce's niece. The photograph on reel 1817 was received with the papers but microfilmed in 1980 as part of AAA's Photographs of Artists-Collection II.
updated06/08/2023 16:42:13
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