Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America
Archives related to: Kennedy Galleries
| title | Kennedy Galleries miscellaneous records, 1864- [ca. 1980]. | repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Correspondence; writings; photographs; financial material and printed material concerning collections at the Kennedy Galleries. Included are a letter from Albert Bierstadt to W. H. Woolverton, June 7, 1898; a letter from Childe Hassam to Mr. Milkman, Feb. 24, 1929; illustrated letter from Walt Kuhn to Alfred, July 10, 1948; Jack Levine’s written comments on Marvin Cherney’s paintings, used in a 1980 Kennedy Galleries exhibition catalog regarding Cheney. Also included are ca. 500 photographs of works of art by painter Walt Kuhn, seven glass slides, 2 glass-plate negatives, and a photograph of Kuhn; photographs of painter John Steuart Curry at work and photographs of works of art by Curry; a photo of painter William Holbrook Beard in his studio; and two photos of painter Thomas Bigelow Craig in his studio. Also included are papers concerning painter Vincent Colyer including his business card, letters of introduction from Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman, 1869, receipts and other financial accounts, and printed material including "Report of the Hon. Vincent Colyer, United States Special Indian Commissioner, on the Indian Tribes and their surroundings in Alaska Territory, from personal observation and inspection in 1869," and "Brief Report of the Services Rendered by the Freed People to the United States Army in North Carolina, in the Spring of 1862, after the Battle of Newbern, by Vincent Colyer," 1864. |
| extent | 1.3 linear ft. |
| formats | Correspondence Photographs Financial Records Printed Materials Exhibition Catalogs |
| access | Use requires an appointment. |
| record source | http://www.siris.si.edu/ |
| acquisition information | Donated 2005 and 2006 by Martha Fleischman, director of the Kennedy Galleries, who compiled these miscellaneous items from the Kennedy Galleries' storage. |
| updated | 03/16/2023 10:29:58 |
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| title | Carolyn Gassan Plochmann papers, 1926-2006. | repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Works of art; writings by Plochmann; correspondence; gallery files; exhibition and art fair files; files on art organizations; project files; files regarding Plochamnn's work; a videotape; photographs; printed material; and miscellany documenting Plochmann's career as a figure and still life painter. Included are Plochmann's notes, sketches and drawings; correspondence with friends, family and associates, including Lawrence Fleischman, Bella Fishko, Roy Rogosin, John W. Streetman III, Alfeo Faggi, Mr. and Mrs. David Rockefeller, Ben Shahn, and the artist’s husband George Kimball Plochmann, among others; files concerning galleries including Kennedy Galleries and the Forum Gallery in New York and Art on the Square in Carbondale, Ill., consisting of correspondence, financial information and consignment forms, etc.; files on various exhibitions and art fairs, including correspondence, loan forms, entry forms and programs; files on the building of the University School art building at the Southern Illinois University; files on various art organizations, including the Woodstock Artist’s Association; a portfolio regarding Plochmann’s work, University Portrait, with an introduction by Blake-More Godwin and a foreword by R. Buckminster Fuller [1959]; a VHS videotape A Charmed Vision: The Art of Carolyn Plochmann with John Streetman and Otto Wittman [1990]; photographs of the artist, her family, and works of art; exhibition catalogues and announcements, newspaper clippings, and other printed material; and miscellany. Bio / His Notes: Painter; Carbondale, Ill.; b. 1926 |
| extent | 4.0 linear ft. |
| formats | Correspondence Exhibition Files Subject Files Video recording Photographs |
| access | Use requires an appointment. |
| record source | http://www.siris.si.edu/ |
| acquisition information | Donated 2006 by Carolyn Gassan Plochmann. |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:57 |
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| title | Abraham Rattner and Esther Gentle papers, 1891-1986 | repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Papers of artist Abraham Rattner consist of correspondence, photographs, diaries, notebooks, financial material, writings, art work, and printed material. A small amount of papers of Rattner's first wife, Bettina Bedwell, his second wife, artist Esther Gentle, and his stepson, Allen Leepa, are also found. The papers reflect Rattner's life and career as an artist during the rise of Modernism. The biographical files contain documents such as Rattner's birth certificate, travel visas, his senior yearbook from 1912 which shows some of his early art work, and some of his awards. His birth certificate is of particular interest since it shows Rattner's birth date to be 1893 instead of the recognized 1895. The correspondence offers great insight into the thoughts of many American and European artists and writers during the 1930s and 1940s. Rattner, a prolific writer, expressed many of his own thoughts and concerns through his letters, many of which are included in this collection. The vast amount of correspondence include letters from notable figures such as George Biddle, Kay Boyle, Paul Burlin, Norman Carton, Robert Coates, Stuart Davis, Adolph Dehn, Richard de Rochemont, John Dos Passos, Xavier Gonzales, John Howard Griffin, Ramon Guthrie, Robert Gwathmey, Weeks Hall, Stanley W. Hayter, Jean Helion, Hilaire Hiler, Joseph Hirsch, Stefan Hirsch, Carl Holty, Louis Kronberg, Rico Lebrun, Jacques Lipchitz, Earle Ludgin, Thalia Wescott Malcolm, Henry Miller, Joan Miro, Bror Julius Olsson Nordfeldt, Channing Peake, Henry Varnum Poor, Felix Ruvolo, Jack Gage Stark, Frank C. Watkins, and Allen Weller, among others. Rattner was engaged in a wide range of special art projects, and he kept detailed files on these projects. The projects spanned from 1940 through 1973 and included endeavors such as illustrations for Life magazine, stained-glass designs, mosaic and tapestry projects, as well as special paintings such as Victory--Jerusalem the Golden and The Gallows of Baghdad. Rattner's papers also detail the history of a fresco painted by Paul Gauguin entitled Joan d'Arcwhich Rattner purchased in France in 1925. The gallery files contain correspondence, receipts, and notes regarding the galleries which represented Rattner. Those galleries included the Rosenberg Gallery, the Downtown Gallery, and the Kennedy Gallery. A small series of exhibition files contain material about exhibitions held outside of Rattner's representative galleries. Rattner also kept many household files and personal financial records. Household files contain insurance records, warranties and rental agreements, while the financial records contain returned checks and bank statements. Some bank statements from Esther Gentle Reproductions are also included. The household files and financial records are not filmed. Photographs, 1891-1970s, are of Rattner, his studios, exhibition installations, family, friends, travels, Bettina Bedwell, Esther Gentle, and works of art. Among the friends pictured are Henry Miller, Joan Miro, Richard de Rochemont, Weeks Hall, John Dos Passos, and Kay Boyle. Photos of his road trip with Henry Miller are also included. Original works of art by Rattner represent a cross-section of his career, and include sketches, a sketchbook, watercolor studies, and color studies. A separate series, Works of art by others includes art work by Max Weber, Henry Miller, Ken Buryd, and unidentifed art work. Bettina Bedwell papers, 1932-1947 (0.4 ft.) consist of a diary, passport, writings, sketches, correspondence and a death certificate. Esther Gentle papers, 1921-1984 (1.3 ft.) biographical documents, correspondence, notes, art work, and papers related to her business, Esther Gentle Reproductions. Allen Leepa papers, 1852-1969 (0.2 ft.) include writings, correspondence, legal documents, and a vitae, 1969. REELS D205A-D205B (loan): 21 notebooks containing letters, notes on painting, articles on art and other writings, 1944-1962. Bio / His Notes: Painter, mosaicist, and stained glass artist; Paris, France and New York, N.Y.; b. 1893; d. 1978 Studied art and architecture at George Washington University, the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. In 1917, he enlisted in the U.S. Army camouflage section. Married first wife, Bettina Bedwell, in 1924. Was a member of the Minotaure group, along with Picasso, Miro, Giacometti, Le Corbusier, Braque, Dali, and Reverdy. Rattner and his wife fled Europe in 1939 following the Nazi invasion of France. He married second wife Esther Gentle (1900-1992) in 1949. Rattner died of heart failure on February 14, 1978. |
| extent | ca. 27 linear ft. (on 24 microfilm reels; portions unfilmed) reels 5258-5279; D205A-D205B |
| formats | Microfilm Correspondence Interviews Diaries Photographs |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | http://www.siris.si.edu/ |
| finding aid | Finding Aid on line with repository. |
| acquisition information | The collection was given to the Archives of American Art in stages by Abraham Rattner 1972-1983, by Esther Gentle 1986-1987, and by Gene Allen in 1992. The donated material that was previously filmed has been integrated and refilmed includes reels D203 and D205C-D205D. The material found on reels D205A-D205B was loaned by Rattner and the material found on reel 1212 was loaned by his sister, Jennie Allen. |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:57 |
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