Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America

Archives related to: Nicolaïdes, Kimon, 1892-1938

titleLester Burbank Bridaham papers, 1912-1986.
repositoryArchives of American Art
descriptionCorrespondence, writings, art works, scrapbooks, printed material, photographs, and files on Julio De Diego and Kimon Nicolaides and other topics, related to Bridaham's career as an artist and writer.

REEL 8: Printed material, including articles written by Bridaham for periodicals (1950-1957), 15 exhibition catalogs (1928-1968), clippings by and about Bridaham (1930-1959), 6 press releases (1956-1957), a transcript of a radio discussion which included Bridaham (1951), 2 advertisements, a lecture announcement (1957), instructions on using egg tempera for Bridaham's students, a guide book to the Louisiana State Museum (1956), brochures about Strathmont Museum (1958), and resumes.

REEL 3: Material related to Kimon Nicolaides, including a radio address given by him, 1933; publicity for his book THE NATURAL WAY TO DRAW; exhibition catalogs; clippings; press releases; and a photograph of one of his sculptures. [Microfilm title: Kimon Nicolaides papers]

UNMICROFILMED: Correspondence with Kimon Nicolaides and Henry Schnackenberg (1921-1923), Julio De Diego (1941-1952), Ethel Spears (1961), Isabel Bishop (1975), and George and Edith Rickey. Letters to Mamie Harmon concern a Nicolaides exhibition and book (1938-1941). Writings include nine v. of diaries (1946-1954) kept during his tenure at the Art Institute of Chicago, and notes and drafts for an unpublished book (1938-1982).

Subject files concerning Ivan Albright's poetry, the Colonial Craft Survey for Massachusetts (1935), Olof Krans (1939), the reorganization of the Metropolitan Museum's photographic department (1949), Romanesque and Gothic sculpture and the Society for Contemporary American Art. A file (1921-1983) on Julio De Diego contains Bridaham's research materials, sketches and drawings by the artist, a journal kept by De Diego in New York (1932) and photographs of De Diego, his family including third wife Gypsy Rose Lee, friends and art works. Kimon Nicolaides' file (1921-1986) contains his writings and drawings (1928), drawings by Vivian Gordon and Howard Ahrens (1923-1986), photographs and other research materials.
Printed materials consists of clippings (1930-1972), "The Chicago Artist" newsletter (1938), press releases, a book cover, Artists Equity publications (1952-1953), posters, exhibition catalogs and anouncements and membership cards. Photographs show Bridaham, friends, National Art Week activities with Macena Barton, Charles Biesel, Jules Eboli and Richard Florsheim, his studio and drawings (1928-1949). Other materials include over 150 prints and drawings (1927-1977) of Moroccan scenes, Colorado wildflowers and other subjects, resumes, an illustrated notebook of Bridaham's plans for art works (1931-1932) and a list of his works (1974).

ADDITION: Material concerning the latter part of Bridaham's life, including original works of art, photographs, a dream sketchbook (1945), a notebook devoted to Julio de Diego; Bridaham's letters to Jeanette Fowler, 1989-1990 and other correspondence, 1940s-1950s; and printed material.
extent7.5 linear ft. (partially microfilmed on 2 reels) reels 3 and 8
formatsCorrespondence Writings Works of Art Scrapbooks Printed Materials
accessMicrofilmed portion must be consulted on microfilm. Use of unmicrofilmed portion requires an appointment .
record sourcehttp://www.siris.si.edu/
acquisition informationDonated 1974-1987 by Lester Burbank and Dorothy Bridaham. In 1996, an additional 0.8 ft. was donated from the Jeanette Fowler estate. Reproduction: Writings by Kimon Nicolaides are photocopies. Location of Original: Writings by Kimon Nicolaides: Location of originals unknown.
updated03/16/2023 10:29:58
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titleG.R.D. Studio records, 1921-1970.
repositoryArchives of American Art
descriptionLetters, writings, business records, sketches, printed matter and photographs relating to the gallery and Kimon Nicolaides.

Gallery correspondence, 1928-1934; lists of expenses, 1928-1932; lists of exhibitions, 1928-1933; clippings, 1928-1970; a brochure for the 10th anniversary of the Art Center; a press release for a lecture by Laurence Sickman at the Art Institute of Chicago, 1939; photographs of works of art by Guy Bertin, Gladys R. Dick, Elsie Driggs, Boris Grigorev, Stephen Haweis, Anne Kutka, Helen McAuslan, Albert Moreau, and Carl Sprinchorn; and 3 prints by Carlos Camara;

Kimon Nicolaides material includes correspondence of Jean S. Roosevelt, Anne Kutka, Lester Burbank Bridaham, Mamie Harmon, William L. Taylor, Fred S. Hynd, and others. Most letters are dated after Nicolaides' death and pertain to efforts to build his reputation by having a memorial exhibition in 1939, traveling exhibitions, the publication of his book on drawing (THE NATURAL WAY TO DRAW), and preparation of a biography about him.

Bio / His Notes:
Non-profit art gallery, New York City. Founded by Jean S. Roosevelt in honor of her sister Gladys Roosevelt Dick, an artist. Kimon Nicolaides was art director.
extent2.0 linear ft. (on 3 microfilm reels).
formatsMicrofilm Business Papers Personal Papers Photographs Financial Records
accessPatrons must use microfilm copy.
record sourcehttp://www.siris.si.edu/
finding aidinventory available at AAA offices.
acquisition informationDonated 1972 by Jean Roosevelt and Mamie Harmon, a student of Nicolaides.
updated11/12/2014 11:29:59
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titleJames Brooks papers, 1928-1983.
repositoryArchives of American Art
descriptionPersonal and business correspondence; photographs; transcripts of taped interviews; writings on art; sketches; and printed materials.

REEL N69-132: Financial correspondence with the Samuel M. Kootz Gallery; personal letters to Brooks and his wife Charlotte from George Biddle, Sam Hunter, Peppino Mangravite, James Waddell, William Littlefield, Worden Day, Wilfred Zogbaum, Julian Levi, Saul Steinberg, from collector, Ben Heller, and editors, George Plimpton and Stanley Kunitz. Also includes transcripts of interviews regarding his development as an artist, his commercial success, federal art programs during the depression, experiences with Jackson Pollock and Thomas H. Benton, and classes with Kimon Nicolaides and Boardman Robinson; clippings; photographs; catalogs; and an address book.

REELS 292-293: Brief essays on painting; a notebook summarizing work on "Flight," a Federal Art Project mural; photographs, including one of Brooks standing in front of his WPA Woodside Library mural (also microfilmed on reel 1817 fr. 224-225, and scanned, with AAA's Photographs of Artists Collection II); catalogs; clippings; and correspondence, primarily with teaching institutions, museums, and galleries often regarding lectures, juries, exhibitions, and sales. Correspondents include John Baur, James Johnson Sweeney, Josef Albers, Grace Borgenicht Brandt, and an occasional letter from Thomas Hart Benton. Olin Dows and Edward B. Rowan discuss murals done by Brooks for the Treasury Department and Biddle corresponds with Brooks about his service as a War Department artist.

UNMICROFILMED: Personal correspondence with Sandy (Alexander) Calder, Eurico Donate, Juilan Levi, Pierre Soulages, and others; business correspondence with Harvy H. Arnason, Trudie Grace, Grace Hartigan,Martha Jackson, Samuel Kootz, and others; income tax forms, insurance policies, and receipts; a sketchbook; 25 photographs of works of art; 31 sketches; exhibition catalogs and announcements; magazine articles and clippings on mural painting and Jackson Pollock.

Bio / His Notes:
Painter; East Hampton, N.Y. Died 1992. Brooks studied under Kimon Nicolaides and Boardman Robinson. He served as an artist in the War Dept. and during the Depression he painted murals for federal art programs. He was a proponent of Abstract Expressionism, and was a friend of Jackson Pollock.
extent3.4 linear ft. (partially microfilmed on 3 reels) reels N69-132 and 292-293
formatsBusiness Papers Personal Papers Correspondence Photographs Transcript
accessMicrofilmed material must be consulted on microfilm copy. Use of unilmed material requires an appointment and is limited to Washington, D.C. storage facility.
record sourcehttp://www.siris.si.edu/
acquisition informationDonated 1979-1983 by Brooks. Reel N69-132 originally microfilmed in 1969. Portions that were donated have been previously microfilmed on reel N69-132.
updated11/12/2014 11:29:59
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titleHorace Talmage Day papers, 1929-1965.
repositoryArchives of American Art
descriptionCorrespondence, resumes, exhibition catalogs, photographs, and personal writings.

Reel 76: Letters, many to wife, Elizabeth Nottingham Day, from Kimon Nikolaides, Edward Laning, Minna Citron, Henry Schnakenberg, and Kenneth Hayes Miller; exhibition catalogs, many from Virginia museums and Public Works of Art Project, and typescript catalog introductions; career resumes of both Elizabeth and Horace Day; and photographs of the two artists.

Reel 135: Journal compiled from letters to wife, Elizabeth Nottingham Day, describing Day's World War II experiences in training at Camp Lee, Va. and other U.S. stations, on a troopship to France and in Germany following its surrender, including photographs of sketches from the original letters.

Reel 2803: Typescript of "Head Hunting in West 'By God' Virginia." Compiled from letters to Elizabeth Nottingham Day in 1948 and describing a week spent in Lewisburg seeking commissions for portraits.

Bio / His Notes:
Painter and portrait painter; Staunton, Virginia. Married artist Elizabeth Nottingham.
extent0.4 linear ft. (on 3 partial microfilm reels) reels 76, 135, and 2803
formatsCorrespondence Writings Photographs Exhibition Catalogs
accessPatrons must use microfilm copy.
record sourcehttp://www.siris.si.edu/
acquisition informationDonated 1966 and 1971 by Horace T. Day.
updated11/12/2014 11:29:59
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titleOral history interview with James Brooks, 1965 June 10 and 12.
repositoryArchives of American Art
descriptionAn interview of James Brooks conducted by Dorothy Seckler for the Archives of American Art.

Brooks speaks of his childhood, early art training, study with Kimon Nicolaides and Boardman Robinson at the Art Students League, mural projects, and his work in advertising. He comments on the Artists Union, his Air Force service, Army art projects, teaching at Columbia and Pratt Institute, an early abstract expressionist group called "the 8th Street Club" or just "The Club"; influence of Hans Hofmann, practicing Zen, changes in his work, his use of line and his drawings. He recalls George Biddle, Philip Guston and Jackson Pollock.

Bio / His Notes:
Painter; East Hampton, N.Y. Died 1992.
extentSound recordings: 3 sound tape reels ; 5 in. Transcript: 36 p. (on one microfilm reel) reel 4210
formatsSound Recording Interview Transcript Microfilm
accessContact repository for restrictions and policies.
record sourcehttp://www.siris.si.edu/
acquisition informationThis 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 others
updated11/12/2014 11:29:59
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titleMamie Harmon papers relating to Kimon Nicolaides, 1935-1985.
repositoryArchives of American Art
descriptionCorrespondence; a sketchbook, loose sketches and studies; lists of works of art; printed material; a scrapbook; photographs; and miscellany concerning Nicolaides.

Also included are papers collected by Mamie Harmon for the purpose of editing Jules Heller's book manuscript Printmaking Today published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1973. Nicolaïdes’s abstract pencil studies; figure studies from classes with Nicolaïdes at the Art Students League; correspondence regarding Bridaham’s research on Nicolaïdes; correspondence and printed material concerning Nicolaïdes book "The Natural Way to Draw", edited by Harmon; photographs of Nicolaïdes, Harmon, Theresa C. Brakeley, Abraham Rattner, and others; notes and collected comments about Nicolaïdes; his "closing remarks to the class" (mimeograph); his scrapbook, n.d.; correspondence regarding planned or potential Nicolaïdes exhibitions; lists of works of art and slides and photographs of works of art; magazine articles and other printed material; correspondence, clippings and notes regarding Jean S. Roosevelt’s art collection; Harmon’s New Hampshire landscape studies and sketchbook, summers 1935-1936; and Harmon’s letters to her mother from 1934 to 1940, mentioning her art studies and Nicolaïdes.

Also included is printed material regarding bookmaking and typography; correspondence, photographs, and printed material concerning Harmon’s editorial work and illustrations for Funk and Wagnalls; off-prints of articles on folk art by Harmon; and miscellany.

Bio / His Notes:
Painter, art editor; New York, N.Y. Harmon was a student of Nicolaides at the Art Students League, N.Y. and edited his book, "The natural way to draw: a working plan for art study" Boston: Houghton Miffin Co., 1941. Mamie Harmon was a student of Kimon Nicolaïdes (1892-1938) at the Art Students League and studied with him in the summers in New Hampshire, 1935 and 1936. Harmon was an art editor, book illustrator, and painter.

She worked with Nicolaïdes on the manuscript of his now classic book The Natural Way to Draw. When he died in 1938, he left the manuscript unfinished. Harmon completed the manuscript through its publication in 1941. Some of the figure studies in this collection were reproduced as examples in The Natural Way to Draw. Harmon also helped organize a memorial exhibition for Nicolaïdes at the G. R. D. Studio in New York in 1939. According to the donors, Nicolaïdes’s pencil studies in this collection were part of that memorial exhibition. Harmon was associated with the G.R.D. Studio, a non-profit gallery founded by Jean S. Roosevelt. Nicolaïdes was the art director of the G.R.D. Studio. Theresa C. Brakely was Harmon’s longtime companion.
extent2.0 linear ft.
formatsCorrespondence Sketchbooks Inventories Works of Art Printed Materials
access Use requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, DC office.
record sourcehttp://www.siris.si.edu/
acquisition informationDonated 2003 and 2004 by Carolyn K. Harmon and Thomas L. Harmon, Jr. Mamie Harmon was Thomas L. Harmon's aunt.
updated11/12/2014 11:29:59
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titleArtist file: Nicolaides, Kimon , 1829-1939
repositoryNational Portrait Gallery Library
descriptionFolder(s) may include exhibition announcements, newspaper and/or magazine clippings, press releases, brochures, reviews, invitations, illustrations, resumes, artist's statements, exhibition catalogs.
extent1+ folders (check with repository)
formatsEphemera
accessFolder(s) do not circulate. Folder(s) available for use only at the holding library
record sourcehttp://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/Art-Design/artandartistfiles/
updated11/12/2014 11:30:05
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