Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America
Archives related to: Owen, Jane Blaffer, 1915-2010
| title | Jane Blaffer Owen interview, 1980 Mar. 12. | repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Interview of Jane Blaffer Owen conducted by Sandra Curtis Levy for the Archives of American Art Texas Project. Blaffer speaks of the history of the Blaffer family and its involvement in the art world; speaks about her mother, Sarah Campbell Blaffer and her development as an art patron; and about the family's art collection. Biographical and Historical Note Daughter of Sarah Campbell Blaffer and art patron; Houston, Tx. |
| extent | 1 sound tape reel ; 7 in. (27 p. transcript) |
| formats | Interview Sound Recording Transcript |
| access | Use requires an appointment. ACCESS RESTRICTED; written permission required. |
| record source | http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/oralhistories/oralhistory/owen80.htm |
| acquisition information | These interviews are 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. |
| updated | 03/16/2023 10:29:58 |
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| title | Frederick Kiesler papers, 1923-1993. | repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Correspondence; biographical material; appointment books; writings and notes; financial records; printed material; and miscellany. REEL 58: Articles by and about Kiesler, catalogs, and clippings, ca. 1960-1971. REELS 127-128: Curriculum vitae; bibliography; writings by and about Kiesler; catalogs; reviews; and clippings. Also included are correspondence and a script regarding "Camera Three," a television program, March 20, 1960, on which Kiesler was the guest and discussed The Endless House. REEL 2399: Lillian Kiesler's "Bibliography of Writings By or About Frederick Kiesler, Biographical Chronology, Theatre Productions," 1980, 189 p. UNMICROFILMED: Passports; correspondence with friends, artists, architects, publishers, editors, universities, museums, galleries, and manufacturers, including L. Alcopley, Leopold Arnaud, Armand P. Bartos, Piero and Virginia Dorazio, George Howe, Kay Johnson, Jane Owen, and others; photocopies of letters from Marcel Duchamp, Piet Mondrian, Katherine Dreier, and others; appointment books, 1962-1965; notes; student's work from Kiesler's design class at Juilliard; financial records, 1941-1963, including bills, income memos, cancelled checks, Kiesler and Bartos balance sheets, and other tax records; leases; clippings; printed material; and 4 posters from a Kiesler exhibition at the Yale School of Architecture, 1967; typescript copies of "Catalogue of the Original Works of Frederick Kiesler" (with computer disks of the mss.) and "Inventory of Books in the Personal Library of Frederick Kiesler," both compiled by Lillian Kiesler, 1993; catalogs of Kiesler exhibitions in Vienna, 1988, and at the Whitney Museum of American Art, 1989; and Book of the Shrine (1992). Bio / His Notes: Architect, sculptor, scenic & exhibition designer, educator; New York, N.Y. Born 1890. Died 1965. |
| extent | 6.6 linear ft. (partially microfilmed on 4 reels) reels 58, 127-128 & 2399 |
| formats | Microfilm Correspondence Writings Financial Records Photocopies |
| access | Microfilmed portion must be consulted on microfilm. Use of unmicrofilmed portion requires an appointment and is limited to Washington, D.C. storage facility. |
| record source | http://www.siris.si.edu/ |
| acquisition information | Material on reels 58 & 127-128 lent for microfilming 1971 by Lillian Kiesler, Kiesler's widow. She donated material on reel 2399 and unfilmed material 1980. Reproduction: Some letters are: photocopies. Location of Original: Copies of letters: Originals retained by Lillian Kiesler. Reels 58 & 127-128: Originals returned to Lillian Kiesler, after microfilming. |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:30:00 |
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| title | Blaffer wing, 1949-1957 | repository | Museum of Fine Arts, Houston |
| description | By the early 1940s, the development of its collections and public service required the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston to consider architectural expansion. In the spring of 1952, the donation of major funding by John H. and Camilla Davis Blaffer allowed the Museum to secure the services of prominent architect Kenneth Franzheim (1890-1959) to design the new addition. Franzheim's master plan for the Museum was presented to the director and trustees in 1952, but it departed radically from designs drafted earlier by the Museum's first architect, William Ward Watkin (1896-1952)Franzheim's master plan was never adopted but his Robert L. Blaffer Memorial Wing was completed in October 1953 as an extension of Watkin's earlier East Wing. The addition provided quarters for the Museum School as well as gallery space, decorated by Houstonian Higford Griffiths, which provided for the display of paintings from the Blaffer Collection. Contains account statements; affidavits; architectural specifications; bank notes; by-laws for permanent building funds; concrete testing data; contruction estimates; contracts; correspondence; insurance certificates; invitations; instructions to bidders; memoranda; notice of redemption on bonds; promissory notes; receipts; and soil testing data. During construction of the Blaffer Wing, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston undertook important renovations to the Watkin wings. Significant correspondence in this series illustrates decisions made by the Blaffer Family, architectural firms, and engineering consultants, and by the trustee Building Committee and Museum staff. The correspondence of architect Kenneth Franzheim is particularly noteworthy. Important subjects include air conditioning; antique furnishings for the interior; architectural specifications; the Blaffer Memorial Fund; Blaffer Permanent Building Fund; concrete testing; construction materials and costs; cork and tile flooring; Egyptian Room refurbishing; electrical service; engineering surveys; financial contributions; foundation subsistence; the Kress Gallery; interior lighting; landscaping; the dedication ceremonies; post-construction maintenance; proposed sgraffito ornamentation; wall coverings; and water seepage. Important individuals featured in the papers include Thomas D. Anderson; Camilla Blaffer; John H. Blaffer; James H. Chillman, Jr.; Kenneth Franzheim; Higford Griffiths; and Jane Blaffer Owen. Found In: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Office of Building and Grounds. Records, 1920-[ongoing] (CStRLIN)TxHA91-A1 Related materials occur in the following Record Groups: Trustee Records (RG 1); Records of the Office of the Director (RG 2); Finance Records and Legal Documents (RG 6). Related photographic materials are housed in the Archives Photograph Collection. |
| extent | .75 linear ft. |
| formats | Ephemera Financial Records Correspondence |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record link | https://hirsch.mfah.org/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=112638 |
| record source | https://hirsch.mfah.org/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=112638 |
| finding aid | Unpublished finding aid available in repository. |
| acquisition information | This series forms part of the Records of the Office of Building and Grounds (RG 13), Archives, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. |
| updated | 08/25/2017 16:08:57 |
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