Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America
Archives related to: Whitney, Gertrude Vanderbilt, 1875-1942
| title | Whitney Museum of American Art, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney papers, 1855-1975 (bulk 1888-1942). | repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Papers relating to Whitney's personal and family life, to activities as a sculptor and art patron, and involvement in charities and WWI efforts. REELS 2356-2375: Correspondence, (6 ft.) ca. 1883-1946, with family, friends, artists, art organizations, and others, including letters from Harry Payne Whitney, Jo Davidson, Morgan Russell, John Gregory, Paul Chalfin, Robert Henri, Robert Chanler, George Chamberlain, Howard Cushing, Struthers Burt, George Wharton Pepper, Juliana Force, Hendrik Christian Andersen, Friends of the Young Artists, Maxfield Parrish, Gloria Vanderbilt and others; sculpture files (3 ft.) containing correspondence, legal documents, notes, printed material, and miscellany; diaries; journals; records of invitations, addresses, dinners, dances and parties; financial records; writings; sketches; scrapbooks; awards and honorary degrees; exhibition catalogs for Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney and others; scattered legal documents and miscellany relating to the formation of the Whitney Museum of American Art; and clippings, 1859-1942. REELS 2288-2289: Photographs, ca. 1850-1940, of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, Harry Payne Whitney, their friends and family, including "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, Cornelius Vanderbilt II, William C. Whitney, Flora Payne Whitney, Henry B. Payne, Gloria Vanderbilt and others. Among the photographers are Baron De Meyer and Jae Stelecki. Also included are photographs of the Vanderbilt and Whitney residences; Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney's studios in Paris and Westbury, L.I.; portraits of Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney by Robert Henri, Howard Cushing, and others; one photo each of Jo Davidson, James Earle Fraser, Troy Kinney, Juliana Force, and Forbes Watson; works of art by Robert Chanler; and miscellany. Files on Whitney's sculpture containing photos of work, work in progress, dedications, sketches, and installations are also included. REEL 4861: Several letters, including a note from Alice G. Vanderbilt to Augustus Saint-Gaudens, introducing her daughter and son-in-law, who "will be in Paris" and are "desirous of seeing your studio.."; a letter signed by John J. Pershing thanking Whitney for her "devoted service...to the French people"; and a few letters to Flora Miller regarding her mother and her work; an affidavit, 1943, containing information about Whitney's activities during the last year of her life; correspondence, 1975-1976, regarding a donation of Whitney's clothing to the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute; ca. 50 photographs, ca. 1900, of unidentified people and picture postcards; 3 clippings, 1919 and 1943; and miscellany. UNMICROFILMED: Papers, ca. 1910-1920: correspondence, printed material, photos, and miscellany relating to the Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney's sponsorship of the American Ambulance Field Hospital in Juilly, France; letters, printed material, and miscellany from charities, war appeals, organizations, and publications; minutes of meetings, correspondence, and printed material from the Greenwich Hill House Settlement and the Victory Hall Association;writings by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney including manuscripts of novels, short stories, plays, and poetry; 3 phonograph records and a cassette of interviews with Mrs. Whitney; and blueprints of sculpture projects. |
| extent | 35.8 linear ft. (partially microfilmed on 23 reels) reels 2356-2375; 2288-2289 and 4861 |
| formats | Correspondence Photographs Clippings Works of Art Interview |
| access | Use requires an appointment. Any citation of this collection must include the following title designated by the donor: Whitney Museum of American Art, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney papers. Gift of Flora Miller Irving. |
| record source | http://www.siris.si.edu/ |
| finding aid | Draft inventories available upon request, including a chronological list of correspondence, an alphabetical list of correspondents, a contents list for microfilms, and a storage unit contents list. |
| acquisition information | Donated 1981 by Flora Miller Irving, Gertrude Vanderbilit Whitney's granddaughter and president of the Whitney Museum of American Art. Portions of this collection were previously lent for microfilming in 1964 and 1967 as the Whitney Museum of American Art papers, reels NWH 4 and N587-N591. Irving turned over a few additional items in 1991, which were microfilmed on reel 4861 in 1994. Researchers may also wish to consult the Flora Miller Irving papers which contain research material for the book GERTRUDE VANDERBILT WHITNEY by B.F. Friedman (1978) and microfilm reels 1903-1904 which contain typescripts of selected correspondence, journal entries, and writings found in the Whitney Museum of American Art, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney papers. |
| updated | 03/16/2023 10:29:47 |
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| title | Research material on Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, 1883-1976. | repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Irving is G. V. Whitney's granddaughter and she collaborated with B. H. Friedman on the biography GERTRUDE VANDERBILT WHITNEY by B. H. Friedman (1978) Research material on Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, compiled mainly for a biography. REELS 1903-1904: Ten volumes of typescripts, of journal entries, correspondence, writings, and notes to references in the NEW YORK TIMES on the Vanderbilt and Whitney families. UNMICROFILMED: Correspondence, 1948-1976; files containing xerox copies of clippings and articles, typescripts of Whitney's correspondence and notes, 1883-1945; "people" files containing printed material and notes on friends, artists and relatives associated with Whitney; card files on sculpture; and miscellaneous material, notes and photos. |
| extent | Unmicrofilmed: 3.0 linear ft. Reels 1903-1904: 10 v. reels 1903 and 1904 |
| formats | Correspondence Notes Photographs |
| 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 1903-1904 lent for microfilming 1980 and unmicrofilmed material donated 1981 by Flora Miller Irving, granddaughter of Gertrude V. Whitney. |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:48 |
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| title | Research material on Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, 1883-1976. | repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Research material on Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, compiled mainly for a biography. REELS 1903-1904: Ten volumes of typescripts, of journal entries, correspondence, writings, and notes to references in the NEW YORK TIMES on the Vanderbilt and Whitney families. UNMICROFILMED: Correspondence, 1948-1976; files containing xerox copies of clippings and articles, typescripts of Whitney's correspondence and notes, 1883-1945; "people" files containing printed material and notes on friends, artists and relatives associated with Whitney; card files on sculpture; and miscellaneous material, notes and photos. Bio / His Notes: Irving is G. V. Whitney's granddaughter and she collaborated with B. H. Friedman on the biography GERTRUDE VANDERBILT WHITNEY by B. H. Friedman (1978) |
| extent | Unmicrofilmed: 3.0 linear ft. Reels 1903-1904: 10 v. reels 1903 and 1904 |
| formats | Research Files Correspondence Writings Clippings Notes |
| 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 1903-1904 lent for microfilming 1980 and unmicrofilmed material donated 1981 by Flora Miller Irving, granddaughter of Gertrude V. Whitney. Location of Original: Reels 1903-1904: Originals (typescripts) returned to Flora Miller Irving after microfilming. |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:54 |
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| title | Maxfield Parrish letters, 1909-1912. | repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Four letters from Parrish to Mr. Coates discuss Parrish's work and Mr. Coates' purchase of CIRCE and his desire for a companion piece (1909-1912). Bio / His Notes: Painter and illustrator; Cornish, New Hampshire. The son of painter Stephen Parrish, Maxfield attended Haverford College (1888-1891) and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (1892-1894). He also studied under Howard Pyle at Drexel Institute. Parrish had a studio in Philadelphia until 1898, when he moved to "The Oaks" in Cornish, New Hampshire, where he produced illustrations for magazines and books and later worked on landscape murals. |
| extent | 4 items (on a partial microfilm reel) reel 4391 |
| formats | Microfilm Correspondence |
| access | Patrons must use microfilm copy. |
| record source | http://www.siris.si.edu/ |
| acquisition information | Donated 1975 by Mrs. George Feeney. |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:54 |
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| title | Whitney Studio Club exhibition catalogs and announcements, [undated] and 1916-1930. | repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Catalogs for one-person and group exhibitions at the Whitney Studio Club and at Mrs. H[arry] P[ayne] Whitney's Studio. Included are: "Exhibition of Paintings by John Dos Passos and Adelaide J. Lawson and Sculpture by Reuben Nakian," undated; "The Drawings of Boardman Robinson including his series of the Washington Arms Conference," undated; "Paintings and Drawings by Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque-Caricatures by Marius de Zayas, Selected and Arranged by Charles Sheeler," undated; "Sculpture and Drawings by Grace Mott Johnson and Drawings by Lila Wheelock," undated; [Invitation] "Exhibition of Early American Art Selected and Arranged by H.E. Schnakenberg," undated; a invitation and catalog "Annual Exhibition of Painting & Sculpture by the Members of the Club," undated; "Exhibition of Water Colors," undated, exhibiting work by Thomas H. Donnelly, Richard Lahey, Richard Marwede, Mary F. Wesselhoeft & designs for stained glass by M. Wesselhoeft; "Exhibition of Paintings & Drawings, Selected and Arranged by Mr. W.E. Hill," undated; "Exhibition of Drawings and Water Colors by Arthur Faber, Thomas Hunt, and George A. Picken," undated; "Annual Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture by the Members of the Whitney Studio Club," April 2nd to April 30th, [undated]; "Overseas Exhibition of American Paintings," undated, at Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney's Studio; "Exhibition of Paintings, Etchings and Drawings by John Sloan at Mrs. H.P. Whitney's Studio," 1916; "Introspective Art at Mrs. H.P. Whitney's Studio," 1917; "Exhibition of Paintings at the Whitney Studio by Ernest Lawson and Guy Pene du Bois," 1918; "Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture by Members of the Whitney Studio Club," December 1918; "Exhibition of Sculpture by Malvina Hoffman and Decorations by Arthur Crisp," 1919 at Mrs. H.P. Whitney's Studio; "Exhibition of Paintings Drawings and Etchings," 1920, exhibiting work by Edward Hopper and Kenneth Hayes Miller; "Exhibition of Paintings, Drawings, Etchings by Olaf Olesen, John Sloan, and Randall Davey," 1921; "Exhibition of Paintings by Joseph Stella and H.E. Schnakenberg," 1921; [10th, 11th, and 12th Annual Exhibitions of the Whitney Studio Club Members, 1925-1927], at the Anderson Galleries; and "Spring Exhibition," 1930, at the Whitney Studio Galleries, forward by Lloyd Goodrich. Bio / His Notes: Art club and gallery; New York, N.Y., founded by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, 1918. In 1918, Whitney opened the Whitney Studio Club, which served as pioneering organization for American art, putting on exhibition programs and offering social space and recreational amenities to its members (one point numbering over four hundred artists living in New York). In 1928, the Whitney Studio Club was transformed into an art gallery, known as the Whitney Studio Galleries and directed by Juliana Force, which eventually became the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1931. |
| extent | 23 items. reel 4859 (fr. 1128-1214) |
| formats | Catalogs Ephemera |
| access | Patrons must use microfilm copy. |
| record source | http://www.siris.si.edu/ |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:54 |
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| title | The Studio 2001-2003. | repository | Archives of American Gardens |
| description | The folders include a work sheet, features plan, slide view plan, copies of photographs, and copies of articles. General Note: Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney commissioned the retreat for a place to work on sculpture and as an entertainment pavilion for friends. The axis of the site is north and south. The rear of the studio was developed as an intimate garden with swimming pool and sunken parterre. The garden incorporates many statues created by Whitney and her students. In 1982, it was adapted for use as a residence. Persons and organizations associated with the garden include: Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (former owner, 1914-1918); Barbara Whitney Henry (former owner, 1942-1960s); Flora Whitney Miller (former owner, 1960s-1986); William Delano and Chester Aldrich (architect and garden designer, 1914-1918); Raleigh Cottnek (landscape designer, 1914-1918); and Charles G. Meyer, Jr. (architect, 1982). |
| extent | 2 folders+ 11 35 mm. slides. |
| formats | Photogravures Printed Materials Notes |
| access | Access to original images by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. For information or study purposes only. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. |
| bibliography | Garden featured in Linda Nochlin, "High Bohemia," in House & Garden (September 1985), pp. 180-189. |
| record source | http://www.siris.si.edu/ |
| updated | 08/25/2017 14:53:12 |
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| title | M. Knoedler & Co. records, approximately 1848-1971 | repository | The Getty Research Institute |
| description | The records of M. Knoedler & Co. document the business of the prominent American art dealer from the mid-19th century to 1971, when the Knoedler Gallery was acquired by Armand Hammer. The archive traces the development of the once provincial American art market into one of the world's leading art centers and the formation of the private art collections that would ultimately establish many of the nation's leading art museums, such as the Frick Collection and the National Gallery of Art. It brings to the foreground the business side of dealing as artworks shuttled back and forth among Knoedler, fellow dealers, and collectors, documenting developments in art connoisseurship, shifting tastes, the changing role of art in American society, and the essential role of private collectors in the formation of public American art collections. The records provide insight into broader economic, social and cultural histories and the nation's evolving sense of place in the world. The Knoedler Gallery became one of the main suppliers of old master and post-Impressionist paintings in the United States. Financial records of the firm provide crucial provenance information on the large number of artworks in American museums that were sold by the gallery. The archive includes stock books, sales books and commission books; correspondence with collectors, artists, art dealers and other associates; photographs of the artworks sold by the gallery; records from the firm's offices in London, Paris and other cities; exhibition files; framing and restoration records, and records of the firm's Print Department. Selected portions of the archive have been digitized and made available online. Connect to selected digitized portions of the archive. Arranged in 14 series: Series I. Stock books; Series II. Sales books; Series III. Commission books; Series IV. Inventory cards; Series V. Receiving and shipping records; Series VI. Correspondence; Series VII. Photographs; Series VIII. Exhibition files; Series IX. American Department records; Series X. Framing and restoration records; Series XI. Print Department records; Series XII. Other financial records; Series XIII. Library cards, scrapbooks, and research materials; Series XIV. Knoedler family papers Biographical/Historical Note: M. Knoedler & Co. was a successor to the New York branch of Goupil & Co., an extremely dynamic print-publishing house founded in Paris in 1827. Goupil's branches in London, Berlin, Brussels, and The Hague, as well as New York, expanded the firm's market in the sale of reproductive prints. The firm's office in New York was established in 1848. In 1857, Michael Knoedler, an employee of Goupil and a manager for the firm, bought out the interests in the firm's New York branch, conducted the business under his own name, and diversified its activities to include the sale of paintings. Roland Knoedler, Michael's son, took over the firm in 1878 and with Charles Carstairs opened galleries in Paris and London. In 1928, the management of the firm passed to Roland's nephew Charles Henschel, Carman Messmore, Charles Carstairs and Carstairs' son Carroll. In 1956 Henschel died, and E. Coe Kerr and Roland Balaÿ, Michael Knoedler's grandson, took over. In 1971 the firm was sold to businessman and collector Armand Hammer. The gallery closed in November 2011. |
| extent | 3042.6 linear feet (5550 boxes, 17 flat file folders). |
| formats | Auction Catalogs Business Records Correspondence Financial Records Ephemera |
| access | Open for use by qualified researchers, with the following exceptions. Boxes 77, 262-264, 1308-1512, 1969-1974, 3592-3723 are restricted due to fragility. Box 4468 is restricted until 2075. |
| record link | http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa2012m54 |
| record source | http://primo.getty.edu/GRI:GETTY_ALMA21129976460001551 |
| contact information | Contact gallery's archivist |
| finding aid | At the Getty Research Institute and over their website. |
| acquisition information | Acquired in 2012. |
| updated | 05/29/2018 14:44:15 |
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