Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America

Archives related to: Clarke, Thomas B. (Thomas Benedict), 1848-1931

titlePrivate art collection of Thomas B. Clarke, 1872-1879.
repositoryArchives of American Art
descriptionHandwritten catalog "Private Art Collection of Thomas B. Clarke, 1872-1879."
extent1 item (microfilmed on partial reel) reel 2802
formatsCatalogs
accessPatrons must use microfilm copy. Publication, quotation, or reproduction requires written permission: Head of Libraries, Henry Francis Du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, Delaware 19735.
record linkn/a
record sourcehttps://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/private-art-collection-thomas-b-clarke-18721879-7031
acquisition informationDonated by Henry Francis Du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, Delaware.
updated05/09/2023 15:57:36
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titleThomas Benedict Clarke scrapbooks, 1880-1930.
repositoryArchives of American Art
descriptionScrapbooks, 1880-1930.

REEL 1358: 2 scrapbooks, 1894-1900, of newspaper clippings, exhibition catalogs, letters, menus, and miscellany relating to The Lambs club, the Union League Club, exhibitions, the Paris Exposition of 1900, the death of Augustin Daly, and art and society news; and a scrapbook, 1889-1918, containing clippings concerning George Inness.

REELS N597-N599: Scrapbooks, 1880-1930, containing mostly newspaper clippings but also exhibition catalogs, letters, reproductions, and menus. Materials refer to events and activities of the Lambs Club, the Union League Club, the National Academy of Design, other N.Y. clubs, the Paris Exposition of 1900, and friends of Clarke's.
extent12 v. (microfilmed on 4 reels) reels 1358 and N597-N599
formatsScrapbooks Clippings Correspondence Exhibition Catalogs
accessPatrons must use microfilm copy.
record linkhttps://sirismm.si.edu/EADpdfs/AAA.clarthom.pdf
record sourcehttps://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/thomas-benedict-clarke-scrapbooks-7030
finding aidAnnotated index of the clippings within the scrapbooks is present at the end of the microfilm.
acquisition informationDonated 1978 by Lloyd Goodrich. Reels N597-N599 were originally filmed as Whitney Museum of Art Papers, loan of June-July 1967. All but the index subsequently donated by Lloyd Goodrich 1978.
updated05/09/2023 15:59:28
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titleLetters to Thomas B. Clarke from artists, 1883-1918.
repositoryArchives of American Art
descriptionLetters to Clarke regarding works of art, exhibitions, payments; also reciepts for sales of art work. Correspondents include: George Inness, Frederick W. Kost, Francis Lathrop, Homer D. Martin, Francis D. Millet, Louis Moeller, Thomas Moran, John F. Murphy, Walter L. Palmer, Thomas A. Richards, Dwight W. Tryon, Harry W. Watrous, and John F. Weir.
Weir's 4 p. letter, dated March 1, 1893, regards arrangements for the World's Columbian Exposition. He complains of the progress and his fears of poor selections or a poor showing. He comments of the status or merits of possible paintings, asks about arrangements for procuring and assembling the works, sends a list of artists he would like represented, and requests a list of "works obtainable" from Clarke.

Letters have merged alphabetically with other artists' letters, and are scattered throughout the letterbooks.
extent13 items (on 1 microfilm reel) reel D5
formatsCorrespondence Financial Records
accessPatrons must use microfilm copy.
record sourcehttp://www.siris.si.edu/
finding aidMicrofilm inventory available at AAA offices, filed under Hart.
acquisition informationThe letters were presumably collected by Charles Henry Hart, and compiled in a 2 v. collection titled "The History of Art in America as Told in a Remarkable Collection of Autograph Letters and Docuements of Celebrated American Artists of the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Century." Other letters in the volumes are written to various people, and have been described in separate catalog records, each grouped under the name of the peraon to whom the letters are addressed, including Asher Brown Durand, John Durand, Charles Lanman, William J. Stillman, John Trumbull, and one under the title, Miscellaneous Artists Letters.
updated11/12/2014 11:29:48
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titleScrapbooks and register, 1872-1879, 1915-1916, 1921-1922.
repositoryThe Winterthur Library
descriptionConsists of three volumes relating to Clarke's collecting activities. The first volume has the caption title "A Memorandum Book, description of a collection of oil paintings." It includes lists of paintings in Clarke's collection, paintings purchased for other collections, trades and sales from his collection, loans to galleries, and old porcelain.

The third volume is a scrapbook kept by Clarke relating to exhibitions of Early American Portraits held by the Union League Club in 1921 and 1922. It contains letters written to and from Clarke about the exhibits, photographs of groups of paintings on display, captions description paintings (probably from exhibit catalogs), and newspaper clippings with reviews of the exhibits.

The second volume is a scrapbook about an exhibition and sale of Clarke’s collection of “beautiful old textiles and … antique plates of many nations” which took place in January 1916. The scrapbook holds photos of the exhibition itself, pages from the catalog produced for the exhibit or the auction (probably served both functions), and newspaper articles about the exhibit and the sale. The articles about the sale include some prices and the names of some buyers, and one notes that a rug which sold for over $10,000 was used as a movie prop. Nothing indicates who created the scrapbook. The spine label reads T. B. Clarke, 1916, Old Plates and Textiles.

Biographical note
Thomas B. Clarke resided in New York City. He collected American paintings and Chinese porcelain. He served as president of the New York School of Applied Design for six years and was active in the Union League Club.

Associated materials
Letters from Thomas B. Clarke to Charles Henry Hunt may be found in the Charles Henry Hart Papers at this repository, Col. 654.

Location
The Winterthur Library: Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera, Winterthur, DE 19735.

Call Number
Col. 315
extent3 v. : ill.
formatsScrapbooks Financial Records Notes
accessContact repository for restrictions and policies.
bibliographyMcKinstry, E. Richard. Personal Accounts of Events, Travels, and Everyday Life in America : An Annotated Bibliography.
record sourcehttp://library.winterthur.org:8000/cgi-bin/webgw
finding aidA finding aid to the collection is available at this repository. It includes a parital index to acc. 67x121, exhibitions of early American portraits (index to artists and subjects of portraits only). The finding aid also includes an index to acc. 68x57, the memorandum about oil paintings.
updated11/12/2014 11:29:55
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titleMantle Fielding Papers, 1902-1938
repositoryThe Winterthur Library
descriptionThe collection consists primarily of Fielding's study notes for Life and Works of Thomas Sully and Life Portraits of Washington. It includes 273 photographs of Sully portraits that correspond to the catalogue in the book on Thomas Sully; an incomplete set of proof pages from his book, with comments made by Fielding; 23 letters from Lawrence Park to Fielding concerning Gilbert Stuart portraits; 14 letters from Thomas B. Clarke about Stuart's portraits of George Washington; 125 pieces of correspondence from various individuals and galleries, mostly pertaining to portraits of George Washington; a set of clippings, photographs, pages from gallery catalogs, and notes on American artists; a scrapbook with pictures from catalogs relating to European artists; 190 photographs of Washington portraits with notes that correspond to items listed in Life Portraits of Washington; 180 photographs, notes, and engravings that address Washington portraits done by unknown artists or that are of questionable attribution; proof pages for Life Portraits with some clippings about the book; and finally, an annotated copy of Fielding's Catalogue of Engraved Work of David Edwin, with miscellaneous notes and letters about it.

Background note:
Mantle Fielding was an architect and authority on colonial painting. Born in New York City, the son of Mantle and Anna M. Stone Fielding, he was educated at the Germantown (Pennsylvania) Academy. He graduated in 1883 and then studied architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After working as a draftsman and architect in Philadelphia, he launched an independent firm around 1886 that continued in operation until 1938. Fielding concentrated on residential work, preferring the colonial revival style. Fielding joined the T-Square club in 1886.

The first of Fielding's numerous publications in the field of art history appeared in 1904. His best known work, Dictionary of American Painters, Sculptors, and Engravers, was published in 1926, and reprinted several times. He also wrote about Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Sully, and portraits of George Washington. Fielding was married to Amy Reeve Williams; they had two children, Richard M. and Frances. For many years, they resided in Germantown. Fielding died at his home there at the age of 76.
extent6 boxes : ill.
formatsNotes Photographs Correspondence Scrapbooks Clippings
accessContact repository for restrictions and policies.
record linkhttp://findingaid.winterthur.org/html/col207.html
record sourcehttp://library.winterthur.org:8000/cgi-bin/webgw
acquisition informationCatalogue... of David Edwin transferred from Printed Books. Other items purchased from David Lucas.
updated11/12/2014 11:29:58
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titleRecords of the Director's Office: Frederic Allen Whiting, 1913-1930
repositoryThe Cleveland Museum of Art
descriptionThe records of the Director's Office are the primary source for understanding the decisions made and actions taken at the highest level of the museum's administration.

In addition, the records constitute one of the most valuable, unified resources for researching the early history of the museum and its art collection; initial construction and expansion of the museum building;

changes in the museum's administrative hierarchy; personalities and activities of individual staff members; artistic and social movements of the first half of the twentieth century; and the museum's relationship with civic, cultural, and educational institutions throughout the country and the world.

The records from Frederic Allen Whiting's tenure as director are divided into four main series: I. Numbered Administrative Correspondence, II. Unnumbered Administrative Correspondence, III. Biographical Materials, and IV. Index to Numbered Administrative Correspondence.

Citation:
The Cleveland Museum of Art Archives, Records of the Director's Office: Frederic Allen Whiting, date and short description of document [e.g., letter from Whiting to Kent, 6 June 1916].
extent22.6 cubic feet, 72 boxes
formatsAdministrative Records Writings Correspondence Notes
accessAt the end of the restricted period, the records will still be subject to the review of the archivist before access is granted.
record linkhttp://library.clevelandart.org/museum_archives/finding_aids/whiting/index.php
record sourcehttp://library.clevelandart.org/museum_archives/finding_aids/
updated11/12/2014 11:30:11
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