Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America
Archives related to: Rockefeller, Nelson A. (Nelson Aldrich), 1908-1979
| title | Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller interviews, 1972 July 24. | repository | Archives American Art |
| description | An interview of Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller conducted by Paul Cummings for the Archives of American Art. Rockefeller speaks of his family's art collection, and the influence of growing up surrounded by art; his interest in architecture; his involvement with the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the development of his own collection; his methods for collecting. |
| extent | 2 sound tape reels ; 5 in. (12 p. transcript) |
| formats | Sound Recording |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| acquisition information | Archives' 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 10:30:07 |
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| title | Artist file: Rockefeller, Nelson A. (Nelson Aldrich), miscellaneous uncataloged material. | repository | The Museum of Modern Art |
| description | The folder may include announcements, clippings, press releases, brochures, reviews, invitations, small exhibition catalogs, and other ephemeral material. Location MoMA Queens Artist Files Call Number Rockefeller, Nelson A. |
| extent | 1 folder |
| formats | Ephemera Clippings Invitations |
| access | Artist files--QNS |
| record source | https://library.nyarc.org/permalink/01NYA_INST/ai54l4/alma991011828809707141 |
| updated | 11/29/2022 15:49:50 |
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| title | Rockefeller Family Archives, Nelson A. Rockefeller, Personal Papers | repository | Rockefeller Archive Center |
| description | This record group consists of Rockefeller's correspondence files as maintained by his staff at the Rockefeller family offices in New York City. For the most part they document his personal activities but also include files from his work with the federal government in the 1940s and 1950s. Series C. Art, 1930-1979, 98.5 cu. ft. The files in this series were created in the course of acquiring, managing and disposing of pieces in Nelson A. Rockefeller's extensive art collection. For the most part these are the files of Carol Kinzel Uht who served as Rockefeller's full time curator from December 1949 until her death in 1978. Cynthia Bronson Altman joined the staff in 1971, serving as assistant curator and later as associate curator. Kendall P. Lutkins was responsible for the decorative arts portion of the art collection, including the Chinese pottery and porcelain. After Mrs. Uht's death, Mrs. Lutkins and Mrs. Altman assumed most of Mrs. Uht's responsibilities and were also responsible for the dissemination of Rockefeller's art collection in accordance with his will. The documentation begins with some of Rockefeller's earliest purchases in 1931 and ends with his death in January 1979. In addition to the RAC policy that material pertaining to living members of the Rockefeller family is closed, any documentation regarding distribution of art within the Rockefeller family is closed, first for the lifetime of the donor, and secondly, for the lifetime of the individual involved. As a result, the files from several subseries are subject to review prior to use. The Art series is divided into six subseries: Works of Art, 1931-1946, 0.4 cubic feet; NAR Art Files, 1949-1979, 17.6 cu. ft. ; CKU Reference Files, 1949-1979, 27.6 cu. ft. ; Collection Inventories.; Printed Material, 1935-1978, 17 cu. ft. ; Canceled Art Files, 1949-1979, 8 cu. ft. Biographical and Historical Note Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (1908-1979), son of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, served as governor of the State of New York (1959-1973) and as Vice President of the United States (1974-1977). A graduate of Dartmouth (1930), he served the Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower and Nixon administrations in a variety of positions. As governor, his achievements included the expansion of the State University of New York; efforts to protect the environment; the building of the Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza in Albany; increased facilities and personnel for medical care; creation of the New York State Council on the Arts; and support of New York State agriculture. Rockefeller also held an important place in the art world as a collector, as the founder of the Museum of Primitive Art in 1954, and as trustee, treasurer, president, and chairman of the Museum of Modern Art. During the last years of his life, he concentrated on his art collection and writing books about art. He was also a prominent philanthropist, establishing the American International Association for Economic and Social Development (1946) and founding with his brothers the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (1940). He also formed the International Basic Economy Corporation (1947). |
| extent | 98.5 c.f. |
| formats | Personal Papers Correspondence Financial Records Legal Papers Ephemera |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | http://www.rockarch.org/ |
| finding aid | Online Finding Aid |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:49 |
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| title | Reminiscences of Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller: oral history, 1952. | repository | Columbia University Libraries |
| description | Travel abroad, 1930-39; Creole Petroleum Corporation; entering government service, 1937-39; Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs; wartime economic cooperation in the Americas; anti-Axis measures; programs for economic developent, 1940-44; Institute for Inter-American Affairs; politics in Washington: Congress, Department of State, Board of Economic Warfare, information programs; wartime relations with Argentina; developing a Latin American policy and the Mexico City Conference; recognition of Argentina and relations between Argentina and the United Nations; Russia and San Francisco Conference, 1945; retirement from State Department; Latin American political, economic, and social prospects and hopes. |
| extent | Transcript: 730 leaves. Tape: 1 reel. |
| formats | Sound Recording Transcript |
| access | Closed until 1997. |
| record source | http://clio.cul.columbia.edu |
| acquisition information | Interviewed by Wendell Link./ |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:49 |
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| title | Rockefeller Family Archives, 1819-1990, 1879-1961 (bulk). | repository | Rockefeller Archive Center |
| description | The Rockefeller Family Archives document the careers and activities of three generations of the Rockefeller family, beginning with the founderof the family fortune, John D. Rockefeller and including his son and grandson, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and John D. Rockefeller III, and their families and associates. Bio/History: John Davison Rockefeller (1839-1937), founder of Standard Oil (1870) and philanthropist./ With the advice of his adviser Frederick T. Gates (1853-1929) and son, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. (1874-1960), Rockefeller developed an orderly system of philanthropic giving. He established the Rockefeller Institutefor Medical Research (1901), the General Education Board (1902), the Rockefeller Foundation (1913), and the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Foundation (1918), each of which he endowed with large amounts. He was alsothe principal benefactor of the University of Chicago (1891ff.) John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who joined his father's office in New York in 1897, oversaw the expansion and diversification of the philanthropic work begun byhis father. The six children of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and his wife, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller (1874-1948)--John III (1906-78), Nelson A. (1908-79), Laurance S. (b. 1910), Winthrop (1912-73), David (b. 1915), and AbbyM.--further diversified Rockefeller influence and interests. Organization: Organized into the following record groups: RG 1 John D. Rockefeller Papers; RG 2 Office of the Messrs Rockefeller; RG 3 Rockefeller Family and Associates General Files; RG 4 Nelson A. Rockefeller Personal Papers; RG 8 Jackson Hole Preserve, Inc; RG 9 Winthrop Rockefeller, Governor; RG 13 Public Relations Department; RG 14 Media; RG 15 Nelson A. Rockefeller, Governor; RG 17 Rockefeller Family Associates; RG 18 Martha Baird Rockefeller; RG 19 Products of Asia; RG 26 Nelson A. Rockefeller (Vice President), New York Files; RG 30 Museum of Primitive Art; RG 50 William Rockefeller./ Unpublished finding aids available in repository Named Person: Rockefeller, John D. (John Davison), 1839-1937. Rockefeller, John D. (John Davison), 1874-1960. Rockefeller, John D. (John Davison), 1906-1978. Rockefeller, Nelson A. (Nelson Aldrich), 1908-1979. Rockefeller, Laurance S. (Laurance Spelman), 1910- Rockefeller, Winthrop, 1912-1973. Rockefeller, David, 1915- Rockefeller, Abby Aldrich, 1874-1948. |
| extent | 4150 cubic ft. |
| formats | Business Records Financial Records Personal Papers Correspondence Ephemera |
| access | Appointments must be made to conduct research at the Rockefeller Archive Center. |
| record source | http://www.rockarch.org/ |
| finding aid | Unpublished finding aids available in repository. |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:53 |
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| title | Office of the Messrs Rockefeller, 1858-(1879-1961) | repository | Rockefeller Archive Center |
| description | This collection contains correspondence, reports, pamphlets, memoranda, deeds, maps, contracts, reports, minutes, charters, certificates of incorporation, clippings, diaries, notebooks, calendars, and memorabilia. The Office of the Messrs. Rockefeller (OMR) materials document the increasing role assumed by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in the management of Rockefeller affairs and amply document his business and philanthropic affairs. They also chronicle the entrance of JDR Jr.'s sons, John 3rd, Nelson A., Laurance S., Winthrop, and David, into the world of business, philanthropy, civic leadership, and politics as they joined the office. |
| extent | 580 cubic ft. |
| formats | Correspondence Ephemera Legal Papers Diaries Notebooks |
| access | Portions are restricted or closed. Material related to living members of the Rockefeller family is not available for research. |
| record source | http://www.rockarch.org/ |
| finding aid | There is a microfilm card index of personal and institutional names. |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:53 |
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| title | Exhibition negatives: installations. 1962. Records, Masterpieces from the Collection of Governor Rockefeller. | repository | The Brooklyn Museum Libraries and Archives |
| description | Installation views of an exhibition held from 07/10/1962 to 08/26/1962 at the Brooklyn Museum. In: Records of the Department of Photography. Exhibition negatives: installations. Bio/History: The role of the Department of Photography at the Brooklyn Museum is to record accessions, furnish illustrative material for Museum publications, make photographs of objects and installations for use in publicity, research and permanent documentation, and to provide photographs for technical study. |
| extent | 8 b&w photonegatives 7 x 5" |
| formats | Negatives |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | http://library.brooklynmuseum.org |
| finding aid | Finding aid and database access in repository. |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:53 |
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| title | Roy R. Neuberger papers, 1940-1979. | repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Correspondence, printed material, photographs; and "birthday books" containing drawings and writings by artists sent to Neuberger on his 50th and 75th birthdays. UNMICROFILMED: Material relating to Neuberger's activities as an art collector, patron, and trustee consisting of: clippings, exhibiton catalogs and announcements; photographs; and correspondence with Leroy Lamis, Sidney Laufman, Paul David Magriel, Larry Rivers, Frank Roth, Jon Rudolf Schueler, Hudson Walker and Frederick Stallknecht Wight. ADDITION: Correspondence with artists and other prominent people including: Edward Albee, Alexander Calder, Merce Cunningham, Lyonel Feininger, Henry Geldzahler, Henry Moore, Gerald Ford, Robert F. Kennedy, John V. Lindsay, George McGovern and Nelson Rockefeller. Also included are a letter from Mr. and Mrs. John Walker relating to their trip to Europe to return the "Mona Lisa" to the Louvre in 1963; printed material relating to Nelson Rockefeller; and four lists of art related papers remaining with Neuberger. |
| extent | 5.4 linear ft. (partially microfilmed on 2 reels) Addition: 0.2 linear ft. |
| formats | Correspondence Photographs Clippings Catalogs Announcements |
| access | Microfilmed portion must be consulted on microfilm. Use of unmicrofilmed portion requires an appointment and is limited to the Washington, D.C. storage facility. |
| record source | http://www.siris.si.edu/ |
| acquisition information | "Birthday books" on reels NSM 1 and 4588 lent for microfilming 1963 and 1992 by Neuberger. He donated the unmicrofilmed material in 1975 and 1993. Location of Original: Reels NSM 1 and 4588:: Originals returned to the lender, Roy R. Neuberger, after microfilming. |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:53 |
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| title | Harry Lowe papers, 1938-1982. | repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Letters, photographs, slides, and printed materials on art exhibits and subjects. Papers accumulated by Lowe while Director of the Tennessee Fine Arts Center regarding an exhibit on the work of African American sculptor William Edmondson, 1964. Included are 12 letters, 1961-1964, from Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Thomas D. Mabry and others concerning works loaned to the exhibit; a photograph of Edmondson and 12 of his sculpture; an undated exhibition announcement; and 10 clippings. Letters and photocopies of letters; files, containing photographs, slides, and negatives relating to a Alexander Archipenko exhibition, Paris, France, 1969, exhibition of Mexican Folk Art from the Nelson A. Rockefeller Collection, Museum of Primative Art, 1969, and the Art Embassies Program, 1966; photos of Lowe; slides of Cranbrook Academy of Art installations; articles and photocopies of articles, regarding Nelson Rockefeller, and his art collection, James Montgomery Flagg, and others; printed material, including press releases and exhibition catalogs; and miscellany. Bio/History: Arts administrator and designer; Washington, D.C. |
| extent | 0.4 linear ft. (partially microfilmed on 1 reel) |
| formats | Correspondence Photographs Slides Printed Materials |
| access | Microfilmed portion must be consulted on microfilm. Use of unmicrofilmed portion requires an appointment./ |
| record source | http://www.siris.si.edu/ |
| acquisition information | Donated 1971 & 1984 by Harry Lowe. |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:53 |
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| title | Papers of Joseph and Stewart Alsop, 1699-1989 (bulk 1937-1989). | repository | Library of Congress |
| description | Correspondence, writings, interviews, notes, subject files, office files, financial papers, family papers, clippings, printed material, and other papers relating primarily to Joseph Alsop’s family and personal life; acquaintance with prominent politicians, public figures, writers, and scholars; work as a journalist, especially as New York Herald Tribune staff writer (1932-1937) and as syndicated columnist of the "The Capital Parade" (1937-1940); World War II experiences in China; and research and writing as an art historian pertaining chiefly to his book, The Rare Art Traditions: The History of Art Collecting and Its Linked Phenomena Wherever These Have Appeared (1982). Includes material relating to Joseph and Stewart Alsop’s business partnership (1945-1958) in the "Matter of Fact" column, Joseph Alsop’s memoirs, I’ve Seen the Best of It (1992), Stewart Alsop’s travels to Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, and the Alsop family. Documents major political, diplomatic, and social events (1938-1974) including World War II, civil war in China, Sino-Soviet relations, Korean War, McCarthyism, presidential elections, Middle East policy, U.S. military policy, U.S.-Soviet relations, development of nuclear weapons, the Kennedy assassination, Vietnamese conflict, and social conditions of the 1960s and 1970s. Other topics include the Washington social scene, Washington Post, Saturday Evening Post, archaeology, and American education. Also includes material documenting Joseph Alsop’s role as family counselor and trustee, commitment to traditional customs, and affection for the Kennedy family. Individuals represented by interviews, subject files, or correspondence include Dean Acheson, John DeKevon Alsop, Joseph W. Alsop, Susan Mary Alsop, Raymond Aron, George W. Ball, Rex Barley, Sylvan Barnet, Bernard M. Baruch, William Benton, Adolf Augustus Berle, Sir Isaiah Berlin, Carl William Blegen, Charles E. Bohlen, Chester Bowles, David Kirkpatrick Este Bruce, McGeorge Bundy, William P. Bundy, Ellsworth Bunker, Corinne Alsop Chubb, Corinne Roosevelt Cole, Thomas G. Corcoran, George Anthony Cornish, Herrlee Glessner Creel, Sterling Dow, Allen Welsh Dulles, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John King Fairbank, Charles Falconer, Jean Feray, James Forrestal, Felix Frankfurter, Orville L. Freeman, John Kenneth Galbraith, Richard N. Goodwin, Ed Grade, Katharine Graham, Philip L. Graham, Joseph F. Guffey, George Leslie Harrison, Cordell Hull, Hubert H. Humphrey, Arthur Robert Jensen, Louis Arthur Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Thor S. Johnson, Ward S. Just, George S. Kaufman, Edward Moore Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Robert E. Kintner, Henry Kissinger, Albert Kohlberg, Frederick G. Krause, Walter Lippmann, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, Margaret E. Lucas, Henry Robinson Luce, John A. McCone, Robert S. McNamara, Charles Linza McNary, Raymond Moley, Ruth C. Mommessin, Hans Joachim Morgenthau, Henry Morgenthau, Jr., Bill D. Moyers, Richard M. Nixon, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Franz von Papen, Jr., Drew Pearson, Helen Rogers Reid, Whitelaw Reid, James Reston, Nelson A. Rockefeller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Richard Halworth Rovere, David Satter, Arthur Meier Schlesinger, Jr., Robert Shaplen, Vincent Sheean, Robert B. Silvers, Willis Smith, Martin Sommers, Edward R. Stettinius, Adlai E. Stevenson, William C. Sullivan, Robert A. Taft, Homer A. Thompson, Barbara Wertheim Tuchman, Rexford G. Tugwell, Arthur H. Vandenberg, John Carter Vincent, Henry Agard Wallace, Lewis W. Walt, James Arthur Wechsler, William Weeks, Sumner Welles, Burton K. Wheeler, Charles Whitehouse, and Wendell L. Willkie. Bio/History: Authors and journalists. Full names: Joseph Wright Alsop and Stewart Johonnot Oliver Alsop (1914-1974). |
| extent | 130.5 linear feet. |
| formats | Microfilm Correspondence Interviews Personal Papers Financial Records |
| access | Patrons must use microfilm. |
| record source | http://catalog.loc.gov |
| finding aid | Finding aid available in the Library of Congress Manuscript Reading Room. |
| acquisition information | Deposit converted to gift, gift, and bequest, Joseph W. and Stewart Alsop and estate of Joseph Alsop, 1964-1992. Gift, Tim Zimmermann, 1994. |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:53 |
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| title | Dorothy C. Miller papers, 1923-2003 (bulk 1923-1989) | repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Files kept by Miller relating to her various publications, consulting and curatorial projects, teaching positions, commissions and committees, and her relationships with artists, collectors, and art world figures. [Miller's papers from her work at the Museum of Modern Art are in the Museum of Modern Art, New York, N.Y.] Included are correspondence, printed materials, research material, artists' files, photographs, Christmas cards with original artwork, and tax records. Among the subjects are the private and corporate art collections of Nelson A. Rockefeller, Joseph Hirshhorn, Chase Manhattan Bank, Smith College, Rockefeller University, Rothko Foundation, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Edward Hicks, the Shakers, and other folk art; the WPA Federal Art Project; the First Municipal Art Exhibition, New York, 1934 (entries card file); correspondence, papers, exams, and course notes from Smith College, 1923-1925; tax records for Miller and her husband Holger Cahill (1932-1958 with some years missing). Study photographs are of early American paintings, arranged alphabetically by artist, Bio/History: Museum curator, art consultant; New York, N.Y.; b. Feb. 6, 1904, Hopedale, Mass.; d. July 11, 2003, Greenwich Village, N.Y. |
| extent | 24.7 linear ft. |
| formats | Business Records Correspondence Artist Files Photographs Writings |
| access | Use requires an appointment |
| record source | http://www.siris.si.edu/ |
| acquisition information | Donated 1986-1997 by Dorothy C. Miller via Wendy Jeffers and in 2004 by Reid White, Executor of Miller's estate. |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:53 |
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| title | Archive of the Museum of Primitive Art, 1949-1992 (inclusive), 1957-1975 (bulk). | repository | The Metropolitan Museum of Art |
| description | The Archive of the Museum of Primitive Art includes documents, correspondence, memoranda, photographs, and negatives from the offices of the Director, Registrar, Controller, and Curators, as well as materials from the Library and Public Relations departments. The documents relate to the exhibitions, administration, publications, acquisitions, and education programs of the Museum of Primitive Art, from its first exhibition in 1957 to its final presentation in 1974. During the period from 1975 to 1978 when the Museum of Primitive Art was closed to the public, the files from various MPA departments were brought together to form the Archive, in preparation for transfer to the Metropolitan. Materials concerning the transition of the MPA to the Metropolitan, along with the opening of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing at the Metropolitan Museum in 1982, are included in the Archive. These materials include correspondence, memoranda, photographs, and architectural drawings and sketches. Of particular importance to the Archive are the materials relating to the special exhibitions that were presented from Feb. 1957 through Dec. 1974, including correspondence, memoranda, and exhibitions catalogs. Among other items, the Archive holds approximately 1,200 black-and-white, 8-by-10-inch photographs of the actual special exhibition installations. Taken primarily by Charles Uht, the staff photographer, they are complemented by a less complete group of color 35 mm. slides by Uht and other photographers. Also included are sketches of installation designs by René d'Harnoncourt and Douglas Newton. The Archive also contains collections of ephemera that encompass an extensive range of media, from newspaper clippings to the metal lettering from the facade of the building. Important components of the Archive are the scrapbooks of articles concerning the museum's opening, exhibitions, and public programs. Publicity releases are also included in the scrapbooks. The sixty-three publications produced by the staff of the Museum of Primitive Art and visiting scholars are also represented in the Archive. Bio/History: The Museum of Primitive Art (MPA), New York, was the first art museum in the United States founded specifically to exhibit the traditional arts of Africa, Oceania, and Native and Precolumbian America. Formerly located at 13 and 15 West 54 Street, the museum was open to the public from 1957 to 1974, after which it became part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The Museum of Primitive Art played a significant role in the development of audiences, appreciation, education, and understanding of non-European sculpture through innovative exhibitions and publications. The Museum of Primitive Art was founded by Nelson A. Rockefeller in association with René d'Harnoncourt, then President of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Rockefeller was a long-time collector and patron of the arts in addition to serving as governor of New York from 1959-1973 and Vice-President of the United States from 1974 to 1977. The museum was chartered on Dec. 17, 1954, as the Museum of Indigenous Art. However, this term was not then widely understood by the public, and on Dec. 21, 1956, the charter was amended and the name changed to the Museum of Primitive Art. The museum opened to the public on Feb. 21, 1957, presenting the first of eighty-five exhibitions. The first director of the MPA, appointed in 1956, was art historian Robert Goldwater, who was a scholar both of non-European, modern European and American art. After his death in 1973, the museum's curator, Douglas Newton, an expert on the arts of the Pacific, was named its second and last director in Jan. 1974. In 1969, after the Museum of Primitive Art's collection had grown substantially, Nelson Rockefeller offered the entire collection of the MPA to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where a separate department for the care, study, and exhibition of the works and study materials was established. With that agreement, the process of planning and building a new wing and transferring the collections to the Metropolitan Museum began. The last exhibition at the Museum of Primitive Art ended in Dec. 1974 and the MPA closed its door to the public on Jan. 1, 1975. The Museum of Primitive Art began its transition that continued until its Board of Trustees officially dissolved it in 1978. That year the former MPA collection was accessioned by the Metropolitan Museum. After Nelson Rockefeller's death in 1979, his collection came to the Metropolitan by bequest the same year. The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing at the Metropolitan Museum, which opened to the public in Jan. 1982, included objects from these collections and others now on display. LOCATION Robert Goldwater Library CALL NUMBER Dept. of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas |
| extent | ca. 145 linear feet. |
| formats | Correspondence Ephemera Manuscript Photographs Scrapbooks |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | http://library.metmuseum.org/record=b1290528~S1 |
| finding aid | Available in repository as electronic finding aid and unpublished indexes |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:53 |
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| title | Laurence Page Roberts records, 1938-43. | repository | The Brooklyn Museum Libraries and Archives |
| description | The file may include any of the following materials: announcements, clippings, photographs, press releases, brochures, reviews, invitations, small exhibition catalogs, resumés, other ephemeral material. Cite as: Brooklyn Museum Library Collections. Schweitzer Gallery files. Location: ARL Artists Files Call Number: AF Schweitzer L |
| extent | 7.5 linear ft. plus .25 linear ft. oversize materials plus .25 linear ft. photos |
| formats | Administrative Records Correspondence Exhibition Files |
| access | Some folders may be restricted. Consult archivist for details. |
| record source | https://library.nyarc.org/permalink/01NYA_INST/ai54l4/alma991004037129707141 |
| finding aid | Unpublished finding aid available in repository. Folder-level descriptions available on-line in repository. Contemporaneous card index available in repository. |
| acquisition information | Found in: Brooklyn Museum. Office of the Director. Records, 1896-[ongoing] |
| updated | 11/29/2022 15:49:51 |
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| title | Thomas S. Buechner records, 1960-1971. | repository | The Brooklyn Museum Libraries and Archives |
| description | The Thomas S. Buechner records document all activities of the Museum and include correspondence with donors, lenders, and vendors, Board of Trustees and Governing Committee members, especially Robert E. Blum and Ernest Erickson; New York City agencies; and staff of other museums and cultural institutions. Curatorial records are found under the department name, with additional material on the collections filed under "objects" or "loans." Exhibition files continue to reflect the more ceremonial fundtions of the Director's Office, in planning openings and handling publicity. Correspondence about building plans with the architectural firm of Brown, Lawford & Forbes, and correspondence with City agencies and foundations continue to be quite heavy. Biographical/Historical Note: Thomas Scharman Buechner was born in 1926 in New York City. He studied at a variety of institutions, including Princeton University, the Art Students League, the Ecole des Beaux Arts (Paris and Fontainebleu), and the Institut voor Pictologie. Prior to his appointment as Director of The Brooklyn Museum, he worked in the Display Department of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1949-50) and served as the first Director of the Corning Museum of Glass (1950-60). Buechner was appointed Director of The Brooklyn Museum in April 1960 and began work in August of that year. Following his tenure at the Museum, Buechner returned to Corning as Vice-President (1971-73), President (1973-82), and Chairman (1982-85) of Steuben Glass. At The Brooklyn Museum, Buechner's primary goal, as expressed in the 1960-62 Annual Report, was to bring the curatorial and public service departments into institutional unity with a common purpose of evolving a unique facilty for education in the visual arts. Toward this goal, he instituted several administrative changes, including founding a Design Department to unify the appearance of installations and publications. In 1968-69, he created new senior staff positions to oversee the major institutional divisions: Vice-Director for Collections (Bernard V. Bothmer), Vice-Director for Administration (David Saltonstall), and Vice-Director for Buildings (Robert Hayden). Buechner's commitment to education and interpretation of the collections is evident in several new and expanded programs. The innovative Junior Membership program involved school children both as visitors and behind-the-scenes assistants. The Museum-on-Wheels brought objects and programs into the public schools. To open more of the collections to public view, a Study-Storage Gallery was designed for the American paintings collection, the Hall of the Americas created, and Costume Theatre and decorative arts planned. Collection didactics were presented in new orientation galleries and information wells and rails, and various departments experimented with taped (Acoustiguide) tours of the galleries. A handbook of the collections was published in 1967 as part of a drive to provide guides to each department. "Listening to Pictures" (1967-68) provided taped interviews with artists in conjunction with representative works. In 1967-68 the Museum participated in the first meeting of the Museum Computer Network, ushering in the early stages of a new era of information access. The Museum began an intensive effort to reach out to diverse Brooklyn communities under Buechner. In 1968, the Community Gallery opened. Minorities were brought into the Museum through special exhibitions and programs such as "African Sculpture" (1970), the Black Art Seminar, "New Black Artists" (1969) and the Simpson Project, which brought African objects into public school classrooms. The Touch Gallery was installed to give the blind a chance to experience art. The U.S. Department of Education sponsored a seminar at the Museum on the Role of the Arts in Meeting the Social and Educational Needs of the Disadvantaged. The Art School expanded into crafts and looked into cooperative degree programs with accredited institutions. In 1970, the Museum was described as "a people's museum: friendly, informal, focussing on service to the community." The curatorial departments continued an active program of acquisitions, special exhibitions, and new installations. One new curatorial department was formed, the Department of Middle Eastern Art, with Curator Charles Wilkinson's salary funded by the Kevorkian Foundation. The Sculpture Garden opened in 1965-66. Highlights of the exhibition schedule included "Jacob Lawrence" (1960); "Egyptian Sculpture of the Late Period" (1961); exhibitions of three private collections: Ernest Erickson, Nelson Rockefeller, and Louis E. Stern (1961); "Triumph of Realism" (1967); "Some More Beginnings: Experiments in Art & Technology" (1968-69); and "African Sculpture" (1970). A new Museum booster organization, the Roebling Society, was founded in 1967; members were linked to curatorial staff in support of their collecting interests and began a program of annual donations of objects. Fund-raising efforts remained a strong focus, with governmental programs growing in importance. The New York State Council on the Arts assumed a strong role, funding internships, an architectural coordinator's position, cataloging projects, and circulating exhibitions such as the "Techniques" shows organized by Museum staff. City funding cuts threatened closure of the Museum in 1968-69, but intensive lobbying efforts by staff and community resulted in budget restoration. The Community Committee continued to raise funds for the Museum; a new program provided guided Study Tours to a variety of sites around the world. Under Buechner, the reconstruction of the building moved ahead. Under Stage III, the parking lot was constructed, plans moved ahead toward air conditioning the entire building, and several galleries were reinstalled. The Stage IV design contract was awarded to Brown, Lawford & Forbes in 1968. Buechner's professional activities included serving on the Council of the American Association of Museums and as Vice-President and committee chair of the Association of Art Museum Directors. He was also a consultant in the NYSCA Technical Assistance Program, and served on the board or as an advisor to the New York Cultural Showcase Foundation, the Victorian Society in America, the South Street Museum, the DeYoung Museum/California Palace of the Legion of Honor, and Education System for the 70s (ES70). Cite as: Records of the Office of the Director, Thomas S. Buechner, 1960-1971, The Brooklyn Museum Archives. Location: Brooklyn Archives Call Number: DIR: TSB |
| extent | 14.5 linear ft. plus .25 linear ft. .25 linear ft. |
| formats | Administrative Records Correspondence Exhibition Files Ephemera |
| access | Some folders may be restricted. See archivist for details. |
| record source | https://library.nyarc.org/permalink/01NYA_INST/ai54l4/alma991004036779707141 |
| finding aid | Unpublished finding aid available in repository. Folder-level descriptions available on-line in repository. Contemporaneous card index available in repository. |
| acquisition information | Found in: Brooklyn Museum. Office of the Director. Records, 1896-[ongoing] |
| updated | 11/29/2022 15:49:51 |
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| title | Isabel Spaulding Roberts records, 1943-46 | repository | The Brooklyn Museum Libraries and Archives |
| description | The Isabel Spaulding Roberts records document all activities of the Museum and include correspondence with donors, lenders, and vendors; Board of Trustees and Governing Committee members, especially Edward C. Blum, Robert E. Blum, Arthur W. Clement, Walter H. Crittenden, Sidney W. Davidson, Louis V. LeDoux, Caroline A.L. Pratt, and Adrian Van Sinderen; New York City agencies; and staff of other museums and cultural institutions. Correspondence with Robert Moses and other Parks Department officials documents the beginnings of the post-war construction program. The effects of World War II continue to be evident in files on defense measures, including the return of evacuated works of art, and the creation of new or installation of loan exhibitions on civil defense, home-front topics, and the cultures of areas involved in the war. Curatorial activities are documented in departmental files and in exhibition files. Bio/History: Isabel Spaulding Roberts was born in 1911 in San Francisco, the daughter of Morrill B. Spaulding. She attended Vassar College, receiving a B.A. degree in 1933. From 1933-37, she was a member of the staff of the Education Division at The Brooklyn Museum, resigning after her marriage to Laurance Page Roberts in September 1937. Cite as: Records of the Office of the Director, Isabel Spaulding Roberts, 1943-46, The Brooklyn Museum Archives. Location: Brooklyn Archives Call Number: DIR: ISR Related collections Records of the Office of the Director, Wills & Estates (1896-ongoing), contains material from Roberts' administration concerning bequests, gifts, legal affairs, and grants. Records of the Office of the Director, Reports (1935-71), contains monthly reports to the Institute which incorporate the Director's and departmental reports. |
| extent | 2.5 linear ft. plus .5 linear ft. oversize materials and photos |
| formats | Correspondence Exhibition Catalogs Business Papers Legal Papers Photographs |
| access | Some folders may be restricted. See archivist for details. |
| record source | https://library.nyarc.org/permalink/01NYA_INST/ai54l4/alma991004037179707141 |
| finding aid | Unpublished finding aid available in repository. Folder-level descriptions available on-line in repository. Contemporaneous card index available in repository. |
| acquisition information | Records of the Office of the Director, Isabel Spaulding Roberts internal transfer |
| updated | 11/29/2022 15:49:51 |
| .................................................................... | |
| title | Office of the Secretary records, 1870-[ongoing]. | repository | The Metropolitan Museum of Art |
| description | Records comprise correspondence and subject files created by the Secretary and General Counsel, Trustees and several past Directors of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This material relates to all aspects of Museum operations and administration including: acquisition of artworks through purchase, gift and bequest, exhibitions, building maintenance and construction, relations with City and State agencies, drafting and negotiating contracts, managing litigation, cultural property issues, legal and business affairs, grants and corporate donations. Files documenting the tenures of each Secretary of the Museum are included. In addition, there is substantial original documentation created by: former Directors of the Museum, including Luigi Palma di Cesnola, Caspar Purdon Clarke, Edward Robinson, Herbert E. Winlock; past Trustees, including: John Taylor Johnston, Henry Gurdon Marquand, Robert W. De Forest, and J. Pierpont Morgan; and key curatorial and administrative staff. Biography or History The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in 1870 in New York City by a group of businessmen, financiers, artists and collectors. On April 13 of that year the New York State Legislature granted an Act of Incorporation "for the purpose of establishing and maintaining in said City a Museum and Library of Art, of encouraging and developing the Study of the Fine Arts, and the application of Art to manufacture and natural life, of advancing the general knowledge of kindred subjects, and to that end of furnishing popular instruction and recreations." Railroad executive John Taylor Johnston served as the institution’s first President. Luigi Palma di Cesnola was appointed the first Director in 1879. The Office of the Secretary was established concurrently with the founding of the Museum, and is the central repository for official Trustee records, administrative correspondence and legal files of the Museum’s General Counsel. The Secretary is a member of the Museum staff who performs administrative duties under the general direction of the President or as may be assigned by the Chairman or Board of Trustees. The Secretary is responsible for coordinating and recording the proceedings of meetings the Board of Trustees and Trustee committees. The Secretary attends to official correspondence, has custody of and preserves the corporate seal and the archives, and oversees the legal affairs of the Museum. The following have served as Secretary of the Museum: William J. Hoppin (1874-1877), Luigi Palma di Cesnola (1877-1904), Robert W. DeForest (1904-1913), Henry W. Kent (1913-1940), George Lauder Greenway (1941-1942), Dudley T. Easby, Jr. (1945-1969), Ashton Hawkins (1969-1987), Linden Havemeyer Wise (1987-1992), Sharon H. Cott (1992-present). Citation [Title of item], [date], [folder title], Office of the Secretary Records, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Archives. Note Most materials in English; French, Italian, German and other languages are represented as well. |
| extent | 2500 linear feet. |
| formats | Correspondence Subject Files Administrative Records Financial Records Legal Papers |
| access | Consult Archives staff regarding permission to quote or reproduce. |
| record link | http://library.metmuseum.org/record=b1705272~S1 |
| record source | http://library.metmuseum.org/record=b1705272~S1 |
| finding aid | npublished index and folder level database; access restricted to Archives staff only. |
| acquisition information | Transferred from Office of the Secretary. |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:30:08 |
| .................................................................... | |
| title | Archives pamphlet file : Rockefeller, Nelson A. (Nelson Aldrich), 1908-1979 : miscellaneous uncataloged material. | repository | The Museum of Modern Art |
| description | The folder may include clippings, correspondence, memoranda, press releases, brochures, announcements, reviews, invitations, obituaries and other ephemeral material relevant to the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and its history. Location MoMA Museum Archives Call Number Rockefeller, Nelson A. (Nelson Aldrich), 1908-1979 |
| extent | 1 folder |
| formats | |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | https://library.nyarc.org/permalink/01NYA_INST/ai54l4/alma991011485049707141 |
| updated | 11/29/2022 15:49:51 |
| .................................................................... | |