Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America
Archives related to: Baker, Richard Brown
| title | Richard Brown Baker papers, 1895-2004. | repository | Yale University Library |
| description | The Richard Brown Baker Papers consist of correspondence; art and artist files; professional and personal papers, including papers relating to the Baker family and Baker's childhood; exhibit files; diaries; writings; photographic prints, negatives, and slides; photograph albums; objects; printed material; and an audiocassette interview. Biographical note: Richard Brown Baker was born in Providence, RI on November 5, 1912. He attended the Moses Brown School in Providence, RI before attending Yale University, from which he graduated in 1935. Following Yale, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and received a BA and MA from Oxford University's Honour School of Philosophy, Politics and Economics. After school, Richard's varied career commenced. His first job, in 1939, was as a reporter and editorial assistant for the Providence Journal, a post he occupied only briefly before he accepted the position of private secretary for Ambassador Alexander Weddell and his wife Virginia Weddell in Madrid, Spain in January 1940. He returned to the United States at the end of 1940 and in 1941 was a Social Science Analyst at the Library of Congress. From there he moved to the Office of Strategic Services and worked in Washington, London, and Paris as a Research Analyst. His last employer was the Central Intelligence Agency as a Foreign Affairs Officer. He quit in 1948 to focus on developing his career as a writer. Baker's writing career was brief but he did publish two works in 1952: a book of poetry entitled Stairways to Another Stage and a book based on the diary he kept while in London during 1944, entitled The Year of the Buzz Bomb. His books were not the success that he hoped for and he decided to focus on modern art, moving to New York City in 1952 to begin painting. He briefly studied with the painters Hans Hoffman and Morris Kantor, but then turned his energy toward collecting art. Baker's career as an art collector suited him very well. He became a famous art collector, owning over 1,600 works of art before he died. He focused almost exclusively on young emerging artists and was often the first collector to purchase works from artists who became famous, such as Roy Lichtenstein and Jackson Pollock. He lent works of art from his collection to museums and galleries throughout the world, enabling many exhibitions of new works. He was an avid traveler and he documented his international trips in his diaries and letters to family. He did on January 22, 2002 in Shelburne, VT. |
| extent | 91.75 linear feet (107 boxes) |
| formats | Correspondence Artist Files Diaries Photographs Ephemera |
| access | This material is open for research. Box 6 (audiocassette): Use of originals is restricted. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information. |
| record link | http://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/beinecke.bakerrb |
| record source | http://hdl.handle.net/10079/bibid/7630262 |
| acquisition information | Gift of Richard Brown Baker to Yale University Art Gallery, 2003 and 2007. Transferred from Yale University Art Gallery to Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, 2003 and 2007. |
| updated | 03/16/2023 10:29:51 |
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| title | Richard Brown Baker papers, 1941-1979. | repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Primarily material relating to Baker's contemporary art collection. Also included are taped excerpts from journals, and 3 family letters from Alphaeus P. Cole. REELS 1754-1755: Files on 27 exhibitions of contemporary art, 1959-1979, selected from Baker's collection, containing correspondence with curators, press releases, clippings, diary excerpts, catalogs, and photographs of exhibition installations. REEL 132: Exhibition catalogs, 1964-1969, tour itineraries for the collection; and clippings. REEL 1045: A card file on Baker's collection, arranged by artist, listing title, size, material, provenance, and exhibition history; and an acquisition book for the collection, arranged by numbers corresponding to the date acquired, 1941-1976. REEL 2786: Four letters, 1961-1963, to Baker including one about a proposed article by James Fitzsimmons on Baker for ART INTERNATIONAL and typescripts of two lectures delivered by Baker at Drew University on February 18, 1962 and Wellesley College on May 6, 1963. REEL D105: Five catalogs, two clippings, one manuscript and typescript "Notes on the Development of My Collection." REEL 3482: Letters, 1948-1949, from portrait painter Alphaeus P. Cole to Baker's father, Harvey Baker, and his sister, Marion Baker Freeman, Providence, R.I., regarding a portrait by Cole of Freeman, commissioned by Harvey Baker through Grand Central Galleries. UNMICROFILMED: 44 untranscribed tapes (5") containing excerpts from Baker's journals, 1963. |
| extent | 1.2 linear ft. (ca. 550 items partially microfilmed on 7 reels) reels D105, 132, 1045, 1754-1755, 2786, and 3482 |
| formats | Correspondence Exhibition Catalogs Journals Catalogs Ephemera |
| access | Microfilmed portion must be used on microfilm. Use of untranscribed tapes requires an appointment. |
| record link | https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/richard-brown-baker-papers-8867 |
| record source | http://www.siris.si.edu/ |
| acquisition information | Material on reels D105, 1045 and 1754-1755 lent for microfilming 1962-1980 by Baker. He donated the Cole letters on reel 3482 in 1963, and material on reels 132 and 2786, and tapes, in 1971. Location of Original: Yale University Libraries |
| updated | 11/01/2017 16:00:04 |
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| title | Virginia Field papers, 1954-1974. | repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Correspondence, reports, notes, photographs, and printed material concerning Field's association with Asia House, American Federation of Arts, National Endowment of the Arts, and painter John Von Wicht. REEL 2804: Illustrated letters from John Von Wicht to Field. Von Wicht writes of exhibiting his work, of seeing Field in New York, and of her newsletter. In the last letter of 1968, written two years before his death, he writes of being in the hospital, returning home soon, and returning to work. UNMICROFILMED: Correspondence and business records, 1957-1973, mostly regarding NEA fellowship grants which enabled Field, as a representative of Asia House, to visit many museums across the country; a photograph of Von Wicht, 1966 by I. Grippi, and one of Andy Warhol and Richard Brown Baker taken by Field; a report by Field, "American Federation of Arts Domestic Exhibition Program," 1963; notes; and printed material, including information on the NEA grant, American Federation of Arts Newsletters, 1955-1957, the International Council of Museums interim report, 1967-1978, and clippings, 1959-1973. Bio / His Notes: Arts administrator; New York, N.Y. Assistant director for Asia House. |
| extent | 0.2 linear ft. (partially microfilmed on 1 reel) reel 2804 |
| formats | Correspondence Notes Photographs Printed Materials Clippings |
| access | Microfilmed portion must be consulted on microfilm. Use of unmicrofilmed material requires an appointment and is limited to Washington, D.C. storage facility. |
| record source | http://www.siris.si.edu/ |
| acquisition information | Donated by Virginia Field, 1981-1988. |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:50 |
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| title | Richard Brown Baker Diaries | repository | The Museum of Modern Art |
| description | The Diaries describe Baker's growth as a collector of post-World War II art in New York, and his relationships with various artists, including Enrico Donati, Pierre Dumont, Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, Richard Stankiewicz; dealers including Leo Castelli, Rose Fried, Sidney Janis; and New York society, including Sam and Jane Kootz, and the Walter Hochschilds, among others. He also details his relationship with The Museum of Modern Art including individuals such as Margaret Scolari Barr (Mrs. Alfred H. Barr, Jr.), Dorothy Miller, and Abe Chanin, among others. According to a note written by Baker and included in the papers, the diary began in the late 1920s and was still being written in 1987. Biographical Note A native of Providence, Rhode Island, Richard Brown Baker graduated from Yale University in 1935. After studying at Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship, he returned to Providence where he worked as a reporter. In 1940 he returned to Europe as attaché and private secretary to the American Ambassador in Madrid. During the Second World War he served as a research analyst in the Office of Strategic Services, then as a foreign affairs specialist for the State Department, and later in the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C. Although he started collecting art in Washington, Baker moved to New York in 1952, where he devoted himself completely to painting, studying with Hans Hofmann, and collecting. Related Collections at MoMA and Elsewhere The Museum's relationships with artists and the art world during the fifties can be studied in many of the Archives holdings, among them, the Records of the Department of Circulating Exhibitions, the Dorothy Miller Papers and the collection of Sound Recordings of Museum-Related Events. Please consult with Archives staff for additional information. |
| extent | One 2.5" document box |
| formats | Diaries |
| access | The Diaries are available for research purposes only. |
| record source | http://www.moma.org/research/archives/EAD/BakerRichardBrownf.html |
| acquisition information | The Diaries were given to Riva Castleman by Richard Brown Baker at an unknown date. Lent to the Museum Archives for duplication in January 1990, the originals were returned to the Department of Prints and Illustrated Books. |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:55 |
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| title | Artist file: Baker, Richard Brown.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 BAKER, RICHARD BROWN |
| extent | 1 folder |
| formats | Ephemera |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | https://library.nyarc.org/permalink/01NYA_INST/ai54l4/alma991010446089707141 |
| updated | 11/29/2022 15:49:51 |
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| title | Richard Brown Baker Family Papers, 1866-2002. Bulk 1900-1990. | repository | Rhode Island Historical Society |
| description | This collection has been organized into 5 series. Series 1: RBB Diaries Series 2: RBB Correspondence received Subseries 1: family Subseries 2: friends and associates (some of the folders also include letters sent by RBB) Series 3: RBB Writings Series 4: RBB Subject Files Series 5: Family Materials Subseries 1: Individuals Subseries 2: Subject files Series 1: RBB Diaries contains copies of the diaries kept by Richard Brown Baker 1926- 1998. The original diaries were donated to Yale University. The only original diary at the RIHS is the one he kept in 1926. The copies were used to edit the diaries for possible publication. As a result there are frequent editorial corrections and the copies are not a complete set. The folder titled Lorenzo's notes are comments made by one of the people helping Richard edit the diaries and are useful as a quick index to events for the 1960-1971 period. The diaries are a very insightful record of personal and world events. Richard travels extensively and his descriptions of the sights and sounds of new places are worth the trip. He also comments often on the political situation of the countries he visits. Of note are his comments on the situation in Germany during the summer of 1934 and his opinions on the possibility of war in Spain during the spring of 1936. The diaries also include information about his frequent trips back to Rhode Island to visit his family and also to participate in the local art scene focusing around his work for the Rhode Island School of Design Series 2: RBB Correspondence received consists of all the letters that Richard received from his family, friends and associates. The folders of correspondence from friends and associates also often includes copies of letters written by RBB in reply. Some of the correspondence is written in languages other than English and that has been noted in parentheses next to the name of the correspondent. Of note is the correspondence from Gerd Sommerhof, a German national who was living in England at the beginning of World War II. He, along with many foreign nationals in England, was rounded up by the British government and sent to Canada where he spent at least two years in an internment camp. Series 3: RBB Writings has been divided into two sections - one for papers he wrote while a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and the other section for his other literary works. This series includes clippings of short stories RBB wrote as a child and had published in the Providence Journal. It also contains the writing exercises he created during the spring of 1948 when he had first committed to writing as a profession. Drafts of his two published works are also represented in this series. Series 4: RBB Subject Files contains materials and some correspondence he collected while studying in Geneva Switzerland in 1932, Yale University, Oxford University and working at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, Spain. This series also contains information about some of the many trips he took throughout his life. Series 5: Family Materials focuses on the correspondence and documents which were received and belonged to members of Richard Baker's family. The majority of correspondence in this series was written by RBB to his mother Marion (Brown) Baker. He writes to her frequently and the correspondence complements and fills in gaps left by Richard's diaries. Of note is an item Richard included in a letter to his mother from Germany in June, 1934. Richard describes the item as a "Postbill attacking the Jews, which, with hundreds like it, appeared in Köthen, Anhalt, at the end of June, 1934, and was posted thickly in the most frequented streets of the town." The postbill reads: "Vorsicht! Trau' keinem Fuchs auf grüner Heid' Trau keinem Jud' bei seinem Eid!" Richard also included a clipping from the newspaper Stadt Köthen regarding the postbills dated June 29, 1934. Historical Note Richard Brown Baker was born in Providence, RI on November 5, 1912 to Harvey Almy Baker and Marion North Brown. His grandfather was Henry Martin Brown, President of the Industrial Trust Co. of Rhode Island (later Fleet National Bank). His older sister was Marion Martin (1909-1962) who married Evert Freeman (1898-1955) in 1940. Their younger sister Anne Harvey died at the age of 6 months (Nov 7, 1923 - May 16, 1924). Richard attended the Moses Brown School in Providence, RI before attending Yale University from which he graduated in 1935. He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and studied during 1935-1938 at the Honour School of Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University receiving a BA and an MA. After completing his studies Richard's first job in 1939 was as a reporter and editorial assistant for the Providence Journal. His journalism career was short however because he was offered the opportunity to be the private secretary for Ambassador Alexander Weddell and his wife Virginia Weddell in Madrid, Spain. Richard left for Madrid in January 1940 and spent the next 10 months assisting the Ambassador with all his entertainment and diplomatic duties. When he returned to the U.S. he hoped to work in the diplomatic corps but finally landed at the Library of Congress in 1941 as a Social Science Analyst. From there he moved to the Office of Strategic Services and worked in Washington, London and Paris as a Research Analyst. He experienced the bombing of London during 1944 and the liberation of Paris in 1945. His last employer was the Central Intelligence Agency as a Foreign Affairs Officer. He quit in 1948 in order to focus on creating a career as a writer. Richard's writing career moved along at a very slow pace but he did publish two works through Exposition Press in 1952. He published one book of poetry entitled Stairways to Another Stage. His other book was based on the diary he kept while in London during 1944 and was called The Year of the Buzz Bomb. The books did not become huge successes and Richard decided to follow another passion, modern art. He moved to New York City in 1952 and began painting. He studied for a brief period with Morris Kantor and Hans Hoffman but turned his energy toward collecting art rather than creating it. He became a prodigious collector owning over 1,600 works of art before he died. He focused on the artists that were new and on the edge deciding in the 1950s to focus on young and unestablished artists. Richard Baker was one of the first to buy works by artists such as Jackson Pollock and Roy Lichtenstein. The collection he gathered was not meant to be for his sole enjoyment, he lent paintings and other works regularly to museums all over the country for special exhibitions. His other great passion was travel which he enjoyed throughout his life. Records of his extensive travels in Europe, Asia and the Soviet Union exists in his diaries and the letters he wrote to his family. Richard Baker died on January 22, 2002 in Shelburne, VT. He bequeathed the majority of his art collection along with his original diaries to Yale University and the remainder to the Rhode Island School of Design. |
| extent | 8 ft. |
| access | Contact the Rhode Island Historical Society. |
| record source | http://www.rihs.org/mssinv/mss1117.htm |
| finding aid | The finding aid is available over the Rhode Island Historical Society's website. |
| updated | 11/01/2017 16:10:15 |
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