Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America
Archives related to: Gilcrease, Thomas, 1890-1962
| title | Aline and Eero Saarinen papers, 1906-1977 |
| repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Personal papers of Aline and Eero Saarinen, and Aline Saarinen papers relating to her unpublished biography of architect Stanford White, her published book The Proud Possessors, and her work as an NBC Television correspondent. Papers relating to Stanford White and to Proud Possessors contain primary source material gathered by Saarinen during her research on White and collectors Edward Wales Root and John Quinn. REELS 2074-76, and 2064 (photos): Biographical material; Eero Saarinen's sketches, notes and letters; correspondence between Aline and Eero; Aline Saarinen's correspondence, including letters from John McAndrews, Clifford Odets, Robert Osborne, Frank Lloyd Wright, Joseph Louchheim, and her children; awards; files on her involvement with the Fine Arts Commission, Yale University, and the Design Advisory Committee of the Federal Aviation Agency; speeches, articles on art and architecture; television scripts; clippings and printed material; notes; and photographs and slides of the Saarinens (2 copyprints are also microfilmed on reel 1817 fr. 1054-1058), Charles Alan, and other family members, friends, works of art, and architecture. REELS 2069-2072 and 2084 (photos): Research material, 1903-1960, relating to Saarinen's book The Proud Possessors (1958). Included are notes, manuscripts, correspondence, photographs, and printed material on art collectors Dr. Albert C. Barnes, Dr. Claribel and Etta Cone, Katherine Sophie Dreier, Charles Lang Freer, Isabella Stewart Gardner, Thomas Gilcrease, Peggy Guggenheim, Mr. and Mrs. Henry O. Havemeyer, Joseph Hirshhorn, R. Sturgis Ingersoll, John G. Johnson, J. Pierpont Morgan, Mrs. Potter Palmer, John Quinn, the Rockefeller family, Edward Wales Root, Gertrude, Leo, Michael and Sarah Stein, and Electra Havemeyer Webb. Among the correspondents is Bernard Berenson. The material on Edward Root contains letters to Saarinen from Grace Cogswell Root; correspondence between Root and his father Elihu, 1903-1936; one or more letters to Root, 1909-1936, from Charles Culver, Robert De Forest, Frederick James Gregg, Ernest Lawson, George Luks, Duncan Phillips, and Grace Root; copies of 2 letters to Edward Christiana, 1949; a catalog for a Root memorial exhibition, 1957; Saarinen's notes; and a photograph of Root, one of his home, and photographs of works of art in his collection. Copyrpints also available. Material on John Quinn includes correspondence between Saarinen and Jeanne Robert Foster; letters to Foster from Quinn and his sister, Julia Anderson; a copy of a letter to Foster from William B. Yeats and a drawing of Quinn possibly by Yeats; material relating to Roger Casement; and photographs of Quinn and Foster, and Quinn with Constantin Brancusi, Picasso and Mme. Picasso, Henri Pierre Roche, and Erik Satie. REELS 2072-2073 and 2064 (photos): Research material for Saarinen's unpublished biography of Stanford White. Included are: notes, drafts; correspondence with her publisher, scholars, friends and relatives of White, architects, and others; printed material, 1896-1968; McKim, Mead and White memoranda and correspondence, 1887-1906, much of it with Whitelaw Reid; a letter from Charles Lang Freer, 1900; contracts; architectural descriptions and copies of blueprints; a record book; and miscellaneous letters and documents. Letters from White's father, Richard Grant White, to his daughter-in-law Bessie, Bessie White's reminiscenses of Stanford, and her scrapbook on the Washington Centennial and White's Washington Arch are also included. Photographs include over 300, 1878-ca. 1970, of White, his wife; his father and mother; Evelyn Nesbit; his clients, Anne, Louise and Robert Cheney; and 280 photographs of buildings and residences designed by White or McKim, Mead and White, many photographed by Wayne Andrews. UNMICROFILMED: Primarily papers kept by Aline Saarinen while a NBC television correspondent reporting on mainly art related topics. Included are correspondence, printed material, notes, scripts, clippings, kinescope motion picture film, including "Eyes Opening", transferred to VHS, and photographs. Also included are printed material on Eero Saarinen, and photographs of his work. ADDITION: Notebooks containing Aline Saarinen's notes on architecture, art collectors and Stanford White; printed material; Saarinen's journal, 1928-1932; a guest book; photographs; scripts for Venus in Venice (1964), The American Image and other writings. Three phonograph recordings (33 1/3) of a discussion on opera between Eero Saarinen, Professor H. Ingham Ashworth and Professor Leslie Martin on the Australian Braodcasting Commission, January 29, 1957 are not available for research use. |
| extent | 13.5 linear ft. (partially microfilmed on 10 reels) |
| formats | Correspondence Notes Sketches Photographs Clippings |
| access | Collection is being processed and digitized, and is closed to researchers. Access is to microfilmed material only. NBC TV material: Authorization to quote from scripts or film prepared for television must be cleared for rights with: NBC Studios, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, N.Y. |
| record link | https://sirismm.si.edu/EADpdfs/AAA.saaralin.pdf |
| record source | https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/aline-and-eero-saarinen-papers-5589 |
| acquisition information | Donated in 1973 by the Aline Saarinen estate via Charles Alan, art dealer and brother of Saarinen. The NBC TV material was donated 1974 by NBC Studios. Additional material donated 1991 by the Parrish Art Museum, who had received it from Aline Saarinen. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:30 |
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| title | Ernest Blumenschein papers, 1873-1964 |
| repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | 11 letters from Blumenschein to Thomas Gilcrease, 1945-1953; a letter from Helen Blumenschein to Gilcrease, 1973; and a transcript of a radio interview of Blumenschein, 1958. Bio/History: Painter, illustator; Taos, N.M. |
| extent | 13 items (on partial microfilm reel) |
| formats | Correspondence Transcript Microfilm |
| access | The papers of Ernest Leonard Blumenschein in the Archives of American Art were digitized in 2009. The bulk of the papers have been scanned, and total 2,772 images. |
| record link | https://sirismm.si.edu/EADpdfs/AAA.blumerne.pdf |
| record source | https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/ernest-blumenschein-papers-6744 |
| acquisition information | Microfilmed 1984 along with other selected art related papers from the Gilcrease Institute. Originals in: Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:30 |
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| title | Bert G. Phillips letters, 1951. |
| repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Two letters from Phillips to Thomas Gilcrease. Bio/History: Painter, illustrator, educator; Taos, N.M. |
| extent | 2 items (on partial microfilm reel) |
| formats | Correspondence Microfilm |
| access | Patrons must use microfilm copy. |
| record link | http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/bert-g-phillips-letters-10036 |
| record source | http://www.siris.si.edu/ |
| acquisition information | Microfilmed 1984 along with other selected art related papers from the Gilcrease Institute. Originals in: Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:30 |
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| title | Oscar E. Berninghaus correspondence, 1945-1951. |
| repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | 13 letters from Berninghaus to Thomas Gilcrease, 1945-1951, and one letter from Gilcrease to Berninghaus, 1946. Bio / His Notes: Painter, designer, teacher; Taos, New Mexico. |
| extent | 14 items (on partial microfilm reel) reel 3281 |
| formats | Correspondence Microfilm |
| access | Patrons must use microfilm copy. |
| record link | n/a |
| record source | https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/oscar-e-berninghaus-correspondence-10034 |
| acquisition information | Microfilmed 1984 along with other selected art related papers from the Gilcrease Institute. Originals in: Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:30 |
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| title | Joseph Henry Sharp papers, [ca. 1903]-1945. |
| repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Correspondence with Thomas Gilcrease; photographs of portraits and sketches of Indians; and an illustrated letter to Dr. Philip C. Cole from Sharp. Bio / His Notes: Painter; Illinois. |
| extent | ca. 300 items (on partial microfilm reel) reel 3281 (frames 75-470) |
| formats | Correspondence Photographs Sketches |
| access | Patrons must use microfilm copy. |
| record link | n/a |
| record source | https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/joseph-henry-sharp-papers-10023 |
| acquisition information | Microfilmed 1984 along with other selected art related papers from the Gilcrease Institute. Originals in: Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:30 |
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| title | Howard Chandler Christy letters, 1949. |
| repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Two letter from Christy to Thomas Gilcrease, 1949. Bio / His Notes: Painter, sculptor, illustrator; New York, N.Y. and Ohio. |
| extent | 2 items (on partial microfilm reel) reel 3281 |
| formats | Correspondence Microfilm |
| access | Patrons must use microfilm copy. |
| record link | n/a |
| record source | https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/howard-chandler-christy-letters-10033 |
| acquisition information | Microfilmed 1984 along with other selected art related papers from the Gilcrease Institute. Originals in: Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:30 |
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| title | George Catlin collection from the Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, 1840-1860. |
| repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Letters from Catlin to Sir Thomas Phillipps, 1840-1860, and 2 letters from Phillipps to Catlin; writings by Catlin; material on Catlin's Indian Gallery, including clippings, catalogs, handbills, invitations, Indian drawings, and printed material; a watercolor sketchbook; a list of paintings; Indian portrait sketches; and miscellany. Bio / His Notes: Portrait painter, miniature painter, ethnographer; Pennsylvania Best known for his paintings of the American Indian. Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Additional forms: 35mm microfilm reel 3277 (frames 494-1305) available at Archives of American Art offices, the Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and through interlibrary loan. |
| extent | ca. 500 items (on partial microfilm reel) |
| formats | Correspondence Clippings Catalogs Ephemera Printed Materials |
| access | Patrons must use microfilm copy. |
| record link | n/a |
| record source | https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/george-catlin-collection-thomas-gilcrease-institute-american-history-and-art-10018 |
| finding aid | online and in repository |
| acquisition information | Microfilmed 1984 along with other selected art related papers from the Gilcrease Institute. Location of Original: Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:47 |
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| title | Sketches from the collection of the Thomas Gilcrease Institute, [undated] and 1841-1918. |
| repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | Sketches by various 19th and early 20th century artists mainly relating to life on the western frontier. REEL 3282: Sketches by Alfred T. Agate, Joseph Drayton, W.L. Atkinson, J. Baker, Albert Beirstadt, George Douglas Brewerton, Eldridge Ayer Burbank, Louisa Corbaux, F.O.C. Darley, John Gunter, Edward M. Kern, J. Ross Browne, and J.T. Moore. REEL 3283: Sketches by Leonard H. Reedy. |
| extent | 2 microfilm reels. |
| formats | Sketches |
| access | Patrons must use microfilm copy. |
| record link | n/a |
| record source | ection-thomas-gilcrease-institute-10039 |
| finding aid | online and in repository |
| acquisition information | Microfilmed 1984 along with other selected art related papers from the Gilcrease Institute. Location of Original: Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:47 |
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| title | Stendahl Art Galleries records, 1907-1971 |
| repository | Archives of American Art |
| description | 254 files on artists, institutions, dealers, and individuals connected with the Galleries. Files include biographical data, correspondence, financial material, exhibition catalogs and announcements, clippings, press releases and photographs. Most of the correspondence is with gallery founder Earl L. Stendahl. Among the artists and institutions represented are: Federico Beltran-Masses, James Bordrero, Federico Cantú, Jean Charlot, Francisco Cornejo, Couvoisier Galleries, José de Creeft, Demotte Inc., Julio de Diego, Jerome Eddy, Nicolai Ivanovich Feshin, Lillian Genthe, Arthur Hill Gilbert, Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, George B. Guthrie, Armin Hansen, Rockwell Kent, Joseph Kleitsch, Aston Knight, Alfredo Romos Martinez, Alejandro Mendez, Joan Miró, Carlos Mérida, Roberto Montenegro, José Clemente Orozco, Edgar Alwyn Payne, Ralph M. Pearson, Pablo Picasso, José Martinez Pinazo, William Ritschel, Diego Rivera, Ethel B. Rose, Guy Rose, Walter Elmer Schofield, David Alfaro Siquieros, Ladislas Szecsi, Walter Ufer, William Wendt, Wildenstein and Co., and Ignacio Zuloaga, and others. ADDITION: An album of clippings regarding artist Edgar Payne, 1920-1928, compiled by Stendahl Galleries. |
| extent | 7.0 linear feet (on 10 microfilm reels) Addition: 0.2 linear ft. reels 2716-2725 |
| formats | Correspondence Financial Records Clippings Exhibition Catalogs Photographs |
| access | Microfilm portion must be consulted on microfilm. Use of unmicrofilmed portion requires an appointment and is lmited to AAA's Washington, D.C. storage facility. |
| record link | https://sirismm.si.edu/EADpdfs/AAA.stenartg.pdf |
| record source | https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/stendahl-art-galleries-records-5550 |
| finding aid | Finding aid available at all Archives of American Art offices. |
| acquisition information | The Stendahl Art Galleries records were donated by Alfred Stendahl in 1976. An album of clippings was donated by Stendahl in 1995 via Nancy Moure. |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:47 |
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| title | Gilcrease Oil Company, East Texas "Early Days" video |
| repository | Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library |
| description | This collection consists of one video from which were made two DVDs, one of which is marked as the master copy while the second is for public viewing. The video appears to be a copy of a film showing oil-drilling related activities of the Gilcrease Oil Company in East Texas centering on the East Texas Oil Field near the Texas towns of Longview and Gladewater. The video, which is silent with English and French titles, shows drilling rigs, derrick construction, oil gushers, burning oil, flaring gas, and transportation in the late 1920s or early 1930s. The video is a reproduction of a film possibly made in the late 1920s or early 1930s during the oil boom associated with the East Texas Oil Field. The origin and the purpose of the film is unknown, but, because the titles are in French and English it may have been produced for Gilcrease Oil as a marketing tool to attract European investors. The image quality is poor, but suitable for viewing. The content of the video is divided into 23 segments with the beginning of each segment marked by titles in white lettering on black backgrounds. The titles are in English and French. Four oil and gas leases are depicted: Christian, Fenton, Tooke, and Cowder, all of which appear to have been owned or operated by Gilcrease Oil, because of Gilcrease signage in the video. The video shows early gas traps, gushers, flowing oil, burning oil and burning natural gas. Early means of transportation are also depicted, including trucks slogging through axle deep mud on East Texas roads and mule-drawn and horse-drawn wagons hauling pipe or road-building materials. Drilling operations are shown including the process of building derricks, removing drilling equipment, pulling pipe, and an on-site refinery and casing head gasoline plant. The video shows views of two booming East Texas towns complete with traffic jams. The towns depicted are Longview, located 125 miles east of Dallas, and Gladewater, 13 miles west of Longview. Both towns are associated with the East Texas Oil Field. “The East Texas oilfield, located in central Gregg, western Rusk, southern Upshur, southeastern Smith, and northeastern Cherokee counties in the east central part of the state, is the largest and most prolific oil reservoir in the contiguous United States. Since its discovery on October 5, 1930, some 30,340 wells have been drilled within its 140,000 acres to yield nearly 5.2 billion barrels of oil from a stratigraphic trap in the Eagle Ford-Woodbine group of the Cretaceous.” Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "EAST TEXAS OILFIELD," http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/EE/doe1.html (accessed January 6, 2005). Historical Note The Gilcrease Oil Company was organized in Oklahoma in 1918 with a charter issued in 1922 naming Thomas Gilcrease as president, according to David Randolph Milsten's book titled Thomas Gilcrease, which was published in 1969 in San Antonio by the Naylor Co. By 1940, Gilcrease had moved the company to San Antonio and changed the name to Gilcrease Oil Company of Texas. Before 1929, Gilcrease traveled to Paris in search for investors However, the founder Thomas Gilcrease is perhaps best known as a famous art collector and benefactor whose generous donation to the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma led to the creation of the Gilcrease Museum, which is known for art realted to the American west. Gilcrease Oil had offices in San Antonio, Texas, and at least one office in Europe. The History of Thomas Gilcrease. (2003). Gilcrease: The Museum of the Americas. Retrieved January 7, 2005 from http://www.gilcrease.org/. Regarding the Texas towns featured in the video, Longview and Gladewater, both towns experienced phenomenal growth as a result of the oil boom. This video depicts lengthy footage of downtown Longview and Gladewater. In each town, the streets are jammed with pedestrians and automobiles. The Handbook of Texas states about Longview that, “The discovery of the rich East Texas oilfield in the early 1930s, however, saved the town from the harsh economic effects of the Great Depression. Located several miles outside the oilfield, Longview was spared the worst aspects of boomtown chaos but was able to capitalize on its position as the established business center and governmental seat of Gregg County. The city was transformed from a sleepy cotton, lumber, and railroad town populated largely by natives to a thriving commercial and industrial city dominated by mostly Southern newcomers. The population more than doubled during the 1930s, to 13,758 in 1940.” Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "LONGVIEW, TX," http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/LL/hdl3.html (accessed January 6, 2005). Gladewater also experienced explosive growth as a result of the oil boom. “On April 7, 1931, the first Gladewater oil well blew in. It was located one mile outside town in the Sabine River bottom. Oil production led to a population increase during the 1930s from about 500 persons to around 8,000. Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "GLADEWATER, TX," http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/GG/hfg5.html (accessed January 6, 2005). Preferred Citation Gilcrease Oil Company, East Texas "Early Days" Video, MS 503, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University |
| extent | 1 video |
| formats | Video recording |
| access | This material is open for research. |
| record source | http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/ricewrc/00179/rice-00179.html |
| acquisition information | Chuck Becker, a Halliburton Energy Services senior account representative, donated the video tape to the Woodson in June of 2003. In an email to Lee Pecht, the director of the Woodson Research Center, Becker said "... the original tape was given to my father by his buddy in Saudi [Arabia] who was the Oil Minister after the Gulf war. I [do not know] how he got hold of it." |
| updated | 02/14/2025 10:07:49 |
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