Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America
Archives related to: Martin, Alastair Bradley
| title | Asides on the alchemy of art collecting and informal notes on the Guennol collection | repository | The Brooklyn Museum Libraries and Archives |
| description | Computer printout of Martin's reflections on the nature of art collecting, and his memoir of assembling the Guennol Collection which comprises art objects of many cultures from antiquity to the twentieth century. Location: ARLStacks Call Number: N43 G93a |
| extent | 16 leaves |
| formats | Notes Photocopies |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | https://library.nyarc.org/permalink/01NYA_INST/ai54l4/alma991005123179707141 |
| acquisition information | Gift via Director's office |
| updated | 03/16/2023 10:29:52 |
| .................................................................... | |
| title | Guennol : reflections on collecting, 2003 June. Alistair B. Martin. | repository | The Metropolitan Museum of Art |
| description | Computer printout of Martin's reflections on the nature of art collecting, and his memoir of assembling the Guennol Collection which comprises art objects of many cultures from antiquity to the twentieth century. Location: ARLStacks Call Number: BMA REF N43 G93m Location: ARLStacks Call Number: N43 G93m |
| extent | 32 p.; 28 cm |
| formats | Computer print out |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions. |
| record link | http://library.metmuseum.org/record=b1349247~S1 |
| record source | http://library.brooklynmuseum.org |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:55 |
| .................................................................... | |
| title | Brooklyn Museum. Dept. of Asian Art. Records, 1925-2003 (inclusive). | repository | The Brooklyn Museum Libraries and Archives |
| description | The records of the Department of Asian Art document the administrative and curatorial activities of the department from when the collections were a part of the Department of Ethnology to its present separate curatorial designation. The collection contains materials that document the various stages and name changes of the department from Department of Eastern and Near Eastern Art to its present title, Department of Asian Art. This includes records reflecting the Islamic collection's separation from and reintegration into the Asian collections. The records document the history and development of the department and its collections. These records provide insight into the activities of various curators, relationship with donors and dealers, administrative functioning of the department, and the development of its object collections and exhibitions. A large portion of the records consist of correspondence and memos but also includes reports, notes, photographs, slides, transparencies, writings, clippings, and typescripts. Included, as well, are letters to and from donors, Museum staff, collectors, dealers, other institutions, scholars, and the general public. Subject matter of letters and memos include coordination of exhibitions and loans, gifts and purchases, research on objects, fundraising, professional activities, and departmental management. Of note are the records pertaining to the development of the department's collections. These materials often contain information on specific objects in the Asian art collection; on influential donors, including Ernest Erickson, Paul E. Manhiem, and Alastair B. Martin; and on various foundations and estates, including the Hagop Kevorkian Foundation and the Joseph V. McMullan estate. Biographical/Historical Note: In 1903, the Asian art collection officially became part of the Department of Ethnology when Chinese and Japanese objects were transferred from the Department of Fine Arts. The Department of Ethnology's first curator was Stewart Culin who acquired objects in quantity and with variety. Culin's early trips to India, China, Korea, and Japan from 1909 to 1914 established the core for what would later become the Department of Asian Art. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the Asian art collection continued to develop and evolve. In 1920, the "Oriental collections" were separated from the ethnography collection and housed in their own galleries. Following Culin's death, Herbert J. Spinden was hired as the new curator of Ethnology and Tassilo Adam held the dual role of associate curator of Ethnology and assistant curator for Eastern Art from 1929 to 1931. In 1931, he became curator of the newly established Department of Eastern and Near Eastern Art. During Philip N. Youtz's tenure as the Director of Museums, the Oriental collections were dismantled and moved to its current second floor setting. Under the direction of Laurance P. Roberts, the name of the department was changed from Eastern and Near Eastern Art to the Department of Oriental Art in 1934. The Department of Oriental Art was again renamed in 1988 to the Department of Asian Art. As curator, George J. Lee helped to bring an increased scholarly interest to the Asian art collections in the 1950s. During the 1960s and early 1970s, the department attracted numerous loans in the areas of Islamic, Indian, Southeast Asian, and Chinese art. Over the years, the Department of Asian Art has organized several prominent exhibitions, including "Asian Art from the Collections of Ernest Erickson and the Erickson Foundation, Inc." (1963 -1964), "The Kevorkian Foundation Collection of Rare and Magnificent Oriental Carpets: Special Loan Exhibition" (1967), "From Indian Earth: 4,000 Years of Terracotta Art" (1986), and "Royal Persian Paintings: The Qajar Epoch 1785-1925" (1998). During the 1990s, the curators and the Museum began to reexamine the Museum's contribution in the field of Asian art and culture. The department began new research on objects in its collections and embarked on several scholarly activities. The department invited foreign scholars to view its collections and initiated contact with international institutions that would be interested in exhibiting objects from the Museum's collections. The Department of Asian Art has evolved to reflect the changing nature of new scholarship and cultural perceptions, curatorial direction and institutional policy, and tastes of donors and patrons. Cite as: Brooklyn Museum Archives, Records of the Department of Asian Art. Location: Archives Call Number: ASI |
| extent | 16.2 l.f. |
| formats | Administrative Records Business Papers Correspondence Research Files Writings |
| access | Permission of Archivist/Librarian required. |
| record link | http://library.brooklynmuseum.org/bib&fa/fa/Asian_final.pdf |
| record source | https://library.nyarc.org/permalink/01NYA_INST/ai54l4/alma991000005229707141 |
| finding aid | Finding aid and database access in repository. |
| updated | 11/29/2022 15:49:50 |
| .................................................................... | |
| title | Guide to the Records of the Department of Asian Art 1925 - 2003 | repository | The Brooklyn Museum Libraries and Archives |
| description | Departmental administration series contains records, created and received, regarding the administrative functions of the department. The series includes correspondence, memos, notes, reports, lists, and visual materials. A large portion of the records is comprised of correspondence and memos. The correspondence details the dialog between the department's personnel and donors, institutions, colleagues, dealers and collectors, and the general public. Many of the memos contain communication with other Museum departments and officers, including Conservation, Collections Management, Registrar's Office, Chief Curator, and Director. Included in the correspondence and memos are inquiries; general object related issues (e.g., research, transactions, offers, conservation, etc.); exhibition proposals and logistics; administration and staff; publications; installations; collection management; and special programs (e.g., Junior Membership). This series contains records pertaining to some of the department's donors, including Ernest Erickson, Paul E. Manheim, Alastair B. Martin, and Arthur M. Sackler. There are also materials pertaining to the Joseph V. McMullan estate, and the Hagop Kevorkian Foundation and estate. Valuable information regarding the development of the department can be found in the Reports files, which contain monthly and annual reports on the activities of the department. The various travel reports written by the curators also provide additional insight into the development of the collections. Biographical/Historical Note: In 1903, the Asian art collection officially became part of the Department of Ethnology when Chinese and Japanese objects were transferred from the Department of Fine Arts. The Department of Ethnology's first curator was Stewart Culin who acquired objects in quantity and with variety. Culin's early trips to India, China, Korea, and Japan from 1909 to 1914 established the core for what would later become the Department of Asian Art. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the Asian art collection continued to develop and evolve. In 1920, the "Oriental collections" were separated from the ethnography collection and housed in their own galleries. Following Culin's death, Herbert J. Spinden was hired as the new curator of Ethnology and Tassilo Adam held the dual role of associate curator of Ethnology and assistant curator for Eastern Art from 1929 to 1931. In 1931, he became curator of the newly established Department of Eastern and Near Eastern Art. During Philip N. Youtz's tenure as the Director of Museums, the Oriental collections were dismantled and moved to its current second floor setting. Under the direction of Laurance P. Roberts, the name of the department was changed from Eastern and Near Eastern Art to the Department of Oriental Art in 1934. The Department of Oriental Art was again renamed in 1988 to the Department of Asian Art. As curator, George J. Lee helped to bring an increased scholarly interest to the Asian art collections in the 1950s. During the 1960s and early 1970s, the department attracted numerous loans in the areas of Islamic, Indian, Southeast Asian, and Chinese art. Over the years, the Department of Asian Art has organized several prominent exhibitions, including "Asian Art from the Collections of Ernest Erickson and the Erickson Foundation, Inc." (1963 -1964), "The Kevorkian Foundation Collection of Rare and Magnificent Oriental Carpets: Special Loan Exhibition" (1967), "From Indian Earth: 4,000 Years of Terracotta Art" (1986), and "Royal Persian Paintings: The Qajar Epoch 1785-1925" (1998). During the 1990s, the curators and the Museum began to reexamine the Museum's contribution in the field of Asian art and culture. The department began new research on objects in its collections and embarked on several scholarly activities. The department invited foreign scholars to view its collections and initiated contact with international institutions that would be interested in exhibiting objects from the Museum's collections. The Department of Asian Art has evolved to reflect the changing nature of new scholarship and cultural perceptions, curatorial direction and institutional policy, and tastes of donors and patrons. Cite as: Brooklyn Museum Archives, Records of the Department of Asian Art. Location: Archives Call Number: ASI/D |
| extent | 5.4 l.f. |
| formats | Administrative Records Business Papers Inventories |
| access | Permission of Archivist/Librarian required. |
| record link | http://library.brooklynmuseum.org/bib&fa/fa/Asian_final.pdf |
| record source | http://library.brooklynmuseum.org |
| finding aid | Online finding aid and database access in repository. |
| acquisition information | The Department of Asian Art transferred its records to the Archives at various times between the years 1986 and 2005. |
| updated | 11/12/2014 11:29:55 |
| .................................................................... | |
| title | Guennol : reflections on collecting, 2003 June / Alastair B. Martin. | repository | The Brooklyn Museum Libraries and Archives |
| description | Computer printout of Martin's reflections on the nature of art collecting, and his memoir of assembling the Guennol Collection which comprises art objects of many cultures from antiquity to the twentieth century. Note Unpublished typescript. Location Brooklyn Stacks Call Number N43 G93m 2003 |
| extent | 32 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| formats | Manuscript |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies |
| record source | https://library.nyarc.org/permalink/01NYA_INST/ai54l4/alma991000280489707141 |
| updated | 11/29/2022 15:49:51 |
| .................................................................... | |