+"Museums "+" Acquisitions"
16,924 documents - page 1 of 500Result pages are truncated to 500.
E.P. (Edgar Preston) and Constance Richardson papers, 1814-1996, bulk 1921-1996
Richardson, Edgar Preston, 1902-1985 Search this
Richardson, Constance Coleman, 1905-2002 Search this
Rutledge, Anna Wells Search this
Simper, Fred Search this
McDermott, John Francis Search this
Speck, Walter Search this
Stevens, William B. Search this
Fredericks, Marshall M. Search this
Castano, Giovanni Search this
Soria, Regina Search this
Lynes, Russell Search this
Frankenstein, Alfred V. (Alfred Victor) Search this
Hardy, Jeremiah Pearson Search this
Pleasants, J. Hall (Jacob Hall) Search this
Garrison, Eve Josephson Search this
Bishop, Isabel Search this
Allston, Washington Search this
Woolfenden, William E. (William Edward) Search this
Ripley, Sidney Dillon Search this
Morse, John D. Search this
Watkins, Franklin Chenault Search this
Lewis, W. S. (Wilmarth Sheldon) Search this
Marsh, Reginald Search this
Sheeler, Charles Search this
Kuniyoshi, Yasuo Search this
Bostick, William A. Search this
Jungwirth, Irene G. (Irene Gayas) Search this
Oliver, Andrew Search this
Simpson, Corelli C. W. Search this
Andrews, Wayne Search this
Valentiner, Wilhelm Reinhold Search this
Middeldorf, Ulrich Alexander Search this
Spark, Victor D. (Victor David) Search this
Fleischman, Lawrence A. (Lawrence Arthur) Search this
Sellers, Charles Coleman Search this
Heil, Walter Search this
Lee-Smith, Hughie Search this
Bouché, Louis Search this
Moser, Liselotte Search this
Flexner, James Thomas Search this
Vose, Robert C. (Robert Churchill) Search this
Cohn, Harold Search this
Aram, Siegfried F. Search this
Mast, Gerald Search this
Krentzin, Earl Search this
Groce, George C. Search this
Peale, Charles Willson Search this
Culver, Charles B. (Charles Beach) Search this
Wedda, John Search this
Boyd, Julian P. (Julian Parks) Search this
O'Keeffe, Georgia Search this
Wyeth, Andrew Search this
Hopper, Edward Search this
Rockefeller, Nelson A. (Nelson Aldrich) Search this
Rockefeller, John D. Search this
Copeland, Lammot du Pont Search this
Freeman, Michael W. Search this
Allen, Joseph Search this
Peale family Search this
Castano Galleries Search this
Historical Society of Pennsylvania Search this
Macbeth Gallery Search this
Archives of American Art Search this
Philadelphia Museum of Art Search this
National Collection of Fine Arts (U.S.) Search this
National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian Institution) Search this
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Search this
White House (Washington, D.C.) Search this
Detroit Institute of Arts Search this
Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum Search this
Detroit (Mich.)
Art -- Collectors and collecting Search this
Art, American Search this
Romanticism in art Search this
Art -- History -- Study and teaching Search this
(DSI-AAA_CollID)10104
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212990
AAA_collcode_richedga
Art Theory and Historiography
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_212990
Rembrant's Hands and a Lion's Paw Book/Bracelet
Duinker & Dochters, Dutch, founded 1984 Search this
paper, gilding, thread, leather, magnets, gold (bracelet); leather-covered cardboard, suede (box); padauk wood, leather (case)
book/bracelet, index booklet, box, case
Museum purchase from General Acquisitions Endowment Fund
2017-70-1-a/d
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum Collection
Product Design and Decorative Arts Department
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/kq46d6d4947-7653-4a7c-a488-18e3f6af1861
edanmdm:chndm_2017-70-1-a_d
Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt papers
Smithson, Robert Search this
Dwan Gallery (New York, N.Y.) Search this
Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art Search this
Andre, Carl, 1935- Search this
Atkinson, Terry, 1939- Search this
Dibbets, Jan, 1941- Search this
Dwan, Virginia Search this
Flavin, Dan, 1933- Search this
Graham, Dan, 1942- Search this
Haacke, Hans, 1936- Search this
Heizer, Michael, 1944- Search this
Holt, Nancy, 1938- Search this
Insley, Will, 1929-2011 Search this
Jenney, Neil, 1945- Search this
Johnson, Ray, 1927- Search this
Kepes, Gyorgy, 1906-2001 Search this
LeWitt, Sol, 1928-2007 Search this
Lippard, Lucy R. Search this
Long, Richard, 1945- Search this
Oppenheim, Dennis, 1938-2011 Search this
Valledor, Leo, 1936-1989 Search this
Wheeler, Dennis Search this
Motion pictures (visual works)
The papers of sculptor, writer, and earthworks artist Robert Smithson and his wife, sculptor, filmmaker, and earthworks artist Nancy Holt measure 15.1 linear feet and date from 1905 to 1987, with the bulk of the material dating from 1952 to 1987. The papers consist of Smithson's biographical material; business and personal correspondence, much of it with artists; interview transcripts; extensive writings and project files; financial records; printed material; a scrapbook of clippings; holiday cards with original prints and sketches; photographic material; and artifacts. Also found are project files related to Nancy Holt's motion picture film Pine Barrens and her seminal environmental work of art Sun Tunnels, including a video documentary about Sun Tunnels.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of sculptor, writer, and earthworks artist Robert Smithson and his wife, sculptor, filmmaker, and earthworks artist Nancy Holt measure 15.1 linear feet and date from 1905 to 1987, with the bulk of the material dating from 1952 to 1987. The papers consist of Smithson's biographical material; business and personal correspondence, much of it with artists; interview transcripts; extensive writings and project files; financial records; printed material; a scrapbook of clippings; holiday cards with original prints and sketches; photographic material; and artifacts. Also found are project files related to Nancy Holt's film Pine Barrens and her seminal environmental work of art Sun Tunnels, including a video documentary about Sun Tunnels.
Biographical material includes Robert Smithson's curriculum vitae, personal identification and medical documents, eight engagement/day planners Smithson and Holt maintained from 1966 to 1973, and Smithson's funeral register.
Correspondence is primarily with Smithson's family, friends, fellow artists, and business associates discussing personal relationships, proposed art projects, and exhibitions. Correspondents of note include Carl Andre, the Dwan Gallery (Virginia Dwan), Dan Graham, Will Insley, Ray Johnson, Gyorgy Kepes, Sol Lewitt, Lucy Lippard, and Dennis Wheeler. There is also substantial correspondence received by Holt upon Smithson's death in 1973, and between Holt and the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art regarding Smithson's retrospective exhibition in 1982.
There are nine interview transcripts with Smithson discussing his works and his general philosophy on art, and one transcript of the Andrew Dickson White Museum's Earth Art Symposium (1969) featuring the following artists: Mike Hiezer, Dennis Oppenheim, Robert Smithson, Neil Jenney, Gunther Uecker, Jan Dibbets, Richard Long, and Hans Haacke.
Writings are substantial and include 73 drafts of published and unpublished essays by Smithson on art, artists, and works in progress. The series also includes poems by Smithson, six notebooks containing notes and sketches by Smithson, and drafts of writings sent to Smithson and Holt by friends and colleagues, including Carl Andre, Terry Atkinson, Dan Flavin, Dan Graham, and Jack Thibeau.
Project files contain correspondence, project instructions, diagrams and sketches, research materials, photographic material, and maps related to over 50 of Smithson's artworks. These include concepts, proposed projects, sculptures, non-sites, and earthwork projects, including Spiral Jetty, Broken Circle, and Spiral Hill.
Personal business records include gallery related loan arrangements and receipts for miscellaneous art supplies. Financial records include tax forms and preparation documents, including cancelled checks, receipts, statements, and related correspondence.
Printed materials include books, clippings, and periodicals related to Smithson, either containing writings or sketches by him, or containing articles reviewing his work. There are also exhibition announcements and catalogs of Smithson's group and solo shows from 1959 to 1985.
The scrapbook contains clippings of Smithson's published articles from 1966 to 1973 with annotated shorthand notes.
Artwork consists of Christmas cards collaged by Smithson, and sketches by Smithson and Leo Valledor.
Photographic materials include prints and negatives of Smithson with friends, promotional Hollywood movie stills, and original prints and copyprints of other artists' artwork.
Artifacts consist of a paper bag silkscreened with a Campbell's soup can (Warhol), promotional buttons (N.E. Thing Co.), various organic materials, and two art kits.
Nancy Holt's papers consist of correspondence, a grant application, printed materials, and project files and audio visual material related to her motion picture film Pine Barrens (1975) and her seminal environmental work of art Sun Tunnels (1975).
The collection is arranged as 13 series:
Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1905-1974 (Box 1; 14 folders)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1959-1987 (Boxes 1-2, OV 21; 1.7 linear feet)
Series 3: Interview Transcripts, 1966-1973 (Box 2; 11 folders)
Series 4: Writings, 1959-1975 (Boxes 2-3; 1.1 linear feet)
Series 5: Project Files, circa 1950s-1982 (Boxes 4-5, Boxes 17-18, OV 20, OV 22-26, OV 36, RD 28-30, RD 32-35; 6.5 linear feet)
Series 6: Personal Business Records, circa 1967-1970s (Box 5; 4 folders)
Series 7: Financial Records, 1962-1972 (Box 6; 1 linear foot)
Series 8: Printed Material, 1955-1985 (Boxes 7-11, Box 18, RD 31; 5.6 linear feet)
Series 9: Scrapbook, 1966-1973 (Box 11, Box 16; 0.3 linear feet)
Series 10: Artwork, circa 1950s-1970s (Box 11; 4 folders)
Series 11: Photographs, circa 1950s-1970s (Box 11, Box 18; 5 folders)
Series 12: Artifacts, circa 1950s-1970s (Box 11, Box 14, OV 19; 0.5 linear feet)
Series 13: Nancy Holt Papers, circa 1960s-1980s (Box 12-13, 15, OV 27, FC 37-38; 1.9 linear feet)
Biographical Note:
Robert Smithson (1938-1973) was the pioneer of land and earthworks art. He was also a noted sculptor, painter, writer, and lecturer working primarily in New York City. Smithson's wife, Nancy Holt (1938-) was a noted sculptor and filmmaker and also worked as an earthworks artist.
Born in Passaic, New Jersey, Smithson expressed an early interest in art, enrolling in classes at the Brooklyn Museum School and the Art Student's League in New York while still attending high school. Smithson's early works were primarily paintings, drawings, and collages. In 1959, he exhibited his first solo show of paintings at the Artists' Gallery in New York and had his first solo international show in Rome with the Galleria George Lester in 1961.
During the early to mid-1960s, Smithson was perhaps better known as a writer and art critic, writing numerous essays and reviews for Arts Magazine and Artforum. He became affiliated with artists who were identified with the minimalist movement, such as Carl Andre, Donald Judd, Nancy Holt, Sol LeWitt, Robert Morris and others. In 1963, Smithson married sculptor and filmmaker Nancy Holt and a year later started to create his first sculptural works. In 1966, Smithson joined the Dwan Gallery, whose owner Virginia Dwan was an enthusiastic supporter of his work.
Smithson's interest in land art began in the late 1960s while exploring industrial and quarry sites and observing the movement of earth and rocks. This resulted in a series of sculptures called "non-sites" consisting of earth and rocks collected from a specific site and installed in gallery space, often combined with photographs, maps, mirrors, or found materials. In September 1968, Smithson published the essay "A Sedimentation of the Mind: Earth Projects" in Artforum that promoted the work of the first wave of land art artists. Soon thereafter, he began creating his own large scale land art and earthworks.
From 1967 to 1973, Smithson's productivity was constant as he wrote, lectured, and participated in several solo and group shows a year, both at home and abroad. He explored narrative art as essay in "The Monuments of Passaic" and fully committed to his idea of visiting sites and using them as the basis for creating non-sites, Non-Site, Pine Barrens, (1968); incorporated and documented the use of mirrors at sites in Mirror Displacement, Cayuga Salt Mine Project (1968-1969); and created his first site-specific works through liquid pours of mud, asphalt, and concrete, including Asphalt Rundown (1969). In 1969, he also completed his first earth pour at Kent State University with his project Partially Buried Woodshed. Later that year, he created the sculptural artwork for which he is best known, Spiral Jetty (1969) on the Great Salt Lake in Utah. This was the first of his pieces to require the acquisition of land rights and earthmoving equipment, and would be followed two years later by Broken Circle and Spiral Hill in 1971.
On July 20, 1973, while surveying sites in Texas for the proposed Amarillo Ramp, Smithson died in a plane crash at the age of 35. Despite his early death, Smithson's writings and artwork had a major impact on many contemporary artists.
Nancy Holt began her career as a photographer and video artist. Today, Holt is most widely known for her large-scale environmental works, Sun Tunnels and Dark Star Park. Holt has also made a number of films and videos since the late 1960s, including Mono Lake (1968), East Coast, West Coast (1969), and Swamp (1971) in collaboration with her late husband Robert Smithson. Points of View: Clocktower (1974) features conversations between Lucy Lippard and Richard Serra, Liza Bear and Klaus Kertess, Carl Andre and Ruth Kligman and Bruce Brice and Tina Girouard. In 1978, she produced a film about her seminal work Sun Tunnels.
The Archives also holds several collections related to Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt, including an oral history interview with Robert Smithson conducted by Paul Cummings in 1972; an interview with Robert Smithson conducted by Tony Robbin in 1968; Robert Smithson letters to George B. Lester, 1960-1963; and oral history interviews with Nancy Holt conducted by Scott Gutterman in 1992 and Joyce Pomeroy Schwartz in 1993.
Separated Material:
Non-archival library books, periodicals, and phonographs from Robert Smithson's personal library are currently stored offsite.
The papers of Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt were donated by Nancy Holt in several accretions between 1986 and 2011.
Use of original papers requires an appointment. Use of archival audiovisual recordings with no duplicate access copy requires advance notice.
The Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Sculptors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Authors -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Art -- Philosophy Search this
Earthworks (Art) Search this
Filmmakers -- New York (State) -- New York Search this
Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt papers, 1905-1987, bulk 1952-1987. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
AAA.smitrobe
ead_collection:sova-aaa-smitrobe
Charles Cohill Harris Collection
Beakes, William Edgar Search this
Harris, Charles Cohill, 1898- (radio engineer) Search this
Tropical Radio Telegraph Company. Search this
United Fruit Company. Search this
Fessenden, R.A. Search this
Scope and Contents note:
Correspondence, notes, articles, and photographs assembled by Harris on the history of the United Fruit Company and Tropical Radio Telegraph Company (TRT), 1904-1961. Also includes manuscript histories of companies; material on the application of teletypewriters to radio circuits; blueprints, schematics, reports, and manuals concerning the technical work on TRT; and a scrapbook of William Edgar Beakes, president of TRT, 1939-1943.
Collection arranged into one series.
Charles Cohill Harris was a radio engineer and executive who served in various capacities in the Tropical Radio Telegraph Company, a subsidiary of the United Fruit Company, 1916-1963.
Immediate source of acquisition unknown.
Electric equipment Search this
Communications Search this
Radio engineers Search this
Radio Search this
Electrical engineers Search this
Technical literature -- Electric equipment Search this
Electrical science and technology Search this
Telegraph, Wireless Search this
Blueprints -- 20th century
Charles Cohill Harris Collection, ca. 1906-1976, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Series 2: Other Collection Divisions
Warshaw, Isadore, 1900-1969 Search this
55 Boxes (approximately.)
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years.
Series 2 materials include cinema lobby cards, fire insurance maps, photographs and scrapbooks of liquor and wine labels.
An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana.
This portion of the collection represents a significant accumulation of one type of material rather than a mix of various types of ephemera. The bulk of this material is Cinema Lobby Cards, Fire Insurance Maps and Sheet Music.
Arrangement note:
Arranged in 8 subseries.
2.1: Business Records [obsolete]
2.2: Cinema Lobby Cards
2.3: Fire Insurance Maps
2.4: Liquor and Wine Labels and Advertisements
2.5: Photographs
2.6: Stereographs
2.7: Sheet Music
2.8: Rewards and Wanted Posters
Materials in the Archives Center:
Archives Center Collection of Business Americana (AC0404)
Forms Part Of:
Series 2: Other Collection Divisions forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana .
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
Series 1: Business Ephemera
Series 2: Other Collection Divisions
Series 3: Isadore Warshaw Personal Papers
Series 4: Photographic Reference Material
The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060, was purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalogs restricted due to fragile condition. Researchers should consult microfilm in NMAH library for 1880-1983 editions, drawer 692.
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0060-s02
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Real Estate
2.1 Cubic feet (consisting of 4 boxes, 2 folder, 11 oversize folders, 2 map case folders.)
Business ephemera
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Real Estate forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
This subject category, Real Estate, consists primarily of land site plans, advertisements, receipts, invoices, correspondence, and publications relating to real estate transactions, mainly land sales, building and home construction drawings, rental and mortgage documents and receipts, investment firms, real estate agents, and other businesses relating to the acquisition and development of real estate. There are images of buildings, and a few catalogs, pamphlets and publications related to real estate. It is arranged from the most fundamental component, land, through to finished product, i.e. a home, including the transactional processes of acquiring the property, and a building which sits upon it (via financing through a lease or mortgage). Materials from peripheral businesses related to property ownership such as lawyers or surveyors are also included.
Series 1, Land Transfers, 1828-1914; undated, consist of bills, receipts, land grants and warrants, printed advertisements and invoices relating to the transfer of land in the United States. The materials include both personal and business transactions, between individuals and between businesses and individual buyers/sellers. The transactions occurred mainly in the Northeastern United States, primarily New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, with some from other areas. Materials in this series are arranged by type of transfer and then in chronological order.
Subseries 1a, Land Sales, Exchanges and Trades, 1828-1914; undated, includes maps of land tracts, correspondence, solicitations, business cards, bills of sale, exchange or trade between sellers and buyers, and advertisements primarily by landowners for property sales. These materials are arranged in chronological order.
Subseries 1b, Land Grants, Warrants, Deeds and Bonds, 1828-1890, include correspondence and official property deed documents. These materials are arranged by subject, and then in chronological order. Series 2, Buildings, 1639-1963; undated, consists of material related for the most part to residential property: receipts, invoices, correspondence, promotional literature, and blank forms (rental agreements, receipts, mechanic's liens, and mortgages). There are construction plans, prospectuses for apartment houses in Manhattan, rental receipts, leases, and rental/indenture agreements between lessors and lessees. These materials are concerned with businesses engaged in rental/sale or construction of residential property in the Northeastern United States (primarily New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania) with several from other areas in the United States. Materials in this series are arranged alphabetically by business name, and then in chronological order.
Subseries 2a, Developers and Developments, Builders 1871-1931, includes advertisements and literature describing real estate developments (builder's multiple unit housing projects). These materials are arranged by name of the Developer or Development Company and then in chronological order.
Subseries 2b, Residential Property, 1900-1963; undated, include promotional literature for cooperative apartment houses in New York City and photos/descriptions of residential property for sale in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Hudson Valley, New York areas. These materials are arranged by type (apartment house or estate) and then in chronological order.
Subseries 2c, Rental Property, 1822-1916; undated, includes leases, receipts, rental property descriptions and advertisements, correspondence about repairs to rental property, blank rental agreement and rent receipt forms as well as blank forms for mortgages and mechanic's liens. These materials are arranged in chronological order.
Subseries 2d, Historical Properties, 1639-1915; undated, include black and white and color drawings as well as black and white photos of historical properties in New York State, Massachusetts, New England, and unknown locations. These are almost all residential homes in rural settings. A pamphlet, published in 1912 "Forty of Boston's Historic Houses" shows homes in an urban environment. A pamphlet published in 1915 "American Historic Homes" shows photographs of the Jumal Mansion in New York City, Monticello (Virginia), The Hermitage (Nashville, Tennessee), Westover (Virginia), The Pickering House (Salem, Massachusetts), and Mount Vernon (Virginia). These materials are arranged in chronological order by date of the image.
Series 3, Property Acquisition, 1823-1960; undated, includes mortgage documents and advertising materials from individual banks or other lenders, and Realtors or real estate agents. Materials in this series are arranged in three sub series: investment companies, mortgages, and Realtors/real estate agents. Within these sub series materials are arranged alphabetically by business name, and then in chronological order.
Subseries 3a, Investment Companies, 1908-1928; undated, includes correspondence on letterhead stationary, solicitation letters, advertisements, stock and bond certificates, and published annual reports from companies involved in real estate investment or financing. These materials are arranged alphabetically by business name, and then in chronological order.
Subseries 3b, Mortgages, 1823-1922; undated, consist of mortgage and indenture documents, and letterhead and personal correspondence related to mortgages. These materials are arranged in chronological order.
Subseries 3c, Auctioneers, Realtors and Real Estate Agents, 1832-1888; undated, include advertising cards, promotional literature, advertisements, brochures, and correspondence on letterhead stationery related to the sale of property by a Realtor or real estate agent. These materials are arranged alphabetically by business name, and then in chronological order.
Series 4, Businesses and People Related to Real Estate Transactions, 1836-1959; undated, contains documents regarding different kinds of businesses concerned with real estate transactions: companies performing tax searches, title searches, and offering insurance coverage, as well as an appraiser, an abstractor, a "real estate office," a "real estate manager," and a scheme for real estate valuation, Realtor training, lawyers and real estate boards and associations. This series includes correspondence on letterhead stationery, drawings, receipts, advertising cards, and business documents. It also includes black and white drawings, portraits of real estate tycoons. These materials are arranged by subject, and then in chronological order.
Series 5, Government, 1836-1959; undated, includes documents relating to taxes, urban renewal projects in New York City, low income housing in Manhattan, municipal and federal government services. These materials are arranged by subject and then in chronological order where possible.
Subseries 5a, Taxes, 1836-1897; undated, includes protest notices, assessments, receipts, and correspondence related to real estate taxes. These materials are arranged in chronological order.
Subseries 5b, Services, 1852-1959; undated, includes documents related to various municipal and federal government services and offerings including urban renewal and low income housing. These materials are arranged by type of service and then in chronological order.
Series 6, Publications, 1855-1930; undated includes pamphlets and government publications related to real estate. Publications include "A General Statement on the Subject of Public Lands," 1836, "A Catechism of Land Surveying, With Examples," 1855, "Real Estate Record and Builder's Guide," 1872, a New York City Directory from 1873, "Investment Nails and a Hammer," 1908, "The Real Estate Magazine," 1912, "Building Permits in the Principal Cities of the United States in 1929," 1930, and two undated publications, "The Real Estate Bulletin," and "The Home News." These are arranged in chronological order.
Forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana.
Real Estate is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Real Estate, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Real
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0060-s01-01-real
Du Mont, Allen B. (Allen Balcom), 1901-1965 Search this
Electricity and Modern Physics, Division of, NMAH, SI. Search this
Du Mont Laboratories, Inc. Search this
Former owner:
While the collection is focused rather specifically on the development of television in America, including technical details, legal proceedings, marketing and advertisement, and manufacturing, it is also a rich source for the history of American advertising, work cultures, sales, and entertainment. There is also information about radio, mostly in periodicals collected by Du Mont. Information about Allen Du Mont is largely limited to his professional development and activities, except for a few travel photographs and information about and logbooks from his boat.
Materials date from 1884 to 1965, but the bulk come from the years 1931 1960; mostly scattered periodicals comprise the earlier years.
The collection includes correspondence, photographs, blueprints, films, videotapes, pamphlets, books, periodicals, newspaper and magazine clippings, annual reports, organization charts, stock records, ticker tape, legal documents, patent documents, bills, accountants' reports, meeting minutes, scrapbooks, technical drawings, advertisements, catalogs, and technical manuals. Processing included revising the previous series order, refoldering and reboxing all items, and completely revising the finding aid. Duplicates were weeded out; two copies were retained of any multiple item. Materials in binders were unbound. An example of each binder with the DuMont logo was retained, and the materials once contained therein refer to the appropriate binder in the container list. Plain office binders were discarded.
The collection is divided into 16 series.
Series 1: Personal Files, 1920s-1965
Series 2: Executive Records, 1938-1964
Series 3: Stock Records, 1937-1962
Series 4: DuMont Laboratories, Inc., Patents and Legal Proceedings, 1884-1960
Series 5: DuMont Laboratories, Inc., Financial Records, 1931-1964
Series 6: DuMont Laboratories, Inc., Operations, 1938-1958
Series 7: Radio Technical Planning Board, 1944-1946
Series 8: Federal Communications Commission, 1940-1959 and undated
Series 9: DuMont Laboratories, Marketing and Sales, 1939-1961 and undated
Series 10: Telecommunications for Venezuela, 1952-1957 and undated
Series 11: Du Mont Network, 1944-1952 and undated
Series 12: Du Mont Publications, 1933-1963 and undated
Series 13: Photographs, 1928-1960 and undated
Series 14: Clippings/Scrapbooks, 1933-1962
Series 15: Non-Du Mont Publications, 1892, 1907-1963 and undated
Series 16: Audiovisual Materials, 1948-1955
Allen Balcom Du Mont was born Jan. 29, 1901, in Brooklyn, NY to S. William Henry Beaman and Lillian Felton Balcom Du Mont. He contracted poliomyelitis when he was eleven and was confined to bed for nearly a year. During his illness, he began to amuse himself with a crystal radio set; by year's end, he had built a receiving and transmitting set. He was licensed as a ship's wireless operator when he was fifteen, and took a job a year later as a radio operator on a passenger vessel that ran between New York and Providence, RI. He worked as a radio operator for the next seven years.
Du Mont graduated in 1924 from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, with a degree in electrical engineering. He had already begun his first invention for the Sound Operated Circuit Controller, a device that turns a switch on or off when it hears a sharp sound; he used it to turn off his radio during commercials with a hand clap. Du Mont began working for the Westinghouse Lamp Company (later a division of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation), raising their output of radio tubes from 500 a day to 5,000 an hour in four years. For this, he received the Westinghouse Achievement Award in 1927. He left Westinghouse to become chief engineer at the De Forest Radio Company in 1928; his inventions increased output there to 30,000 radio tubes a day, and he was promoted to vice president in charge of production. In 1929, he received his first patent, for a radio tube mounting device.
He also worked with television at De Forest, using mechanical receivers with a spinning "Nipkow disk" that scanned electrical impulses and gave the effect of a motion picture. The De Forest experimental transmitter, W2XCD, in Passaic, NJ, broadcast television programs in 1930. Du Mont quickly concluded that there was no future in scanning discs; they produced a small, dark picture, and were difficult to build correctly. Others had developed television pictures that were produced by an electronic beam scanning rapidly across a florescent screen at the end of a tube. However, those cathode ray tubes were still imported from Germany, were very expensive, and burned out after only twenty five to thirty hours.
Du Mont left his job at De Forest in 1931 and started a cathode ray manufacturing business in a garage laboratory at his home. He developed a tube that lasted a thousand hours and could be manufactured inexpensively. There was almost no market for his tubes; gross sales income the first year was only $70. However, the tubes were an integral part of the cathode ray oscillograph, an instrument widely used in physics laboratories that measures and records changes in electrical current over time. The business, incorporated in 1935 as DuMont Laboratories, Inc., prospered in the oscillograph market. DuMont Labs moved in 1933 into a series of empty stores, then to a plant in Passaic, NJ, in 1937. Du Mont also acted as consultant to manufacturers with cathode ray tube problems and served as an expert witness in patent litigations.
Du Mont used the money he made from oscillographs to develop television. His innovations in making precise, quickly manufactured, inexpensive, long lasting cathode ray tubes made commercial television possible. In 1938, Du Mont sold a half interest in his company to the Paramount Pictures Corporation to raise capital for broadcasting stations. In 1939, the company became the first to market a television receiver for homes, and was part of a major display at the 1939 World's Fair in New York. Television development and sales were cut off by World War II, since DuMont Laboratories converted entirely to wartime production of oscillographs and to radar research. DuMont Laboratories returned to television production in 1946 and was the first company to market a postwar television set. By 1951 the company grossed $75 million a year and had four plants manufacturing television sending and receiving equipment in Passaic, Allwood, East Paterson, and Clifton, NJ. Du Mont had become the television industry's first millionaire. He was chosen in a Forbes magazine poll as one of the twelve foremost business leaders of America that same year, and was once characterized as "one of the very few inventors in the annals of American industry who have made more money from their inventions than anyone else has" (Rice, 36).
Du Mont began an experimental television station, W2XTV, in Passaic, NJ, in 1939. He added WABD (later WNEW TV) in New York City, WTTG in Washington, D.C., and WDTV (later KDKA) in Pittsburgh, PA. He concentrated on technology and business, leaving entertainment to others in the company. However, the DuMont Network "featured such names as Ernie Kovacs, Morey Amsterdam, Ted Mack, Ernest Borgnine, Jan Murray, and Dennis James. Its long running variety hour, Cavalcade of Stars, showcased not only Jackie Gleason but The Honeymooners, which made its debut as a Cavalcade sketch" (Krampner, 98). The 1950s superhero Captain Video became famous on the DuMont network, and Bishop Fulton Sheen's inspirational show, "Life is Worth Livinq," won surprisingly high ratings (Watson, 17). Ultimately, America's fourth network failed: in 1955, DuMont Broadcasting separated from Du Mont Laboratories, Inc., becoming the Metropolitan Broadcasting Company and, with the addition of other properties, Metromedia, Inc.
Du Mont testified frequently before the Federal Communications Commission to set technical standards for American television broadcast between 1945 and 1952. In 1946, Du Mont's company was one of several to oppose the Columbia Broadcasting System's petition to the FCC to establish color television standards; Du Mont preferred to wait for further research to develop all electronic color television, rather than the mechanical method CBS favored. He felt that method produced a picture far less than optimal, and would have required persons who did not own color sets to purchase adapters to receive broadcasts being produced in color. Standards were developed by the National Television Standards Committee in 1951 1953; the Federal Communications Commission accepted them in 1953, and regular transmission of color programs began on the major networks, including the DuMont Network, in 1954.
Sales of television receivers from DuMont Laboratories, Inc. peaked in 1954; by the late 1950s, the company was losing money. The Emerson Radio and Phonograph Company purchased the division that produced television sets, phonographs, and high fidelity and stereo equipment in 1958. In 1960 remaining Du Mont interests merged with the Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation. Du Mont was president of DuMont Laboratories, Inc., until 1956, when he became chairman of the Board of Directors. His title changed to Chairman and General Manager in 1959. In 1961 he became Senior Technical Advisor, Allen B. Du Mont Laboratories, Division of Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation.
Du Mont received many awards for his work, including honorary doctorates from Rennselaer (1944), Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute (1949), Fairleigh Dickinson College (1955), and New York University (1955). He received the Marconi Memorial Medal for Achievement in 1945, and an American Television society award in 1943 for his contributions to the field. In 1949, he received the Horatio Alger Award, "a yearly prize bestowed by the American Schools and Colleges Association on the man whose rise to fortune most nearly parallels the virtuous careers of Ben the Luggage Boy and Tattered Tom" (Rice, 35). He held more than thirty patents for developments in cathode ray tubes and other television devices. His inventions included the "magic eye tube" once commonly seen on radios and the Duovision, a television that could receive two programs simultaneously. Du Mont was also noted for success in predicted log power boat racing; in his television equipped Hurricane III, he became the national champion of the power cruiser division of the American Power Boat Association in 1953 1955 and 1958. Du Mont died November 15, 1965; his obituary appeared on the front page of the New York Times. He was survived by Ethel Martha Steadman, whom he married in 1926, and their two children, Allen Balcom, Jr., and Yvonne.
Current Biography 1946, pp. 162 164. Krampner, Jon. "The Death of the DuMont [sic] Network: A Real TV Whodunit." Emmy Magazine (July August 1990): 96 103.
Obituary, New York Times, 16 November 1965, 1:3.
Rice, Robert. "The Prudent Pioneer." The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 1951.
Watson, Mary Ann. "And they Said 'Uncle Fultie Didn't Have a Prayer . . . "11 Television Quarterly 26, no. 3(1993): 16 21.
Who's Who in America, 1962.
Materials in the Archives Center
Edward J. Orth Memorial Archives of the New York World's Fair, 1939-1940
Warshaw Collection, Worlds Expositions, New York World's Fair, 1939 (AC0060)
Larry Zim World's Fair Collection (AC0519)
George H. Clark "Radioana" Collection, ca. 1880-1950 (AC0055)
Division of Work and Industry
Related artifacts consist of cathode ray tubes, oscillographs, television receivers (including a Duoscope), and other instruments. See accession #:EM*315206, EM*315208, EM*315209, EM*327728, EM*327735, EM*327742, EM*327743, EM*327745, EM*327749, EM*327751, EM*327756, EM*327758, EM*327759, EM*327760, EM*327763, EM*327770, EM*328155, EM*328178, EM*328182, EM*328193, EM*328198, EM*328200, EM*328209, EM*328212, EM*328224, EM*328231, EM*328247, EM*328253, EM*328258, EM*328264, EM*328269, EM*328271, EM*328277, EM*328280, EM*328282, EM*328283, EM*328286, EM*328299, EM*328305, EM*328306, EM*328315, EM*328316, EM*328322, EM*328325, EM*328327, EM*328336, EM*328337, EM*328343, EM*328348, EM*328352, EM*328353, EM*328366, EM*328368, ZZ*RSN80323A74, ZZ*RSN80552U05, ZZ*RSN80748U09, ZZ*RSN80748U11, ZZ*RSN80844U09, and ZZ*RSN81576U01.
Records of the Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, Inc. 1930 1960 (bulk 1945 1960). 56 lin. ft. Consists of nine series: Administrative Files, 1935 1960; General Correspondence, ca. 1930 1960; Interoffice Correspondence, ca. 1935 1960; Financial Records, 1932 1960; Sales and Advertising File, 1936 1960; Production and Engineering File, 1932 1960; Television File, ca. 1935 1960; Hearings File, 1935 1957; and General Miscellany, ca. 1937 1960. National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections number 68 2021; National Inventory of Documentary Sources number 2.1.243.
Wayne State University, Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs
John H. Zieger Papers, 1942 1980. 1 box (type not specified). Correspondence, clippings, leaflets, and memoranda, related to Zieger's union activities with Western Electric Employees Association and Allen B. Du Mont Laboratories. National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections number 91 2872.
Collection is open for research. Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs and negatives. Special arrangements required to view materials in cold storage. Using cold room materials requires a three hour waiting period. Only reference copies of audiovisual materials may be used. Contact the Archives Center for more information: archivescenter@si.edu.
Electricity Search this
Television broadcasting Search this
Televisions -- advertising Search this
Television Search this
Allen Balcom Du Mont Collection, 1929-1965, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Peabody Gallery of Art records
Peabody Gallery of Art Search this
Johns Hopkins University. Peabody Institute Search this
Aitken, Robert, 1878-1949 Search this
Cecere, Gaetano, 1894-1985 Search this
Chamberlin, F. Tolles (Frank Tolles), 1873-1961 Search this
Dobbin, George W., 1809-1891 Search this
Eaton, Charles James Madison, 1808-1893 Search this
Frick, Frank, 1828- Search this
Konti, Isidore, 1862-1938 Search this
Laessle, Albert, 1877-1954 Search this
Manship, Paul, 1885-1966 Search this
Mayer, Frank Blackwell, 1827-1899 Search this
Pach, Walter, 1883-1958 Search this
Rabillon, Leonce, 1814-1886 Search this
Raskin, Saul, 1878-1966 Search this
Rinehart, William Henry, 1825-1874 Search this
Schuler, Hans, 1874-1951 Search this
Watson, Charles A., 1857-1923 Search this
Young, Mahonri Mackintosh, 1877-1957 Search this
4 Reels (ca. 1600 items (on 4 microfilm reels))
1860-1972 and undated
Correspondence, 1867-1972, of Peabody Institute officials regarding gallery exhibitions, including artists' and museums' requests for exhibition space and gifts, loans, and purchases of works of art. Correspondents include Robert Aitken, Gaetano Cecere, F. Tolles Chamberlin, Isidore Konti, Albert Laessle, Paul Manship, Walter Pach, Leonce Rabillon, Saul Raskin, Hans Schuler, Charles Watson, Mahonri M. Young, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Charcoal Club, the Maryland Academy of Design, and the School Art League of Baltimore.
Also included is a 22 page letter from Frank Blackwell Mayer to George W. Dobbin, 1872, in which he enumerates the requisites for the establishment of an art school. Also includes Provost's reports, reports to the Trustees, submitted by Executive Secretary Louis H. Dielman, annual reports and Gallery of Art committee reports concerning gallery expenditures, acquisitions, and renovations; acquisition records and lists of works of art in the Institute; lists of works deposited at the Baltimore Museum of Art, undated & 1964; records concerning the Art Loan exhibition, 1879; ca. 100 exhibition catalogs and announcements, ca. 1879-1924; printed materials; photographs of the gallery and of works of art; and miscellany.
Established 1866, Baltimore, Md. Founded by George Peabody to improve "the moral and intellectual culture of the inhabitants of Baltimore and ...the State." The institute was to include a research library, lecture series, academy of music and gallery of art. Served as Baltimore's art school and museum until the opening of the Baltimore Museum of Art in 1914 and the Walters Gallery in 1934. To enlarge the space available to the expanding conservatory of music, much of the Peabody collection was transferred to these institutions. Works of art belonging to the Peabody are still exhibited regularly including occasional exhibitions at the Institute.
Lent for microfilming 1984 by the Peabody Institute of the John Hopkins University.
The Archives of American art does not own the original papers. Use is limited to the microfilm copy.
Art patronage -- Maryland -- Baltimore Search this
Art museums, University and college -- Maryland -- Baltimore
AAA.peabgall
ead_collection:sova-aaa-peabgall
Rockwell Kent papers
Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971 Search this
American Artists' Congress Search this
Artists League of America Search this
Artists' Union (New York, N.Y.) Search this
Citizens' Committee for Government Arts Projects Search this
Farmers Union of the New York Milk Shed Search this
Federal Art Project Search this
Federal Writers' Project Search this
International Workers Order Search this
National Farmers' Union (U.S.) Search this
National Maritime Union of America Search this
United American Artists Search this
United Office and Professional Workers of America Search this
United Scenic Artists Search this
Boyesen, Bayard Search this
Chamberlain, J. E. Search this
Cleland, T. M. (Thomas Maitland), 1880-1964 Search this
Daniel, Charles, 1878-1971 Search this
Davies, Arthur B. (Arthur Bowen), 1862-1928 Search this
DuBois, W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963 Search this
Fitzgerald, James, 1899-1971 Search this
Freuchen, Peter, 1886-1957 Search this
Gellert, Hugo, 1892-1985 Search this
Gottlieb, Harry, 1895- Search this
Hartley, Marsden, 1877-1943 Search this
Hays, Lee, 1914-1981 Search this
Henri, Robert, 1865-1929 Search this
Jones, Dan Burne Search this
Keller, Charles, 1914-2006 Search this
Miller, Kenneth Hayes, 1876-1952 Search this
Nearing, Helen Search this
Nearing, Scott, 1883-1983 Search this
Phillips, Duncan, 1886-1966 Search this
Rasmussen, Knud, 1879-1933 Search this
Reeves, Ruth, 1892-1966 Search this
Robeson, Paul, 1898-1976 Search this
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945 Search this
Ruggles, Carl, 1876-1971 Search this
Seeger, Pete, 1919-2014 Search this
Stefansson, Vilhjalmur, 1879-1962 Search this
Untermeyer, Louis, 1885-1977 Search this
Wildenstein, Felix, 1883-1952 Search this
Zigrosser, Carl, 1891- Search this
88 Linear feet
The Rockwell Kent papers measure 88.0 linear feet and date from circa 1840 to 1993 with the bulk of the collection dating from 1935 to 1961. The collection provides comprehensive coverage of Kent's career as a painter, illustrator, designer, writer, lecturer, traveler, political activist, and dairy farmer.
The Rockwell Kent papers measure 88 linear feet and date from circa 1840 to 1993 with the bulk of the collection dating from 1935 to 1961. The collection provides comprehensive coverage of Kent's career as a painter, illustrator, designer, writer, lecturer, traveler, political activist, and dairy farmer.
Circumstances surrounding the acquisition of the papers are highlighted in an article by Garnett McCoy ("The Rockwell Kent Papers," in the Archives of American Art Journal, 12, no. 1 [January 1972]: 1-9), recommended reading for researchers interested in the collection. The collection is remarkably complete, for in the mid 1920s Kent began keeping carbon copies of all outgoing letters, eventually employing a secretary (who became his third wife and continued her office duties for the remainder of Kent's life).
Series 1: Alphabetical Files contain Kent's personal and professional correspondence, along with business records of the dairy farm and associated enterprises; also included are printed matter on a wide variety of topics and promotional literature relating to organizations and causes of interest to him. Voluminous correspondence with his three wives, five children, and other relatives, as well as with literally hundreds of friends, both lifelong and of brief duration, illuminates Kent's private life and contributes to understanding of his complex character. Among the many correspondents of note are: his art teachers William Merritt Chase, Robert Henri, and Kenneth Hayes Miller; fellow artists Tom Cleland, Arthur B. Davies, James Fitzgerald, Hugo Gellert, Harry Gottleib, Marsden Hartley, Charles Keller, and Ruth Reeves; collectors Duncan Phillips and Dan Burne Jones; critics J. E. Chamberlain and Walter Pach; and dealers Charles Daniel, Felix Wildenstein, and Macbeth Galleries. Kent corresponded with such diverse people as Arctic explorers Peter Freuchen, Knud Rasmussen, and Vilhjalmar Steffanson; composer Carl Ruggles and songwriters Lee Hays and Pete Seeger; civil rights pioneers Paul Robeson and Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois; writers Bayard Boyesen, Scott and Helen Nearing, and Louis Untermeyer; and art historian and print curator Carl Zigrosser.
Kent's interest and involvement in the labor movement are reflected in correspondence with officials and members of a wide variety and large number of unions and related organizations, among them: the Farmers' Educational and Cooperative Union of America, Farmers' Union of the New York Milk Shed, International Workers Order, National Maritime Union, and United Office and Professional Workers of America. Of special interest is his participation, often in leadership roles, in various attempts to organize artists. Files on the American Artists' Congress, Artists League of America, The Artists Union, United American Artists, and United Scenic Artists contain particularly valuable material on the movement.
A supporter of New Deal efforts to aid artists, Kent was actively interested in the various programs and often was critical of their limitations; he advocated continuing federal aid to artists after the Depression abated. The Kent papers include correspondence with the Federal Arts Project, Federal Fine Arts Project, Federal Writers Project, and the War Department, as well as correspondence with the Citizens' Committee for Government Art Projects and President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the subject.
Kent's professional correspondence documents exhibitions, sales, consignments, and reproduction of prints and paintings. He kept meticulous records of his advertising commissions and illustration work. Detailed correspondence with publishers and printers indicates Kent's involvement in the technical aspects of production and provides a good overview of the publishing industry during the mid-twentieth century.
Business records of Asgaard Farm include records of the dairy and transfer of ownership to its employees, tax and employee information, and documents concerning several related business ventures such as distributor ships for grain, feed, and farm implements.
Series 2: Writings consists of notes, drafts, and completed manuscripts by Rockwell Kent, mainly articles, statements, speeches, poems, introductions, and reviews. The Kent Collection given to Friendship House, Moscow, in 1960, was augmented later by a set of his publications and the illustrated manuscripts of many of his monographs. Also included are a small number of manuscripts by other authors.
Series 3: Artwork consists mainly of drawings and sketches by Kent; also included are works on paper by other artists, many of whom are unidentified, and by children.
Series 4: Printed Matter consists of clippings, exhibition catalogs and announcements, brochures, broadsides, programs, and newsletters. These include items by and about Kent and his family, as well as articles written and/or illustrated by him, and reviews of his books. There is also material on a variety of subjects and causes of interest to him. Additional printed matter is included among the alphabetical files, mainly as attachments to correspondence.
Series 5: Miscellaneous includes biographical material, legal documents, and memorabilia. Artifacts received with papers include textile samples, a silk scarf, dinnerware, ice bucket, and rubber stamp, all featuring designs by Rockwell Kent. Also with this series are a variety of documents including a phrenological analysis of an ancestor, lists of supplies for expeditions, a hand-drawn map of an unidentified place, and technical notes regarding art materials and techniques.
Series 6: Photographs includes photographs of Kent, his family and friends, travel, and art number that over one thousand. Also included here are several albums of family and travel photographs.
The collection is arranged into six series. Series 1 is arranged alphabetically. The arrangement of the remaining series is explained in each series description. Note that sealed materials that became available in 2000 were microfilmed separately on reels 5740-5741, but have integrated into this finding aid.
Series 1: Alphabetical Files, circa 1900-1971, undated (Reels 5153-5249, 5256, 5740-5741)
Series 2: Writings, 1906-1978, undated (Reels 5249-5252, 5741)
Series 3: Art Work, 1910-1972, undated (Reels 5252, 5741)
Series 4: Printed Matter, 1905-1993, undated (Reels 5252-5254)
Series 5: Miscellaneous, 1859-1969, undated (Reels 5254, 5741)
Series 6: Photographs, circa 1840-1970, undated (Reels 5254-5255, 5741)
Rockwell Kent (1882-1971), an energetic and multitalented man, pursued many interests and careers during his very long and active life. At various times he was an architect, draftsman, carpenter, unskilled laborer, painter, illustrator, printmaker, commercial artist, designer, traveler/explorer, writer, professional lecturer, dairy farmer, and political activist.
While studying architecture at Columbia University, Kent enrolled in William Merritt Chase's summer school at Shinnecock Hills, Long Island. He then redirected his career ambitions toward painting and continued to study with Chase in New York. Kent spent a summer working and living with Abbott H. Thayer in Dublin, New Hampshire, and attended the New York School of Art, where Robert Henri and Kenneth Hayes Miller were his teachers.
Critically and financially, Kent was a successful artist. He was very well known for his illustration work--particularly limited editions of the classics, bookplates, and Christmas cards. He was a prolific printmaker, and his prints and paintings were acquired by many major museums and private collectors. During the post-World War II era, Kent's political sympathies resulted in the loss of commissions, and his adherence to artistic conservatism and outspoken opposition to modern art led to disfavor within art circles. After many years of declining reputation in this country and unsuccessful attempts to find a home for the Kent Collection, Kent gave his unsold paintings--the majority of his oeuvre--to the Soviet Union, where he continued to be immensely popular.
An avid traveler, Kent was especially fascinated by remote, Arctic lands and often stayed for extended periods of time to paint, write, and become acquainted with the local inhabitants. Between 1918 and 1935, he wrote and illustrated several popular books about his experiences in Alaska, Tierra del Fuego, and Greenland. In the 1930s and 1940s, Kent was much in demand as a lecturer, making several nationwide tours under the management of a professional lecture bureau; he spoke mainly about his travels, but among his standard lectures were some on "art for the people."
In 1927, Kent purchased Asgaard Farm at AuSable Forks, New York, in the Adirondacks, where he lived for the remainder of his life, operating a modern dairy farm on a modest scale for many years.
As a young man, Kent met Rufus Weeks, became committed to social justice, and joined the Socialist Party. Throughout his life, he supported left-wing causes and was a member or officer of many organizations promoting world peace and harmonious relations with the Soviet Union, civil rights, civil liberties, antifascism, and organized labor. Kent was frequently featured as a celebrity sponsor or speaker at fund-raising events for these causes. In 1948, he ran unsuccessfully as the American Labor Party's candidate for Congress. Kent's unpopular political views eventually led to the dissolution of his dairy business, resulted in a summons to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee, and prompted the U.S. State Department to deny him a passport, an action that subsequently was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Kent wrote two autobiographies, This Is My Own (1940) and It's Me, O Lord (1955). In 1969, he was the subject of an oral history interview conducted by Paul Cummings for the Archives of American Art.
1882 -- born, Tarrytown, New York
1887 -- death of Rockwell Kent, Sr.
1894-1896 -- attended Cheshire Academy
1895 -- toured Europe with Aunt Jo
1896 -- attended Horace Mann School, New York City
1900-1902 -- studied architecture at Columbia University
1900-1902 -- attended William Merritt Chase's summer school, Shinnecock Hills, Long Island
1903 -- studied with William Merritt Chase, New York City
1904 -- first sale of a painting
1904 -- met Rufus Weeks and attended first Socialist meeting
1905 -- lived and worked with Abbott H. Thayer, Dublin, New Hampshire
1905 -- first painting trip to Monhegan Island, Maine
1907 -- first one-man show, Claussen Galleries, New York City
1908 -- marriage to Kathleen Whiting
1908 -- studied with Robert Henri
1908 -- joined Socialist Party
1909 -- birth of Rockwell, III
1910 -- ran Monhegan Summer School of Art
1910 -- first trip to Newfoundland
1910 -- helped to organize first Independent Exhibition
1911 -- birth of Kathleen
1912 -- moved to Winona, Minnesota
1913 -- birth of Clara
1914 -- settled in Newfoundland
1915 -- deported from Newfoundland
1915 -- birth of Barbara
1917 -- served as full-time organizer and administrator of Independent Exhibition
1918-1919 -- in Alaska with son Rocky
1919 -- purchased Egypt Farm, Arlington, Vermont
1919 -- incorporated self
1920 -- publication of Wilderness
1920 -- birth of Gordon
1922 -- traveled to Tierra del Fuego
1924 -- publication of Voyaging
1925 -- trip to France
1925 -- divorced from Kathleen
1926 -- marriage to Frances Lee
1926 -- traveled to Ireland
1927 -- purchased Asgaard Farm, AuSable, New York
1927 -- editor of Creative Art
1927 -- helped organize National Gallery of Contemporary Art, Washington, D.C.
1929 -- sailed to Greenland on Direction
1930 -- publication of N by E
1932-1933 -- returned to Greenland
1934-1935 -- final trip to Greenland
1935 -- publication of Salamina
1936 -- trip to Puerto Rico
1937 -- trip to Brazil
1937-1938 -- Post Office Department mural commission and controversy over Eskimo-language message interpreted as encouraging Puerto Rican independence
1939 -- divorced from Frances
1939 -- General Electric Co. mural commission for New York World's Fair
1940 -- publication of This Is My Own
1940 -- marriage to Shirley Johnstone (Sally)
1942 -- solo exhibition, Know and Defend America, at Wildenstein Galleries, New York City
1946 -- elected to Executive Committee of American Labor Party
1948 -- congressional candidate, American Labor Party
1948 -- transferred ownership of dairy to remaining employees after boycott resulting from support of Wallace for president
1949 -- attended World Congress for Peace, Paris
1950-1958 -- denied U.S. passport; lawsuit, appeals, and Supreme Court decision reinstating right to travel
1953 -- testified before House Un-American Activities Committee
1955 -- publication of It's Me, O Lord
1958 -- one-man show at Hermitage Museum, Leningrad
1959 -- publication of Of Men and Mountains
1960 -- gift of Kent Collection to Friendship House, Moscow
1960 -- exhibition at Pushkin Museum, Moscow
1963 -- publication of Greenland Journal
1966 -- elected to Academy of Arts of the USSR
1967 -- awarded Lenin Peace Prize, Moscow
1969 -- oral history interview, Archives of American Art
1969 -- home at Asgaard destroyed by fire; papers survived with some water and smoke damage
1969 -- first installment of Rockwell Kent Papers donated to Archives of American Art
1971 -- died, Plattsburgh, New York
1971 -- gift of additional Rockwell Kent Papers to Archives of American Art
1979 -- gift of textile samples to the Archives of American Art
2000 -- death of Sally [Shirley Johnstone] Kent Gorton
2000 -- previously sealed correspondence of wives Frances and Sally (Series 1) opened to researchers
2001 -- gift of additional Rockwell Kent papers to the Archives of American Art from the Estate of Sally Kent [Shirley Johnstone] Gorton
In 1969, Rockwell Kent donated his papers to the Archives of American Art; textile samples were received in 1979, and his widow gave additional papers in 1971 and 1996. Letters to Rockwell Kent from wives Frances and Sally, sealed during Sally Kent Gorton's lifetime, became available for research after her death in 2000, and further material was donated to the Archives of American Art in 2001 by the Estate of Sally Kent [Shirley Johnstone] Gorton.
The microfilm of this collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website. Use of material not microfilmed or digitized requires an appointment.
The Rockwell Kent papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Painters -- New York (State) Search this
Designers -- New York (State) Search this
Mural painting and decoration Search this
Politics and culture Search this
Authors -- New York Search this
Art, Modern -- 20th century -- United States -- Political aspects Search this
Dairy farms Search this
Federal aid to the arts Search this
Illustrators -- New York (State) Search this
Illustration of books Search this
Works of art Search this
World War, 1939-1945 -- Civilian relief Search this
Labor unions Search this
Art and war Search this
Commercial art Search this
World War, 1939-1945 -- Art and the war Search this
Rockwell Kent papers, circa 1840-1993, bulk 1935-1961. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
AAA.kentrock
ead_collection:sova-aaa-kentrock
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Baking Powders
1 Cubic foot (consisting of 5 boxes, 1 map folder.)
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Baking Powders forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
This material consists primarily of advertising cards, bills/receipts, printed advertisements, book marks, cook books, labels, pamphlets, and recipe books, scattered correspondence on letterhead stationery from manufacturers and distributors of baking powders. These companies also tended to sell other products including bakers' supplies, spices, coffee, teas, cream of tartar, cigars, tobacco, gloss starch, laundry bluing, soap powder, baking soda, soap, corn starch, phosphate of calcium, powdered gelatin and other shelf groceries. The B. T. Babbitt Company located in New York distributed a number of pamphlets and printed advertisements containing reproductions of popular paintings by American artist including Paul de Longpre, Virginia Janus, Percy Moran and J. L. Ferris. Larger size reproductions could be obtained by sending the company trade marks from their products. Other manufacturers such as Edward Canby offered free libraries to their customers. Some of these companies are also in other subject categories such as chemicals, baking soda, patent medicine, images children, art, women, nature scenes, and courtship scenes.
Publications include two pamphlets. Both pamphlets were articles which appeared in the Pharmaceutical Record. "Baking Powders, An Essay on their Composition and Action" (April 1, 1887) was written by George Holland and "Baking Powders" (June 1, 1888) written by C. V. Petraeus discuss the physical qualities of baking powders. H. D. Thatcher & Company also published a pamphlet on the same subject titled "How to Test Baking Powder, Illustrated and Explained for the Practical Use not Only of the Scientist but for the Common People and the Ordinary Cook, with Descriptions of Thatcher's Sugar of Milk Baking Powder and Selected Cooking Recipes "(1890).
Materials are organized alphabetically by name of company. There are three folders of material grouped by type: labels, related pamphlets and miscellaneous items. Miscellaneous items consist of advertising cards with no company to identify manufacturer or dealer.
The following is a list of brand names for various baking powder products. The names that appear on this list are a compilation of those found on materials in the vertical document boxes. It is not a complete list of all the brand names for baking powders. The list is intended to assist researchers in locating desired materials when only the brand name is known.
Brand Name Index
Brand Name -- Manufacturer
Acme -- Lange, Grabe & Baird
Cap Sheaf -- DeLand & Company
Champion -- Johnston Brothers
Chemical -- Deland
Craig's -- Hannum, H.B. & Company
Crown -- Dieter, J.F. & Company
Czar -- Steele & Emory
Enterprise -- Bacon, Stickney & Company
Excelsior -- Redheffer & Stuart
Forest City -- Vouwie Brothers
Gold Medal -- Taylor, J. Monroe
Golden Sheaf -- Henkel Brothers
Golden Shield -- Monroe County Chemical Company
Good Luck -- Chicago Chemical Works
Horsford' s -- Humford Chemical Works
I.C. -- Jacques Manufacturing Company
Imperial Grown -- Anthony, J.B. & Company
International -- Queen City Chemical Company
K.C. -- Jacques Manufacturing Company
Kenton -- Potter Parlin & Company
Knickerbocker -- Stitt, [Wmin?]
Luther's -- Benjamin, L.O. & Company
Miles -- Larzelere, James H.
Morning Glory -- Feeny, G.S.
None Such -- Hanford, Geo G.
Oriole -- Queen City Chemical Company
Patapsco -- Smith, Hanway & Company
Peerless -- Marde
Pure Gold -- Newman, S.A.
Safe & Reliable -- Granger & Company
Sea Foam -- Jones, Gantz & Company
Silver Star -- Gandy, Edward
Snow -- Boston Relish Company
Sun Flower -- Fahnestock Company
Trust -- Burns & Reed
Unrivaled -- Spracues, Warner & Griswold
Victor -- Boos & Holbrook
Windsor -- Kegeler, H. Chas.
Baking Powders is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Baking powder Search this
NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.BakingPowders
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0060-s01-01-bakingpowders
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Sewing Machines
2.6 Cubic feet (consisting of 5.5 boxes, 1 folder, 4 oversize folders, 1 map case folder, plus digital images of some collection material.)
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Sewing Machines forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
This subject category- Sewing consists primarily of advertising cards, printed advertisements, bills, receipts, scattered correspondence on letterhead stationery, pamphlets, trade catalogues, patents, trademarks, import/export documents and calendars from manufacturers and distributors of sewing machines. There is a substantial amount of material for each company with numerous visual images of machines.
The material is arranged into three series: Series consists of materials relating to Manufacturers and Distributors of Sewing Machines including
Sewing Machines is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Sewing Machines, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Sewing
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0060-s01-01-sewing
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Children
2.56 Cubic feet (6 boxes, 1 folders, 2 oversize folders, plus digital images of some collection material)
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Children forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
The Children subject category consists primarily of publications, images, ephemera, and business memorabilia relating to children. Much of the material is geared for children, but there are also materials for parents and the general public. While there are items in the collection that are from the 20th century, the bulk of the materials are from the late 19th century.
Children is arranged in four subseries:
Subseries 1: Publications for Children, 1828-1961
Subseries 2: Images of Children, 1874-1930
Subseries 3: Miscellaneous Materials Relating to Children, 1883-1931
Subseries 4: Companies, 1846-1933
Children is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Children's furniture Search this
Children's clothing Search this
Children's literature Search this
NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Children
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0060-s01-01-children
War Production Board Records
United States. War Production Board. Search this
Records of the War Production Board concerning watches (including clocks and timers) so that both the civilian population and the military would be supplied with adequate and reliable timepieces.
This collection consists of records of the War Production Board concerning watches (including clocks and timers) so that both the civilian and the military would be supplied with adequate and reliable time mechanisms as well as timers for military purposes. The activities ranged from control over aspects of production to allocation of material used in manufacturing along with references to foreign importation of watches and a technical survey of clock and watch factories in Europe.
The collection is divided into five series.
Series 1: Watches by Type
Series 2: Correspondence: Manufacturers
Series 3: Reports for Watch Industry
Series 4: War Production Board Records/Reports
Series 5: War production Board Requirements
The War Production Board (WPB) was established in the Office for Emergency Management by an Executive order of January 16, 1942, which transferred to it the functions of the Supply Priorities and Allocations Board and the Office of Production Management (both established in 1941).
The function of the WPB was to exercise general direction over the war procurement and production programs of all federal departments and agencies. The WPB was terminated November 3, 1945.
The Consumers Durable Goods Division of the War Production Board was concerned with the regulation, production, and allocation of timepieces during World War II.
Guide to the National Archives and Record Services, General Service Administration, Washington: 1974, PP. 687 689).
Clocks and watches Search this
Reports -- 1940-1950
War Production Board Collection, 1943-1945, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Matrimony
1 Cubic foot (consisting of 2 boxes, 1 folder, 4 oversize folders.)
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Matrimony forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
This subject category- Matrimony consists primarily of books, documents, clippings, and advertisements relating to matrimony. There are also a number of images of couples, the bride, and the ceremony. The material includes matchmaking services, wedding certificates, invitations, and materials relating to divorce.
Matrimony is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Matrimony, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Matrimony
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0060-s01-01-matrimony
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Astronomy
0.49 Cubic feet (consisting of 1 box, 1 folder, 1 oversize folder.)
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Astronomy forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
This subject category- Astronomy- consists primarily of publications relating to astronomical research and practices. Most are in the form of monographs; some are reprints of lectures. Subjects include stars, the sun and moon, comets, observatories, apparatus, and others. A few items are for educational use. Publications relating to the Transit of Venus in both 1769 and 1882 may be of particular interest. Illustrations depicting astronomers and astronomical instruments are also present. The material has been arranged alphabetically by title.
Astronomy is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Astronomy, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Astronomy
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0060-s01-01-astronomy
P.T. Barnum Collection
Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor), 1810-1891 Search this
Barnum and Bailey. Search this
Bailey, James A. Search this
0.5 Cubic feet
The collection consists of five children's books about the circus, a brochure announcing the show in London, an 1873 advertisement for the Great Traveling World's Fair of Barnum's, and two scrapbooks.
The P.T. Barnum collection consists of five children's books about the circus, a brochure announcing the show in London, an 1873 advertisement for the Great Traveling World's Fair of Barnum's, and two scrapbooks. The scrapbooks mostly contain newspaper articles, 1889 1893, as well as cartoons, pictures, and drawings of circus events and circus personalities including P.T. Barnum and James A. Bailey. Interviews of circus people, anecdotes of circus life, and techniques of training children for circus horsemanship and tigers for the ring are also a part of the scrapbook coverage.
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the articles is their description of the logistics of bringing 440 performers, 380 horses, 13 elephants, lions, tigers, deer, llama, camels, a bear and other animals, administrative and support staff, and 80 tons of advertising material to and from London for a 100 day run.
Phineas Taylor Barnum was born on July 5, 1810 in Bethel Connecticut. He worked hard as a small boy to help support the family. When Barnum was 15, his father died, leaving him almost penniless. Although he attended school irregularly, he was excellent in calculations and could drive a hard bargain. This was later referred to as his Yankee shrewdness.
In 1835 he found his true calling—show business—when he exhibited a black woman, Joice Heth, who claimed to be 161 years old and a nurse to George Washington. Barnum bought her for $1,000 and soon had his investment returned.
In 1841 Barnum obtained the American Museum in New York City, which became a famous place of amusement. He displayed exhibits which were forerunners of the sideshow, as well as performances of moral plays such as Uncle Tom's Cabin.
In November 1842, Barnum engaged Charles Stratton, whom he christened Tom Thumb. They were received by English royalty, including Queen Victoria, and other notable figures throughout Europe.
In 1850, Barnum engaged Jenny Lind and made a fortune for both of them. He lost his fortune when he speculated in the Jerome Clock Company of East Bridgeport, and regained it slowly due to multiple disasters.
About 1877, he became a partner of James A. Bailey, who started the two-ring circus in 1879. Bailey was the administrator of the Barnum and Bailey Show and was considered an excellent manager.
In March, 1882, Barnum bought Jumbo from the London Zoo for $10,000. Jumbo was a very popular elephant with the English people, who resented Barnum's purchase and subsequent export of Jumbo to the United States. After the circus's trip to London in 1890, which was a tremendous success, the English forgave Barnum. Jumbo met an untimely death in 1885. His bones went to the Smithsonian and the stuffed hide to the Barnum Museum of Natural History at Tufts College. Barnum had given the Museum to Tufts in 1884 and contributed a $55,000 stone building to the institution.
In November, 1889, Barnum brought his circus to London for fourteen weeks. He could not stay longer because the show had obligations in the United States. Other Europeans hoped to have the show visit their countries, but Barnum said the logistics and the railway tunnels prevented it.
Notices of the Circus coming to London were plastered all over England, with advertising techniques never before seen by the English. The Show, called the Great Moral Show in England, was considered more stupendous than the Wild West Show with Buffalo Bill, which had recently been shown in London, as well. About 30,000 people a day came and many others were turned away. The Circus took in $900,000, but had large expenses with over 1,800 staff on the payroll.
Barnum himself was a great hit in England. Most of the English royalty attended his circus, many more than once. Queen Victoria requested a private showing but did not receive one, and therefore never saw the show. Even the elderly Gladstone attended. It was said that the English liked audacity, Americans who were not a toady and who offered pleasure, all of which described Barnum. It is also interesting that Barnum supported Irish Home Rule while he was in England.
Barnum was a genius in public relations for himself and his enterprises. He was a great believer in the power of advertising, and made it his business to be talked about. He liked to say that his name did not have to appear beneath his picture because everyone knew him.
Barnum loved children and was known as "The Children's Friend." He often went to the show's matinees to be with the children and talk to them. He gave generously to the Children's Aid Society and made it a beneficiary of a percentage of the show's profit after his death.
With regard to religious and political beliefs, Barnum was a Universalist who believed in the salvation of all men. He was originally a Democrat, but became a Republican because he was a Union supporter. He was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly four times, where he advocated the rights of individuals against railway monopolies. He was also Mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and during his time in office brought many businesses to the town and invested in local real estate. He established a system of building houses and sold them to working people on long payments and low interest rates; he also gave the land which became Seaside Park to the community of Bridgeport.
Barnum was married twice, the second time in 1874 to an English woman who was half his age. He had three daughters by his first wife, and his two grandsons were his only male heirs. In 1883, he made his first will so "no business cares should devolve upon his wife at his death." He left the management of his interests to his grandson, Clinton H. Seeley whom he required to change his name to Clinton Barnum Seeley; he had previously made an agreement with Bailey for the Barnum and Bailey Show to continue for 50 years.
Barnum had a reputation for giving everyone their full money's worth. He acknowledged the unreality of some of his attractions with frankness in his autobiography, but he said he was not a humbug; he was just a showman who gave the public what it wanted. He claimed he never pretended to be more than that. After Bailey implemented the two ring circus in 1879, and subsequently a third ring, people complained that they were being given more than their money's worth with so many activities going on simultaneously.
In the interviews and stories about the Barnum and Bailey Circus, it was evident that the circus people had strong training and excellent discipline. But some backstage interviews revealed low ages, poor boarding house food, bad dressing rooms, and strict discipline, with fines often meted out for slight infractions of the rules. The treatment of the animals also was questioned. Bailey reported that 38 horses had to be killed because they had been injured during the hippodrome race in the Nero act of the show.
P.T. Barnum was involved in four lines of entertainment: (a) circus; (b) museum of curiosities; (c) theatrical (he produced plays and helped several actors and actresses get their start); and (d) musical impresario with Jenny Lind.
Barnum was known as a great story teller. He enjoyed playing jokes on himself and others. He died on April 7, 1891 at 80 years and nine months.
Amusements Search this
Circuses (performances) Search this
P.T. Barnum Collection, 1873-1890, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Sports
4.98 Cubic feet (consisting of 10 boxes, 3 folder, 8 oversize folders, 3 map case folders, 1flat box (partial), plus digital images of some collection material.)
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Sports forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
Sports is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Sports, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Sports
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0060-s01-01-sports
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Churches
2.86 Cubic feet (consisting of 6 boxes, 3 folders, 5 oversize folders.)
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Churches forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
This subject category -Churches- consists primarily of printed materials produced by and for American churches, virtually all of which are/were located in the northeastern United States. The material consists primarily of service leaflets, announcements and invitations, receipts, invoices, cards and letters, images, tracts, and published sermons. Most of this material is organized by denomination. A substantial amount of the material is non-denominational or of unknown denomination. Other material includes that of foreign churches, manufacturers of church materials, and import/export documents. Some items that may be of particular interest are noted.
American church denominations have long been numerous and varied. Eight of them are sufficiently represented in this material to be organized into a distinct Series. A substantial number of congregations present are of relatively uncommon or unknown affiliation; yet others are non-denominational. These have been arranged in a separate Series. Considerable research via the internet has established the denomination and/or location of a number of the churches represented, especially those still in operation. It should be noted that some denominations have altered their name since the 19th century; others have joined together to form a new denomination. The names most commonly in use today are used in this finding aid.
For the researcher, this material gives insight into the modes of worship, social and charitable activities, and theological views of Christian congregations in the 19th and early 20th century. Numerous images of churches illustrate the variety of styles of architecture from the smallest and humblest buildings to largest and grandest edifices.
Churches is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Churches Search this
Catholic Church Search this
Baptist church buildings Search this
Presbyterian Church Search this
Reformed church buildings Search this
Churches -- Quaker Search this
Methodist church buildings Search this
Unitarian church buildings Search this
Lutheran church buildings Search this
NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Churches
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0060-s01-01-churches
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Thread
2.23 Cubic feet (consisting of 4.5 boxes, 6 folders, 2 oversize folders, 2 map case folders, plus digital images of some collection material.)
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Thread forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
This collection consists primarily of materials produced for and by manufacturers of cotton, silk, and wool threads and yarns. The bulk of the material consists of advertising or "trade" cards; advertisements, bills, receipts, and publications are also present. A number of samples of threads and yarns are included. Most of the material is undated.
Of particular interest may be the great variety of colorful illustrations found on the advertising trade cards. Babies, children, and adults are featured as well as numerous comic characters, celebrities, and royalty. Flowers, birds, animals, and scenic views are also used. A small group of articles ca. 1870 details the then current techniques of thread manufacturing as well as a history of the industry. Series 1, Manufacturers of Thread and Yarns, circa 1834-1923; undated, is arranged alphabetically by name of manufacturer. The greatest part consists of trade cards produced for Clark and Company and J. & P. Coats. The cards are arranged by the subjects depicted and are so listed. Trade cards from several other companies are also found in smaller quantities. A small amount of business materials is present for some of the companies.
Series 2, Related Materials, circa 1837-1898; undated, is arranged as follows: Thread Retailers, Thread Samples, and Articles about Thread. These are followed by: Images, Miscellaneous materials, and Import /Export documents.
Thread is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Thread, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Thread
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0060-s01-01-thread
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Religion
3.56 Cubic feet (consisting of 8 boxes, 3 folders, 5 oversize folder, 1 map case folder, plus digital images of some collection material.)
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Religion forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
This collection consists primarily of books, periodicals, and other publications; ephemera such as programs, service leaflets, announcements, invitations, reports, circulars, letters, cards; and images, including photographs, engravings and color illustrations. This material relates to the promotion of religious education, religious organizations, and the dissemination of a great variety of religious viewpoints. A substantial amount of colorful printed material is present; especially in card form; a small amount of foreign material is also included. Virtually all of this material is from the North Eastern United States. The researcher may wish to consult "Churches" in the Warshaw Collection; it contains closely related materials.
Religion is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Religion, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
NMAH.AC.0060.S01.01.Religion
ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0060-s01-01-religion
Include Term Exclude Term Images (8,584)
Include Term Exclude Term Sound recordings (17)
Include Term Exclude Term Full text documents (1)
Include Term Exclude Term Finding aids (1,099)
Include Term Exclude Term Transcripts (12)
Include Term Exclude Term Catalog cards (190)
Include Term Exclude Term Archival materials (6,691)
Include Term Exclude Term Textiles (1,884)
Include Term Exclude Term Photographs (1,824)
Include Term Exclude Term Drawings (1,792)
Include Term Exclude Term Design drawings (1,546)
Include Term Exclude Term Paintings (1,369)
Include Term Exclude Term ART-Drawings (1,287)
Include Term Exclude Term Decorative arts (1,192)
Include Term Exclude Term Collection descriptions (1,175)
Include Term Exclude Term Sculpture (visual work) (762)
Include Term Exclude Term Ceramics (objects) (605)
Include Term Exclude Term Art (1,109)
Include Term Exclude Term Museums (628)
Include Term Exclude Term Architecture (543)
Include Term Exclude Term Men (484)
Include Term Exclude Term Landscapes (461)
Include Term Exclude Term Art, abstract (411)
Include Term Exclude Term Portraits (354)
Include Term Exclude Term Acquisitions (339)
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Include Term Exclude Term Smithsonian American Art Museum. Curatorial Office (1,922)
Include Term Exclude Term Wiener Werkstätte (1,592)
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Include Term Exclude Term Rix-Ueno, Felice (302)
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Include Term Exclude Term Likarz-Strauss, Maria (204)
Include Term Exclude Term Peche, Dagobert (182)
Include Term Exclude Term Jeffrey & Company (177)
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Include Term Exclude Term Japanese language (5)
Include Term Exclude Term Danish language (3)
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Include Term Exclude Term Correspondence is primarily in English, with some letters in Spanish, French, Russian, and German. Multiple Native American languages are also represented in a small portion of the letters (2)
Include Term Exclude Term United States of America (1,825)
Include Term Exclude Term Austria (1,699)
Include Term Exclude Term Vienna (1,658)
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Include Term Exclude Term Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian American Art Museum (1,588)
Include Term Exclude Term Archives Center, National Museum of American History (1,328)
Include Term Exclude Term Smithsonian American Art Museum (515)
Include Term Exclude Term National Museum of African Art (376)
Include Term Exclude Term Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (309)
Include Term Exclude Term Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (260)
Include Term Exclude Term Elephants (8)
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Include Term Exclude Term Yes (165)