Calvert Coggeshall papers, 1920-1999, bulk, 1965-1989

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A Finding Aid to the Calvert Coggeshall Papers, 1920-1999, bulk 1965-1989, in the Archives of American Art, by Judy Ng

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Table of Contents:

• Biographical Information
• Overview of the Collection
• How to Use the Collection
• Detailed Description and Container Inventory

Biographical Information

Calvert Coggeshall (1907-1990) worked as an abstract painter and interior designer primarily in Maine and New York City. From 1951 to 1978, he exhibited regularly with the Betty Parsons Gallery.

Born in Whitesboro, New York, Coggeshall started his career as an interior designer, working on commissions for clients in the New York City area. He later consulted on the interior designs for Henry Dreyfuss' line of cruise/cargo ships called American Export, popular from the 1940s through the 1960s. In the 1940s, he also worked with inventor Arthur Young to design interiors for the first full-sized scale of Bell helicopter models. By the 1950s, Coggeshall began splitting his time between painting and design work, though he continued to regularly consult and work on several architectural and interior design projects throughout the 1980s.

As a painter, his early monochromatic abstracts were influenced by his friend and abstract expressionist, Bradley Walker Tomlin. An early member of Betty Parson's stable of painters, Coggeshall was friends with other artists, including Jack Tworkov, Grace Hartigan, Katherine Kuh, Nora Sayre, Hedda Sterne, and Richard Tuttle. After summering and eventually moving to Newcastle, Maine in the 1960s, he began introducing color into his abstract paintings. and A major retrospective of his work was held at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Maine in 1977. In 1978, he received a Guggenheim fellowship in recognition of his work. Working out of his studios in Newcastle and Manhattan, Coggeshall continued producing abstract paintings into the late 1980s. Coggeshall died in 1990.

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Overview of the Collection

Scope and Contents

The papers of Maine abstract painter and designer Calvert Coggeshall measure 1.75 linear feet and date from 1920-1999, with the bulk of the material dating from 1965-1989. They consist of biographical material, personal and business correspondence, personal writings, exhibition and business files, printed material, and photographs. The bulk of the material documents Coggeshall's professional work and his friendships with other artists.

Biographical material includes Coggeshall's personal address books and day planning notes, oral history transcripts, including an interview discussing his friendship with Walker Evans, a copy of his Guggenheim application and acceptance letters, and miscellaneous records.

Correspondence is predominantly in the form of cards, postcards, and short letters received from family and friends. These include correspondence from Coggeshall's father, children, his older grandchildren, and his mother-in-law, Frances Coralie Perkins. Other frequent correspondents include family friend Daphne Cox, artists Michael Lekakis, Loren McIver, Jack Tworkov, and museum director Gordon Washburn.

Personal writings consist of poetry notes and drafts and a short essay on church design.

Exhibition files concern Coggeshall's one man shows at the Betty Parsons Gallery during the 1970s and early 1980s, his retrospective at Bowdoin College in 1977, and his inclusion in shows at Artists Space, the Farnsworth Museum, and Jack Tilton Gallery.

Business files related to Coggeshall's interior design work consist of architectural renderings and blueprints, work proposals, invoices, and receipts. Some of the more significant projects include work done for Lisa de Kooning, Priscilla Morgan, Arthur Penn, and Shoji Sadao.

Printed material includes newspaper clippings, exhibition announcements from other artists, and a booklet showcasing abstract artists titled, "Artfully Taught."

Photographs are color and black and white prints of Coggeshall and his friends in his studio and outside his Newcastle, Maine residence. There are also black and white photographs of Coggeshall's early design work in furniture and fabric, as well as documentation of his gallery design work for the Albright Art Gallery.

Arrangement and Series Description

The collection is arranged into 7 series:

• Series 1: Biographical Material, 1960-1990 (Box 1, OV 3; 8 folders)
• Series 2: Correspondence, 1920-1993 (Box 1, OV 3; 28 folders)
• Series 3: Writings, 1965-1989 (Box 1; 5 folders)
• Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1970-1992 (Box 1, OV 3; 12 folders)
• Series 5: Business Files, 1973-1989 (Boxes 1-2, OV 4-5; 27 folders)
• Series 6: Printed Material, 1950-1999 (Box 2, OV 3; 6 folders)
• Series 7: Photographs, 1940-1985 (Box 2; 6 folders)

Subjects and Names

Provenance

The papers of Calvert Coggeshall were donated in 2006 by his son Tomlin Coggeshall.

How the Collection was Processed

The collection was fully processed by Judy Ng in January 2011.

How to Use the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Use of original papers requires an appointment.

Ownership & Literary Rights

The Calvert Coggeshall 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.

How to Cite this Collection

Calvert Coggeshall Papers, 1920-1999, bulk 1965-1989. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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Detailed Description and Container Inventory

Series 1: Biographical Material, 1960-1990 (Box 1, OV 3; 8 folders)

Biographical material includes Coggeshall's personal address books and day planning notes, his birth certificate and obituary, and a copy of his Guggenheim application and acceptance letters. There are also two oral history transcripts, the first concerning Coggeshall's life and dual career as a painter and designer, the second concerning his friendship with Walker Evans. The interviewers for each oral history are identified as W.B. and N.S. respectively, and may have been conducted by close friends Wally Barker and Nora Sayers. Also included are the records of his Manhattan home renovation project from 1975-1981.

Series 2: Correspondence, 1920-1993 (Box 1, OV 3; 28 folders)

Correspondence is predominantly in the form of cards, postcards, and short letters received from family and friends. These include informal letters and cards from Coggeshall's father, children, his older grandchildren, and his mother-in-law, Frances Coralie Perkins. Other frequent correspondents include family friend Daphne Cox, artists Michael Lekakis, Loren McIver, Jack Tworkov, and museum director Gordon Washburn. Additional correspondents include Walter Barker, Mrs. Alfred J. Barr (Marga), Chouteau Chapin, Nancy Grove, Grace Hartigan, Katherine Kuh, Nora Sayre, Hedda Sterne, Jack Tilton, Richard Tuttle, and Catherine Viviano. A handful of business letters related to Coggeshall's paintings and representation in galleries are also included in the series.

Correspondence is arranged into 3 subseries:

• Subseries 2.1: Business, 1967-1993
• Subseries 2.2: Family, 1920-1989
• Subseries 2.3: Friends, 1954-1991

Subseries 2.1: Business, 1967-1993

Subseries 2.2: Family, 1920-1989

Subseries 2.3: Friends, 1954-1991

Series 3: Writings, 1965-1989 (Box 1; 5 folders)

Personal writings consist of a short essay, "A Christmas Church" and numerous poetry drafts and notes. One series of seven poems, "Seven" is typewritten.

Series 4: Exhibition Files, 1970-1992 (Box 1, OV 3; 12 folders)

Exhibition files include photographs, correspondence, announcements, and lists related to Coggeshall's one man shows at the Betty Parsons Gallery during the 1970s and early 1980s and his retrospective at Bowdoin College in 1977. The Bowdoin retrospective also include blueprints of the gallery space and Coggeshall's notations on the planned layout of his works. Additional correspondence regarding his inclusion in shows at Artists Space, the Farnsworth Museum, and Jack Tilton Gallery are also included in the series.

Series 5: Business Files, 1973-1989 (Boxes 1-2, OV 4-5; 27 folders)

Business files related to Coggeshall's interior design work consist of his client and contractor address book, architectural renderings and blueprints, work proposals, lists, invoices, and receipts. Some of the more significant projects include apartment design renovations for Lisa de Kooning, Priscilla Morgan, Arthur Penn, Shoji Sadao, Richard Lombard, and John Silberman.

Projects are generally in the following order: blueprints, estimates, payment, notes, receipts, and invoices.

Series 6: Printed Material, 1950-1999 (Box 2, OV 3; 6 folders)

Printed material includes newspaper clippings reviewing Coggeshall's work, exhibition announcements from other artists, including Lyonel Feininger, Moy Glidden, Ken Greenleaf, David Plowden, and Jack Tworkov. A booklet showcasing abstract artists sponsored by the New York Governor's office titled, "Artfully Taught" is also included in the series.

Series 7: Photographs, 1940-1985 (Box 2; 6 folders)

Photographs include color and black and white prints of Coggeshall and his friends in his studio and outside his Newcastle, Maine residence. There are also black and white photographs of Coggeshall's early design work in furniture and fabric, as well as documentation of his gallery design work for the Albright Art Gallery.

A list of additional photographs in the collection can be found in Folder 18.