TABLE OF CONTENTS

Collection Overview

Administrative Information

Biographical Note

Scope and Content Note

Arrangement

Names and Subject Terms

Biographical Information, circa 1887-1968

Correspondence, circa 1870-1942

Associations and Memberships, circa 1897-1918

Legal and Financial Records, 1775, 1896-1923

Notes and Writings, circa 1875-1943

Awards and Memorials, circa 1870-1944

Artwork, circa 1875-1915

Scrapbooks, circa 1877-1915

Printed Materials, circa 1891-1945

Photographs, circa 1870-1915

Artifacts, circa 1899-1915

A Finding Aid to the John White Alexander Papers, 1775-1968, bulk 1870-1915, in the Archives of American Art

by Megan McShea

Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art

September 06, 2007

Contact Information
Reference Department
Archives of American Art
Smithsonian Institution
Washington. D.C. 20560
www.aaa.si.edu/askus

Administrative Information

Provenance

Papers were donated to the Archives of American Art by Irina Reed, granddaughter of John White Alexander, in 1978 and 1981.

Alternative Forms Available

The collection is also available on 35 mm microfilm reels 1727-1731, 1807, and 3483 at Archives of American Art offices, and through interlibrary loan. Researchers should note that the arrangement of the collection as described in this finding aid, though similar, does not exactly correspond to the arrangement represented on the microfilm. Series descriptions found in the containter listing below provide references to the material on microfilm where possible.

Processing Information

The papers were arranged and microfilmed upon receipt on reels 1727-1731, 1807, and 3483. The accessions were merged, re-processed, and fully described in this finding aid in 2007 by Megan McShea with funding from the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Preferred Citation

John White Alexander papers, 1775-1968, bulk 1870-1915. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Restrictions on Access

The collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.

Ownership and Literary Rights

The John White Alexander 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.

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Biographical Note

John White Alexander was born in 1856 in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania. He was orphaned at age five and taken in by relatives of limited means. When Alexander left school and began working at a telegraph company, the company's vice-president, former civil war Colonel Edward Jay Allen, took an interest in his welfare. Allen became his legal guardian, brought him into the Allen household, and saw that he finished Pittsburgh High School. At eighteen, he moved to New York City and was hired by Harper and Brothers as an office boy in the art department. He was soon promoted to apprentice illustrator under staff artists such as Edwin A. Abbey and Charles Reinhart. During his time at Harpers, Alexander was sent out on assignment to illustrate events such as the Philadelphia Centennial celebration in 1876 and the Pittsburgh Railroad Strike in 1877, which erupted in violence.

Alexander carefully saved money from his illustration work and traveled to Europe in 1877 for further art training. He first enrolled in the Royal Art Academy of Munich, Germany, but soon moved to the village of Polling, where a colony of American artists was at its peak in the late 1870s. Alexander established a painting studio there and stayed for about a year. Despite his absence from the Munich Academy, he won the medal of the drawing class for 1878, the first of many honors. While in Polling, he became acquainted with J. Frank Currier, Frank Duveneck, William Merritt Chase, and other regular visitors to the colony. He later shared a studio and taught a painting class in Florence with Duveneck and traveled to Venice, where he met James Abbott McNeill Whistler.

Alexander returned to New York in 1881 and resumed his commercial artwork for Harpers and Century. Harpers sent him down the Mississippi river to complete a series of sketches. He also began to receive commissions for portraits, and in the 1880s painted Charles Dewitt Bridgman, a daughter of one of the Harper brothers, Parke Godwin, Thurlow Weed, Walt Whitman, and Oliver Wendell Holmes. Alexander met his wife Elizabeth, whose maiden name was also Alexander, through her father, James W. Alexander, who was sometimes mistaken for the artist. Elizabeth and John White Alexander married in 1887 and had a son, James, in 1888.

Alexander and his family sailed for France in 1890, where they became a part of the lively literary and artistic scene in Paris at the time. Among their many contacts there were Puvis de Chavannes, Auguste Rodin, and Whistler, who arrived in Paris shortly thereafter. Alexander absorbed the new aesthetic ideas around him such as those of the symbolists and the decorative style of art nouveau. Critics often note how such ideas are reflected in his boldly composed paintings of women from this period, who titles drew attention to the sensual and natural elements of the paintings. His first exhibition in Paris was three paintings at the Société Nationale des Beaux Arts in 1893, and by 1895 he has become a full member of the Société.

Independent and secession artist societies emerged throughout Europe during this period, and Alexander exhibited with several of them, including the Société Neuvelle in Paris, the Munich Secession, and the Vienna Secession. He was also elected an honorary member of the Royal Society of Belgian Artists and the Royal Society of British Painters in London. His exhibited works sold well, and his influence began to be felt back in the United States. Andrew Carnegie and John Beatty of the Carnegie Institute consulted closely with Alexander in the planning and execution of the first Carnegie International Exhibitions. Alexander also became active in supporting younger American artists who wanted to exhibit in Europe, a stance which resulted in his resignation from the Society of American Artists in Paris, which he felt had become a barrier to younger artists. His promotion of American art became an central aspect of his career for the remainder of his life, most visibly through his presidency of the National Academy of Design from 1909 until shortly before his death in 1915. He also served frequently on juries for high-profile exhibitions, and was a trustee at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Public Library, and the national Institute of Arts and Letters. Around 1912, he helped to form the School Art League in New York, which provided art instruction to high school students.

Alexander returned to the United States nearly every summer while based in Paris, and among his commissioned paintings were murals for the newly-constructed Library of Congress, completed around 1896. In 1901, the Alexanders returned to New York permanently. The demand for portraits continued, and he had his first solo exhibition at the Durand-Ruel Galleries in 1902. Around 1905 he received a commission for murals at the new Carnegie Institute building in Pittsburgh for the astounding sum of $175,000. He created 48 panels there through 1908. During this period, the Alexanders spent summers in Onteora, New York, where Alexander painted his well-known "Sunlight" paintings. There they became friends and collaborators with the actress Maude Adams, with Alexander designing lighting and stage sets, and Elizabeth Alexander designing costumes for Adams' productions such as Peter Pan, the Maid of Orleans, and Chanticleer. The couple became known for their "theatricals" or tableaux, staged at the MacDowell Club and elsewhere, and Elizabeth Alexander continued her design career when her husband died in 1915.

Alexander left several commissions unfinished upon his death at age 59, including murals in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Elizabeth Alexander held a memorial exhibition at Arden Galleries a few months after his death, and a larger memorial exhibition was held by the Carnegie Institute in 1916. Alexander won dozens of awards for artwork in his lifetime, including the Lippincott Prize at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1899, the Gold Medal of Honor at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900, the Gold Medal at the Panama Pacific Exposition of 1901, and the Medal of the First Class at the Carnegie Institute International Exhibition in 1911. In 1923, the Alexander Memorial Studio was built at the MacDowell colony in New Hampshire to honor his memory.

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Scope and Content Note

The papers of the painter, muralist, and illustrator John White Alexander measure 12 linear feet and date from 1775 to 1968, with the bulk of materials dating from 1870 to 1915. Papers document Alexander's artistic career and many connections to figures in the art world through biographical documentation, correspondence (some illustrated), writings, 13 sketchbooks, additonal artwork and loose sketches, scrapbooks, photographs, awards and medals, artifacts, and other records. Also found is a souvenir engraving of a Mark Twain self-portrait.

Biographical Information includes multiple essays related to Alexander, his family, and others in his circle. Also found is an extensive oral history of Alexander's wife Elizabeth conducted in 1928. Correspondence includes letters written by Alexander to his family from New York and Europe at the start of his career, and later letters from fellow artists, art world leaders, and portrait sitters of Alexander's. Significant correspondents include Charles Dana Gibson, Florence Levy, Frederick Remington, Robert Louis Stevenson, Henry James, John La Farge, Francis Davis Millet, and Andrew Carnegie. Correspondence includes some small sketches as enclosures and illustrated letters.

Certificates and records related to Alexander's career are found in Associations and Memberships, Legal and Financial Records, and Notes and Writings, which contain documentation of Alexander's paintings and exhibitions. Scattered documentation of Alexander's memberships in various arts association exists for the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Academy in Rome, the National Academy of Design, the Onteora Club in New York, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, Germany, the Ministère de L'Instruction Publique et des Beaux-Arts, the Union Internationale des Beaux Arts et des Lettres, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Notes and Writings include speeches written by Alexander, short stories and essays written by his wife, and articles by various authors about Alexander. Extensive documentation of the planning and construction of the Alexander Memorial Studio by the MacDowell Club is found, along with other awards, medals, and memorial resolutions adopted by arts organizations after Alexander's death.

Artwork includes thirteen sketchbooks with sketches related to Alexander's commercial illustration and cartooning, murals, paintings, and travels. Dozens of loose drawings and sketches are also found, along with two volumes and several dozen loose reproductions of artwork, among which are found fine prints by named printmakers. Many sketches are also interspersed throughout the correspondence. Eight Scrapbooks contain mostly clippings, but also scattered letters, exhbition catalogs, announcements, invitations, and photographs related to Alexander's career between 1877 and 1915. Additional Exhibition Catalogs and later clippings, as well as clippings related to the career of his wife and other subjects, are found in Printed Materials.

Photographs include many portraits of Alexander taken by accomplished photographers such as Zaida Ben-Yusuf, Aimé Dupont, Curtis Bell, Elizabeth Buehrmann, and several signed Miss Huggins, who may have been Estelle Huntington Huggins, a New York painter and photographer. Portraits of others include Alexander's friends William Merritt Chase, Edward Austin Abbey, and James McNeill Whistler. Also found are photographs of groups, juries, family, friends, and studios in New York, Paris, and New Jersey, and a handful of scenic photographs of Polling, Bavaria, where Alexander had an early studio. A large number of photographs of works of art are found, many with annotations. Among the photographs of murals are a small collection of snapshots of the Carnegie Institute murals in progress. Miscellaneous artifacts include a palette, several printing plates, and an inscribed souvenir engraving of a self-portrait caricature of Mark Twain.

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Names and Subject Terms

This collection is indexed in the online catalog of the Archives of American Art under the following terms:

Subjects:

• Abbey, Edwin Austin, 1852-1911
• Alexander, John White, 1856-1915
• Chase, William Merritt, 1849-1916
• MacDowell Club of New York
• Whistler, James McNeill, 1834-1903

Subjects-Topical:

• Illustrators -- New York (State) -- New York
• Muralists -- New York (State) -- New York
• Portrait painters -- New York (State) -- New York
• Portrait painting, American
• Portrait painting -- 19th century
• Portrait painting -- 20th century

Types of Materials:

• Awards
• Interviews
• Medals
• Photographs
• Scrapbooks
• Sketchbooks
• Works of art

Names:

• Alexander, Elizabeth A., d. 1947
• Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919
• Gibson, Charles Dana, 1867-1944
• James, Henry, 1843-1916
• La Farge, John, 1835-1910
• Levy, Florence N. (Florence Nightingale), 1870-1947
• Millet, Francis Davis, 1846-1912
• Remington, Frederic, 1861-1909
• Stevenson, Robert Louis, 1850-1894

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Arrangement

The collection is arranged into 11 series:

• Series 1: Biographical Information, circa 1887-1968 (Box 1, OV 23; 0.1 linear feet)
• Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1870-1942 (Box 1; 0.7 linear feet)
• Series 3: Associations and Memberships, circa 1897-1918 (Box 1; 2 folders)
• Series 4: Legal and Financial Records, 1775, 1896-1923 (Box 1; 5 folders)
• Series 5: Notes and Writings, circa 1875-1943 (Boxes 1-2; 0.3 linear feet)
• Series 6: Awards and Memorials, circa 1870-1944 (Box 2, OV 24; 0.8 linear feet)
• Series 7: Artwork, circa 1875-1915 (Boxes 2-3, 14-16, OV 23; 1.5 linear feet)
• Series 8: Scrapbooks, circa 1877-1915 (Boxes 17-22; 1.8 linear feet)
• Series 9: Printed Materials, circa 1891-1945 (Boxes 3-4, OV 23; 1.5 linear feet)
• Series 10: Photographs, circa 1870-1915 (Boxes 4-13, OV 25-43, RD 44-45; 5 linear feet)
• Series 11: Artifacts, circa 1899-1915 (Box 6, artifact cabinet; 0.4 linear feet)

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Series Descriptions/Container Listing

Series 1: Biographical Information, circa 1887-1968 (Box 1, OV 23; 0.1 linear feet)

This series contains notes, writings, and printed materials that describe the life of John White Alexander, as well as ephemera and personal documents related to specific life events.

Notes and narratives include biographical essays about Alexander and his guardian, Colonel Edward Jay Allen, taken from published reference works, and notes made by Elizabeth Alexander in preparation of those entries. Personal documents and ephemera include a wedding invitation, an identity card issued for the Paris International Exposition of 1900, a calling card, a circular about an artist named Jacques Alexander, examples of Alexander's signature, and a French visa. Also found are drafts of essays by Elizabeth Alexander about her husband and others in their circle, and an oral history interview of Elizabeth Alexander in three parts taken by DeWitt M. Lockman, a later president of the National Academy of Design.

Much of this series is reproduced on microfilm reel 1727. The current arrangement may be different from the arrangement represented on the microfilm.

Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1870-1942(Box 1; 0.7 linear feet)

This series contains personal and business correspondence of John White Alexander and his wife, Elizabeth Alexander. Correspondence from the 1870s and 1880s consists primarily of Alexander's letters home to his guardian, Colonel Edward Jay Allen, the Allen family, and his friend, E.E. Phelps, all in Pittsburgh, written from New York and Europe. 1876 letters detail his visit to the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Many of these letters are found with typed transcriptions which contain scattered annotations which appear to be in Elizabeth Alexander's handwriting. In a couple of cases, transcripts exist for letters which are no longer found in the collection.

The remainder of correspondence consists of letters to Alexander from fellow artists, patrons, museums, arts organizations, and friends. Significant correspondents include Charles Dana Gibson, Florence Levy, Frederick Remington, Robert Louis Stevenson, Henry James, John La Farge, Francis Davis Millet, and Andrew Carnegie. These and other significant correspondents are noted in the folder listing. Letters dated after Alexander's death in 1915 are addressed to Elizabeth Alexander, with a single letter addressed to the Alexanders' son James.

A number of sketches by Alexander are found in his letters from Europe dated from 1877 to 1880. There are also scattered illustrated letters and an Illustrated letter from Ivan P. Pranishnikoff is found from 1898. Additional types of records found include scattered receipts and clippings.

Correspondence is arranged chronologically, with undated correspondence filed at the beginning of the series. Additional correspondence is found in Scrapbooks. See Scrapbook series description and folder listing for more details.

Much of this series is reproduced on microfilm reels 1727. The current arrangement is similar to the arrangement on microfilm.

Series 3: Associations and Memberships, circa 1897-1918 (Box 1; 2 folders)

This series contains membership certificates, cards, circulars, rosters, and other records associated with European and American art organizations in which Alexander participated, or which solicited his participation. Organizations represented in this series include the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the American Academy in Rome, the National Academy of Design, the Onteora Club (New York), the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Munich, Germany), the Ministère de L'Instruction Publique et des Beaux-Arts, the Union Internationale des Beaux Arts et des Lettres, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Items in this series are arranged chronologically.

Much of this series is on microfilm reel 1728, frames 1016 to 1944. The current arrangement is similar to the arrangement represented on the microfilm.

Series 4: Legal and Financial Records, 1775, 1896-1923(Box 1; 5 folders)

This series includes an 18th century road report, copyright forms, a contract, royalty statements, and receipts. Among receipts are insurance payments, membership dues, and financial transactions. Scattered receipts are also found among Correspondence.

Additional records documenting Alexander's artwork are found in Notes and Writings.

Much of this series is found on microfilm reel 1728, frames 1045 to 1071. The current arrangement is similar to the arrangement represented on the microfilm.

Series 5: Notes and Writings, circa 1875-1943(Boxes 1-2; 0.3 linear feet)

This series contains notes, essays, speeches, short stories, news articles, poems, and records of artwork written by John White Alexander, his wife Elizabeth Alexander, and others.

Notes appear to be fragments of essays or speeches, typed and handwritten. A few rough sketches are found among the notes. Speeches by John White Alexander are mainly on art subjects. These include a 1901 talk for New York City's founder's Day entitled "Our Tariff on Art," and a 1912 address to the Onteora Club on the formation of the School Art League.

Short stories by Elizabeth Alexander are found in typescript and handwritten form. Tear sheets for several of her published stories illustrated by John White Alexander are also found. Original drawings of some of these illustrations are found in Artwork.

Articles about Alexander include typescripts of two critical essays by his contemporaries Sadakichi Hartmann and Anne Webb Kamaghan, a catalog description by Julia deWolf Addision, and a collection of transcribed news stories and editorials about his resignation from the Society of American Painters in Paris.

Records of artwork include two bound volumes with information about paintings and many lists of paintings related to exhibitions and storage. The second folder of lists appears to be related to a memorial exhibitions held for Alexander in 1916, and the fourth contains a small notebook with the heading "List of Portraits and Paintings by Alexander painted before 1887."

Much of this series is found on reels 1728 and 1729. The current arrangement is similar to the arrangement represented on the microfilm.

Series 6: Awards and Memorials, circa 1870-1944 (Box 2, OV 24; 0.8 linear feet)

This series contains award certificates and medals awarded to Alexander during his lifetime, and memorial resolutions and projects carried out after his death in 1915.

Award certificates and medals are found from the Royal Academy of Art in Munich, the Carnegie Institute, and the Panama Pacific Exposition. Additional medals awarded for Alexander's artwork are found from the Societé National des Beaux-Arts, the Paris Exposition of 1900, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Pan American Exposition, the Saint Louis Exposition, the Buenos Aires Exposition, and the School Arts League. Additional medals from civic organizations are also found.

Extensive materials are found documenting the creation of the Alexander Memorial Studio at the McDowell Colony in New Hampshire, including published reports of the McDowell Club and Colony, images in the form of photo postcards and engravings, and a studio book containing photographs of the studio's construction, a history of the studio, and the signatures of resident artists. Notes and correspondence concerning the history of the studio are found tucked in the book.

Over a dozen memorial resolutions issued upon Alexander's death by arts organizations to which he contributed during his lifetime are found. Several of these resolutions exist in ornate, calligraphic, bound volumes.

Many of the items in this series were microfilmed on reel 1729. The actual medals were not microfilmed; a list of the medals is found at the beginning of reel 1727. The current arrangement is different from the arrangement found on microfilm.

Additional photographs of the Alexander Memorial Studio are found in Photographs.

Series 7: Artwork, circa 1875-1915 (Boxes 2-3, 14-16, OV 23; 1.5 linear feet)

This series contains 13 sketchbooks, sketches and drawings on loose paper, and reproductions of John White Alexander's artwork in a variety of print media, including fine prints by various printmakers. An engraved portrait of Alexander by Arthur G. Learned is also found at the end of the series.

Sketchbooks contain drawings, sketches, cartoons, and illustrations in pencil, ink, wash, and gouache. A few are dated in the original. Others have been assigned dates during processing based on their content: cartoons and illustrations are dated to Alexander's main period of newspaper and magazine work (1873-1899), and sketches related to murals are dated to the murals' years of execution (Library of Congress, 1896; Carnegie Institute, 1905-1908). Additional notes on sketchbook content are found in the folder listing.

Loose sketches are filed by media, including charcoal, pencil, wash, and ink. Most of the pencil sketches are preliminary studies of allegorical figures and appear to relate to mural projects. Wash and ink drawings are more finished in appearance and were executed on Bristol board, and may have been published illustrations.

Reproductions of artwork consist of halftone prints, etchings, and engravings of Alexander's cartoons, paintings, murals, and illustrations. Reproductions are found on loose pages and in two oversized volumes. Many of the reproductions are fine prints and are signed by the printmaker. Names include George Bartle, John William Evans, Thomas Heard, William Fowler Hopson, Thomas Johnson, Frederick Juengling, W.H. Morse, Caroline A. Powell, Harry Elliott Sylvester, John H.E. Whitney, and Henry Wolf.

The second volume of reproductions also contains other types of materials, including six photographs of artwork, one sketched caricature of Alexander dated 1885, and five photographs picturing Alexander around 1903 to 1913. Among the loose reproductions are two large color prints are signed by Alexander, and installation views of the 1915 memorial exhibition at Arden Galleries.

Additional sketches and illustrated letters are found in Correspondence and Notes and Writings series, and additional art reproductions are found in Scrapbooks and Photographs.

Much of this series was microfilmed on reel 1730. The current arrangement of this series differs from the microfilm arrangement.

Series 8: Scrapbooks, circa 1877-1915(Boxes 17-22; 1.8 linear feet)

Eight scrapbooks date primarily from 1888 to 1915, with some earlier clippings in the first volume from Alexander's first trip to Europe in the late 1870s. Scrapbooks begin shortly after his marriage to Elizabeth Alexander and contain annotations that appear to be in her handwriting. Thus, the scrapbooks may have been created by her.

Most of the contents of the scrapbooks are newspaper and magazine clippings, with articles about Alexander's art activities and reproductions of his paintings. Also found are scattered letters from patrons and organizations announcing honors and thanking Alexander for commissioned portraits. Other types of items in the scrapbooks include exhibition invitations and catalogs, invitations to club events, programs for speaking engagements, and a few photographs.

Exhibition catalogs in the scrapbooks include Alexander's one-man show at Durand-Ruel Galleries (1901-1902), Pratt Institute (1905), the National Arts Club retrospective (1909), the Albright Knox gallery retrospective (1909), and the Art Institute of Chicago (1913). Other special contents of individual scrapbooks are noted in the folder listing.

Contents of scrapbooks are in loose chronological order, with each volume covering three to five years. Scattered items fall outside of the date ranges indicated for each volume. Additional volumes containing art reproductions, engravings, and photographs are found in the artwork series. Additional exhibition catalogs and clippings are found in the Printed Materials series.

The scrapbooks were microfilmed on reels 1729-1730. The current arrangement is the same as the arrangement on microfilm.

Series 9: Printed Materials, circa 1891-1945 (Boxes 3-4, OV 23; 1.5 linear feet)

This series contains magazine and newspaper clippings, exhibition catalogs, circulars, bulletins, reports, books, pamphlets, and brochures.

Clippings in this series are often duplicated in Scrapbooks, especially those dating to Alexander's lifetime. Later clippings are unique to this series. The scope of subjects found in this series is also greater, including not only stories about Alexander's career, but also about other artists, family matters, and Elizabeth Alexander's career before and after her husband's death.

Exhibition catalogs are found for Alexander's solo exhibitions, before and after his death. Scattered catalogs for other artists' exhibitions are also found. The 1905 catalog of a Pratt Institute exhibition contains prices, and a 1915 catalog for his memorial exhibition is marked with scattered corrections and sales. Additional exhibition catalogs are found in Scrapbooks.

Circulars include an unsigned, printed letter of protest to the Metropolitan Museum of Art related to an exhibition of European modernists. Entire issues of a variety of magazines are found, several of which contain major articles related to Alexander and his artwork. See details in the folder listing. Bulletins and reports relate to organizations in which Alexander was involved or exhibited. Miscellaneous printed materials include calling cards, a magazine subscription, and a civil defense poster.

Additional printed materials are found throughout the collection, especially in Artwork and Scrapbooks. See series descriptions for more details.

Printed materials were microfilmed on reels 1730-1731. The current arrangement is similar to the arrangement on microfilm.

Series 10: Photographs, circa 1870-1915 (Boxes 4-13, OV 25-43, RD 44-45; 5 linear feet)

This series contains photographs of John White Alexander, friends and associates, family members, studios, places, exhibitions, and works of art.

Dozens of formal portraits are found depicting Alexander, many taken by notable photographers, including Zaida Ben-Yusuf, Aimé Dupont, Curtis Bell, Elizabeth Buehrmann, and several signed Miss Huggins, who may have been Estelle Huntington Huggins, a New York painter and photographer. Also found are photographs made in the well-known studios of Pach, Sarony, and George Rockwood. Portraits of others include Alexander's friends William Merritt Chase, Edward Austin Abbey, and James McNeill Whistler.

Groups portraits depict Carnegie Founders' Day, the Metro Club, and the National Academy of Design. Juries include the Carnegie International Exhibition, the National Academy of Design, and one group identified as both the Academy jury and the last meeting of the Paris Society of American Artists.

Annotations are found throughout the series, in what appears to be either John White Alexander's or Elizabeth Alexander's handwriting. Mrs. Alexander's annotations in particular sometimes contradict information found in the photograph itself, or on other photographs of the same subjects. Contradictory annotations are particularly common among jury, studio, and personal photographs, and photographs of works of art.

Photographs of Alexander's studios include spaces in New York City; Paris; Sea Bright, New Jersey; and Onteora, New York; Alexander is pictured in some of the studios. Also found are photographs of the Alexander Memorial Studio built at the MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire after Alexander's death, several of which were taken by photographer Jesse Tarbox Beals. See Awards and Memorials for more images and documentation of the MacDowell studio.

Individuals identified in personal photographs include Alexander, Katherine Beatty, Ed Moran, Thomas S. Clarke, and Alexander's son, James. Also pictured here is Alexander with portraits painted at the Cowan residence in Scotland circa 1900, and Alexander in a mummy costume circa 1903-1904. Numerous photographs of unidentified children appear to have been taken in Alexander's Paris studio. Photographs of Polling, Bavaria show scenic views and architectural details.

Photographs of works of art span Alexander's career and are sometimes annotated with titles, dates of execution, and often owners. Note that annotations are sometimes contradictory. Photographs of paintings are arranged in broad chronological groups, with approximate dates noted in parentheses in the folder listing. These dates have not been verified, however, and many paintings are undated.

Original glass negatives are found for several personal photographs, photographs of studios, and photographs of works of art. Several of the negatives of works of art are retouched and numbered in the original. Recent prints have been made from the original negatives are filed along with vintage prints. Note that recent prints of paintings have been cropped to the picture frame and do not show the negative images in their entirety.

Additional photographs are found in Awards and Memorials, Artwork, and Scrapbooks.

Items in this series were microfilmed on reels 1807 and 3483. The current arrangement is different form the arrangement found on microfilm.

Series 11: Artifacts, circa 1899-1915 (Box 6 and artifact cabinet; 0.4 linear feet)

This series contains a variety of objects found among Alexander's papers. The metal door plate reads "J.W. Alexander, Artist" and is signed J.C. Michel and Son. Printing plates are for an ex-libris engraving and two newspaper photographs. Souvenir pendants are from dedications of the Carnegie Institute in 1907 and the New York Public Library in 1911. Title plates from exhibited paintings include one for "Sunlight" and another for a portrait of Mercer Beasley, LLD.

Materials in this series were not microfilmed.