Research Collections > Collections Online > Romare Bearden papers > About this Collection

Notice anything different? We've made some updates to our site. Send questions or comments to website feedback.

Image for Series 1: Biographical, 1977, undated

This collection has been digitized: View Collection

About the Romare Bearden papers

All information on this page comes from A Finding Aid to the Romare Bearden Papers, 1937-1982, in the Archives of American Art by Barbara Aikens, in the Archives of American Art. (Printable Version of Finding Aid: PDF, 80 KB )

Biographical Information | Description of the Collection | How to Use the Collection

Biographical Information [+]

Born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, in 1914, Bearden's family relocated to New York City when Bearden was a toddler. Living in Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, Bearden was exposed to such luminaries as writer Langston Hughes, painter Aaron Douglas, and musician Duke Ellington. While attending New York University, Bearden became interested in cartooning and became the art editor of the NYU Medley in his senior year. He received his B.S. in mathematics in 1935, initially planning to pursue medical school. Realizing that he had little interest in the other sciences however, Bearden began attending classes at the Art Students League in the evenings, studying under George Grosz. READ MORE

Return to top

Description of the Collection

Overview - Scope and Contents [+]

The papers of Romare Bearden measure two linear feet and date from 1937 to 1982. The collection includes biographical information, correspondence, writings by and about Bearden, miscellaneous legal and financial material, photographs, drawings, and printed material. READ MORE

Correspondence is with family, friends, artists, galleries, museums, publishers, universities, arts associations, and colleagues, primarily concerning gallery space, exhibitions, sales of artwork, publishing, and arts events. Also found are numerous letters referring to African-American art movements of the 1960s and 1970s, including exhibitions, publications, associations, and scattered letters of a more personal nature. Many of the letters are illustrated with Bearden's doodlings and drawings. Although most of the letters are from galleries, museums, publishers, and arts associations, scattered letters from Charles Alston, Jacob Lawrence, Ad Reinhardt, Carl Holty, and Sam Middleton are found. In addition, there are letters from the Black Academy of Arts and Letters, and letters concerning its founding.

Writings by Bearden include lectures, speeches, talks, essays, and prose. Many are handwritten, annotated, and edited in Bearden's hand and several are illustrated with Bearden's doodlings and sketches. Included are a memorial delivered upon artist Carl Holty's death, a tribute to Zell Ingram, autobiographical essays, essays on art, and African-American art, artists, and cultural life. Also found are several handwritten examples of Bearden's prose and poetry. There are also writings by others and one folder of fragments and notes assumed to be by Bearden.

The collection houses two folders of photographs and snapshots of Bearden, family members, other unidentified artists or friends, classes and/or lectures, and works of art. Also found are several undated ink drawings, sketches in pencil and ink, and a hand-drawn and colored map with overlay of Paris. Printed material includes examples of Bearden's commissioned artwork for publications, press releases, exhibition catalogs and announcements, invitations, newspaper and magazine clippings, and miscellaneous printed materials. Although much of the printed material concerns Bearden's work, a fair portion concerns African-American art, artists, and cultural movements. HIDE

Arrangement and Series Description

The collection is arranged into seven series based on type of materials. Documents within each of the seven series have been arranged in chronological order, except for the writings which have been further subdivided by creator and are undated. Printed materials have been arranged primarily according to form of material and are in rough chronological order.

Return to top

Subjects

This collection is indexed in the online catalog of the Archives of American Art under the following index terms. People, families and organizations are listed under "Subjects" when they are the topic of collection contents and under "Names" when they are creators or contributors.

Subjects-Topical:
- African American painters -- New York (State) -- New York
- African American Artists
- Painting
- Painters -- New York (State) -- New York

Types of Materials:
- Photographs
- Drawings
- Exhibition catalogs
- Works of art
- Maps -- Paris (France)
- Sketches

Names:
- Alston, Charles Henry, 1907-1977
- Reinhardt, Ad, 1913-1967
- Holty, Carl, 1900-1973
- Lawrence, Jacob, 1917-
- Middleton, Samuel M., 1927-

Provenance

Romare Bearden donated his papers in several increments between 1977 and 1983. In 1968, Bearden also loaned letters, a scrapbook, photographs, printed materials, and writings that were microfilmed and returned to Bearden. He later donated some of this same material to AAA.

Return to top

How the Collection was Processed

All accessions were merged and fully processed, arranged, and described in 2003 by Barbara Aikens. A portion of an earlier loan that was microfilmed on reel N/68-87 was merged and processed with the later accessions.

Return to top

How to Use the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The Romare Bearden 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.

The bulk of the collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website. Use of material not digitized requires an appointment.

Available Formats

This collection has been digitized. View the Romare Bearden papers online

The bulk of the collection was digitized in 2005 and is available online via AAA's website.

Related Collections

Within the Archives holdings are two oral history interviews with Romare Bearden. One was conducted in 1968 by Henri Ghent and another in 1980 by Avis Berman. Both have been transcribed and the 1968 interview transcript is available on the Archives website and on microfilm.

Separated Materials

In 1968 Romare Bearden loaned a scrapbook, photographs, catalogs, clippings, and writings for microfilming on reels N/68-87. These materials are not described in this finding aid.

How to Cite this Collection

Romare Bearden papers, 1937-1982. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Return to top