About the Ad Reinhardt papers
A Finding Aid to the Ad Reinhardt Papers, 1927-1968 ![[Download PDF Version]](/images/website/pdficon_small.gif)
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Biographical Information | Description of the Collection | How to Use the Collection | Series Descriptions
Biographical Information [+]
Ad Reinhardt was born Adolph Dietrich Friedrich Reinhardt in 1913 in Buffalo, New York. Shortly after he was born, his family moved to Queens, New York. As a child he copied "funnies" and made collages from newspapers and won many school and community prizes for his artwork. In the fall of 1931 he entered Columbia University and studied art history under Meyer Schapiro, who encouraged him to get involved in radical campus politics. Reinhardt became the editor and cover designer of Jester, a campus magazine. After graduating in 1935, he trained as a painter at the National Academy of Design under Karl Anderson, and at the American Artists School under Francis Criss and Carl Holty, until 1937. At this time he joined American Abstract Artists and became affiliated with American artistic-political groups and other artist organizations. From 1936 to 1941 he worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Art Project, Easel Division, while simultaneously developing his mature style of linear, abstract painting. READ MORE
Description of the Collection
Overview - Scope and Contents [+]
The papers of Ad Reinhardt measure 3.8 linear feet and date from 1927 to 1968. The collection documents Reinhardt's career as an abstract painter, cartoonist, and writer through biographical material, correspondence, writings, printed material, scrapbooks, and artwork. READ MORE
Arrangement and Series Description
The collection is arranged into 6 series. Although arrangement of the collection does not follow arrangement of the microfilm, microfilm reel numbers for the material in each series are noted in the series descriptions.
- Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1928-1967 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet)
- Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1930-1967 (Boxes 1-2; 1.1 linear feet)
- Series 3: Writings and Notes, circa 1953-1966 (Box 2; 7 folders)
- Series 4: Printed Material, circa 1927-1968 (Boxes 2-4; 1.7 linear feet)
- Series 5: Scrapbooks, circa 1928-1959 (Boxes 4-5; 0.5 linear feet)
- Series 6: Artwork, circa 1946, 1950, 1961 (Box 4; 4 folders)
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:
- United States--Works Progress Administration
- Brooklyn College--Faculty
- Subjects-Topical:
- Painters--New York (State)--New York
- Cartoonists--New York (State)--New York
- Authors--New York (State)--New York
- Art, Modern
- Types of Materials:
- Works of art
- Scrapbooks
Provenance
The collection was donated in 1969 by Rita Reinhardt, Ad Reinhardt's widow. The Archives microfilmed most of the collection on Reels N69-99 to N69-104 upon receipt. At the same time, Ms. Reinhardt loaned additional notes, writings, correspondence, photographs of art work, and travel logs for microfilming on the same reels.
How the Collection was Processed
The collection received some processing shortly after it was donated in 1969 and prior to microfilming on Reels N69-99 - N69-104. Previously microfilmed and unmicrofilmed portions were merged, arranged, and described in accordance with archival standards by Erin Corley in 2006 with funding provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
How to Use the Collection
Restrictions on Use
The Ad Reinhardt 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 collection is open for research. Use requires an appointment.
Available Formats
Portions of the collection are available on 35 mm microfilm reels N69-99 - N69-104 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 may not reflect the order of the collection on microfilm. Material loaned for microfilming, including additional notes, writings, correspondence, photographs of art work, and travel logs, is also available on the microfilm reels mentioned above. Loaned materials are not described in this finding aid.
Related Collections
Related material found in the Archives includes Ad Reinhardt postcards (to Katherine Scrivener), Ad Reinhardt letters and artwork (loaned material, available on microfilm only), Abe Ajay correspondence with Ad Reinhardt, Marjorie Grimm printed material and letters received from Ad Reinhardt, one photograph of Ad Reinhardt and Colette Roberts by William R. Simmons, and a 1955 painting by Ad Reinhardt.
Separated Materials
Originals of loaned material, including notes and writings, Thomas Merton Correspondence, and trip logs, were returned to Rita Reinhardt after microfilming. Loaned material is available for viewing on microfilm reels N69-99 - N69-103, but is not described in this finding aid.
How to Cite this Collection
Ad Reinhardt papers, 1927-1968. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Series Descriptions
Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1928-1967 (Box 1; 0.3 linear feet)
Biographical material documents Reinhardt's personal life, as well as his career and his participation in the art community. This series contains several drafts of an artist's chronology written by Reinhardt that places his life and career in the context of the larger modern art movement and illuminates many important moments in his life. Also included are numerous identification documents, such as his passports, membership cards to various art, political, and social organizations, and a fellowship application form containing an artist statement and other biographical information. Also found are materials documenting Reinhardt's service in the military, his work for the WPA, and his professorship at Brooklyn College. This series contains Reinhardt's high school yearbook, business cards and event ephemera collected by him, his address book and lists, as well as exhibition labels from exhibits at Betty Parsons Gallery and the Jewish Museum.
Biographical material is available on microfilm reel N69-99, frames 1-403, unless otherwise noted.
Folders are arranged alphabetically and items are arranged chronologically within each folder.
| Box | Folder |
|
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Address Books and Lists, undated (Reel N69-99: 529-614) |
| 1 | 2 | Artist's Chronology, circa 1965 |
| 1 | 3 | Blood Donor Registration Book, 1939, 1942 |
| 1 | 4 | Brooklyn College Faculty Forms, 1957, 1963 |
| 1 | 5 | Business Cards, undated |
| 1 | 6 | Credit Cards, 1963-1967 |
| 1 | 7 | Event Ephemera, 1963, 1966, undated |
| 1 | 8 | Exhibition Labels, circa 1956-1960, 1967 |
| 1 | 9 | Fellowship Application Form, 1958 |
| 1 | 10 | Identification Cards, 1940, circa 1952-1953, undated |
| 1 | 11 | Material on Frank and Olga Reinhardt, 1957 |
| 1 | 12 | Membership Cards, 1936-1966, undated |
| 1 | 13 | Newton High School Yearbook, 1931 |
| 1 | 14 | New York University Bursar's Receipts, 1946-1951 |
| 1 | 15 | Passports, 1952, 1958, 1961, 1966 |
| 1 | 16 | Selective Service Documentation, 1941-1945 |
| 1 | 17 | United States Navy Records, 1940-1945 |
| 1 | 18 | Veterans Administration Documentation, 1945-1952 |
| 1 | 19 | Works Progress Administration Documentation, 1940-1941 |
| 1 | 20 | Miscellaneous Biographical Material, 1928-1966, undated |
Series 2: Correspondence, circa 1930-1967 (Boxes 1-2; 1.1 linear feet)
This series contains correspondence documenting Reinhardt's career as an artist and art professor, with the bulk of the material dating from 1946 to 1966. Most of the letters are incoming, and there are only a few draft copies of outgoing letters written by Reinhardt. Found in this series are several letters from artists, including Abe Ajay, cartoonist Dave Crockett Johnson, Helen Frankenthaler, George Rickey, and May Wilson, as well as letters from art critics and writers, including Lucy Lippard, and Ned O'Gorman. Reinhardt also received a large number of letters from art galleries and art dealers, including Betty Parsons Gallery, Iris Clert, Dwan Gallery, and Jock Truman, and art museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, Jewish Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, regarding the exhibition, loan, or sale of his artwork. Numerous letters in this series concern his participation as a guest lecturer, visiting artist, or symposium participant at colleges and universities throughout the country, as well as his professorship at Brooklyn College. READ MORE
Letters are arranged alphabetically by correspondent.
| Box | Folder |
|
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | A, Miscellaneous, 1946-1966, undated |
| 1 | 22 | Ajay, Abe, 1963-1964 |
| 1 | 23 | American Federation of Arts, 1957-1964 |
| 1 | 24 | American Institute of Architects, 1962 |
| 1 | 25 | Architectural League of New York, 1956-1964 |
| 1 | 26 | Art Association of Indianapolis, 1965-1966 |
| 1 | 27 | Artforum, 1966 |
| 1 | 28 | Art Institute of Chicago, 1963 |
| 1 | 29 | Arts Fraud Investigation, 1966 |
| 1 | 30 | B, Miscellaneous, 1943-1966, undated |
| 1 | 31 | Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation, 1963-1965 |
| 1 | 32 | Betty Parsons Gallery, 1961-1964 |
| 1 | 33 | Brooklyn College, 1946-1966 |
| 1 | 34 | Bucknell University, 1965-1966 |
| 1 | 35 | C, Miscellaneous: Ca-Ch, 1946-1966 |
| 1 | 36 | C, Miscellaneous: Ci-Cu, 1930-1967, undated |
| 1 | 37 | Carpenter, Charles, 1963 |
| 1 | 38 | Clert, Iris, 1960-1966 |
| 1 | 39 | Cleveland Museum of Art, 1964-1966 |
| 1 | 40 | Columbia University Teachers College, 1934, 1944-1962 |
| 1 | 41 | Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), 1963-1965 |
| 1 | 42 | Cooper Union, 1955-1966 |
| 1 | 43 | Crockett Johnson, Dave, 1961-1966 |
| 1 | 44 | D-E, Miscellaneous, 1946-1966 |
| 1 | 45 | Dayton Art Institute, 1959-1966 |
| 1 | 46 | Dissent Magazine, 1963-1966, undated |
| 1 | 47 | Dlugoszewski, Lucia, 1963-1965, undated |
| 1 | 48 | Dwan Gallery, 1962-1966 |
| 1 | 49 | F, Miscellaneous, 1935-1966 |
| 1 | 50-53 | Fan Mail, 1946-1948, undated (4 folders) |
| 1 | 54 | Finlay, Ian Hamilton, 1963-1966 |
| 1 | 55 | Fitzsimmons, James, 1962-1966 |
| 1 | 56 | Foundation for the Arts, Religion, and Culture, 1962-1966 |
| 1 | 57 | Frankenthaler, Helen, 1966-1967 |
| 1 | 58 | G, Miscellaneous, 1944-1966 |
| 1 | 59 | George Braziller, Inc., 1962-1966 |
| 1 | 60 | Graham Modern Painting and Sculpture, 1964-1965 |
| 1 | 61 | Guggenheim Museum, 1961-1963 |
| 1 | 62 | H, Miscellaneous, 1940-1967 |
| 1 | 63 | Hess, Thomas, 1954-circa 1966 |
| 1 | 64 | Hewitt, Frank, 1966 |
| 1 | 65 | Hunter, Sam (Rose Art Museum), 1963, undated |
| 1 | 66 | I-J, Miscellaneous, 1945-1967 |
| 1 | 67 | Institute of Contemporary Arts, 1964-1966 |
| 1 | 68 | Jewish Museum, 1962-1966 |
| 1 | 69 | K, Miscellaneous, 1946-1965 |
| 1 | 70 | L, Miscellaneous, 1943-1966 |
| 1 | 71 | Lippard, Lucy, 1966-1967 |
| 1 | 72 | Longview Foundation, Inc., 1963-1964 |
| 1 | 73 | Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1965-1966 |
| 1 | 74 | M, Miscellaneous: Ma-Me, 1947-1956, undated |
| 1 | 75 | M, Miscellaneous: Mi-Mu, 1948-1966, undated |
| 1 | 76 | Maryland Institute College of Art, 1964-1966 |
| 1 | 77 | Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, 1966 |
| 1 | 78 | Museum of Modern Art, 1952-1966 |
| 1 | 79 | N, Miscellaneous, 1940-1966 |
| Box | Folder |
|
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | National Council of Women of the United States, Inc., 1965 |
| 2 | 2 | New Jersey Water Color Society, 1960-1961 |
| 2 | 3 | O-P, Miscellaneous, 1943-1966, undated |
| 2 | 4 | O'Gorman, Ned, circa 1964-1967 |
| 2 | 5 | Ohio State University, 1959-1966 |
| 2 | 6 | PM Newspaper, 1946-1948 |
| 2 | 7 | Powers, Marcella, 1946-1947 |
| 2 | 8 | Q-R, Miscellaneous, 1957-1966, undated |
| 2 | 9 | Rickey, George, 1963-1965, undated |
| 2 | 10 | S, Miscellaneous, 1943-1967 |
| 2 | 11 | School Art League of New York City, 1948-1966 |
| 2 | 12 | Southern Illinois University, 1961-1963 |
| 2 | 13 | Syracuse University, 1957, 1966 |
| 2 | 14 | T, Miscellaneous, 1942-1965, undated |
| 2 | 15 | Truman, Jock, 1964-1965, undated |
| 2 | 16 | U, Miscellaneous, 1939-1966 |
| 2 | 17 | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1956-1965 |
| 2 | 18 | University of Oregon, 1963 |
| 2 | 19 | V, Miscellaneous, 1956-1966 |
| 2 | 20 | Village Art Center, 1949-1963 |
| 2 | 21 | W, Miscellaneous, 1938-1966, undated |
| 2 | 22 | Wadsworth Atheneum, 1963-1965 |
| 2 | 23 | Waggaman, John F., circa 1966 |
| 2 | 24 | Washington Gallery of Modern Art, 1965-1966 |
| 2 | 25 | Whitney Museum of American Art, 1953-1962 |
| 2 | 26 | Wilson, May, 1961-1963 |
| 2 | 27 | Y-Z, Miscellaneous, 1943-1947, 1963 |
| 2 | 28 | Yale University, 1952-1966 |
| 2 | 29-30 | Unidentified letters, 1944-1967, undated (2 folders) |
Series 3: Writings and Notes, circa 1953-1966 (Box 2; 7 folders)
Scattered writings include annotated calendars compiled by Reinhardt, drafts of published writings, such as the essay "Who is Responsible for Ugliness," drafts of letters, and other notes and lists on topics including modern art, aesthetics, and his career as an artist. Also found are lists of Chinese words and phrases written by Reinhardt during his study of Chinese art, a small number of photocopies from microfilm of other writings on art, and select pages from Reinhardt's notebooks. The only item in this series that wasn't written by Reinhardt is a progress report submitted to Reinhardt by a student in one of his classes. READ MORE
Items are arranged by type of material and chronologically within each folder.
| Box | Folder |
|
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 31-32 | Calendars, 1958-1963, 1965 (2 folders; Reel N69-99: 615-676) |
| 2 | 33 | Chinese Words and Phrases, undated (Reel N69-104: 562-585) |
| 2 | 34 | Draft Writings and Notes, 1953, 1966, undated |
| 2 | 35 | Pages from Notebooks (Photocopies), undated |
| 2 | 36 | Progress Report from Student, 1961 |
| 2 | 37 | Writings about Art (Photocopies), undated |
Series 4: Printed Material, circa 1927-1968 (Boxes 2-4; 1.7 linear feet)
This series contains published material that Reinhardt collected to document his career as an artist and his research on various topics. Included are numerous newspaper and magazine clippings of articles about his artwork and modern art in general, including articles written by Reinhardt. Also found are clippings that Reinhardt collected on other topics such as Asian art, architecture, Christian art, and aesthetics, and book reviews on many of these topics. Many of these clippings are annotated by Reinhardt with handwritten comments and underlined segments. Also in this series are announcements, invitations, catalogs, and posters for exhibitions of Reinhardt's art and the artwork of others, as well as other event announcements, calendars, and press releases for lectures, workshops, and benefits. Other items found here are brochures, conference programs, journals and newsletters from organizations, publications from his time as a student, and examples of his published artwork, including covers of Listen magazine and clippings of his numerous published cartoons.
Printed material was partially microfilmed and is available on reels N69-103 and N69-104, though the order may be different from that described below.
Items are arranged by type of material and chronologically within each folder.
| Box | Folder |
|
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 38 | Book Reviews, 1962, undated |
| 2 | 39 | Brochures, 1940, 1959, 1966, undated |
| 2 | 40-61 | Clippings, Ad Reinhardt and Modern Art, 1931-1967, undated (22 folders) |
| 2 | 62 | Clippings, African and Pre-Columbian Art, undated |
| 2 | 63 | Clippings, Architecture, undated |
| 2 | 64 | Clippings, Art History and Aesthetics, 1935, 1965-1967, undated |
| Box | Folder |
|
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | Clippings, Artwork by Others, undated |
| 3 | 2-4 | Clippings, Chinese and Japanese Art, undated (3 folders) |
| 3 | 5 | Clippings, Christian Art, undated |
| 3 | 6-7 | Clippings, Indian Art, undated (2 folders) |
| 3 | 8-9 | Clippings, Persian Art, undated (2 folders) |
| 3 | 10 | Clippings, Various Topics, 1952, 1963-1966, undated |
| 3 | 11 | Columbia Review, 1935, 1938 |
| 3 | 12 | Conference Programs, 1953-1966 |
| 3 | 13 | Event Announcements, 1946-1966, undated |
| 3 | 14 | Event Calendars, 1956-1957, 1960-1966 |
| 3 | 15-19 | Exhibition Announcements and Invitations, 1946-1967, undated (5 folders) |
| 3 | 20-24 | Exhibition Catalogs, 1940-1968, undated (5 folders) |
| 3 | 25 | Exhibition Posters, 1944-1966, undated |
| 3 | 26-27 | Journals and Newsletters, 1945-1949, 1956-1966, undated (2 folders) |
| 3 | 28 | Listen Magazine Covers, 1940-1941, 1944 |
| 3 | 29 | Movie Posters (photo-reproductions), circa 1930 |
| 3 | 30 | Navy Booklets, 1943-1945 |
| Box | Folder |
|
|---|---|---|
| 4 (hol) | 1 | Press Releases, 1946, 1964-1966, undated |
| 4 (hol) | 2-6 | Published Cartoons by Reinhardt, 1936-1960, undated (5 folders) |
| 4 (hol) | 7 | Red and Black of Public School 88, 1927 |
| 4 (hol) | 8 | Miscellaneous Printed Material, 1938-1966, undated |
Series 5: Scrapbooks, circa 1928-1959 (Boxes 4-5; 0.5 linear feet)
Scrapbooks compiled by Reinhardt document his high school and college days, as well as his early career as a professional artist. Included in his scrapbook from Newtown High school and his scrapbook from his time at Columbia University are clippings of his published comic strips, covers of magazines and other school publications that he designed, as well as clippings of articles about his role in school events and awards that he won. Also found here are loose scrapbook pages spanning twenty years of his career as an artist which contain newspaper and magazine articles about Reinhardt, published cartoons, pages from exhibition catalogs, and reproductions of his artwork.
Scrapbooks were partially microfilmed and are available on microfilm reels as noted in the container list below.
Items are arranged chronologically.
| Box | Folder |
|
|---|---|---|
| 4 (hol) | 13 | High School Scrapbook, circa 1928-1932 (Reel N69-99: 677-729) |
| Box | Folder |
|
|---|---|---|
| 5 (hol) | 1 | Columbia Scrapbook, 1932-1935 (Reel N69-99: 730-763; reel N69-100: 1-89) |
| 5 (hol) | 2-8 | Scrapbook Pages, 1939-1959, undated (7 folders) |
Series 6: Artwork, circa 1946, 1950, 1961 (Box 4; 4 folders)
This series contains artwork by Reinhardt including homemade Christmas cards, drawings of international architectural styles, primarily churches and temples, a sketch of a leaflet for an artist strike, and various other small sketches.
Artwork was partially microfilmed and is available on reel N69-104, frames 539-561.
| Box | Folder |
|
|---|---|---|
| 4 (hol) | 9 | Christmas Cards, undated |
| 4 (hol) | 10 | Drawings of Architectural Styles, undated |
| 4 (hol) | 11 | Sketches, 1950, undated |
| 4 (hol) | 12 | Sketch for Fine Artist Strike Leaflet, 1961 |