John Davis Hatch papers, 1790-1995

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A Finding Aid to the John Davis Hatch Papers, 1790-1995, in the Archives of American Art, by Jayna Hanson

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

Table of Contents:

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

Biographical Information

Art historian, collector, educator, and museum administrator John Davis Hatch (1907-1996) worked in the Boston and New England area, as well as the Pacific Northwest, and New York state. Hatch served as director of the Art Institute of Seattle, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Albany Institute of Art and History, and the Norfolk Museum of Art and Sciences.

John Davis Hatch was born in San Francisco, California in 1907. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were architects and Hatch studied landscape architecture at the University of California, Berkeley. He served as an apprentice to Lockwood de Forest. After abandoning landscape architecture, he accepted a position as director of the Seattle Fine Arts Society (1928-1931) at the age of twenty-one and taught art history courses at the University of Washington.

In 1932, Hatch accepted the position of assistant director of the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum in Boston, Massachusetts. He also directed the federal Public Works of Art Project in New England. Additionally, Hatch served from 1940-1948 as director of the Albany Institute of Art and History and from 1950-1959 of the Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences. Hatch worked as an art advisor for exhibitions at five historically African-American colleges in Atlanta and in San Simeon in California. He founded the American Drawing Annual exhibition.

Hatch conducted extensive research on artists Oscar Bluemner and John Vanderlyn, American silverwork, and American drawing. In addition, Hatch collected American drawings and later donated many of works of art from his personal collection to the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. Aside from his early teaching in Washington state, Hatch taught at the University of Massachusetts and the University of Oregon. He was a member of numerous professional arts-related organizations.

In 1939, Hatch married Olivia Stokes with whom he had four children: Sarah, John, Daniel and James. He died in 1996.

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Overview of the Collection

Scope and Contents

The papers of art historian, collector, educator, and museum administrator John Davis Hatch measure 24.9 linear feet and date from 1790-1995. Within the papers are biographical materials; correspondence; personal business and legal documents; diaries; research, organization and teaching files; writings; printed materials; photographs; and works of art (mostly sketches) by American artists. Research files regarding artists and specific subjects comprise the bulk of this collection.

Scattered biographical materials include an invitation to the Hatch's anniversary party in 1964, short biographical sketches and resumes, certificates, report cards, a silhouette of the Hatch Family circa 1904, and a typecript of a diary written by Olivia Hatch as a child.

Correspondence includes professional correspondence between Hatch and colleagues; letters from family and friends; and some materials regarding exhibitions from the Hatch Collection. The bulk of correspondence spans Hatch's professional career although there are scattered letters from 1915-1943 from Hatch to his parents. Also found are letters addressed to an unidentified "Henry." Correspondence is also found in the research files.

Personal business and financial records consist of inventories, bills, receipts, and other records for artworks purchased, loaned, or donated by Hatch. Also found are records from the J. D. Hatch Associates Cultural Consultants, a draft of Hatch's will, stock and tax materials, and travel papers and passports.

Scattered diaries and journal fragments and a transcript date from 1925-1965. Thirteen "Daily Reflection Journals" date from 1975-1987.

Research files on artists and subjects are extensive, comprising one-half of the collection. Files are varied and may include primary research materials, correspondence, printed materials, notes, and writings. Some of the artists' letters and other materials dated from 1790-early 1800s may have been purchased by Hatch. Among many other items, there is an illustrated letter written by Oscar Bluemner and photographs of Bluemner; primary research materials dating from the early 1800s on John Vanderlyn including a will, receipts, and correspondence; a letter from Rembrandt Peale dated 1830, and an autograph letter from John Trumbull dated 1790. Also found is an index card file.

Organization files contain files and records related to Hatch's affiliations with many cultural organizations. A small amount of teaching and education files consist of Hatch's notes and lectures from the University of Oregon and the University of Massachusetts, and from his continuing education courses he took at St. John's College. Writings and notes include short essays by Hatch, mostly concerning art, exhibitions and museum administration; book reviews; general notes, lists, and reports.

Printed Materials are comprised of exhibition catalogs and announcements, including those from the American Drawing Annual in the 1940s-1950s; printed articles annotated by Hatch; clippings; pricelists; and published works.

A small number of photographs are of Hatch, some by Dorothy Frazer; of his family and friends; and of artists. The bulk of the photographs are of works of art including those owned by Hatch.

Artwork includes two sketchbooks - one by Kenneth Callahan and another by Lloyd McNeill; and additional drawings and sketches by Julian Scott, Henry Kirke Browne, Kenneth Callahan, Ezra Clark, John Cranch, Jasper Francis Crospey, F. O. C. Darley, C. H. Granger, Seymour J. Guy, George Harvey, Edward Lamson Henry, Henry Inman, as well as unsigned or illegible names.

Arrangement and Series Description

The collection is arranged as 11 series:

• Series 1: Biographical Information, circa 1900-1980s (Box 1; 8 folders)
• Series 2: Correspondence, 1903-1990s (Box 1-3; 2 linear feet)
• Series 3: Personal Business and Legal Records, Date (Box 3; 0.3 linear feet)
• Series 4: Diaries and Journals, 1925-1987 (Box 3, 23; 1.2 linear feet)
• Series 5: Research Files, 1790-1992 (Box 3-13, 20-21, 24; 12.7 linear feet)
• Series 6: Organization Files, 1930s-1990s (Box 13-14; 1.0 linear feet)
• Series 7: Teaching and Education Files, 1930s-1993 (Box 14-15; 1.0 linear feet)
• Series 8: Writings and Notes, 1936-1990s (Box 15; 0.3 linear feet)
• Series 9: Printed Material, 1870s-1990s (Box 15-19, 22, 25-26, OV1; 5.9 linear feet)
• Series 10: Photographs, circa 1900-1990s (Box 22; 0.2 linear feet)
• Series 11: Artwork, 1851-1973 (Box 22; 0.3 linear feet)

Subjects and Names

Provenance

John Davis Hatch and the John Davis Hatch estate donated his papers to the Archives of American Art in several installments between 1960-1996. Many of the primary materials relating to John Vanderlyn were acquired by Hatch from a photographer in Kingston, New York who received them from a niece of Vanderlyn. Robert Graham of James Graham and Sons gave Vanderlyn's will to Hatch.

Separated and Related Materials

Four books annotated by Bluemner, a letter from Bluemner, a letter from A. Stieglitz to Bluemner, photographs of works of art, and exhibition materials were removed from the papers and merged with the Oscar Bluemner papers at the Archives of American Art.

The Archives of American Art holds two oral history interviews with John Davis Hatch: June 8, 1964 conducted by H. Wade White and 1979-1980 conducted by Robert F. Brown. Also found is a separately cataloged photograph of Hatch and Henry Francis Taylor from 1933.

Additional research materials complied by Hatch are located in the Albany Institute of History and Art, the Metropolitan Museum, the library of the National Gallery of Art, and the Senate House, Kingston, New York.

Hatch donated two hundred and seventy American drawings to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

How the Collection was Processed

The John Davis Hatch papers were processed to an intermediate level in 2010 by Jayna Hanson with funding provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.

How to Use the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Use of originals requires an appointment.

Ownership & Literary Rights

The John Davis Hatch 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.

Available Formats

Twenty sketches from the collection are available on 35 mm microfilm reel 2814 at Archives of American Art offices, and through interlibrary loan.

How to Cite this Collection

John Davis Hatch, 1790-1995. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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Detailed Description and Container Inventory

Series 1: Biographical Information, circa 1900-1980s (Box 1; 8 folders)

Found here are materials relating to the Olivia and John Hatch's anniversary party; biographical sketches; certificates from various scholarly, professional, and honorary societies; a diary fragment written by Olivia Hatch as a child; report cards; resumes; and a copy of a silhouette of the Hatch Family from 1904.

Series 2: Correspondence, 1903-1990s (Box 1-3; 2 linear feet)

Correspondence is between Hatch and friends, colleagues, family, museums and other organizations. Correspondence is also found in Hatch's research files (series 5.)

The bulk of the correspondence is arranged by decade only; items have not been further arranged by specific year or month.

Series 3: Personal Business and Financial Records, 1934-1994 (Box 3; 0.3 linear feet)

Personal business and financial records include bills, receipts, inventories, and other records concerning purchases, loans, and donations. Also found are records of J. D. Hatch and Associates, Cultural Cunsultants, and a draft of a will, Selective Service files, stock certificates, tax documents, and passports and travel papers.

Series 4: Diaries and Journals, 1925-1987 (Box 3, 23; 1.2 linear feet)

Diary fragments and a transcript date from 1925-1965, and thirteen "Daily Reflection Journals" date from 1975-1987.

Series 5: Research Files, 1790-1992 (Box 3-13, 20-21, 24; 12.7 linear feet)

The series is arranged as 2 subseries:

• 1: Artist Files, 1790-1990s
• 2: Subject Files, 1861-1992

1: Artist Files, 1790, circa 1870s-1990s

Artist files include correspondence with the artist, collected by Hatch; or about the artist. Additional materials include printed materials and some photographs. There is a substantial amount of material on artists Oscar Bluemner and John Vanderlyn. Files are arranged alphabetically by artist.

Subseries 2: Subject Files, 1861-1992

Subjects files either concern topics of interest or research, or may contain correspondence with the named subject, such as museums, or contain correspondence about the named topic. Index Card Files are located at the end of this subseries and contain Hatch's alphabetized research notes regarding portraits and bibliography of his research.

Series 6: Organization Files, 1930s-1990s (Box 13-14; 1.0 linear feet)

Found here are files regarding Hatch's affiliations with numerous organizations, particularly those related to art and scholarship.

Series 7: Teaching and Education Files, 1930s-1993 (Box 14-15; 1.0 linear feet)

Teaching files relate to Hatch's work as an instructor at the University of Massachusetts and the University of Oregon. Also found are records of Hatch's continuing education courses at St. John's College in New Mexico in the 1990s.

Series 8: Writings and Notes, 1936-1990s (Box 15; 0.3 linear feet)

Writings by Hatch consist primarily of short essays, lists, lecture and class notes, and artists' biographies.

Series 9: Printed Material, 1870s-1990s (Box 15-19, 22, 25-26, OV1; 5.9 linear feet)

Printed materials include catalogs from the American Drawing Annual exhibition from the 1940s-1950s, printed articles annotated by Hatch; blank forms, catalogs of works of art owned by Hatch, other exhibition catalogs and announcements, clippings, pricelists, and published works.

Printed materials are minimally processed according to Hatch's original order and folder titles.

Series 10: Photographs, circa 1900-1990s (Box 22; 0.2 linear feet)

Photographs include images of Hatch, including those done by Dorothy Frazer in 1985; Hatch with his family and friends; miscellaneous photos of artists, probably purchased by Hatch for research purposes; photos of furniture and works of art, including those pieces in the Hatch collection; and negatives and slides.

Series 11: Artwork, 1851-1973 (Box 22; 0.3 linear feet)

Found here are sketches, drawings, and two sketchbooks from the Hatch collection. Artists represented are Kenneth Calahan, Henry Kirke Brown, Ezra Clark, John Cranch, Jasper Francis Crospey, F. O. C. Darley, C. H. Granger, Seymour J. Guy, Edward Lamson Henry, Henry Inman, Lloyd McNeill, and Julian Scott. Also found are unidentified sketches.