Lorser Feitelson and Helen Lundeberg papers, circa 1890s-2002, (bulk 1919-1999)

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A Finding Aid to the Lorser Feitelson and Helen Lundeberg Papers, circa 1890s-2002, bulk 1919-1999, in the Archives of American Art, by Michael Yates

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Funding for the processing of this collection was provided by the Getty Foundation.

Table of Contents:

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

Biographical Information

Lorser Feitelson was born in Savannah, Georgia on February 11, 1898, and grew up in New York City. By the age of twelve, he was painting in oils, and three years later he began to paint in earnest after attending the Armory Show. At the age of eighteen, Feitelson had his own studio in New York City. Over the next few years, he met other artists, including Arthur Davies, Walter Pach, and John Sloan. From 1919 to 1926, Feitelson lived in Paris and traveled to New York to exhibit; he also spent some time in Italy.

In 1927, Feitelson moved to Los Angeles, the city that would remain his home for the rest of his life. There he met his wife and artist, Helen Lundeberg, and married in 1933. Together Feitelson and Lundeberg founded the movement known as Subjective Classicism, or Post-surrealism, which sought to combine orderly and integrated compositions with the subjective association of objects and introspective moods. Feitelson's and Lundeberg's work had a great influence on southern California art and they formed many relationships with artists and critics of the area.

Feitelson taught at the Chouinard Art Institute and the Stickney Memorial School of Art, became involved in the operations of the Centaur Gallery, and helped to found the Stanley Rose Gallery and the Hollywood Gallery of Modern Art. Beginning with the first Post-surrealist exhibition 1934, Feitelson and Lundeberg's work was exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and included in the Museum of Modern Art's "Fantastic Art, Dada and Surrealism" exhibition of 1937. Feitelson continued to create Post-surrealist paintings until 1942. During this same time, Feitelson also served as the Supervisor of Murals, Painting, and Sculpture for the Southern California Works Progress Administration Federal Arts Project.

In 1944, Feitelson began to paint abstract shapes that he referred to as "magical forms." Feitelson continued working in an abstract manner throughout the fifties, and in 1959 was included by Jules Langsner in the exhibition "Four Abstract Classicists" along with Karl Benjamin, Frederick Hammersley, and John McLaughlin. From this exhibition emerged the term "hard edge" painting, which referred to the presence of geometric shapes and flat pictorial space in the work of these artists. During the final two decades of his life, Feitelson continued to work regularly, and continued to explore abstraction.

Feitelson taught for many years at the Art Center School and was a visiting professor at the University of Illinois, Urbana. He also hosted the television program "Feitelson on Art" from 1956-1963, as well as being a frequent guest on the program "Cavalcade of Books" to discuss art publications. Lorser Feitelson died in 1978.

Helen Lundeberg was born in Chicago, Illinois on June 24, 1908. At the age of four, her family moved to Pasadena, where she attended Pasadena High School and Junior College. In the spring of 1930, a family friend sponsored Lundeberg to attend classes at the Stickney Memorial School of Art. That summer Lundeberg met Lorser Feitelson when he took over the teaching of her construction and composition class. The following year, Lundeberg's work was included in an exhibition for the first time. By 1933, Lundeberg had a solo exhibition at the Stanley Rose Gallery. Throughout the 1930s, Lundeberg painted in a Post-surrealist manner and created some of her best known works including "Double Portrait of the Artist in Time" (1935). She also began to work for the California Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project in 1936. Over the next six years, she designed murals for libraries, high schools, and parks. She and Feitelson married in 1933.

During the next five decades, Lundeberg created a distinctive and diverse body of work that included surreal images of floating mountains and falling skies, austere landscapes and architectural forms, and abstract works with brilliant colors. She remained from the 1930s to the time of her death in 1999 one of the leading and most respected figures in the history of southern California art. Her work has been exhibited in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and acquired by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

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Overview of the Collection

Scope and Contents

The papers of painters and art instructors Lorser Feitelson and Helen Lundeberg measure 15.5 linear feet and date from circa 1890s to 2002, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1919 to 1999. This collection documents the life and career of the two artists, including their establishment of the Post-surrealism movement in southern California, their work for federal arts programs, and their later abstract artwork. Found are biographical materials, correspondence, personal business records, exhibition files, printed materials, and photographs. There is one circa 1957 reel-to-reel audio recording of an episode of Feitelson on Art.

Biographical documentation is found for both artists, Lundeberg's early life is documented by school notebooks, yearbooks, diplomas, calendars, awards, and a "memory book". Feitelson's biographical materials include family certificates, and documents compiled by Lundeberg regarding Feitelson's funeral. Also found are curriculum vitae and biographical sketches for both artists.

Correspondence is extensive and includes both personal and professional correspondence for both Feitelson and Lundeberg. Correspondence includes letters with artists, critics, and museums. Correspondents include Karl Benjamin, Frederick Hammersley, Reuben Kadish, John McLauglin, Diane Moran, Abraham Rattner, and numerous arts museums and galleries. Of special interest is Feitelson and Lundeberg's correspondence with Museum of Modern Art curator Dorothy Canning Miller.

A small amount of exhibition materials, mostly loan agreements and checklists, are found in the papers documenting exhibitions and loans of their artwork to exhibitions. Personal business records concern the management of their artwork and personal collections. Found here are lists of artwork, price lists, appraisal reports, sales invoices, purchase receipts, tax documents, and a set of index cards for their artwork. There are a few scattered legal documents as well. In addition to personal business records, there is a series of records of the Lorser Feitelson and Helen Lundeberg Foundation, established by Lundeberg in 1978.

Scattered research and teaching files are mostly Feitelson's. They document his personal research, teaching activities, and television programs, particularly the program Feitelson on Art. Writings, however, are found for both artists and include artist statements, writings about art and art styles and movements, writings about each artist, and writings about the federal arts program in southern California. Of interest are numerous writings by other contemporary writers and critics, including Jan Butterfield, Jules Langsner, Stephen Longstreet, Esther McCoy, Diane Moran, Henry Seldis, and Millard Sheets.

A small amount of artwork is found within the collection by Feitelson and Lundeberg, mostly sketches and drawings. There is one print by Hans Burkhardt.

Printed materials include newsclippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, lecture announcements, posters, press releases, and printed reproductions of Feitelson's and Lundeberg's artwork. There are also pamphlets produced by the Works Progress Administration Federal Arts Program and Lundeberg's poetry.

Photographs are extensive and include many of Lorser Feitelson and Helen Lundeberg, as well as of family, friends, and students. There are four photo albums and numerous photographs of Feitelson's and Lundeberg's artwork, including some exhibition installations.

There is one circa 1957 reel-to-reel audio recording of an episode of Feitelson on Art, focusing on Paul Gauguin.

Arrangement and Series Description

The collection is arranged into 11 series:

• Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1922-1995 (Boxes 1-2, 19; 1.5 linear feet)
• Series 2: Correspondence, 1932-1998 (Boxes 2-4; 2.5 linear feet)
• Series 3: Exhibition Records, 1936-1989 (Boxes 4- 5; 0.25 linear feet)
• Series 4: Personal Business Records, 1943-1998 (Boxes 5-6; 1.0 linear feet)
• Series 5: Feitelson and Lundeberg Foundation Records, 1978-1997 (Boxes 6-7, 18; 1.5 linear feet)
• Series 6: Research and Teaching Materials, 1940s-1960s (Boxes 7-8; 0.75 linear feet)
• Series 7: Writings, 1930-1989 (Boxes 8-9; 1.0 linear feet)
• Series 8: Artwork, 1920s-1991 (Boxes 9, 19; 9 folders)
• Series 9: Printed Materials, 1923-2002 (Boxes 9-11, 20; 2.0 linear feet)
• Series 10: Photographs, circa 1890s-1993 (Boxes 11-14, 16-19, and OV 1-2; 4.3 linear feet)
• Series 11: Audio Recording, circa 1957 (Boxes 15; 1 item)

Subjects and Names

Provenance

The collection was donated by Lorser Feitelson and Helen Lundeberg in 1973 and 1977. The Feitelson and Lundeberg Foundation donated additional material in 1999 and 2002.

Separated and Related Materials

In 1964, Feitelson loaned for microfilming a scrapbook of clippings primarily concerning his activities with the federal Works Progress Administration. The scrapbook was microfilmed on microfilm reel LA1 and returned to Feitelson.

Found in the Archives of American Art are oral history interviews with Lorser Feitelson conducted by Betty Lochrie Hoag, May 12, 1964, with Lorser Feitelson and Helen Lundeberg conducted by Betty Lochrie Hoag, March 17, 1965, and with Helen Lundeberg conducted by Jan Butterfield, July 19 and August 29, 1980.

How the Collection was Processed

The 1973 and 1977 donations of this collection were microfilmed upon accession on reels 1103-1104, and 3990. All accessions were merged and fully processed in 2007 by Michael Yates with funding provided by the Getty Foundation.

How to Use the Collection

Restrictions on Use

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

Ownership & Literary Rights

The Lorser Feitelson and Helen Lundeberg 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

Portions of the collection has been microfilmed, and are available on 35 mm microfilm reels 1103-1104, and 3990. Note that the final arrangement of the collection as described in this finding aid does not reflect the order of the collection on microfilm.

How to Cite this Collection

Lorser Feitelson and Helen Lundeberg papers, circa 1890s-2002, bulk 1919-1999. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

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Detailed Description and Container Inventory

Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1922-1995 (Boxes 1-2, 19; 1.5 linear feet)

Materials related to Helen Lundeberg's school years include notebooks that contain anatomical drawings, yearbooks from Pasadena High School and Pasadena Junior College, diplomas, and a memory book containing autographs and addresses of friends. Also included are calendars that cover Lundeberg's daily activities from the late 1970s to the mid 1990s. Of special interest are materials related to Lundeberg's participation in the Terman Study of gifted children that was conducted by Stanford University.

Materials related to Lorser Feitelson include family certificates, handwritten lists by Lundeberg documenting Feitelson's funeral. Also found are curriculum vitaes and biographical sketches for both Feitelson and Lundeberg.

Series 2: Correspondence, 1932-1998 (Boxes 2-4; 2.5 linear feet)

Found here are professional and personal correspondence for both Lorser Feitelson and Helen Lundeberg. Letters are from artists and friends including Karl Benjamin, Frederick Hammersley, Joseph Hirshhorn, Reuben Kadish, John McLaughlin, Diane Moran, Abraham Rattner, and numerous arts museums, collectors, and galleries. Especially well-documented is Feitelson and Lundeberg's friendship with Museum of Modern Art curator Dorothy Canning Miller. Other correspondence is related to Feitelson's teaching activities and includes letters with institutions he taught at such as the Art Center School, and letters with former students such as Jale Durgun. Family correspondence includes letters with Lundeberg's sister Kitty, Feitelson's brother Ben, and Feitelson's grandson Leo Marshall.

There is extensive correspondence between Feitelson and art historian Diane Moran when she was writing her thesis on Feitelson. Their correspondence includes in-depth discussions of Feitelson's career and his ideas about art and art history.

Also found are twelve folders of fan mail for the television show Feitelson on Art, three folders of birthday cards, and nine folders of sympathy cards received by Lundeberg upon Feitelson's death.

Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent. Names represented by scattered letters only are filed in general alphabetical folders.

Series 3: Exhibition Records, 1936-1989 (Box 4-5; 0.25 linear feet)

Exhibition records document exhibitions and loans of artwork to exhibitions. Documents include exhibition checklists, loan agreements, shipping records, agreements, and invitation lists.

Series 4: Personal Business Records, 1943-1998 (Boxes 5-6; 1.0 linear feet)

Personal business and financial records concern the management of Feitelson and Lundeberg's artwork and personal collections. Found here are lists of artwork, price lists, appraisal reports, sales invoices, purchase receipts, and conservation reports. There are a few scattered legal documents as well. An extensive set of index cards contains information about the medium, the size, and the collector for individual pieces of artwork by both Feitelson and Lundeberg. Other cards contain personal information about collectors.

The finances of Feitelson and Lundeberg are documented by account books, ledgers, retirement documents, and tax forms. Lundeberg's donations to various charitable organizations are documented through receipts and letters from organizations annotated with amount donated. Also found are materials related to Lorser Feitelson's service for the Los Angeles Art Association and the Museum Association.

Series 5: Feitelson and Lundeberg Foundation Records, 1978-1997 (Boxes 6-7, 19; 1.5 linear feet)

Found here are the records of the Lorser Feitelson and Helen Lundeberg Foundation, established in 1978. Records include articles of confederation, by-laws, meeting minutes, artists' grant files, correspondence, and financial records.

Series 6: Research and Teaching Materials, 1940s-1960s (Boxes 7-8; 0.75 linear feet)

This series contains Lorser Feitelson's files concerning personal research, teaching activities, and television programs. Most of the documents consist of informal, handwritten notes on a wide variety of topics in art and art history. Materials related to the Feitelson on Art television program include typed descriptions of episodes, scripts, title cards, and handwritten notes. A related audio recording of one of the shows is found in series 11.

Found in a disorganized state, these materials have been arranged under broad subject categories. It does not represent Feitelson's own organization.

Series 7: Writings, 1930-1989 (Boxes 8-9; 1.0 linear feet)

Writings are by Lorser Feitelson, Helen Lundeberg, and others. Lorser Feitelson's writings consist of artist statements, writings about his artwork and career, and writings about other artists. Helen Lundeberg's writings include artist statements, writing about her work, pamphlets about the technique and content of her murals for the Works Progress Administration Federal Art Program, and her poetry. Also found is a refutation of claims made in a book about Howard Putzel's involvement in the career of Feitelson.

Writings by others include many by art critic Jules Langsner, focusing on artists and art collectors, the impact of art, and modern art. Also found are notes written by Langsner. There are writings by Diane Moran about Feitelson and Lundeberg, two manuscripts by Esther McCoy, an essay by Jan Butterfield, an essay by Millard Sheets, a transcript of an interview with Feitelson by Henry Seldis, and writings by Stephen Longstreet on the Functionalist West movement.

This series is arranged in three sections: Writings by Lorser Feitelson, Writings by Helen Lundeberg, and Writings by Others. The first two sections are organized alphabetically by title, while the third section is organized alphabetically by author and alphabetically by title for authors with more than one manuscript.

Series 8: Artwork, circa 1920s-1991 (Boxes 9, 19; 9 folders)

Artwork by Lundeberg includes a signed drawing of a flower, small pastels of landscapes, and sketches of still lives, abstract shapes, arches, and landscapes. Artwork by Feitelson includes sketches for his paintings "Leda," "Procession," and "Maternity," sketches of posed figures and abstract shapes, and a drawing for the book jacket of Post Surrealism by Arthur Millier. Also found is a print by Hans Burkhardt, and unidentified cutouts of colored paper.

Series 9: Printed Materials, 1923-2002 (Boxes 9-11, 20; 2.0 linear feet)

Printed materials include clippings, lecture announcements, auction catalogs, and exhibition catalogs and announcements. There are many clippings and pamphlets concerning the Works Progress Administration of the Federal Art Program. Additional printed ephemera includes postcards, posters, press releases, and color reproductions of Feitelson and Lundeberg artwork. Flyers for Feitelson on Art and Cavalcade of Books document Feitelson's activities on television. Lundeberg's poetry is found in the book Memories, and the issues of the periodicals Fabric and Litera..

Also found are many exhibition announcements and exhibition catalogs for the Copley Gallery founded by William Nelson Copley.

Series 10: Photographs, circa 1890s-1993 (Boxes 11-14, 16-20, OV 1-2; 4.3 linear feet)

Photographs are extensive and include many of Lorser Feitelson and Helen Lundeberg, as well as of family, friends, and students. There are also numerous photographs of Feitelson's and Lundeberg's artwork. Photographs of Feitelson and Lundeberg include formal portraits and informal pictures taken at home, attending events, on trips, and with friends and family. Photographs of friends and family include pictures of Feitelson's first wife Nathalie Newking, his daughter Grace Marshall, and painter and family friend Harry Carmean. Friends and family are also pictured in the six folders of photographs of birthday and Christmas celebrations. Three folders contain photographs of family pets. There are four photograph albums.

Feitelson's teaching activities are documented by photographs with students and in front of a class at the Art Center School. Also included are photographs of Feitelson on the set of various television programs including Feitelson on Art and Cavalcade of Books.

Over six decades of artwork by Feitelson and Lundeberg is well-documented, including juvenilia, their work during the Post-surrealism movement, murals undertaken for the Federal Art Program, and their abstract work. Four folders contain photographs that record the installation of their artwork for exhibition at museums and galleries. Also found are photographs of works owned by Lorser Feitelson which included both contemporary paintings and drawings by old masters.

Also found are negatives and transparencies of Feitelson and Lundeberg, of their artwork, and a few other images present elsewhere in the series.

Series 11: Audio Recording, circa 1957 (Box 15; 1 item)

This series contains one reel-to-reel audio recording of an episode of Feitelson on Art focusing on Paul Gauguin.