Louis Bouché papers, 1880-2007
Bouché, Louis George,
b. 1896
d. 1969
Painter, Muralist, Educator, Interior designer
New York, N.Y.; Old Chatham, N.Y.
Collection size: 5.9 linear feet
Collection Summary: Correspondence, photographs, writings, ledgers, scrapbooks, and printed material documenting the career of Louis Bouché as a mural painter and interior designer.
A letter from Louis Eilshemius and one from Marcel Duchamp; exhibition catalogs, including some from the Wanamaker Gallery of Modern Decorative Art which Bouché managed, and the Penguin Club; and 6 photographs.
Two scrapbooks, 1915-1962, containing catalogs, clippings, photographs, and miscellaneous printed material on Bouché and the American art scene. Included is material on the Penguin Club and the People's Art Guild.
ca. 400 photographs of Bouché, his wife Marian Wright Bouché, friends, paintings, murals, and interiors, including many done before 1920. Noted photographers include Carl Van Vechten, Hal Phyfe, Herbert Gehr, and Drix Duryea.
Typescript of an autobiography (original microfilmed reel 3957); eight diaries kept by Marian Wright Bouché during their travels, 1933-1973; reminiscences on Bouché by Alexander Brook, Peter Blume, Robert Coates, and Cyril Wright; and exhibition catalogs.
60 letters (in French), 1889-1908, from Bouché's father, Henri to his wife; 13 letters, 1933-1977, including 2 illustrated letters and a poem by Peggy Bacon, and 2 letters from Katherine Schmidt to Jane Bouché and Hal Strong with information on Bouché; two ledgers, 1930-1969; listing date, title, dimensions, and buyers of art works; a handwritten autobiography by Bouché (typescript on reel 688), mentioning his early years, the Penguin Club, camouflage work during WWI, friends, the Whitney Studio Club, galleries, Washington Square South, travels, Woodstock and many other topics; a party invitation made by Jules Pascin; exhibition announcements and catalogs; and printed material.
A resumé, family photographs, a family photograph album, ca. 1860, and memorabilia relating to Bouché and his family; Penguin Club material, undated and 1917 and 1923, including an exhibition poster designed by Alfred Frueh, a clipping, a menu, and announcement for a stag dinner in honor of Horace Brodzky; an exhibition catalog, 1970; art works, including a drawing by Peggy Bacon of Louis and Marian Bouché, a drawing by Alexander Brook of Peggy Bacon, and watercolor paintings and sketches by Henri Bouché associated with his work for Tiffany Studios.
Personal correspondence is with family. Professional correspondence regards The Panels, 5 glass panels at the Newark Museum painted by Bouché. Writings include vignettes and memoirs of Bouché compiled by his daughter Jane Bouché Strong. Artwork consists of drawings, sketches and sketchbooks by Peggy Bacon, Louis Bouché, Jane Bouché, Reginald Marsh, and others. Photographs are of family and friends, artwork, and places. A scrapbook contains printed material, photographs, and drawings, 1880-1932. Printed material consists of exhibition catalogs and newspaper clippings mentioning Bouché and books about French expositions.
Biographical/Historical Note: Louis Bouché (1896-1969) was a mural painter and interior designer in New York, N.Y.
Material on reel D117 donated 1963 by Bouché; he lent the two scrapbooks for microfilming in 1963; they were subsequently donated by his widow along with material on reels 672, 688-689 in 1972. The remainder was donated by Bouché's daughter, Jane Bouché Strong, 1978-1988 and in 2011 by Anne and Selina Strong, Jane Bouché' Strong's daughters .
How to Use this Collection
- Microfilm reels D117, D128, 672, 688-689, and 3957 available at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
- Use of original papers requires an appointment. CLOSED TO RESEARCHERS FOR COLLECTION DIGITIZATION.
- For more information on using the Archives’ resources, see the FAQ or Ask Us.
