Adams, Mary E., b. 1920

Oral history interview with Mary and Clinton Adams, 1998 Apr. 24

Sound recording: 1 sound cassette (60 min.) analog.

An interview of Mary and Clinton Adams conducted by Paul Karlstrom for the Archives of American Art, in the Adams' home, in Albuquerque, N.M.

Mary recalls the early years at the Getty as assistant to Wilhelm Reinhold Valentiner, being hired by him in 1954, her responsibilities, such as driving Valentiner to the Malibu ranch location, and the property at the time the museum was established. She described the difficulties Valentiner faced in setting up the museum, and his views of J. Paul Getty. Clinton Adams enters into the conversation late and discusses the art scene in Los Angeles, where, at the time, the Huntington Hartford was regarded as the best hope for a local museum.

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators. Funding for the transcription of this interview provided by the Pasadena Art Alliance

How to Use this Interview

• Transcript: 23 p.
  Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
• Transcript available on line at http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/oralhistories/transcripts/adams98.htm
• A transcript of this interview is available online.
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