About the Mary Fanton Roberts papers
All information on this page comes from A Finding Aid to the Mary Fanton Roberts Papers, ![[Download PDF Version]](/images/website/pdficon_small.gif)
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Biographical Information | Description of the Collection | How to Use the Collection
Biographical Information [+]
Mary Fanton Roberts was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1864. When she was a young girl her family moved to Deadwood, in the Montana territory, where her father had mining prospects. When she was old enough, she and her sister were sent back to New York to attend the Albany Female Academy. After finishing school, Roberts pursued journalism and became a staff writer for four years for the Herald Tribune, the Journal, and the Sun in New York. During her long career she was editor of Demorest Magazine, editor-in-chief of New Idea Woman's Magazine, managing editor of The Craftsman, and creator and editor of The Touchstone Magazine and Decorative Arts magazine. Her longest period at one publication was seventeen years as editor of Arts and Decoration. She often wrote articles on the topic of decorative arts and home decorating, and published two books, Inside 100 Homes, and 101 Ideas for Successful Interiors. READ MORE
Description of the Collection
Overview - Scope and Contents [+]
The papers of art writer and editor Mary Fanton Roberts measure 3.8 linear feet and are dated 1880 to 1956. The collection is comprised mainly of correspondence with family members, artists, dancers, actors, writers, musicians, and visual and performing arts organizations. Also found are scattered biographical materials, writings, printed material, photographs and artwork. READ MORE
Arrangement and Series Description [+]
The collection is arranged into 11 series:
- Series 1: Biographical Material, 1906, 1912-1941, undated (Box 1; 2 folders)
- Series 2: Personal Correspondence, 1902-1951, undated (Box 1; 7 folders)
- Series 3: Business and Political Correspondence, 1903-1959, undated (Box 1; 6 folders)
- Series 4: Art Correspondence/Subject Files, 1898-1956, undated (Box 1-2; 0.8 linear feet)
- Series 5: Dance and Theatre Correspondence/Subject Files, 1902-1953, undated (Box 2-3; 0.8 linear feet)
- Series 6: Literary and Music Correspondence/Subject Files, 1900-1952, undated (Box 3; 0.6 linear feet)
- Series 7: General Correspondence, 1898-1946, undated (Box 3-4; 0.4 linear feet)
- Series 8: Writings, 1915-1926, 1952, undated (Box 4; 3 folders)
- Series 9: Printed Material, 1899, 1909-1947, undated (Box 4-5; 0.3 linear feet)
- Series 10: Photographs, 1880-circa 1943, undated (Box 5; 0.2 linear feet)
- Series 11: Artwork, 1906, undated (Box 5; 3 folders) READ MORE
Subjects
This collection is indexed in the online catalog of the Archives of American Art under the following terms:
- Subjects:
- Seton, Ernest Thompson, 1860-1946
- Subjects-Topical:
- Ashcan school of art
- Editors -- New York (State) -- New York
- Art critics -- New York (State) -- New York
- Authors -- New York (State) -- New York
- Types of Materials:
- Works of art
- Photographs
- Names:
- Roberts, William C.
- Fanton, Belle
- Barnard, George Grey, 1863-1938
- Borglum, Gutzon, 1867-1941
- Haggin, Ben Ali, 1882-1951
- Kroll, Leon, 1884-1974
- Remington, Frederic, 1861-1909
- Rerikh, Nikolai Konstantinovich, 1874-1947
- Troubetzkoy, Pierre, 1864-1936
- Herford, Oliver, 1863-1935
- Yeats, John Butler, 1839-1922
- Henri, Robert, 1865-1929
- Sloan, John, 1871-1951
- Glackens, William J., 1870-1938
- Coburn, Charles Douville
- Le Gallienne, Eva, 1899-
- Enters, Angna, 1907-
- Carman, Bliss, 1861-1929
- Guilbert, Yvette, 1865-1944
- Osbourne, Lloyd, 1868-1947
- Muray, Nickolas, 1892-1965
- Roberts, Goodridge, 1904-
- Roberts, Dorothy, 1906-
Provenance
The collection was donated in 1957 by Phoebe DuBois and Violet Organ.
How the Collection was Processed
The collection was arranged upon accessioning and microfilmed on reels D161-D164. A finding aid to the microfilm was prepared by Erin Corley in 2006 and the microfilm was digitized in 2007 as part of the Terra Foundation for American Art Digitization Grant.
How to Use the Collection
Restrictions on Use
The Mary Fanton Roberts 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 microfilm of this collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website. Use of material not microfilmed or digitized requires an appointment.
Available Formats
This collection has been digitized. View the Mary Fanton Roberts papers online
The microfilm of this collection was digitized in 2007 and is available via the Archives of American Art's website.
How to Cite this Collection
Mary Fanton Roberts papers, 1880-1956. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.