Christopher DeMairo
Scope and Contents
The papers of sculptor Alexander Stoller (1902-1994) measure 1.8 linear feet and date from 1860-1996, with the bulk of the records dating from 1920s-1996. The records document Stoller's career through biographical material, professional files, printed material, photographs, artwork, and several VHS video recordings.
Biographical materials include biographical writings and resumes, certificates from various organizations, a guest list from his ninetieth birthday party, and three VHS tapes. The VHS tapes include footage of an interview with Stoller's wife, Brier Stoller (Lily Paget) and of Stoller's artwork. Also found in this series are papers related to Brier Stoller such as newspaper clippings, scripts, certificates, and performance ephemera. Professional files include some papers surrounding exhibitions, galleries, museums and other institutions, project files, financial material, and sales records. Printed material contains articles and newspaper clippings about Stoller, his artwork, and several of his exhibitions; materials from a commune and museum in France, Blerancourt, as well as from other museums, galleries, and organizations.
The photographs series contains snapshots and portraits of Stoller with his artwork (one taken by Man Ray) and of his wife, Brier Stoller, aka Lily Paget, during performances and dedication events; slides (many by Don Victor), snapshots, prints, negatives, and transparencies of Stollers artwork and exhibitions; and two photograph scrapbooks. Artwork consists of 10 sketchbooks and several loose sketches; as well as a newspaper from 1860 and two prints which were uncovered together during processing in a folder originally titled "prints and rubbings."
Language
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The bulk of the collection was donated in 2003 by Linda Wesselman Jackson, manager of collections at the Chesterwood National Trust for Historic Preservation. Members of the Stoller family gave works of art along with these papers to Chesterwood with the understanding that these papers would be forwarded to the Archives of American Art. Stoller lent 29 items in 1976, which were microfilmed on reel 1182; included in the 2003 estate donation are approximately half of the documents previously lent for microfilming.
Existence and Location of Originals
Reel 1182: Originals returned to lender after microfilming, and approximately half were later returned to the Archives of American Art with papers donated in 2003.
Funding
Sponsor
The processing of this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care and Preservation Fund, administered by the National Collections Program and the Smithsonian Collections Advisory Committee.
Processing Information
The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Christopher DeMairo in 2021.